City Council Direction Following April 21, 2026, Meeting

At its regular meeting on April 21, 2026, the City Council provided final direction on the strategy to achieve GMA Compliance. City Council gave the following direction:

Set the inclusionary zoning requirements at 10% of units to be affordable at 50% AMI when drafting code amendments to comply with the GMHB Order.
Prohibit adult entertainment and warehousing in the TC-8 subarea when drafting code amendments to comply with the GMHB Order.
Include policy direction in the Station Subarea Plan to review the requirements for average daylight plane, major site features, and major façade modulation during Station Subarea Plan Phase 2.

The City Council also directed the Planning Commission to initiate legislative review of the required amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Development Code, alongside a proposed Station Subarea Plan. The Planning Commission review process begins on April 29 and is scheduled to conclude by June 10 with a formal recommendation to the City Council. The Commission will also hold a public hearing on the proposed amendments on June 3. Following this, the City Council will review the Commission’s recommendations and adopt the necessary ordinances during its meetings throughout June and July. This timeline ensures the City meets the mandatory Growth Management Hearings Board compliance deadline of July 31, 2026.

The Planning Commission legislative review schedule is as follows:

April 29: Station Subarea Plan

May 6: Comprehensive Plan Amendments

May 13: Development Code Amendments

May 20: Development Code Amendments

May 27: Comprehensive Plan Amendments

June 3: Public Hearing

June 10: Planning Commission Recommendation

June 16: Presentation of Planning Commission Recommendations to City Council

The Planning Commission public meetings will be held at 6:00pm, in the Slater Room at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center, located at 8236 SE 24th Street, Mercer Island. Information to attend virtually can be found using the "Meeting Details" links on the Planning Commission Meetings page.