Planning Commission Recommendation Moving to City Council on June 16

On June 3 and June 10, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on proposed updates to the Comprehensive Plan, Development Code, and proposed Station Subarea Plan (PCB26-07 & PCB26-08*). These revisions address the Growth Management Hearings Board order by expanding affordable housing capacity, updating Town Center zoning and development regulations, and implementing a new Station Subarea Plan.

In order to comply with the Growth Management Hearing Board (GMHB) order, the Town Center and surrounding multifamily areas are proposed for upzoning and other changes to the development regulations to increase development capacity, provide additional opportunities for affordable housing development, and implement the Station Subarea Plan. The Planning Commission public hearing covered the following:

  • The Comprehensive Plan was amended to reflect the changes required by the GMHB Order.
    1. An updated Land Capacity Analysis to estimate the capacity of Town Center under new zoning regulations. The analysis estimated the affordability levels of new units in the Town Center.
    2. 2026 Housing Barriers Analysis evaluating potential barriers to housing production
    3. The Land Use Map was updated to reflect changes in Town Center and adjacent multifamily
    4. Amendments to the Transportation, Utilities and Capital Facilities Elements to reflect impacts of additional housing development on the City’s infrastructure
  • Amendments to the Town Center Development Code.
  • Updated zoning map shows the zoning changes around Town Center and would replace the existing zoning map in Title 19 MICC – Appendix D
  • Increases to maximum building height allowance to 8 stories in the new TC-8A and TC-8B subareas and 6 stories in the new TCMF-6 subarea.
  • Code amendments to resolve potential barriers to housing production
  • New inclusionary zoning requirement and fee in lieu option
  • Station Subarea Plan to provide detailed planning for the area surrounding the light rail station.

Comprehensive Plan and Town Center Amendments

The updated zoning map has changes around Town Center and would replace the existing zoning map in Title 19 MICC – Appendix D The updated comprehensive plan includes provisions for affordable housing in the updated Town Center zone through inclusionary zoning and a fee in lieu program.

  • Inclusionary zoning is a type of zoning that requires a certain percentage of dwelling units to be affordable housing units. Following adoption, 10% of housing units must be affordable at 50% of the area median income for developments in TC-8A, TC-8B, and TCMF-6 subareas of the Town Center, per MICC 19.11.040
  • Fee in lieu is an option to pay a fee to the City instead of constructing the affordable housing required under inclusionary zoning. The fund will be used to finance projects with very low-income dwelling units and permanent supportive housing, which is typically not created through regular market development. The amendments are included in Chapter 19.06 MICC.

Additional code amendments included changes to MICC 19.06.080 for permanent supportive and emergency housing regulations to better accommodate special needs and social service transitional housing. General code amendments were made for consistency to the Comprehensive Plan, Station Subarea Plan, and elsewhere in the development code. Zoning changes will add development capacity and implement Phase 1 of the Station Subarea Plan.

Station Subarea Plan

The Station Subarea Plan is a major element towards compliance with the GMHB order. The Station Subarea plan is a set of goals and policies for the area within walking distance from the Mercer Island Light Rail Station. It is part of the Comprehensive Plan that establishes a refined plan for the subarea. The Station Subarea Plan is being implemented in a phased approach; Phase 1 will include upzoning and affordable housing requirements within the existing Town Center and adjacent multifamily zones by July 2026; Phase 2 will include additional zoning and development regulation changes for the entire Station Area by 2029. Work will begin on Phase 2 following adoption of the Station Subarea Plan.

Phase 1 proposed zoning amendments include:

  • Consolidating Town Center and adjacent Multi-family (MF-2 and MF-2L) zones into the Town Center Zone
  • The current TC increases to a maximum building height of 8-Stories (TC-8A and TC-8B)
  • Previous MF zones become a new subarea of Town Center with a 6-Story maximum building height (TCMF-6)


The previous zoning map (left) compared to the updated zoning map (right). The Town Center zone is expanding to include the zones that were previously multifamily.

On June 3, the Planning Commission made two motions:

  1. Incorporate the non-substantive amendments listed in PCB26-07 into the draft Comprehensive Plan, Station Subarea Plan, and Implementing Development Code Amendments.
  2. Request that staff make clarifying amendments to daylight plane standards related to Development Code, Log 29.

On June 10, the Planning Commission reconvened to resolve the motion made regarding the daylight plane presented at the June 2 meeting. The daylight plane is a development standard that requires the upper floors of buildings to step back to allow more sunlight to reach the street. Following the staff presentation and discussion, the Planning Commission made the following motion to the Town Center development code:

Updated graphic depicting the daylight plane standard in MICC 19.11.030(A)(7)(b)(i).

At the end of the public hearing, the Planning Commission’s recommended to City Council to adopt the updated Comprehensive Plan, Station Subarea Plan, and Town Center Development Amendments as presented and amended.

On June 16, the Planning Commission recommendation will be presented to the City Council.



*Materials presented at the June 3 and June 10 public hearing can be viewed below.

June 3 Materials

Planning Commission Bill 26-07: Public Hearing: Comprehensive Plan Update, Station Subarea Plan, and Implementing Development Code Amendments

June 10 Materials

Technical Documents

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