Comprehensive Plan Periodic Review

At its September 17 Regular Meeting, the City Council reviewed and approved the Ad Hoc Committee's recommendations as contained in Exhibits 1, 2, and 3 (AB 6541). Furthermore, the City Manager recommended three amendments to the Economic Development Element as outlined in Exhibits 3, 4, and 5 to AB 6541, which the City Council approved.

Meeting Recording and Agenda Packet

The City Council is scheduled to receive an update on House Bill 1220 Affordable Housing Capacity Compliance Options at its October 1 Regular Meeting.

At its September 3 Regular Meeting, City Council reviewed proposed Councilmember amendments (AB 6519) and directed staff to incorporate all approved amendments into the 2024 City Council Draft Comprehensive Plan and make this draft available for public review and comment for a period of not less than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the City Council completing the first reading of an adopting ordinance scheduled for November 5, 2024. Additionally, City Council took action to form an Ad-Hoc Committee comprised of Councilmembers Reynolds and Weinberg and Mayor Nice to work with staff to formulate recommendations on the proposed Economic Development Element amendments contained in Exhibit 1 as well as any other proposed amendments referred by the City Council. The Ad-Hoc Committee was directed to commence work immediately and present their recommendations to the full City Council at the September 17, 2024 Regular City Council meeting.

Meeting Recording and Agenda Packet

On July 16, the City Council was briefed on the Planning Commission recommended draft of the Comprehensive Plan Periodic Review (AB 6510). From July 29 to August 12, City Councilmembers individually provided proposed amendments to the Planning Commission recommended draft.

The Councilmember proposed amendments were provided to the City Council on September 3 with Agenda Bill 6519. Beginning on September 3 and continuing to September 17, if needed, the City Council will consider the proposed amendments and provide direction to staff to prepare the 2024 City Council Draft Comprehensive Plan.

The 2024 City Council Draft Comprehensive Plan will be available for public comments for at least 30 days beginning in October. The City Council is expected to discuss the public comments on the 2024 City Council Draft Comprehensive Plan beginning in November.

On June 12, 2024, the Planning Commission recommended adoption of amended Comprehensive Plan Elements to the City Council. Arriving at a recommendation to the City Council marks the end of the Planning Commission legislative review of the Comprehensive Plan goals and policies. This step in the process marks a major milestone in the Comprehensive Plan periodic review project that began when the City Council approved a scope of work in March 2022.

There are still several steps remaining to complete the Comprehensive Plan periodic review:

• The City Council will review the Comprehensive Plan update; a process that will include an initial briefing and two touches in advance of adopting the update by ordinance. The City Council will receive and initial briefing on the Planning Commission recommendation in July, currently planned for July 16. City Council meeting agendas are posted on the City website here.
• the periodic review will include some development code amendments to implement the updated policies. The Planning Commission will begin review implementing development code amendments at its next scheduled meeting on September 25, 2024. Planning Commission meeting agendas are posted on the City website here.
• The periodic review of the Comprehensive Plan including the implementing development code amendments must be adopted before December 31, 2024, the deadline set by the WA Legislature in the statewide Growth Management Act.

The online survey and materials from the Comprehensive Plan Periodic Review Open House on May 1, 2024, are now available. Please click on the links below to take the online survey, see the poster boards, and review the slideshow presentation.

Take the Online Survey Closes Monday, May 20 at 9:00am

Poster Boards

Slideshow Presentation

Please submit any additional written comments to comp.plan@mercerisland.gov

A Community Open House has been scheduled for May 1, 2024 from 6:00-8:00pm at the Mercer Island Community and Events Center. This will be an opportunity to preview the draft amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and provide feedback to the City. Members of the Planning Commission as well as City staff and consultants will be in attendance to provide information on the work done to-date, the draft Comprehensive Plan elements and proposed substantial changes to the plan. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss topics of interest and provide feedback.

The Planning Commission has prepared a draft Housing Element for public review. The draft is available here. Included with the draft Housing Element are some proposed amendments to the Land Use Element (document available here).

Comments on the draft can be emailed to compplanupdate@mercerisland.gov. The public will also have the opportunity to provide input on the draft Housing Element during a Comprehensive Plan Periodic Review Community Workshop currently planned for May 1, 2024. Other questions and comments can be sent to Adam Zack, Senior Planner at adam.zack@mercerisland.gov.

Housing Element Project History

• The WA State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires the City of Mercer Island to periodically review its Comprehensive Plan and make any necessary amendments by December 31, 2024;
• In 2021, the WA State Legislature enacted House Bill (HB) 1220, which amended the GMA requirements for locally adopted Housing Elements;
• In June 2021, King County prepared the Urban Growth Capacity (UGC) Report, which included a Land Capacity Analysis (LCA) for Mercer Island;
• The City Council set a scope of work for the Comprehensive Plan periodic review in 2022 with Resolution 1621;
• The adopted scope of work included the creation of the Housing Work Group (HWG) to prepare an updated draft of the Housing Element. The HWG is composed of three city council members (Wendy Weiker, Craig Reynolds, Salim Nice) and two planning commissioners (Kate Akyuz, Carolyn Boatsman);
• The HWG was put on hold in November 2022 in anticipation of major changes prompted by HB 1220;
• Between May and August 2023, the WA Department of Commerce (Commerce) issued guidance for updating housing elements to comply with HB 1220. The Commerce guidance required additional steps not included in the City’s original scope of work;
• The City Council updated this scope of work to add tasks for the Housing Element update in the summer of 2023 with Resolution 1646;
• In August 2023, King County adopted Ordinance 19660, which amended the Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs) to establish housing needs for all of its cities as required by HB 1220. The CPPs set the number of moderate, low, very low, and extremely low-income housing units needed in each city throughout the county;
• In accordance with the updated scope of work and the Commerce guidance, staff produced a Land Capacity Analysis (LCA) Supplement and a Racially Disparate Impacts (RDI) Evaluation and provided findings to the City Council with Agenda Bill (AB) 6385;
• On January 16, 2024, the City Council approved two motions providing guidance to the Housing Work Group (HWG) on how to proceed with updating the Housing Element in light of the findings of the LCA Supplement and RDI Evaluation (AB 6393);
• Between January and March 14, the HWG met to formulate and refine a draft of the Housing Element and the corresponding amendments to related policies in the Land Use Element;
• The draft Housing Element was drafted to address a number of requirements from state law, regional planning requirements, and King County Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs);
• On March 14, the HWG voted unanimously to recommend the HWG draft Housing Element and Land Use Element consistency amendments to the Planning Commission (PC); and
• The Planning Commission reviewed the HWG draft of the Housing Element from March 20 to 27 (3/20 meeting recording, 3/27 meeting recording).

Update: The Multi-family Housing Survey is now closed.  The survey results have been added to the Document Library.

The City is conducting public outreach to multi-family households on Mercer Island through a short survey to learn more about the reasons people choose to live here as well as reasons people may choose to move away in the future. A postcard promoting this survey was recently mailed to all multi-family households located in the Town Center and multi-family areas of Mercer Island.

Recent state legislation (HB 1220) requires a substantial review and update of the Housing Element as a part of the current periodic update to the Comprehensive Plan, including the addition of focused strategies to plan for affordable housing. The scope of work for the periodic update, adopted by the City Council in 2021 (Resolution No. 1621), includes targeted outreach to renter households. In addition, the Racially Disparate Impacts Evaluation completed by the City last month identified that households in portions of the Town Center and Multi-family housing areas are at a higher risk of displacement. That is, these households have a higher risk of being "forced or pressured to move from their community by factors outside of their control". Thus, the City is seeking input from these households on their experience in attaining housing and living in Mercer Island, and the factors that could cause them to move in the future.

If you are a renter or resident of an apartment, condo, townhome, duplex or ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit)/Backyard Cottage, we encourage you to complete the survey. If you have questions about this survey or the process, please contact us at Comp.Plan@mercerisland.gov.

The Parks and Recreation Commission and Planning Commission will hold a joint work session to review the draft Parks Zone on February 8 at 6:00pm.

The public can participate by watching the meeting live via Zoom or by signing up to speak during the appearances portion of the meeting (more info here). The recording can also be viewed at a later time on the City's YouTube channel.

The original scope of work for the Periodic Update of the Comprehensive Plan, adopted by the City Council in March 2022, includes the creation of a new Parks Zone. City staff have developed initial drafts of an updated land use map, zoning map and development regulations for the new zone. The Parks and Recreation Commission will provide input to the Planning Commission on the new zone at the January 4, 2024 meeting (agenda packet). The Planning Commission will begin review of the Parks Zone January 24, 2024, and will include a recommendation on amendments to the land use map, zoning map and development regulations with their recommendation to City Council for the Periodic Update of the Comprehensive Plan.