Comprehensive Plan Periodic Review

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The WA State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires the City of Mercer Island to periodically review and update its comprehensive plan. The Comprehensive Plan is the City's statement of vision, goals, and policies for managing growth in a twenty-year timeframe. The primary focus of this periodic review is to update the Comprehensive Plan for the period of 2024-2044.

This project website will provide regular updates on the Comprehensive Plan periodic review process.

The WA State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires the City of Mercer Island to periodically review and update its comprehensive plan. The Comprehensive Plan is the City's statement of vision, goals, and policies for managing growth in a twenty-year timeframe. The primary focus of this periodic review is to update the Comprehensive Plan for the period of 2024-2044.

This project website will provide regular updates on the Comprehensive Plan periodic review process.

Have a question? Ask it here!

Do you have a question related to the Comprehensive Plan?  Please submit your question here, and staff will provide a response.

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  • Share We have our parents living with us and will like to turn our garage into an ADU. Where can I find information on the permit process and will it make sense to take advantage of the city's water meter replacement to add an additional water meter to our property (if needed)? on Facebook Share We have our parents living with us and will like to turn our garage into an ADU. Where can I find information on the permit process and will it make sense to take advantage of the city's water meter replacement to add an additional water meter to our property (if needed)? on Twitter Share We have our parents living with us and will like to turn our garage into an ADU. Where can I find information on the permit process and will it make sense to take advantage of the city's water meter replacement to add an additional water meter to our property (if needed)? on Linkedin Email We have our parents living with us and will like to turn our garage into an ADU. Where can I find information on the permit process and will it make sense to take advantage of the city's water meter replacement to add an additional water meter to our property (if needed)? link

    We have our parents living with us and will like to turn our garage into an ADU. Where can I find information on the permit process and will it make sense to take advantage of the city's water meter replacement to add an additional water meter to our property (if needed)?

    alexnmelania asked 5 months ago

    You can find more information about applying for a permit on the Community Planning and Development page of the City's website. 

    If you have additional questions about permitting, please use the following email addresses:


    You can find the development standards for accessory dwelling units (ADU) in Mercer Island City Code (MICC) 19.02.030 - Accessory Dwelling Units.

  • Share I understand, and am ok with, re-zoning the commercial area (that used to be City Hall) to build affordable housing. However, a section of park (the bottom of Gallagher Hill Open Space) looks to be an area that is going to be re-zoned for housing. Can you do this? Is this really for the best - to get rid of a portion of the park? I use this park frequently. It's the only place to walk in the woods on the NE section of Mercer Island. Please reconsider getting rid of part of the Gallagher Hill Open Space to build housing. on Facebook Share I understand, and am ok with, re-zoning the commercial area (that used to be City Hall) to build affordable housing. However, a section of park (the bottom of Gallagher Hill Open Space) looks to be an area that is going to be re-zoned for housing. Can you do this? Is this really for the best - to get rid of a portion of the park? I use this park frequently. It's the only place to walk in the woods on the NE section of Mercer Island. Please reconsider getting rid of part of the Gallagher Hill Open Space to build housing. on Twitter Share I understand, and am ok with, re-zoning the commercial area (that used to be City Hall) to build affordable housing. However, a section of park (the bottom of Gallagher Hill Open Space) looks to be an area that is going to be re-zoned for housing. Can you do this? Is this really for the best - to get rid of a portion of the park? I use this park frequently. It's the only place to walk in the woods on the NE section of Mercer Island. Please reconsider getting rid of part of the Gallagher Hill Open Space to build housing. on Linkedin Email I understand, and am ok with, re-zoning the commercial area (that used to be City Hall) to build affordable housing. However, a section of park (the bottom of Gallagher Hill Open Space) looks to be an area that is going to be re-zoned for housing. Can you do this? Is this really for the best - to get rid of a portion of the park? I use this park frequently. It's the only place to walk in the woods on the NE section of Mercer Island. Please reconsider getting rid of part of the Gallagher Hill Open Space to build housing. link

    I understand, and am ok with, re-zoning the commercial area (that used to be City Hall) to build affordable housing. However, a section of park (the bottom of Gallagher Hill Open Space) looks to be an area that is going to be re-zoned for housing. Can you do this? Is this really for the best - to get rid of a portion of the park? I use this park frequently. It's the only place to walk in the woods on the NE section of Mercer Island. Please reconsider getting rid of part of the Gallagher Hill Open Space to build housing.

    Carrie asked 7 months ago

    The Gallagher Hill property is proposed to be rezoned from Commercial-Office to the Open Space zone, not to a residential zone. There is no proposal to redevelop or otherwise change the Gallagher Hill Open Space under the Comprehensive Plan.

    Currently, the Gallagher Hill open space is zoned R-8.4, MF-3, and Commercial-Office (C-O). You can find the existing zoning map online in Title 19 Mercer Island City Code (MICC), Appendix F. During the Comprehensive Plan update, Gallagher Hill is expected to be rezoned so that it is entirely in the new Open Space zone. This rezone would change the development regulations that apply to the Gallagher Hill Open Space so that residential development on those parcels would be prohibited.  

    The area highlighted in orange on Map 1 below is the Commercial-Office (C-O) Zone and the trapezoidal parcel in the upper left hand corner of the map is part of the Gallagher Hill Open Space. The entire Gallagher Hill Open Space, including the trapezoidal parcel shown below, is proposed to be re-zoned under the new Open Space zone during the Comprehensive Plan Periodic Review. The proposed Open Space zoning would not allow affordable housing in the Gallagher Hill Open Space.

    Map 1. Commercial-Office (C-O) Zone.

    The Planning Commission will be briefed on the proposed Open Space zone at its next meeting on May 8. The agenda and other informational materials, including PCB24-09 which addresses the Open Space zone, are posted on the Planning Commission meeting page.

  • Share Will the currently in progress update to the Housing Element in the Comprehensive Plan comply with the new statewide ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) legislation approved in HOUSE BILL 1337? on Facebook Share Will the currently in progress update to the Housing Element in the Comprehensive Plan comply with the new statewide ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) legislation approved in HOUSE BILL 1337? on Twitter Share Will the currently in progress update to the Housing Element in the Comprehensive Plan comply with the new statewide ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) legislation approved in HOUSE BILL 1337? on Linkedin Email Will the currently in progress update to the Housing Element in the Comprehensive Plan comply with the new statewide ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) legislation approved in HOUSE BILL 1337? link

    Will the currently in progress update to the Housing Element in the Comprehensive Plan comply with the new statewide ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) legislation approved in HOUSE BILL 1337?

    MR asked about 1 year ago

    The City will comply with the applicable provisions of House Bill 1337 (HB 1337) as required by state law, this may include updates to Comprehensive Plan goals or policies.  However, HB 1337 is mainly focused on requiring amendments to development regulations.  The amendments  to Title 19 Mercer Island City Code (MICC) required by HB 1337 do not have to be adopted until June 30, 2025, six months after the periodic review currently underway must be completed (HB 1337 Section 3(1)(a)).

  • Share Even though the survey is complete, is there not a way that you can still keep it up so that people can see what the questions were? It is just that in all my years, I have never known there to be a "Commercial Center" where the JCC/FASP and Temple Herzl are located, but all of a sudden, that is being referred to as a "Commercial Center." I would like to know since when did that become a "Commercial Center" and now that it is being referred to a "Commercial Center," does that mean that the City is looking to open it up to have multifamily buildings like in the north end Town Center, and is the plan to build the south end Town Center to be like the north end Town Center? Do you post the response on Let's Talk? Thank you. on Facebook Share Even though the survey is complete, is there not a way that you can still keep it up so that people can see what the questions were? It is just that in all my years, I have never known there to be a "Commercial Center" where the JCC/FASP and Temple Herzl are located, but all of a sudden, that is being referred to as a "Commercial Center." I would like to know since when did that become a "Commercial Center" and now that it is being referred to a "Commercial Center," does that mean that the City is looking to open it up to have multifamily buildings like in the north end Town Center, and is the plan to build the south end Town Center to be like the north end Town Center? Do you post the response on Let's Talk? Thank you. on Twitter Share Even though the survey is complete, is there not a way that you can still keep it up so that people can see what the questions were? It is just that in all my years, I have never known there to be a "Commercial Center" where the JCC/FASP and Temple Herzl are located, but all of a sudden, that is being referred to as a "Commercial Center." I would like to know since when did that become a "Commercial Center" and now that it is being referred to a "Commercial Center," does that mean that the City is looking to open it up to have multifamily buildings like in the north end Town Center, and is the plan to build the south end Town Center to be like the north end Town Center? Do you post the response on Let's Talk? Thank you. on Linkedin Email Even though the survey is complete, is there not a way that you can still keep it up so that people can see what the questions were? It is just that in all my years, I have never known there to be a "Commercial Center" where the JCC/FASP and Temple Herzl are located, but all of a sudden, that is being referred to as a "Commercial Center." I would like to know since when did that become a "Commercial Center" and now that it is being referred to a "Commercial Center," does that mean that the City is looking to open it up to have multifamily buildings like in the north end Town Center, and is the plan to build the south end Town Center to be like the north end Town Center? Do you post the response on Let's Talk? Thank you. link

    Even though the survey is complete, is there not a way that you can still keep it up so that people can see what the questions were? It is just that in all my years, I have never known there to be a "Commercial Center" where the JCC/FASP and Temple Herzl are located, but all of a sudden, that is being referred to as a "Commercial Center." I would like to know since when did that become a "Commercial Center" and now that it is being referred to a "Commercial Center," does that mean that the City is looking to open it up to have multifamily buildings like in the north end Town Center, and is the plan to build the south end Town Center to be like the north end Town Center? Do you post the response on Let's Talk? Thank you.

    fletchsa1 asked over 2 years ago

    The survey questions will be included with a report summarizing the results.  That report will be published on the Comprehensive Plan Update Project Page (https://letstalk.mercergov.org/comprehensive-plan-periodic-update).  The report should be published in September.

    For zoning in the area you are asking about, please see the map below. The area around City Hall is zoned Commercial Office (CO) and a portion of the property owned by Herzl-Ner Tamid is zoned Business (B).  This zoning dates back to at least 1961 (see Ordinance 40 dated April 24, 1961).  Most of the Herzl-Ner Tamid property and the Stroum Jewish Community Center (SJCC) are not zoned commercial, but rather, are zoned R-8.4 or R-9.6.  You can see what land uses are allowed in the R-8.4, R-9.6, CO, and B zones in Title 19 Mercer Island City Code (MICC).

Page last updated: 01 Nov 2024, 12:45 PM