Bothell council to weigh interim permit-review rules matching state SB 5290 deadlines

What the records say

The Dec. 10, 2024 Bothell City Council agenda packet included a study session on a proposed interim ordinance responding to Washington's Senate Bill 5290, which amended the Local Project Review Act (RCW 36.70B) to set permit-review timelines, annual reporting, and fee-refund obligations. The draft ordinance would amend BMC Chapters 11.04, 11.06, 11.10, and 11.12. The packet included the full draft ordinance, four exhibits showing the code changes, and a crosswalk tying the changes to SB 5290. The recommended action was for council members to provide feedback on the interim ordinance as proposed; the agenda bill states staff planned to return Jan. 7, 2025 for action. Because this is a study-session record, it does not show what the council said or whether the ordinance was later adopted.

• The Dec. 10, 2024 study session on the Local Project Review Interim Ordinance was scheduled for feedback, not adoption; staff planned to return Jan. 7, 2025 for action.
• The draft ordinance would amend BMC Chapters 11.04, 11.06, 11.10, and 11.12, with the packet including the draft ordinance, four exhibits, and a crosswalk review.
• Proposed changes include a 28-day completeness determination (deemed complete on the 29th), a 14-day notice of application, and 65-, 100-, or 170-day final decision deadlines for applications submitted after Jan. 1, 2025.
• SB 5290 was enacted May 10, 2023, and its Section 7 provisions covering new permit review timelines and annual reporting take effect Jan. 1, 2025.

Why it matters

The proposed changes would affect how long Bothell has to issue determinations and final decisions on project permit applications, including many land-use and building permits. SB 5290's Section 7 permit-review deadlines take effect Jan. 1, 2025, and the city says it will track and annually report review times beginning that date. State law also authorizes partial fee refunds when deadlines are missed unless a city has adopted at least three listed streamlining measures.

What changed / what's next

• The city proposed an interim ordinance amending Title 11 BMC permit-review rules to comply with SB 5290 ahead of the Jan. 1, 2025 effective date of new state timeline requirements.
• The record is pre-meeting and does not show council action on the proposal.
• The packet records only what was scheduled; it does not state what happened at the Dec. 10 study session. Later meeting records would show whether the interim ordinance was adopted or modified.
• The agenda bill notes the city must hold a public hearing within 60 days of adoption and that staff expected to return with a permanent set of regulations within the six-month interim period, with an option to renew for another six months.
• The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.