Bothell Sound

Development · Mar 18, 2026

Bothell Planning Commission was scheduled to get a briefing on a development-rights program that could fund local infrastructure

In materials published ahead of the March 18, 2026 Planning Commission meeting, the record said staff and consultants would brief commissioners on a study of Transfer of Development Rights and the LCLIP infrastructure-funding program 1.

What the records say

In materials published ahead of the March 18, 2026 meeting, the Bothell Planning Commission was scheduled to receive a briefing — with no action required — on a feasibility study of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) and the Landscape Conservation and Local Infrastructure Program (LCLIP) 1. TDR is a voluntary, market-based tool where developers building in designated 'receiving areas' buy extra development capacity (credits) from owners of farms, forests, and other rural 'sending areas' 1. LCLIP is a state program (RCW 39.108) that lets cities in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties access a larger share of incremental property tax revenue from new development to pay for things like transportation, utilities, transit facilities, public spaces, affordable housing support, and historic preservation 1.

  • The Planning Commission was scheduled to be briefed by city staff, the Washington State Department of Commerce, and consultant ECOnorthwest on the TDR/LCLIP feasibility analysis; no action was required.
  • The Puget Sound Regional Council allocated Bothell 365 TDR credits; to participate in LCLIP the city must commit to placing between 20% and 100% of them over a 20-year period.
  • Three potential Local Infrastructure Project Areas were identified for study: Canyon Park, North Creek/195th Street, and Downtown.
  • Bothell's existing TDR framework dates to the 2020 Canyon Park Subarea Plan, and a 2023 agreement with Sound Transit (Ordinance 2398) designated 225,000 square feet of excess development capacity at the future Canyon Park bus base site as transferable; as of February 2026, no TDR transactions had occurred.
  • Bothell was selected by the Washington State Department of Commerce in 2025 as a pilot city for the TDR/LCLIP evaluation.
  • Staff asked commissioners for feedback on whether the three subareas are the right geography, what incentives (extra height or FAR, tax/fee programs, developer agreements) would make TDR participation attractive, and how many of the 365 credits the city should accept.

Why it matters

If Bothell eventually joins LCLIP, new development in parts of the city could generate extra tax revenue earmarked for local infrastructure — but the city would have to commit to 'placing' a share of 365 TDR credits over 20 years, with performance thresholds (25% placed to start revenue, 50% within 10 years, 75% within 15 years, all within 20 years) to keep the revenue stream going 1. The study is exploratory, and no decisions have been made about program adoption, zoning changes, or infrastructure funding 1.

What changed / what's next

  • No change was made: the March 18, 2026 item was a briefing with no action required, and the record states no decisions have been made about program adoption, regulation changes, or infrastructure funding 1.
  • The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome 1.
  • The consultant team was expected to complete its feasibility and market analysis estimating realistic credit absorption and revenue potential, with staff returning to the Planning Commission with findings and policy options 1.
  • The packet includes a draft feasibility memo and slide deck from ECOnorthwest, but the record is a pre-meeting briefing document, so final study findings and any city decisions are not included 1.