Bothell's 2026 Comprehensive Plan amendments were set to center on a Downtown Subarea update

What the records say

In materials published ahead of the July 7, 2026 meeting, city staff briefed the Bothell City Council on the 2026 Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendments — the city's once-a-year opportunity to update its long-range planning document, which guides zoning, housing, parks, and land use decisions ¹. Staff said the package would consist mostly of clean-up and consistency updates, with the primary major policy change expected to be the Downtown Subarea Plan Update ¹. The briefing also noted that portions of the Downtown Subarea were designated a countywide growth center in 2026, pending the Growth Management Planning Council's final vote on September 16 ¹.

• State law allows the Comprehensive Plan to be amended no more than once per year; the 2026 proposal is a regular annual amendment, not the 10-year periodic update
• The Downtown Subarea Plan Update was anticipated to be the primary major policy amendment
• Fall study sessions with the Planning Commission and City Council were planned, with final adoption scheduled for December 2026
• Staff planned to return in early fall, likely October, for a study session incorporating Council feedback
• The 2026 PROS Plan figures list 27 park sites totaling about 384 acres, replacing the prior '400+ acres' language
• The plan would note 50.7% of residents live within a half-mile walk of a park or open space, with a goal of 75% by 2032
• The Water Resources section would be corrected to identify Horse Creek as a fish-bearing stream

Why it matters

The Comprehensive Plan shapes what can be built where in Bothell, how parks are evaluated, and how growth is managed. The briefing flagged several changes residents would notice: park inventory figures updated to 27 sites totaling about 384 acres, a new goal to raise the share of residents within a 10-minute walk of a park from 50.7% to 75% by 2032, updated tree canopy data, and a correction that Horse Creek is a fish-bearing stream ¹.

What changed / what's next

• The briefing proposed updating park inventory text from '400+ acres' to 27 sites totaling ~384 acres (180.5 acres developed parks plus 203.3 acres open space) ¹.
• It proposed replacing 2016 tree canopy data with the updated assessment from the 2026 Urban Forest Management Plan ¹.
• It proposed correcting the Comprehensive Plan's statement that Horse Creek is not a fish-bearing stream ¹.
• It proposed updating Level of Service language so parks are evaluated on amenity condition and performance rather than acreage alone ¹.
• The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.
• The Downtown Subarea growth center designation was pending the Growth Management Planning Council's final vote on September 16 ¹.
• Staff planned an October study session and fall public hearings before final adoption scheduled for December 2026 ¹.