Bothell Sound

Development · May 21, 2025

Bothell Planning Commission took up Phase 2 code changes in May 2025: no parking minimums, no building-coverage caps, and corner-store-style commercial in residential zones

Materials for the May 21, 2025 Planning Commission meeting asked the Commission to vote on findings and a recommendation for Phase 2 Comprehensive Plan code updates that would eliminate off-street parking minimums, remove maximum building coverage limits, allow neighborhood-scale commercial in residential zones, and revise variance and docketing processes 1.

What the records say

The May 21, 2025 Bothell Planning Commission agenda included item 4B, 'Phase 2 Code Amendments,' as a study session item 1. The accompanying staff memo shows the item was more than a discussion: staff asked the Commission to consider and vote on draft Findings, Conclusions, and a Recommendation for the Phase 2 Comprehensive Plan Code Updates, with the recommendation then forwarded to City Council 1. The proposed amendments would apply citywide and would: incorporate neighborhood-scale commercial uses into residential zones; eliminate off-street parking minimums; remove maximum building coverage limits; and revise the variance and comprehensive plan amendment (docketing) processes 1. The packet includes the draft code text itself, showing edits such as a rewritten BMC 12.16.030 stating there is no required minimum number of off-street parking spaces, removal of maximum building coverage percentages from the residential standards table, a permitted-use table listing Neighborhood Scale Commercial as permitted (P) across residential zones, and a new definition of Neighborhood Scale Commercial as small-scale retail, service, and office uses serving nearby residents 1. The memo states that after the Commission's decision, City Council had scheduled a study session, a public hearing, and potential adoption by ordinance in June and July 2025 1. The supplied records are pre-meeting materials and do not establish what the Commission decided on May 21 or whether the Council subsequently adopted the amendments 1.

  • The May 21, 2025 agenda listed 'Phase 2 Code Amendments' as study session item 4B, with staff requesting a Commission vote on draft Findings, Conclusions, and a Recommendation to forward to City Council 1.
  • The proposed amendments would eliminate off-street parking minimums, remove maximum building coverage limits, allow neighborhood-scale commercial in residential zones, and revise variance and docketing processes, applying citywide 1.
  • Draft code text in the packet rewrites BMC 12.16.030 to state there is no required minimum number of off-street parking spaces and lists Neighborhood Scale Commercial as a permitted use across residential zoning classifications 1.
  • The memo states City Council had scheduled a study session, a public hearing, and potential adoption by ordinance in June and July 2025; the supplied records do not establish the Commission's May 21 vote or any Council outcome 1.

Why it matters

If adopted, these changes would directly shape what can be built on residential lots in Bothell: new homes and businesses would no longer be required to provide any off-street parking, buildings could cover more of a lot, and small shops like corner stores, cafés, salons, and child-care centers could open in residential zones under the proposed Neighborhood Scale Commercial rules 1. The packet also shows the city issued a State Environmental Policy Act Determination of Non-Significance on May 19, 2025 and sent the proposal to the Washington Department of Commerce for a 60-day notice on May 6, 2025, steps that precede final adoption 1.

What changed / what's next

  • Pre-meeting materials for May 21, 2025 proposed Phase 2 amendments to the Bothell Municipal Code implementing the 2024 Comprehensive Plan update, covering parking minimums, building coverage, neighborhood-scale commercial, and variance/docketing procedures 1.
  • Whether the Planning Commission voted on May 21, 2025 to recommend adoption, and whether City Council held its scheduled June/July hearing and adopted the ordinance, is not established by the supplied records; later minutes or ordinance records would be needed 1.
  • The packet's draft edits also touch bicycle parking, shared parking, ADU parking, and subarea parking tables (including deleting the Canyon Park off-street parking table), so the practical effect extends beyond the four headline topics 1.
  • The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.