Category: Exploring Everett

Featured Snippet

**What is Everett’s Critical Areas Regulations update and when does the council vote?**

Everett is updating Chapter 19.37 of the Everett Municipal Code — the section that governs how close anything new can be built to a wetland, stream, frequently flooded area, geologically hazardous area (landslide-prone slopes and bluffs), or critical aquifer recharge area. The update is required by Washington’s Growth Management Act, which had a December 31, 2025 deadline. The City Council held a public hearing on April 15, 2026. The current draft (the February 13, 2026 second review draft) updates wetland buffer width tables, stream classifications, mitigation sequencing, and the technical-study requirements that property owners and developers must meet on parcels that touch any of those features. A council vote is targeted for the coming weeks.

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If you’ve ever wondered why a vacant Everett lot has stayed vacant for years even when home prices were climbing, the answer is often hidden in a single section of city code: Chapter 19.37, the Critical Areas Regulations.

That chapter — which protects wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, landslide-prone slopes, and important wildlife habitat — sets the buffer widths, building setbacks, mitigation requirements, and technical-study requirements every Everett property owner has to follow before disturbing those features. It is one of the most frequently misunderstood parts of the municipal code, because it cuts across so many properties. Lots near Howarth Park, Pigeon Creek, Forest Park, the Snohomish River edge, and the city’s many ravine-cut blocks all carry critical-area overlays.

Everett’s update of those regulations is now closer to adoption than at any point in the multi-year process. This is the complete 2026 guide.

What the City Is Required to Do — and Why

Critical Areas Regulations updates are not optional. Under Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA), every city in the state has to periodically review and update its critical-area rules to incorporate Best Available Science — the current scientific consensus on what actually protects sensitive habitat.

Everett’s last comprehensive update was in 2007. The state’s deadline for the current periodic update was December 31, 2025. The city has been working toward this update for several cycles.

The city published a first review draft on October 31, 2025 and a second review draft on February 13, 2026. The February 13 draft is the version under active council consideration.

The council does not have the option of leaving the rules alone. The only choice is what version to adopt and on what schedule.

The Five Categories of Critical Areas

The Everett Municipal Code defines five categories of critical areas:

• Wetlands — areas saturated long enough to support hydrophytic vegetation
• Streams and other Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas — including riparian corridors and habitat for state-listed species
• Frequently flooded areas — typically the regulatory floodplain
• Geologically hazardous areas — landslide-prone slopes, erosion zones, and seismic hazard areas
• Critical aquifer recharge areas — zones where surface activity affects groundwater used for drinking water

Each category has its own buffer requirement and its own mitigation standard, and a single parcel can be touched by more than one. A property near a wetland on a steep slope is subject to both wetland and geologic-hazard rules, with the more restrictive prevailing.

What’s Changing in the February 13 Draft

The February 13 draft preserves the basic five-category framework but updates several technical components that determine how the rules apply on a given lot. Among the most consequential:

Wetland Buffer Widths

The draft updates Tables 37.2 and 37.3 — the wetland buffer width tables — to reflect current Best Available Science. In practice, that adjusts how many feet of undisturbed land must remain between a wetland edge and a building, fence, or hard surface.

For some wetland categories, the draft buffers are wider than the rules currently in place. For property owners with parcels touching wetland edges, that translates into different developable area calculations than the 2007-vintage code allowed.

Stream Buffer Standards

The draft revises stream classifications and corresponding buffer widths. Stream buffers were one of the most-discussed elements at the planning commission’s February 17 hearing.

Streams in Everett include named corridors (Pigeon Creek, the Snohomish River edge, smaller drainages within Forest Park and Howarth Park) and a number of unnamed reaches. The classification of a given stream determines its buffer width. Reclassification under the new draft can move a parcel from one buffer regime to another.

Mitigation Sequencing

The draft tightens the standard sequence applicants have to follow when an impact to a critical area is unavoidable. The standard sequence — avoid, minimize, mitigate — is the framework state law requires; the draft reinforces and clarifies how Everett applies it.

Technical Study Requirements

The draft updates the qualifications, scope, and content expectations for the wetland delineations, stream studies, geotechnical reports, and habitat assessments that applicants must submit. For property owners, that often means engaging credentialed consultants earlier in the design process than was practiced under the old rules.

Geologic Hazard Areas

Buffer and setback rules for landslide-prone slopes and bluff edges are recalibrated in the draft. The Everett bluff is the most visible example, but the city has many smaller landslide-classified slopes inland.

The Public Process Underway

The council has been working through the draft on a structured schedule:

• October 31, 2025 — first review draft published
• February 13, 2026 — second review draft published; the version now in front of the council
• February 17, 2026 — planning commission hearing on the draft
• April 15, 2026 — City Council public hearing on the proposed update
• Council vote targeted in the coming weeks

The April 15 public hearing was the formal moment for residents and developers to put their objections, support, or technical concerns into the record. The council is now working through the testimony before voting.

Who Is Affected

The set of properties touched by Chapter 19.37 is broader than most residents realize. Critical area overlays in Everett include:

• Lots fronting or backing onto Pigeon Creek
• Properties near Howarth Park’s wetland edges
• The bluff and slope corridors in north and west Everett
• Parcels along the Snohomish River edge, including the Bayside and Riverside corridors
• Forest Park’s perimeter and the ravine-cut blocks adjacent to it
• Any lot inside a geologic hazard overlay (frequently visible on the city’s GIS map)
• Properties inside the regulatory floodplain
• Lots inside a critical aquifer recharge area

For homeowners doing additions, fences, or accessory dwellings, the rules apply. For developers proposing infill, the rules drive site design. For homebuyers evaluating a lot, the rules determine what the parcel actually allows.

How Resident and Developer Concerns Tend to Diverge

The two largest constituencies have predictably different stakes:

• Residents near wetlands, streams, and bluffs generally support stronger buffer protections, citing flooding, slope failure, water quality, and habitat
• Developers and property owners with affected parcels generally argue against wider buffers, citing reduced developable area and the difficulty of meeting the technical-study burden

The April 15 hearing reflected both. The Council’s job is to adopt a version that meets the GMA’s Best Available Science requirement while balancing the city’s affordability and housing supply objectives — including the buildable land assumptions that underpin the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

What Property Owners Can Do Before the Vote

• Check your overlay. The city’s GIS map shows critical area overlays on individual parcels. Knowing what categories touch your property is the first step.
• Track council agenda. The council vote will appear on a published agenda. Public comment is generally accepted up to the moment of the vote.
• Read the February 13 draft directly. The actual ordinance text is the authoritative reference.
• Engage a credentialed consultant if you are planning a build, addition, or sale. Wetland delineations and geotechnical reports take weeks; starting before the vote gets you ahead of any application backlog the new rules may produce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When does the Everett City Council vote on the Critical Areas Regulations update?

A: The council held a public hearing on April 15, 2026 and is targeting a vote in the coming weeks. The exact date will be posted on the published council agenda.

Q: What is Chapter 19.37 of the Everett Municipal Code?

A: Chapter 19.37 is Everett’s Critical Areas Regulations — the section governing development near wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas (landslide-prone slopes), and critical aquifer recharge areas.

Q: When was Everett’s last Critical Areas Regulations update?

A: 2007. The current update is the periodic state-required refresh under Washington’s Growth Management Act. The state deadline was December 31, 2025.

Q: What categories of critical areas does Everett regulate?

A: Five: wetlands; streams and Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas; frequently flooded areas; geologically hazardous areas (landslide, erosion, seismic); and critical aquifer recharge areas.

Q: What is changing in the February 13, 2026 draft?

A: The most consequential changes are updated wetland buffer width tables (37.2 and 37.3), revised stream classifications and buffer standards, tightened mitigation sequencing, updated technical-study requirements, and recalibrated buffer and setback rules for landslide-prone slopes and bluff edges.

Q: Does the update apply to existing buildings?

A: The Critical Areas Regulations primarily govern new development, additions, and disturbance of critical areas. Existing legally established structures are typically grandfathered, though substantial alterations or expansions trigger review.

Q: Where can I read the actual draft ordinance?

A: The City of Everett’s planning portal publishes the February 13, 2026 second review draft. The ordinance text and supporting maps are the authoritative reference.

Q: What is “Best Available Science” in the context of this update?

A: A standard required by Washington’s Growth Management Act. Cities must consider current peer-reviewed scientific consensus on habitat protection, water quality, flooding, and slope stability when adopting critical-area rules. The February 13 draft is Everett’s attempt to incorporate that standard for the first time since 2007.

Featured Snippet

**How did the Snohomish County Council move $23 million for housing on April 24, 2026 without raising taxes?**

The funding flowed out of the county’s Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund, which is fed by two voter-authorized sales taxes specifically earmarked for affordable and supportive housing. The Human Services Department screened applications, recommended a slate of six projects, and the Council voted unanimously to allocate the money. No tax rate change, no new fee — voter-authorized revenue moved into specific capital projects.

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For civic watchers — neighborhood association members, council-meeting attendees, and Everett residents tracking how local government decisions actually get made — Snohomish County’s April 24, 2026 housing award is a case study in how voter-authorized revenue moves into specific projects without a tax vote.

This is the civic mechanism explained.

The Funding Stream — Two Voter-Authorized Sales Taxes

Washington state law allows counties to levy two specific dedicated sales taxes for housing:

• The 0.1% sales tax for affordable housing — authorized at the local level under state law and dedicated to construction or operation of affordable housing
• The behavioral health and treatment sales tax — authorized at the local level under state law and dedicated to chemical dependency, mental health treatment, and the housing-and-services that support those populations

In Snohomish County, voters authorized both taxes. The revenue flows continuously into the county’s Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund. That fund accumulates between capital allocations.

The April 24 vote was the allocation step — the Council deciding which specific projects receive money the fund had already collected.

The Application and Screening Process

The Council does not pick projects directly. The county’s Human Services Department runs a competitive application process:

1. Eligible nonprofits and developers submit applications for capital funding

2. Human Services Department staff screen applications against statutory eligibility (project type, populations served, AMI tiers, geographic location, financing readiness)

3. Staff produce a recommended slate of projects ranked or grouped by category

4. The Council reviews the slate and votes

In April 2026, that process produced a recommended slate of six projects totaling roughly $23 million. The Council adopted the slate unanimously.

For civic watchers, that’s the procedural anchor: a unanimous vote on a staff-recommended slate is a signal that the Council and Human Services Department had aligned on screening criteria before the vote. Material disagreement at the council table on a fund of this size would have shown up in split votes or amendments.

The Six Projects — Three In Everett, Three Elsewhere

The April 24 award allocated:

• $5.8 million to the Everett Gospel Mission — 172-bed shelter expansion at 3530 Smith Avenue, total project ~$30M, October/November 2026 construction start
• $4.2 million to Helping Hands Project — 28-unit Broadway 33 affordable apartments at 2410 and 2412 Broadway, completion February 2028
• A grant to Everett Station District Alliance — 58-unit transit-oriented building at 3102 Smith Avenue, with 15 units at 30% AMI
• Three additional grants to projects outside Everett city limits but inside Snohomish County, totaling roughly $13 million

The geographic split — three Everett, three other-county — reflects two facts: Everett is the largest city in the county and houses the largest concentration of homeless services demand, but the regional shelter and behavioral health network depends on capacity in Lynnwood, Marysville, and other county jurisdictions.

Why The Vote Was Unanimous

Three procedural conditions tend to produce unanimous capital allocation votes in Washington counties:

1. Pre-screened applicant slate. The Human Services Department’s recommendation reduces project-selection contention at the council table.

2. Dedicated fund. Because the money is voter-authorized for housing, the council is not deciding “housing vs. some other county priority.” It is deciding “which housing projects.”

3. Geographic balance. Three Everett, three other-county. Council members representing different districts each saw projects funded inside or near their constituencies.

When all three conditions are present, the political math at the dais is straightforward.

The Stack-Up With Other Local Capital

The county’s $5.8 million to the Mission stacks on top of:

• City of Everett funding — committed earlier
• Prior philanthropic giving — to the Mission directly
• A state legislative allocation approved earlier in 2026

Total project cost roughly $30 million. The county grant covers about 19% of that capital stack. The pattern matters: large supportive housing capital projects in this state typically require three to five public and philanthropic funding sources to assemble. The county’s award is a piece, not the whole.

What’s Next on the Civic Calendar

Civic watchers tracking the project pipeline should expect:

• City of Everett land use and design review — for each of the three Everett-located projects, before permits issue
• Construction notice and impact mitigation — published by the city as schedules firm
• Annual capital fund reporting — the Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund publishes annual reports on revenue collected, project balances, and pipeline

For council attendees and neighborhood association members, the months between the April 24 allocation and the construction start (October/November 2026 for the Mission) is the window for any neighborhood-level engagement on design review, traffic, and operational expectations.

How This Connects to Stations Unidos and the NR-MHC Conversation

The April 24 vote does not stand alone. In the same county and city, three other anti-displacement and affordable-housing initiatives are moving in parallel:

• Stations Unidos — rebranded community development corporation with anti-displacement mandate covering the Station District and Casino Road
• The proposed NR-MHC zone — protects seven manufactured home parks against redevelopment; public hearing May 6, 2026
• The 2027 budget conversation — which includes housing-related discretionary spending choices not covered by the dedicated capital fund

For civic watchers, the four together (April 24 award, Stations Unidos, NR-MHC zone, 2027 budget) describe a city and county actively allocating against affordability pressure on multiple instruments at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Did the Council raise taxes on April 24?

A: No. The Council voted to allocate roughly $23 million from the Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund — money already collected from two voter-authorized sales taxes. There was no tax rate change.

Q: What two sales taxes fund the Capital Fund?

A: The 0.1% sales tax for affordable housing and the behavioral health and treatment sales tax — both authorized under Washington state law and approved by Snohomish County voters.

Q: Who screens applications for the housing capital fund?

A: The Snohomish County Human Services Department screens applications, ranks or groups them, and produces a recommended slate of projects for Council consideration.

Q: Why was the April 24 vote unanimous?

A: Three procedural conditions were aligned: a pre-screened applicant slate from Human Services, a dedicated voter-authorized funding stream, and geographic balance across the recommended projects (three in Everett, three elsewhere in the county).

Q: How much of the Everett Gospel Mission’s $30M project is the county grant?

A: $5.8 million — about 19% of the project’s total capital stack. The remaining ~$24M comes from City of Everett funding, philanthropic giving, and a 2026 state legislative allocation.

Q: When can Everett residents engage with the design and construction process?

A: At the city’s land use and design review stages for each of the three Everett-located projects. The City of Everett’s planning portal publishes hearing notices and comment windows. Construction notification is separate, published as schedules firm.

Q: How does this vote connect to other Everett-area housing initiatives?

A: It runs parallel to Stations Unidos (anti-displacement CDC), the proposed NR-MHC mobile home park zone (May 6, 2026 hearing), and the city’s 2027 budget conversation. Together these are the four active Everett-area instruments addressing affordability and displacement pressure in 2026.

Featured Snippet

**What is changing in Everett because of the April 24 2026 Snohomish County housing vote?**

Three buildings funded by the $23M county vote are now on the calendar inside Everett city limits: a 172-bed Everett Gospel Mission shelter expansion at 3530 Smith Avenue (construction October–November 2026, first phase open for the 2027 cold-weather season), a 28-unit Helping Hands affordable apartment building at 2410 and 2412 Broadway (Broadway 33, completion February 2028), and a 58-unit Everett Station District Alliance transit-oriented building at 3102 Smith Avenue. Together: 172 new shelter beds plus 86 deed-restricted housing units, all in central Everett.

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If you live in Everett, the Snohomish County Council’s April 24, 2026 housing vote is going to show up on three specific streets in your city over the next 18–22 months.

This is the resident’s read: which corridors, what gets built, when construction trucks show up, and what changes for the people who live around the sites.

Smith Avenue Will See the Biggest Visible Change

Two of the three Everett-located projects are on Smith Avenue — within a few blocks of each other.

At 3530 Smith Avenue, the Everett Gospel Mission’s existing shelter is getting a 172-bed expansion. The current building stays open while construction is underway. CEO Sylvia Anderson has said construction starts October or November 2026. The first phase is supposed to be open for the 2027 cold-weather season — meaning by November 2027, residents on Smith Avenue will see a building that is roughly three times the size of the existing shelter.

The expanded building will include separate spaces for men and women, on-site staff 24 hours a day, a small store, kennels and a wash station for residents’ pets, and a craft room. The 24-hour on-site staffing is the operational note worth knowing.

At 3102 Smith Avenue, a few blocks away, the Everett Station District Alliance is building a 58-unit, low-income mixed-use transit-oriented building. ESDA’s filings describe a unit mix that starts with 15 units at 30 percent of area median income — the deepest affordability tier the county awards — and stacks higher AMI tiers up through 60 percent.

North Broadway Gets Broadway 33

The third Everett-located project is on Broadway, in the North Broadway corridor. At 2410 and 2412 Broadway, the Helping Hands Project is building a 28-unit affordable apartment building under the working name Broadway 33.

Completion target: February 2028.

For neighbors on the corridor, the practical experience over the next 22 months is two parcels currently fronting Broadway moving from their current condition into a permitted, occupied apartment building. The county describes the future tenant base as “those who are disadvantaged or have special needs.”

What Changes for the Streets — A Practical Read

Construction window

• Smith Avenue (Mission) — heaviest construction activity from late 2026 through 2027; expect staging, deliveries, and trade-truck traffic
• Smith Avenue (ESDA) — timeline depends on full-stack financing close; construction window not yet confirmed
• Broadway — construction window through 2027 toward February 2028 completion

Traffic and parking

The three sites do not appear to require sustained street closures. Standard urban infill construction means temporary lane impacts during deliveries, dumpster placement during demolition, and trade traffic from sub-contractors. None of the projects are highway or major-corridor arterials.

What you’ll see when they open

• 172 new shelter beds (Mission)
• 28 new permanent affordable apartments (Broadway 33)
• 58 new mixed-income transit-oriented apartments (ESDA Smith Avenue)

That is concentrated capacity, in central Everett, on three sites within walking distance of one another and of Everett Station.

Why This Round Was Big — and Quiet

The April 24 vote was unanimous. There was no tax change, no fee increase, no new line on your county property tax bill. The mechanism: the Council moved roughly $23 million already collected under two voter-authorized sales taxes (specifically earmarked for affordable and supportive housing) into six approved capital projects. Three of those six are in Everett.

For Everett residents, that means: this isn’t money the county is “spending” in the abstract. It’s voter-authorized housing-dedicated revenue, screened by the county’s Human Services Department, allocated to specific addresses inside the city.

How These Projects Fit Around What’s Already Coming

Two existing-or-already-funded efforts shape the same neighborhoods:

• Stations Unidos (rebranded from ESDA in February 2026) is the new community development corporation with an explicit anti-displacement mandate covering the Station District and Casino Road. The 58-unit ESDA project at 3102 Smith Avenue sits inside the Station District service area and adds deed-restricted inventory near transit.
• The Mission’s existing operations — the largest emergency shelter in Snohomish County — keep running through construction. The 172-bed expansion adds capacity rather than relocating it.

In other words: these three projects do not introduce new institutional uses to neighborhoods. They scale up what’s already there.

What Residents Can Do Next

If you live near one of the three sites:

• Public meetings — Each project will move through the city’s permit and design review processes. Public comment windows will be advertised on the City of Everett’s planning portal.
• Construction notifications — Sign up for the city’s construction-impact email list once project schedules are posted; this is how you’ll get advance notice of staging and traffic changes.
• Mission expansion specifically — The Mission has a long history of community communication around its operations; calling 425-740-2670 reaches its main line for non-emergency questions about the expansion.
• Tenant inquiries — If you or a family member would qualify for one of the affordable units, applications open closer to completion (Broadway 33 February 2028; ESDA timeline to follow). Helping Hands and ESDA both maintain interest lists ahead of lease-up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will the April 24 vote raise my Everett property taxes or sales tax?

A: No. The vote did not raise a tax or create a new fee. It moved $23 million already collected from two voter-authorized sales taxes earmarked specifically for affordable and supportive housing into six approved capital projects.

Q: When does construction start at the Everett Gospel Mission?

A: CEO Sylvia Anderson has said construction is targeted for October or November 2026. The first phase is intended to be open for the 2027 cold-weather season.

Q: Where exactly is Broadway 33 being built?

A: At 2410 and 2412 Broadway in north Everett. The 28-unit affordable apartment building’s completion is targeted for February 2028.

Q: Will the Everett Gospel Mission shelter close during construction?

A: No. The current shelter keeps operating throughout construction.

Q: How many new shelter beds and affordable apartments are coming to Everett from this round?

A: 172 new shelter beds at the Mission expansion plus 86 deed-restricted permanent affordable units (28 at Broadway 33, 58 at ESDA Smith Avenue) — a total of 258 new shelter beds and apartments in central Everett.

Q: Are these projects connected to Stations Unidos?

A: The 58-unit ESDA project at 3102 Smith Avenue is in the Station District service area now formally covered by the rebranded Stations Unidos community development corporation. The other two are funded under the same county capital round but are run by separate organizations (Everett Gospel Mission and Helping Hands).

Q: How can residents stay informed about construction impacts?

A: Watch the City of Everett’s planning portal for permit milestones, sign up for the city’s construction-impact email lists once project schedules are posted, and call the Everett Gospel Mission at 425-740-2670 for non-emergency questions specifically about the Mission expansion.

Featured Snippet

**What did Snohomish County’s $23 million housing and behavioral health vote on April 24, 2026 actually fund in Everett?**

The unanimous April 24 vote awarded approximately $23 million across six capital projects, three of them in Everett: $5.8 million to the Everett Gospel Mission for a 172-bed shelter expansion at 3530 Smith Avenue (tripling the current footprint, ~$30M total project, October–November 2026 construction start, first phase open for the 2027 cold-weather season); $4.2 million to the Helping Hands Project for a 28-unit affordable apartment building at 2410 and 2412 Broadway (Broadway 33, completion targeted February 2028); and a grant to the Everett Station District Alliance for a 58-unit transit-oriented building at 3102 Smith Avenue. The funding source is two voter-authorized sales taxes earmarked for affordable and supportive housing — no tax change, no new fee.

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On Wednesday, April 24, 2026, the Snohomish County Council voted unanimously to award roughly $23 million in capital grants to six affordable-housing and behavioral-health projects across the county. Three of the funded projects are inside Everett city limits.

For Everett residents, this is the single largest piece of capital funding to land for housing in the city this year. For neighbors of the three project sites, the next 18–22 months will turn that money into permitted, occupied buildings.

This is the complete guide to what each project gets, what it builds, when residents will see results, and where the money came from.

The Funding Mechanism — How $23 Million Got Approved Without Raising a Tax

The vote did not change a tax rate or raise a fee. The money flowed out of the county’s Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund, which is fed by two voter-authorized sales taxes specifically earmarked for affordable and supportive housing.

The Council’s Human Services Department screened applications and recommended a slate of six projects for funding. The April 24 vote moved that slate into capital allocation.

That mechanism matters: it’s the difference between a county “spending more on housing” and a county “moving already-collected dedicated revenue into specific projects.” This was the latter. The funding stream existed; the vote chose where to direct it.

Project One — Everett Gospel Mission: $5.8 Million for 172 Beds

The Mission’s award was the largest of the six, at $5.8 million. The grant goes toward a 172-bed expansion of the Mission’s existing shelter at 3530 Smith Avenue — roughly tripling the current building’s footprint.

Total project budget: approximately $30 million. The county’s $5.8 million stacks on top of money already committed by the City of Everett, prior philanthropic giving, and a state legislative allocation approved earlier in 2026.

CEO Sylvia Anderson has said construction is targeted for an October or November 2026 start. The first phase is intended to be open for the 2027 cold-weather season.

The expanded building will have:

• Separate spaces for men and women
• 24-hour on-site staff
• A small store for residents to access necessities
• Kennels and a wash station for residents’ pets
• A craft room

The current shelter keeps operating throughout construction.

For Everett residents, the Mission’s expansion is the closest thing to a measurable change in the city’s homeless-response capacity over the next 18 months. The Mission already runs the largest emergency shelter in Snohomish County. After the expansion, it will be larger by roughly a factor of three.

Project Two — Helping Hands at Broadway 33: $4.2 Million for 28 Apartments

The second-largest Everett-bound award was $4.2 million to the Helping Hands Project for a 28-unit affordable apartment building at 2410 and 2412 Broadway, in the city’s North Broadway corridor.

According to the county, the building will serve “those who are disadvantaged or have special needs.” The Helping Hands Project, a Snohomish County nonprofit, has been moving the project forward under the working name Broadway 33. Project completion is currently targeted for February 2028.

For neighbors on North Broadway, the practical effect is two parcels currently fronting the corridor moving from their current condition into a permitted, occupied apartment building over the next 22 months. For the city’s affordable-housing inventory, it is 28 deed-restricted units that did not exist before.

Project Three — Everett Station District Alliance: 58 Units on Smith Avenue

The third Everett-located award went to the Everett Station District Alliance, the nonprofit working to redevelop the area around Everett Station into a transit-oriented neighborhood. ESDA’s planned project at 3102 Smith Avenue is a 58-unit, low-income mixed-use building.

According to ESDA’s own filings, the unit mix breaks down as 15 units at 30 percent of area median income (the deepest affordability tier in the county’s stack), with the remaining units at higher AMI tiers up through 60 percent.

For the Station District redevelopment plan — which has been in motion for years and is now formally a service area for the rebranded Stations Unidos community development corporation — a 58-unit affordable building at this location is a meaningful piece of the deed-restricted inventory near transit. The project complements rather than competes with the Stations Unidos anti-displacement mandate covering the same neighborhood.

What Everett Will Look Like When These Three Projects Are Done

Add the numbers:

• Mission expansion: 172 beds (shelter)
• Helping Hands Broadway 33: 28 apartments (affordable housing)
• ESDA Smith Avenue: 58 units (mixed-income, transit-oriented affordable)

Total addition: 172 shelter beds plus 86 deed-restricted housing units in two buildings, on three sites within walking distance of central Everett.

Three of the four named locations — 3530 Smith Avenue, 3102 Smith Avenue, and 2410-2412 Broadway — sit inside the central Everett corridor that touches both the Station District and the North Broadway corridor. That is geographic concentration of supportive and affordable housing capital, not scattering.

For the city, the stack-up is: existing emergency-shelter capacity, plus 172 new shelter beds, plus 86 new permanent affordable units, plus the existing affordable inventory (including the Stations Unidos service area and the 28-unit Helping Hands project), all coming online in roughly the same window.

Why The Other Three Projects Matter to Everett Residents Too

The remaining $13 million of the $23 million round funded three projects outside Everett city limits but inside Snohomish County. These projects will not be Everett addresses, but they affect the regional shelter and behavioral health network that Everett residents access.

The county’s regional system means a tight Everett shelter sends people to Lynnwood; a tight Lynnwood shelter sends people to Marysville; capacity expansion in any of those cities relieves pressure across the whole. The April 24 award was a regional capacity move, not three isolated Everett wins.

Timeline — When Residents See Concrete Change

Working backwards from openings:

• Mission first phase — open for the 2027 cold-weather season; construction start October–November 2026
• Broadway 33 — completion targeted February 2028
• ESDA Smith Avenue — completion timeline depends on full-stack financing close (the county grant is part, not all, of the project capital)

For Everett residents tracking the city’s homelessness and affordability response, that means visible change starts on Smith Avenue late in 2026, with measurable bed and unit additions through 2027 and into early 2028.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much did Snohomish County award in the April 24 2026 housing vote, and what funded it?

A: The Council unanimously approved approximately $23 million across six projects. The funding came from the county’s Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund, fed by two voter-authorized sales taxes earmarked for affordable and supportive housing. The vote did not change a tax rate or raise a fee.

Q: How much did the Everett Gospel Mission receive, and what does it build?

A: $5.8 million toward a 172-bed expansion of the existing shelter at 3530 Smith Avenue — roughly tripling the building’s footprint. Total project cost is approximately $30 million; the grant stacks with earlier City of Everett, philanthropic, and state legislative funding.

Q: When will the Everett Gospel Mission expansion open?

A: Construction is targeted to start October or November 2026. The first phase is intended to be open in time for the 2027 cold-weather season.

Q: What is Broadway 33?

A: Broadway 33 is the working name for the Helping Hands Project’s 28-unit affordable apartment building at 2410 and 2412 Broadway in north Everett, funded in part by the $4.2 million county grant. Completion is targeted for February 2028. The building will serve disadvantaged residents and those with special needs.

Q: What is ESDA building at 3102 Smith Avenue?

A: A 58-unit, low-income mixed-use transit-oriented development. The unit mix begins with 15 units at 30 percent of area median income — the deepest affordability tier — with remaining units at higher AMI tiers through 60 percent.

Q: How many new shelter beds and affordable units will land in Everett from this round?

A: 172 new shelter beds (Mission expansion) plus 86 deed-restricted permanent affordable housing units (28 at Broadway 33, 58 at ESDA Smith Avenue), across three sites in central Everett.

Q: How does this round connect to Stations Unidos?

A: The ESDA project is in the Station District service area now formally covered by the rebranded Stations Unidos community development corporation. The 58-unit affordable building complements the Stations Unidos anti-displacement mandate and adds deed-restricted inventory near transit.

Q: Did the April 24 vote raise property or sales taxes in Snohomish County?

A: No. The vote moved already-collected revenue from two voter-authorized sales taxes (earmarked for affordable and supportive housing) into specific capital projects. There was no tax rate change or new fee created by the vote.

What is this? Everett is in the middle of updating its Critical Areas Regulations — the section of the Everett Municipal Code that governs how close anything new can be built to a wetland, a stream, a steep landslide-prone slope, or a designated wildlife habitat. The City Council held a public hearing on the proposed update on April 15, 2026 and is moving toward a vote in the coming weeks. The new rules adjust buffer widths, mitigation requirements, and the technical standards developers must meet on parcels that touch any of those features. If you own land, are looking to buy, or live near Forest Park, the Snohomish River corridor, Howarth, Pigeon Creek, or the city’s bluff edges, the update affects what can — and cannot — be built around you.

If you have ever wondered why a vacant Everett lot has stayed vacant for years even when home prices were climbing, the answer is often hidden in a single section of city code: Chapter 19.37, the Critical Areas Regulations.

That chapter — which protects wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, landslide-prone slopes, and important wildlife habitat — sets the buffer widths, building setbacks, mitigation requirements, and technical-study requirements every Everett property owner has to follow before disturbing those features. It is also one of the most frequently misunderstood parts of the municipal code, because it cuts across so many properties. Lots near Howarth Park, Pigeon Creek, Forest Park, the Snohomish River edge, and the city’s many ravine-cut blocks all carry critical-area overlays.

This week, Everett’s update of those regulations is closer to adoption than it has been at any point in the multi-year process. Here’s what’s actually in front of the council, what would change for residents and developers, and where the city is in the timeline.

What the City Is Required to Do

Critical Areas Regulations updates are not optional. Under Washington’s Growth Management Act, every city in the state has to periodically review and update its critical-area rules to incorporate Best Available Science — the current scientific consensus on what actually protects sensitive habitat.

Everett’s last comprehensive update was in 2007. The state’s deadline for the current periodic update was December 31, 2025, which the city has been working toward for several cycles. The city published a first review draft on October 31, 2025 and a second review draft on February 13, 2026, the latter of which is the version under active council consideration.

In other words: the council does not have the option of leaving the rules alone. The only choice is what version to adopt and on what schedule.

What Critical Areas Are Covered

The Everett Municipal Code defines five categories of critical areas:

• Wetlands — areas saturated long enough to support hydrophytic vegetation
• Streams and other Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas — including riparian corridors and habitat for state-listed species
• Frequently flooded areas — typically the regulatory floodplain
• Geologically hazardous areas — landslide-prone slopes, erosion zones, and seismic hazard areas
• Critical aquifer recharge areas — zones where surface activity affects groundwater used for drinking water

Each category has its own buffer requirement and its own mitigation standard, and a single parcel can be touched by more than one. A property near a wetland on a steep slope is subject to both wetland and geologic-hazard rules, with the more restrictive prevailing.

What’s Changing in the February 13 Draft

The February 13 draft preserves the basic five-category framework but updates several technical components that determine how the rules apply on a given lot. Among the most consequential:

• Wetland buffer widths. The draft updates Tables 37.2 and 37.3 — the wetland buffer width tables — to reflect current Best Available Science. In practice, that adjusts how many feet of undisturbed land must remain between a wetland edge and a building, fence, or hard surface. For some wetland categories, the draft buffers are wider than the rules currently in place.
• Stream buffer standards. The draft revises stream classifications and the corresponding buffer widths. Stream buffers were one of the most-discussed elements at the planning commission’s February 17 hearing.
• Mitigation sequencing. The draft tightens the standard sequence applicants have to follow when an impact to a critical area is unavoidable: first avoid, then minimize, then compensate, in that order.
• No-net-loss standard. The draft preserves the existing short-term goal of no net loss of critical-area functions and values, and adds a long-term goal of a net gain.

The city’s posted public document — Everett Critical Area Regulations Periodic Update REVIEW DRAFT February 13 2026 — runs to several hundred pages. Comments and responses through April 1, 2026 are also published on the city’s website.

What Stakeholders Have Said

The hearings and comment record show a familiar split on critical-area rules.

• The Port of Everett submitted comments dated January 8, 2026 raising concerns about how the proposed buffers and mitigation requirements would interact with redevelopment of port-owned waterfront parcels.
• The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) submitted comments at the January 28 planning commission meeting raising concerns about the cost and feasibility implications of wider buffers on infill parcels.
• The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife submitted comments dated March 2, 2026 supporting science-based buffers and asking for additional protections for habitat-conservation areas.

Each set of comments is published on the city’s website at everettwa.gov. The council saw all of them before the April 15 public hearing.

What Happens Next

The procedural path runs roughly like this:

1. Planning commission recommendation — issued February 17, 2026
2. Council briefings and discussions — held in March and April 2026
3. Council public hearing — held April 15, 2026
4. Council action on an ordinance — anticipated in the weeks following the public hearing

The exact council vote date has not been finalized as of this article, but the city’s project documents indicate the council expects to act in the spring of 2026.

Once adopted, the new ordinance applies to any new permit application after the effective date. Pending applications already in the pipeline are typically processed under the rules in place when they were filed (a “vested rights” question that applicants and city staff handle on a case-by-case basis).

Why This Matters for Regular Residents

The Critical Areas Regulations update is not the kind of city-hall story that lights up social media. It does not have a dollar figure attached, and the most consequential changes are technical adjustments in tables of buffer widths.

But for an Everett resident, the practical reach is broad:

• If you own a vacant or underbuilt lot anywhere near a wetland, stream, slope edge, or known habitat area, the buffer and mitigation rules in the new ordinance will determine what you can do with it.
• If you live in a neighborhood with sensitive features — Pigeon Creek, the Snohomish River edge, the bluff that drops off Bayside, the wooded ravines that run between Forest Park and the south end — the rules determine what your neighbors can build.
• If you are watching environmental quality on the Snohomish River and Port Gardner Bay, buffer standards on contributing streams are one of the few city-level levers that materially affect what runs into the bay over time.

This is also one of the few regulatory updates Everett does where the technical content matters far more than the political framing. The buffers either reflect current science or they don’t. The mitigation sequence is either tight or it isn’t. Two parcels with identical zoning can have very different development potential depending on what the critical-areas overlay says.

What to Do Next

If you want to engage:

• Read the documents. The City of Everett’s 2025 Critical Area Ordinance Update page hosts the February 13 review draft, the comment-and-response document, and all stakeholder letters at everettwa.gov/3354/2025-Critical-Area-Ordinance-Update.
• Email comments to staff. The city has accepted written comments at cao@everettwa.gov.
• Attend a council meeting. The City Council meets at 3002 Wetmore Avenue. Regular meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on most Wednesdays; fourth Wednesdays start at 12:30 p.m. Agendas are posted at everettwa.gov/AgendaCenter. The council’s next action on the critical-areas ordinance will be on a regular meeting agenda.
• Check your parcel. If you own land in Everett and want to know whether a critical-area overlay touches your parcel, the city’s GIS map and the Permit Center can both tell you. The Permit Center is at City Hall, 2930 Wetmore Avenue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my house become non-conforming if the rules change?
For an existing legally permitted structure, no. Critical-areas rules apply to new development and to expansions of existing development. An existing house in a buffer is generally treated as a legal nonconforming use, with limited rules around expansion and replacement.

If buffers get wider, can the city take part of my yard?
No. The buffer is a regulatory setback that limits what new construction or land disturbance can happen there. It is not a property taking. The land remains yours.

Does this affect routine yard work?
Generally no for ordinary maintenance. Significant tree removal, grading, structures, or land disturbance within a critical area or its buffer typically requires a permit and may require an environmental review.

How does this connect to the Comprehensive Plan?
The Critical Areas Regulations are one of the implementing tools of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. The plan sets the policy direction; the critical-areas chapter is where the specific land-use rules live.

When does the new ordinance take effect?
After the council adopts an ordinance and the city publishes the adoption notice. Effective dates are typically set 30 days after publication unless the ordinance specifies otherwise.

Are there exemptions?
Yes — the code includes a list of activities that are exempt from full review (certain routine maintenance, emergency repairs, some agricultural activity). The exemption list is part of the chapter and is being reviewed in the update.

Will this change be appealed?
Critical-areas updates are sometimes appealed to the Growth Management Hearings Board. Whether anyone files an appeal will depend on the final adopted text and which stakeholders feel their issues weren’t resolved.

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Sources: City of Everett 2025 Critical Area Ordinance Update project page (everettwa.gov); Everett Critical Area Regulations Periodic Update REVIEW DRAFT, February 13, 2026; Planning Commission record, February 17, 2026; comments-and-responses document dated April 1, 2026; Port of Everett comment letter, January 8, 2026; MBAKS comment letter, January 28, 2026; WDFW comment letter, March 2, 2026; City Council public hearing, April 15, 2026; Washington State Growth Management Act; Everett Municipal Code Chapter 19.37.

What just happened? On Wednesday, April 24, 2026, the Snohomish County Council voted unanimously to award roughly $23 million in capital grants to six affordable-housing and behavioral-health projects across the county. Three of the funded projects are located in Everett — including a $5.8 million grant to the Everett Gospel Mission for its 172-bed shelter expansion, $4.2 million to Helping Hands for a 28-unit affordable building on Broadway in north Everett, and a grant to the Everett Station District Alliance for a 58-unit transit-oriented building on Smith Avenue. The money comes from two voter-authorized sales taxes that were specifically created to fund supportive housing.

If you live in Everett and you have ever wondered what your county council actually does between elections, last Wednesday is a clean answer.

In a single unanimous vote on April 24, the Snohomish County Council moved roughly $23 million out of the county’s Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund and into six brick-and-mortar projects that will, over the next two years, add hundreds of beds and apartments to the county’s housing supply. Three of those six projects are inside Everett city limits. One of them — the Everett Gospel Mission’s shelter expansion — is the largest single award in the round.

The vote did not change a tax rate. It did not raise a fee. What it did was take money the county already collects under two state laws — sales tax revenue earmarked for affordable and supportive housing — and put it into a slate of projects the council’s Human Services Department had screened and recommended.

Here is what each of the three Everett-located projects gets, what they will build, and when residents are likely to see results on the ground.

The Everett Gospel Mission Expansion: $5.8 Million for 172 Beds

The Mission’s award was the largest of the six, at $5.8 million. The grant goes toward a 172-bed expansion of the Mission’s existing shelter at 3530 Smith Avenue — roughly tripling the footprint of the current building.

The total project is budgeted at approximately $30 million. The county’s $5.8 million stacks on top of money already committed by the City of Everett, prior philanthropic giving, and a state legislative allocation approved earlier in 2026. The Mission’s CEO, Sylvia Anderson, has said construction is targeted for an October or November 2026 start. The first phase is intended to be open in time for the 2027 cold-weather season.

The expanded building will house separate spaces for men and women, on-site staff 24 hours a day, a small store for residents to access necessities, kennels and a wash station for residents’ pets, and a craft room. The current shelter will keep operating throughout construction.

For Everett residents, the Mission’s expansion is the closest thing to a measurable change in the city’s homeless-response capacity over the next 18 months. The Mission already runs the largest emergency shelter in Snohomish County. After the expansion, it will be larger by a factor of roughly three.

Helping Hands: $4.2 Million for 28 Apartments on North Broadway

The second-largest Everett-bound award was $4.2 million to the Helping Hands Project for a 28-unit affordable apartment building at 2410 and 2412 Broadway, in the city’s North Broadway corridor.

According to the county, the building will serve “those who are disadvantaged or have special needs.” The Helping Hands Project, a Snohomish County nonprofit, has been moving the project forward under the working name Broadway 33. Project completion is currently targeted for February 2028.

For neighbors on North Broadway, the practical effect is that two parcels currently fronting the corridor will move from their current condition into a permitted, occupied apartment building over the next 22 months. For the city’s affordable-housing inventory, it is 28 deed-restricted units that did not exist before.

The Everett Station District Alliance: A 58-Unit Building on Smith Avenue

The third Everett-located award went to the Everett Station District Alliance, the nonprofit working to redevelop the area around Everett Station into a transit-oriented neighborhood. ESDA’s planned project at 3102 Smith Avenue is a 58-unit, low-income mixed-use building. According to ESDA’s own filings, the unit mix breaks down as 15 units at 30 percent of area median income (the deepest affordability tier), 29 units at 50 percent AMI, and 14 units at 60 percent AMI. Fifteen of the 58 units are reserved for tenants experiencing homelessness.

The Smith Avenue site has prior development entitlements — a previously approved land-use permit on the parcel allowed up to 166 residential units over 3,359 square feet of retail. ESDA purchased the property and has been working through redesign and financing options. The county’s grant, alongside additional state and federal sources, is part of how that financing comes together.

Two Other Awards That Affect Everett Indirectly

The remaining three projects in the $23 million round are based outside city limits but still serve people who live, work, or seek care in Everett.

The Housing Authority of Snohomish County received $2.98 million toward a 60-unit senior-housing project at 5710 and 5714 200th Street SW in Lynnwood, with construction targeted for fall 2026. Holman Recovery Center received $3 million toward a 48-bed substance-use disorder facility at 4230 Airport Boulevard in Arlington. And Housing Hope’s Rainbow Terrace project, a 66-unit senior building with 14 units reserved for residents experiencing homelessness, was also funded in this round.

The combined effect across the six projects is hundreds of new housing or shelter beds added to the county’s inventory over the next 24 to 30 months — in a region where the per-capita affordable-housing gap remains one of the largest line items in the county’s biennial budget conversation.

Where the Money Comes From

The Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund — the source of all $23 million — is funded by two state-authorized sales taxes:

• RCW 82.14.530 authorizes a sales tax for housing and related services
• RCW 82.14.540 authorizes an additional sales tax dedicated to affordable and supportive housing

Both authorities were enacted by the Washington Legislature and adopted by the Snohomish County Council to create a recurring funding stream specifically for projects of this type. The fund operates on a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) cycle: nonprofits, public housing authorities, and qualified developers submit proposals; county Human Services staff score them; and the council votes on a slate.

April 24 was the council’s vote on the most recent NOFO slate.

What This Means for Everett Residents

For most Everett residents, the immediate effect of the April 24 vote is not visible — no new building goes up tomorrow, no rent line changes, no service appears on the street.

The longer effect, over the next two years, is roughly this:

• The Gospel Mission’s shelter capacity grows substantially heading into the 2027 cold-weather season
• 28 deed-restricted apartments arrive on North Broadway by early 2028
• ESDA’s Smith Avenue project continues moving toward construction at a site that has been entitled but stuck for years

For neighbors near the three Everett sites — Smith Avenue, North Broadway, and the Mission’s Smith Avenue campus — the more concrete effect is permitting activity, construction traffic, and changes in foot traffic over the next 18 to 30 months. None of those projects is breaking ground this week. All three are now meaningfully closer to doing so.

What to Do Next

If you want to follow these projects directly:

• Snohomish County Human Services Department publishes the official documents for the Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund, including the NOFO and the awarded-project list, on the county website at snohomishcountywa.gov.
• The Everett Gospel Mission posts construction-timeline updates and volunteer opportunities at egmission.org.
• The Helping Hands Project publishes Broadway 33 updates at helpinghands-project.org/broadway33.
• The Everett Station District Alliance posts development-project updates at everettstationdistrict.com/development-projects.
• Public comment on county budget priorities flows through the Snohomish County Council’s regular meeting process. Council meetings are held at the Robert J. Drewel Building (3000 Rockefeller Avenue, Everett). Agendas are posted at snohomishcountywa.gov.

If you want to weigh in before the next round of Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund awards, the time to engage is when the Human Services Department posts the next NOFO — usually quarterly to semi-annually. That is the input window where the project list gets shaped, well before the council’s vote.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was the April 24 vote unanimous?
Yes. According to Council Chair filings and post-vote reporting, all five council members present voted to approve the awards.

Does this raise my taxes?
No. The $23 million was awarded out of an existing fund. The two underlying sales taxes — under RCW 82.14.530 and RCW 82.14.540 — were authorized by the state Legislature and previously adopted by the county. No new tax was created or raised by this vote.

When will I see the new buildings?
The Gospel Mission expansion’s first phase is targeted for the 2027 cold-weather season. Helping Hands’ Broadway 33 is targeted for February 2028. ESDA’s Smith Avenue building’s construction timeline depends on completing its full financing stack, which is still in progress.

How does the county pick which projects get funded?
Through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity process. Nonprofits and public housing authorities submit applications. County Human Services Department staff score them against published criteria (project readiness, leverage of other funding sources, populations served). The council votes on the staff-recommended slate.

Are any of these projects “low-barrier” shelter or housing-first?
The Gospel Mission’s expansion is a shelter, not permanent housing, and operates under the Mission’s own program model. Helping Hands’ Broadway 33 and ESDA’s Smith Avenue project are deed-restricted affordable apartments, not shelter, and follow standard tenancy rules including leases.

Where can I read the full list of awarded projects?
The Snohomish County Human Services Department posts official NOFO documentation and award lists on the county website. The April 24 council action will appear in the council’s published meeting minutes.

How much did the county put into housing in this single round versus prior rounds?
The $23 million single-round total is among the larger awards out of the Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund in recent cycles. Prior awards have ranged from a few million to the high teens depending on application volume and project readiness.

What’s the difference between this fund and federal HUD funding?
This fund is locally raised under state authority (the two RCW sales taxes). It is separate from federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME funds, which the county also administers. Both streams ultimately fund similar project types but operate under different rules and timelines.

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Sources: Snohomish County Council meeting record (April 24, 2026); HeraldNet; Everett Gospel Mission; Helping Hands Project; Everett Station District Alliance; RCW 82.14.530; RCW 82.14.540.