Tag: Local Government

  • Mason County PUD 1 Rates, Water System Upgrades & Winter Freeze Guide in 2026

    Mason County PUD 1 Rates, Water System Upgrades & Winter Freeze Guide in 2026

    Updated November 3, 2026 — refreshed with winter freeze-protection protocols, water main-break and pressure-loss procedures, RCW 54.16.285 winter shutoff protections, verified PUD 1 contact numbers, and a property-owner action checklist.

    If you own property in Mason County that draws water or electricity from Public Utility District No. 1, spring 2026 brings two concrete developments: a major rural water infrastructure cycle closing out, and an electric rate increase that took effect April 1 — one that district staff managed to keep lower than originally authorized.

    Two Rural Water Systems Brought Up to Standard

    Mason County PUD No. 1 reported at its April 14, 2026 board meeting that the Manzanita Water Storage Project and the Arcadia Estates water system upgrade are both reaching completion. For property owners in and around those service areas — communities along the southern Hood Canal shoreline, Union, and rural Hoodsport — this represents the end of a multi-year capital investment cycle that directly affects property infrastructure reliability.

    The Manzanita project carried total construction funding of $4.6 million, with the storage tank contract of $3,745,725 awarded to Rognlin’s Inc. of Aberdeen in June 2025. Construction began in September 2025 and reached close-out reporting by the April board meeting. The Arcadia Estates system upgrade was completed in the same reporting window. These are not cosmetic improvements — they are foundational upgrades to the water storage and distribution systems that serve rural residential customers whose properties depend on PUD 1 service for potable water.

    For property owners, updated water infrastructure is a material factor in property condition and insurability. Aging rural water systems carry risk of service disruptions, pressure inconsistencies, and compliance issues. PUD 1’s investment in these systems reduces that risk profile for affected properties.

    PUD 1 has also submitted a $5.6 million Congressionally Directed Spending request — a federal appropriations mechanism — to fund the next phase of rural water system improvements. If awarded, it extends the district’s infrastructure investment without corresponding local rate increases, which is relevant to property owners watching the long-term cost trajectory of utility services in the county.

    April 1 Electric Rate Increase: 3.0% — Here’s the Math

    Effective April 1, 2026, the residential basic monthly charge increased from $45.86 to $47.26. The energy rate moved from $0.09670 to $0.09960 per kilowatt-hour. The net effect on a typical residential bill is approximately 3.0%.

    The cost driver is external: the Bonneville Power Administration raised its power rate by 6% and its transmission rate by 11.7% for 2026. PUD 1, like most public utility districts in Washington State, buys wholesale power from BPA and must pass through a portion of those increases. What’s notable is what PUD 1 held back — the district originally had board authorization for a larger increase, but secured a federal emergency management grant that allowed them to reduce the rate adjustment to 3.0% rather than implementing the full authorized amount.

    For property owners with rental units, vacation properties, or investment parcels in Mason County, the 3.0% increase is modest. On a property drawing 800 kWh per month, the monthly cost increase is approximately $2.65 — about $32 per year. Properties with higher draws (electric heat, water pumps, outbuildings) will see proportionally more, but the rate structure remains among the more affordable in the Puget Sound region. For a full line-item breakdown of monthly power charges, see our Mason County PUD 1 electric bill and 2026 rate guide.

    What PUD 1 Serves — and What It Doesn’t

    Property owners in Mason County sometimes confuse the three PUDs operating in the county. PUD No. 1 provides electric service to customers across Mason County and also operates rural water systems in specific communities — Shelton, Hoodsport, Union, and areas along the Hood Canal south shore. It is not the same district as PUD No. 3, which serves different territory and recently made news for its fiber internet buildout — see our coverage of Mason County infrastructure updates including PUD 3 fiber and Belfair sewer.

    If your property is on a PUD 1 water system and you are uncertain whether the Manzanita or Arcadia Estates project areas are adjacent to your parcel, the district’s customer service line can confirm service area boundaries. PUD 1 is located at 21971 N. Highway 101, Shelton, WA 98584. The main contact number is (360) 877-5249 (toll-free (800) 544-4223).

    2026 Water Rate Schedule Across PUD 1’s 70+ Community Water Systems

    On the water side, Mason County PUD No. 1 owns and manages more than 70 separate community water systems (including Group A and Group B systems across Union, Hoodsport, Alderbrook, Arcadia Estates, Canal Mutual, Hamma Ridge, Holiday Beach, Lake Arrowhead, Madrona Beach, Shadowood, Springwood, Twanoh Heights, Twanoh Terrace, and Vuecrest). Following its Cost of Service Analysis (COSA), PUD 1 maintains a uniform monthly base charge and tiered consumption schedule across all district-owned water systems. Per PUD 1’s published 2026 Residential & Small Commercial Water Rate Schedule (revised December 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026, reflecting a 3.5% water revenue adjustment after grant offsets):

    • Base Monthly Charge (First 400 cubic feet or less / First 3,000 gallons or less): $67.93/month
    • Tier 2 Volumetric Rate (401 to 1,000 cubic feet / 3,001 to 7,500 gallons): $2.73 per 100 cubic feet ($0.003653 per gallon)
    • Tier 3 Volumetric Rate (1,001 cubic feet and above / 7,501 gallons and above): $3.41 per 100 cubic feet ($0.004552 per gallon)
    • Unit Conversion Rule: PUD 1 measures water in cubic feet, where 1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons.
    • Key Water Service Fees (2026 Schedule): System Development Fee (new connection buy-in, where capacity is available): $4,733.00 | Service Set-up Charge: $3.00 | Late charge on unpaid balance over 30 days: 1.5% | Smart Meter Opt-Out (manual monthly read): $25.00/month | Non-Pay Disconnect or Field Collection: $75.00 | Working-Hours Reconnect: $75.00 | Non-Working-Hours Reconnect or Customer-Side Outage Check (no charge for utility problems): $300.00.

    Winter Operations Layer: Pipe Freeze Protection, Main Breaks & RCW 54.16.285 Shutoff Rules

    1. Point of Delivery Boundary & Freeze Protection Protocols

    Under PUD 1’s published Water Services policy and Water Policy Manual, the district is responsible for each water system only up to and including the water meter or service valve (if no meter is present), known as the point of delivery. Property owners are prohibited from tampering with or turning water on or off at the PUD’s meter (meter tampering or unauthorized valve operation carries a $200.00 to $250.00 penalty plus a $75.00 reconnect fee). Everything after the meter — including the building supply line from the meter box to the house, customer-side shutoff valves, pressure-reducing valves (PRVs), backflow prevention assemblies, and interior plumbing — is the property owner’s responsibility:

    • Locate Your Customer-Side Master Shutoff Valve: Before sub-freezing overnight temperatures hit Hood Canal and rural Mason County, locate and test your customer-side gate or ball valve (separate from the PUD’s street-side meter box) so you can shut off water to the structure immediately if an interior pipe bursts.
    • Insulate Exposed Pipes & Backflow Assemblies and Disconnect Hoses: Detach garden hoses, drain outdoor faucets and irrigation lines, and insulate exposed pipes in crawl spaces, unheated garages, pump houses, and above-ground backflow prevention assemblies. Keep the area around the PUD meter box clear and accessible for meter readers and crews.
    • Drip Guidance & Why Seasonal Disconnect Beats Running Faucets: PUD 1 does not offer a winter billing credit for continuous faucet dripping on metered accounts. In fact, PUD 1’s Water Conservation guidance notes that a single dripping faucet can waste 20 or more gallons per day — more water in one day than a person needs for drinking in an entire week — pushing metered accounts into the $2.73 and $3.41 per 100 cubic feet consumption tiers. If a home or cabin will sit unheated or unoccupied during winter freezes, use PUD 1’s no-fee Seasonal Disconnect (detailed in the checklist below) so water is shut off at the meter rather than left dripping.

    2. What to Do in a Water Main Break, Pressure Loss, or Suspected Freeze Leak

    • Reporting a Main Break or Outage: If your water pressure drops suddenly or water service goes out, check whether neighboring parcels are also out and look outside for standing water near the road or meter box. Call PUD 1 immediately at (360) 877-5249 or 1-800-544-4223 (24-hour emergency service) and report your name, service address, and any visible water or sounds. Never assume a neighbor has already called.
    • Protect Water Heaters & Prevent Backflow: During a water or power outage, PUD 1 advises tripping the circuit breakers to electric water heaters and space heaters to avoid damaging heating elements or overloading the system when service returns. Because sudden drops in distribution-main pressure can create backsiphonage risk, PUD 1 enforces annual testing of customer backflow prevention assemblies under WAC 246-290-490.
    • PUD 1’s 15-Minute Meter Test for Hidden Post-Freeze Leaks: Once temperatures thaw, you can check for a hidden underground or crawl-space leak on your side of the meter using PUD 1’s published meter test: (1) locate your water meter box near the street; (2) turn off all indoor and outdoor faucets and all water-using appliances; (3) record the exact meter reading and wait at least 15 minutes without using any water; (4) read the meter again. If the dial has moved, you have a customer-side leak requiring immediate repair.
    • Unduly High Water Bill Leak Adjustment Policy (Water Policy Manual §3.7): If a hidden pipe failure causes a spike on your water bill, Section 3.7 of the PUD 1 Water Policy Manual authorizes the General Manager or designated agent to adjust an unduly high water bill when three conditions are met: (a) the water loss was not reasonably ascertainable by the customer while it occurred; (b) the customer took immediate steps to repair the faulty plumbing upon discovering it; and (c) the customer notified the District promptly so meter readings and repair dates could be documented. Adjustments apply only to excess water charges above the monthly minimum across at most the last three billing periods.

    3. Winter Shutoff Protections Under RCW 54.16.285 & Local Utility Assistance

    Washington State law (RCW 54.16.285, “Limitations on termination of utility service for residential heating and of electric or water utility service during heat-related alerts”) sets specific statutory rules for public utility districts:

    • November 15 – March 15 Residential Space-Heating Moratorium (RCW 54.16.285(1)): A public utility district providing utility service for residential space heating may not terminate that service between November 15 through March 15 if the customer:
      1. Notifies the utility of the inability to pay within five business days of receiving a payment overdue notice (if the customer misses the five-day window and is disconnected, fulfilling the statutory requirements still restores protection under the chapter);
      2. Provides household income self-certification for the prior 12 months to the Department of Commerce grantee administering federally funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds under 42 U.S.C. 8624, which verifies eligibility and calculates the figure equal to 7% of household income;
      3. Applies for home heating assistance from applicable government and private-sector organizations and certifies that any assistance received will be applied to current and future utility bills;
      4. Applies for low-income weatherization assistance from the utility or other appropriate agency if available for the dwelling;
      5. Agrees to and maintains a payment plan designed to pay the past-due bill by the following October 15 and to pay for continued service — where monthly payments between November 15 and March 15 cannot be required to exceed 7% of the customer’s monthly income plus one-twelfth (1/12) of any arrearage accrued from the date application is made and thereafter during that winter window; and
      6. Agrees to pay the moneys owed even if the customer moves.
    • Water Utility Disconnection Rules & Hardship Extensions: Note that under RCW 54.16.285, the November 15 – March 15 statutory moratorium applies to utility service for residential space heating (while the statute’s water utility termination restriction applies during National Weather Service heat-related alerts). For water accounts facing temporary financial hardship in winter, Section 3.6.5 of PUD 1’s Water Policy Manual authorizes the General Manager or designated agent to grant case-by-case payment extensions or partial payment arrangements (generally up to 30 days) when requested prior to the disconnect date.
    • Canal Comfort Fund & LIHEAP Agencies (mason-pud1.org/payment-assistance/): Qualifying PUD 1 customers experiencing financial hardship can apply for up to $150 per calendar year from PUD 1’s customer-donated Canal Comfort Fund by calling Customer Service at (360) 877-5249. For LIHEAP income certification and heating assistance appointments, PUD 1 directs customers to:
      • Community Action Council of Mason County: 807 W Railroad Ave, Shelton, WA 98584 — (360) 426-9726 (www.caclmt.org)
      • OlyCap (for Jefferson County customers in PUD 1’s northern territory): 2120 W Sims Way, Port Townsend, WA 98368 — (360) 385-2571 (www.olycap.org)
      • Tribal LIHEAP & CITGO Assistance: South Puget Sound Intertribal Planning Agency (SPIPA), 3104 S.E. Old Olympic Hwy, Shelton, WA 98584 — (360) 426-3990 | Skokomish Tribal Nation Center, N. 80 Tribal Center Rd., Skokomish Nation, WA 98584 — (360) 426-4232.

    4. Mason County PUD No. 1 Outage & Water-Quality Contact Block

    • Headquarters & Mailing Address: Mason County PUD No. 1, 21971 N. Highway 101, Shelton (in Potlatch), WA 98584
    • Customer Service & 24-Hour Power/Water Outage Line: (360) 877-5249 or (800) 544-4223 (1-800-544-4223 routes directly to PUD 1’s CRC national answering center during heavy storm call volume)
    • Service & Office Hours: Lobby Service Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Customer Service Phone Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (24-hour answering service for outages and emergencies)
    • Department Emails & Faxes: Customer Service: customerservice@mason-pud1.org (Start/Stop Service fax: 360-877-9274) | Water Department & Cross-Connection Control: waterdept@mason-pud1.org (Water Adequacy/Cross-Connection fax: (360) 877-5339)
    • Drinking Water Quality Inquiries: Annual Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs) and Water Use Efficiency reports are posted by July 1 at mason-pud1.org/water-quality/; EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 1-800-426-4791.

    Property-Owner Action Checklist: Owners vs. Renters vs. Vacant/Seasonal Parcels

    For Year-Round Homeowners (Owner-Occupied Properties)

    • Shut Off & Insulate Before Hard Freezes: Disconnect garden hoses, insulate exposed crawl-space pipes and backflow assemblies on your side of the meter, and confirm your customer-side master shutoff valve operates smoothly.
    • Schedule Annual Backflow Testing: Complete required annual testing of backflow prevention assemblies under WAC 246-290-490 using a DOH-certified Backflow Assembly Tester or by contacting waterdept@mason-pud1.org / (360) 877-5249 to have PUD 1 test the assembly and bill your account.
    • Follow Generator Backfeed Safety Rules: Never plug a portable generator into a household wall outlet during winter windstorms. Either use a professionally installed transfer switch or shut off the main panel breaker and plug appliances directly into the generator placed at least 20 feet outside the home.
    • Register Medical Life-Support Equipment: If someone in the household relies on electrically operated life-support equipment, notify PUD 1 at (360) 877-5249 in advance and maintain an emergency backup power plan.

    For Landlords & Rental Property Investors vs. Tenants

    • File a Rental Standby Agreement: On mason-pud1.org/start-stop-service/, PUD 1 strongly advises landlords to sign a Rental Standby Agreement (Owner/Agent Agreement), which allows the PUD to notify the landlord and keep service active between tenancies if a renter moves out or stops utility service.
    • Authorize Tenant Accounts Properly: Landlords must grant permission for new renters to put service in the tenant’s name (requiring a New Customer Application, photo ID, and a $100.00 residential deposit unless waived via an in-house credit check). Under Water Policy Manual §2.3.2, if a tenant uses water without setting up an account and no standby agreement is on file, the landlord is responsible for the charges and the service is subject to shut-off.
    • Respect Statutory Landlord-Tenant Utility Protections: Under Washington landlord-tenant law and PUD 1 policy (§2.3.10), PUD 1 cannot disconnect electric or water service because a tenant fails to pay rent to the landlord. Tenants struggling with winter heating bills can establish an RCW 54.16.285 payment plan directly with PUD 1 and Community Action Council of Mason County at (360) 426-9726.
    • Allow 5 Business Days for Move-Out Meter Reads: When a tenant or owner moves out, call 360-877-5249 to schedule a stop-service date; PUD 1 has five business days from notice to take the final meter reading.

    For Vacant, Recreational & Seasonal Hood Canal Properties

    • Request a No-Fee Seasonal Water Disconnect for Winter: Many Hood Canal cabin and recreational parcel owners close up their properties after the summer and early-autumn recreation season wraps up (see our Belfair State Park shellfish and Hood Canal winter off-season guide). Under PUD 1’s Water Services disconnect rules, you can request a Seasonal Disconnect (disconnect for winter and reconnect for summer) at no fee during normal business hours: you continue paying the monthly base charge ($67.93/month), and a PUD serviceman shuts off the water at the meter so interior pipes cannot freeze or flood the structure while you are away.
    • Weigh Short-Term vs. Long-Term Disconnect Costs on Vacant Parcels:
      • Same-Day Disconnect/Reconnect (for repairs or winterization work): No fee during business hours (8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday).
      • Short-Term Disconnect (reconnecting within 36 months): You do not pay the monthly base charge while disconnected, but the fee to reconnect is the accumulated monthly base rate and capital surcharge for every month the service was disconnected.
      • Long-Term Disconnect (more than 36 months): The fee to reconnect is one-half (50%) of the System Development Fee ($4,733.00 full SDF on the 2026 schedule).
      • Waitlisted Water Systems Warning: On water systems with connection waiting lists, if a service has been disconnected for more than a year (or if a newly purchased connection is not activated within 36 months), the connection may be reassigned to another parcel. Always call (360) 877-5249 before letting a rural water connection lapse.

    Frequently Asked Questions — PUD 1 for Mason County Property Owners

    What is the new PUD 1 residential electric rate as of April 1, 2026?

    The basic monthly charge is now $47.26 (up from $45.86) and the energy rate is $0.09960 per kWh (up from $0.09670). The overall increase on a typical residential bill is 3.0%, less than the originally authorized amount because the district secured a federal grant to offset the increase.

    Did PUD 1 complete the Manzanita water project?

    Yes. The Manzanita Water Storage Project reached close-out reporting at the April 14, 2026 PUD 1 board meeting. Total construction funding was $4.6 million, with the primary contract awarded to Rognlin’s Inc. of Aberdeen. The Arcadia Estates water system upgrade was also completed in the same reporting cycle.

    Why did my PUD 1 electric bill go up if PUD 1 is a public utility?

    PUD 1 purchases wholesale power from the Bonneville Power Administration, which serves most Pacific Northwest public utilities. BPA raised its power rate 6% and transmission rate 11.7% for 2026, forcing PUD 1 to pass through a portion of that increase. The district reduced its own rate adjustment to 3.0% by securing a federal emergency management grant.

    Does the $5.6 million federal funding request affect my PUD 1 rates?

    If awarded, the $5.6 million Congressionally Directed Spending request would fund additional rural water system improvements without requiring a corresponding rate increase. It is a pending federal appropriations request, not yet approved, but it represents PUD 1’s strategy for continuing infrastructure investment while managing customer rate impacts.

    How do I contact Mason County PUD 1 about my service area, water leak, or winter outage?

    PUD 1 customer service and 24-hour emergency outage dispatch are reachable at (360) 877-5249 or toll-free at (800) 544-4223 (1-800-544-4223). The district office is at 21971 N. Highway 101, Shelton (in Potlatch), WA 98584, with lobby service hours Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Board meetings are public and held at 1:00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month.

    For the full Mason County PUD 1 story including the rate change details and how PUD 1 reduced the increase below authorized levels, see Mason County PUD 1 Wraps Major Water Projects, New Rates Take Effect April 1, our Mason County PUD 1 Electric Bill & 2026 Rates Guide, and Mason County Infrastructure: PUD 3 Fiber & Belfair Sewer. For context on Mason County’s broader civic landscape, see Mason County Government: April 2026 Updates.

  • Everett Critical Areas Update: Homebuyer’s Guide After June 1, 2026

    Everett Critical Areas Update: Homebuyer’s Guide After June 1, 2026

    Featured Snippet

    **What should I check before buying an Everett home near a wetland, stream, or bluff in 2026?**

    Before closing on any Everett property near water, a slope, or a wildlife corridor, check the parcel’s critical area overlays on the City of Everett GIS map. The Critical Areas Regulations (Chapter 19.37) were updated under Washington’s Growth Management Act — per the City’s 2025 Critical Area Ordinance Update Status Update (April 16, 2026), City Council approved the ordinance on April 15, 2026, and the rules are effective June 1, 2026. The adopted standards update wetland buffer widths, stream classifications, geologic hazard setbacks, and the technical studies any future addition or remodel will require. Critical area overlays affect buildable area, accessory dwelling unit eligibility, fence and outbuilding placement, and occasionally insurance and resale.

    If you’re house-hunting in Everett in 2026 — especially in north Everett, the Bayside corridor, around Howarth Park, near Forest Park, on Rucker Hill, the bluff blocks, or anywhere along a creek or ravine — there is one piece of city code you should understand before making an offer.

    It’s called the Critical Areas Regulations, Chapter 19.37 of the Everett Municipal Code. It is now adopted (effective June 1, 2026). And the February 13, 2026 second review draft changes some of the technical assumptions a buyer should make about a near-water lot.

    This is the buyer’s read.

    Why It Matters at the Offer Stage

    Critical area overlays govern what can be built on, added to, or modified on a parcel. They don’t just affect a hypothetical future development; they affect concrete decisions a current owner will face:

    • Whether you can add a detached garage or accessory dwelling unit
    • Where you can place a fence relative to a wetland edge
    • What’s required to expand the existing footprint
    • What happens if the existing house needs significant repair or rebuild
    • Whether the lot can be subdivided
    • What documentation is required to remove or replace trees inside a buffer

    A house that looks like it has plenty of yard for an ADU may have most of that yard inside a stream buffer. A backyard with a view of a ravine may include a geologic hazard slope that limits where any new structure can go.

    The new code makes these answers more important to know before close, not after.

    What Was Adopted and When

    Everett’s last comprehensive Critical Areas Regulations update before this cycle was 2007. Washington’s Growth Management Act required cities to update by December 31, 2025. Everett published a first review draft on October 31, 2025 and a second review draft on February 13, 2026.

    • April 15, 2026 — City Council public hearing; ordinance approved
    • June 1, 2026 — updated regulations effective (city Status Update, April 16, 2026)
    • The ordinance applies to new development, additions, and disturbance after the effective date

    Closings after June 1, 2026 still transfer the property under whatever rules applied to existing legally established structures — but any future addition, ADU, or significant remodel will be reviewed under the adopted Chapter 19.37 standards.

    The Five Critical Area Categories — Where Everett’s Buyers Encounter Them

    • Wetlands — Anywhere along Howarth Park’s perimeter, Pigeon Creek’s lowland reaches, the wetlands at Forest Park’s edges, and many low-lying parcels around the city
    • Streams — Pigeon Creek and its tributaries, the Snohomish River edge, and many small unnamed reaches
    • Frequently flooded areas — The regulatory floodplain along the Snohomish River and parts of low Bayside
    • Geologically hazardous areas — The Everett bluff, Rucker Hill’s slopes, the bluff blocks throughout the city, and ravine sides
    • Critical aquifer recharge areas — Less commonly visible, but check the GIS map

    The Buyer’s Checklist

    Before you make an offer on a near-water or near-slope lot:

    1. Pull the parcel’s overlay map

    Use the City of Everett GIS portal to look up the address. The portal layers critical area overlays on top of the parcel boundary, so you can see at a glance which categories apply.

    2. Read the parcel’s history

    Permits, geotechnical reports, wetland delineations, and habitat assessments commissioned by prior owners may be on file with the city. If they exist, your due diligence period is the time to review them.

    3. Verify what existing structures are legally established

    A house grandfathered under earlier code is fine to occupy. A detached structure built without permit, or built inside a buffer that didn’t exist when it was constructed, may not be. Title and permit records resolve this.

    4. Map your future plans against the overlay

    If you bought thinking you’d add an ADU, ask: where on the lot would the ADU sit relative to the wetland buffer, stream buffer, or slope setback under the new rules? The answer determines whether the plan is feasible.

    5. Get a credentialed consultant if the lot is complicated

    For lots with multiple overlays or for lots where the buyer plans significant future work, a wetland or geotechnical consultant during due diligence is well-spent money. They can read the overlays the way the city’s planning staff will.

    6. Ask the listing agent direct questions

    “What overlays touch this parcel?” “What is the buffer width on the wetland or stream?” “What permits has the city issued on this address?” These are reasonable questions during diligence and the answers belong in writing.

    What Changes Specifically Under the New Rules That Buyers Should Know

    • Wetland buffers can be wider under the February 13 draft for some wetland categories. A lot whose old-code buildable area looked generous may have less buildable area under the new rules.
    • Stream classifications can shift, changing the buffer regime on a parcel. A creek that was Category B yesterday may be reclassified, with a different buffer.
    • Mitigation sequencing tightens. Buyers planning future builds should expect a longer documentation path before approval.
    • Geotechnical study expectations are updated. A 2018 geotechnical report on a sloped parcel may no longer satisfy current expectations for a new application.
    • Habitat assessments are scoped more rigorously. Parcels in Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas face additional study burdens.

    The Resale and Insurance Angle

    Some buyers ask whether critical area overlays affect resale or homeowner insurance:

    • Resale. Overlays don’t prevent resale, but they’re a disclosure item. Future buyers will pull the same overlay map. Lots with developable buildable areas that have shrunk under the new rules will price reflective of that.
    • Insurance. Frequently flooded areas (the regulatory floodplain) are a flood insurance question — separate from critical area buffer rules but on the same maps. Lenders may require flood insurance on parcels inside the floodplain. Geologic hazard area designation does not directly affect homeowner insurance pricing in most cases, but a known landslide-prone slope can show up in carrier underwriting.

    When the Critical Areas Update Doesn’t Affect Your Decision

    Plenty of Everett homes are not in a critical area overlay at all. The new rules don’t affect them. The check-the-overlay-map step is what tells you whether to read further. Most Everett buyers will close on parcels with clean overlays and never think about Chapter 19.37 again.

    For the buyers who don’t — the ones looking at the lot with the creek, the wetland, the slope, or the ravine — the 2026 update is part of the homework.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: How do I check whether an Everett property is in a critical area overlay?

    A: Use the City of Everett’s GIS map. Search the parcel’s address; the map layers critical area overlays for wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas, and critical aquifer recharge areas.

    Q: Do the Critical Areas Regulations affect closing on a property?

    A: The regulations don’t prevent closing. They affect what you can do with the property after close — additions, ADUs, fences, outbuildings, and substantial alterations. They are part of due diligence, not a closing barrier.

    Q: If I close before the council vote, do the old rules apply forever?

    A: The old rules apply to applications submitted while they’re in force. After adoption, new applications for additions, ADUs, or significant remodels are reviewed under the new rules. Existing legally established structures generally remain.

    Q: Are wetland buffers wider under the February 13 2026 draft?

    A: For some wetland categories, yes — the draft updates tables 37.2 and 37.3 based on Best Available Science. Specific buffer width changes depend on wetland category and rating.

    Q: Do critical area overlays affect homeowner insurance?

    A: Frequently flooded areas (the regulatory floodplain) are a flood insurance question, and lenders may require flood insurance on parcels inside it. Geologic hazard area designation doesn’t directly affect most homeowner insurance pricing, but documented landslide-prone slopes may show up in underwriting.

    Q: Should I get a wetland or geotechnical consultant during due diligence?

    A: For complicated parcels — multiple overlays, future ADU plans, sloped lots — yes. Consultants can read the overlays the way the city’s planning staff will and tell you what your future buildable area actually is.

    Q: Where can I read the actual February 13 2026 draft?

    A: The City of Everett’s planning portal publishes the draft ordinance text and supporting maps. The ordinance itself is the authoritative reference.

    Q: What’s the most common surprise for Everett buyers in critical area parcels?

    A: That the lot’s buildable area, after applying buffer widths, is materially smaller than the parcel boundary suggests — and that ADU plans, in particular, often run into stream or wetland buffers that weren’t visible from the listing photos.


  • Everett Critical Areas Update: 2026 Property Owner Guide

    Everett Critical Areas Update: 2026 Property Owner Guide

    Featured Snippet

    **What does Everett’s 2026 Critical Areas Regulations update mean for property owners and builders?**

    If your parcel touches a wetland, stream, frequently flooded area, geologically hazardous slope/bluff, or critical aquifer recharge area, the February 13, 2026 second review draft of Chapter 19.37 changes the buffer width, mitigation sequence, and technical-study requirements you have to meet before disturbing the feature. Wetland buffer tables 37.2 and 37.3 are updated; some categories carry wider buffers than the 2007 rules. Stream classifications are revised. Geotechnical and habitat study expectations are tightened. The City Council held a public hearing on April 15, 2026 and is targeting a vote in the coming weeks.

    If you own a lot, an in-fill site, or a development parcel in Everett that touches any of the city’s critical areas, the regulations updating right now will determine what you can build, where you can put it, and how much site work it will take to get there.

    This is the property owner and builder read of Chapter 19.37’s 2026 update — the practical consequences, before the council vote.

    Step One — Find Out If Your Parcel Has a Critical Area Overlay

    Before you read the ordinance text, check your specific parcel against the city’s GIS overlays. The five categories the rules cover:

    • Wetlands — Howarth, Pigeon Creek, Forest Park edges, low-lying parcels in many corridors
    • Streams — named (Pigeon Creek, Snohomish River edge) and unnamed reaches throughout the city
    • Frequently flooded areas — the regulatory floodplain, including parts of the Snohomish River corridor
    • Geologically hazardous areas — bluff faces, landslide-prone slopes, erosion zones, seismic hazard areas
    • Critical aquifer recharge areas — zones over drinking-water aquifers

    Many parcels carry more than one overlay. A lot above the Snohomish River may sit inside a frequently flooded area at the base, a wetland in the riparian zone, and a geologic hazard area on the bluff. Each overlay applies independently. Where they conflict, the more restrictive rule prevails.

    What Changes in the Wetland Tables

    Tables 37.2 and 37.3 — the wetland buffer width tables — are updated in the February 13, 2026 draft to reflect Best Available Science. The practical translation:

    • Buffer widths shift by wetland category. A Category I wetland (highest functional value) carries a different buffer than a Category IV. The draft recalibrates several of those category-buffer pairings.
    • Some buffers widen. For affected parcels, the developable area inside the parcel boundary shrinks proportionally.
    • Mitigation may now be required where it wasn’t. A site that previously qualified for a buffer reduction or averaging may face a different review under the updated standards.

    Owners with parcels containing a wetland edge should expect the buildable footprint analysis from a 2018 site plan to be different than what the new code produces. The size of the difference depends on the wetland category, the rating, and the parcel geometry.

    What Changes for Streams

    The draft revises stream classifications and the corresponding buffer widths. For owners whose parcels front, back, or contain a stream:

    • Stream classifications can shift. Reclassification under the new draft can move a parcel from one buffer regime to another.
    • Buffer widths recalibrate. The directional change varies by stream type.
    • Wildlife habitat overlays may expand on some corridors. The Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas designation pulls in additional protections.

    The planning commission’s February 17, 2026 hearing recorded that stream provisions were among the most-discussed elements of the draft. Owners with stream-adjacent parcels should check the specific stream’s classification under the new draft against the old code.

    What Changes for Geologic Hazard Parcels

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

    For owners building on or near a slope:

    • Geotechnical study expectations are updated — qualifications, scope, content
    • Setback distances may shift — both from the slope crest and from the toe
    • Erosion and seismic hazard overlays apply independently of the landslide rules

    Practical implication: any project at the design stage that relied on a 2018 geotechnical report should expect the report’s setback and stabilization assumptions to be reviewed against the new standard.

    What Changes for Mitigation Sequencing

    The draft tightens the standard sequence applicants follow when a critical area impact is unavoidable:

    1. Avoid — design the project to avoid the impact

    2. Minimize — if avoidance isn’t feasible, minimize the extent

    3. Mitigate — if minimization isn’t sufficient, mitigate the residual impact

    State law requires this sequence. The draft reinforces and clarifies how Everett applies it. The practical effect: a site plan that could previously skip directly to mitigation must now demonstrate avoidance and minimization first. That changes the documentation burden and the design iteration timeline.

    Technical Study Requirements — The New Documentation Burden

    For applicants, the most operationally consequential change is often the updated qualifications, scope, and content expectations for:

    • Wetland delineations
    • Stream studies
    • Geotechnical reports
    • Habitat assessments
    • Hydrogeological assessments (for aquifer recharge parcels)

    Practical translation: engage credentialed consultants earlier in the design process than the old rules required. Wetland delineations are field-season-dependent (most reliable late spring through early fall in Everett); geotechnical work has its own schedule; habitat assessments may require surveys in specific windows.

    For owners targeting a 2026 or 2027 permit submittal, that schedule matters more under the new rules than the old.

    What Owners Can Do Before the Council Vote

    • Pull your parcel’s overlays now from the city’s GIS map. This is free and doesn’t commit you to anything.
    • Compare the existing rules against the February 13 draft for the categories that touch your parcel. The ordinance text is the authoritative reference.
    • Engage a consultant early if you’re planning to build, add, or sell. Wetland delineations and geotechnical reports take weeks; starting before the vote gets ahead of any application backlog.
    • Submit comment to the council if you have technical objections to specific provisions. The April 15, 2026 hearing was the formal moment, but written comment continues to be accepted on the record before the vote.
    • Plan for the documentation gap. If your project plan was built against 2007-vintage rules, expect to redo at least some of the supporting studies.

    Vesting and Existing Applications — The Critical Practical Question

    Property owners with active applications often ask: which version of the rules applies to my project?

    The general principle in Washington land use law is that complete applications submitted before a code change are vested under the rules in force at the time of submittal. However:

    • “Complete application” has a specific procedural definition the city uses
    • Pre-application meetings do not create vesting
    • Material changes to a vested application may trigger review under the new rules

    For owners with applications in progress, this is the single most important question to confirm with city planning staff before the council vote.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: How do I find out if my Everett parcel has a critical area overlay?

    A: Check the City of Everett’s GIS map. It shows critical area overlays on individual parcels for all five categories — wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas, and critical aquifer recharge areas.

    Q: Will the Critical Areas Regulations update affect my existing house?

    A: The 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: Are wetland buffers wider under the February 13 2026 draft than under the 2007 rules?

    A: For some wetland categories, yes. The draft updates tables 37.2 and 37.3 to reflect Best Available Science, which generally produces wider buffers for higher-functional-value wetlands. Specific buffer width changes depend on the wetland category and rating.

    Q: How do the changes affect mitigation sequencing for development?

    A: The draft tightens the avoid/minimize/mitigate sequence — meaning applicants must demonstrate avoidance and minimization steps more rigorously before mitigation is approved as the resolution path.

    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 published on the council agenda.

    Q: Can I still submit comment to the council after the April 15 hearing?

    A: Written comment is generally accepted on the record up to the moment of the vote. The published council agenda for the vote will indicate any additional public comment opportunities.

    Q: What happens to my application if I submitted before the new rules pass?

    A: The general rule under Washington land use law is that complete applications submitted before a code change are vested under the rules in force at submittal. The specific application of vesting to your project should be confirmed with Everett planning staff before the council vote.

    Q: Do I need a wetland delineation or geotechnical report before the vote?

    A: If you are planning a project on a critical-area parcel, getting credentialed studies started early is a practical hedge — both because the studies have field-season constraints and because any post-adoption application backlog can extend timelines. Whether they’re required depends on the project scope and the parcel.


  • Everett Critical Areas Update: Approved April 15, Effective June 1, 2026

    Everett Critical Areas Update: Approved April 15, Effective June 1, 2026

    Featured Snippet

    **What is Everett’s Critical Areas Regulations update and when did it take effect?**

    Everett has updated 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. Per the City’s 2025 Critical Area Ordinance Update Status Update (April 16, 2026), the City Council approved the periodic update ordinance on April 15, 2026, and the updated regulations are effective June 1, 2026. The adopted ordinance 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.

    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.

    The ordinance is now adopted. This is the complete 2026 guide to what changed and what the June 1 effective date means for property owners.

    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 Changed in the Adopted Ordinance

    The adopted ordinance (built from the February 13, 2026 second review 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.

    Adoption Status

    The procedural path completed as follows:

    • October 31, 2025 — first review draft published
    • February 13, 2026 — second review draft published
    • February 17, 2026 — planning commission hearing on the draft
    • April 15, 2026 — City Council public hearing; ordinance approved
    • June 1, 2026 — updated regulations effective (city Status Update, April 16, 2026)

    The April 15 public hearing was the formal moment for residents and developers to put their objections, support, or technical concerns into the record. Council approved the ordinance the same day; the rules took effect June 1, 2026.

    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 Should Do Under the Adopted Rules

    • 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.
    • Confirm effective-date timing. New permit applications after June 1, 2026 are reviewed under the adopted Chapter 19.37 standards (city CAO update).
    • Read the adopted ordinance text. The February 13 draft was the version advanced to council; the adopted code 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 early gets you ahead of any application backlog under the new rules.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: When did the Everett Critical Areas Regulations update take effect?

    A: The City Council approved the ordinance on April 15, 2026; the updated regulations are effective June 1, 2026 per the City’s Critical Area Ordinance Update Status Update (April 16, 2026).

    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.


  • Snohomish County Housing Funding: $23M Without a Tax Vote

    Snohomish County Housing Funding: $23M Without a Tax Vote

    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.

    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.


  • Everett Critical Areas Update: Approved April 15, Effective June 1, 2026

    Everett Critical Areas Update: Approved April 15, Effective June 1, 2026

    What is this? Everett has updated 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. Per the City’s 2025 Critical Area Ordinance Update Status Update (April 16, 2026), the City Council approved the periodic update ordinance on April 15, 2026, and the updated regulations are effective June 1, 2026. 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.

    The ordinance is now adopted. Here’s what the approved update changes for residents and developers, how the comment record shaped it, and what the June 1, 2026 effective date means for new permit applications.

    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.

    Adoption Status

    The procedural path completed as follows:

    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 — ordinance approved April 15, 2026; regulations effective June 1, 2026 (city Status Update, April 16, 2026)

    The new ordinance applies to any new permit application after the June 1, 2026 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?
    June 1, 2026, per the City of Everett Critical Area Ordinance Update Status Update (April 16, 2026). Council approved the ordinance on April 15, 2026.

    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.

    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.

    Continue Reading: Critical Areas Update Cluster

    Two persona-targeted deeper reads on the 2026 Critical Areas Regulations update:

  • Snohomish County Housing Grants: $23M for Everett Projects

    Snohomish County Housing Grants: $23M for Everett Projects

    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.

    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.

    Continue Reading: $23M Housing Award Cluster

    Three deeper reads on the April 24 county vote:

  • Everett EMS Levy: Pro and Con Committee Volunteers Needed

    Everett EMS Levy: Pro and Con Committee Volunteers Needed

    How does Everett’s EMS levy Pro and Con committee process work? The City of Everett is recruiting volunteers to serve on Pro and Con committees that will write the official 250-word arguments for and against the August 4, 2026 EMS levy ballot measure. Applications close at 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 27, 2026. The City Council appoints committee members at the April 29, 2026 meeting. Statements are due to Snohomish County Elections by May 7, with rebuttals due May 11. Committee members’ names are printed in the local Voters’ Pamphlet alongside their statement.

    If you have an opinion on Everett’s EMS levy and you want it printed in the official Voters’ Pamphlet that lands in every Everett mailbox before the August 4 primary, here’s the deal: the city needs your application by 11:59 p.m. tomorrow night, Monday, April 27, 2026.

    This isn’t writing a letter to the editor. This is a statutory role. Under Washington State law (RCW 29A.32.280), when a jurisdiction puts a measure on the ballot, the city has to appoint a committee for and a committee against. Those committees draft the words voters read.

    What this measure does and what’s at stake

    The Everett City Council voted at its April 22, 2026 meeting to place an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) property tax levy lid lift on the August 4, 2026 primary ballot. If voters approve, the EMS levy rate would be restored from approximately $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value back to $0.50 per $1,000 — the rate Everett voters originally approved in 2018.

    For a typical home in Everett, restoration works out to roughly $5 to $8 per month. The city’s published yearly examples:

    • $450,000 home → +$63 per year
    • $575,000 home (the 2026 city average) → +$81 per year
    • $700,000 home → +$98 per year

    EMS levy funding supports approximately 78 positions at the Everett Fire Department — the firefighter-paramedics and EMTs who answer the bulk of 911 calls. EMS calls made up about 82% of Everett Fire dispatches in 2025; the department responded to more than 25,700 total calls last year, an increase from 22,955 in 2018.

    “Emergency medical services are a critical part of how we serve our Everett community every day,” Mayor Cassie Franklin said in the city’s April 22 press release announcing the ballot measure. “This measure provides our residents with the opportunity to sustain and support robust, high quality and timely emergency care as our community and service demand grows.”

    That’s the city’s framing, and it is one side of the argument voters will see. The other side gets equal space in the pamphlet — and that side has to come from somewhere. That somewhere is the Con committee.

    What a Pro or Con committee actually does

    Per the city’s published process and Snohomish County Elections rules, here’s what you sign up for:

    • Write a 250-word-maximum statement. Pro committees argue for approval. Con committees argue for rejection. Word counts are strict — Snohomish County Elections enforces the limit.
    • Work independently from the City. Once appointed, committees operate without city involvement in the drafting. The city doesn’t review or edit your argument.
    • Optionally write a rebuttal. After the statements are filed, each committee can read the other side’s statement and write a shorter rebuttal.
    • Have your name printed in the local Voters’ Pamphlet alongside your statement. This is on-the-record civic participation, not anonymous.

    The structure is meant to give voters a clean apples-to-apples view: the city’s neutral fiscal explainer, the proponents’ case, the opponents’ case, the rebuttals, and the official ballot title. People who want to fight this measure in print, and people who want to defend it in print, get the same number of words and the same distribution channel.

    The deadline calendar — short and unforgiving

    Snohomish County Elections runs a tight timeline. Miss any of these and you’re out:

    • Monday, April 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. — Application deadline to volunteer for either committee. Online application form. Late or incomplete applications are not accepted.
    • Wednesday, April 29, 2026 — Everett City Council appoints committee members at its meeting.
    • Friday, May 1, 2026 — City submits committee appointments to the Snohomish County Auditor.
    • Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. — Pro and Con statements (≤250 words each) due to Snohomish County Elections.
    • Monday, May 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. — Rebuttal statements due.

    From sign-up to filed argument, you have about two weeks. Most of that two weeks is just waiting for council appointment and reading the opposing committee’s statement to draft your rebuttal.

    Who gets picked and why

    The application form goes to the City of Everett Fire Department, but the appointing body is the City Council. There’s no formal qualification beyond being an Everett resident willing to put your name to a public position on a ballot measure. In practice, councils often appoint people who have previously testified at council on related issues, who are active in neighborhood associations or relevant advocacy groups, or who have professional context for the question (a retired firefighter for the Pro committee, a tax-policy critic for the Con committee, for instance).

    If both Pro and Con receive multiple qualified applicants, the council selects the committee that best represents the position. If a side receives zero applicants, the city is required to make an effort to find someone — but the statement may end up shorter, signed by fewer people, or in rare cases not filed at all. That last outcome leaves only the city’s neutral explainer and the ballot title in the pamphlet, which historically benefits the Pro side.

    What the Con argument might look like

    This is where the levy debate actually lands. The neutral case for “yes” is well documented in the city’s release: rising call volume, capped 1% revenue growth under state law, restoration of a previously voter-approved rate.

    The case for “no” tends to draw from a few standard angles, each of which the Con committee would have 250 words to make:

    • Property tax fatigue. Everett homeowners are also weighing other levies, special districts, and a structural 2027 general fund deficit that has the city looking at additional revenue measures.
    • The 1% growth limit’s purpose. Initiative 747 (and subsequent legislation) was passed to constrain property tax growth on purpose. A lid lift is a vote to override that constraint.
    • Service-level questions. Whether the additional revenue is the only path to maintain the EMS service level, versus reallocation from other funds.
    • Scope of the levy lid lift. The temporary two-year structure (2027–2028) means the question will be back. Some voters object on principle to a recurring revenue lift.

    None of these are the city’s framing. That’s the point. Pro/Con committees exist precisely because the neutral fiscal note can’t carry the political argument on its own.

    What the Pro argument might look like

    Likely framing for the Pro committee, which would also have 250 words:

    • Restoration, not increase. Voters previously approved $0.50 per $1,000 in 2018; the levy has been eroded by the 1% cap, not voted down.
    • Call volume math. 25,700 calls in 2025 versus 22,955 in 2018, with EMS as 82% of dispatches.
    • Cost in personal terms. About $5–$8 per month for the median Everett homeowner.
    • Direct connection to staffing. Approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions tied to the levy.
    • Quote from Fire Chief Dave DeMarco in the city release: “Our firefighters and EMS personnel respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to a wide range of emergencies, with the majority involving medical care. EMS funding supports the personnel, training, and equipment needed to respond effectively and provide care when it is needed.”

    What residents should actually do

    For the next 24 hours or so, the action item is concrete:

    • If you want to write the Pro or Con argument: apply by 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 27, 2026 at the city’s online form. To request accommodations, email communications@everettwa.gov.
    • If you want to watch the appointment vote: Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 12:30 p.m. council session, William E. Moore Historic City Hall / Police North Precinct, 3002 Wetmore Ave., or the council livestream on the city website.
    • If you want background on the levy itself: see the city’s EMS levy information page and the full April 22 city press release.
    • If you want to know more about how Pro/Con committees work in Snohomish County: the Snohomish County 2026 District Guide spells out the rules. For procedural questions, call Snohomish County Elections at (425) 388-3444.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do I get paid to serve on a Pro or Con committee?
    No. These are unpaid volunteer roles. The compensation, in a sense, is having your name printed alongside your argument in a document that gets mailed to every registered voter in Everett.

    Can I serve on the Pro committee if I work for the city?
    City employees and elected officials are typically excluded from these roles to keep the committees independent. The form will flag eligibility issues. If you’re unsure, the city’s communications office can clarify.

    What if I want to argue against the levy but I’m not sure I can write a 250-word legal-style statement?
    You can apply, get appointed, and work with the other committee members on drafting. The committee can include up to a small number of named members; the statement is collective.

    What’s the difference between the local Voters’ Pamphlet statement and a campaign committee?
    A campaign committee — a registered Political Action Committee (PAC) — raises money, runs ads, and reports to the Public Disclosure Commission. The Pro/Con committee under RCW 29A.32.280 is purely about writing the official statements that go into the pamphlet. You can do one, the other, or both.

    What happens if no one applies for the Con committee?
    The city has to keep trying to recruit. If a committee can’t be seated by the deadline, the pamphlet will run only the available statements, which historically benefits whichever side did organize. That’s a significant reason civic groups pay attention to these deadlines.

    How is this levy different from the City Council’s other tax proposals?
    This one is voter-decided in August. The 2027 general fund gap involves separate options the council has been discussing, including potential annexation, joining a Regional Fire Authority, library regionalization, and another levy lid lift. The August 4 EMS levy is its own ballot question; voters can support or oppose it independent of any other future measure.

    If I miss the April 27 deadline, is there any other way to write into the official pamphlet?
    Not for this measure cycle. The voter pamphlet statements are limited to the formally appointed Pro and Con committees. You can still write to the local newspapers, write to the council, or organize a campaign committee — but the words printed in the pamphlet next to the ballot title come from the committees only.

    The bottom line for Everett

    The August 4 EMS levy is going to the voters with or without volunteer committees. But the words those voters read in their official pamphlet are about to be written by a small number of Everett residents who decide, in the next 24 hours, to put their name on the page. If you have a position — for or against — the path to having that position printed in every Everett ballot envelope is open until 11:59 p.m. Monday.

    Sources

  • Everett Mobile Home Zoning: New NR-MHC Zone Details

    Everett Mobile Home Zoning: New NR-MHC Zone Details

    What is the NR-MHC zone Everett is proposing? The Neighborhood Residential – Manufactured Home Community (NR-MHC) zone is a new land use category the City of Everett is creating to protect seven existing manufactured home parks from being redeveloped into other uses. The proposal amends Sections 15.02 and 19.03–19.13 of the Everett Municipal Code and repeals Title 17 (Mobile Home Parks). The Everett City Council holds a public hearing on the ordinance on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at 3002 Wetmore Ave.

    If you live at Creekside, Fairway Estates, Lago De Plata Villa, Loganberry, Mobile Country Club, Silver Shores Senior, or Westridge, the City of Everett is about to put your community on the zoning map in a way it has never been before — and the public hearing is May 6.

    The proposal creates a new zoning designation called Neighborhood Residential – Manufactured Home Community (NR-MHC). In plain language, that means the underlying land where these seven parks sit can no longer be quietly rezoned for apartments, retail, or anything else without the city explicitly saying so. The new zone is a fence around the use itself, not just the buildings.

    For people who own the home but rent the lot, that’s the difference between knowing where you live in five years and not.

    What this ordinance actually does

    The proposed code amendment, posted by Everett Planning – Public Notices on April 10, 2026, would do four things at once:

    • Create the new NR-MHC zoning category in Title 19 EMC (Sections 15.02, 19.03, 19.04, 19.05, and 19.13).
    • Apply the new NR-MHC zone to seven specific manufactured housing communities (the addresses are below).
    • Repeal Title 17 of the Everett Municipal Code — the older “Mobile Home Parks” chapter — folding that regulation into the unified development code.
    • Implement two specific policies from Everett’s adopted Comprehensive Plan:
      • HO-10: Protect manufactured/mobile home communities from redevelopment into other uses.
      • HO-19: Collaborate with local partners to preserve and maintain affordable housing units.

    Goal 4 of the Comprehensive Plan, which the city is invoking here, reads: “Ensure equitable access to opportunity and housing choice throughout the city’s neighborhoods so that all residents may choose their neighborhood.”

    The seven communities being put on the map

    Per the city’s public notice, the new NR-MHC designation would apply to:

    • Creekside Mobile Home Park — 5810 Fleming St.
    • Fairway Estates Mobile Home Park — 1427 100th St.
    • Lago De Plata Villa — 620 112th St.
    • Loganberry Mobile Home Park — 9931 18th Ave. W.
    • Mobile Country Club — 1415 84th St.
    • Silver Shores Senior Mobile Home Park — 11622 Silver Lake Road
    • Westridge Mobile Home Park — 7701 Hardeson Rd.

    That’s roughly the manufactured-housing population of Everett’s south end, plus a chunk of the Silver Lake area. Several of these are 55+ communities. Several have been in place for decades. None of them, until now, have had a zoning designation that says “this is a manufactured home community and that’s the use we’re protecting.”

    Why this matters more than a typical code update

    Manufactured home parks are one of the only forms of unsubsidized affordable homeownership left in Snohomish County. The standard pattern in Puget Sound over the last 20 years has been straightforward and unkind: a park sells, residents get notice to relocate, and the land is redeveloped into apartments or townhomes. Households that owned their manufactured home but rented the lot lose the home equity they had — moving a manufactured home is often more expensive than the home is worth, and many older units can’t legally be relocated under current code at all.

    The NR-MHC zone doesn’t make a sale impossible. It does make redeveloping the land into a different use a slow, public, and explicit process — one that requires the city to actively rezone the parcel out of the protected category, with the corresponding hearings and political visibility.

    That’s the tradeoff the city is asking residents and property owners to weigh. A landowner gives up the ability to swap to a higher-value use without a zoning fight. The community gains time, predictability, and a place at the table.

    The HO-10 policy, in plain English

    HO-10 — “Protect manufactured/mobile home communities from redevelopment into other uses” — has been on the books in the Everett Comprehensive Plan as adopted policy. The NR-MHC zone is the implementation tool. Comprehensive plans are aspirational; zoning ordinances are how they actually bind. This is the city moving an aspiration into the ordinance code.

    HO-19 — “Collaborate with local partners to preserve and maintain affordable housing units” — sets the broader frame. The state Housing Trust Fund, nonprofit park-acquisition models like ROC USA, and Snohomish County’s preservation programs all become more effective when the underlying land use is locked in. Without a zone, those programs are buying parks that could still be rezoned. With a zone, they’re buying parks the city has formally committed to keeping as housing.

    What residents and owners can actually do before May 6

    The public hearing is the formal step. The council has already taken first action; earlier procedural votes occurred in January 2026. The May 6 hearing is the council’s last formal opportunity to take public testimony before voting.

    If you live in or own one of the seven parks:

    • Read the public hearing notice and the proposed ordinance language at the city’s posted PDF.
    • Submit written comment to the city before the hearing — written comment becomes part of the record and is read by council members ahead of the vote.
    • Show up at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in council chambers (3002 Wetmore Ave., 3rd floor), or join the hybrid video link the city posts on the meeting agenda.
    • Sign up for public comment at the meeting if you want to speak. Each commenter typically gets two to three minutes.

    If you have a related comprehensive plan or zoning map change you want considered alongside this: the city is also accepting specific amendment requests — applications to change the comprehensive plan text, the land use map, or Title 19 EMC — until 5 p.m. Monday, May 4, 2026. Pre-screening meetings are available; contact Planning at (425) 257-8810 or Everett2044@everettwa.gov.

    The bigger picture for Everett’s housing inventory

    Manufactured housing parks aren’t huge inventory in absolute terms — the seven communities together represent a few hundred to perhaps a thousand homes — but they punch well above their weight in unsubsidized affordability. A manufactured home in Snohomish County typically lists below $200,000 even in an environment where the median single-family list price is multiple times that. Every household kept in a manufactured home is a household not absorbing rental supply elsewhere in Everett.

    The city’s 2044 Comprehensive Plan target for total housing units is in the tens of thousands. Compared to that, NR-MHC is a small piece. But it is one of the clearest pieces — a discrete decision the city can make once that compounds for decades.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Does the NR-MHC zone freeze rents at the affected parks?
    No. Land use zoning controls what can be built or operated on a parcel. It does not control lot rents, which are governed separately. A separate body of state law — and any private lease — governs the rent paid by manufactured home owners to park owners.

    Does NR-MHC stop a park owner from selling?
    No. Owners retain the right to sell. What changes is what a future buyer can use the land for. Without a zoning amendment, the buyer is purchasing a manufactured home community — that’s what NR-MHC permits. A future owner who wanted a different use would need to apply to rezone, which is a public process.

    Why is the city repealing Title 17?
    Title 17 EMC is the older “Mobile Home Parks” chapter that predates Everett’s unified development code. The city is consolidating that regulation into Title 19 EMC and the new NR-MHC zone, so all land-use rules live in one place.

    Can the new zone be undone later?
    A future council could amend zoning code, just like any council can. But the NR-MHC zone moves the default from “park can be redeveloped unless someone fights it” to “park stays unless the city actively rezones it.” The political cost of removing the protection is meaningfully higher than the cost of never adopting it.

    What happens at the May 6 hearing if the council approves the ordinance?
    The ordinance takes effect after the council vote (typically with a short waiting period for publication). The new NR-MHC designation appears on the zoning map. Existing parks continue to operate as they do now; the zoning simply matches the use that’s already there.

    I don’t live at one of the seven parks. Why should I care?
    Two reasons. First, the same redevelopment pressure that affects manufactured home parks affects other older, more affordable housing across Everett — apartment complexes, older single-family neighborhoods. How the city handles this ordinance signals how it’ll handle the next one. Second, displaced households don’t disappear; they move into the rest of the rental market and the rest of the city’s housing inventory.

    The bottom line for Everett

    The NR-MHC zone is one of those quiet, technical, slow-moving ordinances that disappears into a code book and then quietly does its job for thirty years. May 6 is the day to weigh in if you have a stake in any of the seven parks, or in how Everett protects its remaining unsubsidized affordable housing.

    Sources

  • Forest Park Pickleball Courts Open in Everett This June

    Forest Park Pickleball Courts Open in Everett This June

    What’s being built at Forest Park in Everett? The City of Everett is constructing its first multi-court outdoor pickleball facility at Forest Park, including four dedicated regulation pickleball courts, two renovated multi-use sport courts, sport fencing, a pickleball practice wall, site lighting, drinking fountain, benches, cornhole, and horseshoe pits. Construction began in November 2025 and is estimated to complete in June 2026. Some park access east of the water park is currently affected by the project.

    Forest Park’s Pickleball Courts Open This June: What’s Built, What’s Closed, and Why It Matters

    Outdoor recreation is a sport. That’s how this desk treats it. And the biggest outdoor-rec story in Everett right now isn’t on a hiking trail or out at Jetty Island — it’s tucked into the trees at Forest Park, where the city is six weeks from opening its first dedicated multi-court outdoor pickleball facility. If you’ve been driving past the trailhead and wondering why a chunk of the park east of the water park has been fenced off all winter, this is the answer. June 2026 is the target. The shape of the project tells you Everett is serious about outdoor rec.

    What’s Being Built

    Per the City of Everett’s Parks Department project documentation, Forest Park’s new outdoor recreation hub includes:

    • Four new dedicated regulation-size pickleball courts on a new paved court
    • Renovation and expansion of two existing multi-use sport courts
    • New sport fencing around the courts
    • A pickleball practice wall
    • Site lighting (so courts can run into the evening)
    • A drinking fountain
    • Benches
    • Cornhole pits
    • Horseshoe pits

    Read that list as a unit and what you’re actually looking at is a small park-within-a-park: a casual outdoor recreation hub that supports the fastest-growing outdoor sport in the country plus a pair of casual lawn-game options for the people who didn’t come to play pickleball. The lighting matters more than it sounds. Lit courts mean weeknight league play, weeknight pickup, and a community asset that doesn’t shut off when the sun goes down — which in Pacific Northwest seasonal terms is the difference between a 5-month facility and a 10-month one.

    Why It Matters for Everett

    Pickleball is the fastest-growing organized recreational sport in the country. Snohomish County has been chasing demand for years — local YMCAs, indoor athletic clubs, and converted tennis courts have been eating the demand on borrowed time. A purpose-built outdoor facility with four dedicated regulation courts plus two multi-use courts plus a practice wall is the kind of investment that turns Everett into a regional destination for the sport instead of a county that loses players to Marysville and Mill Creek.

    It also fits Forest Park’s identity. The park already runs miles of wooded trails, a self-guided nature tour, a hill-climb course, and an orienteering course. A pickleball complex with cornhole and horseshoes is exactly the right addition: low barrier to entry, social, intergenerational, and not a thing that competes with the park’s existing trails or wildlife. You don’t have to choose between the trail-running crowd and the pickleball crowd. They can share the parking lot.

    What’s Closed Right Now

    Heads up before you head to Forest Park this weekend: the section just east of the water park is blocked off due to the construction. Most of the park’s signature wooded trails, the central loop, the playground, and the picnic shelters are unaffected. But if you’ve got a regular running route or a dog-walk loop that hits that east section, plan around it. The Washington Trails Association notes that not all trails are currently accessible because of the work. Save your scouting; check the park’s posted signage before you commit to a route.

    If you want to keep your trail-running miles up while Forest Park is partially closed, the rest of Everett’s trail network is fully open: Lowell Riverfront Trail, Langus Riverfront, Forsgren Park, Howarth Park down to the beach. Lowell Riverfront has its own active project right now (worth checking signage there too), but the main path is intact and is one of the flattest, fastest 5K-loop options in the city.

    The Bigger Outdoor Rec Picture

    The Forest Park project is one piece of a broader Everett parks investment cycle. The city’s Active Projects list includes other parks-and-trails work in different stages — Lowell Riverfront Trail being the other one most regular outdoor users will notice. Add the upcoming Jetty Island ferry season opening on July 8 and the Snohomish River paddling launch points coming back online for spring, and Everett’s outdoor calendar in 2026 is fuller than it’s been in years.

    From a fan-of-Everett perspective: the city has decided that outdoor rec is part of the downtown stadium / waterfront / arena economy, not an afterthought. A pickleball complex at Forest Park, the Jetty Island ferry, the Lowell Riverfront work, and the year-round trail system at Forsgren and Howarth are all the same project from 30,000 feet — they’re the city saying “we are a place where you can live outside.” The new courts open in June. Mark the calendar.

    If You Want to Get Ready

    If you’re new to pickleball and want to be ready for opening week in June, Snohomish County has a strong indoor scene to get reps before the outdoor courts come online. Local YMCAs and rec centers run drop-in sessions; USA Pickleball has a beginner clinic finder; and most sporting-goods stores in the county now stock starter paddles in the $40-80 range. The barrier to entry is genuinely low — that’s why the sport is growing the way it is — and an outdoor weeknight league at Forest Park is the kind of thing that turns a casual player into a regular.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When do Forest Park’s new pickleball courts open?

    Estimated completion is June 2026, per the City of Everett project documentation. Construction began in November 2025.

    How many pickleball courts will there be?

    Four dedicated regulation pickleball courts on a new paved court, plus two renovated multi-use sport courts that can be used for additional pickleball or other court sports.

    Is Forest Park currently open?

    Yes — most of Forest Park is open, including the wooded trail network, central loop, playground, and picnic areas. The section just east of the water park is closed due to active construction. Check posted signage on site before committing to a route.

    What else is being built besides the pickleball courts?

    The project also includes a pickleball practice wall, sport fencing, site lighting, a drinking fountain, benches, cornhole pits, and horseshoe pits.

    Will the courts have lighting for evening play?

    Yes. Site lighting is part of the project scope, which means the courts will be usable into the evening hours — important for weeknight league play in the Pacific Northwest.

    Where is Forest Park in Everett?

    Forest Park is a Everett city park with a wooded trail network, water park, and event facilities. Full address and trail maps are available via the City of Everett Parks Department website.