Mountlake Terrace planning commission recommends R-1 zoning for annexation at 2422940 Eighth Avenue West

The Mountlake Terrace Planning Commission on Aug. 25 voted to recommend that City Council designate the property at 2422940 Eighth Avenue West as Residential 1 (R‑1) zoning in connection with a petition to annex the parcel into the city.

Senior planner Sarah Pizzo said the property, now in unincorporated Snohomish County, is about 0.4 acres (17,269 square feet) and that the owners have requested annexation largely to connect to city sewer. “I’m Sarah Pizzo, senior planner here at the city, and I’ll be discussing the zoning of the property, located at 2422940 Eighth Avenue West,” Pizzo said during the presentation.

The recommendation follows staff analysis that the site’s existing single‑family residence complies with the Mountlake Terrace comprehensive plan land‑use designation of R‑1 and that the parcel exceeds the R‑1 minimum lot size requirement (4,800 square feet). Pizzo told commissioners that Snohomish County provided a certificate of sufficiency for the annexation petition on July 28 and that State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review is required as part of the zoning process.

Commission discussion was brief. No applicant attended the hearing, and no members of the public signed up to speak. The commission opened and closed the public hearing by voice vote and then made a motion to recommend approval of the R‑1 zoning designation with any technical corrections; the motion carried with all voting members saying “aye.” The commission did not record individual roll‑call votes.

Staff recounted legislative history showing that City Council previously accepted the proposed annexation area and authorized petition circulation under Resolution 914. Staff noted Council had set and later continued a public hearing date; the record indicates the public hearing was moved to a date certain of Sept. 4 to continue consideration of the annexation.

The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council, which will vote on the annexation ordinance and the zoning designation. No final annexation or zoning action was taken by the council on Aug. 25; the commission’s vote was a recommendation only.

Details recorded in the commission packet and discussed at the meeting: the parcel is inside the Mountlake Terrace urban growth area; adjacent zoning includes R‑1 and Recreation/Park; the property’s current single‑story house conforms to the R‑1 purpose described in the comprehensive plan; and staff recommended the city adopt the R‑1 designation at the time of annexation.