Planning board approves staff edits to parking chapter to comply with recent state law; broader changes deferred

Planning staff asked the board to adopt several targeted revisions to Edmonds’ parking code that are required to comply with recent Washington state law. The board approved those immediate edits and agreed to defer larger rework of the city’s parking chapter to a later date so staff can study the impacts and coordinate with other code changes.

Staff described two tracks: a near-term set of mandatory edits to reflect state law (Attachment 1 in the packet) and a longer review cycle to rework parking standards more broadly. The recent state bill (referenced in the meeting as a governor-signed RCW change) requires cities to simplify certain minimum parking requirements and prohibits municipalities from requiring on-site parking in several cases — including many small residences under 1,200 square feet, many commercial ground-floor spaces under 3,000 square feet, and affordable housing and certain other uses.

The planning board voted unanimously to adopt the staff-recommended Attachment 1 changes (packet pages 88–99) so Edmonds would be in compliance with state law. Board members also agreed to postpone more sweeping code changes for further study and asked staff to schedule a citywide update later (board discussion suggested a 2026–2027 window for fuller review rather than immediate adoption).

Public comments earlier in the meeting raised concerns about on-street parking and neighborhood safety if on-site parking requirements are reduced; board members asked staff to consider sidewalk, curbspace and drop-off solutions as part of the later, more comprehensive review. Staff noted that the commercial and multi-family parking standards in the bill will require rethinking of Edmonds’ long-standing, use-based parking tables and recommended a phased approach to implementation.

The board’s vote accepted staff’s immediate, legally-required edits and instructed staff to return with a timeline and community engagement plan for the broader rewrite. The change will affect accessory dwelling units (ADUs), small commercial spaces and certain redevelopment scenarios, and staff said the city has up to three years (per the statute’s implementation schedule) to complete the comprehensive rewrite if it chooses to take that path.