Bothell reports surge in development activity and 12,782‑unit zoning target tied to comp plan

City of Bothell staff reported Feb. 3 that the city's updated comprehensive plan and code changes are producing significant development interest, with staff highlighting capacity for 12,782 housing units over the next 20 years and strong pre-application activity in 2025.

Jason Greenspan, Community Development Director, said the comp plan sets zoning and policy to accommodate housing across income bands and that the city has tools it can use to encourage permanently affordable units. Christian Getz, deputy director, said the development map is publicly accessible and that 2025 produced record pre-application numbers — over 1,000 residential units proposed and more than 500 units proposed in land-use applications — which staff treat as a leading indicator of future permits.

Projects in the pipeline: staff described several signature proposals, including the Blueprint Capital cottages (small cottage cluster), "Signature on Main" (22 residential units replacing the Bothell Mall parcel), an eight‑story building at the Dandy Dog site that seeks a height bonus by including affordable housing, Lily Kirk townhomes (79 units retaining a historic home), and Bothell Landing townhomes (32 units along the Sammamish River). One permitting project was identified as including 32 deed‑restricted units at 60% AMI.

Council questions focused on whether barriers such as condo‑liability concerns or market conditions are limiting developers from hitting maximum densities, the mix of rental vs. for‑sale units (staff said the 120th Street project will be apartments-for-rent with 32 deed‑restricted units), and requests for future reports to track production of affordable units and middle‑housing types. Staff said roughly 90% of preliminary applications result in a later permit and that they will return with more granular metrics, including ownable vs. rental breakdowns and progress indicators tied to affordability targets.

Next steps: staff plan semi‑annual updates and will provide additional metrics in future reports; council members requested follow‑up emails on shoreline setbacks for riverside projects and more detail on affordable‑unit projections.