Ordinance 3454-15 with Exhibits A- C

EVERETT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Everett has not been determined by the Sound Transit Board. The alignments that have been considered thus far, and that are consistent with Sound Transit's Long -Range Plan, generally encompass the entire area between I-5 and Airport Road/Paine Field. However, the final alignment, station locations, and any necessary support facilities would not be identified until the project development phase, during which Sound Transit would develop a project level Environmental Impact Statement. Identification of an alignment and station locations in this Comprehensive Plan are intended to influence the planning that is being done for the potential ballot measure. The proposed alignment and stations are located in places that will support the City's growth centers. If the ST3 vote fails or the alignment does not support Everett's centers, the City will have to revise expectations for meeting the Alternative 1 Conditional population growth targets and reevaluate the Comprehensive Plan land use and transportation visions. B. Why Everett is Making Few Land Use Changes in Existing Neighborhoods Everett's existing land use patterns have been developed over the past century and a quarter through the interactions of the economy, desires of property owners, construction of transportation facilities and utilities, changing lifestyles and by land use planning and regulation. The physical landscape that has resulted through this combination of forces has been generally acceptable to the residents of Everett and its planning area. It has long been apparent that residents have desired to avoid significant changes in established neighborhoods. Periodically, residents have strongly objected to land use changes or developments that have been perceived to change the character of the neighborhood or community. Most of the land within the planning area is developed. Available vacant or redevelopable land has been planned for certain types of land use, and has been provided infrastructure according to the planned land uses. Everett will consider changes to land use regulations to encourage minor amounts of small scale infill redevelopment in existing residential neighborhoods, such as cottage housing, accessory dwelling units, infill dwellings, and other strategies identified in the 2013 Potential Residential Infill Measures report. Since the adoption of the 1994 GMA Comprehensive Plan, the City has made numerous changes to regulations to implement the growth concepts of the plan. The City has monitored the effectiveness of code changes and regulatory incentives, and continues to amend land use regulations on a regular basis to encourage compact development, affordable housing, mixed use in designated areas, and a strong economic base. Everett has already implemented a number of other "reasonable measures" to increase residential densities, and will consider more to implement the Vision 2040 regional expectations for Everett to become a more populous city. As a result of Vision 2040 and the Countywide Planning Policies, Everett's land use concept for the 2015 10 -year update of the Comprehensive Plan expands upon the growth strategy endorsed in the 1994 GMA Comprehensive Plan. It calls for increasing population without making significant land use changes to most residential neighborhoods, but increasing the proportion of housing developed in commercial zones and mixed use zones like the B-3, BMU, E-1 and E-1 MUO zones. LAND USE ELEMENT 14