MALTBY — Two urban growth proposals failed last month as Snohomish County Council attempted to balance the need for increased housing with protecting open space.
On Dec. 18, county council member Jared Mead introduced two amended ordinances vetoed by County Executive Dave Somers vetoed the week before.
Both amended ordinances were urban growth proposals, which would have allowed increased residential and public use development in rural areas.
One proposal originally hoped to expand the southwest urban growth area by approximately 215 acres east of Sunset Road.
The other proposal totaled 255 acres, including a parcel at the intersection of Highway 9 and Maltby Road, and additional acres on either side of 240th Street Southeast.
Somers vetoed both proposals, writing to county council on Dec. 12 that neither proposal complied with the Growth Management Act — a state law requiring cities and counties to develop a comprehensive plan to manage their population growth.
Two of the major goals of the act are reducing urban sprawl and protecting the environment.
“With more vehicles traveling further distances, there would be significant additional greenhouse gas emissions,” Somers wrote about the southwest expansion proposal. “Furthermore, the northern portion lies near the headwaters of Little Bear Creek. The County and many organizations have invested considerably in projects designed to improve water quality and fish habitat in Little Bear Creek, and further development jeopardizes these investments.”
He expressed similar beliefs about the Maltby expansion proposal, stating there would be irreversible impacts on the natural environment and rural community.
Council member Megan Dunn voted against both proposals but said she understands some of the reasoning for them.
“We have a housing crisis right now. We know we do,” she said. “We have to balance between growth, protecting open space and then having enough infrastructure to support the growth that we already have.”
In May 2024, the council passed two ordinances allowing more housing in urban areas, including bonuses for certain types of developments such as townhouses and increasing height limits for certain buildings.
Council member Strom Peterson said in the Dec. 18 meeting he had originally been in favor of the southwest expansion, but after further discussion, decided to vote against the proposal due to concerns about being non-compliant with the Growth Management Act.
Eliza Aronson: 425-339-3434; eliza.aronson@heraldnet.com; X: @ElizaAronson.
Eliza’s stories are supported by the Herald’s Environmental and Climate Reporting Fund.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
