OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Shoreline Planning Commission Light Rail Subarea Plans Review – December 4, 2025

Planning Commission — Thursday, December 4, 2025
BodyShoreline, Washington
SessionPlanning Commission
DateThursday, December 4, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 52:05

Transcript — Verbatim
0:12

Excellent.

0:13

Good evening.

0:15

There's no one here.

0:17

I'm calling to order the Thursday, December 4th, 2025, Shoreline Planning Commission meeting.

0:24

I'll actually speak with words that make sense now.

0:27

Carly, can you do roll call?

0:29

Yes, Chair Brunson.

0:32

Commissioner Kay.

0:33

Here.

0:34

Commissioner Fry?

0:35

Here.

0:36

Commissioner Lin?

0:37

Yeah.

0:38

Vice Chair Mosier?

0:39

Yeah.

0:39

And Commissioner Povik is not absent or not present.

0:44

And Commissioner Hadley is absent with notice.

0:48

Thank you.

0:49

Thank you.

0:50

All right.

0:51

Approval of the agenda.

0:53

Yes.

0:54

Approval of last meetings.

0:56

Meeting minutes.

0:57

Thumbs up.

0:59

Excellent.

1:00

Do we have any public comment this evening?

1:03

There's no public comment this evening.

1:05

Excellent.

1:07

Just because I am a little ridiculous and said Shoreline instead of Shoreline earlier.

1:12

All right, study items.

1:14

We are here to talk about the light rail sub-area plans.

1:18

Kate, take it away.

1:24

All right.

1:25

I'm Kate Lee.

1:27

I'm a senior planner with our planning and community development department here to present this item tonight.

1:34

So in this presentation, I'll give an overview of the history of the light rail station area planning and outline the goals for the plan update.

1:43

Tonight, the commission will have an opportunity to ask questions about the current plans and then give direction on the work that will be undergoing in the coming year.

1:55

You might recognize some of the folks in this photo.

2:00

So this slide just goes over the agenda for the presentation.

2:05

We'll introduce the light rail sub-area plans, the environmental review that took place as part of that effort, explain the role of something called a planned action, give an overview of the plans update, provide the expected project schedule, and ask the commission to provide feedback on what comes next.

2:24

This was at, I think, one of our planning department retreats.

2:28

So yeah, great photo.

2:34

So this slide shows the geographic location of each station area within the city.

2:39

The colors displayed on the maps relate to the existing land use of each parcel.

2:45

The 185th station sub-area extends up to the north up to north 195th Street and south to North 175th Street.

2:53

It goes west along North 185th Street to Aurora Avenue North and then east to the North City commercial area.

3:01

The 145th station sub area extends mainly up to North 150 155th Street, with part of it extending as far north as the Ridgecrest neighborhood along Fifth Avenue Northeast.

3:14

It goes south to the city boundary at North 145th Street, west to Meridian Avenue North, and east to 15th Avenue Northeast.

3:51

Each plan includes details on the extensive community engagement process, describes the existing conditions, and future market forecasts, the long-term vision, the benefits of the plan, and the incremental implementation strategy over time.

4:07

The long-term vision for both station areas are to create livable communities where walking, biking, and transit are the best choice for most trips.

4:18

And this is the visioning language taken from the plans.

4:21

Over time, the sub-areas will transform into vibrant transit-oriented villages with a variety of housing choices and neighborhoods supporting commercial connected by a network of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, parks and open spaces, and other public amenities.

4:38

Over time, private and public investment will enhance the village setting, creating a walkable, safe, healthy, and livable place.

4:46

People will be able to easily walk and bicycle to and from the light rail station, shopping parks, schools, and other community locations from their homes.

5:00

Neighborhood-oriented businesses and services will emerge as the village grows, along with places for civic celebrations, social gatherings, and public art.

5:05

Eventually, the transit-oriented villages will become some of the most desirable places to live in shoreline.

5:19

So the Washington State Environmental Policy Act or CEPA, it requires the evaluation of environmental impacts for proposed development and for plans and regulations that enable enable that development, like these sub-area plans.

5:34

So prior to the adoption of each of these plans, the city completed environmental analysis for each station.

5:41

When a proposal or plan may result in large impacts, CEPA requires what's called an environmental impact statement or an EIS.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety███████████████████████████████████35%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████18%
Affordable Housing█████████████13%
Community Engagement█████████9%
Procedural██████6%
Active Transportation██████6%
Environmental Protection█████5%
Economic Development████4%
Waste Management██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Shoreline Planning Commission Regular Meeting – December 4, 2025

The Shoreline Planning Commission met on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber at Shoreline City Hall. The primary agenda item was a study session on the Light Rail Subarea Plans, including updates to the Planned Action Ordinances and connectivity improvements. Commissioners reviewed growth trends, discussed multimodal connectivity priorities, and provided direction for the upcoming public engagement and environmental analysis. No public comment was received.

Consent Calendar

  • The agenda was approved as presented.
  • The draft minutes of the November 20, 2025, regular meeting were approved as presented.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public signed up to speak.

Discussion Items

  • Light Rail Subarea Plans Update – Senior Planner Cate Lee presented an overview of the history, current growth thresholds, and goals for the plan update. Key points included:
    • The 145th Street Station has less than a quarter of housing units left in the Planned Action threshold; the 185th Station has about a third remaining.
    • The update aims to extend the Planned Action environmental review, improve multimodal connectivity, and evaluate a zoning overlay concept for the 185th area north of NE 185th Street between 1st and 5th Avenues NE.
    • Connectivity challenges were highlighted: long blocks, dead-end streets, and a lack of cohesive bike/pedestrian networks. The current code does not require connections for properties below a 250-foot threshold, and does not differentiate connection types.
    • Commissioners discussed the relationship between housing units in the Comprehensive Plan and subarea capacity, the scale of recent development (townhouses vs. multifamily), and the need for clearer guidance for developers.
    • Chair Brinson noted that the 185th Station parking lot is full by 8 a.m. and raised concerns about spillover parking into neighborhoods, suggesting this be addressed in community engagement.
    • Commissioner Lin emphasized the need for improved bike connectivity, especially east-west on 175th, and suggested reaching out to residents in existing large developments for feedback.
    • Vice Chair Mosier proposed prioritizing alleys and dedicated bike paths separated from major roads.
    • Commissioner Fry supported alleyways for trash truck access and a map of future connections to provide predictability for developers.
    • Director Andrew Bauer advised keeping the scope focused on transportation and connectivity, rather than reopening land use regulations citywide.

Reports & Announcements

  • The next regular meeting of December 18, 2025, was canceled, as was the January 1, 2026, meeting. The next scheduled meeting is January 15, 2026, to discuss the 2026 Comprehensive Plan docket amendments.

Key Outcomes

  • The Planning Commission provided feedback on connectivity priorities, including support for alleyways, dedicated bike lanes, and a clear map of future connections to be incorporated into the development code.
  • Staff will use the commission's input to inform the public engagement strategy and the scope of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).
  • The commission confirmed the meeting schedule: no meetings on December 18 or January 1; next meeting January 15, 2026.
  • The meeting was adjourned at 7:52 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

Excellent. Good evening. There's no one here. I'm calling to order the Thursday, December 4th, 2025, Shoreline Planning Commission meeting. I'll actually speak with words that make sense now. Carly, can you do roll call? Yes, Chair Brunson. Commissioner Kay. Here. Commissioner Fry? Here. Commissioner Lin? Yeah. Vice Chair Mosier? Yeah. And Commissioner Povik is not absent or not present. And Commissioner Hadley is absent with notice. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Approval of the agenda. Yes. Approval of last meetings. Meeting minutes. Thumbs up. Excellent. Do we have any public comment this evening? There's no public comment this evening. Excellent. Just because I am a little ridiculous and said Shoreline instead of Shoreline earlier. All right, study items. We are here to talk about the light rail sub-area plans. Kate, take it away. All right. I'm Kate Lee. I'm a senior planner with our planning and community development department here to present this item tonight. So in this presentation, I'll give an overview of the history of the light rail station area planning and outline the goals for the plan update. Tonight, the commission will have an opportunity to ask questions about the current plans and then give direction on the work that will be undergoing in the coming year. You might recognize some of the folks in this photo. So this slide just goes over the agenda for the presentation. We'll introduce the light rail sub-area plans, the environmental review that took place as part of that effort, explain the role of something called a planned action, give an overview of the plans update, provide the expected project schedule, and ask the commission to provide feedback on what comes next. This was at, I think, one of our planning department retreats. So yeah, great photo. So this slide shows the geographic location of each station area within the city. The colors displayed on the maps relate to the existing land use of each parcel. The 185th station sub-area extends up to the north up to north 195th Street and south to North 175th Street. It goes west along North 185th Street to Aurora Avenue North and then east to the North City commercial area. The 145th station sub area extends mainly up to North 150 155th Street, with part of it extending as far north as the Ridgecrest neighborhood along Fifth Avenue Northeast. It goes south to the city boundary at North 145th Street, west to Meridian Avenue North, and east to 15th Avenue Northeast. Each plan includes details on the extensive community engagement process, describes the existing conditions, and future market forecasts, the long-term vision, the benefits of the plan, and the incremental implementation strategy over time.

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