Project Description

The applicant has applied for an Urban Residential Design Standards (URDS) Site Plan Approval for an eight-building apartment complex with 544 proposed units and 992 parking spaces. The project site is approximately 26 acres and is the site of the reclaimed Fruhling Gravel Pit. The project site was redesignated as Urban High Density Residential land use in 2005 and rezoned to Multiple Residential (MR) zoning.  The applicant has also requested a variance from the 45-foot height limitation in the zone. The applicant has requested a height increase to 48-feet. 

Process Overview

The URDS Site Plan Approval and Variance are administrative Type 1 permits which do not require a public hearing and the decision is made under the direction of the Director of Planning and Development Services (PDS). To find more information about this process, see Chapter 30.72 of Snohomish County Code. 

The proposal is subject to environmental review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).  A SEPA threshold determination will be made prior to the decision on the URDS Site Plan Application.  The County can make one of three threshold determinations based on review of the environmental impacts caused by the project: 

1. Determination of Significance (DS) - If it is determined that the project has significant environmental impacts that are not addressed by existing codes and regulations that cannot be adequately addressed to conditioned mitigation, then the County would issue a determination of significance and the applicant would need to go through the process of preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) with project alternatives.
2. Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (MDNS) - If it is determined that the significant impacts proposed by the project can be properly mitigated through existing regulations in addition to conditioned mitigation, then the county can issue an MDNS. 
3. Determination of Nonsignificance (DNS) - If it is determined that the significant impacts proposed by the project are properly mitigated through existing regulations without the need for special conditioned mitigation, then the county can issue an DNS. 

The SEPA Official’s decision may be appealed to the Snohomish County Hearing Examiner. 

Where we are in the process

• The applications were received by PDS January 28, 2022
• Notice of application was provided on February 13, 2022, and a public comment period ended on March 7, 2022.
• The applications are under review with PDS’ technical reviewers for compliance with: 

  • Land use, zoning bulk regulations (setbacks, height limitations, lot coverage) parking, landscaping, etc.

  • Critical areas (wetlands, streams, etc.) 

  • Drainage and Stormwater 

  • Traffic Impacts, road (frontage) improvements, road connections, traffic concurrency 

  • Fire code 

  • SEPA compliance  

First review of the applications was completed on June 14, 2022. The applicant resubmitted revised application materials on July 26, 2022. On November 15, 2022 the county sent out a second review completion letter requesting further analysis and corrections. On February 8, 2023 the County accepted in revised application documents, including a revised site plan that changes the access to the property and eliminates the connection between 11^th Avenue and 228^th Street SW. The resubmitted applications materials are now under 3rd review with PDS technical reviewers.  

Next steps (Please note: Specific dates/times for these expected steps depend on the project applicant and other factors):

1. Planning and Development Services (PDS) will complete its second review of the applications. If there are additional information/corrections needed these comments will be sent back to the applicant as part of a second review completion letter.  It is not uncommon for applicants to go through 2-3 rounds of review prior to a decision or SEPA threshold determination being issued.
2. Issuance of a SEPA threshold determination (a “SEPA decision”). Notice of this determination will be sent out to all parties of record and property owners within 1000 feet of the subject property. This determination can be appealed to the hearing examiner. If appealed, any appeal on the SEPA determination would be combined with an appeal of the URDS Site Plan Application administrative decision if there were one.
3. Decision Issued. Under the Direction of the Director of PDS, staff will issue an administrative decision on the URDS Site Plan Application and Variance.  The decision is sent to all parties of record and is appealable to the Hearing Examiner.