LYNNWOOD – A local church’s effort to build senior housing on its property is scheduled for a hearing Monday by the Lynnwood City Council.
Good Shepherd Baptist Church plans to build 40 units for seniors on its 4-acre property at 6915 196th St. SW. Some neighbors have objected to the project, contending it’s out of character with the neighborhood.
The hearing is planned during the City Council meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 18900 44th Ave. W. The council is not expected to make its decision at Monday’s meeting.
The church’s request for a rezone to multifamily housing was unanimously approved July 13 by the city’s Planning Commission.
“We were very gratified that the Planning Commission recommended our proposal,” the Rev. Chris Boyer said. “We are hopeful the City Council will feel likewise. We are excited by the possibility of getting started.”
The church agreed to a requirement that the land be used only for affordable housing for older adults, regardless of who owns the land.
The City Council rejected a previous request last November. Council members said they were worried that the property could be used in the future for apartments.
The city has added several other restrictions to the church’s plans in response to neighbors’ concerns.
The church will not pursue an entry route in the campus’s northwest corner. It has agreed to a roughly 40-foot setback, and to a solid fence and landscaping along the western property boundary. The city usually requires only a 15-foot setback.
Jenny Lynn Zappala is editor of the Lynnwood-Mountlake Terrace Enterprise newspaper.
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