LYNNWOOD — City Council members unanimously voted in favor of the Public Facilities District’s (PFD) request to relax three zoning requirements for the construction of a Lynnwood Convention Center at the northwest corner of 196th Street SW and 37th Avenue. W.
In response to one of the requests, to reduce the number of parking spaces, the Council suggested that parking management plans be prepared in advance to minimize the use of off-site parking.
This is the last leg involved in the planning process to construct a 55,000 square foot Lynnwood Convention Center.
Kevin Garrett, planning manager for the city, explained that the PFD was asking for the reduction in the required on-site parking from 739 spaces to 562 spaces and approval of shared parking with nearby properties. The PFD was also looking to reduce the width of the landscaping between the project’s drive aisle and the two public streets, as well as relax landscaping requirements to allow the existing landscaped areas in the existing parking lot to remain.
Council member Jim Smith suggested that as a condition, plans be prepared for an extra amount of parking inside the existing property by restriping. Smith said his idea was to have a plan in case it is needed in the future.
Mike Echelbarger, PFD board chair, said consultants have determined that there are enough parking spaces.
“If they are wrong, there are ways to obtain vacant lots,” Echelbarger said.
Executive director Grant Dull said the number of events requiring additional parking would only be occasional, but conceded that it would be possible to include more parking spaces inside the existing lot.
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