Parks plan on Council’s plate

LYNNWOOD — A decision on zoning in Lynnwood’s city center returns to the City Council on July 5 without the blessing of the city’s Planning Commission.

On June 22, the Commission did not recommend fourth and fifth alternatives offered by the Council to zone for parks and plazas within the future urban downtown area.The Commission also declined to endorse the first three options in May and June.

Commissioners said they did not make a recommendation because the complex decision will have long standing consequences and some parties said they would pursue litigation.

“We have been told that the parks are absolutely vital to the success of the project,” said Commissioner Tia Peycheff. “The discussions were complex and we did not feel we were in a position to look at one over the other. Nothing was cut and dry and especially when you get the specter of legal issues raised. It might be better to leave it to the City Council.”

Now it’s the Council’s turn to hear testimony and weigh the five alternatives. A vote could come at the July 5 meeting or be deferred to a later date. The Council could also come up with a new option, which could possibly then have to go back to Planning Commission for a public hearing and review.

The property owners of the Lynnwood Business Center, Lynnwood Square, Northfield Car Wash and Park Dental Clinic are resisting efforts to protect park sites through zoning rules. All four properties are located within the city center area and all four are proposed park locations.

“We are not opposed to parks. Never have been. We are trying to get the city to honor the subarea plan,” said Bob Burkheimer, one of the Lynnwood Square owners. “They need to be fair to all property owners.”

The city center zoning must be applied evenly as prescribed by the city’s subarea plan or else the city is discriminating against some parcels, the property owners said. The new city center zoning would allow more intense development with buildings as high as 30 stories in the core of the city center.

All four owners questioned whether the city’s real motive is to suppress the property values through zoning so the city can buy the land at a later date for a cheaper price.

“We are not philanthropists We all worked very hard for the property we own,” said Jim Pirie, owner of the Lynnwood Business Center, one of the proposed park sites. “I want to get reimbursed for the worth of this property which is just as valuable as any other property in this downtown core.”

Instead, the city should negotiate with property owners to secure options to buy the land at a later date as recommended in the city’s subarea plan, the owners said.

Commissioner Peycheff said she was concerned that other interest groups, especially Lynnwood residents, did not testify in large numbers at any of the May or June hearings.

Commissioner Elisa Elliott said she objected to the fact that both sides resorted to lawyers and legal opinions in recent weeks.

“It would have been beneficial for the city and businesses to sit down and review the situation and come up with a compromise,” Elliott said. “It is unfortunate that we have spent the last several months debating the issue. The expense to the taxpayer is not minimal when we engage legal opinions.”