The City of Edmonds has been working with a team of faculty and students from the University of Washington's College of Built Environment and Green Futures Lab to create plans for expanding the role of its neighborhood centers as more active and vital parts of the community. The first two neighborhood commercial areas to be addressed are Westgate and Five Corners.

The project will develop concepts that exemplify sustainable approaches for redevelopment in suburban cities and preparation of a Special District Plan for each of the two neighborhood commercial areas. City staff -- Rob Chave, Planning Manager and Stephen Clifton, Community Services/Economic Development Director -- are coordinating the effort with the involvement of the Economic Development Commission and Planning Board. Partnering with the City are two highly respected organizations: the University of Washington and The Cascade Land Conservancy (CLC). CLC will assist with the public involvement process, providing examples of trends and effective neighborhood development efforts around the region and in other coastal cities.

Students from the undergraduate Community, Environment, and Planning program began work in October 2010 to collect data on the use and configuration of each commercial area. A new team of graduate students in urban planning, landscape architecture and architecture continued that work to develop the Special District plans. The first ‘listening sessions’ took place in January 2011. On March 12, 2011, the City held a design workshop (or charrette) to engage the public, business and property owners, and the local design community in exploring more specific design options for the two sites. In late April, public meetings presented results of this effort. In addition to the public meetings and workshops, the project included presentations to City officials, research on form-based codes, production of final conceptual designs, and preparation of a report with recommendations for implementation.

The final steps in the process will be to refine the district plans and develop form-based codes to implement the vision for each neighborhood center. Planning Board review of the Westgate plan and form-based code began in 2012 and is scheduled to conclude in May, 2014. The next step will be consideration by the City Council.

• Westgate Presentation (1/26/2011 "Listening Session") (1.6 MB)
• Five Corners Presentation (1/27/2011 "Listening Session") (1.2 MB)
• Student Phase 1 Report (December, 2010) (8.5 MB)
• University of Washington PowerPoint Presentation Outline (Presented to Edmonds EDC on December 15, 2010) (3.92 MB)
• UW Online Survey Results (359 KB)

Notes from Community Meetings:

• Five-Corners – Jan 26, 2011 Community Meeting Minutes (70 KB)
• Westgate - January 25, 2011 Community Meeting Minutes (62 KB)

• Economic Potential For Five Corners and Westgate Commercial Centers – Property Counselors February, 2011 Report (62 KB)
• Briefing materials (3/12/11 Design Workshop) (3.3 MB)
• Five Corners/Westgate March 12, 2011 Community Meeting - Presentation Outline (PowerPoint) (5.79 MB)
• Working Group 1 Concept (3/12/11 Design Workshop) (1.1 MB)
• Working Group 2 Concept (3/12/11 Design Workshop) (533 KB)
• Working Group 3 Concept (3/12/11 Design Workshop) (1.0 MB)
• Working Group 4 Concept (3/12/11 Design Workshop) (635 KB)
• Working Group 5 Concept (3/12/11 Design Workshop) (978 KB)
• Working Group 6 Concept (3/12/11 Design Workshop) (1.4 MB)
• Working Group 7 Concept (3/12/11 Design Workshop) (1.25 MB)
• Working Group 8 Concept (3/12/11 Design Workshop) (1.5 MB)
• Working Group 9 Concept (3/12/11 Design Workshop) (1.25 MB)

Community Meetings

• Five Corners/Westgate April 20, 2011 Design Workshop (3.90 MB)
• Five Corners/Westgate May 3, 2011 Alternatives Presentation (6.51 MB)

• REVISIONING Five Corners & Westgate - Edmonds Special District Plan - Draft Plans. May 12, 2011 Presentation to Edmonds Economic Development Commission (5.11 MB)
• REVISIONING Five Corners & Westgate - Edmonds Special District Plan. June 15, 2011 Presentation to Edmonds Economic Development Commission (3.82 MB)
• REVISIONING Five Corners & Westgate - Edmonds Special District Plan. June 21, 2011 Presentation to Edmonds City Council (5.0 MB)

This section contains material on the public review process for the Westgate and Five Corners form based codes. The Westgate proposals are being considered first, with any review of the Five Corners proposals deferred until after the Five Corners roundabout is completed.

The review of the Westgate plan and form based code developed by the University of Washington began with the Planning Board, and is now being considered by the City Council. Checking the City Council agendas will also alert you to meetings when this project is being discussed, as well as relevant review material. The final Planning Board public hearing on the draft plan and form based code was held on May 28, 2014. The first public hearing by the City Council was held on August 4, 2014, with a second hearing held on October 7, 2014. City Council review is the culmination of a lengthy review processs, which to date has included over 50 public meetings and four public hearings.

Current draft material

• The most recent material from the City Council review of the Westgate proposals can be found on the City Council agenda for April 7, 2015... the agenda can be viewed here (look under the April 7, 2015 meeting list). The most current draft code language is available here (2MB ). A "white paper" submitted by the Economic Development Commission can be viewed here (600 KB ).

Material for City Council Public Hearing, August 4, 2014

• The material from the most recent City Council public hearing can be found on the City Council agenda for August 4, 2014... the agenda can be viewed here (look under the August 2014 meeting list). The August 4th public hearing presentation on the Westgate proposals can be seen here.

Material for Planning Board Public Hearing, May 28, 2014

• The material for the Planning Board public hearing is on the Planning Board agenda for May 28th... the agenda can be viewed here (look under the May 2014 meeting list).

 Material for Planning Board Public Hearing, March 12, 2014

• The material for the Planning Board public hearing is on the Planning Board agenda for March 12th... the agenda can be viewed here (look under the March 2014 meeting list).

Westgate Background Material

• DRAFT report (including form based code) presented to Economic Development Commission February 15, 2012:  reVisioning Westgate: A District Form-Based Code dated  January 4, 2012. (9MB )
• Presentation to Economic Development Commission, February 15, 2012. (5MB )
• Introductory Presentation to Planning Board, April 25, 2012. (5MB )
• Planning Board review draft of the Westgate plan and form based code amendments.

 
Form Based Code Presentations to the Planning Board on June 27, 2012

• Introduction to Form-Based Codes: Overview and Opportunities, by Charles Wolfe, Attorney at Law(2MB )
• Form Based Codes in Mountlake Terrace, by Shane Hope, City of Mountlake Terrace Community and Economic Development Director (1MB )
• The City of Shoreline's Town Center Subarea Plan and Code, by Joseph Tovar, FAICP (8MB )

• Draft Westgate Plan and Form Based Code (4.6MB )

• Form-Based Codes Overview, Edmonds Planning, March 2011. (680 KB)
• Form First, Peter Katz, November 2004. (141 KB)
• Form-Based Codes: Implementing Smart Growth, Local Government Commission. (4 MB)
• Place Making with Form-Based Codes, Urban Land Institute, September 2006.
• Supporting Walkable Neighborhood Business Districts, Gregory Easton & John Owen, October 2009. (3.5 MB)
• A Roundabout Solution, Governing, July 2011. (194 KB)
• Form-Based Codes Institute website.