The Lynnwood City Council at its March 11 meeting unanimously approved a request from the developers of Koz on Alderwood Mall Boulevard to use Lynnwood’s Multi-Unit Housing Property Tax Exemption (MFTE) program. Other major items for the evening’s meeting included board appointments and two public hearings.

The approved 12-year agreement ensures that Koz will set aside 20 units to rent by households at or below 80% of area median income. Another 20 units will be available to rent by households at more than 80% but below 115% of area median income. In return, Koz will be exempt from residential property taxes assessed to the value of new housing construction. It does not apply to Kōz’s commercial spaces or the value of the land itself. 

At the council’s previous work session, Koz founder Cathy Reines stated that rent for the remaining other will still fall between 60-70% of area median income. Council President George Hurst encouraged Koz to develop more housing in the area.

Occupying a spot left by the closure of Buca di Beppo on the corner of 44th Avenue and Alderwood Mall Boulevard, Koz is projected to open in February 2025. The seven- story building will contain a total of 199 units. 

In other business, the council chose two representatives to fill empty positions on the Lynnwood Public Facilities District board. The agenda was set to select a single applicant to fill position 3 but Hurst learned from staff that position 2 had the same applicant pool and in response, moved to elect two board members instead. Councilmembers agreed, then voted privately by writing their choice of applicant on a slip of paper.

During the first round, Chris Collier was appointed to position 3, receiving five votes while both Ty Tufono-Chaussee and Frank Percival received a single vote.

During the second round, Percival was appointed to position 2, receiving five votes compared to Tufono-Chaussee’s two. Collier and Percival were both appointed to four-year terms. 

The final action for the night was a vote to rescind a motion made by Shirley Sutton in December 2023. In the original motion, Sutton requested that staff bring forth three external auditing services to complete a full financial audit of the city. In later discussions with Finance Director Michelle Meyer, city leadership determined that the scope and cost of a full financial audit did not align with the intentions of the original motion. Meyer requested that the council rescind the motion, which the council unanimously agreed to. It was noted by councilmembers and Meyer that a performance or staff audit could be considered a later date if desired. 

The first public hearing of the evening pertained to a request from city development staff to mandate undergrounding electrical utility lines in Lynnwood’s regional growth center area for safety and appearance reasons. While Councilmember Nick Coelho expressed some concerns about the expenses related to the requirement during the previous council work session, he joined other councilmembers in a unanimous vote to approve the request. As a result, areas being developed or redeveloped in Lynnwood’s regional growth center will be required to move electrical utility lines underground within Lynnwood’s regional growth center. It was noted that planners would consider each circumstance individually and provide exceptions in response to project size and challenges surrounding certain sites. For example, a small development could delay its undergrounding if it was combined with another nearby project scheduled for construction in the next few years.

Public commenter Ted Heikel called the proposal “superfluous,” saying this was already a requirement. Heikel added that while the legislation might “close a few loopholes,” enforcement was the actual concern. 

The item is scheduled to be voted on in two weeks.

The next public hearing pertained to a request from the owners of Alderwood Towne Center to implement signage changes in their plaza, including new directional signs and a monument sign. Other changes in the plaza pertain to design requirements for plaza tenants, like the use of LED lighting.

Heikel returned to the podium once again as the evening’s sole public commenter. He expressed concern about signage that could impede the visibility of drivers. 

Community Planning Manager Karl Almgren responded that any signage near a roadway would be reviewed by city staff as is standard practice. This item will also be voted on in future meetings.

Other items for the evening included:

An American flag was presented to the City of Lynnwood by the Heroes’ Café, a Lynnwood-based veterans support group. Executive Director Gary Walderman thanked the city for its ongoing support of the local veteran community. Walderman also spoke about the suicide of two of its members in just as many years, saying that it “broke” them. He added that Lynnwood’s financial support of the organization allowed them to aid veterans by providing physical and mental health services.

Retiring Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Director Lynn Sordel exchanged thanks with the council. Sordel, whose last day is March 15, described his 17 years with the city as “a blessing.” Mayor Christine Frizzell said she hoped Sordel’s future contained as much fun as he brought to the city. Councilmembers also thanked Sordel for his dedication and service.

A proclamation acknowledging Women’s History Month included appearances from local leaders Yvonne Terrell-Powell (vice president of equity and inclusion at Edmonds College), Kim Gorney (executive director of Washington Kids in Transition), Marines Scaramazza (bilingual news executive producer at Estrella TV), Deborah Brandi (executive director of the Foundation for Edmonds School District) and Marisol Bejarano (director of health & wellness programs at the Latino Educational Training Institute).

–By Jasmine Contreras-Lewis, photos courtesy City of Lynnwood