After 16 months of meeting remotely, several Lynnwood City Council members returned to the dais Monday night to conduct city business in person.

The council has been holding meetings via Zoom since last March when state officials ordered local governments to close city buildings. At its July 12 business meeting, six of the council’s seven members met at Lynnwood City Hall.

(Councilmember Ruth Ross dialed into the meeting via a Zoom call displayed for the public to see).

Before tackling the agenda — which included two public hearings — several council members expressed their relief to be back to meeting in person. Council Vice President Jim Smith — who advocated for in-person meetings — said meeting face to face allows people to be able to read nonverbal cues better.

“There’s just something about the communication that we’re able to do when we’re in person,” he said.

The meeting’s first public hearing was for an ordinance amending a development and access enhancement funding agreement between the city and Sound Transit regarding Lynnwood Link light rail. City Center Project Manager Karl Almgren said the changes were relatively small and the city staff have received no questions from the project regarding the project or the amendments.

The only person who spoke during the public hearing was Lynnwood resident Elizabeth Lunsford, who said she was uncomfortable attending an in-person meeting. Prior to the hearing, Lunsford had also spoken during the council’s public comments to reprimand the council for not holding a public hearing regarding funding the future Community Justice Center.

In response to Lunsford’s comments, Councilmember Shannon Sessions reminded her that the meetings were still available to view online and that attending meetings in council chambers was not required.

Next, the council held a public hearing regarding a proposed agreement for novo on 52nd — a future development on the property where Whispering Pines is now located.

novo on 52nd is described as an income-restricted housing complex proposed for the current Whispering Pines site located at 18225 52nd Ave. W. Plans for the complex include 16 new buildings with 242 units, a club house, recreational spaces and a community garden.

Whispering Pines, a 50-year-old apartment complex owned and operated by the Housing Authority of Snohomish County (HASCO), is scheduled for demolition because the current building’s sewer and fire alarm systems are failing. All of the building’s current units are labeled as affordable housing. Demolition is set to begin in September.

Initial plans to redevelop the site included a proposal to rezone a property and allow for a six-story structure with 300 to 400 units. The proposal was met with push back from neighboring residents who worried a tall building would block natural light from their homes and the council voted against the rezone.

Without the rezone, the council was told that the new complex would include fewer units than the current one but plans for novo on 52nd include two more units than the current complex. Other featured amenities include a pool, barbecue area, sports court and playground. The new site will also include 399 parking stalls, where the current complex only has 356.

Last week, the council discussed a request from HASCO asking for flexibility regarding the allowed density for the development. Under the city’s municipal codes, developers are allowed up to 18 dwelling units per acre, which Winchell said would result in a new loss of 21 units. So, HASCO is asking to use standards under the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which call for 12 to 20 units per acre.

During the Monday discussion, Council President George Hurst asked if there would be any concerns about privacy, such as windows from the future complex facing backyards of neighboring single-family homes. In response, staff said those concerns were mitigated during planning after receiving initial community feedback.

Current Whispering Pines tenants have been aware that they were facing eviction since 2019 but due to a lack of affordable housing and added complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many have had difficulties finding new places to live. As of Monday, 70 tenants still lived at Whispering Pines. Of that, 20 had already given notice that they were moving out and 50 said they were still looking.

Demolition is scheduled for this fall and construction is expected to begin shortly after that or January 2022. The new complex intends to accept new tenants as buildings are completed. Councilmember Patrick Decker suggested that displaced Whispering Pines tenants be prioritized when accepting applications for novo.

“If we can make it easy for them to do that before they leave the neighborhood, I think that would be very beneficial,” he said.

During the hearing, Whispering Pines resident Hilary Lohman asked that the construction process be done in an environmentally conscious way and added that she was concerned about trees scheduled to be removed. Lohman also said she worried about the impact it would have on wildlife like birds and squirrels.

“That is why we are the Pacific Northwest – we care about those things,” she said.

During her comments, Lohman encouraged her fellow Whispering Pines residents to “get on the ball” and start looking harder for another place to live. Lohman also asked if it would be possible to extend the eviction deadline from August to September. However, HASCO President Duane Leonard said an extension would not be possible.

“We have to try and stick to the schedule that we’re on,” he said. “We’ve been fairly clear and consistent the whole time — since we started this project three years ago — about trying to keep that schedule.”

Resident Karen Walls, who lives near Whispering Pines and lobbied against the rezone, spoke in favor of the proposal, and said she and her husband John support the variances requested by HASCO.

“We are actually happy that there will be more affordable housing than what a rezone would have done and more than what current zoning allows,” she said.

In other business, the council unanimously voted to amend the city’s codes regarding utility payment rebate and discount programs to aid those impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, there are approximately 545 residential and 142 commercial utility customers with a balance more than 120 days past due. The total amount of unpaid utility bills across the city is $927,792, according to city staff.

“I think that we have gone through a long process of a number of meetings where we have talked about people’s inability to pay brought on by COVID and I think we have reached a very equitable arrangement,” said Councilmember Christine Frizzell.

In Lynnwood, qualifying households can receive up to 60% savings on rates or up to 50% of 12 months of the utility base charge. The previous code only specified those who qualified for the programs as either low income or 61 years of age or older. Under the revised code, language is included to specifically mention residents who qualify for disability as also being eligible. No new discounts or rebates are proposed.

Other amendments include extending the due date for utility payments from 14 to 28 days and establishing a restructured voluntary payment plan to better address the needs of financially disadvantaged customers.

Gov. Jay Inslee’s moratorium on utility shutoffs is set to expire on July 31, 2021 unless extended with a new proclamation.

The city’s Utility Fund — which is separate from the city’s General Fund — relies exclusively on utility payments for its revenue. If the delinquent charges go unpaid, staff said it could result in less revenue for utility operations and capital improvements, cause critical infrastructure projects to be postponed and lead to higher utility rates.

After completing its agenda, the council adjourned into a closed-door executive session.

–Story and photos by Cody Sexton