Frequently Asked Questions
Have other local agencies such as fire, police, the school district, community transit etc. reviewed this proposal?
Yes, all permit applications that are subject to public notice requirements are routed to a group of over 35 different local agencies and community partners for comment and review. The review process includes federal officials and tribal representatives; state and regional officials; county officials; and special district officials such as Snohomish County PUD, Burlington Northern Railroad, Cascade Natural Gas, Community Transit, the Stanwood-Camano School District, and Waste Management.
Why are over 400 units being proposed?
The subject property consists of 23.05 acres currently zoned Traditional Neighborhood (TN) which allows for a density of 20 dwelling units per acre. This area of land is one of the largest undeveloped parcels in City limits. Larger properties are going to produce more units than smaller properties. Each property has a right to be developed if the proposed development is consistent with the standards and regulations of the City.
There’s too much growth in Stanwood, how can we stop it?
Communities planning under the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) are required to plan for growth and update their comprehensive plans every ten years. Using the state’s projected growth forecasts, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) prepares growth strategies, called Vision 2050, based on the Puget Sound region’s unique characteristics for Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Kitsap counties.
Vision 2050 sets the framework for how and where growth is expected to occur by establishing regional growth strategies and targets. Vision 2050 estimates that the Puget Sound could grow by 1.5 – 1.8 million people by 2050 and Snohomish County is expected to take nearly a quarter of this population growth. Stanwood is anticipated to take 1.2% of total county growth with the majority of growth going to other cities around high-capacity transit-oriented communities. If Stanwood refuses to plan for and accommodate growth, then the City will lose substantial state funding opportunities and grants to fund upgrades to the City’s roads, parks, and other capital improvements.
How will this project impact traffic?
This project is currently being reviewed by the City’s traffic engineers to assess impacts to roads and what mitigations may be necessary to offset traffic impacts. The developer is relocating 268th Street NW from its current location more northward to help traffic flow better at the 72nd and SR 523 intersection. Once the traffic review is completed, we will have a better idea of what other road improvements will be required including but not limited to road widening, additional turning lanes, and traffic circles if appropriate. WSDOT is also doing their own independent studies for improving the SR 532 corridor from Camano Island to I-5. You can find more information on their efforts here.
How will this project impact schools?
The school district is working on its own long-term planning to accommodate growth. At this time, the applicant's proposal consists of a variety of housing sizes including 264 studio or one-bedroom apartments which may be less likely to have school-aged occupants than other housing types. Some individual schools in the school district are over-capacity and other schools in the district are under capacity. Both cities and school districts absorb growth and both the city and school district are planning for what this growth means for facilities. The City is also meeting with the school district independently of property-specific developments to discuss student safety in relation to traffic flow.
How will Church Creek (stream) be protected?
The project includes almost three acres of Native Growth Protection Area (NGPA). A NGPA is a formally recorded easement placed over an area of land for the permanent protection of critical areas, critical area buffers, or other environmentally sensitive lands. The NGPA includes critical areas such as wetlands and Church Creek, in addition to including protection of buffers for these critical areas. Stanwood Municipal Code provides buffer width requirements to protect critical areas. SMC 17.130.060 requires a 100-foot buffer for Church Creek. The proposed development is located a minimum of 145-feet away from Church Creek. The applicant is also proposing to provide 43,465 square feet of mitigation and buffer enhancement to provide further protection and improve the overall functionality of wetlands and riparian area on the subject property.
What about Church Creek Park?
The majority of the proposed development is setback away from the shared property line with Church Creek Park. The shared property line is approximately 1,100 liner feet and over 800 feet will be left untouched in a Native Growth Protection Area (NGPA). A NGPA is a formally recorded easement placed over an area of land for the permanent protection of critical areas, critical area buffers, or other environmentally sensitive lands. The applicant is also proposing to provide 43,465 square feet of mitigation and buffer enhancement to provide further protection and improve the overall functionality of wetlands and riparian area on the subject property.
I thought the new City Hall / Police Station was going to be built there.
The City still owns the 1.25 acre property located at 27003 72nd Avenue and this proposal does not affect that. After the November 2021 election, the new City Council and Mayor had to assess the options for City Hall. Multiple different options are being considered, including remodeling City Hall in its current location. At this point, City Council has not yet made a decision on the new city hall/police station issue.