Shoreline council delays vote on second rezone

The Shoreline City Council delayed making a decision on another light rail rezone plan.

The council accepted the Planning Commission’s recommendation to wait until after the 145th/SR 523 Corridor Study is complete. The corridor study is scheduled to be completed in December 2015, according to the city.

Related: Outcry doesn’t stop Shoreline council from rezoning 185th St.

The Planning Commission was scheduled to make a recommendation to the council in February.

The city is engaged in a year-long study of the corridor, which is an east-west connection for the region that links bus transit on Aurora, I-5, and eventually light rail. In need of upgrades, the corridor study will include development of a master plan for improving pedestrian and bicycle mobility, safety and operations, transit speed and reliability, and freight mobility on the corridor, according to the city.

If the corridor study is completed on schedule, the council could select a plan for the 145th Street Station Subarea in January 2016.

A delayed vote on the 145th Street rezone follows community outcry over the council’s approval of rezoning an area of 185th Street on March 16. The new mixed-use-residential zoning affects an approximate half-mile radius around the future light rail service station on 185th Street; many of the properties in the area have single-family homes.

The proposed rail station is not scheduled to begin service until 2023. The light rail will be built parallel to I-5 from Northgate to Lynnwood.

The new zoning on 185th primarily focuses on height limits. Areas immediately surrounding the rail station will allow for building heights of six to seven stories. The new ordinance will cater to development that promotes a more walkable city, supporters say.

The council is considering three phases for zoning changes, which would be done this year, in 2021 and 2033.