Janicki family proposes change in land-use zoning

A local corporation has requested an area within Sedro-Woolley be rezoned to allow a combination of commercial, retail and residential development.

The request was made by the Janicki family under the auspices of Sedro-Woolley LLC, one of the family’s enterprises. The proposed area is currently zoned mixed commercial.

The proposed rezone is known as an urban village and is similar to mixed commercial, but would increase the options for combining commercial, retail and residential development, according to a memorandum from city planning officials.

Rezoning for an urban village would create a “pedestrian-friendly” community, allowing for taller, denser development and more open space, said Jack Moore, city planning director and building official.

The proposed rezone would consist of 37 acres located between McDonald’s and Anderson’s Mini Storage — property boxed in by Hodgin Street, Highway 20, Trail Road and Brickyard Creek.

Sedro-Woolley LLC requested the change to the city’s comprehensive plan — a document that outlines the city’s long-term transportation, housing, parks, capital facilities and economic goals.

The document is required by the state’s Growth Management Act.

The memorandum states that the corporation intended for the rezone to only apply to the 37 acres, but city planning officials have found similar zoning can be applied in other parts of the city.

“It’s definitely something of interest to the city and is something that’s been used successfully in other communities,” Moore said.

Urban villages are based off a European model and have been implemented in local communities, especially where land is tight, said Mary McGoffin, Sedro-Woolley LLC marketing coordinator.

She said some of those locations include areas in Bellingham, Mill Creek and Vancouver, B.C.

An urban village can be successful in Sedro-Woolley, McGoffin said, but it depends if the community is ready for the progressive change.

“(The community) would really be the leaders in Skagit County and Sedro-Woolley would be ahead of everybody else if it does this kind of zoning,” she said.

No decision has been made regarding the corporation’s request. The proposal can be implemented or rejected, McGoffin said.

The city’s Planning Commission will hold an open house from 5:30 to 7 p.m. July 15 before its regularly scheduled meeting to receive feedback from community members. A public hearing will immediately follow.

Planning commissioners may make a recommendation for the City Council at the meeting or they may request further information to help formulate a decision.