City council holds first reading of GMA compliance amendments<\/p>\n
Published 12:30 pm Friday, July 10, 2026<\/p>\n
A trio of Mercer Island residents brought a variety of concerns to city council\u2019s July 7 regular meeting that featured another discussion on Growth Management Act (GMA) compliance.<\/p>\n
In the city\u2019s year-long adherence journey following a Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) order to revise its 2024 comprehensive plan by July 31, council held a first reading of planning commission amendments and voted to hold a second reading at its July 21 meeting.<\/p>\n
According to a previous Reporter story, the board \u2014 after finding noncompliance in the Mercer Island housing element with some of the GMA\u2019s provisions following an appeal \u2014 ordered the city to amend its land capacity analysis, adequate provisions, Sound Transit light rail station area subarea plan and anti-displacement measures sections.<\/p>\n
Islanders Adam Ragheb, Isabel Peres and Barbara Sternoff spoke during the appearances segment of the July 7 meeting and questioned whether the council has discussed the situation with its 41st Legislative District representatives, where the money will come from to revise the plan, what the city\u2019s strategy is to reach compliance and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we have to pay for this, it represents a huge financial burden and probably higher taxes,\u201d Sternoff said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope council is not simply accepting state mandates that have very negative impacts on current residents. Councilmembers should be proud to advocate for Mercer Island, and residents would be happy to be part of that effort,\u201d Peres added.<\/p>\n
Ragheb noted, in part: \u201cState law requires us to allow emergency shelters only in our Town Center, but your policy has been to allow them anywhere on the Island.\u201d He added that the existing 1,000-foot and 600-foot separations from schools, parks and homeless shelters should be preserved and are reasonable restrictions solely intended to protect children.<\/p>\n
At the close of the meeting, Mayor David Rosenbaum said the city has worked extensively with the state legislature on housing issues for years and he encourages residents to contact their representatives and him with concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we presented arguments to the state legislature that were further in depth than a lot of other cities, a lot of other organizations. We did our homework and we made the case and we are now, I think, duty bound to follow the laws as presented to us. I think tonight was a step, obviously, in that direction, and there\u2019s more work to do here,\u201d said Rosenbaum, adding that former mayor Salim Nice spent an abundance of hours lobbying on housing issues.<\/p>\n
Councilmember Julie Hsieh asked city community planning and development director Jeff Thomas what would happen if the city failed to comply with the GMHB order. Thomas said the city could face sanctions and be denied eligibility for grants and tax revenues.<\/p>\n
Rosenbaum thanked the staff for all the work it\u2019s done on the city\u2019s road to compliance and said the threats to possibly losing resources are real.<\/p>\n
City principal planner Adam Zack said that after the city completes its compliance work by July 31, \u201cthere\u2019s another process with the Growth Management Hearings Board where they\u2019ll hold another compliance hearing and issue their decision between August and October.\u201d<\/p>\n
The comprehensive plan update summary addresses development capacity; establishes the station subarea plan; features consistency amendments to transportation, utilities and capital facilities; and establishes two new appendices regarding the 2026 Land Capacity Analysis Update and barriers analysis.<\/p>\n
One of the required compliance elements is the construction of affordable housing. Within the inclusionary zoning realm in phase one of the station subarea plan, 10% of the units must be affordable at 50% area median income (AMI) for rental units and 80% AMI for ownership units, according to city documents.<\/p>\n
City docs state that there\u2019s an option to pay a fee in lieu to the city with the fund being used to help pay for affordable housing units needed below 50% of the AMI.<\/p>\n
A previous Reporter story noted that seven Islanders at a June 3 public hearing weren\u2019t pleased with the option of permanent supportive housing and said that \u201cthey and their families\u2019 safety would be compromised due to drug and alcohol use and mental health-related issues,\u201d reads city documents.<\/p>\n
When Hsieh asked how residents will learn if an application has been submitted to build a permanent supportive housing project, Zack said a notice will be provided to neighbors within 300 feet of the proposed development, a sign will be posted on site and more.<\/p>\n
Also at the July 7 meeting, council voted to direct staff to amend the development code to group transitional and permanent supportive housing together after the city received comments in a letter from the Department of Commerce last month.<\/p>\n