We were unable to attend the (city of Bothell’s) Planning Commission meeting Oct. 24 regarding the density limits in the downtown transition zone, but would like to add a comment to the conversation.

Our greatest concern would be parking. The downtown area is already suffering from excessive on street parking. Much of the has occurred since the opening of the many new apartments. While developers are required to offer parking as a part of their development, they are allowed to charge for parking in addition to the rent and that has resulted in many tenants looking for parking on the street instead of the attached parking areas (a natural result). Bothell streets are not wide enough to accommodate this additional demand nor are there enough parking spots to meet the need. The result is a hinderance to business and inconvenience for tenants while developer-provided garage parking is going unused.

We would encourage the city to require that new developments be required to include parking in the monthly rental rate.

Dave and Joanne Harkonen

Bothell