Over the past three years, we have been working together as a community to develop a plan for downtown Bothell that will honor our small-town history while providing new shopping, dining, socializing and living opportunities for the next generation of Bothell families.

This vision will protect adjacent existing residential neighborhoods by preserving, and in many cases lowering, existing allowed maximum heights. It will strengthen the city’s ability to serve its citizens by generating development and sales-tax revenues to help sustain the city’s quality services valued by its citizens.

On July 14, the City Council invites you to share your vision of our downtown with the City Council and your neighbors. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Bothell Municipal Court, 10116 N.E. 183rd St.

There has been a lot of interest and conversation, as well as some misinformation, about what the proposed plan will and won’t do. As your mayor, I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify what the current downtown proposal does, and does not, include.

Reduced building heights

As discussed above, the downtown plan will maintain or lower existing building heights in downtown Bothell and adjacent neighborhoods. The vision for downtown does not increase building heights anywhere. The City Council made this decision to protect our neighborhoods and to focus height and density in the core of our downtown away from residential neighborhoods.

Expanded Park at Bothell Landing

The Park at Bothell Landing will be expanded and improved. The city of Bothell is realigning State Route 522 to help solve congestion at the intersection of 522 and the Bothell Everett Highway and keep cut-through traffic out of our neighborhoods. An added bonus is that Main Street will be extended by an additional two blocks and we will be able to expand and improve the Park at Bothell Landing.

More shopping, dining and open space

This plan is supported by downtown merchants and neighbors alike because they understand that it will create a magnet, attracting shoppers to build strong local businesses and creating jobs for local residents. We will energize Main Street with flexible streetscapes that can change with the seasons to accommodate a variety of business activities (sidewalk cafes for one example). The plan will also re-connect the city core with its historic riverfront origins by creating inviting pathways to an expanded Park at Bothell Landing. The downtown vision includes requirements to make sure that new development is of a high quality that will enrich the experience of residents and visitors alike with attractive architecture, a rich variety of activities and outstanding green public spaces, both large and small. We all cherish and respect Bothell’s heritage, and are working to preserve historic structures and ensure that new development is compatible. Finally, the new downtown vision will promote sustainability and environmental responsibility by recharging stormwater directly into the soil along a portion of the multiway boulevard, instead of capturing it in a traditional concrete detention pond.

Thanks for taking the time to learn more about the future of our downtown, please contact me with any questions you may have at (425) 368-4238 or mark.lamb@ci.bothell.wa.us.

Mark Lamb is the mayor of Bothell.