Light Rail Stations Subarea Plans Update

We want to hear from you! Tell us how you travel around and near the light rail stations and surrounding neighborhoods, where you like to go, and where you would like to see new paths and connections.

The surveys each take about 10 minutes. As a thank you, you can enter a raffle to win a $50 gift card. Winners will be randomly selected from those who provide an email address. Surveys ends March 8th.

What Is a Scoping Notice?

The City has started the process for updating the environmental analysis for the Subarea Plans Update. The scoping notice allows early involvement during the environmental analysis of a proposal. Concerns identified during during the scoping process can be further evaluated when a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared.

• 185^th Street Light Rail Station Subarea Plan Update Scoping Notice
• 148^th Street Light Rail Station Subarea Plan Update Scoping Notice
• Information Sheet

How Can I Participate in Scoping the SEIS?

Comments are due by 5:00pm on February 27, 2026.

Agencies, affected tribes, and members of the public are invited to comment on the scope of the EIS. You may comment on alternatives, mitigation measures, probable significant adverse impacts, and licenses or other approvals that may be required. The method and deadline for giving us your comments are below.

Send written comments to:

• Cate Lee, Senior Planner
• City of Shoreline Planning and Community Development
• 17500 Midvale Avenue North – 3rd Floor, Shoreline, WA 98133
• clee@shorelinewa.gov

Email comments are preferred. Please put “Shoreline 148th Station Area Planned Action” or “Shoreline 185th Station Area Planned Action” in the subject line.

Join us for a community workshop to improve how people walk and bike near our light rail stations.

We want your ideas on where new sidewalks, bike lanes, and other connections could be planned.

Your input matters!

• Tuesday, February 10
  • Shoreline South (148th Station)
  • 7-8:30pm
  • Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Church, Threadgill Hall in the Davis Building
  • 14724 1st Ave NE, Shoreline
• Wednesday, February 11
  • Shoreline North (185th Station)
  • Wednesday, February 11
  • 7-8:30pm
  • Spartan Recreation Center, Cascade Room
  • 202 NE 185th St, Shoreline

Light snacks and drinks will be available

On February 5, 2026, the Planning Commission received a presentation from the project consultant team on the draft connectivity report, development capacity and growth trends, and public engagement efforts.

You can read the staff report here: Staff Report - Light Rail Subarea Plans.

You can watch the video of the meeting here: Video - Light Rail Subarea Plans.

On January 22, 2026, the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services/Tree Board received a presentation from City staff on the history of light rail station subarea planning work done to date and the purpose of the update.

You can read the staff memo here: Staff Memo - Light Rail Subarea Plans (External Link).

You can watch the video of the meeting here: Video - Light Rail Subarea Plans (External Link).

The presentation was similar to that given to the Planning Commission on December 4, 2025, except more information about parks was included.

Both subarea plans contain policies for Parks, Recreation and Open Space. Both plans include a policy to acquire additional park space in the station areas. The City is concentrating on land acquisition to expand Twin Ponds Park in the 148^th Street Station Area and Rotary Park in the 185^th Street Station Area.

• The City acquired two (2) parcels touching Twin Ponds Park in 2023 and 2024, totaling 14,770 sq. ft. or 0.33 acres, and are considering purchasing additional parcels.
• The City acquired two (parcels) touching Paramount Park Open Space in 2020 and 2022 totaling 15,274 sq. ft. or 0.35 acres.
• Four (4) parcels near Rotary Park have been acquired since 2021, totaling 1.16 acres. Seattle City Light properties, that total around 3.2 acres in size, are in the same area and could potentially be part of the future Rotary Park.

On December 4, 2025, the Planning Commission received a presentation from City staff on the history of light rail station subarea planning work done to date.

You can read the staff report here: Staff Report - Light Rail Subarea Plans.

You can watch the video of the meeting here: Video - Light Rail Subarea Plans.

The material presented at the meeting is summarized below.

Light Rail Subarea Plans

• In 2015 and 2016, the City adopted subarea plans for the 145th Street Station and the 185th Street Station.
• Each plan details the community engagement process, describes the existing conditions and future market forecasts, the long-term vision, the benefits of the plan, and the incremental implementation strategy.
• The long-term vision for both station areas are to create livable communities where walking, biking, and transit are the best choice for most trips.

Environmental Review (SEPA)

• The Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requires the evaluation of environmental impacts for proposed development and for plans that enable development, like these subarea plans.
• Prior to the adoption of each subarea plan, the City completed environmental analysis for each station area.
• When a proposal or plan may result in large, negative environmental impacts, SEPA requires an environmental impact statement (EIS). An EIS identifies environmental conditions, growth alternatives, potential impacts, and ways to reduce or mitigate any large, negative impacts.
• The City studied four growth alternatives in each EIS, and then selected a growth threshold for each station area.
• Through 2035, the environmental analysis planned for up to 2,214 housing units in the 145th area and 2,190 housing units in the 185th area.

Planned Actions

• A planned action environmental review is a tool that prepares “upfront environmental review” within a defined area and adopts growth thresholds in its Planned Action Ordinance.
• The City did this for both station areas. If proposed development projects are consistent with the planned action ordinance they generally do not need project-level review under the SEPA.
• The planned actions were written with about 20 years of growth in mind. Ten years into the planned actions, we’re more than half-way through that anticipated growth.
• To support continued growth in the subareas, the City needs to review and update the original environmental analysis.

Planned Actions Update

• To support continued growth in the subareas, City Council authorized approval of a contract to update the station area planned action ordinances in November 2024.
• The contract consists of two phases.
• Phase I concluded May 30, 2025, and included a development capacity analysis, SEPA options and a recommendation.
• Connectivity was identified as an issue that needed more planning.
• To do this necessary planning requires updating the subarea plans themselves, not just the planned action ordinances.
• Phase II began August 2025.

Subarea Plans Update

• The plan update will look at how to get more connectivity for people from their homes to places nearby they want to go, like parks, churches, shops and restaurants.
• The plan update will also evaluate the area north of NE 185th Street between 1st and 5th Avenues NE for a zoning overlay that may provide greater flexibility for non-residential land uses. The goal of the overlay would be to allow flexibility for certain types of land uses that may want to co-locate in this area such as other sports, entertainment, and hotel uses.

Project Schedule

• Winter 2026: Begin public engagement, particularly around the connectivity piece and the 185th overlay.
• Spring and Summer 2026: Developing the draft and final SEISs.
• Fall and Winter 2026: Updated subarea plans and code proposals to the Planning Commission and City Council.