Feb. 4 Open House to focus on Auburn Citywide Design Standards proposal

The City of Auburn will host a public open house Wednesday, Feb. 4, to gather community input on proposed updates to its Citywide Design Standards, according to the city.

The open house will run from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Auburn Resource Center, 2824 Auburn Way N. (map below).

City staff will be available to answer questions and collect public comments on the proposed changes, the city said.

The update would revise Auburn’s existing Multi Family and Mixed Use Design Standards and, if adopted, would apply to new development, including non residential, mixed use and apartment buildings with seven or more units on a single lot, according to project materials posted by the city.

The proposed standards would not apply to developments within the Downtown Urban Center, which are subject to Downtown Design Standards; middle housing developments, which are subject to Middle Housing Design Standards; developments within the M 2 Heavy Industrial Zone; or public buildings, which are required to stand out as distinct landmarks and provide visual interest at all observable scales, the city said.

Building additions, remodels and site improvements would also be subject to the updated standards, excluding interior only work, with applicable standards based on the gross floor area affected, according to the city.

Project materials, including the draft Citywide Design Standards Update document, are available for review on the City of Auburn website, the city said.

Submit Comments

Written comments may be submitted by email to [email protected] or by mail to City of Auburn Community Development, Attn: Dinah Reed, Senior Planner, 25 W Main St., Auburn, WA 98001. The city asked that comments include “Citywide Design Standards Update” in the subject line or correspondence.

Anyone wishing to become a party of record should state in their comments that they wish to receive notice of and participate in any hearings, if applicable, and request copies of decisions once made, the city said.

Questions about the project may be directed to Dinah Reed, senior planner, at [email protected] or (253) 931-3092, according to the city.