Everett eases land division rules
EVERETT. A vote by the Everett City Council has streamlined the process for subdividing property, making it simpler for owners to split parcels.
Revisions to municipal code lower the minimum allowable lot size to 2,000 square feet, down from the previous 5,000-square-foot threshold. Additionally, the new ordinance permits the division and sale of land prior to the installation of landscaping or utilities, eliminating the former requirement that such infrastructure be completed first before a split could occur.
City representatives state that merging four separate chapters of the municipal code into a single section will facilitate land division and broaden the scope of home ownership opportunities.
The planning director, Yorik Stevens-Wajda, addressed the council during Wednesday's session to clarify that the modifications do not impact building height limits or zoning locations.
Stevens-Wajda stated that the revisions do not permit additional development closer to existing structures than previously allowed; instead, they facilitate a simplified method for ownership and land division.
The council's decision came only hours after the Snohomish County Council enacted a comparable measure to simplify lot splitting at the county level.
These local modifications follow a state law enacted in 2025 that mandates cities permit lot splitting in the majority of residential zones. While Everett was already compliant with the state mandate, officials pursued further changes to allow owners to sell smaller parcels and to provide first-time buyers with access to more affordable, smaller homes.
Council member Ben Zarlingo noted that these changes are vital for ownership prospects, particularly as condo development in the region has remained stagnant.
Zarlingo remarked that ownership opportunities and gradual density will increasingly take this form.