Kira Erickson reports from the Langley City Council meeting of Mon., June 16, 2025 for the South Whidbey Record. Read the whole story.
The Langley City Council is considering a zoning change that could decrease the amount of commercial area in the Village by the Sea.
This week, the council reviewed a request from the owners of a Cascade Avenue property, who are asking for the zoning of their property and adjacent parcels to be changed from “central business” to “residential single-family 5000” as part of the city’s comprehensive plan update.
Meredith Penny, the city’s planning director, explained that honoring this request would remove 1.6 acres from the central business core and eliminate the potential for mixed-use development in this location, since central business zoning allows residential uses above ground-floor commercial.
The city’s citizen-led Planning Advisory Board suggested not moving forward with the rezoning request, a recommendation that city staff also supported.
They Said It
“I think my recommendation would still be to remain with central business because we know that we have to accommodate a fair amount of commercial development over the next 20 years and this is the more underdeveloped parcels that we have adjacent to our central business district,” Penny said.
Councilmember Chris Carlson said there is a shortage of commercial space, according to what he’s heard from the Langley Chamber of Commerce meetings.
Councilmember Rhonda Salerno suggested holding off on a decision and asked the planning director to come back with another proposal for neighborhood business zoning. Her motion passed unanimously.
On the Ballot in November 2025
| CITY OF LANGLEY |
|---|
| Councilmember, Position 1 Thomas E. Gill Incumbent Harolynne Bobis did not file to retain her seat |
| Councilmember, Position 2 Dominique Emerson Incumbent Rhonda Salerno did not file to retain her seat |
| Councilmember, Position 5 Savannah Erickson Incumbent Gail Fleming did not file to retain her seat |
