Corner stores and ACUs were on the March 3 Planning Commission agenda

What the records say

The March 3, 2026 Planning Commission agenda listed “Corner Stores and ACU's” as item 7A, with a staff memo and presentation attached. ¹ A staff memo dated February 24, 2026 said staff would present information on the corner store state bill — Washington House Bill 1175 — and its implications, and ask discussion questions on regulations for corner stores in Kenmore and compatibility in residential zones. ¹ The memo defines ACUs as small-scale commercial uses accessory to a primary residential use on the same lot, similar to accessory dwelling units. ¹ It says HB 1175 would require cities to allow corner stores in any zone allowing residential uses; as of February the bill had been approved by the House and was in committee before Senate consideration. ¹ The memo lists tentative next steps: continued discussions April 7 and May 19, a public hearing and recommendation July 7, and a Planning Commission recommendation to the City Council on July 27. ¹ The available records are pre-meeting materials and do not establish the outcome of the March 3 meeting. ¹

• The March 3, 2026 Planning Commission agenda listed “Corner Stores and ACU's” as item 7A, with a staff memo and presentation attached.
• ACUs are small-scale commercial uses accessory to a primary residential use on the same lot, similar to accessory dwelling units.
• Staff planned to present on HB 1175, which would require cities to allow corner stores in any zone allowing residential uses; as of February the bill had passed the House and was in committee.
• The Planning Commission had already held an initial discussion on corner stores and ACUs at its February 3 meeting, covering definitions, location, compatibility, and housing impacts.
• Tentative next steps included continued discussions April 7 and May 19, a public hearing and recommendation July 7, and a City Council presentation July 27 ¹.
• The available records do not establish the outcome of the March 3 meeting.

Why it matters

If HB 1175 passes, corner stores would be allowed in any zone allowing residential uses in Kenmore, which the memo says would make the majority of Kenmore mixed-use. ¹ That could affect where small shops, cafés, and convenience stores are allowed in residential neighborhoods. The March 3 discussion was the Planning Commission's opportunity to weigh regulations such as maximum size, operating hours, parking, height, and setbacks. ¹

What changed / what's next

• No zoning rule change is documented in the records; the March 3 item was a scheduled discussion. The records establish the topic, the state bill context, and the tentative timeline, but not the meeting's outcome. ¹
• The outcome of the March 3 discussion is not established by the available records; follow-up materials would be needed to learn what the Commission decided. ¹
• The status of HB 1175 in the state legislature, and whether the tentative April 7, May 19, July 7, and July 27 dates hold, would determine what change, if any, comes of the corner-store discussion. ¹