Auburn Downtown Plan & EIS Update

3/9/2023 UPDATE

Our project team has been busy developing draft future land use scenarios and analyzing existing (2022) and future No Action (2044) land use for the Auburn Downtown Plan. The No Action land use is based on current zoning within the downtown study area and accommodates a share of citywide growth in 2044 based on existing zoned capacity. The No Action scenario acts as a baseline to compare each the Action alternatives to. Action Alternatives are those land use scenarios where land use is changed to reflect higher household and employment density in downtown. "Alternative 3" - which represents a land use scenario with the highest reasonable zoned capacity changes can be seen below. While Action alternatives are being analyzed, a Preferred alternative has not been developed. The Preferred alternative will come after the public has a chance to review and respond to the draft Plan and EIS, later this spring. Additional information on the draft Plan and EIS will be available on this website as well as noticed throughout the community.

Draft Alternative 3 Land Use for the Auburn Downtown Plan

10/5/22 UPDATE

An invitation to comment and notice for the Auburn Downtown Plan Scoping period was published on September 5, 2022 for the Auburn Downtown Plan.

Agencies, affected tribes, and members of the public are invited to comment on the scope of the Auburn Downtown Plan and related project environmental impacts. You may comment on alternatives, mitigation measures, probable significant adverse impacts, and licenses or other approvals that may be required. Comments will be accepted on:

• Growth alternatives

• Mitigation measures

• Probably significant adverse impacts

For more information, please review the Scoping Handout and provide feedback by 5 PM on October 26, 2022.

The proposal is a non-project action to revise the Auburn Downtown Plan and pursue a Planned Action. The previous Auburn Downtown Plan & EIS was adopted in 2001 and have provided the framework for development of the City’s downtown for the past 20-years. The revised Auburn Downtown Plan is envisioned to supplement the existing plan by providing a refreshed perspective of the land use, development, and transportation options serving the downtown area.

7/25/22 UPDATE

The Auburn Downtown Plan update process is underway! This week we begin meeting with community members in a focus group setting to gather feedback on perspectives of our downtown. Feedback from these focus groups and from outreach events throughout the summer will assist the project team in developing a future vision for downtown. You can participate any time, online, by completing the survey on this page (Click Downtown Survey above).

About this Project

The Auburn Downtown Plan and Environmental Impact Study (EIS), first adopted in 2001, has provided direction for the development of the downtown area over the past 20 years. While this plan has been highly successful due to the dedication of time, financial commitments, and contributions from the community, we are now ready to plan for the next 20 years.

The City of Auburn was awarded a grant through the Washington State Department of Commerce proposes to refresh and rethink the existing Plan, and create a Planned Action Ordinance for the downtown area. This allows the City to incorporate changing conditions and characteristics, new community and staff visions for downtown, remain compliant with Regional Growth Center requirements, and build from 20 years of implementing the previous plan. Findings from this plan will be incorporated into the 2024 Periodic Comprehensive Plan, which is currently underway, and is due by December 2024.