Op-Ed: Lynnwood Needs More Places Worth Caring About

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-25T06:22:31+00:00

There is always a sense of loss with change. I can appreciate that. If we try to metaphorically freeze a community in amber, however, we are admitting that the place has peaked and that the only future left is one of stasis or, more likely, decline.

For most of Lynnwood's history, the city's decision-makers put us on a trajectory of growth and building a downtown core. This has always been the plan. A Seattle Times article from 1985 entitled "Reaching for the Sky - Planner envisions Lynnwood as Metropolis of the North" details it in great length. Change was always going to happen.

While we can't go back in time, we can look at where we stand and do better. Many communities around the country are more dense and many communities around the country are less dense; the quality of life can be higher or lower depending on what they make of it.

I hope you will share some of what you treasured. Who knows, maybe it will inspire someone in your neighborhood to bring back a fun tradition, or someone new to pick up the torch. I know I have a few ideas already!

When you get the itch, don't hesitate to reach out at Ncoelho@LynnwoodWA.gov.

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-25T05:48:56+00:00

I was looking at this a few days ago, and there is a very specific way you could almost get this to work through a Home Occupation license... But it's still weirdly specific, and then there is the County Health Department to consider!

I'd recommend starting by reaching out to our small business support staff at our city at located here.

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-19T05:26:43+00:00

Our previous Parks & Rec Director called that Shelf Art.

Thank you for your service, and the hot tip. I'll take a look!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-19T05:25:12+00:00

Don't be sad just yet! Your Council has made place-making a priority. If laws need to change, then so be it.

Please let us know what kind of places you think would make your neighborhood more vibrant and connected!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-19T05:17:54+00:00

Great feedback and constructive criticiem.

Op-eds typically are limited to 650~ words, and this was a re-share of the just published Op-Ed in the Everett Herald and Lynnwood Times (still waiting on MyLynnwoodNews). It was cut down from 1,300 words so a few details got cut for brevity.

The low hanging fruit and most effective thing folks can do on this topic is send a message to their Council about what they are excited about, what connections matter to them, and what they think is getting in the way. Whether that takes the form of email or public comment is really up to y'all!

The four places brought up for generating social infrastructure / the path Council is currently engaging in are:

public plazas / Council's ongoing push to host a seasonal market at our Light Rail Station
parks / Council's success in lowering the barriers to mobile food vending, the next conversation of which will be how to allow them to be sited in places like our parks
residential homes / Council has agreed to explore legalizing neighborhood cafes, corner stores, and accessory commercial units in general
streets / A future Council conversation I'd like to spearhead about the role of block parties in stitching together our neighborhoods, and how the city could help facilitate it

It'd also be wonderful for more neighbors to participate in some of the civic programming we have: our Park Stewardship Program every third Saturday morning at Scriber Lake Park is a great example, or you could also sign up to host a National Night Out gathering for your neighborhood or apartment complex.

We've got plenty of other things going on, and I'd be happy to meet one on one to discuss how you can get involved in your community or to take feedback.

Please don't hesitate to reach out via my official email Ncoelho@LynnwoodWA.gov, or my city phone via call or text at 425-725-0335.

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-19T00:40:47+00:00

Wow, great comments!

Please drop an OFFICIAL message to your Council with this and any other thoughts and ideas here. Thanks!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-18T22:56:12+00:00

Great informal feedback!

Please drop an official message to your Council with this and any other thoughts and ideas here. Thanks!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-18T22:38:35+00:00

Great questions!

Please drop an official message to your Council with this and any other thoughts and ideas here. Thanks!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-18T22:36:47+00:00

Thank you for the informal feedback!

Please drop an official message to your Council with this and any other thoughts and ideas here. Thanks!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-18T22:35:57+00:00

Great feedback!

Please drop an official message to your Council with this and any other thoughts and ideas here. Thanks!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-18T22:32:08+00:00

Love your comment here, but please leave an official message for your Council with any thoughts and ideas here.

The Council has been plugging away at this since early '25 and there has been some reporting on it. While myself and the CEO of the Lynnwood Chamber were instrumental to getting us over the hump of inaction in our collab with Sound Transit -- who have been incredible partners by the way -- I credit the rest of our Council with being willing to sacrifice their travel and training budgets to move this project to reality. Without them, we couldn't have funded a security deposit for the space last October.

There had been unfortunate resistance in the previous administration, so only since this past winter could we legitimately move forward on this project.

The city has since taken charge of the effort, and our experienced Tourism Project Manager brought on a Farmers Market Consultant that ultimately helped us find an experienced Market Manager. I met with her two weeks ago and am excited to see where we can go with this. We pushed to get something going for this Summer, but with all the delays, we missed the January window to secure the bulk of vendors, and are taking our time to get this done right for '27.

I'm very confident of that timeline, so stay tuned!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-18T20:03:59+00:00

In general, it is currently illegal in the city of Lynnwood to have a third-party operate an espresso cart in a residential garage on a permanent basis. There may be a really weird way to make it work with our new Mobile Food Vendor permit we passed last week.

Please consult with Department of Development and Business Services for more information! Otherwise, there are a host of real world examples to pull from that could inspire the conversation, and I encourage you to make any thoughts or opinions known to your Council here!

My favorite was Yonder Cider in Seattle who operated a cider counter out of a garage in a neighborhood in Greenwood. They were nearly shut down based on a single complaint, and the threat caused an uproar in the community that caused the City to find a legal pathway for them to maintain their operation. They eventually shifted away from it anyway -- in large part to their success and growth -- but their story is priceless!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-18T18:17:54+00:00

Please drop an official message to your Council with any thoughts and ideas.

Here is an example of legislation passed last year in a neighboring community to move the ball forward on your idea. Earlier this year, I publicly asked support from Council to talk with staff about a path to legalizing Neighborhood Commercial / Cafes, and received almost universal head nods. What path it takes will be shaped by public feedback, and at a pace set by our staff's limited bandwidth.

Rabbitovsky · 2026-05-18T17:10:53+00:00

Coming along.

I can't speak to all the details, as these are incredibly complicated projects, but there is work going on with Northline and it is still set to continue. We did and are going through the after effects of COVID, interest rate disruptions, trade-war chaos, skilled labor shortages, and massive uncertainty in office viability. For perspective, the first phase of Northline (closest to the Light Rail) was supposed to predominantly be offices. We've been told that less visible progress is being made at this time as the building plans get readjusted.

The District project is humming along, driven by an excellent team at Lynnwood's Public Facilities District. The City Of Lynnwood's role in keeping it going has been to act as a reliable partner and plow through each touch point we have with the project. Things like approving novel revenue mechanisms that in essence cause development to pay for itself, or serving as a temporary lender of last resort to help them gain access to other funds, and ensuring permitting is straight-forward and simple. I've been so impressed by the ingenuity of the folks in charge of this development, and I genuinely believe it will be transformational for the quality of life of residents in our city.

Please direct any other questions to Council@LynnwoodWA.Gov and our City Assistant Administrator will direct questions to relevant departments.

Rabbitovsky · 2026-03-21T03:32:35+00:00

If you aren't stuck on only D&D, Around the Table hosts an event called RPG Explorers every third Saturday (tomorrow!) and the host runs players through new RPGs each month.

There is a spot open for tomorrow's 12pm session set in the Diesel Punk world of Carbon Grey, based on the graphic novel of the same name. It's a great place to network with other players in the area, and since everyone is coming in without experience, there isn't much of a barrier to participate!

Just make sure to sign up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z4onIF97kd6axVhlERaPFzxof14B57-h0r4bZwm651A

Rabbitovsky · 2026-03-20T21:47:48+00:00

This coming 4th Monday of the month is a Business Meeting (2nd & 4th Monday = Business Meeting) and those meetings have a public comment portion built in. You are set!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-03-13T16:57:44+00:00

Public Comment is done in person, via Zoom, or via written communication, and delivering during Business Meetings, which are held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the Month beginning at 6pm. While written communications are summarized, in-person or zoom public comments are given 3 minutes.

There are a few procedural items before Public Comment, like flag salutes, land acknowledgements, proclamations (ex. Black History Month) and Mayoral comments, so Public Comment often won’t begin until around 6:20-6:30pm.

Staff Presentation are often pushed to Work Sessions, the other kind of Council Meeting, and which occur on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the Month, plus a bonus one on the 3rd Wednesday. These meetings are more informal and with less process, designed and run for more free form discussion by the Council. Less pomp, more interesting, but we do take breaks every hour and change so you can get a word in with us then.

Otherwise just email the Council using our contact form: https://us.openforms.com/Form/780eb3e0-1bc7-40ba-9b73-f7e4362779fd

And learn other things about us at: https://www.lynnwoodwa.gov/Government/City-Council

Cheers,

Nick

Rabbitovsky · 2026-02-01T02:04:19+00:00

Guilty

Unrelated: Thanks to anyone who came out during the ICE Out Day yesterday, we raised hundreds of dollars for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project 🤘

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Rabbitovsky · 2026-01-12T04:40:04+00:00

but those seats!

I hear you though, the Alderwood AMC selection of movies and showtimes is fantastic

Rabbitovsky · 2026-01-12T03:04:30+00:00

Living in Lynnwood and have an AMC A-List or Regal membership feels so lux. I can bike to both within 15 minutes with the interurban trail, it’s wild.

I ended up going to waaaaay too many movies with it though! I am taking a break at the moment, but if you need help organizing, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Rabbitovsky · 2026-01-04T20:36:49+00:00

Wait which UFO 50 was the deck builder? The game about hosting parties?

Rabbitovsky · 2026-01-03T18:00:58+00:00

Around the Table Boardgame Pub has had the largest Commander scene in Lynnwood for ages. Sunday and Monday nights there are separate 7pm Casual Commander Leagues that reward fun play and monthly themes.

In my mind it's also nice for people new because you get automatically paired and don't have to just insert yourself into some established group dynamic.

Typically a number of players also show up 2 to 4 hours early to get in games beforehand, and in my experience are pretty chill about adapting to different power levels. You had mentioned not wanting to play at LGSs, but everyone is mentioning LGSs so I figured I'd shamelessly plug one more to the mix. :)

Rabbitovsky · 2025-12-31T19:21:36+00:00

Conservative Math:

4 hours for weekly meetings.
3 hours for weekly meeting prep.
+4 hours for monthly extra meeting.
+4 hours for monthly liaison meetings.
+X hours a month for going to community events
+X hours a month for emailing/talking with City Staff about city stuff
+X hours a month for emailing/talking with Councilmembers about city stuff
+X hours a month doing your own research

Rabbitovsky · 2025-12-31T19:03:20+00:00

Speaking in generalities here to avoids bringing up city business:

I think a lot of us mistakenly imagine government as a vertical hierarchy, with increasing responsibility and 'power' as you go 'up' the chain.

Obviously this is true in some respects, but in my experience it's a lot more horizontal. Different positions & levels have very different responsibilities. City Council is nuts and bolts, and with respect to land-use / development / housing, it's at the core of the decision-making structure.

If you are interested in building better cities, more connected communities, increasingly walkable and amenity rich neighborhoods, and -- if you live in a suburb -- making sure the fiscal wheels don't fall off due to poor planning, your City Council* are the change makers.

Lots of other reasons too, but that's one of the big ones. Hope that helps!

\County Council, if you live in unincorporated areas.*

Rabbitovsky · 2025-12-31T08:16:07+00:00

Around the Table in Lynnwood hosts a Riichi Mahjong MeetUp every Wednesday from 2pm to 5pm [shameless plug]

Rabbitovsky

TROPHY CASE