Downtown Kent is staring down a potential zoning shakeup as the city rolls out a draft ReDiscover Downtown plan and opens a formal public review window. The proposal heads to the Land Use and Planning Board for a July 27 hearing and would revisit the existing downtown subarea plan, extend the study area across State Route 167, and update zoning along Central Avenue and East Smith Street. Property owners who file permit applications before September 17, 2026 will be able to vest to current development regulations, and the city is accepting written, emailed and in‑person comments ahead of the hearing.
Help shape the future of Downtown Kent! The ReDiscover Downtown Kent Plan will guide future growth, investment, and improvements in the heart of our city. Before the plan is finalized, we want to hear from you. Share your feedback. https://x.com/i/status/2075704644836143243
— City of Kent (@cityofkent) July 10, 2026
Why the Plan Matters
According to the Puget Sound Regional Council, Downtown Kent is a designated Regional Growth Center, a label that ties the city’s subarea plans to regional growth goals and to eligibility for certain planning and transportation resources. The ReDiscover Downtown effort is intended to align downtown policy with those regional expectations and with Kent’s longer‑range planning for housing and jobs.
Draft Details and How to Comment
The City of Kent notes that the study area for the plan stretches from Kennebeck Ave S to 64 Ave S, and that it plans to update the zoning map for properties along Central Avenue and East Smith Street to implement the plan’s recommendations. Comments can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to Long Range Planning, Economic & Community Department, City of Kent, 220 4th Avenue S, Kent, WA 98032. All written comments submitted by 4:00 PM on July 27 will be part of the official record, and the Land Use and Planning Board public hearing is scheduled for 6:00 PM that evening in City Council Chambers.
For questions about the proposal, the planning contacts listed by the City of Kent are De'Jai Mitchell, Caroline Eckel and Kristen Holdsworth. The city also states that permit applications submitted before September 17, 2026 are vested to current development rules.
What This Could Mean for Downtown
The draft lays out strategies for housing, infill and a more walkable, transit‑oriented downtown, with potential changes to allowed uses, heights and development standards on parcels that are rezoned. A criteria report from the Puget Sound Regional Council recommended that Kent finalize and adopt a certified subarea plan to maintain its Regional Growth Center certification and access to regional funding, and asked the city to complete and adopt that subarea plan by June 30, 2026.
The comment window closes at 4:00 PM on July 27, and the Land Use and Planning Board hearing that evening is the next formal step before the ReDiscover Downtown plan moves toward adoption. Materials and the full draft are available on the city’s project page, and the city says the meeting agenda will be posted on the Meeting Center the Friday before the hearing.
