Former crime-ridden Everett motel to be converted into townhomes

EVERETT, Wash. – The site of one of Everett's most crime-ridden and problematic hotels is finally being rezoned to allow for the construction of new townhomes.

By a 5-1 vote, the Everett City Council voted to rezone the former Waits Motel site at 1311 Lombard Avenue.

Everett lawmakers said the decision to transform this property is notable, especially given the Waits Motel's troubled history.

According to public records from the city of Everett, there were a total of 147 emergency calls from the hotel's location in 2022 alone. At a 2023 City Council meeting, neighbors spoke of observing rampant criminal activity on the site, including sex crimes, outdoor drug use and illegal dumping. Additionally, a neighbor testified that she was uncomfortable letting her children play in her yard because crime was so rampant on the Waits property.

With complaints mounting, the city of Everett decided to purchase the property in January 2024 for $1.85 million, according to public records.

Now that they have approved the rezoning of the site, Everett lawmakers will next decide to sell the land to the highest bidder, who will then be hired to build townhomes on the land.

The resolution requires the new property owners to build between 14 and 16 townhouses, with each building resembling “the character of the existing neighborhood,” according to the city. Additionally, each townhouse would have a maximum size of three stories.

“It would be wonderful if we had homeowners living there,” said Nancy Hecht, a longtime neighbor of the site.