Highway Lids, Design Review Waivers for Affordable Housing, Continuing Streateries, and Easing Food Truck Restrictions
In its final full meeting of 2022, the Seattle City Council passed a series of measures that could go far in making the city more habitable, affordable, and lively. Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6) received some well earned plaudits from colleagues and speakers for his work marshaling several diverse issues through the council, each appearing to improve deeply technical corners of Seattle’s immense land use code. Here is a roundup of the local legislative branch’s end-of-year land use moves.
Lids are now part of the comp plan
Highway lids are now clearly a part of the city’s blueprint for growth, as the council passed a series of amendments to the city’s Comprehensive Plan that commit to expanding their use. As Strauss stated in his opening comments, the facilities “reconnect neighborhoods that were separated with these freeways and provide space for public housing and for-profit developments and amenities.”
These platforms crossing major thoroughfares raise the hope that the rolling asphalt scars through the center of the city can be covered with something useful. Indeed, that is already happening with the Convention Center expansion, as was pointed out on Twitter by Councilmember Andrew Lewis (District 7). The amendments passed by an 8-1 vote.
