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HALA

SCALE Thwarted Again in Latest Appeal of MHA Rezones

Last week, the Growth Management Hearings Board issued a ruling denying an appeal of recent zoning changes brought by a coalition of homeowner groups that call themselves the Seattle Coalition for Affordability, Livability, and Equity (SCALE). With the ruling, Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) upzones will stay in force in the

Mayor Durkan Signs into Law Mandatory Housing Affordability Rezoning 27 Urban Villages

The bills’ signage marks the end of a long fight by housing advocates to get affordability requirements enshrined in Seattle law. Before a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, Mayor Jenny Durkan signed legislation authorizing ā€œcitywideā€ implementation of Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) into law yesterday March 20th, 2019. MHA changes zoning laws

MHA Has Advanced to the Finish Line

Affordable housing advocates should set their sights on what comes next. Citywide Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) legislation passed 8-0 out of the select committee earlier this week, signifying that the legislation will likely be approved by a full council vote on March 18th. Nearly all of the proposed amendments that

ā€˜Tech Trash’ versus NIMBYs: Final MHA Hearing Lays Bare Seattle’s Generational Divide

The final public hearing on citywide implementation of Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) was long and contentious. Hundreds of speakers waited for hours to present their two-minute testimony on legislation that would increase upzones in exchange for affordable housing creation–6,000 affordable homes are projected the first decade alone. At

Council Must Be Bold for Affordable Homes

Seattle for Everyone is a broad coalition of affordable housing developers, for-profit developers and businesses, labor and social justice advocates, environmentalists and urbanists, all united to build an equitable, thriving, and inclusive Seattle. The Seattle for Everyone coalition was built on a foundation of support for Housing Affordability and Livability

Amending Aurora Zoning

Cities grow organically, by trial and error, sometimes with calculated assumptions made by planning experts.Ā The Urban Village Strategy of the mid-1990s is one of those success stories providing added housing and increased diversity. Seattle is in the process of a new calculated assumption, requiring all development provide or pay

Council Weighs Amendments to ā€˜Citywide’ MHA Rezone Legislation

Last Monday, the Seattle City Council took up discussion on citywide Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) rezones at the Select Committee. While the rezones will primarily target existing commercial and multifamily areas, single-family zones in urban villages would also be rezoned to increase development capacity and require affordable housing contributions from

City Council Allows Taller Wood Buildings, Reforms Street Vacation Process and Advances Waterfront LID

On Monday, the Seattle City Council approved several actions related to land use and public space. These included revisions to the Seattle Building Code to allow taller wood-frame structures, reform of the right-of-way vacation process, and moving the establishment process for a new Waterfront Seattle local improvement district (LID) forward.

Frequent Transit Nodes and What They Mean for Urban Village Expansions

Ten urban villages’ boundaries are expanding in the latest batch of Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) rezones, but by the city’s own logic many more should expand soon. The city justifies its urban village boundary expansions with proximity to frequent transit nodes, and many more nodes are popping

Call to Action: Attend MHA Public Hearing Monday in Wedgwood

On Monday, the City of Seattle is kicking off the public hearing process for the citywide Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) rezones at Eckstein Middle School in Wedgwood. The citywide rezones would apply to all urban villages and multifamily zoned land in Seattle, adding one or more stories of buildable height

2018: Goals, Obstacles, and Resolutions

Seattle has ambitious plans for 2018. Taking MHA Citywide… Can We Expand It to Single Family? The Seattle City Council plans to expand the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program taking inclusionary zoning citywide, at least in land zoned multifamily and commercial. That the MHA program wouldn’t apply to single-family

EIS Scoping Report for Backyard Cottages in Seattle Released

On Monday, a scoping report on reforming backyard cottage (also known as ā€œaccessory dwelling unitsā€ or ā€œADUsā€) regulations in Seattle was released. The scoping report summarizes the feedback that the city received and how the city intends to respond through development of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Draft

Homeowner Group Coalition Sues to Block MHA Rezone

A coalition of 24 neighborhood groups announced an appeal of the City of Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) rezone plan. The alliance calls itself the Seattle Coalition for Affordability, Livability, and Equity (SCALE) and threw a litany of complaints at the proposal, claiming the status quo would be better

MHA Preferred Alternative Shies Away From Highrise

The Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) released its preferred alternative for the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) zoning changes earlier this month. Much was made of difference between Draft Alternative 2 and Alternative 3–which had a displacement analysis–but, for the most part, the preferred alternative sticks to

City Council Passes Tax on Vacation Rentals Like Airbnb

Seattle will tax short-term vacation rentals like Airbnb. But a formal regulatory framework for them still remains uncharted. On Monday, the Seattle City Council delayed action on formal operating regulations (Council BillĀ 119081) for short-term vacation rentals that would establish health and safety standards, insurance requirements, and limit the number

OPCD Releases Final MHA EIS and Zoning Maps

The Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) document today. Mayor Tim Burgess officially released the FEIS at a noon event at Broadway Hill Park. The final urban village maps with explanations of the decisions are viewable starting around page 113 of

Submit ADU Comment Before New November 16 Deadline

The City of Seattle should leverage the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) environmental impact statement (EIS) to begin planning for broader changes outside Seattle’s urban villages. As long as we are taking the better part of a year to study parking and tree canopy, we should craft the EIS study

Map of the Week: The High Cost of Single Family Housing

Sightline’s Margaret Morales published a great piece yesterday using housing data to show that multi-family housing helps make Seattle neighborhoods more affordable. Detached single-family zoning, on the other hand, leads to a more expensive housing getting built or remodeled. Proponents of detached single-family zoning sometimes point to anecdotal data

Statement On The Seattle Fair Growth Interview

I should probably introduce myself. I’m Doug Trumm: Seattle Renter, Fair-Weather Bicyclist, Committed Urbanist. I recently agreed to serve as the Publication Director of The Urbanist, taking over for my esteemed and equally unpaid colleague Stephen Fesler, who remains on as a Senior Editor and frequent writer. As someone

Seattle Fair Growth: An Interview, Part 2 – Housing Debate

Introduction With the goal of bridging the political divide and challenging my own assumptions, I sat down with Sarajane Siegfriedt (SS) and Jon Lisbin (JL) from Seattle Fair Growth, a group of neighborhood advocates who believe that the HALA grand bargain is ā€œdeterioratingā€ our cityĀ ā€œfrom unrestrained development.ā€ Nonetheless, they

Seattle Fair Growth: An Interview, Part 1

Introduction In an age of rising political polarization, it can be tough to find common ground with those whom we disagree. To break through the social and political divide, I have found it useful to ask a simple question: what do my opponents get right? An uncomfortable question, to be

Broaden the Boom: How to Rezone Single-Family Seattle

The early consensus among Seattle mayoral candidates around adding housing options in single-family residential zones excited urbanists and those looking to expand affordable housing opportunities. The six leading mayoral candidates said they’d support missing middle housing types in single-family residential zones across the city–or at least pledges to

Council Signs Off On CID Rezone & Tackles Tower Spacing

On Monday, the Seattle City Council passed significant legislation affecting Downtown zones. Most areas of Chinatown-International District received a comprehensive rezone increasing building heights and allowed floor area. A supplementary resolution to the Chinatown-International District passed, providing additional guidance and intent for the neighborhood following the rezone. A new incentive

City Council Passes Central Area Rezones

On Monday, the Seattle City Council had a full agenda of rezones cross the dais. These included three separate district rezones in the Central Area, a site-specific contract rezone at 24th Ave and E Union St, and minor zoning amendments to two areas of Belltown. The City Council also adopted

Four Exciting Urbanist Data Points From Seattle’s MHA Study

The City released a large study about implementing Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) in all of the city’s urban villages, some urban centers, and many other commercial and multi-family residential areas outside of them. The study provides three alternatives, one of which is no change (legally required under the Environmental

Draft Environmental Impact Statement Shows Big Possibilities for MHA Rezones

The Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the zoning changes its proposing in urban villages as well as commercial and multi-family residential areas outside of them across Seattle and which would implement the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program. Moving ahead

Seattle Developers Opting In To Recent MHA Rezones

Seattle recently rezoned large swaths of Downtown and South Lake UnionĀ and the University District in the hopes of increasing development capacity for new development and delivering affordable housing. The rezones were paired with Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) requirements giving a choice to developers to build affordable units or pay

Affordable Housing Week Looks At Transit-Oriented Development

This week is affordable housing week in Seattle. There are events scheduled through next Monday, including tours, discussions, and workshops. Yesterday’s affordable housing event included a tour of the Mercy Othello Plaza development and a panel discussion about the intersection of transit-oriented development and affordable housing. The event started

Resurrected: Seattle’s Short-Term Vacation Rental Legislation

Councilmember Tim Burgess is resurrecting legislation that would regulate short-term vacation rentals in Seattle. The primary goal of the legislation is to address the housing affordability impacts that short-term vacation rental services likeĀ Airbnb and VRBOĀ can have on neighborhoods, particularly by large-scale commercial operators.Ā Other goals of the legislation

PLUZ Talks Amendments To Downtown And South Lake Union Rezone

Later this month, the Seattle City Council will take up a vote on the Downtown and South Lake Union rezones, which would help further unlock the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program and increase development capacity in the city. Councilmembers made some key decisions at the March 21st meeting of the

Dudley Do Wrong: Build We Must

Once in awhile an ideaĀ so dumb comes along it’s like a supernova. You need to look away lest you blind yourself andĀ zap every last brain cell with it’s mind-numbing power. Normally a supernova is a rare event, but I feel that way just about every time

Uptown Urban Design Framework Emerges From Final EIS

Bigger buildings and thousands of new residents and jobs could be headed to Uptown in the coming years, depending on the outcome of an urban design frameworkĀ moving into its final stages. The Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) released a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) last week to

How Housing Markets Aren’t Like Musical Chairs

That The Urbanist disagrees with SightlineĀ Institute about Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program is hardly news. I’ll try not to beat a dead horse. The latest piece from Sightline’s Dan Bertolet presents his ā€œstatic pro formaā€ numbers in the low-rise zones. Bertolet’sĀ long-runningĀ argumentĀ that

PLUZ Considers Refinements To The Downtown/SLU Rezones

The rezone proposals for Downtown Seattle and South Lake Union (SLU) could be getting a handful of refinements. The Seattle Planning, Land Use, and Zoning (PLUZ) CommitteeĀ will take up discussion on the proposal and possible amendments to it. The PLUZ Committee could also take votes on amendments and the

Roosevelt Community Feedback On Draft MHA Rezones

InĀ early December last year, community members of the Roosevelt neighborhood met for a community workshop to discuss theĀ draft Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) rezones for Roosevelt, a part of the city-wide Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA). The community workshop was intensely focused on the Roosevelt neighborhood itself looking

Call To Action: Support The Downtown/SLU Rezones On Monday

The first public hearing on the Downtown/South Lake Union Rezone is 6pm Monday (March 13th) at City Hall, and weĀ encourage youĀ to testify. Show up early to reserve a speaking slot. If you can’t attend, call or email your councilmembers. Urbanists have been doing a better job

Downtown/South Lake Union Rezones: Five Key Takeaways

The process for Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) rezones in Downtown and South Lake Union kicked off last week with a briefing before Seattle’s Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee. The rezones would increase overall development capacity in many Downtown and South Lake Union zones by bumping up maximum building

Make Your Voice Heard On HALA Consider.It

Do you want to see something sad? According to a slide prepared for a meeting of largely anti-HALA (Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda) people, theĀ HALA.consider.it site was largely dominated (as of last month) by voices opposing changes that will allow more affordable housing. Do you want to

9-0: City Council Passes U District Rezone Unlocking MHA

New high-rises could be on the way for the University District (U District) for the first time since the 1970’s. In a significant unanimous vote yesterday, the Seattle City Council approved a neighborhood-wide rezone that could allow buildings as tall as 320 feet–at least in one pocket. Most

Call To Action: Support The U District Rezone

A five-year process could finally be coming to fruition TuesdayĀ as the Seattle City Council votes on the University District Rezone and Urban Design ProposalĀ at its 2pm meeting. Passing the rezone would finally take Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) to a neighborhood-wide scale and give a serious boost to affordable

U District Zoning And Development Regulations Could Get An Overhaul

The University District rezone and urban design framework may finally become reality–in part. Legislation to rezone and update development regulations throughout much of the University District could be passed at full Council tomorrow. Earlier this month at a planning committee meeting, seven of the city’s nine councilmembers were

Seattle Takes A Conservative Legal Approach To Inclusionary Zoning

Editor’s Note: This article is largely informed by a comprehensive look at the legality of inclusionary zoning by Josephine Ennis which can be found here.Ā  The legality of Seattle’s inclusionary zoning program continues to be questioned by a small, well-funded group of people. The complexities of land use

Mitigating Displacement: The Edith Macefield Story

Those who oppose development in Seattle have no greater symbol than the so-called ā€œUp Houseā€ in Ballard where Edith Macefield held out against the developer who brought Trader Joe’s and LA Fitness to the neighborhood enveloping her home on three sides. You can listen to her story on this

Misleading Sightline Articles Undermine Inclusionary Zoning Effort

Seattle is pursuing an inclusionary zoning policy called Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA), similar to successful programs in over 500 municipalities, including Redmond and Federal Way. However, it’s not without critics. Dan Bertolet, the lead housing writer at Sightline, is one of those critics. He recently wrote two harsh articles

City-Wide MHA Rezone Draft EIS Pushed Back To Late Spring

Earlier this afternoon, Councilmember Lisa Herbold (D-1) broke the news that Seattle’s proposed Mandatory Housing Affordability rezones will be pushed back by another two months.Ā In a newsletter to constituents, Councilmember Herbold said that primary driving factor is environmental review. The Office of Planning and Community Development must develop

PLUZ Committee To Take Up U District Rezone Discussion On Thursday

The University District rezone and urban design process has come a long way. Tomorrow (January 19th), the Planning, Land Use, and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee will take up further discussion on the overall proposal and specific amendments targeted to deal with commercial and residential affordability, urban design, additional development capacity proposals,

Seattle Times Indulges He Said, She Said Displacement Analysis

In an article last week,Ā Daniel Beekman of The Seattle TimesĀ outlined two competing estimates of potential displacement due to the upcoming University District rezone. The first was a thorough, honest analysis generated by the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD). The second was a survey tallying the number

Seattle’s 2016 News In Review

Author’s Note: So many big things happened in 2016, I neglected to mention theĀ U Link extension, which brought light rail service to Capitol Hill and Husky Stadium in March. Too important of a story to miss considering how much it’s improved mobility to and from those areas!

A First Look At The Downtown And South Lake Union MHA Rezones

Proposed zoning changes for Downtown Seattle, South Lake Union, and a sliver of the International District are headed to the Seattle City Council. Later today, legislation for the proposed rezones and corresponding development regulation changes are scheduled to be referred to the Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee for review

Mayor Submits MHA-C Tweaks

Further amendments to Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program could be on the way. Mayor Ed Murray transmitted a package of changes to bring commercial (MHA-C) requirements in line with Council-adopted policies for residential (MHA-R) this past summer. The two arms of the program were adopted separately with MHA-C

Map of the Week: Seattle’s Interactive MHA Rezone Map

The Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) has launched an interactive mapĀ to see where each draft Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) rezone is proposed. The MHA rezones would increase development capacity across commercial, mixed-use, multi-family residential, and some single-family residential areas in the city by allowing additionalĀ building

Community Investments In A Growing University District

The University District is increasingly becoming a beneficiary of significant public and non-profit investments. In releasing the updated neighborhood rezone and urban design proposal two weeks ago, the Office of Planning and Community Development published an appendix to highlight neighborhood investment commitments. At the top of the list are: * A

Mayor Ed Murray Talked HALA Live On Facebook

Yesterday, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray held a live FacebookĀ video chat with the public on the his Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda initiative. Over the course of 23 minutes, the Mayor got very wonky on housing and land use policy talkingĀ about microhousing, mandatory housing affordability, urban villages, displacement, scale

Join Mayor Ed Murray For HALA Q&A Today

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray will be hosting a live Q&A on affordable housing this morning. Tune into Facebook (event linked) at 10.45am to get answers to your burning questions on the Mayor’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA). The Mayor will give an update on the

MHA Draft Rezone Maps For All Urban Villages Are Out

We analyzed the five maps the City of Seattle released last month: Aurora-Licton Springs, Capitol Hill, Crown Hill, Othello, and South Park. We also delved into the U District RezoneĀ this week which will be one of the first rezones on the docket and have the most ambitious changes. Now