Council’s 106 amendments include gems and clunkers.
Seattle’s long saga of passing its state-required, once-per-decade major update to its Comprehensive Plan is nearing its end. But first, one more public hearing will be held this Friday for residents to air their grievances or do their cheerleading.
The Seattle City Council has put forward a total of 106 amendments. As past Urbanist coverage noted, these amendments run the gambit from pro-housing and helpful to obstructionist and clunky.
For those that just want to cut to the case, here is a cheat seat for amendments to support and to oppose:
SUPPORT AMENDMENTS
- RINCK – 1, 2, 7, 17, 34, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 66, 69, 72, 76, 84, 95, 98
- STRAUSS – 5, 6, 8, 25, 29, 30, 33, 42-C, 43, 46-A, 47, 48-C, 49-C, 64, 73, 92
- SAKA – 11, 13, 23, 36, 77
- HOLLINGSWORTH – 19, 68, 78, 79, 80, 107, 108, 109
- NELSON – 52, 60, 63, 65, 74, 86, 89, 91
- KETTLE – 50, 61, 70, 90, 94, 96
- SOLOMON – 83
OPPOSE AMENDMENTS
- SAKA – 35, 37,
- HOLLINGSWORTH – 38
- RIVERA – 39, 40, 41, 81 93, 102
- KETTLE – 51, 97
As a member of Complete Communities Coalition on the advocacy side of our organization, The Urbanist is supporting a package of coalition-backed amendments promoting additional housing opportunities.
As coalition partner Futurewise (a nonprofit dedicated to land use advocacy) put it, the coalition wants “More homes, of more types, in more places, for more people!”
Jazmine Smith, Director of Local Advocacy at Futurewise and Co-Chair of Complete Communities Coalition, outlined six amendments that the pro-housing coalition is focusing on. (Smith serves on The Urbanist’s board and also co-chairs The Urbanist Elections Committee.) Council President Sara Nelson and Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck are carrying the legislation:
- Amendment 34: Eight new neighborhood centers in Broadview, South Wedgwood, Loyal Heights, Gasworks, Nickerson, Roanoke, Dawson, and Alki.
- Amendments 60 & 63: Affordable housing density bonuses (citywide and in low rise zones).
- Amendment 86: Eliminating parking mandates near frequent transit.
- Amendment 89: Allowing all residential lots to use the stacked flat bonus, and increasing the bonus.
- Amendment 91: Establishing a trees and density stacked flat bonus that would boost height limits on stacked-flat style homes to retain trees or have a higher Green Factor.
Complete Communities Coalition leaders partnered with Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck to lead a tour of the eight proposed neighborhood center additions to the plan.
