Tacoma Turns to Builder Impact Fees to Bolster Transportation Funding
Tacoma's new impact fee regime, which goes into effect next summer, will charge developers based on expected generation of car trips. Despite work to delicately calibrate the new fees, the proposal still drew criticism when it comes to adding costs to needed housing development.
Council Committee Greenlights SoDo Housing Proposal Despite Strong Port Opposition
The 3-2 vote in committee sets up a final decision later this month, but the Port of Seattle is suggesting they may take legal action against the move.
Explainer: What’s an Environmental Impact Statement?
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) sounds like a highly technical and complex mechanism of governance. They take years, spiral into hundreds of pages with...
Shoreline Votes to Ditch Parking Mandates, Legalize Neighborhood Cafes and Stores
In approving a unanimous update to its Comprehensive Plan, the Shoreline City Council is set to go well beyond the minimum requirements of state law in pursuit of creating additional housing options and more vibrant neighborhoods.
Washington State Awards Rural Community Block Grants, Program Imperiled
On Monday, the Washington State Department of Commerce ("Commerce") announced awards of the 2017 Community Development Block Grants (CDBGs) to rural jurisdictions across the...
Wallingford Must Not Neglect Its Present or Its Future as It Celebrates the Past
An organization called Historic Wallingford is proposing to have a section of my home neighborhood encompassing more than 600 homes designated as an historic...
Pour One Out for the True Victims of the Housing Crisis: Single Family Homeowners
The Seattle Times Editorial Board weighed in on pending reform to increase backyard cottage and garage apartments in single family zones and it was...
Op-Ed: Making Seattle Neighborhoods More Accessible by Design
Four case studies show how Seattle's new middle housing zoning incentives align with demographic shifts to meet housing demand.