The Complete Communities Coalition (CCC) is having a rally in support of housing density and a bolder Seattle growth plan at noon on April 6. We would love to see you at the rally, which is to be held on the steps of Seattle City Hall just before a public hearing on the topic.
More importantly than attending the rally, the coalition is urging people to sign up to give public comment to the council. Online public comment sign-up begins at 8:30 am, while in-person comments begin at 2 pm and sign-up closes at 6:30 pm, so if you can make it after work, please do! We encourage folks to arrive as early as possible, as the line to give public comment can get quite long quite quickly.
The Seattle City Council approved Phase 1 of the Comprehensive Plan late last year, which largely concerned the setting of boundaries of the 30 new neighborhood centers (you can read some of The Urbanist's previous coverage of the issue here).
Phase 2 will set the zoning parameters within those new growth centers, including specifics like building height limits, setbacks, and density bonuses.
Housing advocates are preparing to defend the height bonuses included in the plan (for things like affordable housing and tree retention) and to add additional bonuses for courtyards and using green building techniques, like mass timber or passive house construction.
Take a look at the City's proposed map, see how your neighborhood would be (or won’t be) impacted, and make a plan to give public comment. We’d love to see you at the rally for a public show of support. If you're looking for something specific to advocate for, the CCC recommends the following:
Phase 3, meanwhile, could potentially add nine additional neighborhood growth centers, after Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck led the charge to add them, leading to a supplemental study queuing them up. Housing advocates are also fighting to ensure the nine additional centers are indeed added, as many are in neighborhoods that were most resistant to upzoning earlier in the process.
Looking ahead to Phase 4 of the plan, the CCC is also fighting for broader transit corridor upzones to allow more opportunities for affordable housing and workforce housing citywide – and not just on noisy, polluted major roads. The coalition is urging the City to upzone to allow multifamily housing within a five-minute walk of frequent bus routes, which is much broader than the current plan.
Outside the designated growth centers, the initial plan proposed upzones for only the half block along transit corridors, after a broader proposal was cut back by the Harrell administration. The result is a woefully inadequate attempt at a citywide transit-oriented development policy. Luckily, Mayor Katie Wilson pledged to go further on the campaign trail and followed up with a proposal to widen those transit corridor upzones once an environmental study is complete.
If you're feeling unsure of how to give public comment, the CCC is running a training on March 31st. Sign up here. It's a great chance to prepare some speaking notes ahead of the big hearing on April 6th!
April 6th Rally and Public Comment at Seattle City Hall
What: Rally in support of housing in Phase 2 of the Seattle Comprehensive Plan. After the rally, we will be signing up to give public comment in person. Online public comment begins earlier in the day, and in-person public comment sign-up is open until 6:30 pm.
When: 8:30 am online comment signup, 2 pm - 6:30 pm in-person public comment.
Where: Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
RSVP: RSVP to the rally or sign up for online comment
Doug Trumm
Diego Batres
