Daily Plan It Office of Planning & Community Development

The Daily Plan It Blog

A OPCD Blog

In a Significant Step toward Creating A More Affordable Seattle, Mayor Durkan Signs Mandatory Housing Affordability into Law

by

Joined by affordable housing advocates and other community members, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan signed into law the ordinance to implement Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) in Seattle’s 27 urban villages and all other commercial and multifamily residential areas.

“Today, Seattle took another step toward more affordable housing choices and a more affordable, welcoming city for all,” said Mayor Durkan. “We need more affordable housing as quickly as possible because too many people are being priced out of our city. We want a city where people who work in Seattle can afford to live and raise a family in Seattle. This legislation is one way we can build a more affordable future for all. Even as we celebrate this step, we have a lot of work to do to make Seattle more affordable and build more affordable housing options. We must listen to community and continue our investments in our housing levy, renew the Multi-Family Tax Exemption program, invest in parks and green spaces, and continue to have critical investment from our state, regional, and federal partners. Working with community members, business, labor, and City Council, in 2019 we must double down on our commitment to building more affordable housing as quickly as possible.”

“MHA has been shaped by years of community input and engagement. For three years running, my days have been filled with discussing how to reach our goal of creating more units of housing in the next decade. As such, I view MHA as one of the primary strategies to create more affordable housing, as well as address the legacy of ‘redlining’.  And today’s vote is an exclamation point on our recognition of its impact on housing inequality for all Seattleites,” said Councilmember Rob Johnson (District 4, Northeast Seattle)

On Monday, after more than a year of Council meetings and public hearings, the City Council unanimously approved implementing MHA’s affordable housing requirements citywide. The ordinance will generate an estimated 3,000 new affordable homes over 10 years, doubling the number of anticipated new affordable homes created through the 2017 implementation on new developments in the University District, Downtown, South Lake Union, Chinatown-International District, along 23rd Ave in the Central Area, and Uptown, helping the City to meet the 10-year goal of 6,000 new affordable homes generated by MHA.

Today over 45,000 Seattle households spend more than half of their income on housing. Under MHA, the cost of a rent-restricted two-bedroom apartment for a family of four earning $60,200 would be $1,353. For an individual making less than $42,150, a one-bedroom would cost $1,128.

[Read more…]

Share Button

City Selects I-5 Lid Feasibility Study Consultant Team

by

The Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) has selected a consultant team led by WSP, a global engineering firm with extensive local experience, for a feasibility study to explore opportunities for further lidding Interstate 5 between Denny Way and Madison Street in downtown Seattle. The WSP team also includes the local and national firms of Shiels Obletz Johnsen, OJB Landscape Architecture, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, BergerABAM, Rule Seven, Framework, HR&A Advisors and Enviroissues.

The I-5 Lid Feasibility Study will evaluate potential lidding options through a range of technical, economic, financial and social equity analyses to help inform next step recommendations and an implementation strategy, including funding strategies as well as long-term operations. Funds for the $1.2 million study come from an $83 million public benefit package associated with the expansion of the Washington State Convention Center. A stakeholder committee will advise the City and the consultant team, and the City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods will assist with additional community outreach. The study is anticipated to be complete by early 2020.

“While we rely on Interstate 5 as a primary transportation spine for our city and region, it comes at a cost. The feasibility study is a key next step toward creating new lids across I-5 that can help reconnect our neighborhoods, reduce air and noise pollution impacts, and create new opportunities for public space, housing and other uses in the most built-out part of Seattle,” said Sam Assefa, Director of OPCD, which is leading the study effort in collaboration with other key agencies, including the Seattle and Washington State Departments of Transportation. “We are excited to have such a well-qualified team leading this effort, and look forward to getting the process underway in the coming weeks.”

Additional information about the study process and scope can be found on Lid I-5 website.

For questions, contact OPCD’s Project Manager, Lyle Bicknell, lyle.bicknell@seattle.gov.

Share Button

To Create a More Affordable, Inclusive Seattle and Help Longtime Residents Remain in the City, Mayor Durkan Signs Executive Order Addressing Displacement

by

Joined by community members and anti-displacement advocates at Hirabayashi Place in the Chinatown/International District, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan signed an Executive Order to help create a more affordable Seattle, combat residential displacement in neighborhoods across Seattle, and create more affordable low- and middle-income housing. Read the full Executive Order here.

“To help create a city of the future, we must work together to protect against gentrification and displacement and make it possible for families to stay in Seattle,” said Mayor Durkan. “As Seattle has grown, we have seen far too many communities of color pushed out of their homes in Rainier Beach, the Central District, Beacon Hill, and Chinatown-International District. With this Executive Order, we are refocusing our work on strategies to prevent displacement and gentrification. It begins with community, and we will continue our work together to develop a holistic response so we can make a more affordable future real for families across Seattle.”

The City has continued its commitment to increasing affordable housing across Seattle, including in neighborhoods at high risk of displacement, leveraging more than $710 million in total funding over the last two years. Overall, investments in affordable housing will create 3,600 new affordable homes by 2022. The City Council is expected to pass, and the City will continue implementation of Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA), an additional tool to create affordable housing over the next 10 years.*

While the City will continue its efforts to build more affordable housing, the Executive Order directs City departments to develop and implement strategies to further affordability and mitigate residential displacement, particularly in neighborhoods with communities at high risk of displacement. The Executive Order focuses on four key areas:

[Read more…]

Share Button

NE 130th and 145th Station Area Planning Open House Event, March 13!

by

Over the next 12 years, faster and more frequent transit service is coming to North Seattle with the Sound Transit light rail system expansion. The NE 130th & 145th Station Area Planning project is an opportunity for the community to come together and create a vision for the area surrounding the future light rail stations.

Join us for our first Open House on Wednesday, March 13, at Ingraham High School (1819 N 134th St), 6:00-8:00 p.m.

We initiated this planning process to engage City departments, public agencies and the community to consider what changes this regional investment may bring and how it can benefit current and future residents, as well as those working and enjoying recreation in the area.

Working closely with the community, the City will draft and adopt a plan to implement the community vision, including:

  • Plan for future changes, services and other opportunities near the stations.
  • Design sidewalks, bikeways and street improvements to make it easy to walk or bike to the station.
  • Coordinate and prioritize City investments to achieve multiple benefits.
  • Improve the capacity of the neighborhood to advocate for community goals.

For more information about the project, visit http://www.seattle.gov/opcd/ongoing-initiatives/ne-130th-and-145th-station-area-planning.

Share Button

Crown Hill Community Planning Workshop, March 3

by

Over the past few months, we’ve connected with many community stakeholders and received a lot of input about what people love about Crown Hill and what they want to help improve. From this feedback, we’ve put together a list of potential strategies and ideas that address the your neighborhood priorities.

The next step in the planning process is to join your neighbors and City staff at the second Crown Hill Community Planning Workshop on March 3 from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. at the Crown Hill Center gymnasium. At this workshop, we will ask you to roll up your sleeves and be creative problem solvers. Your input will help refine and prioritize ideas and actions for how City investments and community efforts can continue to improve your neighborhood, and will shape the strategies included Crown Hill Community Action Plan.

Community Planning Workshop Series, Workshop #2
Sunday, March 3, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Crown Hill Center, 9250 14th Ave NW

We hope to see you there! Have ideas or want to get involved? Subscribe to our mailing list or email CrownHillPlan@seattle.gov.

Share Button

Addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Statement on the proposal to implement Mandatory Housing Affordability

by

We have published an addendum today to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on the proposal to implement Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) in 27 urban villages and commercial and multi-family zones across the city. MHA would require new commercial or multi-family developments to include affordable housing either on-site or through a payment to the City’s Office of Housing. In conjunction with the new affordability requirements, the City would change zoning to add additional development capacity.

Analyzing potential environmental impacts from zoning changes is required by the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). This addendum complements the analysis of Historic Resources that was contained in the FEIS, originally published on November 9, 2017.  The additional analysis responds to a City Hearing Examiner decision that directed OPCD to provide further information on specific aspects of the Historic Resources section of the FEIS.

Send In Your Comments
Written comments on this addendum may be submitted to MHA.EIS@Seattle.gov until Friday, February 22.

Share Button

The Seattle Planning Commission Seeks New Commissioners

by

The City of Seattle is looking for candidates to serve on the Seattle Planning Commission beginning in April 2019. Planning Commission members are appointed by the Mayor or the City Council and may serve up to two consecutive, three-year terms. Three positions will be open in April; two of which are City Council appointments, one of which is a Mayoral appointment. All appointments are subject to full City Council approval. The City is committed to promoting diversity in the City’s boards and commissions. Persons of color, women, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Commissioners must reside in Seattle and serve without compensation.

The commission members advise the Mayor, City Council, and City departments on citywide planning goals, policies, and plans and provide them with independent and objective advice on land use, zoning, transportation and housing issues.

For more information, view and download full details here.

Share Button

Seattle Planning Commission Releases “Neighborhoods for All” Report

by

Planning Commission: Creating ‘Neighborhoods for All’
Changes to single-family zoning necessary for the city’s future, report concludes

Restoring the flexibility in housing types seen in Seattle’s historic residential neighborhoods is critical if the city is to achieve its goals of being a diverse, equitable and sustainable place to live, according to a new report from the Seattle Planning Commission.

In the report, Neighborhoods for All: Expanding housing opportunity in Seattle’s single-family zones, the commission highlights recent data showing the impacts of current regulations, and presents a set of strategies to allow a mix of housing types that can help neighborhoods retain characteristics of lower-density areas while welcoming a broader range of residents.

The report points out that Seattle’s current zoning map shows three times more single-family land than multifamily and mixed-use land combined. As a result, during this decade of record-breaking population growth, the vast majority of new residents were absorbed in areas zoned for multifamily dwellings, while  areas zoned for one house per lot showed little change, and some even lost population. At the same time, the look and feel of many areas zoned single-family are changing as modest houses are replaced by larger, more expensive ones: The average house size has increased by 1,000 square feet since 1900, the report notes.

“Our current approach to zoning has created a bifurcated city, where two-thirds of residential land is off limits to all but those with the highest incomes,” said Tim Parham, chair of the Planning Commission. “The fundamental goal of this report is to encourage a return to the mix of housing and development patterns found in many of Seattle’s older and most walkable neighborhoods, thereby giving more people a wider array of living options.”

[Read more…]

Share Button

Our Urban Innovations Speakers Series Returns on December 4!

by

Can housing choices support a more equitable Seattle?

The legacy of redlining, restrictive covenants and zoning still impacts racial equity, access to opportunity and wealth creation in Seattle and across the region. How are cities responding in the face of our affordability crisis to both address these historic inequities and create more choices for first-time homebuyers, families with children, seniors, and others?

Join us at our latest installment of our Urban Innovations Speakers Series, Tuesday, December 4 at City Hall.

Share Button

Plazas for People Project Evaluates Privately Owned Public Spaces

by

As our city continues to rapidly grow and develop, public spaces are becoming increasingly valuable places to pause, converse, rest and refresh. To better understand the usability and design of our public spaces, we evaluated 46 public spaces in greater Downtown this past summer. Read our findings and assessment of these spaces by downloading our Plazas for People document.

Focusing on Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS) while using tools from the Gehl Institute, we found that 43 percent of the assessed POPS received “Average” scores, while only 15 percent score as “Good”. We’ve found that among the many types of POPS, plazas were the best performing.

Half of the sites ranked in the top ten are recent developments, built in the last two decades. Four of these five sites are in South Lake Union, where the neighborhood has an open space requirement for office buildings, stipulated through the Seattle Land Use Code. The code standards are augmented by the SDCI Design Review process to fine-tune the design results of these private plazas.

Our new report from OPCD includes recommended features and elements that would improve the usability of existing public spaces, whether public or privately owned. Based on the relatively high performance of newly developed spaces, OPCD will seek opportunities to encourage similar public space development throughout Greater Downtown and/or citywide in relevant zones.

Read more about Plazas for People on our Outside Citywide website.

Share Button