Daily Plan It Office of Planning & Community Development

The Daily Plan It Blog

A OPCD Blog

One Seattle Plan Community Meeting Series

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Seattle is updating its plan for growth and change over the next 20 years, and we need your feedback to help guide how the City will invest in our communities to shape the city’s future. We need your input to create a plan that will make Seattle a more affordable and equitable place to live, work, and visit. 

We invite you to participate in a series of community meetings for the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan! This will be an opportunity to learn about the plan and to talk with City staff and others from your community. 

Beginning in November, we will be hosting in-person community meetings at five locations throughout Seattle:

Monday, November 14: New Holly Gathering Hall, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
7054 32nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118
Light Rail: 1 Line
Metro Bus: 36

Thursday, December 1: Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
104 17th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
Metro Bus: 8 and 27

Thursday, December 8: South Seattle College, Brockey Center, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
6000 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Metro Bus: 125 and 128

Monday, December 12: Loyal Heights Community Center, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
2101 NW 77th St, Seattle, WA 98117
Metro Bus: D Line and 40

Tuesday, January 10: Meadowbrook Community Center, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
10517 35th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125
Metro Bus: 65

Translated materials will be provided. To request an interpreter at one of these meetings, please contact Aja Hazelhoff: aja.hazelhoff@seattle.gov.

The City of Seattle encourages everyone to participate in its programs and activities. For disability accommodations, materials in alternate formats, or accessibility information, contact Aja Hazelhoff at aja.hazelhoff@seattle.gov at your earliest opportunity. Providing at least 72 hours notice will help ensure availability; sign language interpreting requests may take longer.

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City begins analysis of One Seattle Plan alternatives

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Public invited to events to learn more, provide feedback

Contact: Jason.W.Kelly@seattle.gov

After gathering public input over the summer on several growth concepts, the Seattle Office of Planning and Development (OPCD) is launching a detailed environmental analysis to support the One Seattle Plan. Today, OPCD released a report summarizing recent public input and detailing options for how the city could encourage additional housing choices, support housing affordability across the city, create more complete and resilient neighborhoods, and reduce displacement pressures on current residents. The public is invited to attend a series of in-person community meetings to learn more and share their input as we work together to shape the future of our city. 

About once a decade, the City updates its Comprehensive Plan, the guide for where we want to encourage new housing and jobs, and how we will invest to support quality of life in our community. The City is currently conducting an Environmental Impact Statement for the One Seattle Plan that will shape the city over the next 20 years. The plan will include policy guidance informing how the City responds to climate change, supports cultural and artistic expression, advances environmental justice, and invests in equitable outcomes for communities of color. 

A key element of the plan is the growth strategy: where we encourage new homes and jobs in our city to enhance affordability and create opportunity. OPCD will study five alternative growth strategies in the environmental analysis: 

  • Our current urban village growth strategy that focuses housing around frequent transit hubs 
  • Creating new focused areas of housing around walkable shopping districts 
  • Allowing additional types of housing in all neighborhood residential areas 
  • Encouraging more homes along frequent transit corridors and near large parks 
  • A layered combination of all the strategies 

Each of these alternatives were shaped by the public input received over the summer. During a 60-day public comment period, OPCD received more than 1,000 public comments and letters from 36 organizations on a set of draft concepts. Commenters suggested numerous items to be included in the study:  

  • More family-sized and ownership housing options in all neighborhoods across the city  
  • New incentives or requirements for more income-restricted affordable housing 
  • Options for additional transit service, biking and walking facilities, and other transportation amenities 
  • New green space and strengthening of tree regulations 
  • Additional strategies to respond to displacement pressures faced by current residents 

The draft Environmental Impact Statement, which will be available for public review and comment in the Spring, will set the bookends for what will be included in the final plan. The mayor’s proposed plan may include elements drawn from all alternatives studied and is likely to be a hybrid approach. The City Council is scheduled to review, amend, and approve the plan in 2024.  

“I have been encouraged by the comments and input we have received from the public so far,” said Rico Quirindongo, director of OPCD. “We will need your continued involvement to complete the final plan. Together we can imagine and realize our vision for a more equitable Seattle, where all communities can thrive.” 

OPCD has announced a series of public meetings, beginning on Nov 14 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the New Holly Gathering Hall, to share more about the One Seattle Plan. All meeting materials, including translations, will be available at www.seattle.gov/opcd. More information and other opportunities to provide feedback are available on our engagement hub at engage.oneseattleplan.com. 

OPCD is committed to lifting up voices of BIPOC and underrepresented community members and others who have too often borne the burdens of growth and development without experiencing the full benefits. In the One Seattle Plan, OPCD is working with five BIPOC-led community-based organizations to design and implement public engagement strategies that encourage these communities to provide significant input in the plan’s development. 

Preliminary analysis suggests that the current Comprehensive Plan and its urban village growth strategy has succeeded in focusing growth. Over the past decade, 83% of new homes in the city—mostly small apartments—have been built in compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods linked by transit. Since the last Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2016, more than 56,000 homes have been built in Seattle.  

However, many neighborhoods outside urban villages have few affordable housing options and costs have risen dramatically throughout the city. These limitations on growth have contributed to the reality that family-size and ownership options are out of reach for many.  

A Racial Equity Analysis conducted by the City recently found that the Urban Village Strategy perpetuates a historical pattern of exclusion and increases displacement pressures on communities of color. Our new Plan will learn from these lessons, advance strategies proven to make a difference, and chart a course for a more equitable and affordable Seattle we can all call home. Add your voice by participating in our Racial Equity Outcomes survey. 

Residents are also encouraged to share their opinions by sending a comment via email to OneSeattleCompPlan@seattle.gov, attend a community meeting, and sign up on our website for newsletter updates.

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Open Positions at OPCD!

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We ensure that City departments are aligned and coordinated in planning and advancing equitable development for Seattle’s future. Urban planning and community development must reflect the experiences and identities of people affected by development decisions and outcomes, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Immigrants, Refugees, People with Disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. We strongly encourage people with these identities or from other marginalized communities to apply. Come join us!

Equitable Development Initiative (EDI)
EDI supports communities identified as highest risk of displacement in Seattle, supporting community-led projects and strategies to resist “loss of place” through gentrification and to promote access to opportunity. Both the staffing and the budget for this program have increased in recent years as the City has identified permanent and ongoing funding sources for this work.

Graphic Designer
We are also seeking a new graphic designer who can manage our brand and visual identity for all our projects. This person will develop our publications, social media graphics, video and photo portfolio, charts and graphs, PowerPoint presentations, and a range of other design needs. We also want to augment our public engagement capabilities as we conduct more in-person community meetings and open houses. This person plays a key role in facilitating translation and interpretation services, as well as ADA accessibility. We are seeking someone who is values-driven, supports our equitable community engagement ethos, and has experience working with community-based organizations here in Seattle.  

Seattle Design Commission
The Seattle Design Commission is recruiting to fill three upcoming vacancies on the Seattle Design Commission – a Licensed Architect, a Landscape Architect, and a Transportation Planner. All positions will start their two-year terms in March 2023.

Established in 1968, the Seattle Design Commission advises City officials on design excellence in City-funded capital improvement projects, in the City right-of-way, or constructed with City funds. The Commission also advises the Mayor, City Council, and City departments on projects or policies that impact Seattle’s public realm.  To be considered, please send a letter of interest and resume by November 29 to michael.jenkins@seattle.gov. 





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Community Partner Highlight:
Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association

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As part of our One Seattle Plan – the City’s policy plan for how to invest in communities over the next 20 years – we have partnered with five community-based organizations to co-create and carry out engagement in the BIPOC communities they serve. Among them is the Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association (DVSA).

As part of their engagement plan, DVSA youth leaders have chosen to pilot a new engagement technology, the Urban Belonging app, to document and analyze the conditions in their community as a way to provide feedback for what their community wants to see addressed in the One Seattle Plan.

Watch our video highlighting DVSA’s work on the One Seattle Plan!

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Racial Equity Outcomes Survey

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A major update of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan is underway. The Plan guides where new housing and jobs are located and how the City supports that growth through investments in transportation, utilities, parks, and other community needs.

Your response to this survey will help us identify the outcomes we will focus on advancing through the Comprehensive Plan to transform Seattle into a more equitable place. You can choose to answer or skip any question.

PARTICIPATE IN OUR SURVEY

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Join the Equitable Development Initiative Advisory Board!

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The Equitable Development Initiative seeks candidates for open seats on the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board is representative of the communities and people that the City aspires to serve through its Equitable Development Implementation Plan strategies and goals.

Advisory Board members provide guidance and recommendations on the allocation of funding dedicated to reducing current and anticipated displacement pressures, supporting community-driven projects and promoting access to opportunity for historically marginalized communities, including Indigenous, Black, people of color, immigrant communities, LGBTQ communities, and differently abled people within Seattle.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 31, 2022  

COMPENSATION: Yes

RATE: $60.hr

Those interested in applying should represent the following:

  • A geographic location that is of high risk for displacement and low access to opportunity as defined by the City’s Equity Analysis and Displacement Risk Index.
  • Neighborhoods that have already experienced significant displacement and histories of discriminatory policies or practices
  • Have lived experience with involuntary displacement from Seattle
  • Have lived experience being targeted by racially discriminatory policies and practices.

Board Members meet monthly & duties will include the following:

  • Elevating the voices and needs of communities that have historically been marginalized within the City’s political process.
  • Serving on a subcommittee to advise and assist the City in connection with the development and implementation of equitable development strategies and policies.
  • Developing funding criteria and create recommendations for the allocation of funds from the Equitable Development Initiative Fund.
  • Reviewing annual equitable development monitoring plans.
  • Written reports
  • Developing equitable development and anti-racist policies and practices to better help the City eliminate institutional and systemic racism.
  • Convening stakeholders to build knowledge of and capacity around equitable development goals.
  • Make appointment recommendations and evaluate letters of interest of individuals wishing to serve on the board to determine whether they meet the membership criteria.

If you are interested in serving on the EDI Advisory Board, please submit your application through the City’s Boards and Commissions website.

For more information and guidance on the application, email Abesha Shiferaw at Abesha.Shiferaw@seattle.gov or Patrice Thomas at Patrice.Thomas@seattle.gov.

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Seattle issues final environmental review of updated Industrial and Maritime Strategy 

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Final Environmental Impact Statement evaluates a strategy that strengthens protections for existing industrial and maritime lands, protects freight corridors, supports transit-oriented job growth in innovation centers near future light rail stations, and supports smaller-scale industrial businesses and opportunities for maker spaces near residential areas.  

The Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) has completed its environmental study of land use changes to industrial lands that will create an estimated 35,000 new jobs over the next 20 years. The city’s proposal creates new pathways to careers in industrial and maritime businesses, strengthens land-use protections for existing industries and freight corridors, and supports improved environmental quality for area residents.  

“Seattle only grew to flourish and become one of the nation’s most forward-looking cities because of our industrial and maritime sectors – a legacy we are continuing to embrace and celebrate,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Working with a wide array of stakeholders and our Office of Planning and Community Development, this strategy will help us continue to foster an innovative economy, protect freight corridors and industrial lands, and promote new jobs and opportunities for residents across the city.” 

The strategy includes new industrial land use concepts that seek to provide stronger protections for core industrial and maritime areas while also encouraging modern, innovative high-density industrial development in walkable areas near light rail stations. The proposal also seeks to create affordable opportunities for small-scale light-industrial businesses, makers, and creative arts, and improve the environmental health of communities through improved transitions between industrial areas and residential or mixed-use areas.    

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is an environmental review and analysis of new policies. It includes a preferred alternative for zoning regulations that would update the land use approach for industrial areas with three new industrial zones: 

  • Maritime, Manufacturing and Logistics (MML) – This zone would focus on strengthening land use protections for core and legacy industrial and maritime areas to better prevent the encroachment of other developments, such as mini-storage and big box stores, that are incompatible with industrial and maritime uses. This zone is particularly applicable near the shoreline or deep-water port, rail and freight infrastructure, and around existing clusters of industrial or maritime suppliers and services. 
  • Industry and Innovation (II) – This zone would encourage new development in multi-story buildings that accommodate industrial businesses mixed with other dense employment uses such as research, design, offices, and technology through a system of density bonuses. Modern industrial development would support high-density employment near Sound Transit light rail stations and commercial areas. 
  • Urban Industrial (UI) – This zone would aim to increase employment and entrepreneurship opportunities with a vibrant mix of affordable, small-scale places for light industry, makers, and creative arts, as well as industry-supporting ancillary retail or housing spaces to create better, integrated, and healthier transitions along the edges between industrial areas and neighboring urban villages, residential, and mixed-use areas. 

The city’s preferred alternative would result in about 3,000 additional homes. Nearly half of these new homes would be in mixed-use development in neighborhood areas outside of the city’s Manufacturing Industrial Centers (MIC) in Georgetown, Judkins Park, South Park, and Ballard. The remaining 1,500 would be industry-supportive housing inside MICs in the form of caretakers’ quarters, maker studios, or conditional-use apartment buildings in which at least half of the homes would be affordable to households with incomes at 90% of Area Median Income or below.     

For more information, see this Executive Summary. 

“Seattle’s industrial maritime stakeholders and nearby neighborhood residents have spent countless hours working with our staff to develop this meaningful update to our City’s industrial policy,” said Rico Quirindongo, acting director of OPCD. “We are laying the groundwork for more diverse employment opportunities in our city, and a stronger future for advanced manufacturing, applied technology, trade, and maritime businesses in Seattle. I look forward to implementing these strategies in 2023.”  

In 2023, the city will continue to work with stakeholders to implement these concepts by:  

  • Amending the city’s comprehensive plan to add new policies describing the intent and vision for how these concepts would be applied. 
  • Amending the industrial zoning section of the city’s land use code to create new zone designations and corresponding development standards. 
  • Continuing to work with stakeholders to identify transportation improvements.  
  • Adopting new subarea plans for the Ballard-Interbay-Northend and Greater Duwamish Maritime Industrial Centers.  

“On behalf of the members of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA), I want to applaud Mayor Harrell and the city staff for working collaboratively with stakeholders to develop this EIS protecting Seattle’s industrial lands,” Jordan Royer, Vice President for External Affairs, PMSA. “While nobody got everything they wanted, the process was fair and provides the opportunity for stronger protections for industrial lands adjacent to Port of Seattle facilities, ensuring that good-paying, family-wage jobs will continue to grow in Seattle.” 

“The breweries in Ballard are truly a unique destination, not only for Seattle, but anywhere across the country,” Andy Gundel, Owner, Urban Family Brewing Co. “We are surrounded by an exceptional group of small business owners that are passionate about making this place home and doing what they love. We look forward to being here for years to come.” 

“Live and work districts are a delicate ecosystem, but when harnessed the right way, are the future of modern cities, and Ballard is a great example of what can be achieved,” said Adam Robbings, Co-founder, Reuben’s Brews. “It’s been exciting to see the brewery district grow and evolve over the years, and we firmly believe that its concentration of creativity, knowledge, hospitality, and economic productivity is a tremendous asset to Seattle at large. We fully support all efforts to keep such a rich ecosystem in balance, for the benefit of all our community.”  

Washington’s State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requires environmental review when a city changes land use policies or zoning. The FEIS provides policymakers with a detailed analysis of how the proposed changes could affect the built and natural environment in industrial areas and adjacent communities, and opportunities to mitigate any adverse impacts.   

The FEIS seeks to advance the City’s Equity and Environment Agenda and the City’s Duwamish Valley Program by advancing policies and identifying mitigation to: 

  • Reduce residents’ and workers’ exposures to environmental hazards   
  • Support safe, connected, and accessible neighborhoods   
  • Reduce displacement risk for Equity and Environmental Initiative (EEI) populations 
  • Increase access to education or pathways out of poverty through jobs and careers   

In November 2019, the Industrial and Maritime Strategy Council of more than 60 stakeholders began its work to update industrial land use policy for the first time in decades. The council was comprised of representatives from traditional and emerging industrial and maritime businesses, labor, developers, workforce development professionals, and community representatives from neighborhoods near industrial areas, to consider the future of Seattle’s Manufacturing Industrial Centers. The Industrial and Maritime Strategy Council released 11 strategies to support the next generation of industrial and maritime jobs in June 2021. 

Maritime and manufacturing activities have long benefitted Seattle by contributing to the city’s identity, supporting living-wage jobs, and promoting economic diversity. Seattle contains approximately 7,000 acres of industrial lands (11% of the city’s total area) that generate nearly 100,000 critical living-wage jobs, of which two-thirds are accessible without a traditional four-year college degree. Seattle’s maritime industrial economy is supported by the Port of Seattle’s cargo terminals and connecting infrastructure; manufacturing facilities in the Duwamish Valley, Elliott Bay, Lake Union, and Ballard; and the nation’s largest fishing fleet, which is sewn into the fabric of Seattle culture. 

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American Institute of Architects WA Council Awards Rico Quirindongo, OPCD Acting Director

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Our very own Rico Quirindongo received the Jennie Sue Brown award from The American Institute of Architects Washington Council for his continued commitment and advocacy for equitable development. Congrats Rico!

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2023-2024 Proposed Budget

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Dear OPCD Stakeholders:

Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell is releasing his 2023-2024 Proposed Budget. The Mayor’s proposed budget prioritizes our work to build a more equitable and accessible Seattle, with expanded funding for critical planning projects and continuity in our ongoing work to support community investments that reduce displacement pressures on existing residents, neighbors, businesses, and communities.

The following is a summary of OPCD’s key changes in the 2023-2024 Proposed Budget:

  • Regional Growth Center Plans: The Mayor is proposing to add $650,000 to launch efforts to update plans for Seattle’s six regional growth centers. The Puget Sound Regional Council is requiring Seattle to write new subarea plans by 2025 for Downtown, Capitol Hill/First Hill, Uptown, South Lake Union, University District, and Northgate. These plans will ensure that these regional centers remain eligible for regional transportation funds and will shape our strategies to support growth with equity and resilience over the long term. The funding in 2023 will keep us on pace to complete the regional growth center plans by the deadline.
  • Equitable Development Initiative: The Mayor’s proposed budget increases funding for OPCD’s anti-displacement work, with the EDI program’s grant funding for 2023 totaling $24.3 million. The funds will be used for property acquisition by BIPOC-led community organizations, capacity building for organizations that are leading anti-displacement efforts, and to manage existing contracts with EDI award recipients. The program has been a centerpiece of the City’s strategy to reduce displacement pressures, increase access to economic mobility and opportunity, and enable equitable access to neighborhoods throughout Seattle.
  • Station area planning: OPCD continues its collaboration with Sound Transit, SDOT, and project stakeholders on the planning efforts related to ST’s West Seattle Ballard Link Extension project. This expansion of light rail service is the largest public works project in the history of Seattle. The Mayor’s proposed budget includes funding for an additional position to support station area planning and transit-oriented development efforts over the next three years.
  • Census Challenge:  The 2020 Census resulted in an unexpectedly low population count for Seattle. The Mayor’s proposed budget includes $75,000 to prepare additional evidence of the undercount as we work to rectify this error with the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mayor’s budget reflects his confidence in our mission and supports our shared values of inclusion, racial equity, and economic opportunity. I look forward to sharing more about our projects in the weeks and months ahead and receiving your feedback to help focus our efforts and improve our outcomes.

Over the next two months, the City Council will review the Mayor’s proposed budget. Public hearings are on October 11, November 8 and November 15. Final adoption of the budget is expected on Tuesday, November 22. More information about details in the budget can be found at www.seattle.gov/budget, and you can also direct any questions to MOS_COMMS@seattle.gov.

Best,

Rico Quirindongo
OPCD Acting Director

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Mayor Harrell Announces $9 Million to Community Organizations Through the Equitable Development Initiative 

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Mayor Bruce Harrell today announced nearly $9 million in awards through the Equitable Development Initiative (EDI), part of the City’s effort to support property ownership among Seattle’s diverse cultural communities in high displacement risk neighborhoods. The City awarded funds to community organizations for site acquisition and major capital projects, as well as capacity-building support to organizations that are still developing their plans for permanent homes in Seattle.  

The EDI fund, administered by the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD), was created to respond to the needs of marginalized populations, reduce disparities, and support access to opportunity in healthy, vibrant communities. The initiative is championed by community organizations concerned about displacement pressures and historical lack of investment that has occurred in communities of color in Seattle.  

“To tackle the challenges of displacement, Seattle is working together with community-based organizations to invest in tangible efforts – focusing on supporting underserved communities, fostering healthy families, and delivering new economic opportunity,“ said Mayor Harrell. “Our One Seattle vision includes permanent homes for organizations that serve communities of color facing growing pressures. With these investments, we are partners in helping these cultural organizations achieve their dreams of owning property and having a forever home in our city.” 

EDI fosters community leadership that promotes equitable access to jobs, education and childcare, outdoor space and recreation, cultural expression, healthy food, and other community needs and amenities. These funding partnerships are designed to build capacity among the most historically marginalized groups in Seattle. The program is based in shared decision-making and power, working towards racial equity outcomes that allows all communities to thrive. 

“These organizations and projects are responding to displacement pressures among communities of color in Seattle,” said Rico Quirindongo, OPCD’s acting director. “Our investments are another concrete step toward our shared vision of an inclusive city filled with diverse neighborhoods and cultures – not just today, but long into the future.”  

“This award is a testament that our city recognizes our contribution and unwavering commitment to our community, especially our youth,” said Chettie McAfee, Central Area Youth Collaborative. “Generations of families have come through our doors, including the Mayor and myself as well. We remain in the heart of the city, known as the ‘CD’ for those who have been here a while, as we are in the heartbeat of the city that keeps on going. The award is essential for us, so we can remain true to our mission.”

The following community-based organizations received awards to support property ownership and capital projects in 2022: 

  • Central Area Youth Association (size of award pending) for acquisition of additional parcels to support Center House and new program space. 
  • Ethiopian Community in Seattle ($244,868) to support construction of Ethiopian Village, a mixed-use facility with housing and a community center. 
  • Hip Hop is Green ($175,000) to support predevelopment work for Cherry Street Farm and Commissary Kitchen in the Central District. 
  • Life Enrichment Bookstore ($1,501,187) for their site acquisition to preserve cultural space in Columbia City. 

The following EDI partners will receive new capacity-building awards of up to $75,000 in 2022: BIPOC Sustainable Tiny Art House Community, Casa Latina, Cham Refugees Community, Estelita’s Library, Fathers and Sons Together, Friends of Little Saigon, House of Mkeka, and Khmer Community of Seattle/King County. 

Since November 2016, OPCD and partner departments, including Office of Economic Development (OED), Office of Housing (OH), Department of Neighborhoods (DON), Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), and Office for Civil Rights (OCR), have coordinated the administration of the EDI Fund. 

The EDI Advisory Board of community members provided recommendations to the City on the funding criteria and decisions announced today. Projects were evaluated on their ability to positively impact several equity drivers, that lead to racial equity outcomes including: 

  • Promoting economic opportunity through education, job training, and enhancing community cultural anchors. 
  • Helping marginalized populations, businesses, and community organizations stay in their neighborhoods. 
  • Enhancing health outcomes, access to healthy, culturally relevant food, and supporting safe environments. 

Successful applicants demonstrated a deep relationship with the community they are seeking to serve and feature an inclusive community process, with community members serving in their organizational leadership. 

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