Tuesday April 23 from 7:00 – 8:30 PM. Phinney Neighborhood Association, 6615 Dayton Avenue N, in the Community Room in the Brick Building.
Speak Out Seattle is holding its fifth forum to hear from the candidates for Seattle District Council Position 6 on issues relating to public safety, homelessness and other top issues. The event will be moderated by an independent moderator and the candidates will be staying after the event to talk to constituents and accept donations and/or vouchers. RSVP requested.
Monday April 22 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM. Doric Temple #92 at 619 N 36th Street.
Meet and greet Seattle City Council candidates for Districts 4 and 6 at the Fremont Neighborhood Council “Beverages and Ballots” Annual General Meeting with refreshments and a straw poll.
When: Monday April 15 from 5:30 – 8:30 PM. Where: Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue in the Bertha Knight Landes Room (on Floor 1). What: “City Inside/Out” host Brian Callanan will moderate a Public Forum to allow community groups (including the Wallingford Community Council) and audience members to ask questions of the applicants for the City Council vacancy in District 4. The City Council will appoint an applicant to serve the remaining term of resigned Councilmember Rob Johnson. Please Note: The public forum will be recorded, streamed live and televised by the Seattle Channel.
Please attend the only Public Hearing for the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) legislation on Thursday February 21, 5:30 PM at Seattle City Hall in Council Chambers. Come early to sign up to testify. Arrive by 4:30 PM to secure an earlier speaking time.
Tell our City Councilmembers to VOTE NO on the MHA Legislation: Despite input from neighborhoods all over Seattle, the MHA legislation has remained pretty much the same since it was first proposed. The City’s propaganda paints a story that the MHA Legislation is the only way to increase affordable housing in Seattle. What the city does not tell you is that it displaces as much as it replaces, that it does not work to grow the city in a way that simultaneously grows livability and quality of life, and that the fee-in-lieu payments are ridiculously low.
Also, while the “consent package” of amendments being considered for the legislation includes an intention, there is no adequate “claw-back” provision to revert the zoning back to present definitions should the City be sued and the mandatory part of MHA be found to be unlawful (leaving the up-zones in effect, increasing rents and property taxes, without any affordable housing units!).
Come support your neighborhood, your city, and the testimony of your neighbors. Everyone should attend to show the Council the serious commitment of our opposition to MHA at the Public Hearing.
(Childcare will be provided. Please RSVP to Noah An at noah.an@seattle.gov. At the hearing, check in at the sign-in table.)
Time to Email, Call, and Write Mayor Durkan and the City Council
Tell Mayor Durkan that while the vision sounds good (we all want more affordable housing, both subsidized and naturally occurring), the devil is in the details. And the details do not support passing the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) legislation.
Mayor Durkan and City Council need to hear from the people of Seattle before the final MHA hearing (which is February 21, during Seattle Public Schools winter break).
Please email, call, and write Mayor Durkan and our City Council members with your concerns and ask them to VOTE NO on the MHA Legislation.
Here is why: Despite input from neighborhoods all over Seattle, the MHA legislation has remained pretty much the same since it was first proposed. The City’s propaganda paints a story that the MHA Legislation is the only way to increase affordable housing in Seattle. What the city does not tell you is that it displaces as much as it replaces, that it does not work to grow the city in a way that simultaneously grows livability and quality of life, and that the fee-in-lieu payments are ridiculously low. Also, there is no adequate “claw-back” provision to revert the zoning back to present definitions should the City be sued and the mandatory part of MHA be found to be unlawful (leaving the up-zones in effect, increasing rents and property taxes, without any affordable housing units!).
Save the Date: Please plan to attend the only Public Hearing for the MHA legislation on Thursday, February 21, 5:30 PM at Seattle City Hall in Council Chambers. Come early to sign up to testify.
If you can, attend the final consideration of the MHA legislation before the Select Committee on Monday, February 25, 2:30 PM and before the Full Council on Monday, March 18, 2:00 PM at Seattle City Hall in Council Chambers. Come early to sign up to testify.
Impacts here in Wallingford:
If MHA passes, properties in the Wallingford Urban Village change from Single-Family to Lowrise-1, Lowrise-2, and even Lowrise-3 zoning (See maps below).
If MHA passes, 700 single-family homes will be up-zoned to multi-family zones.
If MHA passes, massive developments will be allowed next to houses. Many of the up-zones change building heights from three stories up to five stories!
If MHA passes, set-backs and step-backs to preserve yards, trees, and sunlight remain inadequate and may be greatly reduced by up-zoning.
If MHA passes, no affordable housing units will be required to be built on-site, and the fee-in-lieu payments provide a further discount to developers.
If MHA passes, it will decrease housing diversity and will drive families out of the urban villages. There are no requirements to build true family-sized three-bedroom housing.
If MHA passes, it will drive out local small businesses as there are no requirements for affordable leases in new buildings.
If MHA passes, property taxes increase for all up-zoned properties as adjacent properties are developed.
If MHA passes, rents will increase as new market-rate units are built.
If MHA passes, no on-site parking will be required in multi-unit buildings.
If MHA passes, the true displacement of low- and middle-income residents, and small businesses will go unknown as there is no requirement to track existing affordable housing and leases.
Whether or not MHA passes, the City (alone among Washington cities) will not have any Impact Fees to fund schools, parks, roads, and public safety!
Why all the fuss? New to the HALA Grand Bargain MHA proposal?
