Category Archives: Land Use

Next WCC Meeting on Feb 12th with Maritza Rivera, Seattle City Council Member (District 4)

Wallingford Community Council Meeting
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Room 202, Good Shepherd Center (4659 Sunnyside Ave. N.)

Join us on February 12 for the first WCC meeting of 2025, featuring District 4 Council member Maritza Rivera. We’ll discuss the latest updates on the Comprehensive Plan and zoning changes and their impact on Wallingford. With the Final Environmental Impact Study (FEIS) just released and a short window for public input, this is a critical time to stay informed and engaged. Key upcoming meetings and public hearings will shape the future of our neighborhood—get involved!

Maritza is a representative of the “One Seattle Team,” and this is a critical opportunity to hear about and discuss the impacts/mitigations identified resulting from the Comprehensive Plan updates and zoning proposals for Wallingford.  Maritza can review her role on the Select Committee as she and the full council review the One Seattle Zoning plans and Comprehensive Plan legislation with a public process. (The Select Comm for 2044.)

Mark your calendar, bring your questions, and provide feedback to shape the future of our community.

BREAKING NEWS: The FEIS (Final Environmental Impact Study) was released yesterday, Jan 30, 2025. There is only a two-week appeal period that closes on Feb 13th, 2025. This document is 1,300 pages and available for reading here: https://www.seattle.gov/opcd/one-seattle-plan?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

We recommend reading the talking points about the impacts of rezoning for upcoming Select Committee meetings and public hearings on the Comprehensive Plan 2044 Wallingford Community Council’s “One Seattle Plan-Call to Action”
Key Topic for 2025: The City Council/Select Committee now focuses on the Public Process for the Comp Plan 2044 and Re-zoning Legislation. 

The City Council’s Select Committee launched discussions on Jan. 6 on the 2044 Comprehensive Plan and the One Seattle Plan. The “Select Committee” is comprised of all nine City Council staff members. They are responsible for final decisions on the Comp Plan legislation, the HB1110 Middle Housing state mandate passed in 2023, and the Mayor’s additional rezone map proposals. We are including the Select Committee meeting dates and times for people to participate in the public process for Phase 1 legislation through May 2025. The state deadline for the city to complete adoption legislation for HB1110 is June. 

All Select Committee meetings can be seen live at the time of the meeting or recordings are made available on the Seattle Channel shortly after the meeting ends. (Link: https://www.seattlechannel.org/mayor-and-council/city-council/select-committee-on-the-comprehensive-plan)

Upcoming “Select Committee” Meetings. (located at City Hall 600 4th Street Floor 2)
– Wednesday, February 5 at 11 am – “Public Engagement” 
– Wednesday, February 5th at 5:00 pm – “Public Hearing”.Pre-register to be able to make public comments either in person or remotely by signing up here.
– Email: council@seattle.gov.

Refer here for the full City Council Select Committee Schedule.

Only two more Public Hearings are planned through May!

Please review the Wallingford Community Council’s “One Seattle Plan-Call to Action” page for more details and talking points. 

Past “Select Committee” Meetings:

Here is the link to a Seattle Times article with quotes from the council from the first Select Committee meeting on:
– Jan. 6: “Comprehensive Plan” Overview: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/fault lines-emerge-as-seattle-council-takes-up-housing-plan
– Jan. 15: “Growth Strategy Overview & Phase 1 Zoning Preview”
– Jan. 29: “Select Committee key Topic ‘Displacement’”You can watch recordings and find the presentation slides for the Jan. 6th, 15th, and 29th meetings here: https://www.seattlechannel.org/mayor-and-council/city-council/select-committee-on-the-comprehensive-plan. 

Future “Select Committee” Meetings:
The Select Committee has announced tentative dates for future meetings in March, April, and May. 
– Wednesday, March 5th – “Comp Plan Issue ID Part I”
– Wednesday, March 19th – “Comp Plan Issue ID Part II”April 2,16,( April 30 Public Hearing Comp Plan and Zoning)
– May 16 Public Hearing, May 22,23
– May 29th – Final Vote on Phase I – Meeting the state requirements for HB1110
– June to Sept – “Phase 2 zoning legislation”

Other Resources: Zoning Proposal Maps: https://one-seattle-plan-zoning-implementation-seattlecitygis.hub.arcgis.com/ OPCD Project Documents / Mayor’s Recommended Growth Strategy (2024). This contains the Draft Plan and other key related documents. Recapping the WCC November / December  Meeting Information on One Seattle Plan and Rezone Maps

On October 16, 2024, the city released online maps with the locations of “NR” (Neighborhood Residential) zones where formerly single-family lots outside urban villages will be converted to denser multi-family 5,000 square foot lots allowing 4-6 units per lot as required in the state-mandated legislation HB1110. Four units are now allowed in all designated NR zones, but six units are allowed ¼ mile from major transit (rapid ride or light rail). 

OPCD provided opportunities to comment on online maps using social media and held open houses for each city council district, distributed paper maps for neighborhoods, and closed public comment on December 2024. 

At our meetings, we demonstrated in our meeting how you can use the online maps to show current and proposed zoning for individual properties by address. We also distributed maps showing proposed rezone locations and differences in the lowrise and NR zones including heights, setbacks, far, lot coverage for each of the zone changes.

WCC’s November presentation explained the details of the Mayor’s plan which is additional and separate from the state plan. The Mayor’s rezone proposals include expansions of 30 Neighborhood Centers and conversions of thousands of single-family lots to multi-family surrounding the 30 Neighborhood Centers citywide increasing bulk, height, and scale. In addition, the Mayor’s proposal proposes to rezone single-family lots facing arterials city-wide on the bus routes for “frequent transit” from “single-family lowrise” to 5 stories. The public comments received on the rezone maps through December 20 will be compiled and shared this coming spring 2025.

The Comp Plan housing growth target from April 2024 set a target of 80,000 to 120,000 housing units. The FEIS ( Final Environmental Impact Study) just released studied the 80k to 120k impacts for that housing growth target. The Mayor’s plan released on Oct. 16, 2024, surpasses the Comp Plan housing growth target by increasing housing unit growth to 330,000 housing units. 

The public comments during the Select Committee hearings for the next several months will be considered before the second set of rezone maps are prepared by OPCD and released in May 2025. The vote on revised maps will follow. Michael Hubner, Director for the Comp Plan said “he guarantees there will be changes on the revisions of rezone maps.

Major Wallingford Impacts

Ask the city to reduce heights in the Mayor’s frequent transit plan from “Lowrise 3” 5-story/50-foot buildings to more compatible heights of “NR” (4-6 units per lot 30 height) or “Lowrise 1” (30 feet) along arterials in Wallingford of routes 62, 31, 32.Let us consider the residents who want to stay in their neighborhoods and the potential displacement here. Many blocks of the formerly single-family zoned lots located along these bus routes in Wallingford have naturally affordable older homes. Many homes are family-sized rentals, including duplexes, triplexes, small apartments, and businesses.

The Mayor’s plan is proposing city-wide upzoning on all “frequent transit “arterial facing streets encouraging demolitions, not rehabilitation. These proposed high unit capacity zone proposals at LR3 allow 5-story/50-foot buildings to offer more built-in profitability for developers and will likely accelerate demolitions. This can displace and force out occupants of all ages, races, and incomes who reside in these homes facing arterials citywide. Rezoning for greater unit capacity and jumping to the highest residential zones can increase land values and property taxes for homeowners, renters, businesses, and those on fixed incomes who simply can not keep up with these increases. Assessors base property values on market sales on “highest and best use”. That means you can have property tax increased on the rezoned potential capacity of your lot even though you choose not to redevelop it.

The 5-story city-wide plan for rezones citywide along “frequent transit” bus routes….
– Lack of nuances of various neighborhood street considerations
– Ignore direct outreach by the city to neighborhoods
– Lack of consideration of context and existing heights
– Create corridor and canyon effects
– Shadow neighboring homes
– Devalue investments in solar panels
– Reduce access to air and light
– Create a loss of trees with an increase in lot coverage from 35% -50%. 
– Decrease front setbacks for larger tree retention and planting
– Create a scarcity of amenities like parks, libraries, and grocery stores for increased populations.
– Lack of mitigations for traffic, and parking congestion
– and overall is a very weak plan for truly affordable housing 

A win/win can be achieved with either an NR designation (Hb 1110 4-6 units per 5,000 sq. foot lot) or a Lowrise One zoning designation both blending in with existing heights of 30-foot maximum in the context of older neighborhoods instead of such a height jump to 50 feet to large 5 story buildings on the bus route arterials described below. NR zones 4-6 units per lot or Lowrise one zones increase unit housing capacity and density at heights, but are more compatible with the existing context of these blocks.

Ask the council about revisiting and implementing impact fees for parks, fire, schools roads instead of more levies which could help reduce property taxes.  Many other municipalities outside of Seattle collect impact fees for infrastructure.

Ask for reduced heights from LR3 /5 story /50 feet zoning proposed to NR or LR One /3 story/ 30 feet zoning for residents of these specific streets impacts for arterials on Wallingford bus routes 62, 31,32.
1. Route 62 proposes to upzone properties to Lowrise LR3/5 stories, 50-foot buildings along Meridian north/south from 50th- 56th
2. Routes 31 & 32 propose to upzone properties to LR 3 5 stories, 50-foot buildings along 40th east/west from UW to Wallingford
3. Routes 31 & 32 arrive at the 40th and Wallingford intersection then travel south on Wallingford to 35th 
4. Routes 31 & 32 at 35th and Wallingford intersection the bus travels west/east to Fremont Ave.
(Click here for larger versions of the Wallingford Impacted Areas as seen above) 

Email all city council: at council@seattle.gov or contact them directly by phone with your concerns.

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to making Wallingford a thriving community. Our goal is to update you on the Select Committee meetings and public hearing dates so you can be a part of the public process before final maps and policies for the Comp Plan 2044 are voted on in 2025. 

Warm regards,
The Wallingford Community Council
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Property Tax, Zoning & Levies with King County Tax Assessor on 9/25

Stay Engaged: Property Taxes, City Council Candidates, and Key Neighborhood News

We have several important updates and events coming up that we want to share with you, including a live discussion on property taxes with the King County Tax Assessor, a Seattle City Council candidate forum, and key information on the upcoming Transportation Levy.

These meetings are valuable opportunities to engage with issues that will directly impact our neighborhood and city. Please mark your calendars and join us in shaping the future of Wallingford!

1) NEXT WEEK: September WCC Meeting on Wed, 9/25 – Property Tax Impacts Discussion

  • Agenda: The WCC is hosting a live discussion on property taxes with King County Tax Assessor, John Wilson. Learn about how changes in state and city zoning, as well as new levies, might impact your property taxes. Ask questions and engage directly with King County.

2) SAVE THE DATE: “Seattle City Council Candidate Forum”  Tuesday, Sept. 24th with the Fremont Neighborhood Council.

  • Agenda: The Fremont Neighborhood Council President, Tim Kitchen, is inviting WCC members to their Candidate Forum.
  • Speakers: The Forum will host candidates Tanya Woo and Alexis Mercedes Rick who are running for the Seattle City Council at large position 8 on the November ballot. 
  • Actions: Compare and contrast our future city council members in person.
  • Meeting Info:
    • Tuesday, September 24 at the Fremont Doric Lodge 619 N. 36th at 7 pm. (No reservation is necessary.
    • The meeting will also be live-streamed on Fremont Neighborhood Council’s Facebook page.

3) SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, October 17th WCC Meeting – Transportation Levy Discussion 

  • In November, Seattle voters will decide on the biggest transportation levy in the city’s history, impacting property owners. Learn more about how this levy might affect your taxes and services.
    • “Property owners would pay a rate of .65 cents for every 1,000 of assessed value.” This is the biggest levy ask of residents in the history of Seattle. The owner of a median-priced home assessed at $804,000 would pay an estimated $520.00 a year or about $230.00 more than they pay now through 2032. 
  • Meeting Info:
    •  Thursday, October 17 from 7-9 pm at the Senior Center Good Shepherd (4649 Sunnyside Ave N)
  • Reference Links:

4)  NEWS: The 20-year vision for Seattle, called the Comprehensive Plan (One Seattle Plan 2044) proposed by the Office of Planning and Development (OPCD), is scheduled for public comment. 

  • On October 16, 2024, The OPCD will release the online draft zoning maps reflecting zoning changes to formerly single-family properties city-wide. The maps will apply the zoning changes mandated by the state legislation (House Bill) HB1110. HB1110 increases the number of units allowed from the existing 3 units maximum to 4-6 units per lot depending on proximity ¼ mile from light rail, rapid ride, and major transit.
  • More information on HB1110 Middle Housing Bill Concepts:  https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/OPCD/SeattlePlan/OneSeattlePlanNeighborhoodResidentialConceptsDRAFT2024.pdf
  • October 16-November 20, 2024: Public engagement and comment period
  • December 2024: Release Final Environmental Impact Statement and transmit Mayor’s One Seattle Comprehensive Plan for Council consideration and adoption in 2025.
  • The City Council will consider the Mayor’s proposal in a Select Committee consisting of all nine city council members.
  • The following was released last spring for both the One Seattle Plan and the DRAFT Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) https://www.seattle.gov/opcd/one-seattle-plan/project-documents
  • The Wallingford Community Council will continue to provide information and references  to links online as the city releases the maps in October and the Final Environmental Impact Statement in December. 

5)  SAVE THE DATE: Follow up meeting in October with the Seattle Public Schools regarding the proposed siting of a practice field in Wallingford for area schools.

  • On Thursday, 9/19, there was an initial meeting at Lincoln High School to gather community input on the consideration of potentially modifying and using area parks as practice fields for Lincoln and Hamilton Schools. This was an active discussion on the suggestion for Wallingford Playfield as the option with the least amount of obstacles. Seattle Public Schools (SPS) will update their project pages with more information and replies to unanswered questions about this proposal and other potential options. https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/capital-projects-and-planning/school-construction/projects/lincoln-field/ 

  • – Seattle Public Schools (SPS) will hold a follow-up meeting to continue the conversations in October, 2024. (the WCC previously understood this event would be held on October 24th via their in-person meeting on 9/19, but we are so far unable to confirm this date with SPS).
    • – We will post more information about this meeting when available.

In the meantime, additional  concerns, opinions and other comments can be submitted via their online feedback form in advance of the October meeting. https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/capital-projects-and-planning/school-construction/projects/feedback/

Comp Plan Explained! 7PM, April 18, 2024

Join us, as we learn about the “2044 One Seattle Comprehensive Draft Plan” directly from Seattle city planners, at this special meeting sponsored by the WCC.

When: Thursday, April 18, 7pm-8:30 pm

Where: Wallingford Senior Center, located in the basement of the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Avenue North.

Who:

  • City of Seattle Office of Planning and Development guest speakers
    • Jim Holmes Senior EIS (Environmental Impact Study) Manager
    • Michael Hubner One Seattle Plan Long Range Planning Manager
  • Moderated by the WCC

Information and Q&A: The experts will give an overview of growth plans, goals and policy recommendations, expanding housing options, updating Seattle’s residential zones and re-classifications of urban villages to urban centers. They will also take questions. Also, learn the details of how the city will apply mandatory rules of House Bill 1110 passed by the state in 2023. HB1110 overrides previous single family zoned lots and now allows 4-6 units per lot based on proximity to transit.

Why: The city ends the opportunity for public comment May 6, at 5 pm. These policies, goals and growth strategies will impact the future of our city and neighborhoods for the next 20 years. Later in 2024, comments from all stakeholders will be reviewed and an FEIS (Final Environmental Impact Study) and final Comp Plan 2044 will be released and reviewed before City Council votes on it. Bring your written questions for the planners, if you desire.

For More Information on the Comp Plan, including how to submit comments, click here.

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Draft Comp Plan 2044 Released, Public Engagement Needed!

Deadline for public comment is May 6th, 2024, 5PM.

Two important documents were released the week of March 5, 2024 by the city. The first is the 20-year Growth strategy called One Seattle Comprehensive Plan 2044, which aims to guide growth for the next two decades. The second document, the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Study), analyzes the impacts of growth strategy alternatives.

It’s a very large body of work, and sometimes things are missed or need additional consideration. Help the city review their work! Public engagement is extremely important, and we list opportunities for you to participate and use your voice to influence the choices being proposed by city leaders.

The public engagement period has started, and your comments will be incorporated into the Final Comprehensive Plan and FEIS (Final EIS), which must be voted on by the City Council later in 2024. The deadline for public comments is May 6 at 5:00 pm.

About the Comp Plan

First, the Comprehensive Plan (One Seattle Plan) focuses on goals, policy recommendations, expanding housing options, zoning changes, map expansions, and updating Seattle’s residential zones, such as reclassifying urban villages to urban centers. Also, the city is required to apply the rules of House Bill 1110, which was passed by the state in 2023. HB1110 overrides previous single-family zoned lots and now permits 4-6 units per lot citywide, depending on proximity to transit.  The WCC would like the MHA (Mandatory Housing Affordability) program to apply to everywhere HB1110 applies, and would appreciate public advocacy to make this happen.

Illustrations of the application of HB1110, showing four units to a lot housing configurations, can be found here.

Here is the link to the One Seattle Comprehensive home page.
Here is the link to documents and other information for both the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan and DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Study).

Open Houses for the Comprehensive Plan are all from 6:00 – 7:30pm in person:
– Chief Sealth: Wednesday, April 3
– Garfield: Tuesday, April 16
– Eckstein: Thursday, April 25
– McClure Middle School Seattle City Hall (location changed!): Tuesday, April 30
– Virtual Online: Thursday, May 2

The deadline for comments on the Comprehensive One Seattle Plan is May 6, 2024, at 5:00 pm.
Send comments to OneSeattleCompPlan@seattle.gov

About the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement)

The DEIS focuses more on the five growth alternatives for Seattle with analysis of impacts and mitigations the city anticipates. Here is the link to a concise Executive summary analysis on the growth alternatives.

Links to online Information Sessions to be released before the meetings:

1) DEIS information online session Tuesday, April 2, 7-8:30 pm. For more information, contact: Jim.Holmes@seattle.govor call 206-684-8372.

2) DEIS online information session Thursday, April 11, 7-8:30 pm, focusing on 130th and 145th Street stations. Contact person: Patrice.Carroll@seattle.gov or call 206-684-0946.

The deadline for comments on the DEIS may be submitted before May 6 at 5:00 pm

at the DEIS Story Map
and/or mailed to:
   Jim Holmes  
   Office of Planning and Development  
   P.O.Box 94788  
   Seattle, Wash. 98124-7088  
and/or emailed to: PCD_CompPlan_EIS@seattle.gov

Public Hearings on the DEIS will be both online call-in and in-person live:

1) Wednesday, April 17, at 10 a.m.  
City Hall 600 4th avenue, Boards and Commissioners Room, Floor 12

2) Monday, April 22, at 6:00 p.m.  
City Hall 4th Avenue, Boards and Commissioners Room, Floor 12

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Ask City Council to allow discussion on Transportation Impact Fees. Support Council Bill 120635.

CALL TO ACTION: Email, Call and Testify

This week, please ask City Council to support Council Bill 120635 to amend the City’s Comprehensive Plan to allow the Council to engage with the public and then to later vote on whether to adopt transportation impact fees to pay for infrastructure needs created by new developments.

Monday, Nov. 6th: Please contact all Members of City Council and ask them to vote YES on CB 120635.

Tuesday, Nov. 7th: Please consider also making public comment either in-person or via telephone and ask all Councilmembers to vote YES on CB 120635.

City Council needs to hear from we, the people.  🙂

NOTE: CB 120635 is a procedural requirement—it does NOT impose any fees. What it does do is allow for the discussion, public engagement, and then, ideally, a vote.  If the comp plan does not get amended, then the exploration of impact fees cannot happen.  Impact fees are charged by all surrounding communities of Seattle, i.e., Redmond, Bellevue, Renton, Bainbridge Island, etc..

What are Impact Fees?  Impact fees are one-time charges assessed by a local government against a new development project to help pay for new or expanded public capital facilities that will directly address the increased demand for services created by that development. *
 
What can Transportation Impact Fees be used for?
Transportation impact fees must be used for “public streets, roads, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities that were designed with multimodal commuting as an intended use” that are addressed by a capital facilities plan element of a comprehensive plan adopted under the GMA, per RCW 82.02.050(4) and RCW 82.02.090(7).
According to our discussions with the Washington State Department of Transportation, “bicycle and pedestrian facilities that were designed with multimodal commuting as an intended use” would include any bike trail/lane/path, sidewalk, or any other multimodal trail/lane/path, whether on-street or off-street, as long as it is publicly owned or within the public right-of-way and connects two or more destinations.
It is unlikely that transportation impact fees can be used for other multimodal improvements not listed above, such as transit vehicles or recreational hiking trails.
Since impact fees are restricted to capital facilities, they cannot be used to fund transportation studies or operating and maintenance costs. *

Development impact fees are not a new idea—the cost to provide infrastructure for new real estate development should be carried in part by those new projects (“growth should pay for growth”).  Implementing development impacts fees—like 70 other Washington Cities already do—requires a two-step process: our comprehensive plan must be amended to allow impact fees before they can be considered by a separate ordinance. CB 120635 is just the first step (amending the comprehensive plan)!  

The timing of CB 120635 is particularly important because the 2015 Move Seattle property tax levy expires next year. Ideally, that property tax can remain flat or even decrease; shifting a reasonable amount of the burden to the for-profit developers of new market rate projects (as is done by Redmond, Bellevue, Federal Way, Shoreline, and 66 other Washington cities) will help make this tax reform possible. 
 
CM Herbold, a long-time proponent of impact fees, and CM Pedersen are co-sponsors of CB 120635 to amend the Comp Plan to enable consideration of a program at a later date.

Reference:
– * Source and language for What are Impact Fees and What can Transportation Impact Fees be used for? Comes from https://mrsc.org/research-tools/ask-mrsc
– To read Council Bill 120635 – click here

Background reading links:
– CM Pedersen’s page
– CM Herbold’s page
– Seattle Times: Seattle Leader Wants Developers to Help Pay for Transportation Projects

Some talking points on this topic:
•        Seattle is overdue for impact fees to help us pay for our transportation infrastructure rather than piling the entire cost-burden on homeowners and renters through property taxes. 
•        Seattle is an outlier when 70 other Washington State cities, including Bellevue, Redmond, Renton, Bainbridge Island (as well as cities across the nation) collect this important revenue for better infrastructure to support growth. 
•        Impact fees do not interfere with growth – Bellevue, Redmond and many other cities in Washington use those fees and these cities have not stopped growing. 
•        Seattle’s proposed impact fees would be relatively small in comparison with other cities’ programs.
•        Public, non-profit, and other low-income housing projects could be exempt from these fees. 
•        Impact fee revenue can be used for projects that support for ALL modes of travel, including pedestrians, transit, bikes, and freight. 
•        Impact fee revenue would free up other transportation revenues that Seattle needs to fix our aging bridges.  
•        Impact fees could be used to help pay for new or replacement trees in upgraded rights of way (streets) projects. 
•        Impact fees are not likely to appreciably impact market rate housing production or rents – driving down land values reduces upward pressure on market rent rates.  
•        Impact fees will not reduce the supply of low-income housing: Low-income housing is likely to be exempt.

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