Category Archives: Schools

"Keep Seattle Livable" logo

Be Heard at the MHA Public Hearing, Monday February 12

Public Hearing Regarding Rezones to Implement Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) Requirements

Many parcels in Wallingford would change from Single-Family to Lowrise 1, Lowrise 2, or even Lowrise 3 zoning. Be heard and be seen to let the City Council know of your concerns!

Monday February 12, 2018, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Eckstein Middle School (Auditorium)
3003 NE 75th Street.

For those who wish to testify, sign-up sheets will be available starting at 5:30 PM. Get in line early in case there is a crowd.

MHA FEIS Preferred Alternative Map for Wallingford Urban VillageWe recommend you ask to:

  • Alter the Urban Village boundaries to spare 700 Single-Family homes from being upzoned to multi-family. The City’s affordable housing goal for our neighborhood is still met with those altered Urban Village boundaries.
  • Prevent massive developments next to houses. Many of the up-zones change building heights from three stories up to five stories!
  • Require setbacks and step-downs to preserve yards, trees, and daylight.
  • Require on-site parking.
  • Require affordable housing units to be built on-site.
  • Require true family housing in all zone definitions. Add density limits back to the zone definitions so that two-, three-, and four-bedroom units are built throughout the neighborhood.
  • Increase mixed-income housing development in Wallingford.
  • Protect our local small businesses. Require affordable leases in new buildings.
  • Require the City to track displacement of low- and middle-income residents, and small businesses.
  • Impose Impact Fees now to fund schools, parks, roads, and public safety!

The hearing will focus on changes affecting District 4:
Eastlake, Fremont, Greenlake, Roosevelt, U-District, and Wallingford Urban Villages;
Bryant, Laurelhurst, Ravenna, Sand Point, View Ridge, Wedgewood, and Windermere neighborhoods.

Public Notice:
http://web6.seattle.gov/DPD/LUIB/Notice.aspx?BID=1311&NID=26783
City Calendar:
http://www.seattle.gov/event-calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D126504168

MHA FEIS Preferred Alternative Map for Wallingford Urban Village

Citywide Open House on MHA, Tuesday January 30

Come to the Citywide Open House featuring District 4 Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) Maps.
See how the city proposes to upzone Wallingford. Join your neighbors to help us all Keep Seattle Livable!

Tuesday January 30, 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Come anytime during the evening for the informal walk-around presentation.
Hamilton International Middle School, 1610 North 41st Street.

The Seattle City Council invites you to “Come and review maps of proposed MHA zoning changes to your Urban Village”. District 4 includes the Eastlake, Fremont, Greenlake, Roosevelt, U-District, and Wallingford Urban Villages.

MHA FEIS Preferred Alternative Map for Wallingford Urban VillageCome see if your block is getting rezoned – how high and how wide. Many parcels in Wallingford would change from Single-Family to Lowrise 1, Lowrise 2, or even Lowrise 3 zoning! Let the city know again of your concerns.

Keep Seattle Livable!  Here are the basics that we recommend you ask for:

  • Alter the Urban Village boundaries to spare 700 Single-Family homes from the wrecking ball. Even without them in the Urban Village, Wallingford still meets the City’s affordable housing goal for our neighborhood.
  • Prevent massive developments next to houses. Many of the upzones change building heights from three stories up to six stories! You can check this site if you are looking for quality painting services.
  • Require setbacks and step-downs in order to preserve yards, trees, and daylight.
  • Require on-site parking.
  • Require true family housing in all zone definitions. Add density limits back to the zone definitions so that two, three, and four bedroom units are built throughout the neighborhood.
  • Increase mixed-income housing development in Wallingford.
  • Require affordable housing units to be built on-site.
  • Protect our local small businesses. Require affordable leases in new buildings.
  • Require the City to track displacement of low- and middle-income residents, and small businesses.
  • Impose Impact Fees now to fund schools, parks, roads, and public safety!

While you are there – ask the City how the MHA “Grand Bargain” program helps to retain and grow middle-class housing in Wallingford.

Learn what the City is not telling you at the WCC MHA “Grand Bargain” page.
Read how the proposed zoning changes will affect you at The City reveals “Preferred Alternative” zoning changes for Wallingford (corrected from Draft Zoning Maps Released for Walllingford).
Note: While the focus of this meeting is on Urban Villages – any parcel that is currently zoned multi-family, inside or outside of an Urban Village, will be upzoned as well.

Tuesday January 30 at 6:00 PM. Bring your friends to see what the city is up to!

"Keep Seattle Livable" logo

Deadline for ADU EIS Scoping Comments, Thursday November 16

Comments must be submitted by 5:00 PM tomorrow, Thursday November 16!

The City is proposing to change the Land Use Code to remove barriers to the creation of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in single-family zones. The proposal allows for two ADUs instead of one per lot, removes existing off-street parking and owner-occupancy requirements, and changes development standards that regulate the size and location of detached units (DADUs).

We urge you to express your concerns regarding what issues the City should study in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Your comments may address these topics:

  • The objectives for this proposal are not clear. Better objectives might be more affordable housing, more family housing, preservation of tree canopy and yards, and development compatible with existing single-family housing.
  • Only one alternative is presented for this proposal. At least two alternatives to accomplish the objective are required. You may suggest alternatives to be studied.
  • The impacts of this proposal on neighborhoods, public services, and natural resources.
  • Measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the effects of this proposal.

Comments must be submitted by 5:00 PM on November 16 by:

Further information is available at the City’s Accessory Dwelling Units EIS website. The City will produce a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).  When the DEIS is released, you will then have a chance to comment on the specific conclusions in that document.

Continue reading →

"Keep Seattle Livable" logo

Wear Black to the City Open House, Thursday October 26

A.K.A. the “Funeral of the Neighborhood Voice”

Thursday October 26, 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Hales Brewery (in the Palladium)
4301 Leary Way NW

Wear black as together we mourn the loss of our Neighborhood Voice

The City wants to remove Single-Family zoning language from our Neighborhood Plan to allow for upzones and increased building heights in our neighborhood.  This Thursday, the City is having an Open House in which they want to “start a discussion” around changes to five neighborhood plans.

If you think that neighborhoods should have a voice, and believe that residents, neighborhood businesses, schools and the city should all be involved and working together to plan the future – then wear black and attend the Open House.

We can make a statement about our lack of voice.  Here’s how:

  1. Show up, dressed in black as a visual protest of the City killing our Neighborhood Plans by controlling its language and not allowing neighborhood-directed planning.
  2. The City will ask you to rewrite a section of our neighborhood plan to remove single family zoning language and will dictate what language is allowable, or ask you to choose one of their options. Instead, we recommend you tell the City that our neighborhood plans and zoning should only be changed through a formal neighborhood planning process.

Please join us for the “Funeral of the Neighborhood Voice”.
Suggestions for Signs:

  • RIP – Neighborhood Voice
  • RIP – Democracy in Seattle
  • RIP – Livability
  • RIP – Affordability
  • Death of the Neighborhood Plan
  • Silenced! Neighborhood Voices
  • Resurrect Neighborhood Plans

Continue reading →