Tonight at 6pm, the City is holding a public hearing to take comments on the proposed changes to land use and zoning regulations, at Eckstein Middle School (3003 NE 75th Street). The public can sign up starting at 5:30 to give comments.
The Seattle City Council is considering proposed legislation to amend Seattle’s land use and zoning code to apply Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) requirements in existing multifamily and commercial zones in Seattle. Areas currently zoned Single Family in existing urban villages, and areas zoned Single Family in potential urban village expansion areas are identified in the Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Planning process.
The hearing will focus on changes affecting property in District 4, which includes all or portions of the Bryant, Eastlake, Laurelhurst, Fremont, Ravenna, Roosevelt, Sand Point, University District, View Ridge, Wallingford, Wedgewood and Windermere neighborhoods.
The City website says:
The Seattle City Council is considering proposed legislation to amend Seattle’s land use and zoning code to apply Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) requirements in existing multifamily and commercial zones in Seattle, areas currently zoned Single Family in existing urban villages, and areas zoned Single Family in potential urban village expansion areas identified in the Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Planning process. See the map below illustrating the areas that would be affected by this proposal.
Come and review maps of proposed Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) zoning changes to your urban Village.
MHA is a new policy to ensure that growth brings affordability. MHA will require new development to include affordable homes or contribute to a City fund for affordable housing. To put MHA into effect, the City of Seattle needs to make zoning changes that add development capacity and expand housing choices.
The proposed legislation would:
· make area-wide revisions to the official zoning map in the areas shown on the map;
· apply MHA requirements in the rezoned areas, requiring new commercial or multi-family development in the affected zones to contribute to affordable housing;
· add development capacity in the form of an increase in the amount of allowed height and/or floor area for buildings in zones where the MHA requirements would apply;
· modify or introduce new development standards to address design issues with current development and accommodate new building types;
· modify or introduce new requirements to apply MHA to contract rezones;
· modify certain rezone criteria in the Land Use Code;
· modify certain land use definitions; and
· modify or introduce new requirements for certain measurements, such as floor area ratio and green factor.
Alex Pedersen, a Northeast Seattle neighborhood advocate, who publishes a monthly newsletter, recently posted this information regarding the issue:
City Hall and your Councilmember Rob Johnson are eager to upzone our neighborhoods for private real estate developers. But will the public benefit? Although City Hall's "Preferred Alternative" (i.e. the massive upzone) lacks both affordability and livability and is being challenged by neighborhood groups throughout Seattle, city officials are plowing ahead and holding this "public hearing." Tell them what you think.
For more information, contact Spencer Williams in Councilmember Rob Johnson’s office at 206-684-8808 or spencer.williams@seattle.gov.
Written comments on the proposal will be accepted until the Full Council takes final action on the proposal, which is not anticipated to occur before July 2018.
Send comments to Spencer Williams in Councilmember Rob Johnson’s office via e-mail at: citywidemha@seattle.gov or by mail to Councilmember Rob Johnson, 600 4th Avenue, 2nd Floor, PO Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124-4025.
The Council Bill and supporting documents can be found here, reference Council Bill 119184 in the Record No. field. Information regarding the proposal including a draft of the proposed legislation is available here.
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