WCC March 2026 Newsletter
📝 President’s Message
Dear Neighbors,
Mark your calendar for our Wednesday, March 4 community meeting at 7:00 PM at Good Shepherd Center. We have two important presentations — a Seattle Tree Code overview from a certified arborist, and an update on the Lincoln Athletic Field at Lower Woodland Park presenting community-proposed alternatives to Seattle Public Schools’ current plan.
We also have significant breaking news: City Council has announced the Phase 2 Select Committee Meeting Schedule, running March 19 through June 18, 2026. This process will determine rezoning for Neighborhood Residential lots facing bus corridors citywide — including key areas in Wallingford and Tangletown. Details are below, and we will keep you updated as this moves forward.
Warm regards,
Bonnie Williams, President — Wallingford Community Council
📅 March 4 Community Meeting
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 • 7:00 PM • Good Shepherd Center, Room 202
1. Seattle Tree Code — Overview & Q&A
Certified ISA Arborist Alec Johnston and team will present an overview of the Seattle Tree Code and answer questions on the latest 2023 update. Bring your questions about trees on your property or in your neighborhood.
2. Lincoln Athletic Field at Lower Woodland Park
Erik Fisk of Friends of Lower Woodland Park (friends.lwp@gmail.com) will present community-proposed alternatives to Seattle Public Schools’ proposed Option A design for a Lincoln High School athletic field at Lower Woodland Park.
→ Wallyhood: Lincoln Playfields — Option C Update & Public Comments
Seattle Public Schools is proposing to add a playfield for Lincoln High School at Lower Woodland Park by way of a design they call “Option A.” Over 400 people have now endorsed a petition asking SPS to reject Option A due to adverse impacts, including how Option A overcrowds the playfield area, severs pedestrian park access, generates hazardous user conflicts, wastes recent infrastructure investments, and destroys historic trees.
As an alternative, the community has proposed Option C to distribute the new field to the underutilized gravel parking lot near 50th and Aurora. SPS has not responded to Option C directly, but has expressed some concerns. The community has responded with variations such as C1, C2, and D to explore specific configurations and alternative sites. These alternatives and updates will be presented at the meeting, followed by Q&A.
📰 Breaking News: Phase 2 Select Committee Schedule
City Council has announced the Phase 2 Select Committee Meeting Schedule, running March 19 through June 18, 2026. This will govern the review of proposed Comp Plan legislation for Neighborhood Residential (NR) rezoning of lots facing frequent transit bus corridors and 30 new neighborhood centers citywide — including Wallingford and Tangletown.
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 2:00 PM | Select Committee Meeting |
| Monday, April 6, 2026 | 9:30 AM | Public Hearing |
| Friday, May 29, 2026 | 9:30 AM | Public Hearing |
| Thursday, June 4, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Select Committee Meeting |
| Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Select Committee Meeting |
Online maps allow you to check the proposed zoning status for your property:
- One Seattle Plan Zoning Implementation Map (Interactive)
- One Seattle Plan — OPCD Overview Page
- Updated NR Zone Development Standards (January 2026, PDF)
- Permanent State Zoning Compliance Summary (PDF)
🏙️ Key Issue: One Seattle Plan — Phase 2 Zoning
Background: State Zoning Compliance (HB 1110)
The City Council passed Permanent State Zoning Compliance legislation CB120993 on December 16, 2025, effective January 21, 2026. The legislation comprehensively updates Seattle’s Neighborhood Residential (NR) zones — formerly single-family zones — to comply with Washington State HB 1110.
HB 1110 requires cities to allow a wider variety of “middle” housing types, including duplexes, triplexes, and stacked flats, in single-family zones. The state mandates that the densest housing be located near major transit (light rail and Rapid Ride). A city must allow 6 of the 9 defined types of middle housing to meet the required density threshold. Middle housing is defined as buildings compatible in scale, form, and character with single-family houses that contain two or more attached, stacked, or clustered homes — including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, sixplexes, townhouses, stacked flats, courtyard apartments, and cottage housing.
What is Proposed
Mayor Harrell’s One Seattle Plan has been controversial since its introduction in October 2024. Key concerns have focused on the scale of proposed housing growth — 330,000 units, far beyond the Environmental Impact Study requirement of 80,000–120,000 units over 20 years — and questions about affordability and adequate public outreach.
The Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) has primarily proposed Lowrise 3 (LR3) zoning of 5–6 stories for NR lots facing bus corridors and NR lots surrounding 30 proposed neighborhood centers. Critics argue LR3/5–6 stories is out of scale with existing neighborhoods and goes beyond what HB 1110 requires. OPCD has returned with updated online maps showing some boundary changes for neighborhood centers, but the LR3/5-story proposal for bus corridors appears largely unchanged and rezones NR lots surrounding the Tangletown business core.
Key Areas Impacted in Wallingford
Wallingford Ave & N. 40th St. (Routes 31/32): The LR3 (5-story) zone is proposed to stretch from I-5 along 40th Street to Wallingford Ave N., continuing south to N. 35th St. and across to Stoneway.
Tangletown Business Core: Proposed to change from NC-40 (current) to NC-55–65 (5–6 stories).
Surrounding Tangletown: Approximately 400 homes currently zoned NR (3-story scale) are proposed for LR3 (5-story).
Meridian Avenue N. (Route 62): The corridor of NR-zoned homes and small rentals from N. 50th St. to N. 56th St. is proposed for LR3 (5-story).
📋 City Council & Relevant Contacts
The following contacts are relevant to Phase 2 as the Select Committee process moves forward. Additional information on how to engage will be shared after the March 4 meeting and ahead of upcoming public hearings.
| Role | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Katie Wilson | seattle.gov/mayor/contact |
| D4 – Wallingford | Maritza Rivera | Maritza.Rivera@seattle.gov 206-884-8888 |
| D6 – Tangletown/N. | Dan Strauss | Dan.Strauss@seattle.gov 206-684-8806 |
| At-Large | Alexis Mercedes Rinck | AlexisMercedes.Rinck@seattle.gov 206-684-8808 |
| At-Large | Dionne Foster | Dionne.Foster@seattle.gov 206-684-8809 |
| All Council | council@seattle.gov | |
| OPCD – Long Range | Michael Hubner | Michael.Hubner@seattle.gov |
| OPCD | Brennon Staley | Brennon.Staley@seattle.gov |
🗓️ 2026 Meeting Schedule
WCC meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM, Good Shepherd Center, Room 202 (exceptions noted below).
| Date | Topic |
|---|---|
| March 4, 2026 | Tree Code Overview (Alec Johnston) + Lincoln Athletic Field Update (Erik Fisk) |
| April 1, 2026 | Lake Union Waterway 20 Grant introduction (soil cleanup & public outreach) + Phase 2 Zoning Update ahead of April 6 Public Hearing |
| May 6, 2026 | Annual Board Election (date may shift slightly) |
| June 3, 2026 | Waterway 20 Grant public outreach + Phase 2 Zoning Update |
🙋 Volunteer — Get Involved
Secretary: Temporary Volunteer Needed (through May 2026)
We are looking for a volunteer to serve as Secretary through May 2026, keeping accurate meeting minutes. This is a great way to stay connected with your community.
To volunteer, contact: pres@wallingfordcc.org
ℹ️ About the Wallingford Community Council
The Wallingford Community Council promotes quality of life in the Wallingford and Tangletown neighborhoods of Seattle. We welcome all neighbors to our monthly meetings. (WCC Membership renewals need to be completed by mid April to be eligible for the May Board election meeting.)
Website: wallingfordcc.org
Contact: pres@wallingfordcc.org
Forward this newsletter to your neighbors — the more people who are informed, the stronger our community voice.