Dear Neighbors, The Seattle City Council is preparing to vote on more than 100 amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Middle Housing legislation — changes that will shape how our neighborhoods grow and function for the next 20 years. These amendments are not just technical adjustments. They touch on nearly every aspect of our daily quality of life — from housing density, building heights, and parking requirements to tree canopy protections, neighborhood boundaries, and public safety priorities. * Some strengthen tree protections and support historic districts. * Others would allow taller buildings in neighborhood centers, reduce parking requirements, or loosen development standards. * Several amendments address housing affordability, setbacks, lot coverage, and retail within residential areas. Because of the scale and speed of these proposals, it is crucial that residents review what’s being considered and make their voices heard. Because these decisions will directly affect the character, livability, and environment of our neighborhoods, it is essential that residents review what’s being considered and speak their minds to Council before final votes are cast Step 17-19th. Once adopted, these rules will set the course for how our community grows for decades to come. Below you’ll find a Community Voter Guide. It organizes and distills many of the 100+ proposed amendments into categories (trees, neighborhood centers, parking, housing standards) and notes which ones neighbors suggest supporting or scrutinizing. ✍️How You Can Help 1. Review the Voter Guide Below. Research deeper into any that are of interest or concern to you.  2. Email City Council with your thoughts anytime before final voting on Sept 17-19: council@seattle.gov. State your name, neighborhood, and your views on specific amendments. 3. Testify at the Public Hearing on Sept 12 (remote or in person). Speakers get 1 minute. 4. Spread the word: Forward this email to neighbors and friends.Thank you for making these important decisions that will shape Wallingford and Seattle for decades.

Community Voter Guide on Comp Plan Amendments and ‘Middle Housing’ – Public Hearing Sept 12th Seattle City Council is reviewing over 100 amendments to the 2025 Comprehensive Plan and Middle Housing bill. These decisions will shape how our neighborhoods grow for the next 20 years, including what can be built in Neighborhood Residential and Lowrise zones. Several proposals—including a new “South Wallingford / Gas Works Neighborhood Center”—were introduced very late in the process, with little to no public outreach.  Many neighbors are concerned that the process is inequitable and rushed. What’s at Stake * Development Standards: Height limits, lot coverage, setbacks, Floor Area Ratio (FAR), and parking requirements that shape neighborhood livability. * Middle Housing: Changes under HB1110 are already increasing density. Many amendments add additional bonuses and incentives. * Neighborhood Centers: Proposed new boundaries (including South Wallingford and Tangletown) would set the stage for upzoning in 2026. * Environment & Trees: Some amendments protect tree canopy; others loosen protections. Key Dates * Sept 12, 2025 – City Council Public Hearing (remote at 9:30 AM; in-person at 3:00 PM) * Sept 17–19, 2025 – Council final votes on amendments and Comprehensive Plan bills(CB120985  and CB120993 permanent Middle Housing.) This vote will include definitive decisions regarding the map boundaries for all urban and neighborhood centers, and policy amendments. These actions will finalize Phase 1 of the Comprehensive Plan, with the adopted policies and Future Land Use maps serving as a guide for the next two decades. For any amendment to pass, it must receive five votes from the council during the final meetings. Your input is crucial to help influence the council’s decision. The final Public Hearing is scheduled for Friday, September 12, with two sessions: 9:30 a.m. (remote registration from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) and 3:00 p.m. (in-person registration from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.). We encourage your participation. Please review our recommended amendments and contact the Council by phone or in writing, or sign up to speak on Friday, September 12. For more information, visit the public comment website. Phase 1 involves two key items: CB 120985, related to the Comprehensive Plan, and CB 120993, which implements permanent legislation for “Middle Housing” as mandated by the state (HB1110). This state mandate allows the construction of 4 to 6 units on Neighborhood Residential lots. The exact number of units depends on the lot’s proximity to major transit. Specifically, HB1110 allows 6 units on 5,000 sq ft lots that are within ¼ mile of major transit,  lots located farther  than ¼ mile away from major transit allow 4 units. It’s important to note that HB1110 applies to areas outside of neighborhood centers. 30 Neighborhood centers  zoning proposed to be Lowrise 2-3 and Neighborhood Commercial ( in business core) without unit density limits. 📌Many proposed amendments seek to modify current development standards for Neighborhood Residential zones by introducing bonuses and incentives for developers. These incentives could significantly alter existing codes related to height, setbacks, lot coverage, Floor Area Ratio (FAR), Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), parking, and trees. The passage of these amendments impact what can be built in Neighborhood Residential and Lowrise zones. Reviewing the condensed list of amendments below can help you make informed decisions to preserve Wallingford’s character. These changes are occurring while simultaneously adding significant density per lot through a combination of HB1110, the Mayor’s plan to rezone 30 neighborhood centers (with more detailed zoning to be revealed in January), for proposed five story upzones to frequent transit arterials citywide. State legislation, specifically HB1110, will by itself significantly increase density. We advocate for maintaining the current standards for building heights (30-32 feet), front setbacks (minimum 10-20 feet), side setbacks (5 feet), and lot coverage (35%). Additionally, we support requiring 20% of lot area for open amenity spaces to be used for trees and recreation.  Your comments to the council on proposed amendments are crucial to influence and ensure these standards are upheld. To understand the impact of proposed amendments and their bonus/incentive tradeoffs, you can compare them against the current development standards. A cheat sheet is available for this comparison below.  The Comprehensive Plan website references the full 110 amendments in greater detail as released by Council on August 4, 2025. You can shape the Comprehensive Plan and influence development by making a list of amendments that you support, and those that you don’t, and send that list to council@seattle.gov by Sept. 11. Each amendment in the condensed list below will note the Council Member who proposed it.  Below are amendments that should be scrutinized with caution, followed others that should be supported Amendments to Scrutinize with Caution 📌 Short List: #7, #33, #34, #47, #54, #55-59, #60, #63, #65-67, #72, #74, #76, #84, #86, #95, #96, #99, #108, #109 These additional amendments below propose the biggest changes to current development standards for Neighborhood Residential areas (outside centers) and lowrise lot zoning designations (inside 30 neighborhood centers and centers everywhere).  Deeper Analysis: 📌#34 (Council Member: Rinck) Adds 8 NEW neighborhood Centers (For Wallingford specifically, it designates South Wallingford/Gas Works as a new location for a 79 acre, 27 block rezone). Introduced at the last minute on August 4th, 2025. * Creates new neighborhood centers across Alki, Broadview, Dawson, Gasworks, Loyal Heights, Nickerson, Roanoke, South Wedgewood). These 8 neighborhoods were dropped from the list of identified locations for 30 neighborhood centers in October, 2024 when the Mayor’s Plan was released.   * Background: The Mayor’s plan introduced 30 neighborhood centers with maps accessible on the city website and distributed at OPCD open houses. None of the 8 neighborhoods, particularly South Wallingford/Gas Works has seen a map circulated by OPCD for this location until August 4, 2025. In the 10 months since October 2024, The community was NEVER advised of a possible Gasworks Neighborhood Center location. The residents, homeowners, renters and businesses in South Wallingford have been denied 10 months of opportunities to engage with the city. We must hold the city government to higher standards. * We recommend that you write to council@seattle.gov to withdraw Amendment 34 for consideration of a South Wallingford / Gas Works Neighborhood Center location due to a non-transparent and inequitable process. council@seattle.gov.  📌#76 (Council Member: Rinck) Amend the definition of “major transit” to include ”frequent transit”.  * This would be a mistake as it contradicts the intent of HB1110. * “Major transit” is light rail and rapid ride with dedicated bus lanes. HB1110 “Middle Housing” stipulates that six units can be built near Major Transit if they are within ¼ mile, and that four units can be built anywhere outside the ¼ mile. 📌#47 (Council Member: Strauss) Tangletown area.  * No final map boundary is available to date after Strauss offered three new map boundary choices and the original as choices. Strauss will submit one final map soon. 📌#7 (Council Member: Rinck) Amend the Comp Plan to remove parking requirements city wide 📌#33 (Council Member: Strauss) Allow buildings taller than 6 stories in Neighborhood Centers (8 stories)  📌#34 (Council Member: Rinck) (see above) 📌#47 (Council Member: Strauss) (see above) 📌#54 (Council Member: Rinck) Allow unit lot subdivisions for ADU’s (refers to second lot subdivision) 📌#55-59 (Council Member: Rinck) related to ADU’s increasing size from 1000 -1500 sq. feet in lowrise, Exclude ADU’s from FAR / Floor Area Ratio (exemption from FAR), 1,000-1200 if three bedrooms, exclude ADU’s from density calculations, Exempt ADU’s from MHA affordability requirements 📌#60 (Council Member: Nelson) Expand the affordable housing bonus in neighborhood residential  📌#63 (Council Member: Nelson) Expand the affordable housing bonus for FAR / Floor Area Ratio in LR zones to waive development standards (Applies to lowrise 1 and higher for new broader affordable housing bonus with greater FAR, higher heights and units at 60%-80% AMI) 📌#65 (Council Member: Nelson) Allow retail stores to be located anywhere on any lot on a block 📌#66 (Council Member: Rink) Allow more commercial uses in more locations in neighborhood residential areas (not the corner store anymore, no size limit, bars, restaurants) 📌#67 (Council Member: Strauss) Allow stores to be located anywhere in NR zones, NOT JUST CORNERS 📌#72 (Council Member: Rinck) Amend density development standards to allow portions of a lot with environmentally critical areas to count toward density calculations (steep slopes for example) 📌#74 (Council Member: Nelson) Increase residential and lowrise height limits from 32 ft (increased by 2 ft already in interim legislation) now this proposes another 3 feet of height 📌#76 (Council Member: Rinck) (See above)  📌#84 (Council Member: Rinck) remove off street parking requirements CITYWIDE 📌#86 (Council Member: Nelson) Remove parking regulations/requirements within frequent transit areas of neighborhood residential 📌#95 (Council Member: Rinck) Reduces setbacks on small lots near transit (under 5,000 sq. feet) 📌#96 (Council Member: Rinck) Reduces side setbacks from 5 feet to 3 feet (maintenance areas, open space) 📌#99 (Council Member: Kettle) Eliminates amenity area requirements now 20% of lot for development in NR zones (space for trees, recreation) 📌#108 (Council Member: Hollingsworth) Exempt ADUs from FAR calculations in lowrise zones for legacy homeowners 📌#109 (Council Member: Hollingsworth) Reduce setbacks in lowrise zones for legacy homeowners Amendments to Support: Short List: #77, #93, #102, #5, #6, #10, #11, #14, #28, #29, #30, #32, #38, #40, #81, #110 Detailed Summary:  Quick Grouping of “Pro for Trees for Livability”: ✅ #77 (Council Member: Saka) Cottage Housing Bonus This amendment would make development standards more flexible for “cottage housing” which would be defined as “development consisting entirely of one or two story dwelling units arranged on two sides of a common, ground level amenity area equal to at least. ✅ #93 (Council Member: Rivera) Tree canopy requirements Effect: Modifies tree planting requirements, grants reduced setbacks, additional FAR / Floor Area Ratio and increased height for developments that preserve at least one Tier 2 tree. ✅ #102 (Council Member: Rivera) Tree Protections Tree protections SDCI alternate site plan authority and procedural discretion for development that encroaches on tree protection areas (could authorize SDCI Director to require alternate site plans to demonstrate that trees can be retained). Pro Comprehensive Plan Policy: ✅ #5 (Council Member: Strauss) Support grocery stores in food desserts and 27 Hollingsworth (same idea) ✅ #6 (Council Member: Strauss) Amend the Comp Plan to support multi-generational housing diversity for all ages and encourages renovation  ✅ #10 (Council Member: Saka) Amend the Comp Plan to add a policy on transit security ✅ #11 (Council Member: Saka) Amend the Comp Plan to revise a policy on missing sidewalks ✅ #14 (Council Member: Saka) Amend the Comprehensive Plan to add policies on pavement and bridge construction ✅ #28 (Council Member: Strauss) Amend the Climate and Environmental Element to highlight trees, bees, salmon, orca and herons ✅ #29 (Council Member: Strauss) Amend the Comp Plan to support the development of parks in regional and urban centers ✅ #30 (Council Member: Strauss)Amend the Comp Plan to support the development of community centers in regional and urban centers  ✅ #32 (Council Member: Kettle) Add a Public Safety Element to the Comprehensive Plan   ✅ #38 (Council Member: Hollingsworth) Adds protections for steep slopes in environmentally critical areas ✅ #40 (Council Member: Rivera) Amend the boundary map of the Ravenna Neighborhood map to support a National Historic District (shrinking map boundary to honor work of establishment of Ravenna Historic Districts) Important move in the right direction! ✅ #81 (Council Member: Rivera) Design Standards for Historic Districts ✅ #110 (Council Member: Saka) Requires mailed notices of area wide rezones (notice to lot owners of businesses, apartments, and residences must be notified of a rezone for properties resulting from residents being blindsided by the city’s intent to rezone (costly $500,000) project Take Action:   * We encourage you to send your list of what you support by number and what you support and do not support to council@seattle.gov anytime before the Council’s final vote on Sept 17-19th.  * Please also consider attending the Public Hearing on Friday, September 12th at either 9:30 (remote) or 3:00pm live at City Hall. https://www.seattle.gov/council/committees/public-comment Key References:  * Link to CB 120985 Comp Plan bill * Link to CB 120993 Middle Housing bill * Link to Development Standards reference with current  (heights, FAR, setbacks, for Residential ( HB1110) Lowrise, Midrise and Neighborhood Commercial zones)  * Wallingford community built flyer on Gas Works zoning changes * Article: The Best Cities for Low Carbon Emissions Aren’t the Tallest (Bloomberg)

Dear Neighbors,

As the seasons change, let’s come together to celebrate what makes Wallingford such a vibrant, connected community. This September, the Wallingford Community Council is excited to host a Community Open House—a chance to connect, learn, and enjoy an evening together.

We’ll feature local organizations that bring life, beauty, and spirit to our neighborhood. Come meet them, hear about their work, and discover ways you can get involved.

✨ Light nibbles and desserts from local vendors will be provided—bring a friend or a neighbor and make it a community night out!

Wallingford Community Council – General Meeting & “Wallingford Open House”
📅 Tuesday, September 10, 2025
📍 Good Shepherd Center, Room 202
🕡 6:30 – 8:30 PM

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🌟 Featured Community Spotlights

🏛 Historic Wallingford

Learn how Historic Wallingford is preserving the rich character of our neighborhood while helping residents engage with Seattle’s growth and change.

📰 Wallyhood

Our very own neighborhood blog! Meet the team behind Wallyhood, which has been keeping Wallingford informed and entertained for years.

🎉 Celebrate Wallingford

The nonprofit behind our beloved Wallingford Kiddie Parade! Learn how Celebrate Wallingford brings neighbors together through fun events that honor tradition and build community spirit.

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✨ Other Potential Organizations Joining

• Good Shepherd Senior Center
• Wallingford Branch Library
• Local Tree Preservation Group
• (More details will be shared in our follow-up newsletter.)

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🗓 Evening Schedule

• 6:30 – 7:00 PM | Casual Welcome & Nibbles
• 7:00 – 8:15 PM | Community Organization Spotlights
• 8:15 – 8:30 PM | WCC Updates: Waterways & Zoning — Key topics shaping Wallingford’s future
  

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💡 Why Attend

• Meet the neighbors and groups making Wallingford thrive
• Find opportunities to get involved in fun, meaningful ways
• Hear important updates on Waterways and Zoning and what they mean for our neighborhood
  

📅 Community Calendar / Future Events

Lincoln High School – Sports Field Options & Discussions

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) and Seattle Parks & Recreation (SPR) are planning facility upgrades at Lower Woodland Park to service the student community.   More info here

• Track Upgrades Discussion at Lower Woodland
  
  📅 Saturday, Sept. 20, 11:00 a.m. | Lower Woodland Field #7, near the bleachers
  
• New Full-Size Athletic Field Discussion
  
  📅 Wednesday, Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m. | Location TBD

The Great Wallingford Wurst Fest

📅 Sept. 12–13 | St. Benedict School, Wallingford | Free!
All ages are welcome at this neighborhood tradition featuring live music, food, kid-friendly activities, and a 21+ beer garden. Learn more

Senior Center Fall Gala

📅 Sept. 12 | 6–9 p.m. | $40 fundraiser with cabaret performance
RSVP by Sept. 8 (casual dress encouraged)

Historic Wallingford Roaring 20’s Speakeasy

Reserve your spot for an unforgettable evening of prohibition-era cocktails, gourmet canapés, and 1920s entertainment.
📅 Sept. 14 | 4:30-6:30 p.m.| Murphy’s Pub | Event details

Candidate Forum – Fremont Community Council

📅 Sept. 30 | 7–8:30 p.m. | Doric Lodge | Featuring CM Nelson Learn more

Next WCC Meeting

📅 October 1 | 7:00 p.m.
We can’t wait to see you at the WCC event and these others — let’s celebrate Wallingford together!

The Seattle City Council is finalizing its Comprehensive Plan—the 20-year roadmap for growth and zoning across our city. As part of this, Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6) is asking for feedback on the boundaries of the proposed Tangletown Neighborhood Center.

The online survey lets you weigh in on four choices:

• The City’s original proposal (OPCD version)
• Version A
• Version B
• Version C

Each map redraws Tangletown’s boundaries in different ways: some shift south toward Meridian Park and closer to the Wallingford Urban Center, others extend east toward I-5 or connect to the University District. All of these changes could impact housing density, building heights (up to 4–5 stories), traffic, and neighborhood character.

👉 Importantly, the survey also gives you the option to mark “undecided” or to say that you don’t support any of the proposals. Every question provides space to add comments—so you can explain what you like, dislike, or want changed about each option.

Deadline: Tuesday, September 2

Councilmember Strauss will use this feedback to decide which one map to advance to the full Council for consideration later in September.

📝 Take the survey here: District 6 Neighborhood Center Survey

This is your chance to shape how Tangletown—and its connections to Wallingford, Green Lake, and beyond—will grow in the coming decades. Please take a few minutes to look at the maps, share your perspective, and make sure our neighborhood voices are part of the decision.

Original:

Version A:

Version B:

Version C:

Your Input Matters!

Seattle Design Process “Improvements” Public Hearing
MONDAY, Sept. 11, 2017

Sign up to testify: 5:00pm
Public comments begin: 7:00pm

LOCATION of Public Hearing:
SIFF Cinema Uptown, Auditorium 3
511 Queen Anne Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109

Growth without Oversight
Do you believe in responsible growth that is positive for your community’s quality of life?

Then make your voice heard with the City Council! The City’s proposal to amend the design review process takes away your influence concerning what gets built in your immediate neighborhood.

Currently, both the City and the Neighborhood Design Guidelines combine with a format that offers two public Design Review meetings to make growth fit within the context of your neighborhood.  Without the check and balance of inclusive design review, growth can destroy neighborhoods.  With it, the character and quality of the neighborhood is strengthened when adding housing and commercial spaces.

If you can attend the Hearing & make public comment, please do so! See below for more info on the proposes changes.
Get there early & bring a neighbor! 

In addition to attending the hearing, please ask all Council Members to:
– Leave the Design Review process as is
– Enforce: Direct city employees and the Design Review Boards to enforce existing design guidelines

“Please leave the Design Process as is, and instead, direct the city to start enforcing design guidelines. Too many departures are being granted, too many setback requirements are being ignored, and too many loopholes are being exploited due to poor enforcement by the City.”

Please CALL City Council and tell them your thoughts:  206-684-8888
Please E-mail City Council:
sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov; tim.burgess@seattle.gov; mike.obrien@seattle.gov; kshama.sawant@seattle.gov; rob.johnson@seattle.gov; lorena.gonzalez@seattle.gov; lisa.herbold@seattle.gov; bruce.harrell@seattle.gov; debora.juarez@seattle.gov

Please submit your comments to Mayor Murray:
http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/get-involved/contact-the-mayor

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Proposed changes that impact neighborhoods include:

• Removing neighborhoods from the process by replacing language such as:
  • “Neighborhood priorities among the design guidelines” with “identify guideline priorities”.
  • “Highest priority to the neighborhood” with “highest priority to the Board”.
• Exempting projects on properties of less than 10,000 square feet from any design review. In the past 2 years, 29% of projects were in this category. For perspective: most four story apartment buildings are on properties of less than 10,000 square feet.
• Restricting the scope of the Design Review Process:
  • Administrative – Developments inside Urban Villages get Administrative Design Review, with no public meetings, if less than 20,000 square feet.
  • Hybrid – Developments up to 20,000 square feet (or larger inside an Urban Village) would require only the Design Review Board “Recommendation” meeting and not the “Early Design Guidance” meeting.
  • Full – Only the largest developments, over 20,000 square feet, and only outside Urban Village boundaries, would require the normal Design Review Board “Early Design Guidance” and “Recommendation” meetings.
• Revising who is a stakeholder by changing straightforward terms such as “Developers” to more generic terms like “Project Proponents”.
• Shifting responsibility and authority from the Design Review Board to the Director. This has the effect of making Design Review Boards less independent, and will make the Board positions less attractive to the professionals who volunteer their time.
• Granting departures from building code without public review.

Your input DOES MATTER!  Last year, due to comments and push-back from all over the city, the proposed changes were tabled until now.

Want to learn more?

The Seattle Neighborhood Coalition (SNC) will be discussing the proposed Design Review changes at their monthly meeting this Saturday, 9:00AM, 500 30th Ave S. (Leschi neighborhood of Central District).

Read more about the draft recommendations here:
Design Review Program Improvements, Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI).
Draft Ordinance (PDF format).