Hello, Wallingford! I’m honored to have been elected President of the Council for the 2026–2027 term. I’m grateful to Bonnie Williams for her years of capable leadership, and I look forward to building on her work — advancing our initiatives, expanding our voice at City Hall, and deepening community ties for everyone who lives here, between the lake and the lake, from the freeway to the speedway.
Please join us on Wednesday, June 3 to meet the new board, and to get the latest on the Comprehensive Plan Phase 2 “Centers and Corridors” rezoning proposals. With the final Public Hearing set for July 23, the window to make your voice heard is closing — come learn how to use it.
— Alexis Chartouni, President
📅 Reminder: WCC Monthly Meeting — Wednesday, June 3
Wednesday, June 3 · 7:00 PM Room 202, Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave N) Topic: Phase 2 “Corridors and Centers” map update, ahead of the July 23 Public Hearing.
🏙️ Comp Plan Phase 2: Where Things Stand
The City Council is finishing its review of the Phase 2 “Centers and Corridors” rezone maps. The proposals — first released as online maps in October 2024 — would change zoning for thousands of individual lots citywide, including many along Wallingford’s frequent-transit corridors (the #31/#32 and #62 bus routes) and within the new Tangletown Neighborhood Center. The June 3 meeting will cover the latest from the Council’s May 14 committee session (the May 28 session was canceled) and how to weigh in before the hearing.
Public Hearing: Thursday, July 23 · 9:30 AM (morning & afternoon sessions) Committee review: Thursday, July 30 · 9:30 AM Possible final Council vote: Wednesday, August 5
Two related zoning bills are moving quickly, with little time for public input:
CB 121196 — “Housing Opportunities.” Would allow significant building-height increases and spot rezones in several areas, including Fremont/Stone Way, Belltown, Downtown, the U District, Madison-Miller, and Rainier Beach. The Land Use & Sustainability Committee voted on May 20 to advance it to the full Council, with a vote expected June 2.
CB 121215 — rescission of SEPA appeal rights to the City Hearing Examiner. Would exempt the environmental reviews (EIS) tied to Comprehensive Plans, Comp Plan amendments, area-wide rezones, and zoning-code amendments from appeals to the City Hearing Examiner — removing the public’s main formal way to challenge an inadequate environmental impact study. A Land Use Committee public hearing is set for Tuesday, July 1, with chances to comment on June 3 and June 17 (9:30 AM, Land Use Committee).
Make your voice heard. Email your councilmember — for Wallingford, District 4’s Maritza Rivera (maritza.rivera@seattle.gov); for Tangletown and South Green Lake, District 6’s Dan Strauss (dan.strauss@seattle.gov) — along with Land Use Chair Eddie Lin (Eddie.Lin@seattle.gov) and Mayor Wilson (mayor@seattle.gov) to oppose removing the public’s right to appeal environmental reviews (CB 121215).
🗓️ Save the Date: Annual Waterway Walk — Sunday, June 14
Sunday, June 14 · 2:00 PM Meet at the Wallingford Steps (south end of Wallingford Ave N, across from Gas Works Park) ~1-hour tour of the waterways along the north shore of Lake Union. Optional happy hour after at Ivar’s Salmon House.
💧 Waterway 20 Update
On Tuesday, May 26, WCC held Waterway 20 Community Meeting #2 at Ivar’s Salmon House, continuing the push to reopen Waterway 20 to public access on Lake Union. Slides from the April 8 and May 26 meetings are on our Shoreline & Environment page. Questions or want to get involved? Contact Shoreline Committee Chair Ted Hunter (shorelines@wallingfordcc.org).
🌿 Join or Renew Your Membership
Membership keeps WCC independent and effective. Join or renew at wallingfordcc.org.
See you Wednesday, June 3 at 7 PM, Room 202, Good Shepherd Center.
💧 TODAY: Waterway 20 Community Meeting — 4 PM at Ivar’s Salmon House
The WCC is hosting the 2nd community meeting on reopening public access to Waterway 20 on Lake Union’s north shore. We need your input!
📅 Tuesday, May 26, 2026 · 4:00 – 5:30 PM 📍 Ivar’s Salmon House · 401 NE Northlake Way, Seattle
On the west side of Gas Works Park, a public waterway has been closed for decades — that’s about to change! This Lake Union access point is in the final stages of environmental cleanup, but Waterway 20 cannot be reopened without public input.
Whether you kayak, paddle, sail, or just want more public green space and recreational access to Lake Union — your voice matters. Come learn about the cleanup progress, share your ideas for the future of this waterfront space, and help shape what comes next.
Thank you to all who attended the Tuesday, May 5, 2026 7 PM WCC Annual Board Election Meeting. It was a pleasure to hear from our keynote speaker, Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis. We had a large crowd, including Wallingford Chamber of Commerce business owners who connected directly with the Seattle Police Department after recent burglaries along 45th.
A/C Davis took a wide range of questions. Among the highlights:
The Community Service Officer program is restarting, with 24 CSOs assigned across the five Seattle precincts (no badges, no guns) to handle a variety of non-emergency police business.
103 police recruits are in training (one-year program), though A/C Davis acknowledged the ongoing shortage of officers in Seattle.
The Seattle motorcycle police force is preparing to escort dignitaries and athletes for the FIFA World Cup (mid-June to mid-July), with help from other jurisdictions to absorb the expected 800,000 visitors.
A new community engagement program, “Our City, Our Safety,” will rotate monthly between precincts. The next session is Monday, July 7, 6:00–7:30 PM at Bitter Lake.
Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis addresses WCC members at Good Shepherd Center, May 5, 2026.
🗳️ Board Election Results & Transition
Thank you to our dedicated outgoing board from the past two years: Ted Hunter, Mark Johanson, Matt Hallett, Mary Hodder, Margaret Holt, Jen Ring Perez (one year), and Bonnie Williams (President). Bonnie is the only member leaving the board after two terms as President and ten years of WCC involvement. She will help with the summer transition to incoming President Alexis Chartouni and prepare the board for the fall.
Alexis brings significant Building and Land Use knowledge to the role. Thank you also to Miranda Berner (past President), who remains involved year-round and served as Nominating Committee Chair for the May 5 election.
Newly elected board, joining President Alexis Chartouni:
Mark Johanson — Treasurer
Matt Hallett — Secretary / Tech & Communications
Margaret Holt — Vice President
Jen Ring Perez — At Large
Larry Bush — At Large (begins September 2026)
Michelle Hamilton — At Large (begins September 2026)
At the May 20 board meeting, the President will appoint the Shoreline Committee Chair and the Gasworks Park Committee Chair. No WCC meetings are scheduled in July or August.
Outgoing 2025–2026 WCC Board. Back row (L–R): Mark Johanson, Mary Hodder, Matt Hallett. Front row (L–R): Jen Ring Perez, Bonnie Williams, Margaret Holt, Ted Hunter.Incoming 2026–2027 WCC Board. L–R: Matt Hallett (Secretary), Mark Johanson (Treasurer), Larry Bush (At Large), Alexis Chartouni (President), Jen Ring Perez (At Large), Margaret Holt (Vice President), Michelle Hamilton (At Large).
🏙️ Comp Plan Phase 2 — Where Things Stand
When can you expect final decisions on future land-use map rezoning by City Council district under Phase 2 “Corridors and Centers” of the Comprehensive Plan? What are the remaining opportunities to use your voice and influence the Council before the scheduled August 5 final vote?
Join us Wednesday, June 3 at the WCC meeting for the latest news from the May 14 and May 28 Select Committee (Full Council) meetings, and to prepare for the Public Hearing scheduled for Thursday, July 23 at 9:30 AM.
The City Council has a revised Select Committee schedule for May–August (see below). The Council will review maps by neighborhood and decide zoning categories for thousands of individual Neighborhood Residential (NR) lots citywide. The controversies center on the massive proposed change from NR (3-story / 32-foot maximum) to Lowrise 3 / 5-story apartment heights — a plan that has been contested by many neighborhoods since the online map proposals first appeared in October 2024.
In Wallingford and Tangletown, NR lots targeted for rezoning to LR3 / 5-story are either on a local bus route (“corridor”) or within the boundary of one of 30 new neighborhood “centers”. Specific locations include:
Wallingford: #31, #32 bus routes along N 40th, Wallingford Ave N to N 35th, and N 35th to Stone Way
Tangletown: #62 bus corridor from N 50th to N 56th on Meridian
OPCD and Council have purposely excluded neighborhood voices by voting down a 2025 amendment that would have required mailing rezone notifications to property owners by address. Each neighborhood is unique — different street widths, historic properties, layouts, and density already absorbed from 2019 upzones. OPCD is short on customer service to its property-owner tax base. Seattle is now more dependent on residential property tax payers than on its commercial property tax base, as so many commercial properties remain vacant (especially downtown, per King County Tax Assessor John Wilson in 2025). OPCD priorities — and Mayor Katie Wilson’s (see Seattle Times editorial on closed-door meetings) — appear to favor developers and newcomers without real concern for preserving the character of family neighborhoods like Wallingford, or for scaling back the predominantly LR3 / 5-story one-size-fits-all approach.
Tuesday, May 26 — 4:00 PM · Waterway 20 Grant Community Meeting #2 · Ivar’s Salmon House (4:00–5:30 PM)
Wednesday, June 3 — 7:00 PM · WCC Monthly Meeting · Room 202, Good Shepherd Center · Topic: Phase 2 “Corridors and Centers” map update ahead of the July 23 Public Hearing
Sunday, June 14 — 2:00 PM · Annual Shoreline Waterway Walk · Meet at Wallingford Steps · ~1 hour, optional happy hour at Ivar’s Salmon House after
🙋 Join or Renew Your Membership
Your membership powers WCC’s work on land use, transportation, public safety, and shoreline stewardship. Join or renew at wallingfordcc.org.
See you Wednesday, June 3 at 7 PM in Room 202 at Good Shepherd Center.
Join us for the WCC Annual Board Election and a special keynote presentation by Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis of the Seattle Police Department.
📅 Tuesday, May 5, 2026 🕖 7:00 – 8:30 PM (Check-in begins at 6:30 PM) 📍 Good Shepherd Center — Chapel (Top Floor) 4649 Sunnyside Avenue North (elevator available)
🎤 Keynote Speaker: Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis
Assistant Chief Davis is a 25-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department. He leads the Special Operations Bureau, which includes SWAT, Hostage Negotiations Team, Arson/Bomb Squad, Harbor Unit, and the Canine Unit. His career has spanned investigations for the Office of Police Accountability, police reform, and training on patrol tactics including intervention and de-escalation.
A/C Davis is passionate about community engagement and building trust — and WCC is grateful to host him to share his expertise with the Wallingford community.
Topics may include: Wallingford crime statistics (misdemeanors and felonies), burglaries (homes and businesses), car thefts, retail theft, arsons, integration with the Care Team and 911 crisis response, surveillance use in Seattle, business burglaries, behavioral health, drug use, and the city safety plan for the FIFA World Cup (June–July). Plus a chance to ask your questions.
📋 Meeting Agenda
6:30 PM — Member check-in at the Chapel (elevator to top floor). Everyone is welcome — paid and unpaid members alike.
7:00 PM — Welcome and introduction of board candidates. One ballot per person for those with 2026 dues paid.
7:20 PM — Assistant Police Chief Tyrone Davis — presentation and Q&A
8:00 PM — Closing remarks and thank you to Chief Davis and the WCC Board
🗳️ Board Election
Candidate list for Board positions to be announced prior to May 5 meeting.
Interested in running? Send a message describing your interest and involvement with the neighborhood and WCC to communications@wallingfordcc.org no later than Saturday, April 25, 2026.
⚠️ Voting Eligibility: To vote in the board election, you must have paid your 2026 WCC membership dues by April 19, 2026. Not a member yet? Visit wallingfordcc.org to join or renew today.
🙋 Volunteers needed! We need help setting up and putting away chairs before and after the meeting. Contact pres@wallingfordcc.org if you can lend a hand.
💬 Have a specific question or topic for Chief Davis? Email pres@wallingfordcc.org in advance.
🏟️ Reminder: Lincoln Athletic Field Meeting — This Saturday
📅 Saturday, April 25, 2026 🕙 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (or via livestream) 📍 Hamilton International Middle School, 1610 N 41st Street
Community meeting on Lincoln Athletic Field Options A and C — including the Friends of Lower Woodland Park Option C proposal.
Saturday, April 25 — Lincoln Athletic Field Community Meeting (see above) Tuesday, May 5 — WCC Annual Board Election Meeting, 7 PM at Good Shepherd Center Chapel
April brings the wonderful colors of spring flowers along with fresh challenges to be addressed on citywide rezone proposals with the restart of Phase 2 Comp Plan legislation. There is a compressed timeline with only 2 meetings left and two public hearings between March 19–June 18. There will be amendments by Council representatives and voting in June.
It is now a reality that EVERY Neighborhood Residential (NR) lot—formerly single family—due to passage of the permanent Middle Housing legislation CB 120993 on December 16, 2025 in Phase 1, has increased capacity to allow building of 4–6 housing units on 5,000 square foot lots citywide. Phase 2 proposals under Council review include changes to Lowrise 1, 2, 3 zones, Neighborhood Commercial, and Midrise zones add more zoning layers to increase housing unit capacity per lot.
The most important contribution you can make is to use your voice at Public Hearings—either remotely or in person—and by contacting City Council representatives directly to advocate for your neighborhood.
WCC is excited to announce our Annual Board Meeting Election night will be held Tuesday, May 5. Our keynote speaker will be an Assistant Police Chief from the Seattle Police Department. To be eligible to vote for Board positions, you must pay your WCC 2026 membership dues before the April 12–13 deadline at wallingfordcc.org. Thank you to those of you who support us with new and renewed memberships and donations.
If you would like to be considered for a board position, please contact our nominating committee at pres@wallingfordcc.org.
Warm regards, Bonnie Williams, President — Wallingford Community Council
📅 Upcoming WCC Meeting
Next General Meeting
📅 Wednesday, April 1, 2026 | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM 📍 Good Shepherd Center, Room 202 | Seattle, WA 98103
Agenda:
Phase 2 Zoning Update: Preview ahead of April 6 Public Hearing
WCC Board Updates & Community Announcements
Waterway 20 Kickoff — April 8 at Gasworks Brewery
Dan Strauss Community Meeting — March 25 (Wed). Contact Dan.Strauss@seattle.gov or 206-684-8806.
City Council has restarted Phase 2 of the Comprehensive Plan with a compressed schedule running March 19 through June 18, 2026. This process will determine rezoning for Neighborhood Residential lots facing frequent transit bus corridors and 30 new neighborhood centers citywide—including Wallingford and Tangletown.
Key Phase 2 Dates
Date
Time
Event
March 19, 2026
2:00 PM
Select Committee Meeting (completed — video available)
Background: State Zoning Compliance (HB 1110) — Phase 1
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). 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.
NR zones now have a density limit of 4–6 units per 5,000 square foot lot and a 32 foot / 3 story height maximum, with the exception of stacked flats at 42 feet / 4 stories.
What Phase 2 Proposes
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.
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 unlike NR zone 3 story heights and goes beyond what HB 1110 requires.
The March 19 meeting introduced additional proposals for changes to Lowrise 1–3 categories and Midrise zones, including a new 6-story Midrise zone. The proposed development standard changes to Lowrise 1 and 2 for greater heights, if passed, will change lowrise zones across the city—including the 2019 conversions of 750 lots from single family to Lowrise 1, 2, 3 inside the Wallingford Urban Village (now Center). In 2019, 45th and Stoneway were upzoned to 4–8 stories, which has led to significant apartment development around Stoneway in just 7 years.
Key Areas Impacted in Wallingford
Bus Corridor Map – Wallingford zoning impact areas
Wallingford Ave & N. 40th St. (Routes 31/32): LR3 proposed from I-5 along 40th to Wallingford Ave N., south to N. 35th St. and across to Stoneway.
Tangletown Business Core: NC-40 → NC-55–65 (5–6 stories).
Surrounding Tangletown: ~400 NR homes proposed for LR3 (5-story).
Meridian Avenue N. (Route 62): NR corridor from N. 50th to N. 56th proposed for LR3 (5-story).
Public Meeting #1: Wed April 8, 7–8:30 PM at Gasworks Brewery Public Meeting #2: Tentatively Thu May 26, 7 PM, Venue TBD
The WCC’s two-year grant from the WA Dept of Ecology (2026–2028) is moving forward. Two public outreach meetings are scheduled to reopen access to Lake Union through the fenced-off area just west of Gas Works Park known as Waterway 20.
Committee chaired by Ted Hunter is hiring consultants for soil contamination analysis.
🗳️ May 5 Annual Meeting & Board Elections
Tue May 5, 7–8:30 PM Good Shepherd Center Chapel (Top Floor)
Special Speaker: Assistant Police Chief, Seattle PD
Membership dues must be paid by April 12–13 to vote. wallingfordcc.org or mail check to 4108 Midvale Avenue North, Seattle 98103.
Community Updates — Seattle Neighborhood Alliance
WCC President Bonnie Williams attended the first meeting of a new networking organization for Seattle Community Council leaders, held at Doric Lodge in Fremont in mid-March. This coalition is a support group for strengthening operations of Community Councils citywide. There is no political alignment at this time. Members are encouraged to seek help and share expertise on website design, recruitment of members, and more effective neighborhood outreach.
🗓️ 2026 Meeting Schedule
April 1 (Wed)
General Meeting, Good Shepherd Room 202
May 5 (Tue)
Annual Meeting & Board Elections, Good Shepherd Chapel. Police speaker.
June 3 (Wed)
General Meeting
Jul–Aug
Summer break
🙋 Volunteer
Secretary: Needed urgently to take meeting minutes through May election
Gasworks Park Monitor (2–3 volunteers): Help track event impacts this summer
Legislative Liaison: Track state bills through the legislative session
