Category Archives: Transportation

Important Public Hearing on the Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan (September 15)

Thursday, September 15, 2016, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

The City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee will hold a Public Hearing to take comments on the Potential Council Amendments. The hearing will be held in the City Council Chambers at City Hall: 600 Fourth Avenue, 2nd Floor, Seattle, WA 98104. For those who wish to testify, sign-up sheets will be available outside of Council Chambers starting at 1:30 PM.

Take action and make your voice heard about the impacts of these changes! Consider the List of Concerns below. If you can attend and make public comment, please do so! Get there early, and bring a neighbor!  We expect each person to get two minutes or less to testify. It helps to prepare and to keep your comments clear and focused. You can also write all the City Council members with the addresses at Contacting City Officials before the hearing starts at 2:00 PM.

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Speak Up Regarding MHA Impacts! (Due September 9)

Increased density and zoning changes are proposed in Wallingford and other urban villages under the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) framework. The City has determined that MHA will have a significant adverse impact on the environment, and therefore the City is required to complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS will consider potential impacts associated with land use, housing and socioeconomics, public services, transportation, utilities, open space and recreation, aesthetics and height/bulk/scale, and historic resources.

The City government needs to hear from you now regarding the impacts of the proposed zoning changes! Development without concurrent mitigation benefits no one, regardless of whether one resides inside or outside of an urban village, in an apartment, a condominium, or a house.

Comments are now being accepted on the scope of the EIS. You may comment on alternatives, mitigation measures, probable significant adverse impacts, and licenses or other approvals that may be required. Consider incorporating the List of Concerns described in the previous August 21 post, and send your comments by 5:00 PM on September 9, 2016.

  1. Written comments may be submitted via email to Geoffrey.Wentlandt@seattle.gov.
  2. Written comments may be submitted via standard mail to:
    Sam Assefa, Director
    Office of Planning & Community Development
    700 5th Ave, Suite 1900
    PO Box 94788
    Seattle, WA 98124­-7088

Speak Up Regarding MHA Impacts! (Due September 9)

Increased density and zoning changes are proposed in Wallingford and other urban villages under the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) framework.  The City has determined that MHA will have a significant adverse impact on the environment, and therefore the City is required to complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  The EIS will consider potential impacts associated with land use, housing and socioeconomics, public services, transportation, utilities, open space and recreation, aesthetics and height/bulk/scale, and historic resources.

The City government needs to hear from you now regarding the impacts of the proposed zoning changes!  Development without concurrent mitigation benefits no one, regardless of whether one resides inside or outside of an urban village, in an apartment, a condominium, or a house.

Comments are now being accepted on the scope of the EIS.  You may comment on alternatives, mitigation measures, probable significant adverse impacts, and licenses or other approvals that may be required.  Consider incorporating the concerns described below, and send your comments by 5:00 PM on September 9, 2016.

  1. Written comments may be submitted via email to Geoffrey.Wentlandt@seattle.gov.
  2. Written comments may be submitted via standard mail to:
    Sam Assefa, Director
    Office of Planning & Community Development
    700 5th Ave, Suite 1900
    PO Box 94788
    Seattle, WA 98124­-7088
  3. Written or verbal comments may be made in person at the following public meeting:
    Saturday August 27, 2016
    Ballard Summer Parkways Event – CityScoop
    Ballard Ave. NW, between NW Market St. and 22nd Ave. NW
    1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

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Important – Public Hearing on Seattle2035

Important – Public Hearing on Seattle2035 –
Your Input Matters!

Monday, June 27th, 6:00 PM

The City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee will hold a public hearing to take comments on the Mayor’s Recommended Plan on Monday, June 27, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. For the meeting notice, click here.

Please attend and make public comment.
Sign-up sheet opens at 5:30pm, get there early & bring a neighbor.  FYI: the city is providing Childcare.  NOTE: 90 seconds /person (90 seconds is about 200 words or a bit less than half a page).  Keep it clear & focused.

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Zoning Changes for Backyard Cottages & Mother-in-Law Apartments: Your Input Matters!

The City of Seattle is considering changes to the rules governing backyard cottages (Detached Accessory Dwelling Units or DADUs) and mother-in-law apartments (Attached Dwelling Units or ADUs) on single-family lots. The proposed changes include:

  • Removing the owner occupancy requirement.
  • Allowing both a mother-in-law apartment (ADU) and a backyard cottage (DADU) on the same lot.
  • Removing the off-street parking requirement.
  • Permitting up to 12 unrelated persons to live on a single-family lot.
  • Allowing backyard cottages (DADUs) on lots less than 4,000 square feet.
  • Increasing height limits to allow structures up to 27 feet tall, which is 2½ stories.

These changes could have profound impacts on single-family neighborhoods throughout the city, both inside and outside of urban villages. The HALA (Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda) Strategy SF.2 proposes allowing more variety of housing types in single family zones, including duplexes and triplexes.  By allowing three units (a principal dwelling and an ADU and a DADU) on a single-family lot, this proposal moves towards the HALA goal of allowing multi-family dwellings on single-family lots. This, in addition to no parking and increased residents, could drastically affect the livability and character of single-family neighborhoods.

For a full discussion see the Backyard Cottages page.

We urge you to share your opinion of these proposals with your elected officials in city government.

Please comment by email to the City Council:
Lisa Herbold; Bruce Harrell; Kshama Sawant; Rob Johnson; Debora Juarez; Mike O’Brien; Sally Bagshaw; Tim Burgess; Lorena González.

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

Feel free to send your version of this suggested comment:

I oppose the changes to the backyard cottage rules that are being discussed within city government. Removing the owner occupancy requirement while simultaneously allowing both backyard cottages and mother-in-law apartments on the same lot could have profound impacts on single-family neighborhoods throughout the city, both inside and outside of urban villages. How is this different than the original HALA proposal to allow multi-family developments in single-family zones?  That proposal was rescinded due to its unpopularity with voters.  This one should be too. This, in addition to no parking and increased residents, could drastically affect the livability and character of single-family neighborhoods.  Please prevent these rule changes from occurring.