1:30 – 3:00 PM
Seattle First Baptist Church
1111 Harvard Ave
Join Senator Jamie Pedersen, Representative Frank Chopp, and Representative Nicole Macri for a town hall meeting.
More information is available from the Representative Macri.
On Monday October 7 at 2 PM, the City Council is rushing to take a final vote on CB 119600. This legislation will substantially weaken requirements for the environmental review of projects and policies under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
In the opinion of the Seattle Times Editorial Board:
“Don’t be fooled by [the] greenwashing. It does the environment no favors to weaken the State Environmental Policy Act… This will mostly benefit real estate investors trying to further cash in on the Amazon boom.”
“Seattle’s environmental community should also urge the council to reject this faux-environmental policy. They must resist the siren song of developer-friendly think tanks, telling tales of how the earth will be saved by bulldozing houses, cutting trees and replacing them with big apartments.”
“This [legislation] is about weakening policy written to protect the environment and quality of life for everyone. It reduces costs for the few who profit off land speculation.”
We urge you to contact all City Councilmembers with your concerns about CB 119600, and ask them to delay this legislation for consideration by the newly-elected Council next year. (Contact information is below.) You can further express your concerns by testifying at the City Council meeting on Monday October 7 at 2 PM in Council Chambers at Seattle City Hall.
There is no reason for the City Council to rush. Under state law, the City has until April 2021 to consider and adopt more reasonable and more environmentally friendly provisions. When our big issues are climate change, equity, and human health, the SEPA process should be strengthened, not weakened.
Continue readingSaturday March 16, 1:30 – 3:00 PM
Seattle First Baptist Church
1111 Harvard Ave
(Facebook Event notice)
Join Senator Jamie Pedersen, House Speaker Frank Chopp, and Representative Nicole Macri.
Get an update on the 2019 Legislative Session.
Share your comments, concerns, & questions.
Please be aware of Senate Bill ESSB 5812 and House Bill SHB 1797
which would allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on any lot
(regardless of lot size) with a single-family house, and would prohibit
owner occupancy requirements. These bills would also restrict parking
requirements, impact fees, and other land-use regulations for ADUs.
Senator Pedersen voted for ESSB 5812 (which has passed the Senate), and Representative Macri is a sponsor of SHB 1797.
Note: It is legal now to build ADUs in the City of Seattle.
Time: 7 PM.
Location: Room 202 of the Good Shepherd Center, 4659 Sunnyside Ave N.
Express Your Concerns to the City Council
Please attend the only Public Hearing for the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) legislation on Thursday February 21, 5:30 PM at Seattle City Hall in Council Chambers. Come early to sign up to testify. Arrive by 4:30 PM to secure an earlier speaking time.
Tell our City Councilmembers to VOTE NO on the MHA Legislation:
Despite input from neighborhoods all over Seattle, the MHA legislation has remained pretty much the same since it was first proposed. The City’s propaganda paints a story that the MHA Legislation is the only way to increase affordable housing in Seattle. What the city does not tell you is that it displaces as much as it replaces, that it does not work to grow the city in a way that simultaneously grows livability and quality of life, and that the fee-in-lieu payments are ridiculously low.
Also, while the “consent package” of amendments being considered for the legislation includes an intention, there is no adequate “claw-back” provision to revert the zoning back to present definitions should the City be sued and the mandatory part of MHA be found to be unlawful (leaving the up-zones in effect, increasing rents and property taxes, without any affordable housing units!).
Come support your neighborhood, your city, and the testimony of your neighbors. Everyone should attend to show the Council the serious commitment of our opposition to MHA at the Public Hearing.
(Childcare will be provided. Please RSVP to Noah An at noah.an@seattle.gov. At the hearing, check in at the sign-in table.)