UPDATE: NIMBYs rallying against the Bryant Neighborhood Center

As you may be aware, NIMBYs in Northeast Seattle have been organizing to stop the planned neighborhood center in Bryant. The Bryant neighborhood center is focused on the Metropolitan Market, as well as a midrise senior home and a fire station. Since the last post, the petition to stop the neighborhood center has more than doubled in signatures, now with over 500 total.

I grew up in Bryant, and unlike a lot of neighborhoods in Seattle, Bryant has actually had multifamily development for over 100 years. The Burke-Gilman trail has long been the heart of the neighborhood, with the neighborhood transforming from being transit-oriented to one of the most bike-friendly in Seattle with the rails-to-trails program. Unfortunately, while Bryant has a long history of urbanism, it also has a history of NIMBYism. When 35th Ave NE was set to add bike lanes, former Councilmember Rob Johnson received death threats, and that plan was ultimately cancelled. Now, kids in Bryant have to navigate the dangerous speeding cars that were the result of the plan the city adopted.

Particularly if you live in District 4, please sign the counter petition to support the neighborhood center here. If you don’t like in District 4, share the petition with someone who does! We have almost 400 signatures so far, and we’re hoping to show that not only do Seattleites support more housing, but even in Bryant, NIMBY voices don’t represent our community. In addition to signing the petition, please add comments in support of the center on the city’s comment page, located here. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, please send Councilmember Rivera an email in support of the center here at her email, [Martiza.Rivera@seattle.gov](mailto:Martiza.Rivera@seattle.gov). These emails go a long way!

This NIMBY campaign doesn’t seem willing to give up easily, so I’m expecting this to continue into 2025, when Councilmember Rivera is expected to hold town halls for D4. I really appreciate all of the support I’ve seen for this neighborhood center so far, and for density in general here in Seattle. The only way we can fight against these NIMBY activists is by getting organized ourselves, so please do sign, comment and email in support of housing!