You can advocate for abundant housing in Seattle in two clicks. Here’s how, and why.

TL;DR: Seattle City Council is considering significant housing policy changes. You can advocate for abundant housing in two clicks here, or testify at the public hearing on Friday, September 12th.

Seattle City Council is now considering a once-in-a-decade major update to the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which governs land use and zoning in the city. Basically, we’re changing the laws about what this map looks like:

Zoning map of Seattle in the Comprehensive Plan

This phase of the comprehensive plan update will determine the exact rules for what can be built in Urban Neighborhoods (light yellow above, formerly “single family zones”, cover ~70% of the city) and the boundaries of the land use map, including how many Neighborhood Centers (a new designation that will allow 6 story developments) we have. Next year, we’ll consider things like the exact rules of what can be built in Urban and Regional Centers.

The Comprehensive Plan was drafted by the Mayor’s office, and is now in front of the Seattle City Council, who have proposed over 100 amendments. You can read more about these amendments here in The Urbanist or here in Publicola.

Roughly, the amendments propose are about things like:

1. Neighborhood Centers: Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck is proposing adding 8 new Neighborhood Centers, up from 30. Councilmembers Rob Saka, Joy Hollingsworth, and Maritza Rivera are proposing downsizing the neighborhood centers in their districts.
2. Corner Stores: The proposed plan from the Mayor’s Office allows corner stores on corner lots in Urban Neighborhoods. Proposals from a variety of councilmembers would loosen these rules, including allowing stores anywhere in Urban Neighborhoods (not just corner lots).
3. Trees: a variety of amendments would incentivize developers to retain trees, i.e. by waiving parking requirements or giving density bonuses. A more NIMBY tree amendment from Councilmember Maritza Rivera would allow the city to veto any development that removes any tree.
4. Density bonuses: the current plan gives density bonuses to affordable housing near transit, and for stacked flats on lots larger than 6000 feet. A variety of amendments would expand these bonuses, including enabling the Seattle Social Housing Developer to be eligible for density bonuses, giving the bonus to all affordable housing, and making all lots eligible for the stacked flats bonus.

Seattle has already legalized fourplexes in all formerly single family zones this May to comply with a deadline in state law.

While the amendments are sprawling and complex, you can advocate for abundant housing broadly in two clicks here, or testify at the public hearing on Friday, September 12th. If you plan on testifying at the public hearing, they’re accepting comment virtually at 9:30am and in-person at 3pm. I’d recommend signing up 90 minutes early, if you can, as the lines might get pretty long.

Thanks for caring about your community!