More DPD stuff: Multifamily Zoning Changes

The Seattle Community Council Federation (SCCF) is a long-established umbrella organization for neighborhood groups in Seattle. (The City Neighborhood Council [CNC] was established by the City, allegedly to dilute the SCCF's influence). Both groups have, in my experience, great knowledge and experience in City affairs, and are well worth paying attention to, even if their meetings seem at time interminable and sometimes abrasive!

The SCCF has just posted a call to arms about the City's efforts to stealthily rewrite the building code for multifamily housing. I urge you to read the SCCF concerns and act individually (or as part of the the Capitol Hill Community Council, or the CNC Neighborhood Planning Committee).

City Council Planning & Land Use Committee:

• Sally Clark--chair sally.clark@seattle.gov 206 684-8802
• Tim Burgess--vice chair tim.burgess@seattle.gov 206 684-8806
• Tom Rasmussen—member tom.rassmussen@seattle.gov 206 684-8808
• Jean Godden--alternate jean.godden@seattle.gov 206 684-8807

Here's the DPD webpage on the multifamily zoning update process: lots there to keep you busy.

Here's the Environmental Determination for the updates.

The Squire Park neighborhood to our south has summarized these concerns about the zoning updates, and will be taking about it on Feb. 5th. Here's their summary:

The City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has proposed changes in the Land Use Coder for all areas in the city zoned for multifamily developments. This includes much of the Central Area.

Some residents of the Central Area have met to work on a response to the DPD proposal. We believe that the Land Use Code can do more to preserve and promote the vitality of our neighborhood in several key ways.

If you are interested in the future development of your neighborhood and have ideas for how it could be better, please help present a case to the City Council which will soon be considering the proposed changes. We'll be meeting on February 5 at 5:30 P.M. (location to be determined --- contact Bill Zosel or Ann Schuessler). Needed are your ideas and help to educate City Council members about our concerns.

To read about the DPD proposal see:
http://www.seattle.gov/DPD/Planning/Multifamily_Code_Update/EnvironmentalDeterminiationSEPA/default.asp

For a summary of the SPCC position on key points for our neighborhood see www.squirepark.org (See the item under "Help Advocate for Improved Development Rules".) This is not an exhaustive list of all the changes that might be considered. We've tried to focus on a few issues that are of broad concern and to suggest possible strategies for improvement.

Bill Zosel wmzosel@aol.com
Ann Schuessler aschuessler@rafn.com

Again, something that will affect us profoundly, and probably best addressed by a neighborhood group (the Capitol Hill Community Council, or the CNC Neighborhood Planning Committee would be places to start).