Tag Archives: land use

Seattle City Council notes: environmental appeal reform, new City Light rates and expanded discount program, and why it is holding public hearings on bills it already passed

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The Seattle City Council has a busy Wednesday schedule of public hearings and legislative updates as it wraps up business approaching the annual late-August summer break.

  • Public hearings: The Seattle City Council has already acted on key pieces of legislation to put a pause on new data centers and speeding up the creation of shelter by legislating the expansion of tiny house villages in the city. Wednesday will bring separate public hearings on the two already approved bills. Under state law, local governments are granted the authority to quickly pass emergency land-use protections and seek public input immediately afterward. If a city or county governing body adopts a moratorium or interim zoning control without holding a public hearing beforehand, it must hold a public hearing on the adopted measure within 60 days of its adoption. Wednesday morning’s Land Use and Sustainability Committee session will include scheduled hearings on both of these recent emergency bills. Continue reading →

Central District YMCA and church land part of mayor’s plan to speed up Seattle ‘taller and denser’ zoning changes

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A proposal to speed up near-term development of new housing while the city continues to pound out longer-term changes to its growth plan includes a block of the Central District.

Mayor Katie Wilson announced her plans to speed up Seattle “taller and denser” zoning changes earlier this month.

Wednesday’s busy Seattle City Council land use committee meeting includes the beginning of debate on a set of proposals that would surgically upzone areas of the city “to support near-term investment in additional housing supply” while “while broader, more holistic changes to implement the new Comprehensive Plan work their way through the process.” Continue reading →