In response to concerns voiced by community groups, developers, architects, and business organizations, Mayor Nickels directed the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to review the commercial sections of the Land Use Code requirements and recommend improvements to the City's regulations.

An advisory committee of stakeholders—including architects, neighborhood residents, developers, business owners, and planners—met throughout 2003 to discuss ways to improve Seattle's commercial code requirements. In consultation with the advisory committee, and many public meetings to receive input from the broader public, DPD proposed a strategy to update and improve Seattle's commercial zoning.

The Neighborhood Business District Strategy makes no change to basic zoning.

• No rezones from, or changes to, residential or industrial zones
• No significant changes in height, bulk, or expected densities
• No changes to the primary role of commercial zones as places where business is conducted and goods and services are provided

The City Council adopted the Commercial Code on December 11, 2006. 

Why Re-evaluate zoning?
DPD re-evaluated commercial zoning because:

• The City's original regulations were adopted in 1986—almost 20 years ago.
• The City has adopted policies for managing growth since zoning regulations were last comprehensively revised.
• The City has gained experience and new insights from new development.
• Numerous amendments to the Land Use Code have made the code more complex and difficult to use.
• New processes, such as design review, offer opportunities for flexibility while meeting City and neighborhood goals for a quality urban landscape.

On May 17, 2005 DPD published the proposed Neighborhood Business District Strategy.

• Executive Summary (3.4 MB): An overview of DPD's proposed changes.
• Director’s Report: Land Use Code Changes (10.4 MB)
• Director’s Report: Rezone Analyses for Pedestrian & Residential Designations (22.1 MB)
• SEPA Determination  
• SEPA Checklist
• Mayor’sProposed NBDS Code (2.58 MB) May 2005

• • Exhibit G (1.5 MB): Amendments to the "Guidelines for Multifamily and Commercial Buildings" Section D (includes minor revisions to ensure consistency with neighborhood-specific design guidelines)

• Proposed Shoreline Code
• Proposed Land Use Code Amendments Background Report (8.5 MB)

Background Report
DPD staff has completed a draft Background Report (5.6MB PDF) that summarizes existing conditions and issues that need to be considered in developing the Neighborhood Business District Strategy. This draft is available by section in smaller PDF documents below:

• Cover & Introduction
• Section 1 (1.3MB): Goals for neighborhood business districts
• Section 2: Recent development in neighborhood business districts
• Section 3: The Commercial Land Use Code
• Section 4: Audit of commercial zoning in Seattle's Land Use Code: How well does the current code address the City's goals?
• Section 5 (2.3MB): Commercial development case studies

For more details on the Neighborhood Business District Strategy, explore this website and read the proposal brochure (1.2 MB PDF).