News and Information

GreenHouse Apartments in Columbia City, photo courtesy of Seattle Office of Housing.

The Multifamily Tax Exemption Program is an important  tool that encourages the market to produce affordable housing for those who would otherwise be priced out of many Seattle neighborhoods. It also plays a role in encouraging residential development in urban centers and villages with cooler housing markets.  While the program is generally well-designed, we offer recommendations to better focus and recalibrate it. Read our April 25, 2013 recommendations here.

Planning Commission Chair David Cutler talks about Transit Communities at March 14th, 2013 Public Hearing.

Seattle Transit Communities - A Citywide Strategy to Integrate Neighborhoods with Transit - A report to Seattle City Council. Our March 4, 2013 report explains what a transit community is, why a citywide strategy is important, and details the initial proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment.  It also chronicles the outreach and engagement that has informed the proposed strategy and summarizes feedback the Commission has received about the proposed transit communities Comprehensive Plan amendment.

Also the Commission has launched a new Seattle Transit Communities project page that chronicles our work over the past several years in proposing a citywide transit communities strategy that would support more inclusive, affordable, and diverse neighborhoods and help maximize investment in major transit projects by locating housing, jobs, and services close enough to transit so that more people will have a faster and more convenient way to travel. Go to the Seattle Transit Communities project to see more.

Commission supports South Lake Union Rezone Proposal
A once in a lifetime opportunity to realize the vision of this neighborhood as a vibrant transit rich regional hub bringing thousands of new jobs and households, we are committed to ensuring the city leverage the investments in transit and transit access. Read our detailed comments and recommendations here.

Commission proposal defines a strong framework in the Comprehensive Plan as a first step in implementing a citywide transit community strategy. See our September 24, 2012 proposal.

Commission urges funding for a school downtown in capital levy.

Fundamental to what makes neighborhoods complete, livable communities, it’s essential that those neighborhoods anticipating the greatest amount of population growth include great public schools.  We urge the Seattle School District to include funding for a school downtown in their current Capital Levy. Read our letter here.

David Cutler elected Chair

The Seattle Planning Commission elects new leadership including chair, vice chair, committee chairs and at-large executive committee.

See advisory for details

SODO Arena: Planning Commission urges Caution
July 27, 2012 report: Review of the Proposed Sports Arena in the Duwamish
Manufacturing and Industrial Center.

Seattle Planning Commission reviews SODO arena

Commission supports the redevelopment of Yesler Terrace
On June 30, 2012 we provided comments to City Council in support of the redevelopment of Yesler Terrace. Yesler Terrace redevelopment presents a tremendous opportunity to benefit current and future residents, as well Seattle as a whole. We applaud the extraordinary work that City and SHA staff have done to craft a financially feasible proposal that incorporates many essential components of livability for a transit community that is uniquely Seattle. Read the rest of the letter here (pdf). Find out more about the project at City Council's Yesler Terrace Redevelopment page.

Commission supports Regulatory Reform
The Planning Commission expressed support for the proposed regulatory reform legislation in October 2011. Provisions that would reduce or eliminate minimum parking requirements in areas with frequent transit service, expand housing choices, and eliminating redundancies in the permitting process implement recommenations that the Commission has made in recent reports such as Housing Seattle and Seattle Transit Communities. Please download pdfs of the Commission's letters at the links below.

April 23, 2012: Change Environmental (SEPA) Review Thresholds & Allow Small Commercial Uses in Certain Multifamily Zones

March 30, 2012: Stimulating economic growth by removing City mandates that require homebuilders and businesses to build parking they don’t use or need

October 3, 2011: Jobs Initiative – Updating Seattle’s Codes & Regulations

Commission supports Roosevelt rezone Option 2
On December 13, 2011 we provided comments to City Council in support of rezone Option 2 in the Roosevelt light rail station area. The Commission has been closely tracking this project for many years. Our Seattle Transit Communities report identified this area as one of the city’s 14 transit communities with the most urgent near-term planning needs; we further identified the ‘high school blocks’ as some of the key potential redevelopment sites. Read our recommendations here.

Commission supports West Seattle Triangle Rezone
On November 8, 2011 we provided comments to City Council in  support the of zoning proposal by DPD for the West Seattle Triangle.  While the Commission proposes a few modest changes we feel the rezone is a well-conceived, thoughtful proposal and along with the Urban Design Framework and Streetscape Concept Plan, does an impressive job of equitably accommodating new households and businesses while taking into consideration preserving and enhancing important community assets. Read our recommendations here.

On June 29th we recommended a Citywide Transit Communities Policy to maximize transit investment in Roosevelt, Capitol Hill, Mt. Baker, Beacon Hill, Othello, South Lake Union, West Seattle Triangle, and other Seattle Transit Communities. Read it here

Updated Backyard Cottage Guide Released!

The Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and development have released an updated version of their incredibly successful A Guide to Building a Backyard Cottage which helps a homeowner successfully design and build a backyard cottage. The Guide now reflects the December 2009 legislation allowing backyard cottages citywide.

Status Check: Seattle Citizens Assess Their Communities and Neighborhood Plans
In the summer of 2009 the Planning Commission helped convene a discussion with people who live, work, have businesses and go to school in 24 of Seattle's neighborhoods to 'check-in' on current status of their neighborhood plans and changes in neighborhoods since the plans were adopted a decade ago. This civic engagement effort helped us better understand the perceptions of the community regarding changes in their neighborhoods and how well the plans are working. An executive summary was prepared that highlights the feedback.