>>> WE ARE RECORDING.
>> YES.
>> THE JULY 14th, 2021 MEETING
WILL COME TO ORDER.
I AM DAN STRAUSS. PLEASE CALL
THE ROLL.
>> MOSQUEDA?
>> HERE.
>> STRAUSS?
>> HERE.
>> FOUR PRESENT.
>>> WE BEGIN WITH LAND
ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THE
ANCESTRAL LANDS OF THE FIRST
PIECE IN THIS REGION PAST AND
PRESENT.
WE HONOR WITH GRATITUDE THE
LAND ITSELF AND THE PEOPLE OF
THIS LAND.
WE START WITH THIS
ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE
FACT WE ARE GUESTS ON THIS LAND.
WE SHOULD TREAT THIS LAND AS
SUCH.
THIS IS NOT A CHECKLIST.
DOING LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IS
NOT A ROGUE BEHAVIOR AND IT
DOES NOT GIVE US A PASSPORT TO
PROCEED HOWEVER WE DESIRED
BECAUSE WE SAID SOME WORDS.
THIS IS A STRONG REMINDER THAT
WE ARE GUESTS AND WE MUST DO
WORK AS GUESTS AS OUR TIME HERE
IS SHORT.
>>> WE HAVE A FOUR ITEMS ON THE
AGENDA TODAY, A PUBLIC HEARING
AND BRIEFING FOR COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN AMENDMENTS, A BRIEFING ON
THE RACIAL EQUITY ANALYSIS AND
A STRATEGY AND A COMPREHENSIVE
LAND, A BRIEFING ON THE TRADE
PROTECTION REPORT AND LASTLY
120108 WHICH WILL AMEND THE
YESLER TERRACE PLAN WHILE ADDING
. THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE ON
WEDNESDAY, JULY 28th STARTING
AT 9:30 A.M.
UNDERSTANDING THAT ONE OF OUR
PRESENTERS SECOND ITEM HAS A
HARD STOP AT 11:00.
WE WILL MOVE THAT TO THE FIRST
ITEM. BEFORE WE BEGIN, IF THERE
IS NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA
WILL BE ADOPTED. HEARING NO
OBJECTION, THE AGENDA IS
ADOPTED.
WE WILL OPEN THE REMOTE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD FOR TODAY'S
AGENDA.
PLEASE BE PATIENT AS WE LEARN
TO OPERATE THE SYSTEM IN REAL-
TIME. WHILE IT REMAINS A STRONG
INTENT TO HAVE THIS INCLUDED ON
AGENDAS, THE CITY COUNCIL
RESERVES THE RIGHT TO END OR
ELIMINATE THE PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD AT ANY TIME TO ALLOW OUR
MEETINGS TO BE CONDUCTED
EFFICIENTLY AND IN A MATTER WE
ARE ABLE TO CONDUCT NECESSARY
BUSINESS.
I WILL MODERATE THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD IN THE FOLLOWING
MANNER.
IT IS REGULARLY SCHEDULED FOR
10 MINUTES. I WILL EXTEND IT
FOR 30 MINUTES, AS WE HAVE -- I
WILL EXTEND IT FOR 20 MINUTES,
SEEING WE HAVE NEARLY 30 PUBLIC
COMMENTERS. I WILL GIVE EACH
PUBLIC COMMENTOR A MINUTE TO
SPEAK. I WILL CALL AND EACH
SPEAKER BY NAME AND IN THE
ORDER IN WHICH THEY REGISTERED
ON THE COUNCIL'S WEBSITE.
IF YOU HAVE NOT REGISTERED TO
SPEAK, YOU CAN SIGN UP BY GOING
TO THE COUNCIL'S WEBSITE.
THE LINK IS ALSO LISTED ON
TODAY'S AGENDA.
ONCE I CALL ON YOUR NAME, STAFF
WILL UNMUTE YOUR MICROPHONE.
YOU WILL HEAR YOUR Q FOR YOUR
TIME TO SPEAK.
PLEASE BEGIN SPEAKING BY
STATING YOUR NAME.
YOU WILL HEAR A CHIME WHEN 10
SECONDS ARE LEFT.
ONCE SPEAKERS HEAR THE CHIME,
WRAP UP YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
IF SPEAKERS DO NOT END THEIR
COMMENTS AT THE END OF THE
ALLOTTED TIME PROVIDED, YOUR
MICROPHONE WILL BE MUTED AFTER
10 SECONDS TO ALLOW US TO CALL
ON THE NEXT SPEAKER.
WE ASK YOU PLEASE DISCONNECT
FROM THE LINE AND IF YOU PLAN
ON CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THIS
MEETING, PLEASE DO SO.
THERE IS A SECOND PUBLIC
HEARING FOR ITEM 1, THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DETAILING.
IF YOU HAVE INADVERTENTLY BEEN
SIGNED UP ON THE LIST, WE WILL
MAKE A CHANGE ON THE BACK END SO
YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. AS
ALWAYS, SEND PUBLIC COMMENT
INTO MY OFFICE. THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD IS OPEN AND WE
WILL BEGIN WITH THE FIRST
SPEAKER ON THE LIST.
TODAY WE HAVE MICHAEL RUBY
FOLLOWED BY ARIANNA LAREDO,
CAMERON STEINBECK, LAUREN LOW.
I WILL CONTINUE LISTING THE
FOLKS BEYOND IT THERE, BUT WE
HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE NOT
PRESENT RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL YOU IN IT
TO CALL IN A. MARKET BASKET,
JESSICA DIXON, JESSICA CLAWSON,
RACHEL, WE SEE YOU NOT PRESENT.
PLEASE CALL INTO THE LINE.
IT IS A DIFFERENT LINE THAN
LISTED ONLINE.
WITH THAT, PUBLIC COMMENT IS
OPEN.
MR. RUBIO, YOU ARE FIRST.
GOOD MORNING, SIR.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MIKE RUBY, SEATTLE.
10 YEARS.
10 YEARS. IT'S BEEN 10 YEARS
SINCE THE CITY COUNCIL HAS SET
UP A TREE ORDINANCE.
DCI RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THEY ARE
STARTING A LISTENING TOUR.
WILL THEY KEEP THAT UP FOR
ANOTHER 10 YEARS?
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD
PASS FORWARD A TEMPORARY
MORATORIUM ON THE CUTTING OF
ANY EXCEPTIONAL TREE ANYWHERE
IN THE CITY FOR ANY REASON
UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE MAYOR
HAS ASSIGNED A NEW TREE
ORDINANCE.
THAT WILL GET THEM MOVING.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MR. RUBY.
UP NEXT, ARIANNA LAREDO,
REBECCA REALLY WEAN, STEINBECK.
ALSO MR. ONG, WE ARE RUNNING
ONE MINUTE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
TODAY.
ARIANNA LAREDO, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS ARIANNA AND I WOULD
LIKE TO THANK OC PD ON BEHALF
OF SEATTLE FOR RELEASING THIS
RACIAL EQUITY REPORT. WE CANNOT
BE BOLD ON THE NEXT PLAN
WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE
STRENGTH AND CHALLENGES AND
CURRENT GROWTH STRATEGY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
UP NEXT WE HAVE REBECCA LEVINE
FOLLOWED BY STEINBECK AND LAURA.
REBECCA, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS REBECCA LEVINE. I AM
A VOTER IN DISTRICT 4 AND LIVE
IN ROOSEVELT.
I AM CALLING TO THANK OC PD FOR
FINALLY RELEASING THE RACIAL
EQUITY REPORT AND I WANT TO
THANK COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA
FOR REQUESTING THIS STUDY.
IN 2018, MY NEIGHBORS GOT MY
NEIGHBORHOOD IT DESIGNATED AS A
NATIONAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THEIR REAL GOAL WAS TO KEEP
HOMES OUT OF THE ROOSEVELT
URBAN VILLAGE.
I LOVE MY 100-YEAR-OLD HOME, BUT
IT IS A CENTURY-OLD SYSTEM
SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO
INCLUDE LOW INCOME PEOPLE AND
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND FRANKLY IT
IS SHAMEFUL.
WE CAN'T PLAN FOR FUTURE GROWTH
BASED ON RACIST PATTERNS
THROUGH THE URBAN STRATEGY.
WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, REBECCA. UP NEXT,
CAMERON, LAURA, AND JOSH.
CAMERON, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS CAMERON STEINBACK. I
AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE
SEATTLE FOR EVERYONE COALITION.
THANK YOU FOR FINALLY RELEASING
THE GROWTH STRATEGY AND RACIAL
EQUITY REPORT.
IT IS VITAL IN SETTING A
DETAILED UNDERSTANDING OF THE
STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES IN THE
CORPORATE STRATEGY.
IMMUNITIES KNOW THAT CHALLENGES
THEY FACE AND SOLUTIONS NEED TO
BE INCLUDED.
RACIAL EQUITY TOOLS ENABLE THIS
INPUT.
AS WE CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THE
GROWTH STRATEGIES IN THE 2024
UPDATE, WE MUST CONSISTENTLY
AND PROMPTLY DEPLOY EQUITY
LENSES.
FOLLOWING THIS, RACIAL EQUITY
FOR THIS GENERATION AND THOSE
TO COME.
THANK YOU FOR RELEASING THIS
REPORT.
>> THANK YOU, CAMERON.
UP NEXT, LAURA, JOSH, AND STEVE
. I AM SEEING MARTHA, JESSICA,
JANET, JESSICA, RACHEL NOT
PRESENT.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK,
PLEASE CALL IN NOW.
LAURA, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS LAURA AND I LIVE IN
DISTRICT 7. I AM A RENTER. I AM
SPEAKING TODAY ON BEHALF OF
SHARE THE CITIES ACTION PLAN
WHICH IS PLANNING TO BE VERY
INVOLVED IN THE NEXT
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
CONVERSATION.
WE WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT FOR FINALLY
RELEASING THIS REPORT.
WE HAVE REALLY BEEN WAITING TO
SEE.
WE CANNOT GO BOLD ON THE NEXT
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE
STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES IN OUR
CURRENT GROWTH STRATEGY.
WE WANT TO GIVE A BIGGER THANKS
FOR COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA FOR
BEING A CHAMPION FOR EQUITABLE
GROUPS AND NOT REPEATING
MISTAKES WE HAVE SEEN IN THE
PAST.
I WANT TO MENTION OUR SUPPORT
OF THE TREE CANOPY PRESERVATION
AND PROTECTION.
WE BELIEVE WE CAN HAVE A CITY
AND CALL TO PRESERVE TREES. WE
THINK THE URBAN VILLAGE
ANALYSIS DOESN'T ADDRESS THIS
BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE
HOW IT CONTRIBUTED TO THE TREES
IN OUR RESIDENTIAL ZONES, WE
CANNOT BUILD APARTMENTS.
THESE ISSUES ARE CONNECTED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> UP NEXT WE HAVE JOSHUA
MORRIS, FOLLOWED BY STEVE.
SPEAKERS LISTED AS NOT PRESENT
ARE STILL NOT PRESENT. GOOD
MORNING, JOSHUA.
>> HI.
I AM JOSHUA MORRIS. ON THE
FIRST MORNING OF THE HEAT WAVE,
A REPORTER CALLED US TO ASK
ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE EXTREME
HEAT ON BIRDS. I TOLD HER BIRTH
WOULD LIKELY BE FINE AND THEY
ARE ABLE TO COOL DOWN EVEN IN
TEMPERATURES DANGEROUS FOR
HUMANS.
THE NEXT DAY I LEARNED OF A
MORTALITY EVENT IN THE
INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.
THEY WERE NESTING ON THE ROOF
OF THE BUILDING AND THERE WAS
NO SHADE.
HEAT WAS EXACERBATED BY THE DARK
COLOR OF THE ROOF. MANY WERE
KILLED OR INJURED AFTER JUMPING
OFF THE ROOF.
MORE THAN 100 CHICKS DIED.
THE HEAT DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACTED THE MOST VULNERABLE
BIRDS, JUST AS IT DOES AMONGST
THE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES FOR
HUMANS.
TREES ARE ONE OF THE CHEAPEST,
SIMPLEST, AND MOST EFFECTIVE
TOOLS FOR REDUCING TEMPERATURES
IN URBAN AREAS, YET TIMELINES
FOR THIS IS DELAYED.
I URGE THE COUNCIL TO TREAT
THIS AS THE EMERGENCY IT IS AND
PROTECT THE TREES NOW. THANK
YOU.
>> THANK YOU, JOSHUA.
UP NEXT, STEVE ZEMKE.
MARTHA IS NOT PRESENT.
FOLLOWING MARTHA IS WOODY
WHEELER.
GOOD MORNING, STEVE.
>> MY NAME IS STEVE ZEMKE
REPRESENTING TREE PACKED.
THE CITY HAS PUT US OFF WORK AT
12 YEARS, PROTECTING THE TREE
ORDINANCE.
THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS UPON US
AND WE NEED TO PROTECT THE
HEALTH AND OUR COMMUNITIES AND
THE TREES.
WE NEED TO PLANT MORE TREES. WE
NEED TO ACT NOW TO UPDATE TREE
CANOPY IN SEATTLE IN A FORMERLY
REDLINED AREAS, MOST
SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE HEAT IMPACT.
WE NEED TO UPDATE THE TREE
DIRECTORS RULE. IT IS NOT ON
TODAY'S AGENDA, WHICH IS
SURPRISING.
WE NEED TO MOVE THE 30% TREE
HOLE FOR 2030. WE CANNOT WAIT
UNTIL THEN. WE NEED TO INCREASE
IT TO 40% BY 2040. WE ALSO NEED
TO MOVE TREE PROTECTION ON
PRIVATE PROPERTY TO AN
INDEPENDENT DEPARTMENT OF
SUSTAINABILITY. AGAIN, ACT NOW.
THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS UPON US.
WE CAN'T KEEP WAITING AND
WAITING YEARS AND YEARS.
THANK YOU.
>> UP NEXT, BRITNEY FOLLOWED BY
WOODY AND RICHARD.
I AM SEEING MARTHA, JESSICA,
JANET, EMILY, RACHEL, AND
JESSICA DIXON NOT PRESENT.
BRITNEY, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS
. MY NAME IS BRITTANY AND I AM
CALLING ON BEHALF OF THE CLUB
SEATTLE GROUP.
I WANT TO QUICKLY THANK OCE FOR
RELEASING THE REPORT DISCUSSED
TODAY.
I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA AND ANYONE ELSE THAT
HAS BEEN A CHAMPION FOR THIS
ARKOE QUITE SOME TIME NOW.
WE WILL NEED A VERY THOUGHTFUL
AND THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF OUR
GROWTH STRATEGY AND THE
INFORMATION IN THIS REPORT WILL
MAKE SURE WE WILL SEE IT IN THE
FUTURE.
WE ARE BUILDING A SEATTLE THAT
IS HEALTHY AND EQUITABLE FOR
PEOPLE AND THE PLANET.
>> THANK YOU.
I WILL NOTE COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS
JOINED US A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
HE HAS BEEN PRESENT.
JESSICA DIXON AND JESSICA
CLAWSON HAVE SIGNED UP FOR
PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN. THIS TIME
YOU JUST NEED TO CALL IN.
I MIGHT PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONS IN
JUST A MINUTE, IF YOU NEED IT.
PEOPLE ARE HAVING TROUBLE.
WOODY WHEELER IS UP NEXT. WOODY
, GOOD MORNING.
>> HI.
THIS IS WOODY WHEELER CALLING
ABOUT THE TREE ORDINANCE. ON
JUNE 29th, 2021 THE TEMPERATURE
IN SEATTLE REACHED 108 DEGREES,
AN ALL-TIME RECORD FOLLOWING
THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF 100
DEGREE PLUS DAYS OF HEAT.
PEOPLE DIED FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT
IN OUR STATE.
HEAT WAVES ARE HOW CLIMATE
CHANGE KILLS US TODAY, SAYS
FREDERICK OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL
ALLEGIANCE AT OXFORD
UNIVERSITY.
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HAD AN
ISSUE ON THIS AND THEY FOUND A
RECENT STUDY SHOWED
NEIGHBORHOOD WITH DENSE TREE
CANOPY IN PARKS AND OTHER
SPACES AVERAGED FIVE DEGREES
COOLER THAN AREAS WITHOUT THE
TREES IN THE VERY SAME CITY.
AN URBAN CANOPY CAN HELP COOL
THE CITY.
A TREE CANOPY CAN BE CONSIDERED
INTEREST HER, MUCH LIKE A SEWER
SYSTEM.
A DEVELOPED CANOPY CAN MEDICATE
THE EFFECT IN WHICH PAVEMENT
AND BUILDINGS TRAPPED AND
RAISED TEMPERATURES. IN THE
MEANTIME, TREES ARE GETTING CUT
DOWN.
OUR CANOPIES ARE DIMINISHING
AND PEOPLE ARE DYING,
ESPECIALLY IN HOTTER
NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY TEND TO BE
LOWER INCOME AREAS WHERE PEOPLE
OF COLOR FORM A LARGE PORTION
OF THE POPULATION.
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AT THE
SAME TIME?
PAST SEATTLE'S LONG OVERDUE
REVISED TREE ORDINANCE.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, WOODY.
UP NEXT WE HAVE RICHARD
FOLLOWED BY COLLEEN AND SUZANNE.
GOOD MORNING, RICHARD.
>> I CAN SEE YOU THERE,
RICHARD.
PRESS STAR SIX.
NOT POUND SIX.
THERE YOU ARE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS RICHARD
ALLISON. I AM TALKING ABOUT THE
TREE ORDINANCE AND THE LACK OF
IT BEING TAKEN CARE OF.
GOING ON A CARBON DIET PLAN
WILL REDUCE EMISSIONS BUT IT
WILL NOT PREPARE US FOR RECORD
HOT DAYS, EXCESSIVE DROUGHTS,
SMOKE IMPACT FROM REGIONAL
FIRES.
THERE IS 180 DEGREE HEAT
EXHAUSTION.
THEY DID NOT FIND ANY PHYSICAL
RELIEF BY REDUCING AUTO
EMISSIONS.
THE SMOKE FROM REGIONAL FIRES
IS CAUSING RESPIRATORY DISTRESS.
ELDERLY WILL NOT BE RELIEVED BY
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
ASSISTANCE.
CANDIDATES THROW THEMSELVES AT
PROGRAMS AND ARE GREAT
SOUNDBITES, BUT DON'T MAKE
SEATTLE'S HEAT EXHAUSTION GO
AWAY OR SMOKE OUT OF THE AIR OR
END EXCESSIVE DROUGHT.
IF YOU ARE DROWNING IN A RIVER,
YOU NEED A BOAT. SEATTLE HAS NO
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT PLAN.
THEY ONLY HAVE A CARBON DIET
PLAN.
MITIGATION IS NOT HIDING IN AIR-
CONDITIONED HOMES.
SHADE TREES EMIT CARBON.
THEY CREATE SHADE FOR APARTMENT
WINDOWS.
>> THANK YOU, RICHARD.
IF YOU HAVE MORE COMMENTS,
PLEASE DO SO.
UP NEXT WE HAVE COLLEEN.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, CITY COUNCIL.
THIS IS COLLEEN MACKLE YOUR AND
I'M HERE TO ADDRESS THE SEATTLE
CITY ORDINANCE AND THE
RELATIONSHIP TO TREES. AS OTHER
SPEAKERS HAVE NOTED, I MET
CHANGE IS REAL AND FOR 12 YEARS
WE HAVE DRAGGED THROUGH REPORTS
BUT WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY
PROGRESS.
THE TIME IS NOW. IT SHOULD NOT
GET ROLLED INTO BUDGET AND
FORGOTTEN ABOUT UNTIL NEXT
YEAR.
EXPERTS HAVE SAID TREES CAN
LOWER THE TEMPERATURES IN CITY
NEIGHBORHOODS BY 10 LIFESAVING
DEGREES AND WE HAVE NEEDED THAT
AS MEMBERS HAVE NOTED 108
DEGREES TEMPERATURES IN SEATTLE
AND PORTLAND AS WELL TOO.
INVESTING IN TREES IS THE SAME
AS INFRASTRUCTURE, ACCORDING TO
PROFESSOR BRAD STONE FROM
GEORGIA TECH.
EVEN DES MOINES, IOWA SAID TREES
SUCK UP WATER AND PROMOTE
CARBON.
THE PROPOSAL IS SO IMPORTANT.
WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW PAYMENT DUE.
WE HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS THAT
WE HAVE SUBMITTED BASED ON
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SEPARATE
ENTITIES FROM THE URBAN FORCE
STREET DIVISION TO TAKE ON
PRIVATE LANDS AND EVALUATION OF
TREE PROVISION.
WE HAVE ALSO AGREED --
>> THANK YOU, COLLEEN.
PLEASE SEND IN ANY MORE
COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE.
UP NEXT WE HAVE SUZANNE GRANT.
SUZANNE, GREAT TO HAVE EMAILED
WITH YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT
TODAY IS THE TREE REPORT.
SUZANNE, GOOD MORNING.
>> HELLO.
HELLO, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I SUPPORT THE LONG OVERDUE --
OH, I AM SUZANNE GRANT AND I
SUPPORT THE TREE PROTECTION
ORDINANCE.
DUE TO THE DELAY, YOU, THE
COUNCIL MEMBERS, ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS FROM
HEATSTROKE THAT HAVE TAKEN
PLACE.
YOU HEARD FROM A COMMENT THIS
MORNING DETAILING RECENT
ARTICLES ABOUT EXCESSIVE HEAT,
WHICH YOU MUST HAVE SEEN.
IT HAS APPEARED IN NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC AND THE SEATTLE
TIMES.
IT IS UNFAIR TO COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR.
WHY ARE YOU DISCRIMINATING
AGAINST THEM?
THEY ARE SUFFERING UNFAIRLY.
WHY IS THE LANGUAGE THAT ALLOWS
REMOVAL OF EXCEPTIONAL TREES
WHERE CONSTRUCTION PRECLUDES?
REMOVE THIS EXCEPTION!
THE POTENTIAL WILL TAKE YEARS.
THE PEOPLE OF YESLER TERRACE
CANNOT WAIT FOR LIFESAVING
BENEFITS PROVIDED BY TREES.
DEMAND MORE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
FROM YOUR BUILDERS. WE CANNOT
WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR
FOR ANOTHER QUARTERLY REPORT
TELLING US ANOTHER 730 TREES
INCLUDING 65 EXCEPTIONAL TREES
ARE GONE.
CALL FOR A MORATORIUM ON THE
CUTTING OF EXCEPTIONAL TREES.
YOU ARE TO BLAME FOR MORE
DEATHS DUE TO YOUR DELAY.
>> THANK YOU, SUZANNE. UP NEXT
WE HAVE JASON FOLLOWED BY JAMES
DAVIS. GOOD MORNING, JASON.
>> HI.
GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU,
COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS JASON AND I LIVE IN
COLUMBIA CITY.
I AM A RENTER.
I AM CALLING TODAY TO THANK
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA TO TALK
ABOUT THE RACIAL JUSTICE STUDY
AND OCPD ARKOE FINALLY
RELEASING THE REPORT.
THERE IS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN
OUR CITY IDEALS AND POLICIES.
WE CAN BEGIN THE DISCUSSION ON
THE NEXT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
POLICY AND WHAT IT WILL LOOK
LIKE.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND
HOW AND WHY THE CURRENT GROWTH
STRATEGY HAS FAILED TO MAKE
SURE THE NEXT ONE ACTUALLY
LIVES UP TO OUR IDEALS BY
MAKING HOUSING AFFORDABLE AND
ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
>> THANK YOU, JASON.
UP NEXT, JUNE FOLLOWED BY JAMES
. GOOD MORNING, JUNE.
>> HELLO.
THIS IS JUNE. I AM SPEAKING
ABOUT THE TREE UPDATE.
ON JUNE 29th, STREETS IN MY
NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN SEATTLE
BUCKLED IN THE HEAT.
TREES ARE A CRITICAL PART OF
SEATTLE'S CLIMATE CHANGE
MITIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
NEW DATA SHOWS IN KING COUNTY
LAST SUMMER, NEW DATA SHOWED
TEMPERATURES DIFFERED BY 23
DEGREES.
PEOPLE MOST AFFECTED BY HEAT
OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND
AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES
. UNFORTUNATELY HEAT AND
DROUGHT ARE DEADLY TO TREES AS
WELL.
RED CEDARS ARE DYING IN
INCREASING NUMBERS.
DISEASE IS KILLING OFF SEATTLE
STREET TREES AND YET DEVELOPERS
AND HOMEOWNERS CONTINUE TO CUT
DOWN LARGE NUMBERS OF TREES.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE TREES
AT THIS PACE. YOU ALL MUST ACT.
TREES ARE OUR CLIMATE CHANGE
VACCINE.
DON'T THROW THEM AWAY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, JUNE. UP NEXT,
JAMES DAVIS FOLLOWED BY JUDITH
AND SCOTT. I STILL SEE MARTHA,
JESSICA, STUART, JEANETTE, AND
EMILY NOT PRESENT.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CALL IN,
NOW IS THE TIME.
JAMES, GOOD MORNING.
I SEE YOU THERE.
YOU NEED TO PRESS STAR SIX, NOT
POUND SIX.
THERE YOU ARE.
>> HI. GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL
MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS JIM DAVIS AND I LIVE
IN DISTRICT 7. I AM ONE OF THE
50 PEOPLE THAT CAME TO THE PARK
OVERLOOKING THE INTERBAY AREA
TO PROTEST THE CUTTING DOWN OF
36 TREES IN A LANDSLIDE ZONE
RIGHT BELOW THE PARK TO BUILD
TWO LUXURY MANSIONS WITH A 13
CAR GARAGE AND LAP POOL. WE
COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW THIS
COULD GET APPROVED UNTIL WE
DISCOVERED THE LOOPHOLE OF THE
SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE.
BASICALLY THE BUILDING SITE
EXISTED BEFORE OCTOBER 31st,
1992.
NO RULES APPLIED FOR DEVELOPMENT
. IT SEEMS FEW OF THE TREES IN
THIS AREA ARE SAFE.
DEEP SLOPES ARE ONE OF THE
TRADITIONAL HAVENS FOR OUR TREES
. I WOULD URGE THE COUNCIL TO
TAKE ACTION TO CLOSE THIS
LOOPHOLE AND NOT WAIT FOR THE
LARGER TREE ORDINANCE
DEVELOPMENTS TO CLOSE IT.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, JAMES.
UP NEXT WE HAVE JUDITH, SCOTT,
FOLLOWED BY DAVID. GOOD
MORNING, JUDITH.
I SEE YOU THERE.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING.
THIS IS JUDITH AND I LIVE IN
SEATTLE.
I HAVE WRITTEN YOU MANY, MANY
LETTERS ABOUT TREES.
I WON'T REPEAT THOSE.
MY MAJOR WORD TODAY IS
MORATORIUM.
MORATORIUM ON ANY FURTHER
CUTTING OF EXCEPTIONAL TREES.
AND ON TREE GROWTH. THAT NEEDS
TO BE ENACTED NOW. THE ONLY
LEGISLATION WHILE THAT
MORATORIUM IS IN EFFECT THAT I
THINK YOU SHOULD TAKE UNDER
CONSIDERATION IS TO MAKE THE
DEFINITION OF EXCEPTIONAL TREES
THE SAME ONE THAT WAS USED BY
OUR SPEAKER FROM PORTLAND, WHO
CAME IN DECEMBER OF 1919 AND IT
HAS BEEN THAT LONG SINCE WE
HAVE HAD A PRESENTATION ON A
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND NOTHING
HAS BEEN DONE. THE SECOND ISSUE
I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS
RACIAL EQUITY.
I THINK A MORATORIUM SHOULD
EXIST THERE.
THE MORATORIUM SHOULD BE ON ANY
FURTHER PROJECTS AND THE
DEVELOPMENT IN POOR
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE LISTED
WHERE WE HAVE DISPLACEMENT. THE
RACIAL EQUITY REPORT STATES
THIS.
THIS NEEDS TO STOP NOW BECAUSE
THERE WILL ONLY BE MORE
DISPLACEMENT AND MORE HOMELESS
IF THIS CONTINUES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, JUDITH.
UP NEXT WE HAVE SCOTT FOLLOWED
BY DAVID.
SCOTT, GOOD MORNING.
>> I.T.
, I DON'T SEE SCOTT LOADED YET.
>> SCOTT IS NO LONGER PRESENT.
>>.
UP NEXT IS DAVID, FOLLOWED BY
RACHEL AND CHRIS.
DAVID, GOOD MORNING.
I SEE YOU THERE, DAVID.
THERE YOU ARE.
>> HI.
THIS IS DAVID.
THANK YOU FOR THE ABILITY TO
COMMENT AND REVIEW THE
PRESENTATION THAT WILL BE
PRESENTED ON TREE PROTECTION.
I WANTED TO BRING TO EVERYONE'S
ATTENTION THAT I THINK THERE
ARE DECEIVING NUMBERS.
THAT BEING A FLIGHT ATTENDANT.
IT SHOWS ONLY 731 TREE REMOVALS
OUT OF 747 PERMITS. THE REASON
THAT HIS SUSPECT IS ONE, ANYONE
WHO OBSERVES THIS WILL SEE
THERE IS TYPICALLY MORE THAN
ONE TREE ON THE PROPERTY BEING
REMOVED.
AND TWO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RAW
DATA THAT SOME OF US HAVE SEEN,
WE HAVE SEEN AN AVERAGE OF
CLOSER TO 11 TREES PER PERMIT
BEING REMOVED, WHICH WOULD
EQUATE TO MORE LIKE 8000 TREES
IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE DURING
THIS TIME PERIOD BEING MOVED,
VERSUS 731.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT BUT
NEVERTHELESS, WE DO HOPE THAT
THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION
WILL WORK WITH THE SEATTLE URBAN
FOREST COMMISSION ON A PLAN AND
IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE STREET
TREES AND PARKS.
>> THANK YOU, DAVID.
IF YOU CAN SEND ANY ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS, I AM HAPPY TO RECEIVE
THOSE AND SPEAK FURTHER.
UP NEXT WE HAVE JESSICA CLAWSON
FOLLOWED BY RACHEL AND CHRIS.
JESSICA, GOOD MORNING.
>> CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME?
I WANTED TO SPEAK DURING THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PUBLIC
HEARING.
>> GREAT.
WE WILL HAVE YOU MOVED OVER
THERE.
UP NEXT WE HAVE RACHEL FOLLOWED
BY CHRIS NIEMAN. I THINK THAT
WILL BE IT.
>> A NUMBER OF PUBLIC
COMMENTERS HAVE SIGNED UP FOR
THE PUBLIC COMMENT HEARING.
>> OKAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER PUBLIC
COMMENTERS?
>> CHRIS NIEMAN IS THE FINAL
COMMENTOR.
>> OH, WONDERFUL.
GREAT.
CHRIS, GOOD MORNING.
>> I SEE YOU THERE, CHRIS.
YOU NEED TO PRESS STAR SIX, NOT
POUND SIX.
CHRIS, I SEE YOU THERE BUT YOU
NEED TO PRESS STAR SIX.
>> ALL RIGHT, CHRIS. WE ARE NOT
SEEING YOU COME OFF MUTE.
YOU NEED TO PRESS STAR SIX. I
WILL GIVE YOU ONE MORE TIME AND
THEN WE NEED TO MOVE ONTO THE
NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
>> CHRIS, ONE LAST TIME TO PRESS
STAR SIX AND UNMUTE YOURSELF.
WE WILL HAPPILY TAKE YOUR
COMMENT.
>> HELLO?
>> OH, THERE WE ARE, CHRIS.
GOOD MORNING.
TAKE IT AWAY.
>> I SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IN BOTH
HEARINGS. THE PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD AND IN THE HEARING.
FOR SOME REASON, THE ZOOM SAID
GOODBYE AND HUNG UP ON ME
BEFORE I WAS ALLOWED TO SPEAK
IN THE HEARING.
I MEAN IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD.
CAN I MAKE MY PUBLIC COMMENT
BEFORE THE HEARING STARTS?
>> THIS IS ON TREES, RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
>> MR. ONG, WOULD YOU RESTART
THE TIME?
CHRIS, WE WILL DO ONE MINUTE
RIGHT NOW AND THEN WE WILL MOVE
TO COMMENTS.
>> OKAY.
READY?
>> TAKE IT AWAY.
>> I AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF
ALL OF THE OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TREE
ORDINANCE.
THOSE IN THE ROOM, I URGE YOU
TO REMAIN AND TO TESTIFY IN
FAVOR OF THE TREE RELATED
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT I HAVE
PROPOSED. IT IS A REMINDER THAT
THE TREE ORDINANCE IS VERY
IMPORTANT AND SO IS THE ZONING
ORDINANCE AND THE ZONING
ORDINANCE HAS SETBACKS THAT ARE
INADEQUATE FOR ANY LARGE TREES
IN MULTIFAMILY AREAS. THE
PROPOSAL WHICH THE CITY COUNCIL
NEEDS TO ADVANCE WILL STUDY
LOOKING AT IMPROVING THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPON POLICY
REGARDING THAT. OTHERWISE, YOU
KNOW, ALL OF THE PLUSES THAT
THE TREE ORDINANCE WOULD
ADVOCATE IS NOT PRESENT BECAUSE
THE ORDINANCE WOULD TRUMP THEM.
>> THANK YOU, CHRIS.
WE DO NOW HAVE A FEW OTHER
PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME BACK.
MARTHA, STUART, AND I.T.
AND CLERK, CAN YOU TELL ME IF
THAT IS ALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT?
MARTHA, PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY.
GOOD MORNING.
>> YES. GOOD MORNING.
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> WE CAN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GOOD MORNING TO ALL. MUCH OF
THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID BUT
I WILL TAKE MY LESS THAN TWO
MINUTES.
WE CANNOT FIGHT THE CLIMATE
CRISIS IN CITIES BY CUTTING
DOWN TREES. DURING A CRISIS,
YOU NEED ALL OF THE ALLIES YOU
CAN GET AND TREES ARE NATURAL
ALLIES.
THE PRODUCE CARBONATE TO THE
ATMOSPHERE. WHEN A TREE DIES OR
IT IS CUT DOWN, THE CARBON IS
RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
THE RECENT HEAT WAVE AND LACK
OF MATURE TREES IMPACT
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
THAT SHOULD SPUR THE CITY TO
ACTION. IT HAS BEEN AN UPHILL
FIGHT AT A TIME OF RAPID
DEVELOPMENT AND TREES ARE OFTEN
CUT DOWN.
IT RESULTS IN AFFORDABLE
HOUSING?
NO.
AS ANY TREE LOVER KNOWS, THE
LOSS HAS A NEW ASKING PRICE OF
$675,000.
THE LAST PROTECTION ORDINANCE
WAS WRITTEN IN 2009.
SINCE THEN, THERE IS AN
ESTIMATED 1800 ACRES OF CANOPY
LOSS TO DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE,
ESPECIALLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS
WITH A LACK OF CANOPY
THREATENING CLIMATE RESILIENCY,
ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY, AND
PUBLIC HEALTH.
TREES ARE COMMUNITY ASSETS AND
PUBLIC HEALTH ASSETS, JUST LIKE
BRIDGES AND ROADS WHICH ARE
VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> THANK YOU, MARTHA.
UP NEXT WE HAVE STUART. I.T.,
CAN YOU CONFIRM WE ONLY HAVE
PEOPLE FOR THE NEXT BULLETIN?
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING, STUART.
>> GOOD MORNING, COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR
ME?
>> YES, WE CAN.
>> EXCELLENT. I WILL BE AS
QUICK AS I CAN.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE HEARD MANY
READINGS ON THE TREE PROTECTION
ORDINANCE.
I WILL ADD SOMETHING FOR THIS
BILL.
THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT
ISSUE. IT IS THE FACT THAT AS
THEY EXTEND THE CURRENT TREE
ORDINANCE AND BUILDING A NEW
DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, THERE
ARE MORE PROPERTY RIGHTS THAN
REGULAR PROPERTY OWNERS.
TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, YOU MIGHT
HAVE TWO IDENTICAL PROPERTIES,
BOTH IN WHICH YOU HAVE A 100-
YEAR-OLD HOUSE. ALL EXCEPTIONAL.
ONE PROPERTY OWNER HAS LIVED
THERE FOR 20 YEARS AND THEY
CAN'T CUT DOWN ANY TREES.
THE ADJACENT PROPERTY CAN CUT
THEM DOWN.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS
AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL US
AND WE CAN SPEAK IN THE FUTURE
AS WELL.
IS EMILY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC
COMMENT, OR PUBLIC HEARING?
>> HI.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SIGNING
UP, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PATIENCE.
I WAS GOING TO COMMENT ON THE
TREE CANOPY MATTER.
>> WONDERFUL.
TAKE IT AWAY.
>> MY NAME IS EMILY AND I LIVE
IN AN AREA CALLED PINEHURST.
IF YOU DRIVE INTO IT, YOU WILL
EXPERIENCE THE URBAN FOREST. I
LIVE IN MY PROPERTY THAT I DO
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR AS AN
OWNER AND WE HAVE FOUR MAPLES
THAT COVER OUR PROPERTY AND
KEEP IT COOL. DURING THE HEAT
WAVE, THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
LOOKING AT THE HEAT WAVE AND
ITS IMPACT ON SEATTLE, I
STARTED LOOKING DEEPER INTO
CLIMATE CHANGE AND LOOKING AT
THE REPORT FROM 2019 THAT SAYS
IN 11 YEARS, WE MAY HAVE A
MAJOR CHALLENGE IN ROLLING
CLIMATE CHANGE. I AM SO SORRY,
BUT MY SON WILL BE 18 AT THAT
TIME.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE
PRESERVE WHAT WE HAVE IN SEATTLE
FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE. I HOPE
COUNCIL MEMBERS TAKE THAT
SERIOUSLY AND INTO CONSIDERATION
. I WOULD SAY OUR TREES ARE A
VACCINATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY
AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE.
WE CAN BE CREATIVE.
WE LIVE IN A SPACE THAT IS 1100
SQUARE FEET AND WE RENT OUT OUR
BOTTOM FLOOR BASED ON RATES SO
WE CAN SHARE OUR ABUNDANCE.
THANK YOU.
>> I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT.
WE HAVE JESSICA DIXON, WHO HAS
BECOME PRESENT.
JESSICA, PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY.
>> GOOD MORNING.
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> WE CAN.
>> HI.
MY NAME IS JESSICA DIXON AND
I'M SPEAKING TODAY. TWO WEEKS
AGO, AS PEOPLE HAVE COMMENTED,
WE SUFFERED AN EXCESSIVE HEAT
WAVE IN SEATTLE.
25 PEOPLE ARE DOCUMENTED TO
HAVE DIED IN KING COUNTY.
A RECENT TIMES ARTICLE DESCRIBED
THE MAPS AND ANALYSIS REVEALING
CLARK COUNTY'S HEAT ISLAND.
INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND PLACES
WITH DENSE BUILDING
CONCENTRATED HEAT WHILE TREE
CANOPY MITIGATED WARMTH.
OUR PLANNERS IGNORE THE DATA
SHOWING THAT URBAN TREES ARE
CRITICAL FOR THE HEAT ISLAND
EFFECT AND CONTINUE TO ALLOW
DEVELOPMENT OF SIGNIFICANT TREE
CANOPY IN OUR CITY ESPECIALLY
ON OUR ENVIRONMENTALLY CRIPPLED
AREAS.
CITY PLANNERS, I AM SUBMITTING
COMMENTS DOCUMENTING TWO SITES.
ONE IS IN A NORTH SEATTLE.
I AM ASKING WHY THE CITY IS NOT
WALKING THE WALK WHEN IT COMES
TO CLIMATE CHANGE?
TREES BRING SO MANY BENEFITS TO
THE PUBLIC.
THANK YOU.
>> WE HAVE PATIENTS PRESENT AND
SCOTT IS NOT PRESENT. THAT WILL
CONCLUDE OUR LIST HERE.
GOOD MORNING, PATIENTS.
>> HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> YES WE CAN.
>> I AM A PATIENT'S THE HOUSING
DEVELOPMENT IN SEATTLE'S KING
COUNTY. I WANT TO EXPRESS MY
GRATITUDE FOR THE RELEASE OF
THE LONG-AWAITED STRATEGY REPORT
AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
REPORT. A SPECIAL THANKS TO
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA FOR
REQUESTING THE STUDY AND
ADVOCATING FOR THE RELEASE OF
THE REPORT.
THE REPORTS ARE INSIGHTFUL AND
ILLUMINATING. THIS IS WHAT WE
ALREADY KNOW AND HAVE BEEN
SAYING FOR WHITE SOMETIME.
THE STRATEGY HAS BEEN IN TOUCH
WAITING AN AREA OF REZONING.
THIS WILL SHAPE THE GROWTH
STRATEGY.
IT WAS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND
HAS DEVASTATING IMPACT.
I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST STEP
IN BUILDING A NEW VISION.
WE CAN DO SYSTEMIC CHANGE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I
LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH
YOU ON ADVANCING OUR
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATES.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, PATIENCE . JANET,
SCOTT, LAST CALL.
I.T.
, CAN YOU CONFIRM THEY ARE NOT
PRESENT?
>> THEY ARE NOT PRESENT.
>> THANK YOU.
SEEING AS WE HAVE NO ADDITIONAL
SPEAKERS, WE WILL MOVE ONTO THE
NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
>>> I WILL TAKE OUR FIRST
AGENDA ITEM IN ORDER ON THE
AGENDA, WHICH IS THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BRIEFING AND
PUBLIC HEARING.
COLLEAGUES, I WILL ASK YOU TO
KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS AND
COMMENTS TO THE END OF THE
PRESENTATION AND PLEASE AT THIS
TIME LIMIT YOUR QUESTIONS AND
COMMENTS UNLESS IT IS QUITE
NECESSARY. WE WILL BE HEARING
THIS AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS AT OUR
NEXT COMMITTEE HEARING AND WE
HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS THAT I
THINK ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOT
OF OUR ATTENTION.
PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS AS
NEEDED.
SAVE YOUR QUESTIONS AND
COMMENTS UNTIL THE END OF THE
PRESENTATION.
OUR FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS A
BRIEFING AND PUBLIC HEARING ON
THE CONFLICT DOCUMENT
RESOLUTION.
MR. ONG, PLEASE READ INTO THE
RECORD.
>> 1221 THROUGH 1222.
>> WE ARE JOINED BY LISH
WHITSON AS WELL AS VANESSA
MURDOCK AND RICK MUELLER.
LISH WHITSON , WOULD YOU KICK
US OFF AND WELCOME VANESSA AND
RICK?
>> THANK YOU AND GOOD MORNING.
I AM GOING TO SHARE A
POWERPOINT.
I HOPE YOU CAN SEE THAT.
WE ARE TALKING THIS MORNING
ABOUT THE 2021 TO 2022
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOCKET. AS A
REMINDER, THE COMP PLAN CAN
ONLY BE AMENDED ONCE A YEAR SO
WE USE THE DOCKET PROCESS TO
COLLECT ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS
THAT THE COUNCIL MAY WANT TO
CONSIDER IN A YEAR AND ANALYZE
THEM TOGETHER.
THE PROCESS INVOLVES A CALL FOR
AMENDMENTS IN THE SPRING.
IN THE SUMMER, NOW, WE REVIEW
THE AMENDMENT APPLICATIONS AND
RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND OP
CD TO ESTABLISH THE DOCKET OF
ITEMS THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED
FURTHER. DURING THE FALL, THEY
CONDUCT AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS BY
THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE FOLLOWING WINTER, SO NEXT
WINTER THE COUNCIL IDEALLY
RECEIVES RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
OP CD AND CONSIDERS THE
AMENDMENTS. THE COUNCIL HAS
ADOPTED A SET OF CRITERIA THAT
ARE USED TO JUDGE WHETHER OR
NOT IT IS APPROPRIATE TO DOCKET
A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT.
THEY INCLUDE TOPICS AND
QUESTIONS LIKE IS THE AMENDMENT
LEGAL UNDER STATE AND LOCAL LAW?
IS IT BETTER ADDRESSED IN SOME
OTHER WAY?
IS IT PRACTICAL TO CONSIDER THE
AMENDMENT?
DO WE HAVE STAFF CAPACITY? WILL
IT REQUIRE A MULTIPLE YEAR
PROCESS?
WE DO RECEIVE AMENDMENTS THAT
HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED IN THE PAST
AND WE ASK THE PROPOSER TO
IDENTIFY CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
WOULD MERIT RECONSIDERING THOSE
DOCKETED AMENDMENTS. AMENDMENTS
WHAT AMENDED NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS
. WE ASK THERE WOULD BE
OUTREACH TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
WITH THAT PLAN.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE IS
LIKELY TO BE AN ACTUAL
DIFFERENCE IN CHANGE AS A
RESULT OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT
ARE BEING PROPOSED AND FINALLY
FOR CHANGES PROPOSED TO THE
FUTURE MAP WHICH IS A GENERAL
PICTURE ACROSS THE CITY, THAT
MAP IS INTENDED TO BE A GENERAL
MAP THAT SHOWS A GENERAL
DISTRIBUTION OF USES. IT IS NOT
SUPPOSED TO BE A SPECIFIC
PARCEL MAP ON EACH LOT IN THE
CITY.
THERE IS A SIZE THRESHOLD THAT
WE USE AND IT GENERALLY IT IS
CONSISTENT WITH THE MAP AND IT
DOESN'T REQUIRE A FUTURE LAND
USE MAP AMENDMENT.
WE HAVE RECEIVED SEVEN
AMENDMENTS. CENTRAL STAFF AND
THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE
REVIEWED THEM.
THIS IS AMENDMENT ONE, A
PROPOSAL FROM COUNCILMEMBER
LEWIS TO RECLASSIFY THE STREET
ON THE NORTH SIDE FROM OUR
DESIGNATION. AMENDMENT TWO IS A
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE
FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
THIS DOESN'T MEET SIZE
THRESHOLD LAID OUT IN THE
CRITERIA AND IT DOES NOT MEET
THE CRITERIA FOR DOCKETING.
AMENDMENT THREE IS ALSO AN
AMENDMENT TO THE FUTURE LAND
USE MAP.
THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO AN AREA
IN THE NORTH END MANUFACTURING
CENTER. THIS ALSO DOESN'T MEET
THE SIZE CRITERIA BUT ALSO IT
IS ADJACENT TO PROPERTY THAT
WILL BE STUDIED AS PART OF THE
FOLLOW-UP IMPACT STATEMENT FOR
THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIAL
STAKEHOLDER PROCESS THAT THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE CONCLUDED.
CONSIDERATION AND FUTURE USES
ON THIS SITE IS PROBABLY BETTER
CONSIDERED IN THE CONTEXT OF
THAT BROADER WORK.
WE HAVE FOUR AMENDMENTS THAT
HAVE BEEN PROPOSED IN THE PAST
AND HAVE BEEN PROPOSED AGAIN
WITHOUT AN INDICATION OF
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WOULD MERIT
THE COUNCIL OPENING UP AGAIN
BUT JUST TO BRIEFLY WALK
THROUGH THEM, THE COUNCIL ASKED
OPCD AND TO LOOK AT THAT IN
TERMS OF THE BROADER
CONSIDERATION OF TREES.
WE WILL HAVE CONSIDERATION TO
THAT AMENDMENT.
THEY HAVE PUBLISHED
RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE LAST
COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WILL BE
BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
THAT IS ALREADY UNDER
CONSIDERATION AND HAS BEEN
ANALYZED.
TRANSIT TUNNELS ARE BETTER
ADDRESSED THROUGH OUR CURRENT
PROVISIONS THAT PROVIDED
DETAILED GUIDANCE ON WHERE SKY
BRIDGE IS AND TUNNELS AND OTHER
SIGNIFICANT STRUCK TOURS THAT
ARE APPROPRIATE.
THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL WOULD
ADD A NEW ELEMENT TO THE PLAN.
THIS IS A MAJOR UNDERTAKING AND
IS BEST SUITED TO THE MAJOR
UPDATE TO THE PLAN.
WE HAVEN'T EVER ADDED A NEW
ELEMENT DURING AN ANNUAL
PROCESS.
THE LAST ITEM IS A FEE OR
CHARGE FOR HEAVY VEHICLES AND
THAT IS BETTER ADDRESSED
THROUGH OTHER MEANS. WE DON'T
CALL OUT FEES AND CHARGES ON
OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT
RATHER THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL
CODE.
ATTACHED TO THE MEMO THAT ERIC
AND I HAVE DRAFTED IS A DRAFT
RESOLUTION. IN ADDITION TO ITEM
1, WHICH IS PROPOSED TO BE
DOCKETED, IT LIST FIVE ITEMS
THAT HAVE BEEN DOCKETED IN THE
PAST AND WORK STILL NEEDS TO BE
COMPLETED.
IT IS AN ANALYSIS OF WHETHER OR
NOT IT MEETS THE CRITERIA.
OPCD IS CONSIDERING THE NEXT
MAJOR UPDATE.
YOU WILL SEE SOME INITIAL
AMENDMENTS RELATED TO POTENTIAL
AT 138th AND I-5 THIS SEPTEMBER.
THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL WORK
THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AFTER THAT
FIRST ROUND OF CHANGES.
OPCD IS RECOMMENDING
AMENDMENTS RELATED TO FOSSIL
FUEL AS PART OF THE NEXT MAJOR
UPDATE.
YOU WILL SEE INITIAL AMENDMENTS
RELATED TO THE LAND POLICY IN
SEPTEMBER.
THERE IS CURRENTLY A SCOPING
PROCESS THAT WILL LEAD TO
BROADER CHANGES TO INDUSTRIAL
LANDS AND POLICIES.
THAT CONTINUES TO BE ON THE
DOCKET.
THE COUNCIL CONTINUES TO
CONSIDER IMPACT THE AMENDMENTS.
JUST FOR YOUR STANDING, 130th
AND FIVE. THAT IS IT.
ANY QUESTIONS?
>> THANK YOU, LISH WHITSON .
VANESSA OR RICK, DO YOU HAVE
ANYTHING TO SHARE?
YOU WILL BE BACK WITH US AT THE
NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR STRAUSS.
I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD.
AS YOU ALL SEE IN THE MEMO THAT
LISH WHITSON AND ERIC PROVIDED,
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THE
SAME.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD?
>> VANESSA, THANK YOU.
I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD EITHER.
>> THANK YOU, RICK.
THANK YOU, VANESSA.
AMENDMENT ONE, COUNCILMEMBER
LEWIS, I BELIEVE YOU ARE
SUPPORTING THIS AMENDMENT.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO IT
NOW?
REMEMBER, WE HAVE ANOTHER
COMMITTEE MEETING NEXT TIME TO
SPEAK ON THIS.
>> I AM HAPPY TO SPEAK TO IT
NOW AND AT THE NEXT COMMITTEE
MEETING.
I AM REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO
SEE THIS MOVING FORWARD AND SEE
THE SPACE GET RECLAIMED FOR
MORE EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR
PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS.
THIS HAS BEEN A VERY COMMON
COMPLAINT FROM RESIDENTS. YOU
KNOW, FROM THE TIME I WAS IN MY
CAMPAIGN AND IN THE OFFICE FROM
RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN
CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY
HAZARDS POSED BY CARS AND
RESPOND TO THE INCENTIVES ON
THE STREET AND REALLY SPEED
THROUGH THE ZONE.
úYOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE
A POSITION LIKE THIS AND HOW IT
CAN BE A BETTER NEIGHBORHOOD
ASSET IF WE RETURN IT BACK TO
THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TURN IT
INTO MORE OF A LOCAL
RESIDENTIAL STREET. I AM REALLY
LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.
THIS IS THE FIRST STEP. I'M A
LITTLE DISAPPOINTED MAKING A
CHANGE LIKE THIS REQUIRES GOING
THROUGH THE ENTIRE
COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS.
I UNDERSTAND IT.
I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH THE TIME
THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS READY
AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A
SHOUT OUT TO CALVIN AND LISH .
I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO
ALL OF THE NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE
BEEN ORGANIZING THIS CHANGE FOR
MANY YEARS AND I AM EXCITED WE
CAN SEE THIS MOVING FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US SOME
TIME AND SPACE TO CONSIDER
THIS, CHAIRMAN STRAUSS AND I
LOOK FORWARD TO ADVANCING THIS
FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS.
LASTLY, THE HISTORIC LANDMARK
DECISIONS, ESPECIALLY ON
HIGHWAYS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
I AM CURIOUS IF WE CAN DOCKET
AN ITEM TO RECONNECT
COMMUNITIES ACROSS HIGHWAYS TO
MAKE CLEAR OTHER CONNECTIONS.
IS THIS POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN
BRING FORWARD BEFORE THE NEXT
COMMITTEE HEARING, LISH?
>> YEAH.
I WILL WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR
STAFF TO FIGURE OUT THE
APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE.
>> GREAT.
COLLEAGUES, ARE THERE ANY OTHER
QUESTIONS BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE
PUBLIC HEARING?
>> NOPE.
>> SEEING NO OTHER QUESTIONS,
BEFORE WE OPEN THE REMOTE
PUBLIC HEARING, I WOULD AGAIN
ASK THAT EVERYONE PLEASE BE
PATIENT AS WE CONTINUE TO LEARN
TO OPERATE THIS NEW SYSTEM IN
REAL TIME.
WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY LOOKING FOR
WAYS TO FINE-TUNE THIS PROCESS
TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL
PARTICIPATION. I WILL MODERATE
THE PUBLIC HEARING IN THE
FOLLOWING MANNER.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN TWO
MINUTES TO SPEAK, SINCE WE ONLY
HAVE THREE SPEAKERS. I WILL
CALL ON ONE SPEAKER AT A TIME
IN WHICH THEY HAVE REGISTERED
ON THE COUNCIL'S WEBSITE.
YOU CAN SIGN UP BEFORE THE END
OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING BY GOING
TO SEATTLE.GOV.
THE LINK IS ALSO LISTED IN
TODAY'S AGENDA.
ONCE I CALL ON A SPEAKER'S
NAME, STAFF WILL UNMUTE THEIR
MICROPHONE.
YOU WILL HEAR YOUR CUBE FOR
YOUR TURN TO SPEAK.
PLEASE BEGIN SPEAKING BY
STATING YOUR NAME AND ITEM IN
WHICH YOU ARE ADDRESSING.
PUBLIC COMMENTS SHOULD RELATE
TO COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOCKETING
PROCESS. IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT
ON SOMETHING OTHER THAN THAT,
YOU CAN PROVIDE COMMENTS BY
EMAILING MY OFFICE.
SPEAKERS WILL HEAR A CHIME WHEN
AND 10 SECONDS ARE LEFT.
WE ASK WHEN YOU HEAR THE CHIME,
YOU PLEASE BEGIN TO WRAP UP
YOUR COMMENTS.
IF YOU DO NOT FINISH BY THE
ALLOTTED TIME PROVIDED, YOUR
MICROPHONE WILL BE MUTED TO
ALLOW US TO CALL ON THE NEXT
SPEAKER.
YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PLEASE
DISCONNECT FROM THE LINE AND IF
YOU WANT TO CONTINUE FOLLOWING
THE MEETING, PLEASE DO SO BY
THE OPTIONS LISTED ON THE
AGENDA.
PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOW OPEN. WE
WILL BEGIN WITH THE FIRST
SPEAKER ON THE LIST.
WE HAVE THREE SPEAKERS PRESENT
TODAY, JESSICA, RACHEL, AND
CHRIS. GOOD MORNING, JESSICA.
>> HELLO, COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS
. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
MY NAME IS JESSICA AND I AM
HERE REPRESENTING MANY OWNERS
AND I'M SPEAKING TO THE
MANUFACTURING RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR OPCD.
THE MAYORS RECOMMENDED PLAN
STOPS ANY PROPERTY FROM BEING
TAKEN OUT OF INDUSTRIAL IS OUT
OF SEQUENCE. WE ASKED THE
COUNCIL TO DELAY CONSIDERATION
UNTIL I CAN LOOK AT THE
INDUSTRIAL POLICIES
HOLISTICALLY.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT
GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE YET TO DESIGN THE
ALIGNMENT FOR WEST SEATTLE.
THIS GOES RIGHT THROUGH. THIS
MAY MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO
CONSIDER THESE REALLY IMPORTANT
TRANSPORTATION DECISIONS WHEN
MAKING LAND-USE DECISIONS.
THE COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE THIS IN
FRONT OF THEM BEFORE THEY MAKE
THE AMENDMENT.
WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE
AMENDMENT BECAUSE IT IS
INEXTRICABLY LINKED TO THE
INDUSTRIAL POLICIES DETERMINED
TO REQUIRE THIS, YET THIS
AMENDMENT HAS FOR SOME REASON,
OPCD HAS DETERMINED IT HAS
DETERMINATION OF NON-
SIGNIFICANCE, WHICH WE DO NOT
THINK IS CORRECT.
THERE IS CONCERN ABOUT THE 2050
POLICIES AND KING COUNTY'S
COUNTYWIDE PLANNING POLICY AND
AS A RESULT ARE NONCOMPLIANT.
WE WOULD ASK HE DON'T DOCKET IS
PREMATURE AMENDMENT AND YOU
WOULD WAIT UNTIL YOU CAN MAKE
POLICY DECISIONS ON INDUSTRIAL
POLICIES AS A WHOLE SO WE CAN
GET TO THE BIG BUSINESS OF
PLANNING FOR LAND-USE AROUND
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATELY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, JESSICA. UP NEXT
IS RACHEL, FOLLOWED BY CHRIS.
RACHEL, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, COUNCILMEMBERS.
I AM REPRESENTING JEFFREY HUMMEL
. THE TIME IS NOW TO STAND THE
PROPOSAL WHICH WOULD CHANGE TWO
PARCELS FROM MIXED-USE.
INTEGRATED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S
RAIL LINE, IT IS NO LONGER
PREDOMINATELY IN INDUSTRIAL USE.
PROPERTY OWNERS TEND TO
REDEVELOP THE PROPERTY INTO
AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AS YOU KNOW WE ARE IN THE
MIDDLE OF A HOUSING CRISIS AND
THE PROPERTY OWNER IS WILLING
TO AGREE TO AFFORDABILITY
LEVELS FOR THE LIFE OF THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT.
THEREFORE WE RESPECTFULLY
REQUEST THE COUNCIL CHANGE THIS
AMENDMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> UP NEXT IS CHRIS.
GOOD MORNING AGAIN.
>> HELLO.
I REQUEST BEFORE MY TWO MINUTE
START, CAN I ASK YOU TO PLEASE
GIVEN THAT THERE IS NO ONE
TESTIFYING, YOU HAVE THE
DISCRETION TO PERMIT ME TO
SPEAK FOR TWO MINUTES ON EACH
OF THE FOUR. EACH OF THE FOUR
DETAILED AMENDMENTS.
YOU ARE ARBITRARILY GOING TO
ALLOW DISCUSSION THAT REALLY.
>> YOUR TIMER HAS NOW BEGUN.
>> WILL YOU PLEASE ANSWER?
>> NO.
YOU WILL HAVE THE SAME TIME
ALLOTTED TO ALL.
>> AS USUAL -- FORGIVE ME.
AS USUAL, THE COUNCIL IS BEING
VERY HIGH-HANDED AND ARBITRARY.
THE ONLY AMENDMENT YOU ARE
ADVANCING IS, YOU KNOW, A
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT BY A FELLOW
COUNCILMEMBER. YOU ARE NOT
TAKING SERIOUSLY THE PROPOSALS
FROM THE PUBLIC.
YOUR STAFF HAS FAILED TO
ADDRESS ACTUAL RECENT CHANGES
ADDRESSED IN MY APPLICATION AND
EVEN SINCE THEN, THEY HAVE
REQUIRED EACH OF THESE TO BE
STUDIED.
THE HEAT THAT KILLS PEOPLE IS A
SIGNIFICANTLY CAUSED BY THE
LACK OF LARGE TREES AND THE
MULTI FAMILY ZONING DOESN'T
PROMOTE LARGE TREES ANYMORE.
NUMBER FIVE, THE POLICY IS
INCONSISTENT BECAUSE IT HAS A
GOOD POLICY FOR DOWNTOWN BUT IT
NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED TO ALL OF
THE URBAN VILLAGES.
UNDER NUMBER SIX, THE CITY HAS
BEEN OPERATING UNDER AN
EMERGENCY WITH VERY, VERY POOR
OUTREACH AND DEMOCRATIC
PROCESSES DURING THE
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS. I HAVE
PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS. IT IS A
VERY SIGNIFICANT NEED.
THE CITY NEEDS TO STUDY WHETHER
IT IS GOING TO BE DESIRABLE TO
HAVE AN APPENDIX OR A NEW
ELEMENT.
THAT CAN BE DECIDED LATER, BUT
DON'T REFUSE TO STUDY
SOMETHING.
FINALLY, THE SEATTLE BRIDGE
DESTRUCTION HAS BEEN
ACKNOWLEDGED AS BEING PARTLY
CAUSED BY EXTRA HEAVY VEHICLES,
MOST OF WHICH ACCORDING TO AN
S.STUDY THAT I HAVE REVEALED
FOR YOU HAS BEEN CAUSED BY CITY-
OWNED AND COUNTY OWNED VEHICLES
OR CHARTER VEHICLES BY THE CITY
AND COUNTY.
>> THANK YOU, MR. LEHMAN.
THAT WAS OUR LAST SPEAKER
REMOTELY PRESENT.
SORRY.
THAT WAS THE LAST SPEAKER
REMOTELY PRESENT TO SPEAK AT
THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE
DOCKET SECONDING RESOLUTION IS
CLOSED.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO
PROVIDED COMMENTS TODAY.
THIS DOCKETING RESOLUTION
SHOULD BE FORMALLY INTRODUCED
ON JULY 26th AND INFORMED BY
THE DISCUSSION TODAY AND THAT
THE PUBLIC HEARING. WE WILL
PLAN TO VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION
ON OUR JULY 28th MEETING. MR.
LEHMAN, I KNOW STAFF FROM MY
OFFICE HAVE SPOKEN WITH YOU
OUTSIDE THE PUBLIC COMMENT AS
WELL. COLLEAGUES, ANY OTHER
QUESTIONS?
I WOULD LOVE TO MOVE US ALONG.
>> NOPE!
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ .
>>> UP NEXT, THE RACIAL EQUITY
ANALYSIS ON THE COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN AND URBAN VILLAGE
STRATEGY.
MR. ONG, PLEASE READ THIS ITEM
INTO THE RECORD.
>> AGENDA ITEM 2.
>> THANK YOU.
WE ARE JOINED BY RICO
QUIRINDONGO AND MICHAEL HUBNER.
FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS
ALONG THE WAY.
DIRECTOR, MICHAEL, PLEASE TAKE
IT AWAY.
>> I MIGHT ASK NOAH TO SHARE
HIS SCREEN.
I WILL SHARE FROM MY END, SO NO
NEED TO DO THAT.
I WILL TURN IT OVER TO RICO
QUIRINDONGO . THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MICHAEL.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBERS . I
KNOW THIS PRESENTATION AND
REPORT AND DISCUSSION HAS BEEN
FACILITATED FOR WHITE SOMETIME
AND WE ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE
AND I AM HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO
DELIVER THE REPORTS.
AS MICHAEL WILL SHARE AS WE GET
INTO HIS PRESENTATION MATERIAL,
THIS IS JUST THE VERY, VERY
FIRST STEP OF A HUGE BODY OF
WORK THAT WE WILL NEED TO MOVE
INTO WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN.
MAJOR UPDATES.
I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
FIRST STEP AND IT IS THE FIRST
STEP OF A LARGER CONVERSATION.
WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER
TO MR. HUBNER . TAKE IT AWAY.
>> THERE WE GO.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND
COUNCILMEMBERS . THANK YOU FOR
HAVING US TODAY.
IT IS IMPORTANT WE BEGIN THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
PROCESS, THE PROCESS REVIEWING
THIS WORK.
I WILL GO THROUGH THIS
RELATIVELY QUICKLY TO ALLOW TIME
TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT
FEEL FREE IF THERE ARE PRESSING
QUESTIONS FOR CLARITY ALONG THE
WAY, LET US KNOW.
FIRST OF ALL, SOME GROUNDING IN
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THIS IS A 20 YEAR PLAN THAT
GUIDES HOW THE CITY ROSE. IT
COVERS LAND USE, THE LOCATION
AND A DENSITY OF A DEVELOPMENT,
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES,
POLICIES ON HOUSING AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, REALLY
SHAPING SO MANY ASKED ACTS OF
WHAT THE CITY DOES OVER TIME.
IT SETS HIGH LEVEL OF POLICY
AND FOUR GOLD VALUES.
RACIAL AND SOCIAL EQUITY,
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP,
COMMUNITY, AND ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY AND SECURITY.
THE PLAN IS A REQUIREMENT OF
THE STATE GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT
AND WE ARE REQUIRED AS A CITY
TO UPDATE THAT PLAN.
THE NEXT UPDATE IS DUE IN 2024
AND THAT HAPPENS ONCE EVERY
EIGHT YEARS.
AS AN EARLY STEP IN THE CURRENT
PLAN PROCESS, WE CONDUCTED THIS
RACIAL EQUITY ANALYSIS.
THIS HAS BEEN NOTED IN RESPONSE
TO A SLIDE FROM THE BUDGET
CYCLE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
A COUPLE OF THINGS HAVE
HAPPENED.
THE STATE CHANGED THE DEADLINE
FR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
UPDATE FROM 2023 TO 2024.
WITH US POISED TO LAUNCH THE
UPDATE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN LATER THIS YEAR.
THE RELEASE OF THIS REPORT IS
TIMED TO BE THE FIRST STEP AS
WE MOVE FROM THE BEGINNING OF
THE PLANNING PROCESS IN LATE
2021.
THIS IS A LOOK BACK AT THE
CURRENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
REALLY ASKING FOUNDATIONAL
QUESTIONS ON WHETHER THE PLAN
IS LIVING UP TO ITS PROMISE.
ASKING WESTERNS ABOUT WHO
BENEFITS AND WHO IS HARMED BY
THE GROWTH THAT IS HAPPENING IN
THE CITY AS SHAPED BY THE PLAN.
HOW CAN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
UPDATE BE IMPROVED TO ACHIEVE
MORE EQUITABLE RACIAL OUTCOMES
GOING FORWARD?
TO DO THIS WORK, WE THOUGHT IT
WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO
BRING IN AN INDEPENDENT
PERSPECTIVE.
WE SELECTED A POLICY LINK, A
NATIONAL NONPROFIT AND EQUITABLE
POLICY.
WE WORKED WITH THE CITY WHEN WE
LAST UPDATED THE PLAN IN 2014
AND 2015, SO THIS WAS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO FOLLOW
UP WITH US AND PROVIDE
ASSISTANCE AS WE TAKE ON THE
NEXT UPDATE AND STARTING THAT
PROCESS BEFORE WE EVEN BEGIN OR
LAUNCH THE WORK WITH THE
COMMUNITY OR AROUND ANALYSIS
AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS FOUNDATIONAL BOTH IN
SETTING THE SCOPE FOR THE UPDATE
BUT ALSO SETTING US UP FOR A
RACIAL EQUITY TOOLKIT, WHICH IS
A MORE FORMALIZED AND DEEPER
AND BROADER PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
PROCESS, WHICH ADDRESSES MANY
RACIAL DISPARITIES WE WILL BE
COVERING TODAY.
AS I MENTIONED THE UPDATE
PROCESS IS A SEVERAL YEAR
PROCESS. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN
THE FIRST YEAR OF THAT PROCESS,
WHICH IS MOSTLY ABOUT PROJECT
PLANNING AND SETTING THE SCOPE
FOR WORK WE WILL RAMP UP LATER
THIS YEAR.
THE RACIAL ANALYSIS IS PART OF
THAT WORK.
AS WE MOVE TOWARD A MORE
INTENSIVE PERIOD OF PLANNING
AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT LATER
THIS YEAR AND INTO 2022, THAT
WORK WILL BE INFORMED BY
OUTREACH TO STAKEHOLDERS AND
NEIGHBORHOODS CITYWIDE.
THE RESPONSIVENESS TO STATE LAW
AND REGIONAL POLICIES AND ALSO
DATA AND ANALYSIS INCLUDING
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
WE ANTICIPATE WILL BE NEEDED
FOR THE POLICY ACT.
THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY
DELIVERABLES FROM THIS PROCESS.
ONE IS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
REPORT.
I WILL BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE THE
ACTIVITIES WE DID ON COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT.
AS WELL AS A FINAL MEMO FROM A
POLICY LINK FOR FINDINGS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS.
AS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE SLIDE
ITSELF, THE RACIAL EQUITY
ANALYSIS FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY
ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE
STRATEGY. THE URBAN VILLAGE
STRATEGY HAS BEEN A SEATTLE
GROWTH STRATEGY SINCE 1994.
IN BRIEF, IT AIMS TO FOCUS
HOUSING AND JOBS WITHIN THE
DESIGNATED COMPACT
NEIGHBORHOODS LINKED BY TRANSIT.
WILL IN FOCUSING THAT GROUP IN
THAT HOUSING.
THE URBAN VILLAGE STRATEGY,
HOWEVER, WHEN IT WAS FIRST
ENACTED IN THE MID-1990S WAS
NOT ANALYZED FROM A RACIAL
EQUITY PERSPECTIVE SO MANY
QUESTIONS WE ARE BRINGING
FORWARD ARE BEING ASKED FOR THE
FIRST TIME ABOUT THIS
FOUNDATIONAL STRATEGY AND
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
IN ADDRESSING THE URBAN VILLAGE
STRATEGY, WE TOOK A CITYWIDE
PERSPECTIVE ON NOT JUST BEING
AT THE VILLAGES THEMSELVES, THE
COMMUNITIES THAT HISTORICALLY
HAVE BEEN AT THE MOST LOCATIONS
, BUT ALSO WHERE A LARGE
PORTION OF THE CITY OUTSIDE OF
THE VILLAGES ARE OWNED FOR
SINGLE-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
THESE ARE AREAS IN WHICH
HISTORICALLY HAVE EXCLUDED
PEOPLE OF COLOR BY MEANS OF
RACIST ACTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC
AND PRIVATE SECTORS, SUCH AS
REDLINING AND RACIAL COVENANTS.
THAT EXCLUSION CONTINUES TODAY
AND ESCALATING COST OF BUYING A
SINGLE-FAMILY HOME IS AN
EXTREMELY HIGH BARRIER THAT
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTS
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THEIR
ABILITY TO ACCESS OUTSIDE THE
VILLAGES.
IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP,
WE CAN SEE THE LOCATIONS AND
BOUNDARIES OF THE VILLAGES WERE
TO BE COMPARED WITH THE
REDLINING MAP IN THE 1930s.
IT ECHOES MANY HISTORICAL
PATTERNS WHICH WERE ESTABLISHED
OVER THAT HISTORICAL PERIOD.
IN ORDER TO EVALUATE WHERE WE
ARE TODAY AND LOOKING OVER TO
THE UPDATE WE PROVIDED WITH
SEVERAL RECENT DATA REPORTS,
OPCD HAS MONITORED OUR
PROGRESS OVER TIME.
MOST PROMINENTLY THE EQUITABLE
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WITH
COMMUNITY INDICATOR REPORT, OUR
RACIAL EQUITY AND DISPLACEMENT.
WITHIN THE LIMITED SCOPE --
YES?
>> OH, OUR VICE CHAIR HAD A
QUESTION.
SHE WILL HOLD THE QUESTION.
>> NO PROBLEM.
WE HAVE CONDUCTED SEVERAL
LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR
ENGAGEMENT AS PART OF THE SCOPE
FOR THE FIRST STEP ON THE
UPDATE.
THAT TARGETED ENGAGEMENT
INCLUDED TRAINING OF LIAISONS.
THE COMPANY HAS A PLAN AND A
STRATEGY CONDUCTING FIVE FOCUS
GROUPS WITH COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
AND DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS OF
THE CITY, AND CONDUCTING A
CITYWIDE WORKSHOP IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH POLICY THAT
OCCURRED IN OCTOBER OF LAST
YEAR.
THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT PROVIDES
A WINDOW INTO THE KIND OF
ENGAGEMENT WE DID WITH
COMMUNITIES LOOKING AT THE
ASSETS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES
BOTH INSIDE AND AROUND SOME OF
THE EXISTING URBAN VILLAGES.
SO VERY BRIEFLY, POLICY LINKS
KEY FINDINGS FALL UNDER FOUR
MAIN TOPIC AREAS.
ONE, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY,
CHOICE, AND OWNERSHIP. IN EACH
OF THESE FOUR AREAS, THEY HAVE
HIGHLIGHTED FROM OUR DATA,
CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY,
PERSISTENT RACIAL DISPARITIES
WHICH RELATE TO SOME OF THE
POLICIES AND STRATEGIES IN THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN WHICH THE
UPDATE COULD POTENTIALLY
ADDRESS AS WE LOOK FORWARD.
IN TERMS OF HOUSING, THE SUPPLY
OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS NOT
AND IT DOES NOT NEED TO MEET
THE NEEDS AS EVIDENCED OF OUR
COST DATA AND OTHER REPORTS.
THE UNITS THAT WOULD MEET
PARTICULAR HOUSEHOLD NEEDS,
SUCH AS AFFORDABLE FAMILY SIZED
UNITS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN THE
MARKET.
THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT GAP IN
HOMEOWNERSHIP, ESPECIALLY FOR
BLACK HOUSEHOLDS COMPARED TO
WHITE HOUSEHOLDS IN THE CITY.
ON THE TOPIC OF ACCESS TO
OPPORTUNITY, POLICY WILL LOOK
AT BOTH NEIGHBORHOODS
HISTORICALLY COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR AND THE HISTORY OF
UNDERINVESTMENT IN THOSE
NEIGHBORHOODS.
IT HAS RESULTED IN REDUCED
ACCESS TO ELEMENTS OF
OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE LIVING
THERE AS WELL AS WAS NOTED THE
EXCLUSION FROM MANY OTHER AREAS
OF THE CITY. BARRIERS TO ACCESS
THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THOSE
NEIGHBORHOODS, SUCH AS THE
PARKS, TREE CANOPY THAT HAS
BEEN TALKED ABOUT THE PUBLIC
COMMENT TODAY, SCHOOLS, AND
OTHER ELEMENTS OF A HEALTHY
ENVIRONMENT.
POLICY LINK LOOKED AT THIS
PLACEMENT RISK AS HIGHLIGHTED
THE IMPACTS OF THE HOUSING
INSECURITY BROADLY ON MY POCKET
COMMUNITIES AND DISPLACEMENT
WAS PARTICULARLY IMPACTING
COMMUNITIES WITHIN URBAN
VILLAGES, WHERE LIMITATION ON
HOUSING CHOICES AND
AFFORDABILITY COMBINED WITH
SEGREGATION. MUCH OF THE NEW
DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE ON THE CITY
BEING PLANNED FOR THIS VILLAGES
IS INCREASING THE DISPLACEMENT
IN THOSE COMMUNITIES TO HAVE
LIVED THERE HISTORICALLY AND
CONTINUE TO.
AND FINALLY ACCESS TO SEATTLE'S
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.
WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING AS A
CITY A VERY PROLONGED AND
ENRICHING PERIOD OF ECONOMIC
GROWTH.
MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO
HISTORICALLY ARE IN COMMUNITIES
OF COLOR HAVE NOT BENEFITED
FROM THAT GROWTH.
THAT IS REVEALED IN THE DATA.
WE HAVE DATA ON HOUSEHOLD IN
THE CITY AS WELL AS FROM THE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE HAD IN
THE FOCUS GROUPS AND WORKSHOP.
>> THANK YOU, MR. HUBNER .
BEFORE WE MOVE ON,
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA HAS A
QUESTION ON THAT LAST SLIDE.
>> THANK YOU, MICHAEL.
I WAS TRYING TO HOLD A LOT OF
MY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS UNTIL
THE END BUT ON THE PREVIOUS
SLIDE AND THE FLIGHT BEFORE
THAT, WHAT IS THE UNIQUENESS OF
THIS ANALYSIS AND HOW DOES THIS
ANALYSIS HELP ADVANCE OUR
UNDERSTANDING OR OUR
COMPREHENSION OF THE POLICY
CHANGES YET TO BE MADE?
I HAVE HAD FOLKS SAY THIS HAS
BEEN STUDIED TIME AND TIME
AGAIN, SO WHAT IS DIFFERENT
HERE?
I AM WONDERING IF YOU COULD
ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON
THE CONNECTION YOU HAVE TALKED
ABOUT BETWEEN THESE PERSISTENT
RACIAL DISPARITIES AND HOW
THERE IS AN OVERLAP WITH THE
REDLINING POLICIES OF THE PAST?
I THINK WE SORT OF FADED
QUICKLY AND MOVE ON BECAUSE WE
HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE MAPS THAT
OVERLAP BUT IF YOU HAVE
ANYTHING ELSE TO EXPLAIN TO
SOMEONE COMING TO SEATTLE FOR
THE FIRST TIME IT ISN'T AS
FAMILIAR WITH THE HISTORY,
WHERE THAT DATA AND ANALYTICAL
CONNECTION REALLY COMES FROM
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERLAY.
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND TO LOOK AT
THAT?
>> SURE.
I THINK WHAT IS UNIQUE, THE
POLICY LINK BROUGHT AN
EXPLORATION OF THE HISTORY.
THAT WAS NOT A HISTORY THAT WAS
IN ANY WAY AS THOROUGHLY
DOCUMENTED GOING INTO PREVIOUS
UPDATES, SUCH AS THE HISTORY OF
REDLINING AND DOCKETING.
HISTORY HELPED SHAPE OUR LAND-
USE IN THE CITY WITH RESPECT TO
OUR EARLIER COMPREHENSIVE PLANS
EVEN GOING BACK TO THE 1950s OR
EARLIER THROUGH INITIAL ZONING.
ZONING WAS INITIALLY ADOPTED IN
THE 1920s.
FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE,
SHOWING HOW THROUGH DESIGNING
AN URBAN VILLAGE STRATEGY IN
THE ORIGINAL 1994 COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN, THAT HISTORY WAS INHERITED
AND CARRIED FORWARD.
THAT STRATEGY HAS NOT CHANGED
SINCE 1994 AND COMBINING THAT
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE WITH
SOME OF THE NEW DATA WHICH SHOWS
THE PROFOUND AND GROWING RACIAL
DISPARITIES AND RACIAL EQUITY
OUTCOMES RELATED TO DISPLACEMENT
, RELATED TO THE WEALTH GAP,
RELATED TO THE ECONOMIC
BENEFITS OF JOB GROWTH. I THINK
IT IS UNIQUE AND POLICY LINK
SPECIFICALLY COMMENTS ON AND
PROVIDES INFORMATION THAT
RELATES TO THE GROWTH STRATEGY
AND HOW WE MIGHT ADDRESS A NEW
GROWTH STRATEGY AND MORE
RACIALLY EQUITABLE WAY MOVING
FORWARD.
THOSE ARE NOT QUESTIONS THAT
WERE BROUGHT TOGETHER OR
HIGHLIGHTED THROUGH PREVIOUS
UPDATES.
>> VERY HELPFUL.
THANK YOU FOR THAT. I MAY BE
REACHING BACK OUT TO FURTHER
DRAW OUT HOW SOME OF THOSE
POLICIES FROM THE 20s IN THE
50s REITERATED OR REINFORCED
SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS ZONING AND
PUBLIC POLICIES.
I THINK YOU ANSWERED IT VERY
ELOQUENTLY AND I WAS REMINDED
WHEN SOMEBODY ASKED ME THAT HOW
MANY PEOPLE HAVE MOVED TO THE
CITY WITHIN THE LAST 10 YEARS
AND SOME OF THIS HISTORY MIGHT
NOT BE AS WELL-KNOWN,
ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PLAN IS
ONLY UPDATED EVERY 8 TO 10
YEARS SO GIVEN HOW INFREQUENTLY
GENERAL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
MAY BE HEARING ABOUT SOME OF
THESE POLICIES, I THOUGHT THAT
WAS AN IMPORTANT THING TO
REALLY DRAW OUT AND YOU REALLY
HELPED MY UNDERSTANDING ADVANCE
AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR BEING ABLE TO
ANSWER THAT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
>> YOU ARE VERY WELCOME.
I THINK THAT THE FOLLOWING
SLIDES WILL HELP AS WELL TO
ADDRESS THAT POINT AS WE LOOK
FORWARD TO WHAT THE UPDATE
ITSELF WILL ENTAIL IN TERMS OF
THE KIND OF WORK AND QUESTIONS
WE WILL BE ADDRESSING. LET ME
QUICKLY ON THIS NEXT SLIDE TO
COVER SOME OF THE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
ITSELF IN THE POLICYLINK MEMO .
ONE IS IN THE AREA OF THE
GROWTH STRATEGY ITSELF.
POLICYLINK CALLS ON THE CITY TO
LOOK AT TWO WAYS TO ALLOW MORE
HOUSING TYPES ACROSS THE CITY,
NOT JUST IN URBAN VILLAGES.
PARTICULARLY IN AREAS THAT ARE
CURRENTLY ZONED FOR SINGLE-
FAMILY, BUT ALSO PAIR THAT WITH
A VERY STRONG POINT ABOUT DOING
SO IN A WAY THAT WOULD PROVIDE
EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HOUSING,
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WEALTH
BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES TO
HOUSEHOLDS OF COLOR. IT IS NOT
JUST A QUESTION OF ZONING.
RECOMMENDING A MORE
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH GROUNDED
IN RACE AND EQUITY.
THE SECOND AREA THEY MAKE
RECOMMENDATIONS IN IS
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
REALLY STARTING FROM THAT
OBSERVATION IN THE DATA THAT WE
QUITE SIMPLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CAN AND
SHOULD DO MORE TO SUPPORT
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND
AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT MEET'S OF
COMMUNITIES IN PARTICULAR.
ON DISPLACEMENT, MORE AND
STRONGER POLICIES RECOMMEND
SHOULD BE IN THE PLAN. I
PARTICULARLY CALLING OUT THE
PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL
COMMUNITIES.
IN THE AREA OF AN INCLUSIVE
ECONOMY, THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS
REALLY START WITH CALLING UPON
US TO HAVE A BETTER IDEA FROM
RACIALLY DISAGGREGATED DATA ON
THE ECONOMY AND JOBS.
WHO IS BENEFITING AND WHO IS
NOT GETTING ACCESS TO OUR
ECONOMIC GROWTH?
I WOULD SAY CONSIDERING OUR
CURRENT MOMENT, WHO IS COMING
OUT OF THE PANDEMIC AND
ADDRESSED THROUGH THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?
ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF TRAINING
AND HIRING PREFERENCES AND
LINKING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO
OUR LAND USE VISION AND THE
KIND OF JOBS THAT ARE
ACCOMMODATING.
AND FINALLY FOR AREAS WITH
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PROVIDING
REPORT FOR SUSTAINED AND DEEP
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THIS
PLAN UPDATE IN WAYS WE HADN'T
DONE PREVIOUSLY.
I AM GOING TO VERY QUICKLY HERE
JUST TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THE
RINGS WE ANTICIPATE DOING
THROUGH THE UPDATE PROCESS IN
THE COMING MONTH AND SEVERAL
YEARS.
FIRST, THIS AREA OF HOUSING AND
NEIGHBORHOOD CHOICE.
WE DO ANTICIPATE AT LEAST OVER
THE NEXT 25 YEARS WE HAVE A
GOOD IDEA HOW MANY HOUSING
UNITS WE CAN THE CITY WILL NEED
OVER THE NEXT 20 TO 25 YEARS
AND IT IS A LOT MORE WE PLAN
FOR.
WE ANTICIPATE 70,000 UNITS. WE
ARE LOOKING AT A HOUSING NEED
OF 112 OR MORE THOUSAND UNITS
OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS. WE HAVE
A BIG JOB AHEAD OF US AND IN
DOING SO, WE ARE STUDYING A
RANGE OF GROWTH STRATEGY
ALTERNATIVES TO MEET OUR
HOUSING NEED CONSISTENT WITH
THE BUDGET PROVISO THAT THE
COUNCIL PASSED THIS YEAR. WE
WILL BE FULLY LOOKING AT AT
LEAST ONE ALTERNATIVE THAT
LOOKS AT NEW HOUSING
OPPORTUNITIES IN SINGLE-FAMILY
AREAS INCLUDING DUPLEXES,
TRIPLEX IS, TOWNHOMES, AND OTHER
MIDDLE HOUSING THAT COULD
ADDRESS RACIAL DISPARITIES
HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS REPORT.
IN DOING SO, AFFORDABLE AND
MIXED INCOME HOUSING IS SO
PRESSING WE NEEDED IN THE CITY
AND SPECIFICALLY STRATEGIES WE
CAN DEMONSTRATE WILL BENEFIT
HOUSEHOLDS.
>> MR. HUBNER , I WAS ABOUT TO
SAY SOMETHING AND I SEE MOSQUEDA
ALSO HAS TO SAY SOMETHING.
I WAS HAPPY TO SEE YOUR IMPORT
INCLUDE THE BROADER RANGE OF
HOUSING TYPES. I LOOK FORWARD
TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THIS
BECAUSE THIS SLIDE DEMONSTRATES
THE DUPLEX ON THE UPPER LEFT
CORNER. IT LOOKS LIKE A
STANDARD SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, AS I AM LOOKING AT
THESE PICKED YOURS AS WELL
UNDERSTANDING EACH OF THOSE
TOWNHOMES ALSO PROVIDES HOUSING
FOR LIKELY A SINGLE-FAMILY.
EVEN THOUGH THEIR WALLS CONNECT.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW
THAT I AM EXCITED TO WORK WITH
YOU ON THIS.
I KNOW THROUGHOUT MY COMMUNITY,
THERE ARE MANY DUPLEXES THAT
ARE LEGACY DUPLEXES IN WHAT
ZONING PROHIBITS THOSE DUPLEXES
. WE SEE THAT KEEPING THE
CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
AND PROVIDES THE ABILITY FOR
MORE PEOPLE TO LIVE IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT KEEPS THAT
NICE CHARACTER WITH A DENSITY
THAT WE NEED.
VICE CHAIR, DID YOU HAVE
SOMETHING TO ADD?
>> THANK YOU.
úJUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
MICHAEL, THANK YOU FOR NOTING
THE NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS
THAT WE NEED TO CREATE.
DID YOU SAY 140,000?
>> OUR GROWTH TARGET, WHICH IS
CURRENTLY WORKING THROUGH THE
COUNTY PROCESS OF SETTING
GROWTH TARGETS FOR CITIES CALLS
FOR AT LEAST 112 THOUSAND NEW
HOUSING UNITS BY 2024.
>> OKAY.
WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
112,000 BY 2024.
AM I CORRECT THAT THE NUMBER OF
UNITS IN OUR REGION STILL IN THE
KING COUNTY REGION IS NORTH OF
400,000?
112,000 IS THE EXPECTED GROWTH
TARGET BUT THE BROADER NUMBER
FOR OUR COUNTY, DO YOU REMEMBER
THAT NUMBER OFFHAND WAX
>> I APOLOGIZE, I CANNOT RECALL
THE TOTAL NUMBER IN TERMS OF
HOUSING NEED. I AM HAPPY TO GET
THAT TO YOU.
AS I MENTIONED, THAT WAS JUST
RECENTLY PASSED BY THE COUNCIL.
SEATTLE HAS A SIZABLE SHARE OF
THE HOUSING NEED, BUT CLEARLY
NOT THE MAJORITY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> I AM ALMOST DONE WITH THE
SLIDES HERE.
WE ANTICIPATE RESPONDING TO THE
ISSUES OF POLICY LINK.
ALSO CONSISTENT WITH THE BUDGET,
WITH THE LAST SLIDE WE
ANTICIPATE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT
MEASURES INTO AT LEAST ONE. I
WOULD ANTICIPATE REALLY ALL OF
THE ALTERNATIVE THAT WE WOULD
BE LOOKING AT THROUGH THIS
PROCESS AND ANTI-DISPLACEMENT
IS A CENTRAL TO THE WORK WE
WOULD BE DOING TO LOOK AT A
RANGE OF WAYS THE CITY COULD
GROW FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS
STARTING WITH UPDATING AND
ENHANCING OUR RISK MAPPING.
THERE IS THE MAP FROM THE
PREVIOUS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
SHOWN RIGHT HERE AND BROADENING
OUR VIEW OF ANTI-DISPLACEMENT
POLICIES TO NOT ONLY ADDRESS
HOUSING BUT SMALL BUSINESSES
AND OTHER ASPECTS OF
DISPLACEMENT IN THE CITY AND
IDENTIFYING WAYS TO PLAN TO
HELP MITIGATE GOING FORWARD AND
TO GO BEYOND THE CURRENT PLAN.
IN THE AREA OF INCLUSIVE
ECONOMY, POLICYLINK WAS VERY
STRONG ON THIS. IT IS NOT ABOUT
HOUSING OR LAND USE. IT IS
ABOUT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AS
WELL AND WAYS IN WHICH THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN STARTING
WITH ADVANCED DATA THROUGH A
BACKGROUND RESEARCH, BUT REALLY
TRY TO IDENTIFY POLICY GAPS AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE
INTEGRATED APPROACH BETWEEN
LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT
POLICIES IN THE PLAN AND WHAT
THE PLAN CALLS FOR IN TERMS OF
CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH THOSE
OPPORTUNITIES AND THOSE JOBS
THROUGH EDUCATION AND JOB
TRAINING, OTHER POLICIES THAT
COULD ELEVATE THOSE KINDS OF
TOOLS AS WELL AS INTEGRATING,
AS IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER,
THE WORK ON THE INDUSTRIAL
MARITIME STRATEGY WHICH WAS
RECENTLY RELEASED. IT HIGHLIGHTS
AND FURTHERS THE GROWTH OF
MIDDLE WAGE JOBS, LOWER BARRIER
GOOD PAYING JOBS IN THE CITY.
THAT IS ALSO GOING TO BE AN
IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE
COMPREHENSIVE LAND PICTURE AS
WE GO THROUGH THE UPDATE AND
INCORPORATING THOSE INDUSTRIAL
POLICIES IN BOTH LAND-USE AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND
FINALLY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
POLICYLINK CALLS FOR A BROADER
ENGAGEMENT WITH COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE CERTAINLY HEARD THROUGH
OUR ALL STEPS TOWARD ENGAGEMENT
, REAL ENTHUSIASM AND INTEREST
BEING PART OF THIS
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND BEING
ACTIVE PARTNERS WITH US. THAT
IS WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM
STAKEHOLDERS THUS FAR.
WE ARE GOING TO BE EXPLORING
OPTIONS FOR RESOURCING
EQUITABLE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
AS WELL AS THE IMPORTANE OF
GOING CITYWIDE WITH THIS WORK
TO ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN
NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE CITY.
SOME OF THE FOUNDATIONAL
FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES WE ARE
EXPLORING THROUGH THIS UPDATE
WILL REALLY BE PART OF A
CITYWIDE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE
FUTURE OF THIS CITY. WE WILL
BRING A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
PLAN TO YOU LATER THIS YEAR AS
WE LOOK TO LAUNCH THE UPDATE
SOMETIME IN THE FOURTH QUARTER.
THAT IS THE END OF MY SLIDE
PRESENTATION.
I DO NOT KNOW IF MY EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR IS STILL ON THE LINE
WITH US BUT I AM HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT
HAVE AND REALLY WELCOME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GET STARTED ON
THIS WORK.
>> THANK YOU, MR. HUBNER . I
BELIEVE I SAW DIRECTOR RICO
QUIRINDONGO STILL THERE A
MINUTE AGO.
HE IS A MINUTE LATE TO HIS NEXT
MEETING.
THERE YOU ARE.
>> I CAN ANSWER A COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS
. I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
MYSELF.
>> GREAT.
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN?
TAKE IT AWAY.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR STRAUSS. I
JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY SOME OF
THE MATH. 112,000 UNITS, YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT THE CITY OF
SEATTLE NEEDING THAT BY 2044?
>> YES.
>> IS THAT 4500 UNIT?
5000 UNITS A YEAR?
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THE
OFFICE OF HOUSING BASED ON
THEIR MOST RECENT REPORT, THE
OFFICE OF HOUSING HELPED TO
SUBSIDIZE THE PRODUCTION OF
2500 UNITS LAST YEAR.
THAT WOULD LEAVE 2500 UNITS A
YEAR BASICALLY.
>> OUR HOUSING NEED, THE
112,000 UNITS INCLUDES HOUSING
AT ALL INCOME LEVELS. IT WOULD
BE A MARKET RATE HOUSING AND
RENT AND INCOME RESTRICTED
HOUSING THAT WOULD RESULT FROM
THE OFFICE OF HOUSING OR RATHER
OTHER PARTNERS. IT WOULD REALLY
BE BOTH.
FOR A TOTAL OF 112 AT LEAST.
THAT IS A FLOOR UNDER THE
GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT.
OUR RECENTLY COMPLETED ANALYSIS
FOCUSED ON MARKET RATE HOUSING
INDICATES THAT THE LIKELY NEED
IS HIGHER THAN 112 BUT WE HAVE
TO PLAN FOR AT LEAST 112 FOR
GROWTH.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
IN TERMS OF THE URBAN VILLAGE
STRATEGY, THAT WAS DEVISED IN
THE 1990s. IS THAT CORRECT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
PEDERSEN. VICE CHAIR?
>> I WANTED A CHANCE TO SAY
THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR RICO
QUIRINDONGO IN CASE YOU HAVE
TO LEAVE AND JUMP OFF FOR
ANOTHER MEETING.
AND TO MICHAEL AND THE ENTIRE
TEAM.
I WANTED TO GET THAT IN BEFORE
YOU LEFT.
I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
THEN CHAIR STRAUSS, I WILL HAVE
OTHER COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
LATER BUT RELATED TO
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN'S
QUESTION ABOUT THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE 2035
PLAN DEVELOPED IN 1994, I THINK
THAT QUESTION IS A REALLY GOOD
ILLUSTRATION THAT THIS
CONVERSATION HAS A RELATIVELY
LONG HISTORY HERE IN SEATTLE
AND THE LONGER HISTORY OF WHERE
THE POLICIES ARE ROOTED IN
REDLINING POLICIES OF THE PAST.
MORE SPECIFIC TO THE 2030
SEATTLE PLAN THAT WAS DEVELOPED
IN THE YEAR 1990.
THIS IS ANOTHER QUESTION I
CONTINUE TO GET FROM COMMUNITIES
. WHERE ARE WE AT IN THE
PROCESS?
HOW OFTEN IS IT UPDATED?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN TERMS
OF WHEN MINOR CHANGES OR MAJOR
CHANGES CAN BE MADE?
I HAVE BEEN RECENTLY ASKED THAT
THE TIMELINE OF THE PLAN, DO
YOU MIND ORIENTING US ONE MORE
TIME TO HOW WE ARE STRIVING TO
ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS AS YOU
HAVE NOTED IN YOUR POWERPOINT
PRESENTATION, THE GOAL OF
HAVING A PLAN THAT CHANGES
SOCIAL EQUITY PRIORITIES, A
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY AND
SECURITY?
THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF
OUR SEATTLE 2035 PLAN, BUT
WHERE ARE WE AT IN TERMS OF
MAKING THOSE UPDATES AND MAKING
CHANGES, AND WHY ARE WE
STARTING THIS CONVERSATION NOW?
>> I WILL MAKE A BRIEF COMMENT
ON THE TIMELINE AND IF THE
DIRECTOR IS HERE, HE MIGHT WANT
TO PROVIDE HIGH-LEVEL COMMENTS
ON THE SCOPE.
>> MR. HUBNER , JUST QUICKLY,
CAN YOU STOP SHARING THE
SCREEN?
>> I WILL TURN IT OFF.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU.
>> I WILL ATTEMPT TO TURN IT
OFF WHILE I AM ANSWERING
QUESTIONS.
THERE WE GO.
OKAY.
I THINK I WAS JUST OVERRIDDEN.
THANK YOU.
THE TIMELINE FOR THE UPDATE, IT
IS UPDATING A COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN AND IT IS A LENGTHY PROCESS
. THE LAST UPDATE TOOK THREE
YEARS TO UPDATE AND COMPLETE.
REASONS FOR THAT, THE DEPTH OF
THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FIRST
AND FOREMOST.
THE SCOPE WITH RESPECT TO
INCORPORATING NEW GROWTH
PROJECTIONS AND ACCOMMODATING
THOSE IN OUR FUTURE LAND USE
MAP AND DOING ENVIRONMENTAL
REVIEW THAT IS REQUIRED TO
ANALYZE THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF
THAT GROWTH ON THE
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, THE
ENVIRONMENT, ET CETERA.
WE DO ANTICIPATE THIS WILL TAKE
THREE YEARS.
THAT IS STARTING NOW.
WE ARE THREE YEARS PRIOR TO
JUNE, 2024.
WE ANTICIPATE LAUNCHING THIS
WORK IN THE FOURTH QUARTER THIS
YEAR WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT USING A
VARIETY OF MODES, LIKE
VIRTUALLY AS WE ARE SO USED TO
DOING DURING THE PANDEMIC AND
TRANSITIONING TO MORE IN PERSON
WAYS TO INTERACT AROUND THE
UPDATE.
2022 WILL BE A BIG YEAR FOR THE
UPDATE.
DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, WE
WILL BE DEFINING ALTERNATIVES
TO STUDY INCLUDING ALTERNATIVE
CONCEPTS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT
TODAY AND GOING THROUGH A
PERIOD OF A DRAFT PLAN 2022 AND
2023. THERE WILL BE IMPORTANT
MILESTONES FOR INVOLVEMENT AND
FOR INTERACTION AS WELL AS WE
GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
>> THE VICE CHAIR MIGHT HAVE A
QUESTION.
GO FOR IT.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS. I WOULD ADD IN
ADDITION TO MICHAEL'S COMMENTS,
YOU KNOW, EVEN AN UPDATE IS A
VERY HEAVY LIFT.
IT DOES TAKE EFFORT AND A
SUBSEQUENT TIME ON COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT AND ALSO THE AMOUNT
OF STAFF WORK THAT GOES INTO
THE EFFORT I WOULD NOTE WE HAVE
HALF A DOZEN PLANS. THOSE ARE
TODAY ON FUNDED EFFORTS, WHICH
IS SOME THING I WOULD LIKE TO
HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE
COUNCIL ABOUT.
THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK
TO DO THERE.
IN ADDITION TO THE VIRTUAL
EQUITY LENS, IT WAS NOT PART OF
THE CONVERSATION WITH THE
UPDATE WE ARE APPROACHING
TODAY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF GROUND TO
COVER.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE
COUNCIL'S SUPPORT IN THIS. WE
HAVE TO BE DOING THIS IN A
BIGGER WAY AND BETTER WAY.
THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO START THE
NEXT CONVERSATION.
>> THANK YOU.
THAT IS HELPFUL.
I HAVE A SIMILAR QUESTION TO
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA, WHO
MIGHT FOCUS IT A LITTLE BIT
MORE.
I AM HEARING THAT THE PUBLIC'S
BEST OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN
THIS WORK IS IN 2022.
IS THAT CORRECT?
SHOULD PEOPLE BEGIN ENGAGING NOW
? WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR THEM
TO ENGAGE?
>> MICHAEL, JOIN ME TO START
THAT?
>> WHY DON'T YOU START THAT.
YES.
>> WE HAVE A ROBUST COMMUNITY
THAT WE NEED TO DEVELOP.
THAT PLAN IS NOT IN PLACE
CURRENTLY.
WE ARE COMING OUT OF COVID. ONE
OF OUR CHALLENGES IS ME KNOW
MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AT
HAS ACTUALLY IN SOME WAYS BEEN
BETTER IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A
MEETING AND STILL TAKE CARE OF
THEIR KIDS.
WE NEED TO DEVELOP A PLAN THAT
ALLOWS PEOPLE TO HAVE THE
FLEXIBILITY TO STILL SHOW UP IN
THAT WAY AND ALSO MEET PEOPLE
WHERE THEY ARE AT TO TALK ABOUT
THE WORK WE ARE DOING, BUT IN
WAYS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE AND
COMMON LANGUAGE. YOU KNOW, WE
ARE INTENDED TO DO A SOFT
LAUNCH IN THE FALL. ALL OF THE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOLS WE
HAVE NOW ONLINE SURVEYS AND THE
WEBSITE AND THE VIRTUAL FORMAT
MEETINGS AS WELL, ALL OF THOSE
WILL JUST COME TO BEAR. WE DO
NOT HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE YET,
BUT MICHAEL, DO YOU HAVE
ANYTHING?
>> WHAT I WOULD ADD TO THAT,
AND THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT
SLIDE, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP
IN THE RACIAL EQUITY TOOLKIT.
THE RACIAL EQUITY TOOLKIT HAS
AT ITS CORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
WITH IMPACTED COMMUNITIES. OUR
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN AS
WELL AS THE NEXT STEPS INVOLVE
BRINGING THE COMMUNITIES
TOGETHER TO HELP DEFINE THE
RACIAL EQUITY OUTCOMES, TO HELP
DEFINE THE ALTERNATIVES AND
POLICIES THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE
EXPLORED TO MITIGATE HARM. ALL
OF THOSE REALLY KEY QUESTIONS
HAPPEN THROUGH COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT AND WE ARE VERY MUCH
GOING TO DESIGN OUR APPROACH
AROUND THE RACIAL EQUITY
TOOLKIT PROCESS WHILE AT THE
SAME TIME HAVING THAT CITYWIDE
CONVERSATION OF THE FUTURE OF
THIS FAST-GROWING CITY FACING
SO MANY CHALLENGES. RACE AND
EQUITY AT THE CENTER OF THAT
PROCESS.
>> GREAT.
I THINK FOR ME, IT KIND OF
HIGHLIGHTS -- AND ANOTHER
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CAN BE
CONFUSING BECAUSE WE HAVE
ANNUAL DOCKETING, WHICH ALL
LEADS UP TO THE MAJOR UPDATE.
WE HAVE THE ANNUAL PROCESS IN
WHICH WE ARE ENGAGING WITH JUST
EARLIER THIS MORNING.
THAT LEADS TO THIS MAJOR UPDATE
IN WHICH WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I
AM INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING IN
THE FUTURE IS REGARDING OUR
ANNUAL AMENDMENT PROCESS. I
WOULD LIKE TO NOTE I AM
INTERESTED IN A FUTURE RACIAL AT
THE ANALYSIS OF THE MINOR
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I WILL HOLD THAT REQUEST NOW
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE
THE WORK BETWEEN THE MAJOR
UPDATE AND OUR ANNUAL UPDATE.
I WILL NOTE THAT WILL BE
HELPFUL AND USEFUL FOR US IN
THE FUTURE AS WE DOCKET ITEMS.
THE MINOR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN,
WE LEAD TO MAJOR WITH THIS
REPORT REGARDING.
VICE CHAIR?
>> WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU.
ANOTHER QUESTION TO BUILD OFF
OF WHAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION,
MR. CHAIR, AND MICHAEL, THANKS
FOR YOUR RESPONSE. I AGREE THAT
I THINK ONE THING THAT MAKES
THIS REPORT UNIQUE IS THE DATA
COMPILED BY POLICYLINK AND YOUR
TEAM AND ALSO THE WAY IN WHICH
THIS REPORT WAS GROUNDED IN
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE AND HAVING
NOT ON THE GROUND EXPERIENCE
REALLY INFORMED THE POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS VERSUS LOOKING
AT DATA OR SITTING IN A CLOSED
DOOR ROOM SOMEWHERE.
IF YOU LOOK AT SLIDE 10,
THROUGH THE CONTRACTING
EXPERIENCE WITH POLICYLINK , WE
WORK DIRECTLY THROUGH THESE
FOCUS GROUPS. I UNDERSTAND THE
FRUSTRATION AROUND THE DELAY.
COVID HAS DELAYED MANY VERY
IMPORTANT THINGS OF THE CITY,
THIS BEING ONE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THAT REPORT AND
YOU LOOK AT THE CONVERSATIONS
THAT TOOK PLACE IN COMMUNITY, I
AM REALLY INSPIRED THAT THIS
REPORT IS UNIQUE AND INCLUDES
DATA AND EXPERIENCE.
I THINK THAT IS ONE THING THAT
MAKES THIS UNIQUE.
JUST TWO QUESTIONS.
NUMBER ONE, I WOULD LOVE TO
HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF
THE ANALYSIS THAT WENT INTO THE
DATA THAT WAS REVIEWED.
I AM WONDERING IF YOUR TEAM WAS
ABLE TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE DATA
COMPILED AND HOW THAT ANALYSIS
CAME TOGETHER AND THE TWO
RELATED TO COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT.
AGAIN, I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR
MY TEAM WORKING TO CREATE
REQUIREMENTS AROUND THIS SLIDE
AND A STRATEGY THERE.
I AM WONDERING WHEN WE CAN ASK
ACT THAT PLAN.
>> REALLY QUICKLY ON THE FIRST
WESTERN, ALL OF THE DATA WAS
PROVIDED TO POLICYLINK AND
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED DATA
ANALYSIS FROM OTHER PARTNERS.
I AM HAPPY TO POINT YOU TO
WHICH REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN
WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE WORK.
I WANT TO COVER THE TIMING.
WE ARE TRYING TO EXPEDITE THAT
AS WELL AS WE CAN.
ONE IMPORTANT PIECE WAS
FINISHING THIS WORK TO INFORM
THAT.
THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF
SEQUENCING WE ARE TRYING TO
BRING THAT TO YOU BEFORE THE
END OF THE YEAR SO WE CAN
LAUNCH THE ENGAGEMENT DURING
THAT FOURTH QUARTER.
>> COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA, WE
WANT TO DO A SOFT LAUNCH IN THE
FOURTH QUARTER.
WE NEED TO DO WORK ON OUR END
AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE
THAT PRESENTATION. WE NEED TO
COORDINATE THAT WITH MANY OTHER
THINGS. IT WILL BE IMPORTANT
FOR THAT TIME. THE EXACT TIME
IS NOT CLEAR YET.
WE WILL WORK WITH COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS AND GET IT ALL LINED UP.
WE CAN TRY TO GIVE YOU A PREVIEW
. I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE
CAN AT LEAST PROVIDE AND
SCHEDULE SOON, LIKE WITHIN THE
NEXT 30 DAYS.
>> WONDERFUL.
THAT IS GREAT NEWS.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR.
THANK YOU, MR. HUBNER . DO WE
HAVE QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM?
VICE CHAIR, PLEASE TAKE IT
AWAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIR.
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BUT
I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE A FEW
COMMENTS, IF THIS IS THE
APPROPRIATE TIME.
AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
DIRECTOR RICO QUIRINDONGO AND
MICHAEL, WE APPRECIATE YOUR
OFFICE'S WORK TO MAKE SURE WE
HAVE THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
TODAY IS A REALLY EXCITING DAY.
I WAS FILLED WITH GOOSEBUMPS AS
WE WERE BEGINNING THIS
PRESENTATION.
IT WAS A LABOR OF LOVE AND LONG
ANTICIPATED.
I THINK THE COMMUNITY COMMENTS
WERE WORTH WAITING FOR.
WE ARE WAITING TO SEE HOW WE
CAN INCORPORATE THAT FEEDBACK
IN THE FUTURE.
PEOPLE FELT SAFE AND WERE ABLE
TO PARTICIPATE IN A COVID HERE.
THAT WAS IMPORTANT. THE
ANALYTICAL DATA COMBINED WITH
THESE ANECDOTAL COMMENTS I THINK
REALLY HELPED FUEL THE NEED FOR
US TO ACT WITH URGENCY, SO
WANTED TO THANK THE ADVOCATE
AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE
BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE
SURE WE GREENLIGHT THE
INFORMATION PRESENT IN THIS
STUDY AND WE BROUGHT FORWARD AS
ACE EDDIE A PROCESS FOR
UPDATING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
THAT IS TRULY ROOTED IN WHAT
THE COMMUNITY NEEDS. ONE OTHER
THING THAT MAKES THIS REPORT SO
UNIQUE, WE ARE MOVING AWAY FROM
THIS PERCEPTION THAT WE NEED TO
ONLY DO DEVELOPMENT OR ONLY
FOCUS ON ANTI-DISPLACEMENT
STRATEGIES.
THE REPORT CLEARLY SHOWS WE
NEED A BOTH AND APPROACH.
BOTH NEED TO BE ROOTED IN WHAT
THE COMMUNITY IS CALLING FOR.
THEY ARE AT MOST RISK FOR ABLE
TO ACCESS HOMEOWNERSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES IN HIGH
OPPORTUNITY NEIGHBORHOODS AND
HAVE GREAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING
ACROSS THE CITY.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO
EVERYBODY THAT HAS BEEN WORKING
ON THIS. IT WAS DEFINITELY AN
IMPRESSIVE REPORT AND I
APPRECIATE THE DATA HAS BEEN
SHARED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
YOU CAN SEE THIS ON SLIDE NINE.
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED FROM
POLICY COMPLEMENTS WHAT WE HAVE
KNOWN FOR A LONG. IT IS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, AS YOU
HAVE HEARD, TO HAVE THE DATA
AND THOSE LIVED EXPERIENCES
ROOT OUR STRATEGIES FOR HOW WE
CHANGE THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND
OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. THIS
IS THE LAUNCHING OF AND A SORT
OF THE ANALYSIS OF WHAT NEEDS
TO CHANGE INTERNALLY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE MICHAEL AND
RICO QUIRINDONGO 'S RESPONSE TO
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT.
GIVEN THAT 8 TO 10 YEAR
REFLECTION POINT, WE ARE
STARTING NOW ON A PROCESS THAT
WILL LEAD TO DEEP COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT IN 2022 WITH POLICY
SUGGESTIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN
2023 SO WE CAN ACT ON THOSE
WITH URGENCY.
I KNOW TO SOME THAT MAY BE
PAINFULLY SLOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN
YOU HEAR OUR CURRENT POLICIES
DO HAVE ROOTS IN AND OVERLAY
WITH RACIST POLICIES OF THE PAST
. WE CAN'T IGNORE THAT.
I THINK, MICHAEL, YOUR ANSWER
WAS VERY WELL SAID AND ALEC
WENT.
IT IS JUST A FACT THOSE EARLIER
POLICIES PULLED HIM
EXCLUSIONARY POLICIES AND WE
MUST NOW WITH THIS INFORMATION
AND WITH OUR TOOLKIT COMMITMENTS
REALIGN OUR VALUES WITH WHAT
OUR HOUSING AND ZONING POLICIES
TRULY SAY.
I WANTED TO THANK ALL OF YOU
FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS, YOU
WERE ON COUNCIL AS WELL IN 2008
. WE PASSED THE RACIAL EQUITY
TOOLKIT AND FOLDED THAT INTO
OUR 2019 BUDGET PROCESS.
I WANT TO THANK MICHAEL MADDOX
FOR HIS WORK ON THAT.
HE BROUGHT THIS TO MY ATTENTION
THROUGH CALLS FOR ACTION FROM
COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
MICHAEL HELPED INFORMED ME AT
THE TIME WHY THIS INFORMATION
WAS SO IMPORTANT AND
SPEARHEADED THE EFFORT TO
INCLUDE THIS IN THE BUDGET.
WE BUILT OFF OF THAT.
I WANT TO THANK AARON HOUSE
THAT HAS BEEN IN MY OFFICE
SINCE 2009.
WITH THEIR WORK, WE HAVE BUILT
ON COMMITMENT FOR THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE DUG DEEPER INTO OUR GROWTH
STRATEGIES AND CAME UP WITH A
PATH FORWARD FOR HOW WE CAN
ADDRESS CHANGES THAT ARE NEEDED
BY DOING TWO THINGS.
WE REQUIRE THE FACIAL EQUITY
TOOLKIT. WE ARE HAVING THIS
CONVERSATION.
IN 2020, WE REQUIRE THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
UPDATE, THAT DOCUMENT THAT SETS
FORTH OUR POLICY AND OPTIONS TO
INCLUDE AT LEAST AN OPTION FOR
EVALUATING AND ENDING THE
APARTMENT VAN IN SEATTLE.
THAT MEANS CHANGING ZONING LAWS
AND ALLOWING FOR BIGGER
DENSITY, SO THE PLAN WILL HAVE
AN ANALYSIS OF THAT AS WE MOVE
FORWARD.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, FOR YOUR
SUPPORT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS
AS WELL.
WE REQUIRED A POLICY TO COME
ALONGSIDE ANY ZONING OPTIONS TO
MAKE SURE WE WERE DOING JUST
WHAT THIS REPORT FOLLOWED.
BOTH APPROACHES RECOGNIZE HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS FOR BUILDING
THE HOUSING STAFF BUT
ADDRESSING WHAT OUR BIPOC
COMMUNITY NEEDS AND CORRECTING
MISSTEPS OF THE PAST THAT
REALLY REINFORCED EXCLUSIONARY
ZONING POLICIES.
I THINK THIS REPORT IS A GREAT
CONVERSATION STARTER.
IT IS REIGNITING THE DISCUSSION
THAT HAS LONG AND OUT THERE.
THIS PROVIDES THE DATA AND
DIRECT EXPERIENCE FROM FOLKS ON
THE GROUND TO SHOW THE
COMMUNITY IS ECHOING THE CALL
FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT IS NOT HEALTHY, EQUITABLE,
OR SUSTAINABLE. SYSTEMS THAT WE
CURRENTLY HAVE HAVE MAJOR
BARRIERS FOR HOUSING CHOICE AND
RACIAL EQUITY.
IF THOSE ARE OUR GUIDING
PRINCIPLES AS THE PLANS HAS, WE
HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.
I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE UPCOMING
CONVERSATIONS TO TAKE PLACE
ABOUT HOW WE ROUTE OUR POLICIES
IN A DEEPER COMMITMENT TO
RACIAL EQUITY AND WE LOOK AT
HOW WE ADDRESS THE CURRENT
INSUFFICIENT AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, AND NOT JUST
AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUT THE LACK
OF ACCESS TO HOUSING WHICH IS
APPLYING PRESSURE ON THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN NOTED
THOSE ARE BEING BUILT AS FAST
AS WE CAN BUT THE DOWNWARD
PRESSURE IS REAL AND IT IS
PUSHING PEOPLE OUT OF OUR CITY
AND OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND INTO
HOMELESSNESS.
WE WILL HAVE A DEEP
CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT 2022
ABOUT THE HISTORICAL PATTERN OF
EXCLUSIONARY ZONING AND TO HAVE
A CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT THE
NEXT YEAR WITH COMMUNITY
THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF YOUR
DEPARTMENT ABOUT HOW WE ENGAGE
BIPOC COMMUNITIES IN REDUCING
DISPLACEMENT AND INCREASING
HOUSING SUPPLIES.
I ALSO THINK IT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT THIS REPORT TIES
HOMES TO A SENSE OF PLACE AND
ECONOMIC STABILITY, A SENSE OF
COMMUNITY.
THAT IS WHY I THINK THIS IS A
NEW ADDITIVE REPORT TO THE
REPORTS LISTED ON SLIDE NINE
BECAUSE IT SHOWS HOW IMPORTANT
IT IS FOR US TO DO THIS AND
CREATE GREATER ECONOMIC
STABILITY, WHICH WE CAN DO WITH
OUR ZONING AND HOUSING POLICIES
OF THE FUTURE.
I KNOW THIS IS JUST A POINT IN
TIME, BUT I REALLY THINK THIS
HELPS LAUNCH WHAT IT MEANS TO
HAVE A LIVABLE, HEALTHY CITY
THAT IS AFFORDABLE AND A TRULY
EQUITABLE. I LOOK FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH YOU ON EVALUATING
OUR CURRENT ZONING SYSTEMS,
MAKING SURE THEY ARE MORE
INCLUSIVE AND WE HAVE DEEP
ENGAGEMENT OVER THE NEXT YEAR
THROUGH THE PLAN YOU WILL
PRESENT AND MAKING SURE IT IS
SETTING US UP SO WE CAN FOLLOW
THROUGH ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS
BY OUR PLAN UPDATES, SO THAT IS
NOT JUST A LITTLE REPORT ON A
SHELF BUT WE CAN POINT BACK TO
THIS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, FOR
CONTINUING TO INCLUDE THIS ON
YOUR AGENDA.
THANK YOU TO RICO QUIRINDONGO
AND MICHAEL HUBNER AND YOUR
TEAMS.
THIS IS TRULY ADDITIVE TO A
BROADER CONVERSATION FOR
CREATING A BETTER SEATTLE.
>> VERY WELL SAID. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND BRINGING
THIS TO US AND NOTING THE
HISTORY OF MR. MADDOX AND HIS
GREAT WORK BRINGING US FORWARD.
THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR.
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN, I SEE
YOU HAVE YOUR HOW UP.
DIRECTOR RICO QUIRINDONGO, ANY
LAST WORDS?
>> THANK YOU , COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS, FOR GIVING US THIS
TIME TODAY TO PROVIDE THE REPORT
. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO TALK
ABOUT SO WE WILL CONDUCT MORE
OF THIS CONVERSATION.
>> THANK YOU.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.
>> THANKS TO THE STAFF AND
EVERYBODY WHO PUT THIS REPORT
TOGETHER.
I KNOW ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CHANGES THAT OCCURRED RECENTLY,
I WAS NOT ON THE COUNCIL AT THE
TIME BUT THE AFFORDABILITY
PROGRAM, SOME OF THIS
INFORMATION WOULD HAVE BEEN
HELPFUL TO HAVE THOSE ANTI-
DISPLACEMENT POLICIES IN PLACE
PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTING NHA. ONE
OF THE CONCERNS, THERE HAS BEEN
A DEMOLITION NATURALLY
OCCURRING HOUSING AND PUT IN
ITS PLACE IS HOUSING THAT IS
NOT AFFORDABLE BECAUSE THE REAL
ESTATE DEVELOPER CAN WRITE A
CHECK IN LIEU OF BUILDING UNITS
ON SITE. I HOPE THIS HELPS OPEN
A DISCUSSION ON HOW WE CAN
ENCOURAGE MORE ON-SITE
PERFORMANCE OF THE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING SO IT IS INTEGRATED
INTO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS RATHER
THAN A DEVELOPER WRITING A
CHECK OR HAVING THE OBLIGATION
AND WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT
A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER DOWN
THE ROAD.
IT COULD BE INTEGRATED ON-SITE.
I AM HOPING THIS HELPS TO OPEN
UP THAT CONVERSATION IN THE
PROGRAM AND HOW THAT IS
WORKING.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
PEDERSEN.
FOR MOST OF WHAT WAS REZONED
DURING NHA BECAME LR1.
RESIDENTIAL SMALL LOT. THIS
LEVEL OF DENSITY DOES NOT
PROVIDE ENOUGH DENSITY TO
CREATE THOSE NEW HOMES AND ON-
SITE PERFORMANCE.
I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS MOMENT
TO NOTE THAT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE
DENSITY AT THE SCALE THAT WILL
BE ABLE TO MEET OUR NEEDS AND
CREATE THAT PERFORMANCE.
MAYBE A BETTER WAY TO SAY THIS
WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
KEEPING THE CHARACTER OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD.
WELL SAID, COUNCILMEMBER
PEDERSEN.
COLLEAGUES, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
VICE CHAIR, I SEE YOU HAVE ONE
MORE.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
THIS RELATES TO ECONOMIC
STABILITY.
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT
THANK ANDREW HOUSTON WHO WAS IN
MY OFFICE WHO HAD SHEPHERDED
THIS FOR SIX MONTHS AT THE
BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR AND HAD
PAID A LOT OF ATTENTION TO
HOUSING.
ONE OF THE POINTS YOU JUST MADE
IS TRUE AS WELL FOR THE
ECONOMIC STABILITY
RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME FROM
THE REPORT. IT IS MUCH EASIER
TO CREATE NEW SMALL SQUARE
FOOTAGE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
AND FOR BIPOC OWNED BUSINESSES
AND CHILDCARE WE SO DESPERATELY
NEED IF WE ARE CREATING MULTI
USE AND MULTI FAMILY STRUCTURES
AS WELL. AGAIN, THANK YOU TO
ANDREW HOUSTON FOR BEING IN MY
OFFICE AND BRINGING SOME OF
THOSE ISSUES UP WITH MY TEAM AS
WELL.
ú>> WONDERFUL.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER
QUESTIONS, WE WILL MOVE ON TO
THE NEXT ITEM.
THANK YOU, MR. HUBNER . THANK
YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE.
THIS HAS GONE A LITTLE BIT
LONGER THAN EXPECTED.
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ WILL HAVE
TO BE EXCUSED IN ABOUT 15
MINUTES , SO I WILL MOVE TO
AMEND OUR AGENDA TO BRING THE
TREE LEGISLATION BEFORE US NOW
AND THEN THAT WILL ALLOW US TO
HAVE MORE TIME FOR THE REPORT
AFTERWARDS. THE REASON THAT
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME IS I
LIKE TO HAVE BILLS BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE TWICE BEFORE HE
PASSED THEM. I WANT TO MAKE
SURE COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ HAS
THIS BRIEFING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> I WILL MOVE TO AMEND THE
AGENDA TO PLACE ITEM 4 AS THREE
AND THREE AS FOUR.
ANY OBJECTIONS?
>> NOPE.
>> ORDERED.
MR. ONG, WOULD YOU PLEASE READ
AMENDED ITEM 3, THE SHORT TITLE
INTO THE RECORD.
>> ITEM 3, COUNCIL BILL 120108
, AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO
REDEVELOPMENT AT THE YESLER
TERRACE MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITY
SEMICOLON AMENDING SECTION OF
THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE.
>> WE ARE JOINED BY ROB, TERRY,
YOLANDA OF OUR CENTRAL STAFF.
I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS
PRESENTATION AND I AM EXCITED
TO BRING FORWARD SOME AMENDMENTS
. I HAD A WONDERFUL WALKING
TOUR WITH TERRY AND ROD OF
YESLER TERRACE TO GET A FIRST-
HAND PERSPECTIVE OF ALL THEY
ARE DOING THERE.
BEYOND WHAT IS CONTAINED WITHIN
THIS ORDINANCE, SHA IS DOING AN
IMPECCABLE JOB INCREASING AND
EXPANDING THE TREE CANOPY
BEYOND WHAT IS REQUIRED. I
APPRECIATE YOU WORKING WITH THE
OFFICE.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, ROD?
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS
ABOUT SEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY
AND YOUR VISIT.
BEFORE I GO THERE, I WOULD BE
REMISS TO SAY I ENJOYED THE
PREVIOUS PRESENTATION BY
EXECUTIVE RICO AND MICHAEL ON
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. IT IS
GREAT TO SEE THE KIND OF WORK
BEING DONE.
IN PARTICULAR, JUST THE RACE
AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AT THE FRONT
END.
IT HAS BEEN DONE LOTS OF TIMES
BUT IT IS REALLY COOL ON MOVING
FORWARD WITH THAT AND GETTING
FOLKS INVOLVED.
GREAT JOB.
WE WILL BE FOLLOWING THAT
CLOSELY AT SEATTLE HOUSING
WORDY AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE
APPROPRIATE ROLES TO PLAY
MOVING FORWARD. IN REGARDS TO
THE AMENDED ORDINANCE, I WILL
TRY TO BE REAL BRIEF. THANK YOU
FOR ALLOWING US TO COME HERE
AND SHARE AND TO TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION THE AMENDMENT
INTO THE TREE PROTECTION
ORDINANCE.
MY STAFF, TERRY GALINEY, WILL
WALK THROUGH A VERY BRIEF
SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION TO GET
YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE TECHNICAL
CHANGES WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD
TO.
TERRY, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND
GOING THROUGH IT.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU.
I AM GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN
AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL WORK
FOR EVERYONE.
IS THAT COMING UP OKAY?
>> YET.
>> OKAY, GREAT.
THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN STRAUSS AND
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR
THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO
PRESENT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT
AROUND THE YES LETTER PIO. THIS
IS IMPORTANT IN HELPING US AND
THE COMMUNITY REALIZED THE
REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR IT
YESLER TERRACE WHICH WILL
PROVIDE AT THE END OF THE DAY
MORE THAN 1600 AFFORDABLE HOMES
IN A VIBRANT MIXED INCOME AND
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY. I WILL
NOTE I HAVE ADDED A COUPLE OF
SLIDES IN HERE BASED ON THE
FEEDBACK I HEARD EARLIER AT THE
BEGINNING OF THIS PRESENTATION,
SO I HAVE SENT THOSE ADDITIONAL
SLIDES ON TO NOAH AND PUT INTO
THE RECORD TO PROVIDE MORE
CONTEXT FOR THE OVERALL YESLER
DEVELOPMENT . I WILL TALK ABOUT
THE PLAN, THE PROPOSED CHANGES
AND I WILL DIVE DEEP INTO THAT
AND THAT THE PUBLIC BENEFITS
FROM THOSE CHANGES.
AT A HIGH LEVEL, SO FOR
CONTEXT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
LOOK AT THE OVERALL YESLER
DEVELOPMENT.
IN 1941, YESLER TERRACE WAS THE
NATION'S FIRST RACIALLY
INTEGRATED PUBLIC HOUSING
PROJECT.
IN 2006, WE ENTERED INTO A
REMODEL IS ASIAN PLAN FOR THE
NEIGHBORHOOD BY FORMING THE
CITIZENS COMMITTEE AND ENGAGED
THAT CRC FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS
IN FORMULATING THE PLAN.
PART OF THAT, OR A RESULT OF
THAT WAS GOALS AND PRINCIPLES
THAT WOULD DECIDE THE
REDEVELOPMENT OF YESLER TERRACE
. IT INCLUDED NOT ONLY
REPLACEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL 561
PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS ON SITE AT
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO MORE THAN
850 AND CREATING AN ADDITIONAL
APPROXIMATELY 800 WORKFORCE
UNITS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE WILL BE ROUGHLY 1200 OR
SO MARKET RATE UNITS ONCE THE
NEIGHBORHOOD IS FULLY BUILT OUT
. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE IS
MORE THAN $50 MILLION IN
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
INCLUDING ROADS, UTILITIES,
PARKS, OPEN SPACES, GREENSTREET
LOOP, AND OTHER BENEFITS THE
WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WILL ENJOY.
WHERE WE ARE TO DATE, WE ARE
REALLY PROUD TO SAY THAT MORE
THAN 50% OF THE HOUSING AND
REPLACEMENT HOUSING IS COMPLETE
AND OCCUPIED.
WE WILL HAVE OUR NEXT BUILDING
OPEN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT
YEAR.
WE ARE JUST GOING GANGBUSTERS
ON THE BUILDING AFFORDABLE
HOUSING THERE.
WITH OUR BUILDINGS AND THE
PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNER BUILDINGS
, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 624
INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS THAT
ARE COMPLETED TO DATE AND
ANOTHER 865 THAT ARE IN
DEVELOPMENT.
MORE THAN $50 MILLION WAS
INVESTED IN PARKS OPEN SPACE
STRUCTURES, AS I MENTIONED.
THAT WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN
COMPLETE.
YOU KNOW, ONGOING PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS IS A KEY PART OF
HOW WE ARE ABLE TO DO THIS.
IT HELPS US FIND THE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT IS BROADLY KNOWN WE HAVE
RECENTLY CLOSED KAISER
PERMANENTE TO BUILD A MAJOR
MEDICAL FACILITY.
THAT IS JUST FOR CONTEXT.
THE OVERALL YESLER
DEVELOPMENTS SPECIFICALLY
DIGGING INTO THE PIO, IT IS --
>> FOR THE PUBLIC, PIO STANDS
FOR?
>> PLANNED ACTION COORDINATES.
A PLANNED ACTION ORDINANCE IS A
STATE PLANNING TOOL THAT
CONTEMPLATES PHASED DEVELOPMENT
AND COVERS APPROXIMATELY 20
YEARS. THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE
LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL PROCESS OR
COMPONENTS RELATED TO THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
WE HAD DONE FOR THE YESLER
REDEVELOPMENT.
PIO IS ONE OF THOSE COMPONENTS.
IT OUTLINES SPECIFICALLY THE
DEVELOPMENT THRESHOLD AND
RELATIVE MITIGATIONS RESPONDING
TO THE EIS. ONE OF THOSE
RELEVANT MITIGATIONS IS AROUND
TREES AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE
HERE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY.
>> OKAY.
THANKS.
>> WITHIN THE PIO THREE
PROTECTION PLAN, THERE ARE A
COUPLE OF KEY COMPONENTS OF
THAT PROTECTION PLAN.
IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE TREE
INVENTORY AND EVALUATION OF ALL
OF THE TREES ON SITE AT THE
START OF THE REDEVELOPMENT.
THIS INCLUDED EVALUATION FOR A
TREE HEALTH BY ABILITY AND
COMPATIBILITY WITH THE
REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THAT TREE
PROTECTION PLAN WAS TO
CATEGORIZE ALL OF THE TREES ON
SITE AS EITHER TIER 1, WHICH WAS
BASICALLY EXCEPTIONAL TREES.
I'M SORRY FOR READING THE SLIDE
HERE BUT THE DEFINITION IS
IMPORTANT. "
WHERE PRESERVATION CAN CLEARLY
BE ACHIEVED WITHIN THE PLANNED
STREET VACATION/REDEDICATION
AND REDEVELOPMENT PLAN."
THE OTHER TREES ARE CATEGORIZED
AS TIER 2, WHICH ARE TREES THAT
ARE NOT VIABLE IN THE LONG TERM
DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES, WHO ARE
IN LOCATIONS WHERE DISTURBANCES
DURING CONSTRUCTION WILL MAKE
PRESERVATION INFEASIBLE.
THIS INCLUDES EXCEPTIONAL TREES
IN LOCATIONS THAT ARE NOT
FEASIBLE DUE TO THE
REDEVELOPMENT.
MITIGATION FOR TIER 2 TREES IS 1
-1.
SO I WANTED TO TAKE A SECOND
AND TALK ABOUT WHERE WE
CURRENTLY ARE WITH THE TREE
PRESERVATION AT YESLER TERRACE.
LET'S SEE.
I AM HAVING A HARD TIME READING
MY SLIDES HERE.
WE HAVE TO DATE RESERVED 46
TREES OUT OF THE ORIGINAL 394.
WE HAVE PLANTED 601 TREES AS
MITIGATION FOR THE REMOVED 348
TREES ON SITE.
REGARDING THE TREE CANOPY, WE
HAVE PLANTED 391,000 SQUARE
FEET OF TREE CANOPY AND WE HAVE
REMOVED 246 THOUSAND SQUARE FEET
. THAT IS A NET INCREASE OF
THREE CANOPIES. IT IS IMPORTANT
TO NOTE THAT ALL DEMO HAS BEEN
COMPLETED AT YESLER AND THERE
ARE SEVEN REDEVELOPMENT SITES
IN THE PLANNING STAGES.
LIKE I SAID, WE ARE CURRENTLY
INCREASING THE CANOPIES IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE ARE NOT
DONE YET.
THERE WILL BE A LOT MORE TREES
COMING AS PART OF THAT
REDEVELOPMENT.
>> TERRY, THE 601 TREES AS
MITIGATION FOR THE 348, IS THE
REQUIREMENT THERE 1 ARKOE 1? IS
THIS MANDATED OUT RIGHT?
>> WE HAVE EXCEEDED THE
REQUIREMENT.
THE DIFFERENCE HERE IS WE HAVE
PLANTED MANY TREES THAT WE
HAVEN'T COUNTED TOWARD THE
REQUIREMENT.
PART OF THAT IS THE REPLACEMENT
NEEDS TO BE A SIMILAR SIZE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS, PLEASE
GET OFF MUTE.
THANK YOU.
>> OH, NO. I DON'T HAVE ANY
COMMENTS.
>> LET ME JUST ALSO CLARIFY THAT
YESLER TERRACE, ALL OF THE DEMO
HAS ALREADY OCCURRED AND NOW
WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS
HOW ARE WE REPLACING TREES ON
THE LAST SEVEN REDEVELOPMENT
SITES. IS THAT CORRECT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF THE TREES THAT ARE
AT THE SUBJECT OF THIS
AMENDMENT.
>> OKAY.
GREAT.
THANK YOU.
THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
>> SO DIGGING INTO THE PROPOSED
AMENDMENT TO THE FOUR BUCKETS
OF CHANGES IN THE AMENDMENT,
THE FIRST ONE IS TECHNICAL
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS.
THE SECOND IS PART OF THE PAO
TREE PROTECTION PLAN IS A MAP
AND INVENTORY OF THE TREES ON
SITE.
THE AMENDMENT WILL UPDATE THAT
MAP TO REFLECT EXISTING
CONDITIONS AND CRACKED A COUPLE
OF ERRORS IN THE ORIGINAL PAO
TREE PROTECTION PLAN.
THE THIRD COMPONENT IS TO CREATE
AN OPTION TO MITIGATE OFF-SITE
IF THE CITY ALLOWS THIS AT A
CITYWIDE LEVEL. I'M SORRY. THIS
CREATES AN OPTION FOR OFF-SITE
AND IF ALLOWED, USE THE FEE IN
LIEU OF REPLANTING.
CURRENTLY YESLER WOULD BE
PRECLUDED IF THE CITY WERE TO
ENACT THAT.
THIS CHANGE WOULD MAKE YESLER
ELIGIBLE FOR THAT PROGRAM IF
THE CITY WERE TO PASS THAT.
AND FINALLY -- I'M SORRY?
>> TO CLARIFY IN THIS POINT,
THIS WAS BASED ON A DISCUSSION
WHEN I TOOK A TOUR OF THE SITE.
THAT LANGUAGE DOES NOT ALLOW
SHA TO PAY A FEE IN LIEU OF
UNLESS THE CITY HAS ESTABLISHED
THE TREE ORDINANCE.
IS THAT CORRECT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
I'M SORRY I WAS NOT CLEAR
ENOUGH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AND FINALLY TO REVISE, THERE
ARE TWO TIER 1 TREES IN BLOCK
SEVEN.
I WILL GET INTO THIS IN A
LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THE NEXT
SLIDE.
TO GO FROM TIER 1 TO TIER 2 AND
KIND OF IN A RECIPROCAL MANNER,
THERE ARE THREE CURRENT TIER 2
TREES WE ARE REVISING UP TO
TIER 1, SO INCREASING THE LEVEL
OF PRESERVATION.
>> CAN YOU CONFIRM THOSE THREE
TREES THAT ARE CURRENTLY AT
TIER 2, THOSE COULD HAVE BEEN
REMOVED AND MITIGATED FOR WITH
A REPLACEMENT.
IS THAT CORRECT?
THESE ARE MATURE TREES?
>> THESE ARE MATURE TREES THAT
WERE PREVIOUSLY CATEGORIZED AS
TIER 2 AND WERE POTENTIALLY
APPROVED FOR REMOVAL, YES.
AND MITIGATED ON A 1-1 BASIS.
>> OKAY.
SORRY, THOSE THREE TREES HAVE
BEEN MITIGATED FOR 1-1 BASIS.
IS THAT CORRECT?
>> NOT YET, NO.
>> I MISHEARD YOU THERE.
THANK YOU.
>> DIGGING A LITTLE DEEPER INTO
THE ISSUE WE WERE JUST
DISCUSSING, THE MAP ON THE LEFT
SHOWS THE ORIGINAL PAO MAP AND
LOCATION FOR PRIVATE ACCESS
DRIVES. YOU WILL SEE THOSE TWO
DARK GREEN TREES ON THE LEFT
SIDE OF THE MAP. THAT IS THE
TIER 1 TREES AND THE ORIGINAL
PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT SHOWS
THOSE WERE VIABLE TREES NOT IN
THE ROADWAY.
ON THE RIGHT, WE SEE THE FINAL
PLAT MAP. THOSE TWO TREES ARE
CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF A
REDEVELOPMENT AND AREN'T
COMPATIBLE WITH THE
REDEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THOSE
SITES. THOSE TWO SITES, ONE OF
THEM IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONTRACT
FOR DEVELOPMENT AS AN
OUTPATIENT MEDICAL FACILITY AND
THE OTHER SITE IS CURRENTLY
NEGOTIATING A CONTRACT WITH A
HOSPITALITY DEVELOPER FOR THAT
SITE.
THAT TREE IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH
THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THAT SITE.
>> THANK YOU.
HERE WHAT I AM SEEING IS THAT
WE HAD TWO TREES THAT WERE
DISPERSED WITH THE ROADWAY IN
ONE CONFIGURATION OF ROADWAY
AND HAS BEEN CHANGING THE
CONFIGURATION AND WE ARE
UPGRADING THREE TREES THAT ARE
WITHIN GROWTH. IS THAT THE
CORRECT UNDERSTANDING?
>> THANK YOU.
YES.
>> I'M SORRY?
>> TIER 1.
>> YES. THE DIAGRAM ON THE
RIGHT SHOWS THREE TREES THAT WE
WOULD BE UPGRADING THAT ARE
CURRENTLY UNDER THE ORIGINAL
P.A.O.
DESIGNATED AS TWO TIER 2 TREES.
WE ARE PROPOSING THAT WE
UPGRADE THOSE THREE TREES TO
TIER 1. THOSE TO BE PRESERVED.
>> GREAT.
>> IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THIS
IS A NET INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT
OF TREE CANOPY.
THE REMOVED TIER ONE OR THE
NEWLY CREATED TIER TWO TREES ON
THE LEFT -- SORRY, I AM NOT
ABLE TO SEE MY NOTES ON THIS.
>> THAT'S OKAY, TERRY.
>> YEAH, IT IS A NET INCREASE
OF THE AMOUNT OF CANOPY FOR THE
NEW TREES VERSUS THE ONES THAT
ARE DOWNGRADING TO TWO.
MITIGATIONS FOR THIS, HERE IS
THE PHOTO OF THE THREE TREES WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT UPGRADING TO
TIER 1, 74, 75, AND 76.
THESE TREES WOULD BE IN OUR
POCKET PARK. THAT WOULD BE
SHARED BY THE COMMUNITY.
>> THANK YOU, TERRY.
THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES TWO
THINGS.
ONE I ALREADY SPOKE TO, THAT
THE PREVIOUS TREES WERE
DISPERSED.
THESE THREE CREATE A CANOPY
ALREADY SO WE ARE PRESERVING
MORE CANOPY, LIKE YOU SAID. I
WANT TO NOTE ON YOUR SLIDE IT
SAYS INCREASE MITIGATION FOR
NEWLY DESIGNATED TIER 2 TREES
TO 3:1. I WANTED TO THANK YOU.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IS NOT IN THE
BASE LEGISLATION.
THAT WILL BE PART OF THE
AMENDMENT IN WHICH I WILL BRING
FORWARD TO THE NEXT MEETING.
WE CAN INCREASE THE MITIGATION
OCCURRING. I WANT TO TAKE THIS
MOMENT TO THANK YOU FOR WORKING
WITH ME ON THAT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT
THE NEWLY CREATED TIER 1 TREES
THAT WE ARE PRESERVING TO
PRESERVE WILL BE IN A POCKET
PARK AND SHARED BY THE WHOLE
COMMUNITY.
THE TIER 1 TREES WE ARE
DOWNGRADING TO TIER 2, THOSE
ARE CURRENTLY ON PRIVATE
PROPERTY SO THOSE WOULD NOT BE
DIRECTLY ACCESSIBLE VIA THE
PUBLIC. THEY WOULD BE UP
AGAINST THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. THE
NEWLY CREATED TIER 1 TREES,
LIKE I SAID, THEY WILL BE ON
THE POCKET PARK AND ADJACENT TO
THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS
. OUR NEXT PROJECT WILL START
LATER THIS YEAR.
THIS IS A POCKET PARK ADJACENT
TO AND INCORPORATED AS PART OF
THE DEVELOPMENT BY THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING RESIDENTS
RIGHT NEXT-DOOR.
ADDITIONALLY THE NEWLY CREATED
TIER 1 TREES WILL BE SUBJECT TO
THE COVENANT FOR
INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH REQUIRES
A CERTAIN LEVEL OF MAINTENANCE
AND THAT SORT OF THING.
THE SITE WILL BE MAINTAINED BY
THE YESLER ASSOCIATION, WHICH
IS LIKE AN HLA FOR THE
NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY HAVE AN ARBORIST UNDER
CONTRACT TO MAINTAIN AND ENSURE
THE HEALTH OF THE TREES AND
PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND FINALLY, I WANTED TO THANK
YOU AGAIN TO CHAIRMAN STRAUSS
AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
AND SHARE A COUPLE OF PHOTOS OF
HI POINTE.
YOU KNOW, THINKING LONG-TERM
THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD
REDEVELOPED. THESE ARE ALL
TREES PLANTED AS PART OF THAT
REDEVELOPMENT AND 10 YEARS ON,
THIS IS A FANTASTIC GREEN
SHADED NEIGHBORHOOD WITH
CANOPY.
WE HOPE TO HAVE A SIMILAR
VISION FOR YESLER . THIS
AMENDMENT WILL HELP ACHIEVE
THAT.
>> THANK YOU.
I THINK THIS SLIDE SHOWS US
WHERE WE ARE GOING.
>> RIGHT.
>> WONDERFUL.
IF WE CAN STOP SHARING SO WE
CAN SEE OUR FACES ON THE CHANNEL
. I SEE WE HAVE GOT SOME
QUESTIONS ALREADY.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND
HIGHLIGHT AGAIN WORKING ON THE
TWO AMENDMENTS WHICH WE WILL
CONSIDER ON JULY 28th.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT WILL MAKE
TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS AND THE
SECOND AMENDMENT WILL INCREASE
THE REPLACEMENT REQUIREMENT
FROM THE TWO TREES BEING
DESIGNATED FROM TIER 2 AND
INCREASING IT TO A 3:1
REPLACEMENT.
I AM REALLY PROUD WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO COME TO THIS AGREEMENT.
WE ARE INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF
TREE CANOPY AT YESLER TERRACE.
WITH THAT, I WILL TAKE
QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES. I
SEE COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN HAS
A QUESTION.
PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY.
>> THANKS TO THE SEATTLE
HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I KNOW YOU ARE ON THE CUTTING
EDGE OF A LOT OF INNOVATIONS.
I USED TO WORK AT THE HOUSING
AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT YEARS AGO
SO I APPRECIATE HOW DIFFICULT
YOUR JOB IS AND SOME OF THE
GOOD THINGS YOU HAVE DONE AND
OTHER HOUSING AUTHORITIES IN
THE AREA, LIKE THE TACOMA
HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THE OFF-SITE, IS THAT JUST
ANYWHERE IN THE CITY?
>> CORRECT.
THERE IS NOT PRESCRIPTION
AROUND THAT CURRENTLY.
>> YOU HAD MENTIONED TREES
WOULD BE REMOVED TO ACCOMMODATE
, IS IT A HOTEL?
>> CURRENTLY THAT SITE IS THE
SITE OF TWO DEVELOPMENT
PROPOSALS.
ONE IS THE OUTPATIENT MEDICAL
FACILITY AND THE SOUTHERN HALF
WOULD BE AN EXTENDED STAY
HOTEL, YES.
>> OKAY.
THE IN LIEU PROGRAM, WHAT IF
THERE IS NOT AN IN LIEU PROGRAM
WHERE YOU CAN JUST PAY A FEE
AND NOT PLANT THE TREE IF THERE
IS NOT AN IN LIEU PROGRAM?
ARE YOU STILL ABLE TO PROCEED?
>> YES.
>> AND THEN IF THERE IS AN IN
LIEU PROGRAM AND ALL OF THOSE
TREES, THE DEVELOPER CHOSE TO
USE THE PROGRAM FOR ALL OF
THOSE TREES, WOULD THERE STILL
BE A NET INCREASE IN TREES AND
CANOPY?
>> THERE IS CURRENTLY A NET
INCREASE IN TREES, YES, AND
THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE ONE.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN, YOU
AND I THINK A LOT ALIKE.
THESE ARE THE SAME QUESTIONS I
HAVE ADDED WITH ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS.
WHEN TALKING ABOUT OFF-SITE
REPLACEMENT, TERRY CORRECT ME
IF I AM WRONG, BUT YOUR PLAN
RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE THERE IS A
GREENBELT THAT IS A BUDDING
PROPERTY, THAT IS WHAT YOU
INTEND TO USE FOR OFF-SITE.
IT IS LITERALLY 10 FEET
DIFFERENCE THE LEGAL DEFINITION
OF BEING OFF-SITE. IS THAT
CORRECT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
JUST ONE CLARIFICATION. THERE
ARE ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES AROUND
YESLER THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED
AS POTENTIAL OFF-SITE AREAS .
THERE IS A PROPERTY NEXT TO THE
HILL CLIMB WHICH WE WOULD LIKE
TO BE ABLE TO USE AS POTENTIAL
MITIGATION SITES.
I WILL SAY, I DON'T EXPECT WE
ARE GOING TO BE UTILIZING THAT
FLEXIBILITY TO ANY GREAT EXTENT.
THE AMENDMENT DOES NOT PRECLUDE
US FROM AFFORDABLE HOUSING
PROJECTS.
>> THANK YOU.
HOW CLOSE IS THIS TO YESLER?
>> THANK YOU FOR THE
CLARIFICATION.
I WANTED TO SPEAK TO THE
EXTENDED STAY HOTEL.
WHAT WE MIGHT NOT VISUALIZE
HERE IN COMMTTEE, THIS IS
DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO HARVARD
VIEW HOSPITAL, A REGIONAL
HOSPITAL. THE REASON THE
EXTENDED STAY HOTEL IS
IMPORTANT THERE IS BECAUSE THIS
IS A HOSPITAL WHERE PEOPLE FROM
ALASKA, BRITISH COLUMBIA,
MONTANA, IDAHO, OREGON ARE
FLOWN INTO, OR PEOPLE WHO ARE
NOT NEARBY AND NEED A PLACE TO
STAY.
HAVING SPENT FOUR DAYS IN THE
HOSPITAL MYSELF, IF MY FAMILY
DID NOT LIVE IN SEATTLE, THAT
WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXTREMELY
CHALLENGING EXPERIENCE.
WHILE I AM NOT TYPICALLY
USUALLY, YOU KNOW, VERY EXCITED
ABOUT HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS
NECESSARILY, I AM MORE AGNOSTIC
USUALLY, THIS ONE I THINK IS
QUITE IMPORTANT. LASTLY, WHAT I
HEARD COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN
FROM THE TEAM AND I WAS THERE
ON SITE IS THE IN LIEU FEE IS
NOT SOMETHING THEY ARE LOOKING
TO USE, EVEN IF IT WAS PASSED
BY THE TREE ORDINANCE BECAUSE
OF THEIR DEDICATION TO
REPLANTING TREES IN THE AREA AS
EXEMPLIFIED BY THEIR NET
INCREASE IN TREE CANOPY THAT
WILL CONTINUE.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT COLOR
TO YOUR QUESTIONS BECAUSE I
ASKED LITERALLY THE SAME
QUESTIONS WHEN I WAS ON SITE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS
FROM COLLEAGUES?
SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, WE
WILL TAKE THIS UP AGAIN AT OUR
NEXT COMMITTEE WHERE WE WILL
HAVE TWO AMENDMENTS, A
TECHNICAL AMENDMENT AND THE
INCREASING AND REPLACEMENT RATIO
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING
YOU THEN.
ROD AND TERRY, THANKS AGAIN.
>> THANKS FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT
AND COMING ON SITE TO SEE THIS
FOR YOURSELF.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
>> WE LOVE TOURS. WE ARE HAPPY
TO HAVE ANYBODY OUT THERE.
>> WE APPRECIATE IT.
WONDERFUL.
WELL, THIS PRESENTATION AND
BILL WILL BE BEFORE US AT THE
NEXT MEETING ON JULY 28th.
>>> MOVING ONTO OUR FINAL AGENDA
. I UNDERSTAND WE ARE OVER TIME
ALREADY.
I WOULD ASK OUR COLLEAGUES -- I
COULD SEE THIS TAKING AN
ADDITIONAL HOUR POSSIBLY. IF
THERE IS NO OBJECTION, I WANT
TO GIVE EVERYONE A HEADS UP NOW.
MR. ONG, WILL YOU PLEASE READ
AMENDED ITEM 4 INTO THE AGENDA?
>> SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF
CONSTRUCTION AND INSPECTIONS
AND OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY
AND ENVIRONMENT QUARTERLY TREE
PROJECTION REPORT.
>> THANK YOU.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, PRIOR TO MY
TIME ON COUNCIL I HELPED WRITE
AND PASS 31902 WHICH
ESTABLISHED A WORKPLAN TO GET
US TO RECEIVING THE TREE
ORDINANCE, WHICH WILL
STRENGTHEN TREE PROTECTIONS.
ONE OF THE IMPORTANT ASPECTS
WITHIN THAT RESOLUTION REQUIRED
QUARTERLY REPORTING ON PROGRESS
TO RECEIVE THE TREE ORDINANCE.
THIS QUARTERLY REPORTING IS NOT
NECESSARILY TO DO ANYTHING
OTHER THAN HOLD ACCOUNTABLE
DEPARTMENTS LOOKING TO TRANSMIT
THIS TREE ORDINANCE AND SO I AM
GLAD TO HAVE THEM AGAIN BEFORE
US TODAY.
WHAT WE HEARD FROM BOTH RACIAL
EQUITY TOOLKIT CONVERSATIONS
EARLIER TODAY AND WHAT WE HAVE
HEARD ABOUT THE HOMELESSNESS
DELAY IN HIRING A CEO, COVID
HAS DELAYED A LOT OF WORK IN
OUR CITY AND IN OUR REGION.
THIS IS NO EXCEPTION.
COVID DELAYED THE WORK LONGER
THAN ANY OF US WOULD HAVE LIKED
ON THE TREE ORDINANCE AND I
WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE AND I AM
OPTIMISTIC WE WILL BE TAKING UP
THE TREE ORDINANCE IN
COMMUNITIES SOON.
I WILL BE EXCITED TO HEAR THE
TIMELINES FOR THE ISSUANCE
TODAY.
I AM EXCITED TO HEAR TODAY THE
TIMELINE FOR THAT ISSUANCE.
TODAY'S BRIEFING SERVES AS AN
UPDATE ON THE WORK BEING DONE
AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
COUNCILMEMBERS TO ASK
QUESTIONS.
WE ARE JOINED BY CHANDA EMERY
AND MIKE PODOWSKI AND BY
PATRICIA BAKKER. I'M SURE THIS
WILL BE THE LAST TIME WE SAY
THAT, EVEN THOUGH WE MISS
SONDRA SO MUCH.
IF YOU WOULD ALL LIKE TO
INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND BEGIN
YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
NATHAN, FROM THE SEATTLE
DEPARTMENT OF INSPECTIONS.
>> HI.
I AM CHANDA EMERY , SDCI.
>> I AM PATTY BACHER WITH THE
OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND
ENVIRONMENT.
I AM THE NEW SONDRA OR INTERIM
URBAN POLICY ADVISOR FOR OSD.
>> WONDERFUL.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR
SCREEN AND TAKE US AWAY.
>> CAN Y'ALL SEE MY SCREEN IN
THE PRESENTATION?
>> YES, WE CAN.
>> OKAY.
NATHAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO KICK
US OFF?
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
COUNCILMEMBERS.
AS YOU RECALL, CITY COUNCIL
ADOPTED 31902 IN 2019, WHICH
DIRECTED BOTH THE SEATTLE
DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION AND
INSPECTIONS AND THE OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT
TO EXPLORE STRATEGIES TO
INCREASE TREE PROTECTIONS.
THE GOAL WAS TO SUPPORT THE
URBAN FOURTH STREET MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM WHILE ALSO BALANCING
THE GOALS TO SUPPORT GROWTH AND
A DENSITY AS PROVIDED BY THE
CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. WE
ARE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU THE
SECOND QUARTER REPORT TODAY ON
OUR PROGRESS.
SONDRA IN A MOMENT WE'LL TALK
ABOUT THE PUBLIC OUTREACH
EFFORTS TO GET TO AN ORDINANCE
AND ALSO SOME REALLY EXCITING
UPDATES ON THE TREE TRACKING WE
ARE DOING AS DCI AND THE NEXT
STEPS GOING FORWARD. BUT FIRST,
I WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO PATTY
FROM THE OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT
WHO WILL GIVE AN URBAN FOURTH
STREET MANAGEMENT UPDATE.
THANK YOU.
>> THANKS, NATHAN. YEAH, I WILL
START OFF WITH THE URBAN
MANAGEMENT PLAN AND I WILL
START THAT OFF WITH A BRIEF
BACKGROUND ON THE PLANT ITSELF
AND WHAT IT IS.
IT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR
POLICY AND ACTION THAT GUIDES
GOVERNMENT DECISION-MAKING TO
HELP THE CITY MAINTAIN,
PRESERVE, ENHANCE, AND RESTORE
IT URBAN WORKFORCE. IT IS A SET
OF OUTCOMES, STRATEGIES,
ACTIONS, AND INDICATORS THAT
WILL PROVIDE A SUSTAINABLE
FOREST ACROSS SEATTLE'S PUBLIC
AND PRIVATELY OWNED LANDS.
IT INCLUDES AN ACTION AGENDA
FOR HOW THE CITY AND COMMUNITY
PARTNERS WILL IMPLEMENT THE
PLAN.
THIS AGENDA DESCRIBES WORK THAT
IS ONGOING WITHIN THE CITY AND
ALSO LISTS ACTIONS THAT WILL
BUILD ON THE ONGOING WORK AND
WILL BE THE FOCUS OF
PRESENTATION. THERE ARE 18 OF
THESE ACTIONS ORGANIZED ACROSS
SEVEN DIFFERENT STRATEGIES.
SIX OF THOSE ACTIONS WERE
IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY ACTIONS.
THERE IS A FOCUS ON THE
STRATEGY THAT IS DESCRIBED AS
CONSIDERING FIRST THE NEEDS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
COMMUNITIES IN ALL URBAN FOURTH
REACTIONS.
IN THREE OF THOSE SIX IN THE
ACTION AGENDA, THERE IN THIS
DUE TO TREE PLANTING AND
MAINTENANCE IN PRIORITY
COMMUNITIES.
THE URBAN FOURTH STREET CORE
TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS
EFFORT TO UPDATE THE PLAN SINCE
2017.
THE PROCESS HAS INCLUDED
INTERDEPARTMENTAL PROCESSES AS
WELL AS EXTENSIVE OUTREACH TO
AND ENGAGEMENT WITH COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF WORK ACROSS
DEPARTMENTS AND PUBLIC INPUT.
FEEDBACK HAS GONE INTO IT AND
IT IS A BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT TO
GET IT TO THIS POINT.
WHEN YOU WERE LAST UPDATED ON
THE PLAN IN MARCH, WE HAD
FINISHED THE PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD AND THE TEAM HAD
PRODUCED RECOMMENDATIONS TO
INCORPORATE PUBLIC COMMENT INTO
THE PLAN.
AS DCI HAD DETERMINED NOT
SIGNIFICANCE.
THAT PUBLIC COMMENT HAS BEEN
INCORPORATED INTO THE PLAN AND
CURRENTLY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS
REVIEWING THE CORE TEAM'S
RECOMMENDATIONS TO FINALIZE THE
PLAN AND PROVIDE FINAL WORD.
AS FOR NEXT STEPS FOR THE PLAN,
ONCE IT IS FINALIZED, THE TEAM
WILL BE PROVIDING A BRIEFING
FOR COUNCIL WHERE WE WILL COVER
THE PLAN IN MORE DETAIL WITH
YOU AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT WILL
BE THE END OF THE SUMMER. IT
WILL BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
A LINK TO THAT CAN BE SHARED
WITH INTERESTED PARTIES.
THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WILL BE A
PRINTED DOCUMENT AND IT WILL BE
TRANSLATED AND PRINTED IN 10
LANGUAGES AND THE WORK WILL
WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO
DISTRIBUTE THOSE COPIES.
AS FOR PROGRESS MADE RELATED TO
RESOLUTION 31902, I WILL KICK
OFF THE DESCRIPTION OF THE
COMMUNITY OUTREACH PHASE BEFORE
CUTTING IT OVER TO CHANDA EMERY
. ACTIONS RELATED TO 30912 ARE
CURRENTLY INCLUDING THIS
COMMUNITY OUTREACH PHASE OF
TRUE PROTECTION EFFORTS.
THERE PARTNERING WITH SDCI IN
THESE EFFORTS . THE LAST TIME
OUR TEAM BRIEFED YOU, WE WERE
SET TO BEGIN PUBLIC OUTREACH
AND THE PLAN AT THAT TIME
INCLUDED UTILIZING A SURVEY IN
ORDER TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY
WHAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN
RELATED TO TREE REGULATIONS
HOWEVER AFTER THINKING THROUGH
THE STAKEHOLDERS, IT WAS
DETERMINED A SURVEY WOULD NOT
GET THE DETAILED INFORMATION WE
NEEDED FROM SPECIFIC GROUPS. WE
SHIFTED FROM THE SURVEY
APPROACH TO A MORE INTENSIVE
STAKEHOLDER WORK. THE VALUE IN
THIS APPROACH, IT WILL GIVE US
THAT INFORMATION INCLUDING
INPUT FROM BIPOC COMMUNITIES .
WE ARE WORKING ON A TWO PRONGED
APPROACH AND WE HOPE TO GET
FROM THE PROCESS AND THE
PARTICIPANTS NOT JUST
CONFIRMATION THAT TREES ARE
IMPORTANT TO YOU, BUT MORE
DETAILS THAT WILL INFORM POLICY
DEVELOPMENT IN HOW THE CITY
PROTECTS ITS TREES.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING TO DO IS
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BASELINE
KNOWLEDGE OF EXISTING TREE
REGULATIONS THAT EXIST WITHIN
OUR COMMUNITIES AND GAIN
ADDITIONAL INSIGHT FROM VARIOUS
STAKEHOLDERS INTO HOW THE
POTENTIAL CHANGES WE ARE
EXPLORING AS IDENTIFIED IN 31902
MIGHT IMPACT THEIR INDUSTRY,
PROPERTY. FOR EXAMPLE, WE WILL
ASK THINGS LIKE WHAT OTHER
THOUGHTS ABOUT CREATING A NEW
OPTION WHEN AN EXCEPTIONAL TREE
IS REMOVED AND HOW THEY FEEL
ABOUT REQUIREMENTS FOR TREE
SERVICE PROVIDERS. BY TAKING
THE TIME TO IMPLEMENT OUTREACH
IN THIS WAY, I BELIEVE WE WILL
GET THAT HIGHER-QUALITY
FEEDBACK AND FEEDBACK THAT WILL
HELP INFORM AN ORDINANCE THAT
WILL BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY.
THE PROCESS IS TO SEEK INPUT
FROM COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT HAVE
BEEN HISTORICALLY
UNDERREPRESENTED AND TO SEE
INPUT FROM OTHER STAKEHOLDER
GROUPS AS WELL.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD AND
COMMUNITY LIAISON ON CULTURALLY
APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE. IN ORDER
TO HEAR FROM THOSE GROUPS THAT
HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY
UNDERREPRESENTED.
COMMUNITY GROUPS EFFORTS WILL
INCLUDE CHINESE, AFRICAN-
AMERICAN, NATIVE AMERICAN,
ETHIOPIAN, AND PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES.
FOR THE OTHER STAKEHOLDER
GROUPS, WE ARE CONDUCTING
LISTENING SESSIONS WITH FOCUS
GROUPS IN ORDER TO HEAR FROM
THEM.
THEY INCLUDE ARBORISTS,
HOMEBUILDERS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS,
AND REAL ESTATE BROKERS. THESE
SESSIONS WILL BE PRIMARILY IN
ENGLISH BUT HER DISAPPEARANCE
CAN REQUEST TRANSLATED IF
NEEDED.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SETTING
UP AND INITIATING THIS WORK
SINCE MARCH AND THESE SESSIONS
ARE GETTING UNDERWAY NOW.
WE ARE WORKING WITH NINE
COMMUNITY LIAISONS TO REACH
BIPOC AND OTHER COMMUNITIES AND
WE HAVE SCHEDULED STAKEHOLDER
GROUP SESSIONS.
FOCUS GROUPS WILL BE FINISHED
IN JULY AND THE COMMUNITY
LIAISONS ARE EXPECTED TO FINISH
THEIR WORK BY SEPTEMBER. WE
WILL THEN SYNTHESIZE THE
FEEDBACK RECEIVED AND INTEGRATE
IT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
. IN THE END, WE ARE CONFIDENT
THIS INFORMATION WE ARE
GATHERING WILL HELP US TO
DEVELOP STRONG TREE PROTECTION
POLICY THAT WILL TAKE INTO
EFFECT THE BIPOC COMMUNITIES
AND OTHER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS .
OUR GOAL WITH THE TREE
PROTECTIONS IS TO IMPROVE WHAT
WE DO AND THE OUTCOMES FOR
COMMUNITY AND WE WANT TO DO THE
BEST JOB REACHING AND
PRIORITIZING BIPOC COMMUNITIES
AS WE DEVELOP THOSE OUTCOMES.
I WILL HAND IT OVER TO CHANDA
EMERY TO DISCUSS THE EFFORTS.
>> THANK YOU, PATTY.
TODAY I AM VERY PLEASED TO
SHARE THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
TREE TRACKING WORK THAT OUR
TEAM HAS BEEN UNDERTAKING PER
RESOLUTION 31902. JUST A LITTLE
BACKGROUND ON THE TREE TRACKING
WORK, OUR TEAM BEGAN TRACKING
TREES IN 2019.
WE HAD ONE ANALYST ASSIGNED TO
THAT WORK AT THE TIME AND SINCE
THEN, THIS YEAR I AM VERY PROUD
TO SAY THAT WE HAVE REPURPOSED
OUR EXISTING RESOURCES TO SPEED
UP THAT WORK BECAUSE THIS IS
REALLY ESSENTIAL AND THIS IS
WHAT HAS BEEN MISSING.
YOU KNOW, AS WE KNOW WE DIDN'T
HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO KNOW WHAT
WAS HAPPENING ON PRIVATE
PROPERTY, BUT WE DID KNOW THAT
BASED ON OUR WORK WITH THE
UPDATE OF URBAN FOURTH
MANAGEMENT PLAN, THE MAJORITY
OF THE TREE CANOPY WAS BOTH ON
PRIVATE PROPERTY AND IN THE
SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES. WHAT WE
WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS MORE TREES
PROTECT DID AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
FOR US AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
THIS IS WHERE THIS WORK COMES
IN.
WE HAVE HEARD YOU AND WE HAVE
DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THIS THIS
YEAR.
WE HAVE MADE A BIG INVESTMENT
ON THE PROJECT TO HIRE STAFF TO
CAPTURE ALL KINDS OF TREE DATA.
I THINK THIS DATA IS GOING TO
LEAD DATA-DRIVEN POLICY AND
DECISION-MAKING. WE ARE MOVING
FORWARD AND I JUST WANT TO
POINT THAT OUT THAT THIS WORK
IS REALLY GOING TO DRIVE DATA-
DRIVEN DECISIONS ABOUT POLICY
AND LEGISLATION. THE REASON WE
ARE COLLECTING THIS DATA, IT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT AND WHAT WE
HAVE BEEN MISSING. THE THINGS
WE ARE COLLECTING, WE WANT TO
KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THESE TREES
ARE BEING PLANTED ON PRIVATE
PROPERTY, HOW MANY TREES ARE
BEING PRESERVED, AND HOW MANY
TREES ARE BEING REMOVED. NEXT
SLIDE PLEASE.
FOR THIS SLIDE, I WILL SHARE A
LITTLE BIT OF DETAILS HERE.
THE ANALYSTS ON THIS TEAM ARE
USING TECHNOLOGY TO COLLECT ALL
TYPES OF INFORMATION INCLUDING
THE PERMIT NUMBER, THE TREE
TYPE, WHETHER IT IS BROADLEAF
EVERGREEN OR OTHER SCIENTIFIC
COMMON NAME TREE SPECIES AND
THE DIAMETER AT STANDARD HEIGHT
AS MEASURED FROM THE GROUND.
AND WHETHER THE TREE WAS
PLANTED, PRESERVED, REMOVED,
THE LOCATION, AND WHETHER THAT
SITE PLAN HAD AN ARBORIST REPORT
, AND HOW THAT PERMIT IS TIED
TO OTHER PERMITS. IN THE NEXT
FEW SLIDES, I WILL SHOW YOU
WHAT THAT GIS WORK LOOKS LIKE
AND WHAT THE SITE PLANS LOOK
LIKE.
I WANT TO POINT OUT HERE THAT
THIS IS COMPLICATED AND TIME-
CONSUMING WORK BUT IT IS SUPER
VALUABLE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
EXCUSE ME. IN THIS FIRST
EXAMPLE, YOU WILL SEE THIS IS A
DETACHED SINGLE-FAMILY HOME.
THE GIS IMAGE IS ON THE LEFT
SIDE.
ON THE RIGHT, THIRD TEAM TREES
ARE PRESERVED.
YOU CAN SEE WE ARE USING THIS
DATA TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS
WORKING IN OUR CURRENT CODE AND
WHAT ISN'T WORKING.
FROM THAT INFORMATION, WE CAN
SEE HOW WE WANT TO MAKE CHANGES
TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES.
NEXT PLEASE.
IN THIS IMAGE ON THE LEFT-HAND
SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE A
FEW TREES THAT ARE PRESERVED.
THERE IS LAKE WASHINGTON IN THE
BLUE AND A SINGLE-FAMILY HOME.
THERE ARE THREE TREES REMOVED
AS INDICATED BY THE RED ASK.
12 TREES HAVE BEEN PRESERVED AS
INDICATED BY THE GREEN
TRIANGLES.
THIS PROJECT HAS SUBSTANTIAL
ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS TO A
DETACHED SINGLE-FAMILY HOME. AS
I AM LOOKING AT THIS EXAMPLE, I
HAVE NOTICED WE CAN DO BETTER.
I SEE THE PROPOSAL SHOWS THAT
TREES WERE PRESERVED BUT I
WONDER WHY THOSE THREE TREES
ALONG THE ROADWAY WERE REMOVED
FROM THIS PROJECT.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. FOR THIS
EXAMPLE, THIS DEVELOPMENT SITE
YOU CAN SEE SIX TREES WERE
PRESERVED AS INDICATED BY THE
GREEN TRIANGLES AND ONE TREE
WAS REMOVED BY THE RED X . THIS
IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A
DETACHED SINGLE-FAMILY HOME
WITH THE PROPOSED BACKYARD
COTTAGE IN THE NORTHEASTERN
CORNER OF THIS PLAN. IN THE
DARKER SHADING, I THINK IT IS A
LITTLE DIFFICULT TO SEE WITH
OUR VIDEOS, BUT IT IS ON THE
NORTHEAST CORNER OF THIS PLAN.
HERE IN THIS EXAMPLE, WE CAN
SEE A LOT OF TREES WERE
PRESERVED BUT THAT TREE ON THE
TOP NORTHEASTERN SIDE WAS
REMOVED.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND
WHAT I WANT TO LEARN FROM THIS,
I WANT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
USING A SCIENTIFIC BASIS AS TO
WHY THE TREES WERE PROTECTED ON
THE BOTTOM OF THIS SITE PLAN,
BUT NOT THAT TREE ON THE TOP.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING TREES AND
SINGLE-FAMILY ZONES.
THE POINT ON THE MAP PRESENTS
LOCATIONS OF THE SINGLE-FAMILY
PERMITS FROM JULY 1st, 2019 TO
APRIL 3rd, 2020. I WANT TO
POINT OUT ON THIS SLIDE THAT
THIS IS A RECENT HISTORICAL DATA
THAT SHOWS US WE HAVE ONE STAFF
MEMBER, ONE GIS ANALYST
COLLECTING TREE DATA FOR 750
PERMITS WITH THOUSANDS OF TREES.
WITH THE READJUSTMENT IN OUR
BUDGET, I WANT TO SAY THAT WE
ARE REALLY PRIORITIZING THIS
WORK AND MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE
, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS WITH A NEW TEAM WE HAVE
HIRED TO DO THIS WORK, I THINK
WE WILL BE MOVING PRETTY
QUICKLY BECAUSE WITH MORE
PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO DO THIS
WORK, WE CAN INCREASE THE
NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT WE ARE
PROCESSING AT THIS TIME.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THIS IS OUR
INITIAL DRAFT DATA DASHBOARD.
THIS IS A SNAPSHOT IN TIME
SHOWING HISTORICAL PERMIT DATA
THAT ONE GIS ANALYST WAS ABLE
TO ACCOMPLISH IN THAT TIME
FRAME BETWEEN JULY OF 2019 IT
TO APRIL OF 2020.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THIS IS NOT
REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL TREES
CITYWIDE, BUT JUST A SNAPSHOT
IN TIME WITH A FEW MONTHS WORTH
OF TREE DATA COLLECTED BY ONE
STAFF MEMBER. SO FAR WE HAVE
COLLECTED DATA ON 3978 TREES ON
PRIVATE PROPERTY. THIS MEANS
THAT OF THOSE 3978 TREES WE
HAVE MAPPED WITH THE GIS
LOCATION, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE
THOSE TREES ARE LOCATED ON
PRIVATE PROPERTY.
THERE HAVE BEEN 1029 TREE
PLANTINGS AND 2218
PRESERVATION.
EACH DAY WE ARE ADDING NEW TREE
RELATED DATA TO GIS AND EACH
DAY THAT DATA SET IS GETTING
LARGER AND MORE COMPLETE.
THIS MEANS WE ANTICIPATE WE
WILL LIKELY HAVE ENOUGH DATA
PROCESSED INTO OUR SYSTEM TO
HELP US SHAPE AND PROVIDE DATA-
DRIVEN DECISIONS ABOUT POLICY
ND LEGISLATION.
THIS IS GOING TO BE PART OF THE
FOUNDATION FOR US MEASURING
OUTCOMES AS WE MOVE THIS
PROJECT FORWARD.
IT IS REALLY CRITICAL. I ALSO
WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS,
WHAT YOU SEE HERE, IS A VERY
ROUGH DRAFT.
A REVISED VERSION WOULD BE MUCH
CLEARER AND EASIER TO INTERPRET
AND EASIER TO UNDERSTAND. I
WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS
DASHBOARD HERE IS NOT
STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. IT
IS JUST A SAMPLE. I CANNOT DRAW
ANY CONCLUSIONS AT THIS POINT
FROM THE INFORMATION YOU SEE IN
THE PIE CHART AS OF YET, BUT WE
HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THIS
AND I FEEL CONFIDENT WE WILL
GET THERE.
IT JUST TAKES TIME.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WITH
ADDITIONAL STAFF ON THIS TEAM,
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND THE
SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT TO OTHER
ZONES. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
INCLUDE ENVIRONMENTALLY
CRITICAL AREAS INTO THIS WORK,
WHICH I THINK IS REALLY
IMPORTANT AS WELL AS INTEGRATE
THE NEEDS OF OTHER WORKGROUPS.
THIS WILL HELP US GATHER MORE
ACCURATE DATA WITH EYES ON TREE
REMOVAL AS WELL AS MAKING SURE
THIS WORK INCLUDES TREES
REMOVED AND PLANTED. ONE THING
I WANT TO POINT OUT, AGAIN, IS
PRIOR TO 2019, WE HAD NO WAY TO
TRACK TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
IN GIS . AT THAT TIME IN 2019,
AS OF JULY 1st, IT WAS A GOOD
POINT IN TIME FOR US TO MAKE A
HUGE CHANGE.
WE DID A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS THAT
INCLUDED UPDATED EDUCATIONAL
MATERIALS, HIRING CERTIFIED
ARBORIST, AND CONDUCTING
TRAININGS AND OTHER THINGS.
IN PARTICULAR IN 2019, WE ADDED
OUR PERMITTING SYSTEM THAT
REALLY HELPED US TRACK TREES.
THAT CUSTOM BUTTON IN OUR
SYSTEM SHOWED A WAY TO TRACK
TREES WITH GROUND DISTURBANCE
AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE
BEFORE THEN, WE DIDN'T HAVE
THAT INFORMATION.
THAT ALLOWED US TO DO THINGS
LIKE LEARN WAYS TO HELP
STRENGTHEN THE CODE.
I REALLY THINK THAT IS
IMPORTANT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS, SDCI IS
CONTINUING TO EVALUATE
STRATEGIES AS IDENTIFIED IN THE
RESOLUTION THROUGH RACIAL
EQUITY PLANS.
AS PATTY SAID EARLIER, THIS IS
CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AND WILL RUN
THROUGH AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER.
WE ANTICIPATE WE WILL BE
PREPARED TO ISSUE AN INITIAL
CONCEPT FOR ANALYSIS BY THE END
OF THE YEAR.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR
PRESENTATION.
I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS.
>> I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY
THAT TREE TRACKING WORK THAT WE
ARE DOING, THOSE PRELIMINARY
TREE NUMBERS, THOSE ARE ALL
TREES ON THE SITE PLANS.
NOT JUST EXCEPTIONAL TREES?
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
>> A FURTHER LEVEL OF DETAIL
COULD DISTINGUISH AMONG THOSE
TREES WHICH ARE EXCEPTIONAL AND
WHICH ARE NOT.
AGAIN, THROUGH OUR TREE WORK,
THE DEFINITION OF AN
EXCEPTIONAL TREE IS LIKELY TO
CHANGE.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR.
WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS THE
DEFINITION OF EXCEPTIONAL TREE
IS LIKELY TO CHANGE.
I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH. I WOULD
LIKE TO ASK ABOUT OUTREACH.
I KNOW IN OUR MEETING YOU HAVE
DISCUSSED YOU STARTED THE
OUTREACH PROGRAM IN JANUARY DUE
TO COVID.
I MEAN, LET'S JUST BE HONEST
HERE.
IN PERSON INTERACTIONS ARE MUCH
MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ONLINE
SURVEYS.
YOU WERE ABLE TO MAKE THAT
CHANGE EARLIER THIS YEAR
BECAUSE OF THE CHANGING
GUIDELINES REGARDING PUBLIC
HEALTH. IS THIS CORRECT?
CAN YOU GIVE ME A LITTLE DEEPER
OVERVIEW OF WHEN -- LET ME SEE.
WHEN OUTREACH WOULD BEGIN?
>> NATHAN, DO YOU WANT TO TAKE
THAT ONE?
>> I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
YEAH, THAT IS CORRECT.
YOU KNOW, COVID PROVIDED
CHALLENGES AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE YEAR.
AS PATTY SAID, YOU KNOW,
ORIGINALLY WE THOUGHT A SURVEY
WOULD BE THE BEST APPROACH.
WE PIVOTED REALLY QUICKLY TO DO
THE TWO PRONGED APPROACH USING
FOCUS GROUPS. THAT IS SOMETHING
WE WILL BE DOING VIRTUALLY THIS
MONTH.
ALSO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TO
USE THEIR COMMUNITY LIAISONS.
I THINK OPPORTUNITY IS A REALLY
GOOD ONE.
THESE COMMUNITY LIAISONS WILL
BE USING METHODS THAT ARE
CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE TO THE
AUDIENCE THEY ARE SERVING.
>> THANK YOU.
VICE CHAIR MOSQUEDA HAS A FEW
QUESTIONS TO ASK.
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN, LEWIS,
AND MYSELF.
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ IS STILL
HERE .
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK
YOU FOR THE EXCITING AND
PRODUCTIVE MEETING TODAY.
IF I HAVE TO LOG OFF, I AM SORRY
. I WANTED TO GET THESE
QUESTIONS OUT THERE FOR A FUTURE
CONVERSATION.
GIVEN THE LARGE NUMBER OF TREES
ON RIGHT WAYS, HOW DOES THIS
FACTOR INTO OUR OVERALL TREE
CANOPY GOAL?
ARE THERE EFFORTS TO EXPAND
MAINTENANCE OF TREES IN THE
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY AND WILL
THAT BE INCLUDED INTO FUTURE
TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCES?
>> I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION.
ONE OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE
ARE EXPLORING IN RESOLUTION
31902 IS THE VOLUNTARY PAYMENT
IN LIEU.
I THINK THAT IS PART OF THIS.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES IN
THE CITY WHERE THERE IS LOWER
TREE CANOPY AND WE ARE LOOKING
AT ALL OPTIONS.
PARKS, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE
HISTORICALLY LOWER TREE CANOPY,
WE ARE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING
REALLY RIGHT NOW.
I APPRECIATE THAT.
>> I'M SORRY.
JUST A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
SO IT IS CURRENTLY NOT THE
PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY'S ARE
CURRENTLY NOT IMPLEMENTED IN
THE CURRENT TREE CANOPY GOALS?
>> WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER
THAT ONE?
>> AREAS WHERE TREE CANOPY
EXISTS ARE CERTAINLY AREAS WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN
PRESERVE AS MUCH OF THE
EXISTING TREE CANOPY AS WE CAN,
BUT IN ORDER TO INCREASE TREE
CANOPY, YES, WE ARE LOOKING AT
AREAS THAT ARE OPPORTUNITIES
FOR PLANTING WHERE THERE IS
CURRENTLY NOT TREE CANOPY. WE
WANT TO FOCUS ON AREAS FROM AN
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE LAND AND
FOCUS ON AREAS THAT CURRENTLY
HAVE LOW TREE CANOPY AND THAT
INCLUDES A LOT OF UNPAVED AREAS,
INDUSTRIAL AREAS, AND THINGS
LIKE THAT.
YEAH, WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE
AREAS THAT ARE CURRENTLY LOW ON
CANOPY AND INCREASE TREE CANOPY
ACROSS THE CITY.
>> SO IT WILL IN THE FUTURE
INCLUDE TRYING TO COUNT AND
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TREES ON
PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY'S. OKAY.
WILL WE BE ABLE TO SEE
SPECIFICALLY ON PUBLIC RIGHT
AWAY'S HOW OUR EFFORTS TO
INCREASE AND MAINTAIN THOSE
TREES IS INCLUDED IN THE
OVERALL GOALS GOING FORWARD?
>> YES.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>> I BELIEVE THAT IS PART OF
THE EFFORT, RIGHT, PATTY?
>> WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON
A PROJECT TO DO A NEW CANOPY
COVER ASSESSMENT WHICH WAS LAST
COMPLETED IN 2016 AND THAT IS
EVERY FIVE YEARS. I AM
CURRENTLY GATHERING DATA AND WE
WILL BE COMPLETING THAT PROJECT
FOR CANOPY COVER. WE WILL BE
ABLE TO DO DETECTION FROM 2016
TO 2021 AND SEE THOSE AREAS AND
GET DATA TO INFORM HAVE WE
INCREASED OR DECREASED CANOPY
AND WHERE THOSE AREAS ARE.
>> WE KNOW THAT REPLANTING ON
SITE IS OFTEN PAYING AN IN LIEU
FEE. I KNOW THERE ARE DIFFERING
OPINIONS AMONG THE PUBLIC AND
COUNCILMEMBERS ABOUT THAT BUT
IT IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO
CONSIDER, ESPECIALLY IF YOU
HAVE A VACANT LOT AND AN
EXCEPTIONAL TREE SOMEWHERE ON
THE LOT. THAT CANNOT BE AVOIDED
IF YOU'RE BUILDING HOUSING.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT
THE IN LIEU FEE IF A TREE CAN
BE PLANTED ELSEWHERE ON THE
SITE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ARE THERE ADDITIONAL STEPS
YOU NEED TO BE TAKEN BEYOND
COMPLETING THE OUTREACH, WHICH
WAS REQUESTED ALREADY?
THAT WAS VIA THAT RESOLUTION.
SORRY, COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN.
I SAW YOUR HAND TOO LATE. I
WILL GET TO YOU NEXT.
AGAIN, THE QUESTION IS WHAT
ADDITIONAL STEPS BEYOND
COMPLETING OUTREACH WHICH WAS
DESCRIBED IN RESOLUTION 31902 .
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL STEPS YOU
NEED TO TAKE BEYOND THAT
OUTREACH TO BE READY TO ISSUE?
>> I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL STEPS
. RIGHT NOW, LIKE I SAID, WE
ARE WORKING THROUGH OUR RACIAL
EQUITY TOOLKIT.
WE HAVE STARTED THAT WORK
ALREADY.
IT IS KIND OF A DOCUMENT WE ARE
WORKING THROUGH AS WE HEAR
THROUGH PUBLIC OUTREACH ON HOW
PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT EXISTING
REGULATIONS AND THINGS LIKE
THAT.
AS PATTY SAID, WE WILL BE USING
THE TREE TRACKING ANALYSIS TO
HELP US.
>> I THINK COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS
, TO FURTHER EXPAND ON THAT
ISSUE WE DON'T HAVE THE
PROPOSAL YET, BUT WE CAN START
THINKING ABOUT THE ANALYSIS FOR
PROPOSAL. YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHT
WITH THE PROPOSAL IS YOU LOOK AT
THE GREATEST POSSIBLE IMPACTS,
RECOGNIZING CITY COUNCIL MAY
MAKE FURTHER AMENDMENTS BUT WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CANCEL OR
CAPTURE ALL OF THAT UNDER
ANALYSIS.
>> THANK YOU.
WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY HERE IS
OUTREACH IS CONCLUDING THIS
MONTH AND LISTENING SESSIONS
WILL CONCLUDE BY SEPTEMBER. I
NOTICED ON YOUR PRESENTATION
YOU SAID Q4, WHICH IS DIFFERENT
THAN WHAT THE DEPUTY MAYOR HAD
CONVEYED TO US EARLIER IN THE
YEAR STATING IT WOULD BE Q3 IN
SEPTEMBER. THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
WAS INVITED TO ATTEND TODAY AND
THEY DECLINED.
I GUESS WHAT CONFIDENCE CAN I
HAVE THAT WE WILL BE ISSUED TO
ISSUE BY SEPTEMBER?
>> COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS, I KNOW
YOU HAVE GIVEN US A STRONG
MANDATE TO GET THE ANALYSIS OUT
BY THIRD QUARTER.
THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS
COMMUNITY OUTREACH WORK WILL
WRAP UP IN SEPTEMBER. IT IS A
VERY AMBITIOUS GOAL, BUT WE
WILL DO OUR BEST TO MEET IT.
>> OKAY.
JUST BECAUSE REALLY, WE NEED TO
HAVE IT ISSUED BY SEPTEMBER TO
STAY ON TRACK AND SO IT CAN
INFORM OUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS
TO ENSURE THAT THE APPROPRIATE
RESOURCES ARE ALLOCATED TO
SUPPORTING THE TREE ORDINANCE
BEING PASSED OR ALTERNATIVELY
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MAKE
THE APPROPRIATE BUDGET DECISIONS
REGARDING THE TREE ORDINANCE
DURING THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN, I'VE
GOT MORE QUESTIONS BUT I
REALIZE I WAS HOGGING THE
MICROPHONE.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR STRAUSS.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING
HERE TODAY.
I WANT TO THANK THE MANY
SPEAKERS THAT VOLUNTEER THEIR
TIME TO CALL INTO OUR MEETING
TODAY TO SUPPORT THE
PRESERVATION OF OUR TREES.
I WANTED TO LIFT UP SOME OF
THEIR COMMENTS. WE HAD THE
RECORD-BREAKING HEAT WAVE THAT
SCORCHED SEATTLE AND REINFORCED
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL
BENEFITS OF OUR URBAN TREE
CANOPIES BUT ALSO LAID BARE THE
DISPARITIES THAT LOWER INCOME
HOUSEHOLDS SUFFER WHEN OUR CITY
GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO APPROVE
THE REMOVAL OF MORE TREES
ESPECIALLY THOSE EXCEPTIONAL
TREES. THE DEVASTATING IMPACT
OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE ALREADY
UPON US. IT IS IMPORTANT TO
PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL
INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDED BY
SEATTLE'S TREES.
YES, WE WANT TO PLANT TREES BUT
THE REASON WE NEED TO PRESERVE
EXISTING TREES, LARGER TREES
HAVE EXTENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH BENEFITS INCLUDING
CARBON AND ABSORPTION OF
RAINWATER TO PREVENT RUNOFF,
SHADE FOR COOLING DURING THE
WARMER MONTHS, IMPROVED PUBLIC
HEALTH OUTCOMES. WE ARE LONG
OVERDUE FOR A STRONG TREE
ORDINANCE TO PROTECT OUR URBAN
FOREST.
SDCI HAS SUCCESSFULLY DONE
OUTREACH AND HAS IMPLEMENTED
MANY PROGRAMS IN THE PAST
COUPLE OF YEARS . THE TREE
ORDINANCE CONTINUES TO BE AN
OUTLIER SO JUST TO CLARIFY,
WHAT I THINK I READ IN THE
REPORT AND HEARD HERE, WILL THE
CITY DEPARTMENT BE ABLE TO
DELIVER TO THE CITY COUNCIL
REPOSED TREE ORDINANCE BEFORE
SEPTEMBER 27th WHEN THE MAYOR
DELIVERS HER BUDGET?
>> OUR COMMITMENT IS TO GET
WORK DONE THIS YEAR AND WE WILL
WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO
ADVOCATE TO GET THE
DETERMINATION THIS YEAR.
>> THANK YOU.
I'VE GOT NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU, CASTLE MEMBER
PEDERSEN.
I GUESS ONE OTHER ASPECT I WANT
TO RAISE UP HERE IS THE
DIRECTORS RULE IN WHICH YOU
TRANSMITTED TO THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE IN -- GOSH!
WAS IT FALL OF LAST YEAR?
SOMETIME LAST YEAR. ALSO WE
WILL NEED TO CONTAIN THIS WITHIN
THE WORK.
ONE THING THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR
ME TO SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC IS
THAT YOU HAVE DONE ADDITIONAL
WORK TO TRY AND MOVE IT TREE
PROTECTIONS FURTHER AND FASTER.
THIS ANALYSIS, THIS WORK IS
GOING TO DO TWO THINGS. ONE, IT
WILL CREATE THE ABILITY TO PASS
THAT ROLE FASTER AND PUT IT
INTO RULEMAKING NOW. IT WILL
ALLOW US TO TAKE UP THE TREE
ORDINANCE. I JUST WANTED TO
CONFIRM IS THAT A CORRECT
UNDERSTANDING?
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD
THERE?
>> I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP
THAT POINT.
OUR DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED
TREE DIRECTORS ROLE AND THE
GUIDANCE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN IS
WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT THAT
DIRECTORS ROLE. WE ARE PLANNING
TO COMBINE THAT WITH THE
PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND THE
ITEMS WE WERE CONTEMPLATING IN
THE DIRECTORS ROLE WE WILL PUT
DIRECTLY INTO THE ORDINANCE.
>> SORRY, DIRECTOR.
WITH US RUNNING OVER, I HAD A
PHONE CALL COME IN ON THE DESK
LINE WHICH DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY
FREQUENTLY.
AGAIN, THE OTHER THING I WANTED
TO HIGHLIGHT HERE IS YOUR
DEPARTMENT REPURPOSED ITS OWN
DOLLARS INTERNALLY TO MOVE THIS
WORK FURTHER AND FASTER.
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN SENT A
REALLY GREAT EMAIL EARLIER TODAY
AND YOUR RESPONSE REGARDING DATA
. WE NEED MORE DATA, NUMBER
ONE.
NUMBER TWO, WE WOULDN'T EVEN
HAVE THE DATA YOU PRESENTED IF
IT WERE NOT FOR YOUR EFFORTS
REPURPOSE IN YOUR OWN BUDGET,
SO I WANTED TO CALL THAT OUT
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
HAD YOU NOT DONE THAT, WE WOULD
BE FURTHER BEHIND.
THIS WILL ALLOW US TO MOVE OUT
OF THE SINGLE-FAMILY ZONES AND
INTO ALL OF THE OTHER ZONES.
FRANKLY THEY ARE BEING MORE
IMPACTED AT THE MOMENT.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO
ADD THERE?
>> I APPRECIATE THE
ACKNOWLEDGMENT, COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS.
>> COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN, DO
YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> I DO NOT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY NEED MORE
TIME.
>> YES.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE ON TRACK
WITH WHAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AT
THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO
RECEIVE THE ISSUANCE. I AM
BEING VERY CLEAR BY SEPTEMBER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE DEPARTMENT
IS WORKING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
COLLEAGUES, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS
AT THIS TIME?
I KNOW I HEARD MICHAEL RUBY
SPEAK AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS
MEETING ABOUT 10 YEARS IN THIS
PROCESS.
I AM ABOUT TWO YEARS INTO THIS
PROCESS AND IN THIS SHORT YET
LONG. MAC OF TIME, I HAVE SEEN
THEM WORK WITH URGENCY EVEN
THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE THAT FINAL
OUTCOME WE ARE SO PATIENTLY
WAITING FOR.
WITH THAT, COLLEAGUES, IF THERE
ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, WE
CAN WRAP UP.
ANY OTHER FURTHER COMMENTS YOU
WOULD LIKE TO MAKE TODAY?
SEEING NONE, I WOULD LIKE TO
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO
COMMITTEE TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR STAYING WITH ME
LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG COMMITTEE
MEETING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBERS .
>> THIS CONCLUDES THE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 14th, 2020 --
2021 LAND USE AND NEIGHBORHOODS
MEETING.
WE ARE ADJOURNED.