Yesler Terrace Redevelopment - Accomplishments

Project Outcomes

The Yesler Terrace Master Planned Community redevelopment ordinance (Ordinance 126403) was adopted by the City Council on August 2, 2021 and signed by the Mayor on August 12. The ordinance went into effect on September 13 and applies to the permit applications within the MPC-YT zone submitted after that date.

Some of the changes made by the ordinance include:

• Updated maps within Exhibit C - Tree Protection Plan (TPP) of the Yesler Terrace Planned Action to reflect existing conditions as well as correct errors found by staff from the time of adoption to present date.
• Corrected the Tree Protection Plan Inventory chart included in the Tree Protection Plan - Exhibit C to be consistent with the trees shown on the map.
• Updated provisions for development proposals that meet the planned action ordinance requirements within the MPC-YT zone to have the option to use payment in-lieu of replanting, if allowed pursuant to Chapter 25.11, and off-site replanting. 
• Clarified the timing for reporting on tree removal mitigation, which is to occur after the development contemplated in the PAO is completed. Other existing mitigation measures for tree replacement are maintained, including tree replacement ratios.  The replacement ratios for Tier 1 and Tier 2 trees will continue to be 10 to 1 and 1 to 1, respectively.

Key Milestones

• April 2011
  The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) and the City of Seattle Human Services Department (City HSD) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on April 12, 2011, regarding the Planned Action Ordinance (PAO) for Yesler Terrace. 
• September 2012
  City Council adopted the Planned Action Ordinance (PAO) for Yesler Terrace.  The adopted PAO included a Tree Protection Plan (TPP) which contained a map and inventory of all trees on the site identified for protection.  The TTP (Exhibit C of the PAO) designated each tree as either Tier 1 or Tier 2 and specified replacement requirements.
• October 2019
  SDCI issued an Addendum to the FEIS (2011) to update the TPP (Exhibit C) of the PAO that was approved and adopted as Ordinance 123926 by City Council in 2012 on October 31, 2019.
• August 2021
  City Council adopted Ordinance 126403 relating to redevelopment at the Yesler Terrace Master Planned Community; amending Section 23.75.160 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and replacing Exhibit C, Tree Protection Plan, of Ordinance 123962.
• September 2021
  The ordinance went into effect on September 13, 2021.

Project Purpose

The amendments respond to changes in the development proposal associated with the location of protected trees in the final plat layout and give the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) the flexibility to mitigate for tree removal by allowing trees to be replanted off-site and make payments in-lieu of tree planting, if allowed pursuant to Chapter 25.11.