UPDATE: Seven ‘neighborhood centers’ proposed for West Seattle, and other changes in newly unveiled zoning maps
(Google Maps Street View image, west side of 35th/Barton)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Above, you see the heart of what would be the Upper Fauntleroy “neighborhood center” as part of the proposed zoning changes just unveiled by the city.
The maps are part – but not the entirety – of the “comprehensive plan” (aka One Seattle Plan) updates that the city’s been working on for the past two years, part of a state-mandated process to update the plan once a decade. We got a preview at a City Hall media briefing this morning; the city says its proposed sheaf of changes would give Seattle the capacity for a total of 330,000 new housing units, far more than they envisioned when circulating the draft earlier this year. (Here’s the slide deck from today’s briefing.)
The proposed maps build on the draft maps circulated last spring, as reported here in March, when we first noted that the city intended to plan for increased business activity and housing density by designating “neighborhood centers” as well as making some changes in its existing “urban centers” (formerly known as “urban villages”). Back in March, the city’s early version of these changes showed six “neighborhood centers” for West Seattle. Now, the newly unveiled maps show (update: 7 out of the 30 total proposed citywide – OPCD tells us 3 were were “studied” but are not currently being proposed):
*Brandon Junction (centered on Delridge/Brandon)
*Fairmount (centered on California/Findlay)
*Holden (centered on 35th/Holden)
(UPDATE: Studied but not proposed) *Sylvan Junction (centered on Delridge/Orchard)
*Upper Fauntleroy (centered on 35th/Barton)
*High Point (centered on 35th/Morgan)
(UPDATE: Studied but not proposed) *Highland Park (centered on 9th/Trenton)
*Endolyne (centered on 45th/Wildwood)
*Delridge (centered on Delridge/Dakota)
(UPDATE: Studied but not proposed) *Alki (centered on 61st/Stevens)
(For now, check the online maps for exact boundaries and the attendant rezoning where applicable – we’ve requested a larger version of the map/list and will add it here when available. UPDATE: Here it is.)
The “neighborhood center” additions are only part of what you’ll find on the zoning maps. West Seattle’s four “urban centers” – Admiral, Alaska Junction, Morgan Junction, and Westwood/Highland Park – would, in most cases, expand (here again is the interactive site with the maps).
If you’re not in an urban center or neighborhood center, check your zoning anyway. Upzoning is proposed along major transit routes (Fauntleroy Way SW along the RapidRide C Line route past Lincoln Park, for example). And if you’re in a “neighborhood residential” zone (the new name given to “single-family” a few years back), and otherwise unchanged, you’ll be in an “urban neighborhood” area. Most formerly “single-family” parcels already have had the capacity for three units – a main house and two Accessory Dwelling Units – because of previous city changes, but now the State Legislature-passed HB 1110 requires capacity for four units on these parcels. If affordable housing is included, some might be eligible for six units, and/or four stories. And lots of parcels will become mixed-use in one specific way – any corner lot in an “urban neighborhood” zone would be eligible for a corner store.
Other changes include parking rules:
As a result of this, we learned, the Alki Parking Overlay – which requires a space and a half for every dwelling unit in that area – would be abolished (as would the only other “parking overlay” in the city, in the U District). General parking for residential units – aside from the frequent-transit zones where none would be required – would be one space for two units.
Lots more in the maps, and there’s more in what the city announced today. But for starters, you can browse for yourself, and make comments now – that’s why the maps are being made public, with other plan-updates to come. You can also attend an upcoming informational session. The West Seattle session is 5:30-7:30 pm Wednesday, November 6, at Madison MS (3429 45th SW) and the full list of citywide events (plus the online session) is on this flyer. All this ultimately goes to the City Council for consideration. (added) The official comment period, meantime, runs until December 20, so you have time for a close look. Also of note, as discussed in comments, the city plans to propose more upzoning in Urban Centers in a future “phase” of planning (see page 10 of the slide deck).
THURSDAY UPDATE: OPCD says three of the 10 “neighborhood centers” listed for West Seattle were studied but not proposed. We have labeled them as such above.
ADDED THURSDAY PM: Here also, provided by OPCD, is a District 1-specific map (see it in PDF here):
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