The City Council has begun final discussion of the proposed Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) zoning changes that would increase height and density throughout neighborhoods, ostensibly to facilitate the building of some affordable units.  There has been considerable effort made by neighborhoods citywide to refine the City's proposal so that it better respects and is more consistent with the unique character of each neighborhood.  The City Council was accepting proposed amendments to the MHA legislation until January 15 at 5 p.m.

In light of the condensed time frame, as announced by the city over the holidays, the Phinney Ridge Community Council Board of Directors held a special meeting on January 14 to adopt several amendments, generated from earlier discussions, that it has now transmitted to the City Council for consideration.  These amendments focus on accepting growth in the Greenwood/Phinney Urban Village, encourage a mix of unit sizes in new construction so as to better accommodate families, call for retaining existing code requirements for new buildings built outside the Urban Village, and seek to protect and increase the tree canopy.    

We will be requesting that Mike O'Brien, our District 6 City Council representative, sponsor these amendments and facilitate discussion on the merits of each of them.  The amendments submitted by PRCC are attached below and are posted here in our Important Documents archive.  

The Phinney Ridge Community Council (PRCC) held a special board meeting on the evening of January 14th to develop amendments to the Seattle City Council's Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) legislation.  To meet the 5 p.m. January 15th deadline imposed by city the PRCC board voted to suspend the workflow outlined in its advocacy policy document (https://drive.google.com/drive/u/5/folders/0B2QjsBCM2Zj2cUtNR0J5WkxRNmc). The PRCC board then adopted several amendments to the MHA legislation that will be submitted to the city council for consideration.  The themes of these suggested amendments have been previously presented by board members at recent PRCC monthly public meetings.  The MHA amendments adopted by the board and transmitted to the city council will be available at our website soon.

Protect Our Seattle Neighborhoods!

Seattle Neighborhoods Call to Action

 

http://www.queenanneappeal.org/

 

Appeal Update

Councilmember Mike O’Brien’s legislation is now rapidly moving forward to eliminate EVERY single-family neighborhood and convert your property to triplex zoning with no parking or ownership requirements!

 

Please forward this email to every neighbor and friend!

Please consider joining hundreds already from all around Seattle in helping us defend you and every Seattle neighborhood by offering a contribution here.  And for much more information, please visit our Appeal Website here.

20 November 2018

Good Evening Neighbors City-wide;

 

Re:     Eliminating Single-Family Neighborhoods

          Compromise Negotiation Proposal Rejected by Councilmember Mike O’Brien

 

Update - QA Appeal of the ADU-EIS.

 

On November 1^st, well over 200 Seattleites gathered on Queen Anne to learn more about Councilmember O’Brien’s pending legislation to eliminate all single-family neighborhoods city-wide.  Everyone in attendance from all around our city had the opportunity to learn about our appeal and publicly share their opinions, ideas, and personal stories and concerns.  Everyone felt it was a great public meeting.

 

One week later on the 8^th, the Hearing Examiner held the Pre-Hearing Conference where the parties joined to schedule the upcoming events associated with holding the hearing.  The basic dates below have been established going forward:

 

1. Document Delivery:  Due December 14, 2018

QACC submitted a formal Public Records Request a after filing the appeal in order to review all documentation connected with the proposed legislation including the EIS and all other work products surrounding the appeal.  The City stated that 100% of that document request will be delivered on that date.  Upon receiving the complete set, a QACC committee including our experts and volunteers from around our city will review the document history.

 

2. Hearing Date:  March 25^th – March 29^th 2019

During the next few months the QACC committees together with our attorney and professional experts will work to prepare our case which will be heard by the hearing examiner on these dates.  Some will question the delay but all parties had conflicts in January, February, and early March 2019.

 

During our Prehearing Conference, we made it clear that QACC is open to negotiating a reasonable settlement including compromises to the legislation.  At our city-wide community meeting on November 1^st, I invited participation from everyone in attendance to contact us and propose ideas that could improve the legislation in hopes that the city would entertain discussions of compromise from many perspectives.  Several accepted the invite.

 

I reached out to Councilmember Mike O’Brien and we grabbed coffee yesterday to discuss the issues and opportunities and areas of compromise that may lie ahead.  I proposed that he and the council accept our invitation to review and consider obvious alternatives that the he and the Environmental Impact Statement failed to consider.  I saw this as a win-win as I feel strongly that councilmembers should be facilitators, not autocrats strictly beholden to their own narrow ideology.  Keep in mind that less than 150 Seattleites attended the only two abbreviated scoping meetings held by the city where the legislation was open for public review!  Very few Seattleites know of this huge change!

 

Unfortunately, I must inform you that CM O’Brien has closed the door to negotiating.  He relating to me unequivocally that the EIS spoke to all his issues leaving no room to consider any compromise.  He remains firmly entrenched in every line-item of his legislation to eliminate every Seattle single-family neighborhood without considering any important neighborhood, property, infrastructure or economic differentiations.  One-size-fits-all!  

 

In addition, he shared his confidence that every councilmember firmly supports him and his legislation.  He left no door open and even told me directly that there was no reason for us to withdraw our appeal – nothing would change!

 

As the EIS is woefully deficient in adequately identifying and analyzing the true environment impacts from CM O’Brien’s indiscriminate conversion of every Seattle neighborhood, we will continue to proceed full-speed ahead in preparing and proving our case, now that we have been given the unambiguous decision from City Hall. 

 

Invite you friends and neighbors to write a letter to your councilmember and strongly voice your opinion!

 

Please consider joining hundreds already from all around Seattle in helping us defend you and every Seattle neighborhood by offering a contribution here.  And for much more information, please visit our Appeal Website here.

 

Thanks as always for your support,

 

Queen Anne Community Council

Land Use Review and Planning Committee

Martin Henry Kaplan, AIA Chair

Protect Every Seattle Neighborhood!

A City-Wide Community Meeting

November 1, 2018    7:00-9:00 pm

Queen Anne Community Center, Room 1

1901 1st Avenue West, 98119

Seattle Neighborhood’s Call to Action

Urgent Action – Every Neighborhood!

The Queen Anne Community Council invites you to attend our City-Wide Community Meeting to discuss the City’s Final Environment Impact Statement (EIS) and the background behind our filing the necessary appeal.  We will discuss the EIS, answer your questions, discuss next steps and hopeful outcomes, and consider ways that you can help protect your neighborhood.

While Queen Anne officially filed this appeal, we are representing you and every other Seattle neighborhood and single-family property owner.  Our appeal challenges the adequacy of the EIS as it concludes that Mike O’Brien’s proposed city-wide legislation to eliminate and convert your single-family property to multi-family triplexes with no parking or ownership requirements has not even one impact. 

Please forward this email to neighbors and friends!

We’ll see you next Thursday

Queen Anne Appeal Website

Thank you,

Please consider helping fund our collective city-wide appeal - here