[MUSIC]
-- OKAY. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
JULY 23rd, 2026. LAND USE AND
SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE WILL
COME TO ORDER. IT'S 9:34 A.M.
I'M EDDIE LIN, CHAIR OF THE
COMMITTEE. WILL THE COMMITTEE
CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
-- VICE CHAIR STRAUSS.
COUNCILMEMBER. FOSTER. COUNCIL
PRESIDENT. HOLLINGSWORTH.
-- PRESENT
-- COUNCILMEMBER RINCK. PRESENT.
CHAIR LIN. HERE. CHAIR. THERE.
FOUR MEMBERS PRESENT.
-- THERE'S NO OBJECTION. THE
AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED. HEARING
NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA IS
ADOPTED. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR
COMING TO THIS THURSDAY MORNING
MEETING TO DISCUSS LAND USE. AS
ALWAYS, THANK YOU TO OUR CITY
CLERK'S COUNCIL CENTRAL STAFF,
MAYOR'S OFFICE, SDOT AND OPCD
FOR HELPING US PREPARE FOR THIS
MEETING. WE'LL NOW OPEN THE
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. PUBLIC
COMMENT SHOULD RELATE TO ITEMS
ON THE AGENDA OR ITEMS WITHIN
THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMITTEE
CLERK. HOW MANY SPEAKERS ARE
SIGNED UP TODAY?
-- WE HAVE ONE IN PERSON AND
THREE REMOTES.
-- OKAY. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE
TWO MINUTES. WE'LL START WITH
IN-PERSON SPEAKERS FIRST. CLERK
CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE PUBLIC
COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS?
-- THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
WILL BE MODERATED IN THE
FOLLOWING MANNER. PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD IS UP TO 60 MINUTES.
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN THE
ORDER IN WHICH THEY'RE
REGISTERED IN PERSON. SPEAKERS
WILL BE CALLED FIRST, AFTER
WHICH WE WILL MOVE TO REMOTE
SPEAKERS UNTIL THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD IS ENDED,
SPEAKERS WILL HEAR A CHIME IN.
10 SECONDS ARE LEFT OF THEIR
TIME. SPEAKERS WILL BE MUTED IF
THEY DO NOT IN THEIR COMMENTS
WITHIN THE ALLOTTED TIME TO
ALLOW US TO CALL THE NEXT
SPEAKER. THE PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD IS NOW OPEN, AND WE WILL
START WITH OUR FIRST SPEAKER AND
THAT IS STEVE LACROIX.
-- EITHER ONE. BUT YOU DO HAVE
TO SPEAK DIRECTLY INTO THE MIC
FOR IT.
-- TO GET INTO IT. OKAY. GOOD
MORNING. MY NAME IS STEVE
LACROIX. I'M A RESIDENT OF
NORTH SEATTLE, AND I'M HERE
REPRESENTING THORNTON CREEK
ALLIANCE. WE APPRECIATE THE
OVERALL TENOR OF THE PLAN TO
INCREASE TREE CANOPY, IMPROVING
PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE MOVEMENT,
USE OF NATIVE PLANTS, AND
HONORING THE STEWARDSHIP OF
INDIGENOUS CULTURES. WE AGREE
AND SUPPORT WORK TO INCREASE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHILE
PROVIDING ACCESS TO NATURAL
SURROUNDINGS. TREE CANOPY,
WILDLIFE ET-CETERA. BUT THESE
ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
GOALS. WE RECOMMEND RESPECTING.
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH
AND WILDLIFE RECOMMENDED 200
FOOT RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT ZONES
BETWEEN 2016 AND 2021. NORTHGATE
LOST 18.55 ACRES OF TREE CANOPY.
THIS FACT MUST BE INTEGRAL TO
ALL PLANNING. THIS TREND MUST BE
REVERSED. TALL TREES ARE
IMPERATIVE TO MAINTAIN
MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY FOR
SALMON AND OTHER BELOVED
WILDLIFE. WALKING TRAILS ARE
NEEDED. LET'S USE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER THE
COMMUNITY FOREST BATHING AS
PEOPLE WALK TO DO THEIR ERRANDS.
CASUAL CABIN, CASUAL GATHERING
PLACES ARE NEEDED. EIGHTH
NORTHEAST JUST NORTH OF
NORTHEAST 105th HAS BEEN A
FAVORITE PLACE TO CHAT AND WATCH
WILDLIFE. LET'S BUILD ON THAT.
PLEASE DON'T GIVE AWAY ANY MORE
MID-BLOCK CORRIDORS AS WAS DONE
FOR THE MADEIRA ON EIGHTH
NORTHEAST. SOME KEY INITIATIVES
HUB STIRRED HUBBARD HOMESTEAD
PARK REFERRED TO THE PUBLIC
ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMMENTS AND
MAKE THIS MORE INTERESTING AND
INVITING. CONSIDER NORTHEAST
EIGHTH NEAR NORTHGATE AS A
PEDESTRIAN STREET. USE BEST
PRACTICES OF LIGHTING TO BALANCE
SAFETY AND NEEDLESS LIGHT
POLLUTION. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU SO MUCH OH, AND FOR
THE RECORD, I BELIEVE
COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER HAS JOINED
US ONLINE.
-- THAT'S OUR LAST IN-PERSON
SPEAKER. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR
REMOTE SPEAKERS, STARTING WITH
MEGAN, CHRIS.
-- GOOD MORNING. I'M MEGAN
CRUZ, THE DOWNTOWN RESIDENT,
SPEAKING ON THE REGIONAL PLAN
AND ASKING THE CITY TO PARTNER
WITH DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD
COUNCIL TO REFINE IT. THE PLAN
GOALS ARE COMMENDABLE, BUT
PROPOSED ACTIONS DON'T ALWAYS
REFLECT THE REALITY ON THE
GROUND. FOR EXAMPLE, INSTEAD OF
INTEGRATING DENSITY THROUGHOUT
DOWNTOWN, INTENSE UP ZONES ARE
PROPOSED ON CROWDED THIRD
AVENUE, THE NATION'S LARGEST
TRANSIT CORRIDOR WHERE CURRENT
RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES ALREADY
STRUGGLE WITH BASIC ACCESS FOR
SERVICE VEHICLES AND LOADING.
YET THE CITY'S TECHNICAL REPORT
PROPOSES UP ZONING WITH MARKET
RATE TOWERS OF 500 TO 1000
HOMES, WITH PARKING FOR 75% OF
THE UNITS. THIS IS NOT
SUSTAINABLE. DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS
HAVE EMBRACED DENSITY AND WE
UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO
SUCCEED. WE WANT AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION,
LOGISTICS, LIVABILITY, METRICS
AND A PLAN FOR THE 31
PRESERVATION LANDMARKS IN THIS
SMALL ZONE AREA. UPZONING.
WITHOUT THESE REQUIREMENTS TO
DELIVER THESE ELEMENTS IS LIKE
WRITING A BLANK CHECK WITHOUT
OVERSIGHT. PLEASE PUT CITIZENS
BACK INTO CITY PLANNING. ENGAGE
DOWNTOWN'S COMMUNITY GROUPS,
AND REESTABLISH A PROJECT REVIEW
PROCESS. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU
-- NEXT UP, WE HAVE SABRINA
BOLIO.
-- COUNCILMEMBER LIN, THIS IS
SABRINA BELLEVUE ON BEHALF OF
THE PORT OF SEATTLE AND THE
NORTHWEST SEAPORT ALLIANCE. I
WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP IN USHERING THE MIXED
SUB AREA PLANS FORWARD FOR
COUNCIL CONSIDERATION AND
UPHOLDING THE NO NET LOSS
PRINCIPLE OF INDUSTRIAL LANDS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
YOU AS COUNCIL DELIBERATES ON
THIS LAND USE ISSUE. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU.
-- NEXT UP WE HAVE GENE BATEMAN.
-- THANK YOU. MY NAME IS JEAN
BATEMAN. I'M A 35 YEAR RESIDENT
AND SMALL BUSINESS PERSON IN THE
DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL CORE,
COMMENTING ON THE DOWNTOWN PLAN.
FIRST, I REALLY WANT TO THANK
YOU. THE PLAN APPEARS TO HAVE
RETURNED US TO OUR FIVE
NEIGHBORHOODS AND BOUNDARIES.
THE PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED
WATERFRONT NEIGHBORHOOD IS GONE
AND WE THANK YOU FOR THIS
CHANGE. THE PLAN NEEDS TO DEFINE
DISTRICTS MORE CLEARLY. THE
DRAWN BOUNDARIES, THEIR
DESCRIPTION AND INTENTION TO.
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES ARE THE PIKE
PLACE MARKET, HISTORICAL
DISTRICT AND THE NEWLY PROPOSED
AND EXPANDED WATERFRONT
DISTRICT. THE FLUME MAP AND ITS
RELATED DISTRICT NARRATIVES ARE
VERY UNCLEAR. PLEASE REFERENCE
THE LEGAL BOUNDARIES OF THE
MARKET, HISTORICAL DISTRICT,
PLEASE CLEARLY SHOW AND DESCRIBE
THE PROPOSED BOUNDARIES OF THE
WATERFRONT DISTRICT AND
IMPORTANTLY, UPDATE THE RELATED
SEPA DOCUMENT, WHICH HAS ALREADY
BEEN APPROVED, WHICH CALLS IT
THE WATERFRONT HISTORICAL
DISTRICT AND THEN PLACES THE
MARKET INSIDE OF IT. THERE IS NO
WATERFRONT HISTORICAL DISTRICT.
THE HISTORICAL DISTRICT IS THE
PIKE PLACE MARKET HISTORICAL
DISTRICT. ALSO, PLEASE GIVE US
MORE INFORMATION ON THE CULTURAL
STRATEGIES FOR DOWNTOWN
REVITALIZATION REPORT. IT'S
MENTIONED TEN TIMES IN THE PLAN
BUT NOT DESCRIBED. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
-- THANK YOU.
-- WE WILL NOW MOVE BACK TO
IN-PERSON SPEAKERS WITH HANNAH
ZIFF
-- HI, MY NAME IS HANNAH ZIFF. I
LIVE DOWNTOWN IN PIONEER SQUARE.
MY IDEA FOR SEATTLE IS EVERYBODY
AGREES HERE THAT WE WANT IT TO
BE BEAUTIFUL, AND WE LIKE
WALKING. MY GREAT GRANDFATHER
ACTUALLY MADE ONE OF THE FIRST
FEDERAL LAWS REQUIRING EVERYBODY
TO BUY EXIT SIGNS. AND I HEARD
THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT
WIDENING THE STREETS FOR FIRE
TRUCKS. AND I'M GOING TO SAY,
IF WE HAVE TO WIDEN ONE STREET
FOR FIRE TRUCKS, WE ARE GOING TO
HAVE TO WIDEN ALL THE STREETS,
AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE
BEAUTIFUL. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE
GOOD FOR WALKING. AND WE NEED TO
SAY NO TO WIDENING THE STREETS
FOR FIRE TRUCKS. WE NEED TO
BUILD NEW FIRE TRUCKS OR
SOMETHING ELSE. THAT'S IF
THERE'S ONE THING WE CAN AGREE
ON. WE WANT THE CITY TO BE
BEAUTIFUL, SO PLEASE SAY NO TO
WIDENING THE STREETS FOR FIRE
TRUCKS. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU, CHAIR.
-- THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS.
-- OKAY. THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL
REGISTERED SPEAKERS WILL NOW
PROCEED TO OUR ITEMS OF
BUSINESS. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO
OUR ONLY ITEM OF BUSINESS. WILL
THE CLERK PLEASE READ AGENDA
ITEM ONE?
-- AGENDA ITEM ONE OVERVIEW OF
NORTHGATE DOWNTOWN AND
MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL
CENTER SUBAREA. PLANS FOR
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
-- OKAY. THANK YOU. WILL OUR
PRESENTERS PLEASE JOIN US AND
ONCE YOU'RE READY, INTRODUCE
YOURSELVES. AND I BELIEVE VICE
CHAIR STRAUSS, YOU'RE JOINING US
ONLINE. SO.
-- OKAY. WE WILL SHARE THIS ONE
IS ON NOW. GOOD MORNING CHAIR
LIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
HAVING US TODAY. MY NAME IS
ALLISON MILLER. I'M THE
COMMUNITY PLANNING MANAGER AT
THE OFFICE OF PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. I'M
JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES.
-- HI. GOOD MORNING. I'M JESSIE
LONDON, REGIONAL CENTERS PLANNER
AT OPCD
-- I'M ERICA BUSH. I AM
CURRENTLY A DISTRICT PLANNER
WITH OPCD AND NOW WORKING FOR
THE SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION.
-- THANK YOU.
-- SO TODAY, JUST KIND OF A
QUICK OVERVIEW OF OUR AGENDA FOR
TODAY. WE SO WE WERE HERE IN
JUNE TALKING ABOUT. WE KIND OF
GAVE AN ORIENTATION BRIEFING
AROUND THE. THIS PACKAGE, ONE OF
SUB AREA PLANS AND HOW THAT IS
RELATED TO THE 2026
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT,
MEANING THIS IS THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT
PACKAGE THIS YEAR IS THIS
PACKAGE OF FOUR SUB AREA PLANS
THAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED TO
COUNCIL FOR YOUR REVIEW AND
CONSIDERATION THERE. AS WE SORT
OF DISCUSSED LAST MONTH, JUST A
QUICK REFRESHER, THERE ARE IN
TOTAL NINE SUB AREA PLANS THAT
WE'LL BE LOOKING TO HAVE
ADOPTED OVER THE NEXT THREE
YEARS AS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
AMENDMENTS AND YEAH, IN JUNE WE
KIND OF JUST WENT OVER WHAT ARE
THOSE PLANS? WHY? WHY ARE WE
DOING THESE PLANNING PROCESSES
AND, AND TALKED ABOUT HOW WE
WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF
DEVELOPING THOSE PLANS. SO FOR
TODAY, OUR WE'RE GOING TO TALK
THROUGH THE NORTHGATE REGIONAL
CENTER, THE DOWNTOWN REGIONAL
CENTER PLANS, AND OUR OUR
COLLEAGUE JIM HOLMES WILL SWAP
WITH US AND TALK ABOUT THE 2MIC
PLANS. SO WE'LL FIRST DIVE INTO
THE NORTHGATE REGIONAL CENTER
PLAN.
-- THANKS, ALISON. AND I'LL.
THERE WILL BE A BRIEF PAUSE AT
THE END OF THE NORTHGATE SLIDES
FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION
ON THAT BEFORE WE TRANSITION
INTO DOWNTOWN. JUST BEFORE AYE.
OKAY, SO THE NORTH GATE REGIONAL
CENTER PLAN, IT'S IT'S IT'S AN
INTERESTING ONE TO START WITH
BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY, IN MANY
WAYS DOESN'T LOOK AND OPERATE
LIKE OUR OTHER REGIONAL CENTERS
IN REALITY CURRENTLY. YOU KNOW,
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MUCH LESS
DENSE. IT'S GOT MUCH LARGER
BLOCKS, RELATIVELY POOR
WALKABILITY AND THAT LA C LARGE
SEA OF SURFACE PARKING, BUT, YOU
KNOW, THIS SORT OF WHAT WE SEE
WHEN WE LOOK AT IT IS THE, THE
OPPORTUNITY IN IT'S IN THAT
STATE OF TRANSITION THAT IT'S
CURRENTLY IN. WE WE HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY AS WE MAKE THIS PLAN
TO INFLUENCE ITS DEVELOPMENT.
AND THANKFULLY, AS, AS I'M SURE
MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR, THERE
ARE A LOT OF REALLY GREAT ASSETS
THAT WE CAN USE AS A STARTING
POINT AND LEVERAGE INTO
TRANSITIONING THIS NEIGHBORHOOD
INTO A, AN OPERATING REGIONAL
CENTER. IT'S IT'S CENTERED
AROUND THIS GRADUALLY
REDEVELOPING FORMER MALL SITE.
THE, OBVIOUSLY, THE, THE LIGHT
RAIL STATION AND TRANSIT
ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY
THAT THAT PRESENTS THAT
AGGREGATION OF, OF MEDICAL USES
THAT EXIST THROUGHOUT THE SUB
AREA. THE KRAKEN ICE PLEX THAT
GENERATES OVER A MILLION
VISITORS A YEAR. AND OBVIOUSLY
SOME, SOME GREAT NATURAL
FEATURES. THE THORNTON CREEK,
THE BEAVER PONDS, BARTON WOODS,
ET CETERA. AND, AND MULTIPLE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS
EITHER RECENTLY COMPLETED OR IN
THE PIPELINE. SO WE HAVE A GOOD
STARTING PLACE THERE AS OUR
EXISTING CONDITION. SO LIKE IN
OUR OTHER PLANS, AS YOU AS
YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE INTRODUCE
THESE OVER THE COURSE OF THE
NEXT YEAR, IT'S GROUNDED IN OUR
EQUITY PRIORITIES AND ROBUST
CONSTITUENT ENGAGEMENT,
SUPPORTED BY OUR TECHNICAL
RESEARCH THAT WE CONDUCTED WITH
OUR CONSULTANT TEAMS. AFTER
USING THESE INITIAL FINDINGS TO
DEVELOP A VISION STATEMENT AND
SOME HIGH LEVEL IDEAS, WE TOOK
THAT INFORMATION, VETTED THAT
WITH CONSTITUENTS. AGAIN, AND
THE NEXT YEAR WE WERE WE
RELEASED A FULL DRAFT PLAN FOR
FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. AND THEN OF
COURSE, THERE WAS OUR
INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION
THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS, ALL OF
THIS PROCESS WITH OUR PARTNER
AGENCIES. SO THE ENGAGEMENT, WE
HAD A FEW DIFFERENT PHASES OF
THAT AT THE BEGINNING. THIS WAS
MAYBE LIKE MID LATE 23. WE, YOU
KNOW, DECIDED WE WANTED TO FOCUS
HARD ON OUR HISTORICALLY
UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD. SO A LOT OF OUR,
THE IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENT THAT
OUR CONSULTANTS CONDUCTED WAS
FOCUS GROUPS WITH, WITH THESE
TARGET AUDIENCES WHO HELD FOCUS
GROUPS IN LANGUAGE WITH EAST
AFRICAN ELDERS, IDRISS MOSQUE, A
GROUP OF PRIMARILY ASIAN
RESTAURANT WORKERS AND
INDIGENOUS YOUTH PROGRAM, A
COUPLE DIFFERENT COHORTS OF
STUDENTS, AMONG OTHERS. BUT WE
ALSO HAD, OF COURSE, OUR MORE
WIDE REACHING SURVEYS TO
GENERATE THAT LARGE SAMPLE OF
FEEDBACK FROM OUR MORE INVOLVED
MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
HISTORICALLY AND ULTIMATELY, A
FEW THEMES EMERGED. THE ACTIVITY
LEVEL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS
SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WERE
CURIOUS ABOUT. YOU KNOW, WHAT,
WHAT IS THE POST MALL
NEIGHBORHOOD LOOK LIKE? THAT
THEN THAT SORT OF TIED IN WITH
THE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD
IDENTITY. LIKE WHAT? WHAT IS
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD GOING TO BE IN
THE LONG TERM? WHO'S WHO DOES IT
SERVE? WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT
NORTHGATE, WHAT ARE THEY? WHAT
DO THEY THINK ABOUT? AND THEN OF
COURSE, THE BEAR, THE BARE
MINIMUM STUFF LIKE WALKABILITY
AND AND INCREASING ACCESS TO
PARKS AND OPEN SPACES AS, AS THE
NEIGHBORHOOD GROWS. AS PART OF
OUR TECHNICAL WORK AND
ENGAGEMENT, I WANTED TO PAUSE
AND TALK ABOUT THIS FOR A
MOMENT. WE LOOKED INTO HOW BEST
TO USE THE NEIGHBORHOODS STATE
OF TRANSITION AND OPPORTUNITY
PRESENTED BY SOME SIMULTANEOUS
PROJECTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO
IMPLEMENT ELEMENTS OF A
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT COULD SERVE AN
URBAN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY. WE
WORKED WITH. AN INDIGENOUS LED
CONSULTING FIRM, OLD GROWTH
SOLUTIONS, WHICH WAS AT THE
TIME, WAS TOM AND PEAK SOLUTIONS
TO DEVELOP THESE REPORTS ON WHAT
THESE URBAN ELEMENTS MIGHT BE
AND HOW THAT COULD THAT COULD
WORK IN A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE
NORTHGATE. THESE INCLUDED THINGS
LIKE CERTAIN HOUSING TYPOLOGIES,
PUBLIC SERVICES, AND
PARTICULARLY A RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE AREA'S NATURAL FEATURES.
AND I'LL GET INTO EXAMPLES OF
HOW WE HOW THAT MANIFESTS IN THE
PLAN HERE IN A FEW SLIDES. SO
I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE FULL
VISION STATEMENT HERE, BUT THIS.
THIS YIELDED OUR. ALL THIS WORK
YIELDED OUR SORT OF NORTH STAR
HERE, THIS THIS VISION
STATEMENT. AND I THINK IN
SUMMARY, WE THINK THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD CAN HAVE IT ALL. I
THINK THAT'S TOTALLY A
REALISTIC THING. OVER THE COURSE
OF THE 20 YEAR PLANNING PERIOD,
WE THINK THIS PLACE CAN HAVE ALL
OF THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A
COMPLETE URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD,
COMPREHENSIVE AMENITIES,
WALKABILITY, PUBLIC SPACES, AND,
AND THIS PLANNING PROCESS IS
SORT OF THE FIRST STEP TO
LEVERAGING THE DEVELOPMENT
INTEREST IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO
MAKE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN LIKE
WITH ALL OF OUR REGIONAL
CENTERS, PLANS ARE THE BASIC
STRUCTURE OF THIS PLAN ARE THESE
FIVE BIG PICTURE POLICY THEMES
THAT HELP US TO ACHIEVE THE
AFOREMENTIONED VISION. AND THESE
ARE BASED ON SOME OF THE MORE
PROMINENT THEMES IDENTIFIED BY
COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT OUR
OUTREACH AND RESEARCH PROCESS.
SO NEIGHBORHOOD FOR ALL SEASONS.
THAT'S KIND OF A SNEAKY WAY OF
SAYING TWO THINGS AT ONCE. HERE
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SEASONS
OF LIFE. YOU KNOW, ACCOMMODATING
RESIDENTS AND VISITORS FROM FROM
A YOUNG AGE TO TO OLDER AGE WITH
HOUSING AND AMENITIES AND THAT
ARE COMMENSURATE WITH THOSE LIFE
PHASES. AND THEN, BUT THEN, OF
COURSE, WE'RE ALSO TALKING
ABOUT SEASONS OF THE YEAR AND
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ABILITY TO BE
RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND
THE IMPACTS FROM THAT. THE
LIVING WITH PLACE THEME, THAT'S
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT, THE, THE BEAVER
POND, THORNTON CREEK, ET
CETERA., AND HOW WE ACCENTUATE
THOSE THINGS AND EMPHASIZE THOSE
THINGS AND IMPROVE THE, THE, THE
WAY THAT OUR RESIDENTS AND
WORKERS CAN INTERACT WITH THOSE
SPACES. EDDIE CREATE. NORTHGATE.
THAT'S ABOUT ENCOURAGING THE
ORGANIC CREATION OF THAT
NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY THAT I,
THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER,
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS
THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE
GOING TO NORTHGATE FOR AND TO DO
CONNECTED COMMUNITIES. THAT'S,
THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY
FOCUSED TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT
OF THIS, OF THIS PLAN WHERE WE
HAVE A LOT OF OUR DOT ORIENTED
POLICIES, ORIGINATED POLICIES,
AND BEST DOT PROJECT LIST AND
THINGS LIKE THAT. SHARED
ABUNDANCE. AND THEN THAT'S ABOUT
OUR GROWTH AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
AND HOW FOLKS ALONG VARIOUS
PARTS OF THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME
SPECTRUM CAN, CAN BENEFIT FROM
HOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROWS AND
CHANGES OVER THE PLANNING
HORIZON. SO I'M GOING TO START
TO GRADUALLY ZOOM INTO SOME
POLICY FOCUSES OF THIS PLAN AND
GET A LITTLE SOME MORE TANGIBLE
THINGS. WE'LL START WITH JUST
THE WHEN YOU READ THE PLAN,
THESE MIGHT BE SOME OF THE
BIGGER TAKEAWAYS. SOME ARE MORE
OBVIOUS THAN OTHERS. BUT BUT,
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO THROUGH
THIS PLAN AND THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF ITS POLICIES, WE WANT TO ADD
STRATEGICALLY, ADD DENSITY AND,
AND, AND HOUSING AND TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF OUR TRANSIT
ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY
PRESENTED BY THE LIGHT RAIL
STATION. WE WANT TO EXPAND OUR
ACCESS TO TO OPEN SPACES,
MITIGATE CLIMATE VULNERABILITIES
LIKE THE IMPERVIOUS SURFACES,
AND INCLUDE SOME DEEP PAVING
WHERE WHERE PRACTICAL. WE WANT
TO IMPROVE THE WALKABILITY
CONDITIONS DRAMATICALLY. WE WANT
TO WE WANT TO MITIGATE AGAINST
SOME OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF
HAVING I-5 GO THROUGH THE MIDDLE
OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE.
OBVIOUSLY, THE WALKABILITY AND
CONNECTIVITY IMPLICATIONS OF
THAT, BUT ALSO THE ENVIRONMENTAL
AND NOISE IMPACTS. AND THEN WE
WANT TO IMPLEMENT THE ELEMENTS
OF THAT. THE NATIVE NEIGHBORHOOD
THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY OUR
INDIGENOUS CONSULTING WORK THAT
I MENTIONED EARLIER. SO I'LL
DIVE INTO A FEW EVEN MORE
CONCRETE EXAMPLES HERE THE
MID-BLOCK CORRIDOR, SOMETHING
WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON A
LITTLE BIT WITH OUR LAND USE
IMPLEMENTATION TEAM. THIS
INVOLVES LEVERAGING THE
DEVELOPMENT DEMAND TO EXPAND THE
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
EFFECTIVELY, WE THINK WE CAN USE
THE LAND USE CODE TO ASK
DEVELOPERS TO BUILD ADDITIONAL
STREETS OR PEDESTRIAN PATHS
THROUGH THEIR PROPERTIES IN
EXCHANGE FOR THE THE DENSITY
THAT THEY WANT. AND AS A RESULT,
WE END UP WITH A WITH A BETTER
CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOOD WITH
SMALLER BLOCKS. I MEAN, DON'T
DON'T TAKE THE IMAGE TO THE
RIGHT, BUT BY HEART, BY, BY ANY
MEANS. IT'S IT'S, IT'S JUST
LIKE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE
IT'S COMPARING WHAT THE CURRENT
BLOCK SIZES LOOK LIKE TO LIKE
WHAT A TYPICAL SEATTLE URBAN
NEIGHBORHOOD MIGHT LOOK LIKE,
AND HOW MID-BLOCK CORRIDORS
COULD HELP US TO, TO GET TO THAT
CONDITION AND IMPROVED
PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE. AND WE,
WE WANT TO AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT
THIS IS THE LAND USE
IMPLEMENTATION TEAM IS ALREADY
TAKING SOME STEPS ON. WE WANT TO
MAKE STRATEGIC ZONING CHANGES
THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S
CAPTURED IN OUR FUTURE LAND USE
MAP. THAT AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT
APPEARS IN ALL THE PLANS BECAUSE
IT'S REQUIRED. BUT YOU KNOW, WE
WANT TO CREATE THOSE ADDITIONAL
MORE DESTINATIONS, REPLACE THE
SURFACE PARKING WITH SOMETHING
THAT LENDS ITSELF TO A
FUNCTIONAL URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE PROJECT LIST, AGAIN, AN
EXAMPLE, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF
SOMETHING THAT APPEARS IN ALL
THE PLANS. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH
SDOT TO, TO FURTHER THEIR WORK
FROM THE SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION
PLAN THAT THEY COMPLETED A
COUPLE YEARS AGO. BY IDENTIFYING
SOME INCREMENTALLY MORE SPECIFIC
TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS IN
KEY LOCATIONS. AS YOU MIGHT
IMAGINE, WALKABILITY WAS THE WAS
THE PRIMARY FOCUS. BUT THERE ARE
BIKE AND TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS
HERE AS WELL. CROSSWALK
SIDEWALKS, BIKE LANES, YOU KNOW,
MORE PLEASANT WAYS TO CROSS I-5
AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I
ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO, TO OPEN
THAT UP BECAUSE IT'S A LONG ONE.
THE ECOLOGY CORRIDOR, THAT'S
ONE OF OUR MORE ABSTRACT
CONCEPTS IN THE, IN THE PLAN,
BUT IT'S, IT'S EFFECTIVELY AN
IMPLEMENTATION OF A
RECOMMENDATION FROM THOSE
INDIGENOUS CONSULTANTS AND THE
COLLABORATORS AND SUPPORTERS OF
THOSE OF THOSE PRODUCTS. THIS
THE INTENT IS TO IMPROVE THE
NEIGHBORHOOD'S RELATIONSHIP WITH
ITS NATURAL FEATURES THROUGH
THIS LINEAR PATH BETWEEN THE THE
BARTON WOODS AREA JUST NORTH OF
NORTH SEATTLE COLLEGE, DOWN THE
100th STREET, RIGHT OF WAY UP
INTO THORNTON CREEK, AND THE
RESULT, WE WOULD HOPE, WOULD BE
AN IMPROVED ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION
IN THESE AREAS. A MUCH HIGHER
NATIVE TREE AND PLANT DENSITY IN
THE. IN THESE SPACES, INCLUDING
THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY ON 100th
AND ALONG I-5 AND THEN WHAT.
EXPLORING THE USE OF BARTON
WOODS OR. OR NEIGHBORING
FORESTED AREAS AS A AS A NATIVE
FOOD FOREST, WHICH THAT'S
ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE'RE ALSO
STARTING TO WORK ON WITH SOME
PARTNERS AT DEPARTMENT OF
NEIGHBORHOODS OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEN WE'RE JUST STARTING TO
HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH NORTH
SEATTLE COLLEGE ABOUT SOME
APPROPRIATE SPACES FOR, FOR
FRUIT FOREST, WHICH IS
EFFECTIVELY A THIS, A
MULTI-TIERED EDIBLE ECOSYSTEM.
THAT'S A HISTORICALLY
SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE FOOD
PRODUCTION FOR THE COAST SALISH
PEOPLES. AND YEAH, THOSE ARE ALL
OF THE EXAMPLES I HAVE. I'LL
PAUSE HERE. AND IF ANYONE HAS
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLAN OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THANKS.
-- OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THERE'S A LOT THERE,
COLLEAGUES. AND JUST FOR THIS
MORNING, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE
WENT THROUGH THAT PRESENTATION,
BUT FEEL FREE IF YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY FOR, FOR
THE NEXT PRESENTATION. BUT ANY
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? AND IF
COLLEAGUES DON'T HAVE ANY, I, I
HAVE A FEW. JUST HOLD ON ONE
MORE MINUTE. COULD YOU TALK
ABOUT SO I AS PART OF THE PUGET
SOUND REGIONAL COUNCIL, I KNOW
THAT THERE ARE SOME CONDITIONS
AND DEADLINES. COULD YOU JUST
REMIND US WHAT THOSE ARE? AND
ALSO JUST FOR THE PUBLIC SAKE.
-- SURE. DO YOU. I GO.
-- AHEAD TO THE. I'LL I'LL SPEAK
OVERALL TO THE CONDITION AROUND
ADOPTING SUB AREA PLANS. SO THE
PUGET SOUND REGIONAL COUNCIL HAS
NOW REQUIRED MUNICIPALITIES TO
ADOPT SUBAREA PLANS FOR ALL
REGIONAL CENTERS AND
MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL
CENTERS BY. FOR EXISTING ONES
THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN
DESIGNATED BY THE END OF 2027.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE. THE
STAGGERED PACKAGES OF PLANS THAT
YOU ARE RECEIVING. AND YEAH,
JESSE, I THINK IF THERE'S ANY,
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD
SPECIFICALLY AROUND NORTHGATE.
-- YEAH, WELL, I MEAN, BOTH THE
DOWNTOWN AND NORTHGATE PLANS, WE
WE'RE, WE'RE EAGER TO. ADOPT
THESE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO
LIKE WITHIN THIS ANNUAL COMP
PLAN AMENDMENT WINDOW OF THIS
YEAR SO THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING
TO DO THAT WITH, YOU KNOW, NINE
PLANS OR SEVEN PLANS NEXT YEAR,
WHICH WOULD BE START TO
CHALLENGE OUR ABILITY TO MEET
THE DEADLINES WITH THESE. AND,
AND ALSO ENABLE THESE CENTERS TO
QUALIFY FOR THOSE TRANSPORTATION
FUNDS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
-- WONDERFUL. AND DO YOU RECALL,
AND WE CAN CHAT OFFLINE, BUT DO
YOU RECALL THE CONDITIONS? I
JUST DON'T RECALL OFF THE TOP
OF MY HEAD WHAT THE CONDITIONS
WERE. I KNOW THAT THE THE PSRC
HAD A FEW CONCERNS ABOUT THE
SIZE OF THE REGIONAL.
-- CENTER FOR NORTHGATE IN
PARTICULAR.
-- YEAH, FOR NORTHGATE.
-- THANK YOU FOR THAT REFRAMING
THERE. I YES, SO THE PSRC DID
ASK THAT WE REVISIT THE, THE,
THE BOUNDARY AND SHAPE OF THE,
OF THE NORTHGATE REGIONAL
CENTER, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT
WE TALK ABOUT IN THE PLAN AND
TEE UP TO DO AFTER THIS PLAN'S
ADOPTION. AT THIS POINT, FOR,
FOR THE TIMELINE REASONS THAT WE
WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, OUR
INTENTION IS TO ADOPT IT WITH
THE WITH THE EXISTING SHAPE. BUT
BUT THERE ARE, I THINK, GOOD
REASONS FOR US TO AFTER AFTER WE
MAKE SURE WE MEET THAT DEADLINE
FOR NEXT YEAR TO, TO THINK ABOUT
PLACES WHERE WE COULD BOTH
EXPAND AND CONTRACT THE, THE
REGIONAL CENTER IN CERTAIN
PLACES AND IN A, IN A WAY THAT
MAKES IT SERVE AS A AS A
LOGICAL, LIKE SINGLE, YOU KNOW,
URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS
CONNECTIVITY PROVIDED TO ALL THE
SPACES WITHIN THE BOUNDARY.
YEAH. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHEN
WE AND WE DETAIL IN THE PLAN HOW
EXACTLY WE WOULD EVALUATE THAT.
-- OKAY.
-- AND THEN COULD YOU JUST
SPEAK. WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE
FROM THORNTON CREEK ALLIANCE.
THEY'VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN DEEPLY
INVOLVED IN THIS SUBAREA FOR
DECADES. COULD YOU JUST SPEAK TO
KIND OF SOME OF THE THE
ENGAGEMENT, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK
YOU'VE HEARD AND RESPONSES TO
ANY OF THAT FEEDBACK?
-- SURE. YEAH. SO WE HAD A FEW
DIFFERENT PHASES OF ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAD OUR BIG MORE VISIONING,
HIGH LEVEL PRIORITIES,
ENGAGEMENT THAT I REFERENCED
EARLIER, WHERE WE HAD A COUPLE,
A LITTLE LESS THAN A COUPLE
THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS IN TOTAL.
YOU KNOW, HELPING US SET OUR
INITIAL DIRECTION TO FIND THE
THEMES OF THE PLAN. AND THAT
THAT INCLUDED A LOT OF OUR, YOU
KNOW, PARTNER COMMUNITY GROUPS
LIKE THE THORNTON CREEK
ALLIANCE. AND, AND THEN LATER ON
IN THE PROCESS, MORE, MORE
TOWARDS THE END, WHEN THE PUBLIC
DRAFT PLAN WAS BEING RELEASED.
YEAH, WE, WE REACHED OUT TO
THESE ORGANIZATIONS, SHARED A
COPY OF THE PLAN, ENCOURAGED
THEM TO PROVIDE COMMENT. AND I
THINK WE GOT, I THINK MAYBE 10
OR 12 LETTERS I DON'T KNOW, OFF
THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT AROUND
THERE FROM FROM THESE
ORGANIZATIONS AND WE, YEAH, WE
TAKE ALL THOSE COMMENTS
SERIOUSLY AND, AND TRY TO FIGURE
OUT LIKE, WHICH MADE SENSE TO
INCORPORATE INTO CHANGES THAT WE
MAKE IN THE PLAN. AND WE DID, WE
DID MAKE A FEW, BUT OBVIOUSLY
THERE ARE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW,
OPINIONS ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT
SHOULD BE IN THE PLAN OR NOT. SO
NOT 100% OF THOSE, BUT THAT'S,
THAT'S HOW WE INCORPORATED
THEM.
-- THANK YOU. AND JUST A COUPLE
MORE QUESTIONS. AND THIS SORT OF
RELATES TO KIND OF THE HOW TO
MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF I-5, BUT
ALSO JUST HOW TO ADDRESS SORT OF
THE, THE VAST AMOUNTS OF KIND OF
IMPERVIOUS SURFACES DEVOTED TO
PARKING. AND, YOU KNOW, I HEARD
YOU MENTIONED PAVING A LITTLE
WHERE PRACTICAL. COULD YOU JUST
TALK ABOUT SORT OF HOW, HOW YOU
THINK ABOUT THAT FROM A PLANNING
PERSPECTIVE? AND YOU KNOW, WHAT
WE WOULD NEED TO DO TO SORT OF
MAKE THAT MORE OF A REALITY, YOU
KNOW, AFTER WE FINISH THE
PLANNING PERSPECTIVE.
-- SURE.
-- YEAH. SO IN NORTHGATE,
THAT'S ACTUALLY I THINK A
LITTLE MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD THAN
IT MIGHT BE IN OTHER CENTERS
BECAUSE OF ITS STATE OF
TRANSITION AND REDEVELOPMENT. IF
WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE WORK QUICKLY
AND, AND STRATEGICALLY, WE CAN
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO
MAKE CHANGES TO OUR TO OUR LAND
USE REGULATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW,
ENCOURAGE THESE ON THE PRIVATE
SIDE, THESE THESE REDEVELOPMENTS
TO ACCOMMODATE A LOT OF THOSE
GOALS, WHETHER THAT'S, YOU
KNOW, I MEAN, I DON'T WANT I
DON'T WANT TO COMMIT
NECESSARILY TO LIKE SPECIFIC
REGULATIONS, BUT LIKE JUST FOR
EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE
MID-BLOCK CORRIDORS AND WHAT
APPEARS IN THOSE, HOW BIG THEY
ARE, WHAT KIND OF GATHERING
SPACES THEY OFFER, IF ANY. BUT,
BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S
PATHWAYS THROUGH OUR ZONING CODE
TO, TO ASK FOR OPEN SPACES IN
DIFFERENT, IN DIFFERENT WAYS
THAT, THAT WE'VE USED THROUGHOUT
THE CITY AND OTHER CENTERS AND
BEYOND AS WELL. SO, AND THAT,
THAT WOULD I THINK THAT COULD,
THAT COULD COME IN A LOT OF
DIFFERENT SHAPES THAT COULD COME
ON LIKE, YOU KNOW, PRIVATELY
OWNED PUBLIC SPACES OR, OR
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACQUISITIONS
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THERE'S
A LOT OF WAYS TO DO I THINK
THAT. SO I THINK NORTHGATE IS,
IS PRETTY WELL POSITIONED TO, TO
HANDLE THAT. YEAH.
-- OKAY. WONDERFUL. AND I MEAN,
COULD YOU JUST TALK ABOUT IN
TERMS OF LIKE TIMING AFTER KIND
OF SUBAREA PLAN, WHAT WOULD THE
NEXT STEPS BE IN TERMS OF, YOU
KNOW, TRYING TO DEVELOP THOSE
REGULATIONS OR MAKE THAT MORE OF
A REALITY?
-- SURE. SO WITH NORTHGATE,
WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY ALREADY
KIND OF STARTING TO HIT THE
GROUND RUNNING A LITTLE BIT HERE
WITH, WITH SOME OF OUR IDEAS
THAT MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE LONGER
OR THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE
GET IN THE DOOR BEFORE, YOU
KNOW, A LOT OF THAT
REDEVELOPMENT TAKES PLACE AND WE
MISS THAT, THAT WINDOW. SO I
MENTIONED THE, THE, THE LAND USE
CODE CHANGES AROUND MID-BLOCK
CORRIDORS. THAT THAT'S SOMETHING
WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON. AND
OBVIOUSLY THROUGH DIFFERENT
AVENUES OF, OF MAKING CHANGES TO
THE, THE ZONING CODE THROUGHOUT
THE CENTER, THROUGH THE
RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE MADE IN
THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, THE
FEATURE IN THE PLAN. OBVIOUSLY,
WE HAVE A MULTI-PHASE COMP
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ZONING
IMPLEMENTATION WORK THAT'S
HAPPENING CONCURRENTLY. AND
THAT'S WORKS IN TANDEM WITH THE
RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS PLAN. SO
THAT'S THAT'S AN ONGOING THING.
AND THEN I MENTIONED THAT WE'RE
YEAH, WE'RE WORKING ON THE
TRYING TO FIND A LOCATION FOR
THE, FOR THE FOOD FOREST AND,
AND YEAH, I THINK IT KIND OF
DEPENDS. THE, THE PLAN PRODUCES
A LOT OF RECOMMENDED ACTION
STEPS. SOME. WILL, YOU KNOW,
TAKE A LONG TIME TO IDENTIFY
LIKE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY. BUT,
BUT I THINK THERE WILL THERE ARE
SOME THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE
LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT WE CAN
ACCOMPLISH IN THE SHORTER TERM,
JUST LIKE THE, THE THREE THAT I
MENTIONED. SO. AND THE IF YOU IF
YOU GO INTO THE PLAN, THERE IS A
COUPLE DIFFERENT LISTS OF
PROJECTS THAT MIGHT HELP A
READER TO ORIENT THEMSELVES TO
WHAT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS
MIGHT BE. THERE'S A THERE,
THERE'S A LIST OF ACTION
ACTIONS THAT ARE LIKE OUR MOST
LIKE TANGIBLE PIECES OF POLICY
FROM, FROM THE PLANS THAT, THAT,
THAT ARE INCLUDED IN ALL THE
PLANS. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A
TRANSPORTATION PROJECT LIST
THAT'S REQUIRED BY PSRC.
THAT'S DOT PRODUCED, AS I
MENTIONED, WITH A LOT OF
INSPIRATION FROM THE
TRANSPORTATION PLAN, BUT ALSO
INSPIRED BY SOME EXTRA
ENGAGEMENT THAT THEY DID
SPECIFICALLY IN NORTHGATE DURING
THIS PLANNING PROCESS. SO THOSE
ARE AND THOSE I THINK ARE
LABELED BY, YOU KNOW, LIKE
SHORT, MEDIUM, LONG TERM TYPES
OF INVESTMENTS AND COSTS AND
THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THAT'S, I
THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY FOR A
READER TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
-- OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I GUESS
I'LL JUST SORT OF FOR, FOR MY
OWN SORT OF BIG PICTURE HERE IS
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE SOME
IMPORTANT UPDATES TO, TO YES,
ALLOW MORE HOUSING, BUT ALSO TO
MAKE IT SORT OF A GREENER, MORE
PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, MORE BIKE
FRIENDLY, SOME. INDIGENOUS SORT
OF ELEMENTS PLANNING ELEMENTS TO
THIS AND UNTIL WE SORT OF MOVE
FORWARD WITH BOTH THE SUBAREA
PLAN AND THEN THE RELATED
DEVELOPMENT RELATED REGULATIONS
THAT THERE COULD BE, YOU KNOW,
DEVELOPMENT THAT OCCURS UNDER
OUR CURRENT ZONING AND RULES
THAT WOULD SORT OF, YOU KNOW,
THAT THAT DOESN'T HAVE THOSE
ELEMENTS TO IT. AND SO LOOK
FORWARD TO CONTINUING. IT'S,
IT'S SORT OF EXCITING TO
REIMAGINE. I MEAN, THERE'S JUST
SUCH INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY UP
IN THIS AREA. I THINK, YOU KNOW,
I THINK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF
THIS AREA WITH NORTHGATE MALL,
ONE OF THE FIRST, IF NOT LIKE
THE FIRST SORT OF SUBURBAN TYPE
MALL WITH JUST VAST FIELDS OF
PARKING AND SORT OF THE HARM
THAT OCCURRED FROM THAT AND THE
POTENTIAL THAT WE HAVE TO, TO
REIMAGINE THIS AREA FOR, AGAIN,
SORT OF A MORE DENSE, WALKABLE
GREEN, AFFORDABLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO LOOK FORWARD TO, TO THAT
WORK, LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING
TO ENGAGE WITH, WITH THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, INCLUDING, OF
COURSE, THE, THE THORNTON CREEK
ALLIANCE, WHICH AGAIN HAS HAS
BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER FOR,
FOR DECADES. UP, UP IN THAT
NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THANK YOU AND
LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT
PRESENTATION.
-- THANKS.
-- SO WE'LL TRANSITION.
-- I'M SORRY CHAIR, I DIDN'T
GET MY HAND UP THERE FAST
ENOUGH.
-- SORRY. VICE CHAIR. YES.
-- NO PROBLEM. JUST WANT TO
THANK THE TEAM FOR PUTTING THIS
TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS
GROWING UP, MOST OF NORTHGATE
WERE PARKING LOTS. IT'S NICE TO
SEE THAT THERE'S MORE TREE
CANOPY ALONG AND DAYLIGHTING OF
THE CREEK. SINCE, YOU KNOW, 20
YEARS AGO, BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT
MORE WORK TO DO. SO I JUST
REALLY WANTED TO APPRECIATE OUR
PUBLIC COMMENTER FOR COMING IN
AND MAKING SURE TO HOLD OUR FEET
TO THE FIRE, ABOUT INCREASING
THE CANOPY AT WHAT HAS YOU KNOW,
THIS WAS ONE OF THE FEW SPRINGS
IN SEATTLE WHERE IT'S BEEN A
LONG TIME CONNECTION POINT.
THAT'S WHY WE JUST LANDMARKED
THE PARK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF
THE FREEWAY, WHICH IS NOT
TECHNICALLY IN THIS REGIONAL
CENTER, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST TO
SAY THAT NORTHGATE HAS BEEN AN
IMPORTANT PLACE HISTORICALLY
SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL. AND IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO
WORK TO REPAIR THE CONCRETE, YOU
KNOW, DAMAGE THAT WE'VE DONE AND
SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BOTH
INCREASE OUR JOBS AND OUR
HOUSING AND OUR TRANSIT, AND
ALSO INCREASE THE THE
RESTORATION TO THE AREA THAT
WE'VE DISTURBED SO MUCH. AND
JUST SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF
TIME. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY
THANK YOU AND LOOKING FORWARD TO
THE REST OF THE CONVERSATION.
-- THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR STRAUSS
COULDN'T AGREE MORE
-- ALL RIGHT. SO TRANSITIONING
TO THE DOWNTOWN REGIONAL CENTER
PLAN, I THINK IS A TRANSITIONING
TO THAT FROM THE NORTHGATE
CENTER PLAN IS A HELPFUL KIND OF
ILLUSTRATION OF WHY WE DO
SUBAREA PLANNING, RIGHT? THESE
TWO AREAS ARE DESIGNATED BOTH AS
REGIONAL CENTERS IN OUR
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND AND HAVE
POLICIES RELATED TO THEM IN IN
THAT PLAN, HOWEVER, THEY ARE
VERY DIFFERENT CONTEXTS WITH
VERY DIFFERENT HISTORIES AND
VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF NEEDS AND
CONSTITUENCIES. SO I'LL DIG
INTO THE NORTHGATE, THE DOWNTOWN
REGIONAL CENTER PLAN. AND AS
WE'VE INTRODUCED, ERICA BUSH IS
JOINING ME. SHE STEWARDED THIS
PLAN THROUGH MOST OF ITS HISTORY
AT OPCD. SO I'M VERY THANKFUL
FOR, FOR HER TO JOIN US AND
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, ANY MORE
IN DEPTH QUESTIONS. SO I DON'T
I DON'T NEED TO REALLY
INTRODUCE THE DOWNTOWN REGIONAL
CENTER TO ALL OF YOU. WE ARE IN
DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW. WE ALL KNOW
AND LOVE DOWNTOWN, BUT JUST IN
TERMS OF HOW WE DEFINE IT KIND
OF GEOGRAPHICALLY IN THE
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND OUR
REGIONAL CENTER PLAN, YOU CAN
SEE THE BOUNDARIES ARE ARE THE
WATERFRONT NORTH TO DENNY, SOUTH
TO THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT
AND PIONEER SQUARE, AND MAINLY
BOUNDED ON THE EAST BY I-5. WE
ALL KNOW IT'S A KIND OF REGIONAL
HEART OF OUR OF THE PUGET SOUND
AREA IN TERMS OF HOUSING,
EMPLOYMENT, TRANSPORTATION AND
CULTURE. AND IT'S A. IT IS NOT
ONE DISTINCT CENTER. IT'S A
COLLECTION OF FIVE DISTINCT
NEIGHBORHOODS, AS WELL AS
SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC
DISTRICTS AND IDENTITIES. SO
WE'RE VERY CAREFUL IN THE PLAN
TO ENGAGE GEOGRAPHICALLY
THROUGHOUT THE THROUGHOUT THE
CENTER, AS WELL AS SPEAK
SPECIFICALLY TO THE NEEDS AND
GAPS AND ASSETS IN EACH SPECIFIC
NEIGHBORHOOD AND AREA WITHIN THE
PLAN. SO AGAIN, VERY KIND OF
SIMILAR APPROACHES TO EQUITABLE
ENGAGEMENT FOR THE DOWNTOWN
REGIONAL CENTER WITH THE IDEA OF
BEING VERY INTENTIONAL,
INTENTIONAL, OF REACHING OUT TO
HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED
GROUPS THROUGH DIFFERENT
OPPORTUNITIES LIKE POP UP
EVENTS, PUBLIC WORKSHOPS,
SURVEYS ARTIST LED INTERVIEWS,
USING OUR RACIAL EQUITY TOOLKIT.
WE ALSO SIMILARLY RELEASED
RELEASED A DRAFT PLAN FOR PUBLIC
COMMENT, AND INCORPORATED
COMMENTS INTO THE FINAL PLAN
THAT YOU HAVE NOW FOR
CONSIDERATION.
-- OH, SURE.
-- THANKS AGAIN. I WON'T READ
THE THE FULL VISION, BUT THIS IS
KIND OF THE STATEMENT THAT
GROUNDS THE, THE FIVE THEMES
THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE PLAN AND
KIND OF THE OVERALL VISION
STATEMENT FOR THE DOWNTOWN
CENTER. THOSE FIVE THEMES
SIMILAR TO NORTHGATE, WE SORT OF
SHYING AWAY FROM THE. THE MORE
TOPIC DESCRIPTIVE CHAPTERS LIKE
TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING AND
MORE BRINGING THOSE THINGS
TOGETHER BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD
FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE
VISION THAT THEY ARTICULATED FOR
US FOR DOWNTOWN. SO FIRST IS
DOWNTOWN IS HOME REALLY FOCUSING
ON HOUSING GROWTH,
AFFORDABILITY, AND SUPPORTING
FAMILIES. MAKE DOWNTOWN SAFE AND
WELCOMING, BOTH THINKING ABOUT
SAFETY AS WELL AS BELONGING AND
OPEN SPACE AND CULTURE. MAKE USE
OF EVERY SQUARE FOOT THINKING
ABOUT JOBS, RETAIL, ADAPTIVE
REUSE AND ECONOMIC VITALITY. OUR
HOME FOR THE NEXT SEVEN
GENERATIONS. THAT'S TALKING
ABOUT CLIMATE, INDIGENOUS
STEWARDSHIP AND RESILIENCE, AND
THEN FIND OUR WAY.
TRANSPORTATION, STREETS,
WAYFINDING AND ACCESSIBILITY
BEFORE I DIG INTO THE SPECIFICS
WITHIN EACH OF THOSE THEMES,
THERE IS A A VERY KIND OF
HELPFUL GRAPHIC IN THE PLAN THAT
BRINGS TOGETHER THE KIND OF
PUBLIC REALM AND, AND SPATIAL
IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE DISCUSSED
IN EACH THEME OF THE PLAN. WE
CALL THEM BIG IDEAS FOR
DOWNTOWN. THERE'S 16 SPECIFIC
PROJECTS THAT ARE DISCUSSED, AND
THEY KIND OF, AGAIN, BRING
TOGETHER THOSE, THE FIVE THEMES
IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN KIND OF
VIEW AND SEE WITH IDEAS TO
PRIORITIZE PEOPLE AND DESIGNING
OUR PUBLIC SPACES AND RIGHTS OF
WAY TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE FEELS
SAFE AND WELCOME. SUPPORTING AND
DESIGNING KEY COMMERCIAL
CORRIDORS TO SUPPORT CULTURE,
COMMUNITY, AND ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY. FOCUSING ON
NAVIGATION, PARTICULARLY FOR
POPULATIONS LIKE CHILDREN, OLDER
ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES THE PLAN REALLY
POINTS TOWARDS EMBRACING AND
EMBRACING THE WATERFRONT AND THE
WATERFRONT EDGE THROUGHOUT THE
PLAN, BUT ALSO FOCUSING ON KIND
OF GREEN CONNECTIONS AND CLEAR
SIGHT LINES. AND THEN ADVANCING
STATION AREA PLANNING THAT
SUPPORTS ADDITIONAL HOUSING. SO
YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THOSE LIKE
THOSE TWO HUBS THAT WE'RE
REALLY KIND OF THINKING ABOUT
THE WESTLAKE HUB AND THE SOUTH
DOWNTOWN HUB AS WE MOVE TOWARDS
SOME REALLY SOME NEAR TERM
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL
PLANNING AND HOUSING. SO THE
FIRST THEME AND REALLY KIND OF A
CORE COMPONENT OF THE DOWNTOWN
PLAN AS A WHOLE AND THE
DIRECTION THAT, YOU KNOW, I
THINK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND WE,
WE REALLY HEARD RESOUNDING
SUPPORT FOR IS THE IDEA OF
DOWNTOWN IS HOME. SO REALLY
WORKING TO TRANSITION AND
SUPPORT ADDITIONAL HOUSING
DOWNTOWN. THE PLAN CALLS FOR
13,500 NEW HOUSING UNITS BY
2044. AND TO DO THAT, WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRESERVING
AND EXPANDING HOUSING ACROSS
INCOME LEVELS, AS WELL AS
EVOLVING DOWNTOWN AS A
NEIGHBORHOOD, AS A SET OF
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ACTUALLY THAT
REALLY MEET DIVERSE RESIDENT
NEEDS OF, OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE
THERE NOW AND FUTURE RESIDENTS.
SO THAT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW,
SEVERAL POLICIES AND ACTIONS
AROUND USING THINGS LIKE
INCENTIVE ZONING AND, AND
REDEVELOPMENT TOOLS TO ADVANCE
HOUSING AND CONVERSION,
CONVERSION OF EXISTING STOCK OR
BUILDINGS TO, TO MEET THOSE
NEEDS. AGAIN, ALSO EXPLORING KEY
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STATION AREA
REDEVELOPMENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN
WE THINK ABOUT THE NEED FOR
FAMILY SCALE HOUSING. SO MAKE
DOWNTOWN SAFE AND WELCOMING.
THIS INVOLVES BOTH THINKING
ABOUT SAFETY FOR EVERYONE AT ALL
HOURS IN OUR PUBLIC SPACES, AS
WELL AS CREATING THAT WELCOMING
AND INCLUSIVE PUBLIC REALM. THAT
INCLUDES EXPANDING PARKS AND
GREEN SPACE AND CELEBRATING
DOWNTOWN'S HISTORY AND CULTURE.
SO THINGS LIKE INVESTING IN NEW
PUBLIC SPACE, AS WELL AS
STEWARDING THE THE SPACES THAT
WE HAVE SPECIFIC SAFETY
STRATEGIES THAT THAT PAIR, THAT
PHYSICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
WITH SOCIAL SERVICE
COORDINATION, AND THEN WEAVING
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
PRESERVATION INTO OUR PUBLIC
REALM. INVESTMENTS. MAKING USE
OF EVERY SQUARE FOOT AGAIN. SO
THE DOWNTOWN PLAN CALLS FOR
PLANNING FOR 60,000 NET NEW JOBS
OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS. AND TO
DO THAT, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK
AT HOW ARE WE USING THE SPACE
THAT WE HAVE NOW BETWEEN
EXISTING PARKING LOTS, VACANT
LAND, VACANT STRUCTURES. SO THIS
THEME INCLUDES STRATEGIES TO TO
ACTIVATE SOME OF THOSE
PROPERTIES SUPPORTING NEW LEGACY
AND SMALL BUSINESSES. REALLY
SUPPORTING AND OUR CREATIVE
INDUSTRY THROUGH VISIBILITY AND
SPACE INITIATIVES AND THINKING
AGAIN ABOUT ADAPTIVE REUSE AND
MIXED USE REPOSITIONING OF OF
EXISTING BUILDINGS.
-- THIS REALLY QUICK THERE WE
GO. LIKE I CAN'T SEE OKAY.
-- THEME FOR STEWARDING OUR HOME
FOR THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS.
THIS IS ABOUT CONNECTING PEOPLE
TO NATURE, CARING FOR OUR
NATURAL RESOURCES, REDUCING
FOSSIL FUEL RELIANCE AND
BUILDING RESILIENCE TO NATURAL
DISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND SO IN DOWNTOWN, THAT
INCLUDES USING A FOUNDATION OF
INDIGENOUS LED DESIGN PRINCIPLES
AND MULTIGENERATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.
THINKING ABOUT OUR SEISMIC
RESILIENCE AND RESOURCES, AS
WELL AS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND
RECOVERING AND EXPANDING OUR
TREE CANOPY DOWNTOWN, AS WELL AS
WATERFRONT ECOLOGICAL
RESTORATION. AND LAST BUT NOT
LEAST, FIND OUR WAY IS REALLY
OUR AGAIN, OUR TRANSPORTATION
FOCUSED THEME. THINKING ABOUT
PEOPLE ORIENTED PUBLIC SPACES,
RETHINKING STREET SPACE, MAKING
TRAVEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE,
CELEBRATING INDIGENOUS,
CULTURAL, CULTURAL HISTORY
THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM, AND BUILDING SUSTAINABLE
AND LEGIBLE MOBILITY. SO THINGS
LIKE REBALANCING EXISTING STREET
RIGHT OF WAY, ENHANCING OUR
WAYFINDING AND ACCESSIBILITY
INVESTMENTS, THINGS LIKE HILL
CLIMB, SEATING AND SHADE, AND
ADVANCING THE SEATTLE
TRANSPORTATION PLAN PROJECTS FOR
MULTI MODAL CORRIDOR AND SAFETY
PROJECTS. JESSE SPOKE A LOT
ABOUT THAT IN THE NORTHGATE
PLAN. THERE IS ALSO A A SEATTLE
TRANSPORTATION PLAN PROJECT LIST
FOR DOWNTOWN AND THEN STREET
DESIGN TO ADDITIONALLY SUPPORT
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, THINGS LIKE
ACTIVATED FRONTAGES, EVENT READY
CORRIDORS, THINGS LIKE.
-- THAT.
-- SO AGAIN, EACH REGIONAL
CENTER PLAN INCLUDES A FUTURE
LAND USE MAP. WE REALLY
-- FOUND IN LOOKING AT DOWNTOWN,
THERE IS A LOT OF EXISTING
CAPACITY. AND SO THIS IS MAYBE
LESS OF A TRADITIONAL FUTURE
LAND USE MAP MAP. AND INSTEAD IT
IDENTIFIES DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC
PLACE TYPES AND DISTRICTS AND
PROVIDES GUIDANCE FOR HOW WE
WANT APPROACH EACH AREA. IT DOES
INTRODUCE THE WATERFRONT AS A
DISTINCT DISTRICT. AGAIN, IT'S
NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT
RENAMING ANY EXISTING
NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT MORE MORE SO
FOCUSING ON WHAT IS THE TYPE OF
DEVELOPMENT WE WANT TO SEE IN
THE WATERFRONT AREA AND HOW DO
WE WANT TO SEE THAT AREA GROW
AND CHANGE NOW THAT THAT WE'VE
SEEN THE INVESTMENT THAT WE
HAVE? SO IT DOES THE PLAN
DISCUSSES HEIGHT AND DENSITY
INCREASES NEAR THE CIVIC CAMPUS
AND TRANSIT HUBS. AGAIN, THOSE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STATION AREA
PLANNING, PROTECTING VIEW
CORRIDORS AND AND MAINTAINING A
LOWER SCALE NEAR PIKE PLACE
MARKET. THINKING ABOUT ADAPTIVE
REUSE AND EMPHASIZING THAT IN
PLACES LIKE THE PIONEER SQUARE
AS WELL AS STUDYING AN
ANTI-DISPLACEMENT APPROACH IN
PLACES LIKE THE CITY AND SO THIS
IS ALSO THIS IS SIMILAR TO BOTH
PLANS. OUR IMPLEMENTATION
APPROACH AND KIND OF HOW THESE
PLANS WILL MOVE FORWARD OVER THE
NEXT 20 YEARS. EACH PLAN HAS
THIS IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX THAT
IDENTIFIES FOR EACH ACTION A
CITY STEWARD AS WELL AS PARTNERS
AND AN ANTICIPATED KIND OF
TIMELINE. SO OVERALL, OPCD WILL
REMAIN THE PLAN'S CHAMPION. BUT
SIMILAR TO HOW WE'VE DEVELOPED
THE PLANS, WE'LL BE WORKING IN
VERY CLOSE COLLABORATION,
COLLABORATION WITH ALL OF OUR
INTERDEPARTMENTAL PARTNERS AND
AND WORKING WITH THEM TO
IMPLEMENT THE ACTIVITIES THAT
ARE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS ALL OF
THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE PLANNING
NOW FOR 20 YEARS IN THE FUTURE.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW ALL
OF THE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN
IN 20 YEARS, JUST LIKE WE
DIDN'T PREDICT COVID 19 OR THE
IMPACT THAT THAT WOULD HAVE ON,
ON DOWNTOWN. SO THE IDEA IS THAT
THESE ARE LIVING IMPLEMENTATION
ROADMAPS AS KIND OF PRIORITIES
AND RESOURCES CHANGE WITH THE
CITY WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE PLANS
ARE, ARE DEVELOPED TO BE, YOU
KNOW, RESEQUENCED AND DIFFERENT
ACTIONS BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE
AS FUNDING AND PARTNERSHIPS AND
OPPORTUNITIES EVOLVE AND I THINK
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE END OF
OUR PRESENTATION ON DOWNTOWN AND
THE REGIONAL CENTERS. SO BEFORE
WE TRANSITION TO THE
MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL
CENTERS, LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE
ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
-- OKAY, COLLEAGUES, ANY
QUESTIONS AGAIN, I HAVE A FEW
QUESTIONS AND JUST REFLECTIONS,
BUT JUST GIVEN A ONE MORE SECOND
FOR COLLEAGUES, JUST THINKING
ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN, OBVIOUSLY,
IT'S A QUITE DIVERSE AREA WITH
THE FIVE AREAS WE'VE GOT C, D,
PIONEER SQUARE WE'VE GOT THREE
DIFFERENT CITY COUNCIL
DISTRICTS. WE'VE GOT OUR
CITYWIDE FOLKS WHO REPRESENT
THIS AREA, BUT SO UNIQUE ISSUES
WITH EACH KIND OF DISTINCT PART
OF DOWNTOWN. BUT ONE THING THAT
JUST SORT OF CAUGHT MY ATTENTION
IS THE PLANNING FOR 60,000
ADDITIONAL JOBS. AND, YOU KNOW,
JUST THINKING ABOUT THE HISTORY
OF OUR CITY AND WHAT HAS REALLY
SORT OF DRIVEN IN THE
TRANSFORMATION OF OUR CITY WAS
IT'S THOSE JOBS, THE TECH
SECTOR, RIGHT. AND BUT WE ARE
SEEING THIS MAJOR SORT OF, YOU
KNOW, CHANGE IN THAT INDUSTRY.
WE SEE OFFICE VACANCIES QUITE
HIGH. AND I DON'T KNOW FOR FROM
MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S A LITTLE
BIT HARD TO PREDICT WHAT'S GOING
TO HAPPEN WITH WITH AI, WITH THE
JOB SECTOR, WITH OFFICE SECTOR.
COULD YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT'S,
YOU KNOW, PLAYING OUT IN YOUR
THINKING? WHAT SORT OF
FLEXIBILITY DO WE HAVE DEPENDING
UPON, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE
ECONOMY?
-- YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO START
THAT. SO I THINK YOU'RE
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THERE'S ONLY
SO MUCH THAT WE CAN CONTROL IN
THE WORK THAT WE DO, WHAT WE CAN
HELP IS TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT
THAT'S CONDUCIVE TO ECONOMIC
GROWTH AND TO LIVABILITY. AND
WHAT THIS PLAN REALLY TRIED TO
CENTER ON WAS CREATING A MUCH
MORE DIVERSE AND ENGAGING
DOWNTOWN THAT WAS INSPIRING FOR
FOLKS TO DEVELOP AND TO COME
HERE. I THINK WHAT WE JUST SAW
WITH FIFA, WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER
TIME, IS THAT WE SOMETIMES
FORGET HOW INCREDIBLE OUR CITY
IS AND HOW MUCH OF AN INCREDIBLY
BEAUTIFUL, WALKABLE, ACCESSIBLE
ENVIRONMENT WE HAVE HERE. AND
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, WE'VE
LEANED IN REALLY HARD ON THAT
TECH SECTOR, AND WE DO NEED TO
DIVERSIFY. IT DOESN'T CREATE A
RESILIENT ECONOMY. AND WHAT YOU
WILL SEE IN THE SECTION, THE
ECONOMIC SECTION OF THIS PLAN IS
TALKING ABOUT HOW IF WE DON'T
SORT OF PAUSE AND TAKE NOTE OF
THE NEED TO DIVERSIFY, WE PUT
OURSELVES IN A REALLY RISKY
PLACE. AND WE'VE HEARD A LOT
FROM FOLKS THROUGHOUT THE
PLANNING THAT THEY WANT A
DIVERSE CITY. ARTISTS WANT TO
WORK DOWNTOWN, EDUCATORS WANT TO
WORK DOWNTOWN. THE MARITIME
INDUSTRY WANTS TO CONTINUE TO
FUNCTION AND THRIVE DOWNTOWN. WE
HAVE AN INCREDIBLE DESIGN AND
ARCHITECTURAL CULTURE HERE. WE
HAVE INDUSTRIES BASICALLY THAT
COVER EVERY SPECTRUM, AND WE
NEED TO ENCOURAGE GROWTH IN ALL
OF THOSE SECTORS VERSUS KIND OF
LEANING INTO JUST ONE. AND I
THINK THAT WILL CONTINUE TO HELP
SEATTLE THRIVE AND ACTUALLY
BECOME WHAT THE PLAN DEFINES AS
OUR LARGEST RESIDENTIAL HUB, AS
WELL AS JUST JOB GROWTH.
-- OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. IF
THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS FROM COLLEAGUES, I CAN
MOVE, MOVE ALONG.
-- PASS IT OVER TO JIM HOME.
-- IS THAT THERE?
-- I AM READY.
I AM HAVING TROUBLE. YEAH. IT'S
OH, YEAH. OKAY YOU SHOULD BE
ABLE TO USE. AWESOME. THANK YOU.
-- OKAY. YEAH. COULD YOU GO
AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR
THE RECORD AND PLEASE GO AHEAD
AND GET STARTED WHEN YOU'RE
READY.
-- YEAH. JIM HOLMES, SENIOR
PLANNER WITH OFFICE OF PLANNING
AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. I'M
HERE TO GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION
ON BOTH OF THE MANUFACTURING
INDUSTRIAL CENTER PLANS. BEFORE
I DO THAT, I REALLY WANT TO TALK
ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
INDUSTRIAL MARITIME STRATEGY.
AND THESE PLANS ARE AN
IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT STRATEGY.
THAT STRATEGY WAS SOMETHING THAT
WAS INITIATED IN 2019. IT WAS
INFORMED BY A VERY STRONG
INTER-DEPARTMENTAL TEAM AND A 60
PLUS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER
GROUP, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES
FROM INDUSTRY PROPERTY OWNERS,
AGENCIES SUCH AS THE PORT OF
SEATTLE AND SOUND TRANSIT. OTHER
GROUPS, LIKE THE GEORGETOWN
COMMUNITY COUNCIL,
TRANSPORTATION CHOICES
COALITION, THAMES VALLEY RIVER
CLEANUP COALITION, AND THERE
WERE FOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SUBGROUPS
FOCUSING ON BALLARD, INTERBAY,
THE SODO AREA AND GEORGETOWN
SOUTH PARK. IT ALSO INCLUDED A
COMPONENT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH
BIPOC YOUTH ABOUT HOW TO ASSESS
THESE JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THESE
SECTORS. AND FINALLY, WE HAD
VERY DETAILED OUTREACH TO THE
SOUTH PARK AND GEORGETOWN
COMMUNITIES. AND IN JUNE 2021,
THIS ADVISORY COUNCIL ADOPTED A
SET OF CONSENSUS
RECOMMENDATIONS. I'LL SHARE
THOSE WITH YOU IN A MOMENT, BUT
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS
TO DATE IN 2022, SOME INITIAL
BUDGET ACTIONS TO BEGIN
IMPLEMENTING KEY FEATURES OF THE
STRATEGY, INCLUDING FUNDING
AROUND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS, ENVIRONMENTAL
REMEDIATION, STANDING UP A
STEWARDSHIP ENTITY WHICH WE KNOW
TODAY, IS THE SOUND INDUSTRIAL
ALLIANCE FUNDING FOR
TRANSPORTATION STUDIES IN THE
MIX. AND IN 2023, THE COUNCIL
ADOPTED A PACKAGE OF LANDMARK
LEGISLATION THAT REALLY
REPRESENTED THE LARGEST REFORM
OF OUR INDUSTRIAL LAND USE
REGULATIONS IN ABOUT 30 YEARS.
IT INCLUDED ALSO A SET OF
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN POLICIES FOR
INDUSTRIAL LAND USE THAT WERE
ADOPTED IN 2023 AND REAFFIRMED
WITH THE ONE SEATTLE PLAN
ADOPTION LAST FALL. ANOTHER
IMPLEMENTATION HAS BEEN THE
MASTER PLANNING AROUND THE WASCO
SITE. I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN
THE NEXT SLIDE. AND FINALLY, THE
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIAL CENTER
PLANS. SO THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
RECOMMENDATIONS OUTLINED 11
BROAD STRATEGIES UNDER
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES WITH
INVESTMENTS IN WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING, PUBLIC
SAFETY PARTNERSHIPS,
TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS,
ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES IN
TERMS OF LAND USE STRATEGIES,
STRONGER PROTECTIONS FOR
INDUSTRIAL LAND ENCOURAGING
DENSE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
AROUND FUTURE TRANSIT STATIONS,
HEALTHIER TRANSITION AREAS
BETWEEN INDUSTRIAL AND
NON-INDUSTRIAL AREAS. NO NEW
RESIDENTIAL USES. THERE ARE SOME
OBVIOUS EXCEPTIONS IN THERE, BUT
GENERALLY SPEAKING, NO NEW
RESIDENTIAL USES. THERE WERE
SOME COMMUNITY GOALS IN THE
GEORGETOWN AND SOUTH PARK
NEIGHBORHOOD. WE WERE ABLE TO
ADVANCE THROUGH THIS PROCESS IN
TERMS OF ACTION STRATEGIES.
THERE WERE TWO LARGE PARCELS IN
THE MIX AND ONES IN BALLARD AND
BAY NORTH END MANUFACTURING
INDUSTRIAL CENTER. THE OTHER ONE
IS IN THE DUWAMISH MIC, AND
THOSE ARE THE SITE AND THE
ARMORY NATIONAL NATIONAL GUARD
ARMORY SITE IN INTERBAY. THEY
ARE OWNED BY THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON. WASCA IS CURRENTLY
UNDEVELOPED. THE ARMORY SITE
WILL BE. ONCE THE NATIONAL GUARD
RELOCATES SO THAT WE HAVE
INCORPORATED IN THE PLAN THAT.
IN THE FUTURE WE WILL BE DOING
SOME MASTER PLANNING IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE TO
DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENS ON THOSE
LARGE PARCELS. AND FINALLY,
STANDING UP THE STEWARDSHIP
ENTITY, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT
PART TO HELP US WORK WITH
INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITY. SO LET'S
TALK ABOUT THE SUB AREA PLANS.
AND AS EARLIER PRESENTERS SAID,
IT'S REQUIRED FOR
RECERTIFICATION OF THE
MANUFACTURING, INDUSTRIAL
CENTERS. AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR
CONTINUED FEDERAL FINANCING OF
TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. THE
CHAPTERS IN BOTH THE PLANS ARE
THE SAME. THERE'S A VISION
STATEMENT, LAND USE CHAPTER,
TRANSPORTATION, CHAPTER ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, CHAPTER,
ENVIRONMENT CHAPTER AND PUBLIC
SERVICES, CHAPTER. WHEN YOU READ
THE PLAN, THEY ARE THIS IS A
LITTLE BIT HOW IT'S ORGANIZED.
EACH CHAPTER HAS AN OVERVIEW AND
BACKGROUND INFORMATION. IT'S
VERY DESCRIPTIVE. THEN WE HAVE A
DISCUSSION SECTION DISCUSSING
KEY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
RELATED TO THAT TOPIC AREA. AND
FINALLY WE HAVE GOALS AND
POLICIES. THE GOALS IN BOTH
PLANS ARE THE SAME, AND MANY OF
THEM ARE ALREADY BEING ADVANCED
THROUGH CITYWIDE COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN POLICIES. OTHER CITY WIDE
FUNCTIONAL PLANS LIKE THE
SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION PLAN OR
THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN OR OTHER
REGULATIONS. AND SO WHEN YOU SEE
A GOAL IN THE PLAN, YOU WILL SEE
A DESCRIPTION OF THE OTHER
ACTIVITIES THAT THE CITY IS
DOING TO ADVANCE THAT GOAL. AND
THEN WE WILL HAVE MIC SPECIFIC
POLICIES TO ADVANCE THAT GOAL.
BELOW THAT. SO I'M GOING TO
QUICKLY RUN THROUGH THE CHAPTERS
AND DO SOME POLICY HIGHLIGHTS.
SO FOR LAND USE, KEY
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES,
YOU'LL SEE THE DARKER PRINT
ONES ARE SHARED BY BOTH MICS. SO
THAT IS SOUND TRANSIT LIGHT RAIL
STATION INTEGRATION WITHIN THE
MIC AND RESIDENTIAL ENCROACHMENT
IN THE MIC. FUTURE REDEVELOPMENT
OF THE INTERBAY ARMORY IS A
MAJOR OPPORTUNITY, AND WE REALLY
WANT TO MAINTAIN IRREPLACEABLE,
WATER DEPENDENT USES IN SALMON
BAY. THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT
MARITIME ECOSYSTEM THAT, ONCE
LOST, PROBABLY WILL BE LOST
FOREVER WITHIN THE DUWAMISH AM.
I SEE THE WASCO SITE ENSURING
SEATTLE'S CONTAINER PORT
MAINTAINS A VITAL ECONOMIC
ENGINE GOING INTO THE FUTURE. WE
REALLY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO
GEORGETOWN AND SOUTH PARK
ADJACENCIES TO ENSURE THAT THERE
AREN'T DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF
IMPACTS BEING SUFFERED IN THOSE
COMMUNITIES. LOOK AT THE
OPPORTUNITIES WITH RECONNECT
SOUTH PARK. THERE'S POTENTIAL
TO CREATE NEW INDUSTRIAL LAND.
ACTUALLY, WITH SOME OF THOSE
SCENARIOS AND ENSURING STADIUM
DISTRICT COMPATIBILITY WITH THE
MIC. SO GOALS FOR BOTH MICS IN
20 YEARS, THE MICS WILL BE
DEFINED BY A STRONG PRESENCE OF
INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY. PREDICTABLE
LAND USES, TRANSIT THAT SUPPORTS
AND IS COMPATIBLE WITH
INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY, AND THAT
THERE'S HEALTHY TRANSITIONS
BETWEEN INDUSTRIAL AND
NON-INDUSTRIAL AREAS LAND USE
POLICY HIGHLIGHTS GUIDANCE ON
ARMORY MASTER PLANNING. SO
THERE'S POLICY CRITERIA ABOUT
WHAT A MASTER PLAN SHOULD LOOK
LIKE ON THE NATIONAL GUARD
ARMORY SITE. THE SAME IS TRUE
FOR THE WASCO SITE. THERE'S
SOME PARTS OF SEATTLE THAT HAVE
INDUSTRIAL ZONING THAT PLAY AN
IMPORTANT MARITIME USE THAT ARE
OUTSIDE THE BIN MIC OR OUTSIDE
THE DUWAMISH MIC. WE WOULD LIKE
TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL OF
INCLUDING THEM IN THE BIN MIC.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE AREA ON
SOUTHEAST LAKE UNION. WE WANT TO
AVOID SITING MAJOR NEW LAND USES
THAT WOULD DISRUPT THE
FUNCTIONALITY OF CRITICAL RAIL
AND TRUCK INFRASTRUCTURE. LINKS
TO WATER DEPENDENT USES. ONE
TIME THIS IS A BIG ONE. BOTH
PLANS ALLOW FOR A ONE TIME CITY
LED BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT FOR
FUTURE SOUND TRANSIT STATIONS.
THE INTENT THERE IS THAT
WHATEVER IS DONE IS DONE IN A
COMPREHENSIVE, NON PIECEMEAL
WAY, AND WE OFFER CRITERIA FOR
THAT ONE TIME ADJUSTMENT. FOR
EXAMPLE, IN THE BIN MIC THERE
HAS TO BE NO NET LOSS OF
INDUSTRIAL LAND. ANOTHER POLICY
IN THE DUWAMISH MIC PLAN THAT
THERE WOULD BE NO HOUSING IN THE
STATION AREA. OVERLAY DISTRICT,
AND THAT A WORKING GROUP BE
ESTABLISHED TO GUIDE FUTURE
PLANNING WITHIN THE STATION
OVERLAY DISTRICT AND ADJACENT
AREAS. THE TRANSPORTATION
CHAPTER, COMMON TO BOTH MIX.
MAINTAINING THE FREIGHT NETWORK.
INTEGRATING SOUND TRANSIT
STATIONS AND IMPROVING A SAFE
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
AND ENSURING TRAVEL TIME
RELIABILITY OF THE FREIGHT
NETWORK. UNIQUE TO THE BIN MIC
IS ALSO THE. MAINTAINING THE
VIABILITY OF 15th AVENUE
CORRIDOR, INCLUDING THE BALLARD
BRIDGE AND EAST WEST
CONNECTIVITY IN INTERBAY WITHIN
THE DUWAMISH MIC. RECONNECT
SOUTH PARK THAT IS A POTENTIAL
CHALLENGE THAT WE NEED TO
MONITOR TO TO UNDERSTAND ITS
POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON FREIGHT
MOVEMENT TRANSPORTATION GOALS
FOR BOTH MIX AND 20 YEARS. THERE
WILL BE A HIGH EFFICIENCY USE OF
LIMITED RIGHTS OF WAY AND A
ROBUST FREIGHT NETWORK THAT WILL
HAVE STRONG INTERMODAL
CONNECTIONS, AND THAT THERE WILL
BE AN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
NETWORK SAFELY COEXISTING WITH
THE FREIGHT NETWORK. POLICY
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE NEW STREET
TYPOLOGIES WITHIN THE URBAN,
INDUSTRIAL AND INDUSTRY, AND
INNOVATION ZONES. THESE ARE
ZONES WHERE WE EXPECT MUCH MORE
PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY IN THE
FUTURE, AND SO WE WANT TO ENSURE
FREIGHT CAN MOVE SAFELY AND
PEDESTRIANS CAN MOVE SAFELY. WE
WANT TO IMPROVE LAST MILE
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE TRANSIT
STATIONS AND EMPLOYMENT
LOCATIONS WITHIN BOTH MIX.
RESURFACE AND IMPROVED ROADWAYS
AND APPROACHES TO SMITH COVE AND
SALMON BAY THAT ARE IN
SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS. THIS IS
REALLY AN ISSUE IN THE MIC AND
IMPROVED VISIBILITY OF
PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE RIDERS TO
TRUCK AND CAR DRIVERS SEEK TO
SEPARATE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
FACILITIES FROM FREIGHT
FACILITIES. THE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER, KEY
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
COMMON TO BOTH MIX ENCROACHING
LAND USES THE LIGHT RAIL
STATIONS, WHICH COMES ACROSS. IN
MANY OF THESE. ALMOST ALL OF
THESE CHAPTERS. EMERGING
MARITIME INNOVATIONS THAT WILL
KEEP THAT INDUSTRY CUTTING EDGE,
AND CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW THAT
IMPACTS, PARTICULARLY THE WATER
DEPENDENT AREAS WITHIN THE MIC.
WE ALSO WANT TO SUPPORT THE
BREWERY DISTRICT. AND LOOKING
FORWARD ONCE AGAIN TO THE BAY
ARMORY REDEVELOPMENT AS A MODERN
INDUSTRIAL PROJECT IN THE
DUWAMISH MIC AS FAR AS ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, SEATTLE'S CONTAINER
PORT IS THE BIG STORY THERE, AND
WE REALLY WANT TO MAINTAIN ITS
PRESENCE GOALS FOR BOTH MICS IN
20 YEARS, THERE WILL BE A STRONG
PRESENCE OF INDUSTRIAL MARITIME
SECTORS AND THE LIVING WAGE JOBS
THEY PROVIDE, WHICH IS REALLY
THE MOTIVATOR FOR ALL OF THIS
WORK, THAT THERE BE EQUITABLE
ACCESS TO THOSE LIVING WAGE
JOBS, THAT THESE AREAS ARE HOME
TO EMERGING SUBSECTORS OF THE
INDUSTRIAL AND MARITIME ECONOMY,
AND THAT AROUND LIGHT RAIL
STATIONS, WE HAVE HIGH DENSITY
EMPLOYMENT ANCHORED BY
INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY. POLICY
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR
THE BALLARD BREWERY DISTRICT,
RAISING AWARENESS OF MARITIME
SECTOR CAREERS IN VOCATIONAL
TRAINING PROGRAMS, HIGH SCHOOLS
AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS. ENSURE MAJOR
PUBLIC WORKS ARE DESIGNED TO
PRESERVE THE FUNCTIONALITY AND
OPERATION OF MARITIME AND
INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS. ENCOURAGE
NEW INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS NEAR
RESIDENTIAL AREAS TO OFFER JOB
TRAINING AND INTERNSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES TO THE LOCAL
WORKFORCE, AND TO CONTINUE TO
WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO
SUPPORT MARITIME SECTOR
INNOVATIONS TO ENSURE A THRIVING
AND MODERN CONTAINER PORT
OPERATION AND FINALLY, IN THE
ENVIRONMENT AND OPEN SPACE.
CHAPTER COMMON OPPORTUNITIES
CHALLENGES INCLUDE. BOTH AREAS
FEATURE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF
CONTAMINATION, HISTORIC
CONTAMINATION AND FILL. SEA
LEVEL RISE ALSO AFFECTS BOTH
AREAS AND IMPROVING BIKE TRAIL
CONNECTIVITY. FOR THAT ACTIVE
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK WITHIN
THE MIC, THE INNER BAY ARMORY IS
ALSO AN ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE
GIVEN ITS LOCATION AND ITS
HISTORY, AND THE COMBINED SEWER
OVERFLOW. THAT'S A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY. THAT'S AN
INVESTMENT IN THE BAND THAT'S
BEEN COMPLETED IN THE DUWAMISH
MIC. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
ISSUES, PARTICULARLY RELATED TO
SOUTH PARK AND GEORGETOWN
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ADVERSELY
IMPACTED BY INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY
IN THAT AREA, AND WATER QUALITY
ON THE DUWAMISH RIVER IN 20
YEARS, OUR GOAL WOULD BE THAT WE
WILL WE HAVE REHABILITATED
ENVIRONMENTALLY CRITICAL AREAS
THAT. NEW PROJECTS WILL BE
CHARACTERIZED BY INNOVATIVE
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES,
THAT. THERE'S A HIGH QUALITY
NETWORK OF OPEN SPACES AND
TRAILS THAT WILL. WE WILL AVOID
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, THAT. WE
WILL REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES.
AND ONCE AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE
INNOVATIVE GREEN BUILDING
PRACTICES IN NEW DEVELOPMENT.
POLICY HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE
INCLUDE ENCOURAGING SHORELINE
RESTORATION, ASSISTING OPERATORS
OF VESSELS IN THE FISHING FLEET
AND OTHER MARITIME COMPANIES
BASED ON SALMON BAY AND ELLIOTT
BAY. TO TRANSITION OVER TIME TO
ALTERNATIVE FUELS INCENTIVIZE
ENCOURAGE MASS TIMBER
CONSTRUCTION, USE PUBLICLY OWNED
REMNANT SPACES FOR OPEN SPACE TO
SERVE NEARBY RESIDENTS AND
WORKERS WORK WITH PROPERTY
OWNERS ALONG THE SHORELINES THAT
ARE IMPACTED BY SEA LEVEL RISE
TO COORDINATE PUBLIC PRIVATE
INVESTMENTS TO PROTECT INLAND
AREAS AND EXPAND ELECTRIC,
ELECTRIC, TRANSPORTATION AND
MARITIME AND MARINE
INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING
EXPANSION OF ELECTRICAL SHORE
POWER AND CHARGING
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HEAVY DUTY
EQUIPMENT AND FREIGHT. AND THAT
IS A PRESENTATION ON MIC PLANS
AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
-- OKAY COLLEAGUES.
-- VICE CHAIR STRAUSS.
-- HEY, THANKS SO MUCH, JIM.
GREAT WORK COLLEAGUES. YOU MAY
OR MAY NOT KNOW JIM AND JEFF
WETTELAND ARE THE TWO FOLKS FROM
OPCD, AMONGST MANY OTHERS. AND
NOW NAOMI LEWIS ALSO WORKS AT
OPCD, BUT THE THREE OF THEM AND
CHASE KITCHEN REALLY GOT THE
MARITIME AND INDUSTRIAL PLANS
PASSED IN 2023 AFTER SO MANY
YEARS OF STAKEHOLDER. AND SO
THIS IS GOOD TO SEE THIS BACK
TODAY. AND JIM, THANK YOU FOR
THE IN-DEPTH MEETING AS WELL AS
THE COMPARISON POLICY CHART.
JUST WANTED TO SHARE A COUPLE.
WELL, I'LL SHARE SOME BACKGROUND
JUST ABOUT THE SPACE THAT WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT AND BIN MIX,
SPECIFICALLY DUWAMISH AS WELL,
WHICH IS THE SALMON BAY, THE
BALLARD IN THE BALLARD BIN MIC
IS THE CLOSEST FRESHWATER PORT
TO THE GULF OF ALASKA AND THE
BERING SEA. THE IMPORTANCE OF IT
IS WHY WE HAVE THE NORTH PACIFIC
FISHING FLEET THERE. WE HAVE THE
LARGEST DOMESTIC PRODUCER OF
SEAFOOD IN THE UNITED STATES,
HEADQUARTERED IN SALMON BAY,
TRIDENT SEAFOODS. I CAN'T REALLY
STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR
MARITIME AND PORT LANDS ENOUGH.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE ONE THIRD
OF OUR SALES AND USE TAX COMES
FROM THE MARITIME AND INDUSTRIAL
ZONES. AND SO IN GOOD TIMES,
GOOD ECONOMIC TIMES, SOME FOLKS
OVERLOOK THEM. AND IN BAD
ECONOMIC TIMES, THEY ARE THE
ONLY ONES BUOYING US THROUGH THE
STORM. AND SO JUST WANTED TO
JUMP IN HERE. ACTUALLY, IF YOU
COULD GO BACK TO SLIDE SEVEN, I
THINK IT IS A VERY DESCRIPTIVE
SLIDE OF SERVICE AREA OF
INTERBAY, SOMETHING THAT FOLKS
MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW IS THAT THIS
WAS A TIDELAND. IT WAS THERE HAS
BEEN INDIGENOUS POPULATION IN
SALMON BAY SINCE TIME
IMMEMORIAL. AND THE TIDE LAND
THAT IS NOW A RAIL YARD AND
INDUSTRIAL ZONE IS WAS THIS THIS
PICTURE RIGHT HERE? SO WHAT YOU
SEE IN THE FOREGROUND ARE THE
NET SHEDS ON SALMON BAY. AND IN
THE FAR GROUND YOU SEE THE
CRUISE SHIP TERMINAL. THIS AREA
USED TO ALL BE TIED LAND. THAT
WAS THE FOOD ACCESS FOR THE
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY LIVING IN
SALMON BAY. HERE. YOU SEE IT
TODAY. AND WHAT IS STRIKING TO
ME ABOUT THIS PHOTO IS WHEN YOU
LOOK AT IT FROM THE SIDE, FROM
THE SKY, IT LOOKS ALL VERY WELL
CONNECTED. YOU KNOW, MAGNOLIA IS
VERY CLOSE TO QUEEN ANNE. SALMON
BAY IS VERY CLOSE TO ELLIOTT
BAY, BUT OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT
HAS CREATED A LOT OF BARRIERS
HERE. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE
YOU, JIM, BRINGING THIS UP. IN
THIS MAP, YOU SEE ONE BRIDGE
CROSSING THE TRAIN TRACKS RIGHT
THERE. THAT'S THE BRIDGE. IT IS
ALREADY TOO SMALL. WHAT YOU SEE
THERE USED TO BE AN ARMORY
STREET BRIDGE CROSSING THE TRAIN
TRACKS HERE. AND THEN IN THE
FOREGROUND YOU SEE THE CAUSEWAY
OF THE BALLARD BRIDGE, WHICH
COULD, IF IMPROVED, CREATE A
MUCH BETTER CONNECTION BETWEEN
QUEEN ANNE, THE PORT FACILITIES
THERE. FISHERMEN'S TERMINAL AND
THE BALLARD AREA. AND SO, YOU
KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS AREA,
YOU YOU ALSO ACTUALLY HERE YOU
SEE A GOLF COURSE THERE. IT'S
ON TOP OF A FORMER DUMP
LANDFILL. AND IF YOU SQUINT
REAL, REAL HARD, YOU CAN SEE THE
STORMS PRACTICE FACILITY. IF YOU
SQUINT EVEN HARDER, YOU CAN SEE
THE INNER BAY STADIUM WHERE
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS SALMON BAY FC
WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
RIGHT THERE. WE'VE GOT BALLARD
FC HOT IN THE PLAYOFFS. THEY
PLAY TOMORROW AT 3 P.M. AND YOU
ALSO SEE IN THE FAR LEFT CORNER
THE PICKLE AND THE PALMS, THE
NEW PICKLEBALL COURT AND WHAT
FOLKS MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW IS THE
OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY WAS THE
HOST OF THE MOST RECENT RV SAFE
LOT THAT IT'S BEEN CLOSED SO
LONG THAT THEY'VE BUILT A
BUILDING. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO
OPEN A NEW RV SAFE LOT BEFORE
THAT ONE CLOSED, AND YET GLASS
YARDS COMMON STILL IS NOT OPEN.
SORRY. ON THE BALLARD BRIDGE
CAUSEWAY, YOU ALSO SEE THAT BIG
LOOP DE LOOP OVER THERE ON THE
LEFT HAND SIDE. THAT CREATES A
LOT OF DISCONNECT. ALL OF THIS
CREATES A LOT OF DISCONNECTION
FOR THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH
INTERBAY. IT IS INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT THAT WE, AS JIM
MENTIONED, CREATE MORE
CONNECTIVITY ACROSS AND THROUGH.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT
ALL OF THE SPORTS ACTIVITY
THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT HERE, I
DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO START
LOOKING AT HOW DO WE SUPPORT
THAT VIBRANCY THAT NATIONAL
CHAMPION SALMON BAY FC NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS, BALLARD FC, THE MOST
WINNINGEST TEAM IN SEATTLE'S
HISTORY, THE SEATTLE STORM. HOW
WE PROMOTE THESE AND REALLY
PLACE MAKE TO SUPPORT ALL OF
THESE EXCELLENT ATTRIBUTES OF
OUR INDUSTRIAL ZONE. SO I JUST
WANT TO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME
WAX POETIC A LITTLE BIT THERE
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF, YOU
KNOW, THE FISHERMAN'S TERMINAL.
YOU SEE THOSE NET SHEDS RIGHT
THERE? THAT IS THE HOME OF THE
NORTH PACIFIC FISHING FLEET. AND
THEN ACROSS THE TRAIN TRACKS,
THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR SPORT, THE
VIBRANCY OF OUR SPORTS COMMUNITY
HERE IN INTERBAY, SOMETHING THAT
JUST KIND OF STRIKES ME. AND I
GUESS THAT'S THE END OF ME
NEEDING THAT, THAT PICTURE TO
SHOW THERE. I DO APPRECIATE SOME
OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN
PUT IN ABOUT THE LIGHT RAIL
STATION AREA PLANNING. BALLARD
LIGHT RAIL IS NOT DEAD. WE'RE
GOING TO GET IT DONE. AND WHEN
WE DO, WE NEED TO HAVE OUR LAND
USE BECAUSE THE LIGHT RAIL
STATION IN AT TRAVIS IS DEAD
SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
INDUSTRIAL ZONE AND UP ON 15th
AND MARKET IS IT'S ON THE VERY
EDGE OF THE INDUSTRIAL ZONE. AND
SO WE DO NEED TO BE FLEXIBLE.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED TO
HAVE NO NET LOSS OF INDUSTRIAL
ZONES DURING THOSE STATIONARY
PLACEMENTS, BECAUSE IN THE 2023
ZONING UPDATES FOR MARITIME AND
INDUSTRIAL AREAS, WE PROVIDED A
NEW LEVEL OF FLEXIBILITY FOR
INDUSTRIAL ZONES SURROUNDING
LIGHT RAIL STATIONS. IN ADDITION
TO RELAXING THE HOUSING
REQUIREMENTS, AND RELAXING THE
HOUSING BANS INSIDE OF THE
INDUSTRIAL ZONES, COMPLETELY BY
JUST A LITTLE BIT FOR THE ONES
THAT ARE RIGHT ALONG THE WATER,
FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE, FOR THE
ONES THAT AREN'T. AND THEN THE
THE INDUSTRIAL BUFFER ZONES
ALLOWED A LOT MORE HOUSING. AND
SO I JUST SAY THAT AS WE DO THE
STATIONARY PLANNING, WE'VE MADE
THOSE IMPORTANT LAND USE CHANGES
TO OUR INDUSTRIAL ZONE. AND IF
WE NEED TO EXCHANGE PROPERTIES
SO THAT THERE'S NO NET LOSS, I
SEE THAT AS BEING IMPORTANT. ONE
THING THAT YOU'LL HEAR ME TALK
ABOUT, BOTH IN THE COMP PLAN,
YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE COMP
PLAN, THROUGHOUT OUR DISPOSITION
POLICIES FOR THE CITY OWNED LAND
IS OUR NEED TO DO BETTER WITH
RECOGNIZING TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY.
AND SO, JIM, I'D LIKE TO TALK
TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
HOW THE MIC AND THE DUWAMISH MIC
PLANS IN PARTICULAR, CAN BETTER
SUPPORT OUR FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED
TRIBES WHO MAY HAVE TRUST LAND
WITHIN THE CITY. FOR THOSE
VIEWING RIGHT NOW, TRUST LAND IS
A SPECIFIC LEGAL DESIGNATION OF
LAND OWNED BY FEDERALLY
RECOGNIZED TRIBES, AND THAT
DESIGNATION IS THROUGH THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND SO I DO
THINK THAT WE WE NEED TO BE A
LITTLE BIT MORE WE MIGHT NEED TO
MAKE ONE AD THERE. SO, JIM, I'D
LOVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ABOUT
THAT. AND. JUST REALLY
APPRECIATE ALL. SORRY, I WAS
CHECKING MY NOTES. I'VE BEEN
LOOKING THROUGH ALL YOUR
POLICIES HERE. I JUST WANT TO
REALLY APPRECIATE ALSO THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MIC DOES
EXTEND. MAYBE NON CONTIGUOUSLY
INTO LAKE UNION. IT'S REALLY
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT WE
PRESERVE OUR MARITIME INDUSTRY
HERE, ESPECIALLY IN SALMON BAY.
AS I SAID, IT'S THE CLOSEST
FRESHWATER PORT TO THE GULF OF
ALASKA IN THE BERING SEA, WHICH
MEANS THAT IT IS THE SAFEST AND
LEAST DESTRUCTIVE PLACE TO
SOMEBODY'S VESSEL TO GET WORK
DONE. AND TO, OVER THE WINTER,
STAY HERE IN CALM, FRESH WATER.
SO ALL OF THAT TO SAY, JIM,
THANK YOU TO YOU AND JEFF FOR
ALL YOUR WORK. I LOOK FORWARD TO
FOLLOWING UP WITH YOU ABOUT SOME
OF THESE ADDITIONS THAT I MAY
BRING. THANK YOU.
-- THANKS.
-- THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR STRAUSS
REALLY APPRECIATED THE IN-DEPTH
LOOK AT THE INNER BAY AREA. WHEN
AYE.
-- AYE.
-- I GIVE ONE MORE THING. SORRY.
SURE, I MIGHT EVEN BE WILD
ENOUGH TO ASK IF I CAN SHARE
SCREEN JUST BECAUSE WE DISCUSSED
THE ARMORY SITE AND.
-- YEAH, LET'S SEE IT. IF
YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO
DEVELOPMENT THERE.
-- LET'S SEE IF IT WORKS HERE.
GIVE ME JUST ONE SECOND. I JUST
WANTED TO BRING UP THE ARMORY
SITE BECAUSE JIM DID MENTION
THAT IT WILL BE UP FOR
REDEVELOPMENT. YEAH. AND I
DISCUSSED IT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE TIDELANDS THAT ARE EXISTING
THAT USED TO EXIST THERE. AND
WHEN WE WERE FILLING IN INNER
BAY IN THE 1930s, THE ARMORY
SITE WAS ONE OF THE LAST PLACES
TO BE FILLED IN, WHICH IS WHY
THE THE STATE GOVERNMENT GOT IT.
AND SO HERE IS THE 1936 AERIAL
PHOTOGRAPH OF THE CITY OF
SEATTLE. WE'RE GOING TO ZOOM
RIGHT IN HERE INTO. AND YOU CAN
SEE HERE SALMON BAY. AT THAT
TIME, THE TIMBER CAPITAL OF THE
WORLD. BUT HERE IS THE INNER BAY
AREA. YOU CAN SEE THE DUMP HERE,
WHICH IS NOW THE GOLF COURSE.
HERE YOU SEE THE PORT TERMINALS.
BUT THIS IS THE EXACT OUTLINE OF
OUR ARMORY SITE TODAY. AND YOU
CAN SEE IT IS UNDERWATER. AND SO
I JUST SHARE THAT WITH YOU
BECAUSE ACROSS ALL OF MOST OF
THE INNER BAY AREA, YOU CAN SEE
HERE WHERE THE TIDELANDS ARE,
THESE ARE ALL THIS WAS ALSO
UNDER TIDELAND. HERE WE HAVE
SMITH COVE PARK. NOW THESE ARE
ALL ACTUALLY, SMITH COVE PARK IS
RIGHT HERE UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE
WHERE THERE WAS SHOREFRONT
HOUSING AT THAT TIME. SO I JUST
SHARE THAT WITH YOU BECAUSE I DO
BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT
THAT AS MOST OF OUR INDUSTRIAL
LAND IS BUILT ON FILL, THAT WE
HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE
PLACE THERE, NOT ONLY FOR SEA
LEVEL RISE, BUT ALSO FOR THE
LIQUEFACTION, BECAUSE WE KNOW
THAT WHEN YOU BUILD IN PLACES
LIKE THIS, THE PILINGS HAVE TO
BE VERY DEEP. THIS IS ONE OF THE
REASONS WHY THE NATIONAL GUARD
IS MOVING, IS BECAUSE IT IS THEY
BASE THEIR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
OUT OF THERE, AND IF THEY'RE
UNDERWATER DURING AN EMERGENCY,
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
HELP VERY MANY PEOPLE. AND I
JUST THINK THAT WE WE NEED TO
KEEP THAT IN CONSIDERATION. AS
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE MIC THERE
IN INTERBAY. THANK YOU FOR
LETTING ME TAKE YOU ON MY AERIAL
VIEW TOUR AND.
-- THANK YOU. HOW OLD WAS THAT
IMAGE FROM. 19361936. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU, I LOVE, I LOVE
GEEKING OUT ON THE HISTORY VICE
CHAIR STRAUSS.
-- ONLY 19 YEARS AFTER BALLARD
WAS FORCIBLY ANNEXED BY
-- [LAUGHTER]
-- THE CITY OF SEATTLE
-- SO I'LL JUST SHARE A LITTLE
BIT. WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE IN
1998, OUR OUR FIRST APARTMENT
WAS RIGHT OFF TRAVIS. IT WAS
14th AND. TRAVIS. RIGHT, RIGHT
THERE. I USED TO LOVE TO EXPLORE
FISHERMAN'S TERMINAL. THAT
WHOLE AREA AND JUST THIS WEEKEND
GOT TO. I DON'T MAKE IT UP TO
THE LOCKS VERY OFTEN, BUT I GOT
TO ENJOY THE LOCKS THIS SUNDAY
WITH WITH MY MOM WANTED TO SHOW
HER AND JUST AN INCREDIBLE
HISTORY THERE. AND IT WAS FUN TO
LOOK AT THEY WERE LOOKING AT
EXPLORING DIFFERENT PLACES TO DO
THE LOCKS, AND THEY HAD ALL
THESE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. AND ONE
OF THEM, I THINK WAS THROUGH
THROUGH INTERBAY ONE WAS THROUGH
LIKE SOUTH LAKE UNION, RIGHT
THROUGH DOWNTOWN, ALL THESE
DIFFERENT POTENTIAL. BUT IT'S
JUST, IT'S INCREDIBLE TO, YOU
KNOW, THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH WE
HAVE CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE. AND
FOR ME, IT'S JUST AS WE REFLECT
ON THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, YOU
KNOW, THIS, THIS AREA HAS BEEN
THERE VERY FEW AREAS THAT ARE
UNDISTURBED OR UNTOUCHED. WE
HAVE JUST COMPLETELY CHANGED SO
MANY PARTS OF THE LANDSCAPE. AND
SO HOW CAN WE, IN A SENSE, SORT
OF UNEARTH HOW CAN WE KIND OF
REIMAGINE AND DO BETTER AS PART
OF THIS NEXT PHASE? SO I THINK,
YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT,
COUNCILMEMBER VICE CHAIR STRAUSS
YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THAT ARMORY
AND SORT OF THE HISTORY THERE
AND WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE, AND
CAN WE DO ANYTHING THAT SORT OF
HONORS AND RESPECTS SOME OF
THAT, THAT HISTORY, AND
CERTAINLY WOULD BE INTERESTED
IN, IN THE IDEA OF TRUST LAND.
SO WOULD LOVE TO WORK ON THAT
WITH YOU ALSO THINK, YOU KNOW
JUST TO, TO THE INCREDIBLE,
INCREDIBLE IMPORTANCE OF THESE
MARITIME INDUSTRIAL TO, TO OUR
ECONOMY, TO MAKING SURE THAT AS
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DOWNTOWN,
THE IMPORTANCE OF A DIVERSE
ECONOMY, AS YOU MENTIONED, AND I
DO THINK TOO OFTEN MARITIME
INDUSTRIAL KIND OF GETS
OVERLOOKED IN TERMS OF THE
IMPORTANCE TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY,
JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS FLASHY
OR IN THE NEWS AS SOME, YOU
KNOW, OUR TECH SECTOR. BUT AS WE
THINK ABOUT LONG TERM, HAVING A
DIVERSE ECONOMY AND JUST KIND OF
ONE QUESTION YOU KNOW, YOU
MENTIONED CLIMATE CHANGE
EARLIER. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
SORT OF THE CHANGES, POTENTIAL,
THE DIFFICULTIES OF PREDICTING
WHERE OUR ECONOMY IS GOING TO GO
AND SORT OF LIKE TECH AND
OFFICE. COULD YOU JUST SPEAK TO
SORT OF LONG RANGE, ANY SORT OF
THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW THE MARITIME
INDUSTRIAL, ANY BELLWETHERS
THERE, ANYTHING THAT WE MIGHT
NEED TO BE JUST CONCERNED ABOUT
OR THINKING ABOUT IN THAT
INTEREST, JUST BROADLY?
-- I MEAN, WE KNOW THERE'S
ALREADY SOME INDUSTRIAL
INDUSTRIAL AREAS NEAR SOUTH PARK
THAT FLOOD DURING HIGH TIDES AND
STORMS THAT THE CITY, THROUGH
MANY DEPARTMENTS, IS ACTIVELY
WORKING TO MITIGATE. BUT
THERE'S SOME LONG TERM
INVESTMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE
TO PROTECT FROM SEA LEVEL RISE
IN THOSE AREAS. SO WE DON'T GET
CONTAMINATION WHEN THEY FLOOD
INDUSTRIAL SITES AND OTHER
THINGS WE TALK ABOUT IN THE
CLIMATE ELEMENT OR THE
ENVIRONMENT AND OPEN SPACE
ELEMENT IS REALLY THE IMPORTANCE
OF DEVELOPING BETTER STORMWATER
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO PROTECT
WATER QUALITY, GREEN BUILDING
DESIGN, TO REDUCE AND CONSERVE
RESOURCES, USE AND PRODUCTION,
AND TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS
IN SHORE POWER AND OTHER
ELECTRIFICATION OF MARITIME
ACTIVITIES. IN TERMS OF BRINGING
DOWN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, I
MEAN, IT'S A FULL PACKAGE OF
THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
SPECIFIC BELLWETHER. I CAN'T
REALLY POINT TO.
-- OKAY.
-- FAIR ENOUGH. OKAY. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. OKAY, COLLEAGUES, ANY
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
SEE, I BELIEVE THAT MIGHT BE IS
THAT THE END OF OUR
PRESENTATIONS FOR TODAY? I
BELIEVE SO, OKAY. WELL, THANK
YOU SO MUCH, EVERYONE. THANK YOU
FOR THE PRESENTATIONS. AND
LET'S SEE. OKAY. IF WE DON'T
JUST DOUBLE CHECKING, OKAY,
WE'VE REACHED THE END OF
TODAY'S MEETING AGENDA.
THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO
COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE. WE
ARE ADJOURNED AT 10:59 A.M..
THANK YOU
-- ALL.
-- [MUSIC]
[MUSIC]