The Seattle City Council is earnestly taking up the major Comprehensive Plan update and permanent middle housing legislation over the coming months. It’s critical that housing advocates make the voices heard now.

We have created a template letter that will be sent to all City Councilmembers on ways to improve the proposed Comprehensive Plan update and related land use legislation. Feel free to modify our points as you see fit.

In short, we believe that the City Council should:

• Restore the size of proposed 14 Neighborhood Centers and Urban Centers that have already been trimmed;

• Add eight more Neighborhood Centers;

• Eliminate parking mandates for residential development;

• Further reduce setbacks, increase floor area and lot coverage allowances, provide a Mansard roof height bonus, and simplify density limits for middle housing;

• Provide additional incentives for stacked flats and affordable housing;

• Offer more flexibility for corner stores in residential areas; and

• End the (non-oneplex) housing ban on lots near designated shorelines.

Featured image by architect Matt Hutchins of a new Spokane sixplex.