Support a More Affordable, Resilient, and Welcoming Madrona Neighborhood Center

Dear City Council,

As residents and community members of Madrona, we enthusiastically support the creation and retention of the proposed Neighborhood Center in Madrona as part of the One Seattle Plan. We also call for expanded opportunities to increase housing density within and around this center to foster a Madrona for everyone, a resilient and thriving neighborhood, and a welcoming and equitable community.

A Madrona for everyone

Seattle is getting less affordable every day. Teachers, service industry workers, and other essential workers are being priced out of Madrona, particularly the youngest and eldest folks who are the most vulnerable cost-burdened renters, jeopardizing the very fabric of our community. We depend on each other to make this city work. The One Seattle Plan’s proposed zoning updates represent a pivotal chance to tackle these challenges head-on.

By introducing more diverse housing options, including multifamily and social housing, we can ensure Madrona becomes a place where everyone has the chance to live and grow. Increasing density along 34th Ave., from E. Pine St. to E. Marion St., will open doors for more neighbors and provide housing choices that cater to a variety of needs and lifestyles. We also urge the city to go further by broadening the upzone area to create even more housing opportunities for all.

A resilient and thriving Madrona

A robust future for Madrona requires forward-thinking development. Many Madrona residents depend on Bus Routes 2 and 3 to move between home, work and vital services, and depend on walkable neighborhoods with expansive sidewalks to get around. Encouraging dense, higher-density housing near key transit corridors helps reduce urban sprawl, ease traffic congestion, and improve air and water quality. Upzoning combined with transit frequency improvements in this area will allow this area to thrive for all.

Density also strengthens our community’s economic health. At or nearby this neighborhood center exist many vital services and small businesses exist that support our community, including the Madrona-Sally Goldmark Branch Seattle Public Library, medical and wellness facilities, a local laundromat, unique boutiques and thrift stores; vibrant third places such as coffee shops and great food, local faith institutions, business offices, art spaces, and nearby Grocery Outlet which especially serves our lower income neighbors, as well as Madrona Farmers Market and Madrona Market & Deli, and a 15 minute walk to the nearest PCC.

Expanding housing near the Neighborhood Center will sustain these important institutions by increasing foot traffic and ensuring their long-term viability, while bringing tax revenue to the city. Thoughtful growth can preserve Madrona’s important elements while meeting the needs of future generations.

A welcoming and equitable Madrona

Expanding housing near Madrona’s parks and waterfront areas, such as Madrona Park and Alvin Larkins Park, will provide more people with the chance to enjoy these shared spaces for recreation and connection to nature.

The proposed zoning changes begin to address historical inequities by creating housing opportunities in areas that have historically excluded marginalized communities. In recent decades, the BIPOC population has declined in this area, particularly the Black population. By enabling more affordable housing options, such as multifamily and social housing, the plan for a new neighborhood center at Madrona fosters greater opportunities for socioeconomic and cultural diversity. This approach is vital to correct the legacy redlining and exclusion that shaped areas like Madrona.

Our children, including those at Madrona Elementary, deserve a future that embodies fairness, opportunity, and unity. Please consider the world our children deserve! That begins at keeping and growing the Madrona Neighborhood Center.

Sincerely,
[Signatory]