August Dispatch: Our Last Chance to Influence Seattle’s Comp Plan!
SEATTLE, WA–
This September is going to be huge for more homes! We’re hitting the road for YIMBYtown in New Haven, but not before the big hearing! This hearing is where we’re going to sound off on all the best amendments to bolster Seattle’s Comp Plan. Then, right after YIMBYtown wraps up, we’re turning this plane around just in time for the council to take their votes and move it out of the Select Committee before budget season stops the clock again. All goes well, we’ll have a new Comp Plan before September ends.
We need your voice – Action Opportunity
The time is here! It’s our last chance to speak up and tell our elected leaders our values and priorities for Seattle’s future. This is our city, let’s shape it so that all of us can afford to live where we work, have access to parks and community spaces, and where we all have the chance to thrive.
Friday, September 12th has two public hearings where Council will take public comment on the final proposed amendments (more on those later). Here’s what’s going on that day, make your plans to join in, we need you!
- 9:30 am – virtual public hearing (Sign-up from 8:30 – 10:00am)
- 1:00 pm – Housing Development Consortium pre-hearing Pizza Party!
- 2:00 pm – begin to line up to sign in
- 2:30 pm – Sign-ins open
- 3:00 pm – in-person public hearing
- 6:30 pm – sign-ins for public comment close
It’s more important than ever that we all show up in this home stretch – find details on the day’s schedule, what it means to testify, what else you can do to support, and more on the Housing Development Consortium’s site: https://www.housingconsortium.org/calendar/#!event/2025/9/12/one-seattle-for-all-public-hearing-at-city-hall
RSVP for Sept. 12th Public Hearings
What are we advocating for?
More homes of more types in more places for more people! And most certainly more than the bare minimum.
We have two packages of amendments championed by Council President Nelson and Councilmember Rinck:
- Amendment 34: Eight new neighborhood centers in Broadview, South Wedgwood, Loyal Heights, Gasworks, Nickerson, Roanoke, Dawson, and Alki.
- Amendments 60 + 63: Affordable Housing Density Bonuses (citywide and in low rise zones)
- Amendment 86: Eliminating parking mandates near frequent transit
- Amendment 89: Allow all residential lots to use the stacked flat bonus and increases the bonus
- Amendment 91: Last but most certainly not least, our Trees and Density stacked flat bonus would boost up homes for stacked flats to retain trees or have a higher Green Factor
And we can tell that all of your voices were heard loud and clear because one of the wonderful things to see in the slate of 106 proposed amendments was that there are several versions of many of these amendments from different councilmembers, so we’re hopeful that we can find a way to pass the best version of the Comp Plan possible with strong support from council.
Speaking of Amendment 34… we had a wonderful opportunity on a sunny weekend to bike 62 miles crisscrossing Seattle to tour our 8 new neighborhood centers we’re proposing with Councilmember Rinck. We had a blast talking to neighbors like Michael in Loyal Heights and business owners like Robert from Third Place Books in Dawson about what they love about their neighborhood and the opportunities they see once we can unlock more options and more homes. It was such a fun time and really connected the need with the vision!
This is our best, and last, chance to influence Seattle’s future planning for the next decade! Join in with us, whether virtually or in-person- Council needs to hear your voice! Don’t forget to RSVP.