(Image: City of Seattle)
Sometimes when it comes to long range urban planning, you need to start filling in the vital details while still working out high level lofty goals.
City officials are currently gathering feedback on shaping those planning details for growth over the next 20 years in one of Seattle’s most important dense cores in the neighborhoods of First Hill and Capitol Hill. A survey is underway and a meeting will take place next week.
The next 20-year Capitol Hill/First Hill Regional Center plan including environmental, transit, social services, economic, and housing initiatives and goals is being formed even as its larger and more high profile framework under the next Seattle Comprehensive Plan is being shaped.
“You may notice that the draft Comp Plan doesn’t say much about these Regional Centers (for example, the Future Land Use Map just labels them as Regional Centers without adding more specific detail about land uses within them) other than identifying them as the densest areas of the city and allocating jobs and housing targets to each Center,” Jesse London, a planner with the City of Seattle, tells CHS. “The purpose of these Centers plans is to fill in that detail, give extra attention to planning for these critical neighborhoods, and demonstrate how we are preparing them to accommodate these jobs and housing targets.”
Seattle’s planning “Regional Centers” are Downtown, Lower Queen Anne, South Lake Union, University District, Northgate, Ballard, and, of course, First Hill and Capitol Hill.
Similar planning efforts to the ones underway for Capitol Hill and First Hill recently set new guidelines and goals for the neighborhoods around 23rd and Jackson where “community themes” focused on activation, transportation, and safety will now shape policy and legislative decisions that impact the area. Part of the Jackson plan, the city says, will address “historic racism that has and continues to impact neighborhoods” including developing a cultural plan to make Jackson a “story street” in the city including “memorials to the Chinese expulsion and the Native American presence at the waterfront.”
The Jackson plan also calls for efforts to “connect and activate King Street and Union Stations,” initiatives to “enhance pedestrian, bicycle, and “micro-mode” connections, and improving transit “to become the primary mode of vehicular travel among Downtown activities.”
A larger debate over growh in the city is also underway. CHS reported here this spring on the Harrell administration comprehensive plan proposal that continues the city’s focus on growth in its densest cores of Capitol Hill and the Central District while making small steps forward in allowing multifamily-style housing across the city. A coalition of business and community organizations have called for more growth, denser “middle housing,” and more housing near transit in the plan.
The current comp plan proposal would continue many of the development patterns that have shaped modern Seattle. The “One Seattle Plan” draft includes proposals for five “place types” — Regional Centers, Urban Centers, Neighborhood Centers, Industrial Centers, and Urban Neighborhoods.
Nearly 70% of new construction expected under the draft plan would be constrained to “Regional Centers,” the plan’s new designation for the city’s most densely populated, high transit areas — Downtown, Lower Queen Anne, South Lake Union, University District, Northgate, Ballard, and, of course, First Hill and Capitol Hill — or less dense but still highly developed areas now called “Urban Centers” instead of “Urban Villages.” 23rd Ave from Union to Jackson is one nearby example. The “Madison–Miller” area north of E Madison is another.
The city’s next comp plan includes five “place types” — Regional Centers, Urban Centers, Neighborhood Centers, Industrial Centers, and Urban Neighborhoods
Zoning in many of these areas like Capitol Hill would remain capped at eight stories though there could be allowances for taller development near light rail stations.
Under the draft plan, the Capitol Hill-First Hill area of the city is projected to add 9,000 new housing units — second to only downtown — and 3,000 new jobs.
The Capitol Hill/First Hill Urban Centers plan is an opportunity to improve the city’s comprehensive plan from the ground up.
Ultimately, London says, the Regional Centers plans including First Hill + Capitol Hill will be incorporated into the greater Comprehensive Plan.
To gather feedback on growth in the Capitol Hill/First Hill Center, planners have launched a survey that will run through the end of September.
Take the Capitol Hill/First Hill survey here
Planners are also holding a public feedback session next week at Seattle Central:
First Hill / Capitol Hill: Share your thoughts and vision for the future of First Hill and Capitol Hill! We hope you’ll stop by on Thursday, September 12 between 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Seattle Central College (1701 Broadway) to provide input on these critical Seattle neighborhoods.
“If you need to be convinced to participate,” London adds, “it’s worth noting that the First Hill + Capitol Hill Regional Center Plan will be one of the primary drivers for legislation and projects related to zoning, real estate development, transportation investments, economic development strategies, climate resilience, and other important issues in these neighborhoods.”
You can learn more about Seattle’s Urban Centers planning here.
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“guidelines and goals for the neighborhoods around 23rd and Jackson…..Part of the Jackson plan, the city says, will address “historic racism that has and continues to impact neighborhoods” including developing a cultural plan to make Jackson a “story street” in the city including “memorials to the Chinese expulsion…..”
Any reason that the Japanese being carted off to internment camps and that neighborhood gets such short shrift? I mean the Chinese expulsion was horrible but the internment camps was more recent and was what caused a huge racial demographic shift in that neighborhood.
Honestly the only goal for the neighborhood around 23rd and Jackson should be zero gun violence and actual punishment of violent offenders.
Not nearly as much as it affected Bellevue. Black people were REDLINED IN. And BLACKBALLED OUT. That’s the difference.
Let’s not do Opression Olympics here… that shit only plays to white supremacists.
People in “single family” neighborhoods don’t want any housing near them.
So we cram in people to a small, already dense area.
Then? People do not want to pay for roads, bike lanes, street cars, transportation, affordable housing, higher minimum wages et al. What DO they want? A tax cut and get it anyway they can. Whether it’s a right to work for less law, or it’s takeaway collective bargaining. That will unleash the American economy?
What about 40+ years flat wages do you people understand? They understand and do not care a single shit. How do we all know that? 40+ years flat wages. Second verse same as the first.
Today? Instead of getting ahead? Everyone’s raised their prices to record profit levels. These greedy companies will always figure a way unless they are regulated and monopolies are broken. Starting with banks and Wall Street.
The fact is this. “Parking” and “aesthetics”, “Green belts” and of course “Miscreants”. Because good people are rich people with single homes. Everyone else is a loser. The projects were that for a reason. Half assed policies that favor the wealthy. Gentrification, division, segregation and the rest. It’s sociopathic behavior.
Just cram em’ in there. They’ll have to get by with everything else. You are lucky we build affordable homes at all losers!
That’s the attitude. “mismanagement” is another great excuse. ANYTHING other than say “We don’t care, they need to pull up their bootstraps! Welfare queens!” “Educate yourself, I did!” “They are all drug addicts” and the rest.
The greed is endless, because it’s greed.
One word: decaf
Haha. Yes. Also, um … who is “they”, anyway? Jeesh. Imma put the foil hat on and read it again.
“While Seattle proper is busy pulling it’s head out of its enormous ass -a seemingly neverending goal- here’s something to keep you busy that we’ll never, ever actually utilize. You may as well be talking to a wall, but at least you’ll quit bitching at us for a while!”
Signed, Seattle Chief of Commerce