Tag Archives: equity

Nine questions about the future of Seattle’s parks for the District 3 candidates

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A Cal Anderson movie night from above

Development, equity, and public safety — These are major issues in the 2023 race for the District 3 seat on the Seattle City Council. Turns out, you can learn a lot about the D3 candidates by asking about something else altogether — Seattle’s parks. Thanks to the Seattle Parks Foundation, we have answers to nine questions about the city’s public greenspaces from D3 candidates Joy Hollingsworth and Alex Hudson that help illustrate each candidate’s style and stances on key questions about the city’s parks system that also shine light on how each candidate would help lead the city.

For Hollingsworth, her thoughts on Seattle parks start with growing up in the Central District and her father’s long career as a Seattle Parks employee. The candidate says the biggest issue facing the city’s parks right now is public safety while she also addresses how she believes parks fit into her primary stance on social investments — “centering essential city services and expanding root cause investments for safe and thriving communities.” Other answers highlight her commitment to increasing efforts to address climate change and grow the city’s tree canopy in underserved communities as she hopes to champion growth strategies that balance preservation of existing communities. “The gentrification of my own neighborhood and displacement of Black families is a painful lesson for the City and community leaders that thoughtful planning is critical to successful urbanism,” Hollingsworth says.

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Hudson’s parks perspectives offer a more forward-looking approach shaped by her time serving on the board of the Freeway Park Association. In her answers, Hudson places parks within her strategies for building a more dense, more affordable Seattle that also places a high value on greenspace and the tree canopy by dedicating more existing streetspace to become parks and mixing more multistory affordable housing into areas near parks. “We must reclaim more of our streetscape and return it to the people as greenspace. We must create more parks and protect the ones we have,” Hudson says. “High density development is necessary because the alternative is sprawl and further destruction of what little greenspace we currently have.”

Hudson also calls for more resources to be dedicated to activating and programming in the city’s most important existing parks including Cal Anderson. “Our parks are some of the places where our toughest social issues play out – homelessness, mental and behavioral health challenges, and by supporting programs like the Rangers, investing in REACH and other outreach workers, and supporting healthy activation we can ensure they are safe and welcoming for everyone,” Hudson says.

The full survey and D3 answers from the Seattle Parks Foundation are below.

1) What is your favorite Seattle park and why?

Hollingsworth: I grew up in the historic Central District neighborhood, where I still live today and rent the home that my grandmother purchased in the 1940’s with my wife, Iesha. While the neighborhood has changed immensely over the past four decades, one thing that hasn’t changed is the community building and fellowship that takes place in our parks and public spaces. My favorite Seattle Park is Garfield Playfield and Community Center. I spent every summer as a child growing up in programming at Garfield. To this day, I still stay connected with Ms. Shari Watts, the former Director of Garfield Community Center. It was Garfield where I have rich memories of my childhood, where I felt at home and in community. Garfield Playfield and Community Center was also one of the Seattle Parks that my dad, who was a career-long Seattle Parks employee, fought to ensure had the same investments and resources as parks in wealthier parts of Seattle. On City Council, I want every youth to have the opportunity that I did to access programming, enjoy safe parks and public spaces, and experience community.

Hudson: Wow, I’m not even sure I know how to pick! I’ve served on the board of the Freeway Park Association for a decade, and I love that park’s iconic architecture and innovation, especially how its lidding of a section of I-5 created this beautiful space. I helped to lead a community re-design of First Hill Park and feel an incredible appreciation for our little jewel box park that serves so many people. And I feel so lucky to live in District 3, with our abundance of Olmstead legacy park riches at Cal Anderson, Volunteer, and Interlaken parks. Continue reading →

With renewed focus on equity and ‘Just Growth’ agenda, Capitol Hill EcoDistrict makes move to growing Seattle Urban League

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A building acquired by Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle for affordable housing last fall

A REVIVAL market at Capitol Hill Station (Image: Capitol Hill EcoDistrict)

The Capitol Hill EcoDistrict, one of the closest organizations the neighborhood currently has to an independent community group representing the area’s neighborhoods in the city’s growth and development process, is moving under the wings of Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle with a renewed focus on equity.

“This next phase of partnership with the Urban League is an opportunity for the EcoDistrict to co-create a future for equitable community development at scale,” EcoDistrict executive director Donna Moodie said in the announcement.

The Capitol Hill EcoDistrict took shape more than a decade ago as it as formed by what was then known as Capitol Hill Housing. The developer and manager of affordable housing across Capitol Hill recognized its shifting focus to a larger citywide mandate with a change of its name to Community Roots Housing in the time since. Now the community-focused organization it helped create to address environmental and social concerns in the area’s development is ready for a larger mandate.

The Urban League is growing. Last week, it announced plans to move from its Central District headquarters at 14th and Yesler to Rainier Ave as part of a major development to create both a new hq and around 300 new affordable apartment units.

Continue reading →

Seattle exploring ‘equitable development zoning’ to help orgs navigate city’s regulations while building community projects, housing, and centers

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The Seattle City Council’s land use committee approved “equitable development zoning” legislation Monday hoped to make it easier for BIPOC organizations trying to build projects that combat displacement in Seattle.

The proposal which still must be approved by the full council would amend land use code to reduce regulations for anti-displacement projects including those funded through the City’s Equitable Development Initiative.

“EDI began in 2016 to address financial barriers BIPOC organizations faced in trying advance their anti-displacement projects,” a presentation (PDF) to the council committee reads. “Since then, we have heard repeatedly from EDI partners that the City’s land use and zoning regulations present additional barriers that hinder and delay their projects — even once funded by the City.” Continue reading →

Sound Transit overhauls fare enforcement policies to address economic and racial equity — and thousands of riders it says do not pay

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The Sound Transit board of directors including Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell have approved long awaited changes to the system’s fare enforcement policies.

Thursday, the board approved changes that will revise policies for its light rail trains and buses to increase warnings and reduce fines, and, importantly, move enforcement from security officers in efforts intended to address concerns over equity and racial disparity.

CHS reported in 2020 on the Sound Transit board’s fare enforcement reform efforts after complaints about police-like enforcement officers and findings that showed the fare policies disproportionately impacted people of color “and individuals with little or no income.”  Surveys showed Black passengers were cited and punished disproportionately by the process. Continue reading →

Seattle Police Chief: No more stops for ‘low-risk’ traffic violations like expired tabs, biking without a helmet

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Responding to concerns about equity and disproportionate enforcement, Seattle Police will no longer make stops over traffic issues like expired tabs or riding a bicycle without a helmet.

In a decision announced heading into the MLK Day weekend, Chief Adrian Diaz said the new direction “de-prioritizingnon-criminal, low-risk public safety traffic violations” comes after discussions involving “a multi-disciplinary working group” convened by the Office of Inspector General to review ” city, county and state ordinances; and emerging reforms in other cities.” Continue reading →

A debate over height for the Central District’s Acer House and its Afrofuturist plans

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This rendering of the Acer House design proposal shows how the building would — or would not — fit in at 23rd and Cherry

By Sarah Goh, UW News Lab/Special to CHS

Earlier this year, Capitol Hill Seattle reported on the development of Acer House, an affordable housing project with Afrofuturist design and a focus on equity. The project has passed the early stage of the design review process but there are more challenges from City Hall and the community the plan must overcome. The biggest? A tussle over how tall the building can rise to make room for more units of housing.

“The process in Seattle is really lengthy and very expensive.” Ben Maritz, the Capitol Hill developer of affordable housing behind the project says, “It’s a real problem for many small developers.”

The development team behind Acer House has been in the process of attaining a rezone to allow them to build up to 55-feet instead of the 40 currently allowed. Only blocks away, the zoning allows for 55-foot development. They submitted their rezone application to the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI), but received an early negative response.

In the west part of the commercial zone, where the Acer House project stands, the allowed height is 40-feet. However, in the same commercial zone in the east, the allowed height is 55-feet.

Martiz says when you look at the data of the demographics between the east and the west, the west consists of mostly Black property owners.

“Two thirds of the land owners are Black,” Martiz says. “Whereas in the east, only a third of the population is Black.” Continue reading →

Council approves resolution supporting New Hope Community Development Institute effort to create affordable housing, condemn redlining history in the Central District

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The Seattle City Council, urged on by District 3 representative Kshama Sawant’s office, passed a resolution Monday pledging support for a Central District affordable housing project that is hoped to right a wrong in the city’s past actions against Black property owners in the neighborhood.

Monday, the council voted 8-0 in favor of the resolution calling for support for funding for the New Hope Community Development Institute, the group working to develop new housing near 21st and Fir’s New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.

Rev. Dr. Robert Jeffrey Sr.’s op-ed in the Seattle Times documents the city’s “urban renewal project” and redlining in the 1960s that ripped away property from the church: Continue reading →

Design review: The Central District’s Acer House and its Afrofuturist plans at 23rd and Cherry

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(Image: CHS)

Imagine this: five-and-a-half stories of apartments in an Afrofuturist design on 23rd and Cherry with thousands of square feet of childcare and other retail spaces with a public courtyard. Of the 120 apartments, which range in size from about 400-square-foot studios to two-bedroom units between 700 and 800, 30% would be reserved for low-income residents.

Thursday night, the proposed Acer House project will move forward with its first pass through the Seattle design review process:

2210 E Cherry St

Design Review Early Design Guidance for a 5-story, 120-unit apartment building with 4 live-work units, childcare, and retail. No parking proposed. Project relies on a contract rezone. View Design Proposal  (23 MB)    

Review Meeting: June 10, 2021 5:00 PM

Meeting: https://bit.ly/Mtg3037717 Listen Line: 206-207-1700 Passcode: 187 663 1617
Comment Sign Up: https://bit.ly/Comments3037717

Review Phase: EDG–Early Design Guidance

Project Number: 3037717  View Related Records

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Planner: David Sachs — Email comments to [email protected]

Kateesha Atterberry, founder of the Urban Black commercial property management firm working on the development, says the team wants a childcare provider focused on “Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.” Commercial spaces will likely include the existing Flowers Just 4 U, which might be the only Black-owned florist in the Pacific Northwest, with Atterberry saying she would additionally like to see a recording studio and other artists in the five micro retail spaces for small businesses.

On top of the housing affordability, Atterberry also hopes the project, known as Acer House, can be commercially affordable.

“Creating vibrant communities where businesses can thrive and contribute to the local economy is dependent upon them being able to afford the spaces they are in,” Atterberry told CHS in an email. “Our goal is to provide affordable leasing terms and access to resources for additional support. We believe in partnering with businesses to ensure their success because their success is our success.” Continue reading →

Central Area Land Use Review Committee to host meeting on 23rd/Cherry Acer House development

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The Central Area Land Use Review Committee community group will hold an online meeting this week with developers behind the Acer House project,  a five-story, mixed-use building planned to rise at the corner of 23rd and Cherry.

CHS reported on the project here in what developer Ben Maritz said he hopes will be the “first truly anti-racist private sector development” in the city by addressing issues of ownership, displacement, and equity a privately financed project.

The Acer House project is also seeking a rezone to allow an extra floor of height from the Seattle City Council. Legislation for the rezone is beginning its path through City Hall after being transmitted last month. The city’s design review process will also start soon with community feedback first on elements of massing and context and later on the finer points around the afrofuturist design and colors. Continue reading →

Central District’s Amazon Fresh grocery store will have ‘micro-business’ neighbors including new QueenCare shop

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Mathews at the small retail space at 23rd and Jackson soon to be home to a new QueenCare (Image: Vulcan)

Seattle commerce giant Amazon won’t be the only commercial tenant calling the Central District’s new mixed-use Jackson Apartments home.

CHS reported here on the the start of hiring to open a new Amazon Fresh grocery at the corner of 23rd and Jackson in the new mixed-use development from Vulcan.

Part of the project includes a “public plaza and retail pavilion” along S Jackson with “three micro-retail spaces” — QueenCare, a Black and woman owned body-care company from an area resident will be part of the mix thanks to a partnership with with the developer and Seattle entrepreneurial empowerment nonprofit Ventures.

“Opening our flagship location at the Jackson Apartments represents my story full circle,” owner Monika Mathews said in an announcement of the new lease from Vulcan.

“When I moved to the Central Area, I was to the point that people probably thought I was going to be a statistic,” Mathews said. “But I was able to learn and grow, and acquire the skills of entrepreneurship, many of which I learned through Ventures.”

Mathews called the opportunity “a great example of equity in action.” Continue reading →