Shoreline Makes Good on Pledge to Stop Mandating Car Parking Citywide
Shoreline becomes the largest city in King County to let builders decide how much parking makes sense within the specifics of a site, rather than requiring an arbitrary number. The 6-0 city council vote follows a watershed state bill tackling parking earlier this year.
Downtown Mass-Timber Tower Project Meets Resistance at Seattle Landmark Board
Clark/Barnes architects want to transform a landmarked office building at Second Avenue and Pine Street into housing, adding 12 additional stories of mass timber construction to accommodate more homes. The innovative project is meeting significant opposition from nearby residents and historic preservation advocates.
Mercer Island’s Growth Plan Ruled Out of Compliance with State Law
After the state's Growth Management Hearings Board struck down its plan, Mercer Island now has a year to update its Comprehensive Plan to meet affordable housing requirements. The initial version prioritized making as few zoning changes as possible, leading to a legal challenge from Futurewise.
Rinck Proposes Restoring Growth Centers Dropped from One Seattle Plan
The potential Seattle Comprehensive Plan changes, which are set to be discussed Monday, would add back growth centers around Gas Works Park, Alki, North Capitol Hill, and other areas. Councilmember Rinck also proposes legalizing corner stores and removing parking mandates citywide.
Nelson, Saka Boycott Housing Committee, Blocking Seattle Renters Commission Appointments
Council President Sara Nelson and Councilmember Rob Saka unexpectedly skipped a housing committee meeting Wednesday, holding up 14 appointments to the shorthanded Seattle Renters Commission. Councilmember Alexis Rinck sharply criticized the "disrespectful" move, as did several nominees.
Redmond Supportive Housing Project Advances After Appeals Thrown Out
The pair of appeals focused on alleged impact from providing too few off-street parking stalls, but the Hearing Examiner upheld City's decision to permit the project. Plymouth Housing's long-planned project can now advance toward construction.
Op-Ed: It’s Time to Ban Ratio Utility Billing
Landlords have used ratio utility billing systems as a backdoor to jack up rents. It’s time to ban the practice in Washington State.
Urbanism on the Eastside Panel Hints at Suburban Sea Change
At The Urbanist's “Urbanism on the Eastside” panel earlier this month, panelists discussed a sea change happening in the suburbs that are beginning to urbanize and break free of car dependence. Check out this recap of the discussion.