Seattle begins to lay foundation for new approach to single-family zoning

A row of houses in Seattle. (Joe Mabel, Wikimedia Commons)

As Seattle city guides begin to weigh potential plans to redesign single-family zoning, stakeholders and city council members gathered Thursday to discuss their goals for the future.

Seattle and Tacoma are considering changes to single-family zoning

The panel, chaired by Councilors Tammy Morales and Teresa Mosqueda, brought together leaders from various local groups to initiate and ultimately discuss the shape of neighborhoods in the years to come.

“This is the beginning of a year-long process, but we thought it was really important to get it started right by engaging with the community,” noted Morales.

This is also due to the draft law by Mosqueda and his councilor Dan Strauss, which would effectively abolish the term “single-family zoning” and replace it with “neighborhood living areas”.

While it won’t really change the makeup of Seattle’s housing density anytime soon, the larger goal is to take the first step toward a precise, well-researched long-term roadmap.

“We can’t underestimate the impact of a comprehensive plan – it shouldn’t be rushed,” said Ab Juaner, Puget Sound Sage Equitable development director, during the panel on Thursday. “This is about the health and well-being of our cities and communities.”

Juaner stressed the need for thorough planning and warned of the potential consequences of quickly building up single-family areas without allocating resources to make these neighborhoods affordable once denser housing arrives.

How to “sympathize” with one-family neighborhoods

“You can imagine a Seattle where apartment buildings are being developed in single-family zone areas that are still so expensive that BIPOC communities still can’t afford them,” they pointed out.

How Seattle can counter this boils down to addressing the city’s growing affordability issues and developing undeveloped areas where housing can be expanded.

“We went to the Ballard areas, SoDo, South Park, Georgetown – talk about low hanging fruit,” said Maria Guadalupe Ramirez, chair of the Duwamish Valley Affordable Housing Coalition. “There is space that we have to make affordable for people or make safe for the industry that is still there.”

In the meantime, Seattle city guides plan to continue working with local communities over the coming months and years with the goal of shifting the zoning and housing infrastructure of the city in a more equitable and affordable direction.

You can watch the full panel discussion on Thursday here.