West Green Lake
Community Group

West Green Lake Community GroupWest Green Lake Community GroupWest Green Lake Community Group
  • About Us
  • What's Happening?
    • What is HB 1110?
    • What is HB 1491
    • What Is the Comp Plan?
  • What We Support
    • What We Support and Why
  • Take Action
    • Make Your Opinion Known
    • Contact us
  • More
    • About Us
    • What's Happening?
      • What is HB 1110?
      • What is HB 1491
      • What Is the Comp Plan?
    • What We Support
      • What We Support and Why
    • Take Action
      • Make Your Opinion Known
      • Contact us

West Green Lake
Community Group

West Green Lake Community GroupWest Green Lake Community GroupWest Green Lake Community Group
  • About Us
  • What's Happening?
    • What is HB 1110?
    • What is HB 1491
    • What Is the Comp Plan?
  • What We Support
    • What We Support and Why
  • Take Action
    • Make Your Opinion Known
    • Contact us

Welcome!

Let's Move forward Together Toward quality Affordable housing in seattle

Let's Move forward Together Toward quality Affordable housing in seattleLet's Move forward Together Toward quality Affordable housing in seattleLet's Move forward Together Toward quality Affordable housing in seattle

We advocate for more affordable housing while PRESERVING the character of our neighborhoods.

Our Mission

The West Green Lake Community Group is dedicated to advocating for sustainable development in our neighborhood and throughout Seattle. We want to ensure our communities welcome new neighbors and thrive, while at the same time preserving each neighborhood's quality and character.

The Latest

On April 23rd, the Green Lake Community Council and the West Green Lake Community Group held a joint Zoom meeting to talk about the 3 proposed zoning legislations that are in the works, and their impact on our neighborhoods, including Tangletown. We were joined by Sandy Shettler from Tree Action Seattle to talk about the impact of the proposals on Seattle's trees and tree canopy.

Videos of our Joint meeting

36 minutes

Shana Kelly from Green Lake Community Council takes us through the currently proposed version of HB 1110, the sure-to-be-passed state HB 1491, and the Seattle Mayor's "Comp Plan". She explains what's in each, how they relate to each other and how they would impact the look and feel of our neighborhoods.


Resources:

Seattle City Council meeting video 4/15/25

Green Lake Community Council

Phinney Ridge Community Council

Wallingford Community Council


21 minutes

Sandy Shettler from Tree Action Seattle shares with us their concerns about these plans and what needs to be done to protect the trees and tree canopy throughout the city. She explains why this is so imperative, not only for the beauty of the city we love so much, but also for our health and safety.


Resources:

Link to change.org petition regarding the Green Lake Sequoia

Tree Action Seattle website

Tree Equity Network website

The Tree Equity Network Recommendations to City Council

TEN Final Recommendations - Seattle Comp Plan (pdf)Download

in a nutshell

Seattle upzoning by the city and state is in the final stages. Is it right for your neighborhood?

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell's proposed One Seattle Plan, or "Comp Plan", is a comprehensive growth strategy that is timed to coincide with, but goes way beyond, the already state-mandated increase in housing required in Washington cities by Washington State House Bill 1110 (HB 1110). 


In addition, State House Bill, HB 1491, which has passed the state house and senate and is on the Governor's desk for approval, will mandate high-density residential buildings within 1/4 mile or 1/2 mile of all transportation "stations", which includes light rail and rapid ride stops.


The Mayor's plan goes beyond both state bills and, among other things, creates 30 newly-defined and newly upzoned "Neighborhood Centers" throughout the city. 


The majority of us in West Green Lake only learned about these changes to our neighborhood through a flyer left at our doorsteps on December 15, 2024, saying "URGENT: public feedback to the OPCD (Office of Planning and Community Development) closes December 20"!


Since then, we have learned this was the same for many neighborhoods that would be designated and upzoned as "Neighborhood Centers". Many hundreds of residents have been scrambling to understand and respond to these complex and sweeping proposed changes.


The Mayor's dramatically expanded plan is in the final process of public feedback, review of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), appeals, amendments, revisions, etc., and will soon go back to the City Council for adoption.


There is still time to make your voices heard.


What is HB 1110?

This mandate was passed by the state legislature 2023. It applies to cities across the state. Seattle is required to adopt new zoning to comply with HB 1110 by June 30, 2025, with a vote scheduled for May 30.  It requires the city to allow four to six units on all residential lots throughout the city. Here are the core requirements.


  • Middle Housing Types: Cities must allow a range of middle housing types on all residential lots. This can include duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, townhouses, stacked flats, courtyard apartments, and cottage housing.


  • Unit Allowance: Cities must allow at least four units on all residential lots, and at least six units if located within a quarter mile of a major transit stop or if at least two units are affordable. Note: In Seattle, developers can opt to pay a fee to the city instead of actually providing affordable units and still get the additional number-of-units benefit.


  • Design Review and Parking: The bill mandates the streamlining of design review processes and restricts the ability to require off-street parking. 



IMPORTANT UPDATE:  A newer city version of this state bill is now being considered for Seattle, to be voted on by May 30. It not only contains the requirements of HB 1110, but also "slips in" additional provisions that pave the way for the Mayor's Comp Plan, such as:


  • increased height definitions
  • increased allowable lot coverage
  • decreased allowable lot size
  • decreased front and back setbacks


We are in favor of passing only a "clean" version of HB 1110 to comply with the state requirements and deadline, and postponing consideration of these additional proposals when the Mayor's Comp Plan is taken up separately.

What is HB 1491, or "Transit-Oriented Development"?

 HB 1491, passed in Washington State, aims to promote transit-oriented development by requiring cities to allow more housing, particularly apartment buildings, near transit stops like light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit. 


Specifically, cities must allow for higher residential density within a 0.5-mile radius of light rail, commuter rail, and streetcar stops, and within a 0.25-mile radius of bus rapid transit stops. The bill also includes provisions for affordable housing and mandates that cities planning under RCW 36.70A.040 allow multifamily residential housing in these station areas. 


Here's a more detailed breakdown:

  • Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) The bill's primary goal is to encourage the development of housing near public transportation hubs. 
  • Required Density Cities are mandated to allow for more residential density within specific distances of various transit stations, including light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit. 
  • Affordable Housing The bill includes provisions related to affordable housing, ensuring a certain percentage of units in new developments meet affordability requirements. 
  • Minimum Floor Area Ratios The bill mandates that cities establish minimum floor area ratios for developments in station areas, further promoting higher density (higher buildings) and more efficient use of land. 
  • Reduced Parking Requirements The legislation outlines regulations that prevent cities from requiring off-street parking for residential or mixed-use developments in station areas, encouraging the use of public transit. 
  • Grant Program HB 1491 establishes a grant program to help cities develop infrastructure for TOD, facilitating the implementation of the bill's provisions. 
  • Inclusionary Zoning The bill's approach to affordability, known as inclusionary zoning, requires developers to include a certain percentage of affordable units in their projects,

-  from the Sightline Institute. 


What is Mayor Harrell's "One Seattle Plan", or "Comp Plan"?

The mayor’s proposed plan adds on to HB 1110 and HB 1491 by:

 

· Creating “Neighborhood Centers”: newly defined and upzoned “Neighborhood Centers” (30 of them), would be established throughout the city.

· Redefining and upzoning existing areas: expanding and upzoning existing Regional and Urban Centers, Commercial Centers and areas along frequent transit arterials.


  In addition,


  • Decreasing front and back setbacks from sidewalks (10 feet) and alleys (0 feet).
  • Increasing the allowed footprint of structures on residential lots, decreasing space for yards, trees, gardens, etc.
  • Increasing the height limit to encourage multi-unit apartment buildings. 
  • Allowing no off-street parking to be provided.


The One Seattle Plan, which can be seen in its entirety here, admirably purports to create a more equitable, affordable future for the city and take steps that will make neighborhoods more economically and racially inclusive. 


We fully support the goals of abundance and affordability of housing. We are not convinced that would be the result.

If you want more in-depth information:

What is state HB 1110 and what does it do?

What is state HB 1110 and what does it do?

What is state HB 1110 and what does it do?

HB1110 is the already mandated state plan that requires cities to allow "Middle Housing": 4 to 6 units on all residential lots, depending on their proximity to major transit. It allows developers to qualify for six units if two are affordable (or they pay into a city fund instead). Although HB 1110 goes into effect June 30 of this year, the Seattle "Interim Plan" currently proposed to the City Council is not a "clean" HB 1110. It adds important elements of the Mayor's plan that are of concern to us. We want a "clean" HB 1110 passed on May 30.

In-depth

What is state HB 1491 and what will it do?

What is state HB 1110 and what does it do?

What is state HB 1110 and what does it do?

State HB 1491, also known as Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), will allow 5-6 story residential buildings (apartments) 1/4 mile (from Rapid Ride) or 1/2 mile (from Light Rail) "stations" throughout the state. The bill has passed the House and Senate, and as of April 25, 2025, is on the Governor's desk for approval. It has essentially passed. Cities have time before they are required to implement this, and they will have some flexibility in how it is applied. We may still be able to influence how it affects us.

In-depth

What is the Mayor's plan and what would it do?

What is the Mayor's plan and what would it do?

What is the Mayor's plan and what would it do?

The Mayor's One Seattle "Comp" Plan goes beyond HB 1110 and HB 1491 to upzone significantly in newly defined areas, such as 30 designated "Neighborhood Centers"  located throughout the city, including West Green Lake. It specifically encourages increased heights for apartment buildings with no additional parking, narrower setbacks from sidewalks, larger building footprint (less green space) and more. 

In-depth

Why we support the solution we do.

What is the Mayor's plan and what would it do?

What is the Mayor's plan and what would it do?

The goal of affordable housing in a city that has become too expensive for so many is a goal we all share. However, there are important ramifications, unanswered questions and concerns about these proposals that should be addressed before we adopt a template for future construction that may not result in the quality affordable housing the plan promises and we all want and need.

Our Reasoning

we support

The Wiser Path

Seattle City Council should fulfill the housing standards and zoning required by adopting a "clean" HB 1110 ONLY at this time, without the extra provisions that serve to pave the way for the more extensive Mayor's Comp Plan that hasn't been fully considered. 


The zoning required by the new State mandate can be achieved by the deadline of June 30, and the adoption of the more sweeping Mayor's One Seattle Plan, and the specific application of HB 1491 to Seattle can be postponed until significant questions and concerns are satisfied.

See why that's important

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