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

The Mayor's One Seattle Plan goes beyond HB 1110 and HB 1491.

WA state HB 1110 mandates upzoning of residential lots from one to 4-6 units per lot - up to 12 with 50% affordable housing. 

WA state HB 1491 mandates higher density per lot within 1/2 mile of light rail and 1/4 mile of Rapid Ride stations, allowing taller buildings with more lot coverage.

The Mayor's plan adds even more upzoning in both number of units and allowable heights to existing and newly defined areas, such as 30 newly designated "Neighborhood Centers"  located throughout the city.. 

It also upzones "corridors", Urban Centers and Regional Centers even further. It specifically encourages increased heights for multi-unit apartment buildings, including in residential areas, with no additional parking, narrower setbacks from sidewalks, larger building footprint (less green space) and more. 

The proposed Neighborhood Centers are:

Brandon Junction, Bryant, Delridge, Dravus, Endolyne, Fairmount, Georgetown, High Point, Hillman City, Holden, Holman Road, Little Brook, Madison Park, Madison Valley, Madrona, Magnolia Village, Maple Leaf, Mid Beacon Hill, Montlake, North Magnolia, Olympic Hills, Phinney Ridge, Ravenna, South Park, Tangletown, Upper Fauntleroy, Upper Fremont, Wedgewood, West Green Lake and Whittier.

There will also be upzones to:

Admiral, Central District, First Hill/Capitol Hill, Fremont, Greenwood, Lake City, Morgan Junction, Pinehurst/Haller Lake, Upper Queen Anne, Uptown and West Seattle Junction.

You can see the map of what will happen to your neighborhood here. 

The mayor’s proposed plan adds dramatically to HB 1110 by:

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

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

New zoning in these areas will allow:

• Decreased (narrowed) front and back setbacks from sidewalks (currently 20 feet to 15 or 10 feet) and alleys (0 feet).

• Increased allowed footprint of structures on residential lots, decreasing space for yards, trees, gardens, etc.

• Increased height limit to encourage multi-unit, multi-story, apartment buildings, even in residential areas. 

• No off-street parking provided.

These differences have profound repercussions for our communities across the city.

See our questions and concerns here.

 This is from the Mayor's announcement of the One Seattle Plan on the City website:

(We have questions and concerns in each of these areas. For our specific concerns, see this page.) 

Lowering Housing Costs, Improving Affordability, and Preventing Displacement 

• Mayor Harrell’s proposal increases zoning capacity to over 330,000 new units, more than doubling the city’s housing capacity, exceeding the growth targets set out by the Growth Management Act, and focusing on expanding housing supply. Understanding current cost pressures and anticipated growth, increasing capacity for more housing is essential for lowering housing costs and increasing affordability. 

• The plan includes an Affordable Housing Bonus, which provides additional height and unit capacity for affordable housing projects within .25 miles of frequent transit. This bonus would generally support twelve units on a typical 5,000 square foot lot in Neighborhood Residential areas if at least 50% of the units are affordable to low-income households.

• The proposal expands the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program in areas that will experience a significant increase in zoning capacity. Specifically, this will include the Neighborhood Centers, the upzones along frequent transit routes, and the new areas being incorporated in existing Urban and Regional centers. The MHA program is one tool helping to fund the City’s record investments in affordable housing.

• Mayor Harrell is committed to helping keep neighbors in their longstanding communities, and the proposal includes a robust anti-displacement strategy. With a focus on historically marginalized and vulnerable communities, strategies include historic investments in community-driven development and the Equitable Development Initiative, strong renter supports and protections, and more, including new legislation to prevent predatory homebuying. 

Ensuring Seattle Is a Great Place for Families 

• More middle housing is an important tool to meet the needs of current and future residents with family-sized units, more homeownership opportunities, and homes near convenient amenities like parks, schools, and more. Young adults make up about one-third of Seattle’s total population and need more starter homes for raising families.

• The plan allows for duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes across all Neighborhood Residential zones, implementing HB 1110 – a bill adopted by the Washington State Legislature last year allowing for a broader range of middle housing types – and creating more family sized housing in all neighborhoods across the city.

• Increases capacity for middle housing from 16,000 to 94,000 units of housing, totaling a quarter of overall capacity.

• This proposal includes a first-of-its-kind Stacked Flat Incentive, aiming to make development of these types of multifamily projects feasible. 

Creating Livable, Convenient, and Walkable Neighborhoods 

At the center of the mayor’s plan is a focus on transit-oriented development, livable communities, and convenient access to amenities and everyday needs within a short walk, bike, or transit trip. The plan advances an array of approaches to increase housing capacity tailored to the specific features of Seattle’s neighborhoods.

• The plan would increase density along frequent transit routes to prioritize growth with expanded access to transit options, accommodating 37,000 new homes.

• The proposal would designate 30 Neighborhood Centers across the city – a new zoning type that adds increased housing close to existing businesses and amenities – allowing for 30,000 new homes in neighborhoods near transit and amenities. 

• The plan adds a new Urban Center at the upcoming 130th Street Light Rail Station and expands the boundaries of several urban centers – dense areas with a wide range of housing, jobs, shops and services, and access to regional or local transit. 

• The proposal allows corner stores throughout Neighborhood Residential areas, supporting new small businesses and complete neighborhoods where residents can easily meet everyday needs.  

• In his 2025-2026 budget proposal, Mayor Harrell announced funding for a supplemental environmental impact statement to identify new housing opportunities in regional and urban centers, places already primed to support dense, walkable communities.

• Updated tree planting requirements in Neighborhood Residential Zones that creates an incentive to encourage the planting of larger species of trees and waives parking requirements to save existing trees.

The overall purpose of the plan is laudable and we approve.

However, we have serious concerns about whether all of this is necessary, whether it will be achieved in reality, and whether it will adversely affect many of our neighbors and neighborhoods throughout the city.

The City Council is considering the One Seattle Plan now and throughout the summer, with a Public Hearing on June 23 and a final vote in September. The schedule is here.

You can also write and call your councilmember any time to make your opinion known. Here is the info on how to do that.

We still have time to influence how this will be implemented in our neighborhoods.