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Resolution 31016  signed in October 2007 by departing Seattle City Council President Peter Steinbrueck changed the process for amending the so-called comprehensive plan, including the 38 city plans approved pursuant to passage of the Washington Growth Management Act in 1990. In essence, with Resolution 31016, the council assumes management of the change process, moving it out of the DPD, which could be taking on a second-line review-and-stamp role in amending plans from policies and future land use changes to comprehensive planning altogether.  

Some confusion shouldn’t be surprising this first year round, and public announcements of deadlines, always short notice, have been changing on even shorter notice.  Some neighborhoods are better at getting the word out than others, and not all of them live next door to the city’s largest employer.  Some credit is due on the goodwill account of Councilmember Sally Clark for putting the word out to the Roosevelt Neighbors Alliance of a neighborhood planning meeting scheduled March 1.  We recall she’s the one who requested the comprehensive audit of the neighborhood planning process published in September 2007 finding, among other things, a notable lack of timely communication of public notices.  Nevermind that suggestions for changing the plan are due to the City Council February 25; it’s unclear at this point what that deadline means.   The invite to the March 1 meeting being held at the UW Evans School of Public Affairs pointedly states “not everyone who wants will be able to attend…space is limited.”    

We think the University of Washington has more than enough space to accommodate any number of interested neighbors and should be called to account for limiting attendance.   Let’s not forget that the UW very recently proposed funding nearly $200 Million in improvements to Husky Stadium with taxpayer dollars.  Why not make space for a meeting of vital importance and relevance to the people who live, work, and trade in the University District community?

31016 is a way for individuals, groups, city departments, and other public agencies to propose changes to Seattle’s comprehensive plan. Amendmends may address emerging issues, changing conditions, or ongoing planning efforts.  Proposed amendments may include changes to policies, the future land use map, or the comprehensive plan.  See criteria  established by the City Council and application form .  For a look at the most recent Seattle Master Plan,  See 8.160 for the U District . Keep informed by checking neighborhood blogs often!  An especially good one for understanding and working to improve Seattle’s land use policies is Smarter Neighbors.  

For reference, here’s the original 2004 U District Neighborhood Plan.

Act fast if you want to participate in the March 1 planning meeting at the UW hosted by Norm Rice and Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark.  E-invitation and details below, courtesy Roosevelt Neighbors’ Alliance.

From: Sally Clark

As many of you know, I’ve been working on the review of Seattle’s neighborhood plans for almost a year now. We’ve found that while some neighborhoods are on pace with their neighborhood plan goals, others are changing far more quickly or slowly than anticipated. As we prepare to make updates to the 38 neighborhood plans created nearly 10 years ago, we are faced with an extraordinary opportunity to ensure that the next ten years successfully meet community needs.

It is important that we enter into this process with a dedication to participation and faith in the process. For this reason I am partnering with former Mayor Norm Rice and the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington to host a forum about the future of our neighborhood plans. Should we update them? How would we know whether a plan needs refreshing? If we do update the plans, what should be our goals for the process and the product?

The forum will happen Saturday, March 1, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the University of Washington campus. This event seeks to bring together a great diversity of voices and opinions for discussion of what makes great community planning. We’ve invited district council representatives, members of community councils and small chambers, and interested voices from groups that haven’t been connected to planning previously.

I want to make sure that we move forward smartly — learning from our past and adding in great ideas as yet untapped. If you are interested in participating in the forum, please email a note of interest to Outreach Coordinator Chris Godwin crgoodwin23@gmail.com . Chris will follow up with you soon after. Please know that space is limited and not all who want to will be able to attend. If you can’t make it, have no fear. The Evans School team will compile a report from the event and that will be available in April on my website.

My priority is to ensure that any neighborhood plan updates are truly community driven that we carry through the commitment to grassroots, democratic planning that was integral to the success of planning 10 years ago. I’m looking forward to it!

Sally Clark

sally.clark@seattle.gov

Phone: (206) 684-8802

Mailing Address: PO Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124-4025

Physical Address: Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave. 2nd Floor, Seattle, WA

Visit the Seattle City Council Website at www.seattle.gov/council where you can view Council meetings in progress and access previous meetings.