Snipping red tape
Mayor Bruce Harrell proposed two pieces of legislation that would eliminate design review requirements for affordable housing projects and home ownership options, which he says will allow developers to move forward with projects faster.
The design review process largely covers aesthetic elements, such as the appearance of the building, how it looks in the context of buildings around it, the quality of materials and a few other factors.
The proposal would make permanent a design review exemption for affordable housing projects approved during the pandemic. The City Council voted unanimously to extend those provisions for a year to give the council and Mayor’s Office time to create this measure.
The second piece of legislation would provide temporary exemptions for projects that work under the city’s Mandatory Housing Affordability program. It also allows all housing projects to choose a shorter, administrative process that goes through the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) rather than one of the city’s eight Design Review boards.
According to the SDCI website, the city has eight Design Review boards, each assigned to a specific piece of the city’s geography. The boards are composed of five members — appointed by either the mayor or City Council — that fill the following seats: design, community/residential, development or business/landscape.
According to a public statement, in combination with changes in environmental law at the state level, the new legislation could cut between 12 and 15 months off a project’s regulatory process.
“Establishing a more efficient and flexible review process will help us address Seattle’s urgent housing needs, significantly reducing the time between project proposal and when new housing is available for occupancy,” Harrell said in the release.
Saving Chinatowns
Advocates for the preservation of local Chinatowns met in Vancouver, BC, in May to discuss the threats to these cultural neighborhoods that have been disappearing in recent years, Bloomberg City Lab reported.
Issues discussed included crime and gentrification, concerns that have been voiced by members of the Seattle Chinatown-International District (CID) community. Seattle’s CID was included on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of “Most Endangered Historic Places” this year.
At that meeting, advocates called for more investment from Sound Transit, which is building a new light rail station in or around the neighborhood. A final decision on the location has not yet been made, but early proposals sparked a debate among Seattleites about the best option.
Ashley Archibald was the editor of Real Change through July 2023, and is now a communication specialist for Purpose. Dignity. Action.
Read more of the June 21-27, 2023 issue.