Density in the Junction

Junction Neighborhood Association (JuNO)

Land Use Committee
January 19, 2017

The Junction Urban Village

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The Junction was like Main Street USA

The perfect fusion of an urban environment with a small-town atmosphere!
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Density is inevitable

It impacts livability, if its not managed

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We all used to get a seat on the bus

We used to sit down on the bus

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We could park on
almost any street

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We could get downtown in 20 minutes

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Housing was affordable

$900+ per month

200 sq ft. micro-studios!
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This used to be a view of Mount Rainier

This used to be a view of Mt. Rainier

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This used to be a view of the Olympics

This used to be a view of the Olympics

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Density is inevitable, but a livable neighborhood

must be the outcome.
We need to organize to be heard.

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HALA
Sound Transit Light Rail

We have an obligation to shape our neighborhood

for 100+ years

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Background
HALA and ST3

Junction Neighborhood Association (JuNO)

Land Use Committee
January 19, 2017

Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda

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What is affordable?
(Renters) 60% of Seattles Median Income
(Owners) 80% of Seattles Median Income
Household 60% of AMI 80% of AMI
size
(Rental)
(Owner)
1
$37,980
$50,640
2
$43,380
$57,840
3
$48,780
$65,040
4
$54,180
$72,240
5
$58,560
$78,080
6
$62,880
$83,840
7
$67,200
$89,600
8
$71,520
$95,360

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$1,017 per month

(including utilities)

Source: Office of Housing, based on 2016 Income Limits as published by U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
Program Limits for the Seattle-Bellevue HUD Metro Fair Market Rent Area (King-Snohomish Counties).

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Older buildings are affordable

$1,000 / 1br
Fauntleroy
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Source: Craigslist, 1/15/17

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What is being built in the Junction?

Link
Low: $1,161 518 sq ft studio
High: $1,975 737 sq ft 1 BR

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Source: rent.com, 1/15/17

Spruce
Low: $1,350 403 sq ft studio
High: $2,095 752 sq ft 1 BR

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What is zoning?

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Zoning limits what

can be built on a lot

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Types of zoning
Single Family
SFR = Single Family Residences
Multi-Family
RSL = Residential Small Lot
LR = Lowrise
NC = Neighborhood Commercial
MR = Midrise
HR = Highrise
C = Commercial
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The City has designated areas for upzone

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Example: SFR to LR1

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Example: SFR to LR2

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Example: LR3

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The City proposes to expand the urban village

boundary

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HALA creates an affordable housing incentive

known as MHA

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Incentive Allow more density

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Source: Craigslist, 1/15/17

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In exchange for mandatory affordable units

Example: 4505 42nd Ave SW

Stories: 7
Units: 42
Parking: 15 spots (0 required)

Under HALA:
Stories: Up to 9
Units: 60?
Affordable: 60 x 6% = 4
Parking: (0 required)

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Source: Seattle in Progress

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Payment of a fee is an alternative

Example: 4534 40th Ave SW

Stories: 3 + roof deck
Units: 4

Under HALA:
Stories: 4 + roof deck
Units: 5
Affordable: minimum 2 or 1x3BR
Fee instead:
7,000 sq ft x $13.25 = $92,750

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Where does the money go?

Fees go into an affordable housing fund
Developers that make affordable housing commitments may
apply for grants from the fund
The citys policy is to try to spend the money near where it
was raised

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Affects commercial areas too

Currently NC-40

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Source: Craigslist, 1/15/17

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Other factors increase height limits too

True Value
NC-40 (today)

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Source: Craigslist, 1/15/17

NC-55(M)

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Collateral damage: existing affordable housing

To be re-zoned NC2-75(M)
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Collateral damage: family housing

5047 42nd Ave SW

To be re-zoned LR2(M)
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Notes to owners in MHA zones

Property taxes generally go up with higher zoning. Per Lisa
Herbold, the county has not yet decided whether to tax at the
new zoning vs. grandfather existing property
You may still build an ADU (e.g. basement mother-in-law) or
DADU (e.g. backyard cottage) without triggering HALA fees
You are not required to sell your house, however, you may
find that your neighborhood changes over the next few
decades as others do

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Do we need to trade houses for apartments?

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MHA timeline
October February: Maps published and residents may
comment
February March: City develops an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) based on proposals
March April: Residents may comment on the EIS
Summer 2017: EIS is finalized and new zoning legislature is
proposed
Summer/Fall 2017: Residents may comment on the
legislature
Early 2018: City Council votes on MHA zoning

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Sound Transit 3

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West Seattle Branch

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Sound Transit 3
The Sound Transit region voted for new taxes to fund expansion

Property Tax: +$25 per $100k of assessed value

Sales Tax: additional 0.5%
Car Tabs: +$80 per $10k of car value

The funds are earmarked for projects that include 62 miles of light rail and 37 new
stations.

A new branch to West Seattle is included, with a goal

to open service by 2030

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The representative (i.e. one possible) alignment:

4.7 miles of rail

New bridge over the Duwamish river
Elevated rail and elevated stations
Three stations in WS: Delridge (B) , Avalon, and WS Junction (B)
To be oriented south for possible future extension to Burien
No parking

(B) = station to be designed with bus transfer area

Bold = station is in the Junction urban village
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Elevated Rail

Where do you want this?

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Elevated Station

Where do you want this?

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Elevated stations must handle 200 train

cars. The Angle Lake station is used for
scale. Where will they be?

Stations are big

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?
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The city will push for

up-zoning near the
stations

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Planning for the WS Junction

Where will the stations be?
What property will Sound Transit buy or use
eminent domain to acquire?
How much density belongs near the stations?

Will we advocate for elevated (as budgeted) or

underground (much lower impact)?

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Timeline

Shouldnt we plan these together?

Could HALA interfere with some of the rail options?

Why add more density when new transit capacity
isnt due for 13 years?

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Our Neighborhood Plan

Junction Neighborhood Association (JuNO)

Land Use Committee
January 19, 2017

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1999 FOJ FINALIZES NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN

Single Family Zones (p. 40)
Maintaining the single family character of West Seattles neighborhoods has been
a battle cry during the neighborhood planning process, Most of the singlefamily zoning in the Junction planning area lies outside the Urban Village
Boundary and would not be effected by the Neighborhood Plan, There are three
pockets of single family zoning within the village boundaries: between SW
Edmunds Street and SW Dawson Street along 40th, 42st and 42nd Avenues SW;
between Dakota Street and SW Oregon Street generally form 37th and 42st
Avenues SW and along 32nd Ave SW.

Goal: Protect the character and integrity of the existing Single Family Areas.
Recommendation: Protect the character and integrity of the existing Single
Family Areas.

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JUNE 1999 CITY ADOPTS NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN

Council Bill Number: 112595
Ordinance Number: 119506

COMMUNITY CHARACTER GOAL:

A SMALL TOWN COMMUNITY WITH ITS OWN DISTINCT IDENTITY COMPRISED
OF A STRONG SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY AND A VIBRANT
MIXED USE BUSINESS DISTRICT SERVING THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL
CORE.
HOUSING AND LAND USE POLICY:
MAINTAIN THE CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY OF THE EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY
AREAS.

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SEATTLE 2035 NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN SECTION
WEST SEATTLE JUNCTION
Housing Goal
W/HP-G5 A community with both single-family and multifamily residential
areas and the amenites to support the diverse population.

Housing Policies
W/HP-P18 Seek to maintain the character and integrity of the existing singlefamily areas

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SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE

23.34.010 Designation of single-family zones
B. Areas zoned single-family and that are located within the boundaries of
an urban village may be rezoned to zones more intense than single-family
5000 if all of the following conditions are met:
1. A neighborhood plan has designated the area as appropriate for the
zone designation
2. The rezone is to a Residential Small Lot (RSL), Residential Small LotTandem (RSL/T), Residential Small Lot-Cottage (RSL/C), Residential
Small Lot-Tandem Cottage (RSL/TC), Lowrise 1 (LRW), Lowrise
1/Residential Commercial (LR1/RC), or

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SEATTLE 2035 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT
The Citys approach to community planning has evolved over time to become more
inclusive. The top-down approaches of earlier decades gave way to a bottom-up
neighborhood planning process for unique areas, including urban villages and urban
centers designated in the 1994 Comprehensive Plan.
Currently, the Neighborhood Plans section of the Comprehensive Plan contains the goals
and policies that have emerged from different community planning initiatives, these goals
and policies are the citys adopted Neighborhood Plans.

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SEATTLE 2035 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

GOAL
CI G2 Work with a broad range of community members to plan for future homes, jobs,
recreation, transportation options and gathering places in their community.

POLICIES
CI 2.1 Use an inclusive community involvement process in all community planning
efforts.
CI 2.4 Encourage transparency in the development and updating of community plans by .
..
CI 2.5 Determine, in collaboration with the community, which of the following topics
should be addressed in a community plan or an update to a community plan . . . Land
use and zoning . . . Parks and open space . . . Transportation, utilities and infrastructure.
CI 2.7 Collaborate with the community to implement community plans.
CI 2.10 Use outcomes of the community planning process to update the goals and
policies in the Neighborhood Plans section of the Comprehensive Plan.

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Some neighborhoods may want HALA

West Seattle does not

Votes on hala.consider.it
(as of 1/15/17)

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