Final Full City Council Votes on Comp Plan and Changes to Neighborhood Residential Zones
Date To Be Announced
The Council Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan held their committee voting on amendments to CB 120985 (Comprehensive Plan) and CB 120993 (Final HB1110 Compliance allowing 4-6 units on every residential lot and relaxing other development standards to achieve greater density) on September 18th and 19th. The City Council had proposed over 100 amendments to the Mayor's Comp Plan including many changes and additions to the new "Neighborhood Center" designation maps. Tally of votes on amendments can be found here.
The final vote by the full Council will occur in late October or early November following additional SEPA analysis. Some amendments were withdrawn pending additional environmental review including changes to regulations for Accessory Dwelling Units and changing the definition of "major transit service" to include bus lines which meet the current definition of "frequent transit service." This would have meant increasing allowable heights up to 8 stories along virtually all local bus lines in Seattle.
The Council also passed a companion Resolution (32183) that moved some of the most controversial amendments including adding 9 new Neighborhood Centers to a work program for 2026.
Effect of District 6 Amendments on Phinney Ridge and nearby neighborhoods
CM Strauss proposed to substitute a new East Ballard Neighborhood Center instead of the Mayor's original proposed center on Phinney Ridge (at 65th/Phinney). That amendment passed and amendments also passed that made changes to the boundaries for the Upper Fremont and NW Green Lake Neighborhood Centers. The companion Resolution also includes studying a Phinney Center and potential boundary changes to other District 6 Neighborhood Centers for a future year Comprehensive Plan amendment.
Maps of these Neighborhood Center can be found in the Resolution link above.
Stay Informed on Future Agendas and Votes
Check the Council's meeting page or sign up to receive agendas by e-mail.
Written Comments: You can always email comments to the all council members at Council@seattle.gov
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ARCHIVAL MATERIAL
This section is for historic reference only.
Initial Comp Plan Recommendations
Revisions and Additions to Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Center Maps
Our District 6 Council representation, Dan Strauss, has offered several amendments including three new versions of the Neighborhood Center at Phinney/65th. plus a new East Ballard Neighborhood Center at 8th NW/65th with three different proposed boundaries. Click here to see new boundaries.
Links below are to the original maps which may be changes by Council amendments (see above.)
The City has released a new zoning proposal which includes significant changes to residential zones citywide and rezones many areas to allow greater density. View the City's interactive maps at link below:
https://one-seattle-plan-zoning-implementation-seattlecitygis.hub.arcgis.com/
These changes impact several blocks around the 65th/Phinney intersection and at West Green Lake (Winona/Linden) which are designated "Neighborhood Centers" under the proposed One Seattle Comprehensive Plan Update. The proposals expand both commercial zoning, and change some residential blocks to new heights and scales to encourage four to six story apartments, condos, and townhomes. The link above includes a document describing changes including expanding lot coverage allowance to 50%, reducing setbacks, and other changes to former "single family" (NR) zoned lots to allow four or up to six residential units on NR lots if they are close to "frequent transit" or meet criteria for "affordability."
