"Seattle’s multi-year process to update the city’s Comprehensive Plan has come to its conclusion finding unanimous consent and approval from the City Council," reports Stephen Fesler.
The city's Planning, Land Use, and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee has been working to finalize Mayor Ed Murray's Recommended Plan for Seattle 2035 since May, considering more than 140 technical amendments and 13 major policy decisions before approving the final version this week.
Among the changes added to the Seattle 2035 plan in 2016: revised growth estimates, a "very clear Community Involvement Element for planning and engagement," and "policies that support and encourage commercial affordability and bolster small locally-owned businesses." The adopted Seattle 2035 plan also tables "a proposal to consider infill development in areas designated for single-family use outside but near urban villages and urban centers," according to Fessler.
Fesler also reports that one other big planning-related item will go back to committee: a renters' rights bill "to give tenants the option of capping move-in fees," as proposed by Councilmember Kshama Sawant.
FULL STORY: Seattle 2035 Approved, Move-In Fee Reform Held Back
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The Seattle City Council is currently considering the Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan. The plan could change significantly from Mayor Ed Murray's proposed draft to the final, approved version.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
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California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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