By Erica C. Barnett
Editor’s note: This post was originally an item in Afternoon Fizz published on November 3.
The city of Seattle’s draft of the 10-year Comprehensive Plan update—a major revision to the plan that determines how much, and in what ways, the city will grow—has been delayed again. According to a spokesperson for the city’s Office of Planning and Community Development, the draft comp plan update, and the Draft Environmental Impact statement that lays out the impacts each option will have on the city over the coming decade, will come out sometime “in late 2023 or, more likely, early 2024.”
The delay means that the public will have less time to review, absorb, and weigh in on the five options outlined in the plan before the end of next year—the state deadline for every jurisdiction in King, Snohomish, Kitsap, and Pierce Counties to adopt an updated ten-year plan.
Originally, the city said it would release the drafts in April, but pushed that back to September over the summer.
The delay means that the public will have less time to review, absorb, and weigh in on the five options outlined in the plan before the end of next year—the state deadline for every jurisdiction in King, Snohomish, Kitsap, and Pierce Counties to adopt an updated ten-year plan.
Each option represents a different vision for the future of Seattle—from the suburban-style status quo (Alternative 2) to a city where as many as four housing units per lot are allowed everywhere (Alternative 5). “Alternative 6,” an option proposed by housing advocates that would allow more apartments all over the city, could influence the final document despite being off-the-books.
Pushing the release of draft documents into 2024 means that the new city council, which will have four, and likely five, new members, could find itself deliberating over complex planning documents while also figuring out how to close a budget shortfall of more than $200 million during the annual late-fall budget season.
Phffft, more lameness from the lamest collection of idiots at the city. Due in April and delayed until next year and you know what they will come up with will be tentative and cowardly.
Why is anyone surprised. These idiots got us into this crisis in the first place. Now we think they will solve it? LOL get real
So almost a year ago (11/16/22) I sent the following to the Planning people:
OPCD:
Why are you concealing all the street names on your maps? What does that accomplish except cause confusion?`Certainly you are using maps with street names generating these proposals. The People of Seattle have a right to know. This looks like a deliberate scheme to keep us in the dark!
Scott
Lame formula answer “thank you for your interest” followed with no explanation by Brennon Staley. Guess what? A year later and still no readable maps. Bribed or incompetent, either way they should be fired or resign.
Horrible performance by the planning morons who planned us into this mess. Watch them on Seattle Channel sometime during a Council meeting and you will see why we continue to suffer. Entrenched drones with no new ideas just milking the system and doing nothing. Case in point this fiasco. What a joke.
Agree – developers are taking all the homes that families want. They board them up fence and hold until the upzones allow them to overbuild – it’s greed gone overboard!
Corruption thy name is Lish. Developers know exactly how the map looks and are fanning out to snap up parcels before the rezone. Terrible as always for everyday folks courtesy of the Planning Mafia.