Public hearing on rezoning part of Greenwood to encourage affordable housing

Greenwood residents are invited to a March 14 public hearing on rezoning part of downtown Greenwood, which is part of the Greenwood/Phinney Ridge Residential Urban Village. The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) proposes amending the Official Land Use Map to rezone land and apply incentive provisions to encourage affordable housing.
Last summer, the City Council had proposed a more extensive rezone of the land around Fred Meyer, called Greenwood Town Center, but has changed the proposal based on testimony from a July public hearing and more analysis by DPD staff.
The new proposal will NOT apply a pedestrian zone designation to the block facing the south side of NW 85th Street, between 1st and 3rd Avenues NW, which is zoned Neighborhood Commercial 2 with a 40-foot height limit (NC2 40).
But it does increase the maximum floor area ratio (FAR) permitted in mixed-use structures of both residential and non-residential uses on those lots from 3.25 to 4.0, without changing the existing 40-foot height limit. That is designed to encourage affordable housing on those lots.

You can find background on the rezone area on DPD’s website, complete with maps of each proposed rezone area.
The City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Sustainability Committee will hold a public hearing on proposed rezones on Thursday, March 14, in City Council Chambers, Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 2, starting at 9:30 a.m. If you want to testify, a sign-up sheet will be available outside Council Chambers at 9 a.m.
Questions about the public hearing can be directed to Sara Nelson in Councilmember Conlin’s office at 206-684-8805, or [email protected]. Written comments can be sent to: Councilmember Richard Conlin, Legislative Department, 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 2, PO Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124-4025, or by email to [email protected]. Written comments should be received by 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 14.