Seattle's Comprehensive Plan
Comprehensive Plan Amendments in 2008

Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan guides decisions about growth over a 20-year horizon by articulating goals and policies that accommodate growth while preserving citizens’ values. The Comprehensive Plan annual amendments cycle provides an opportunity to propose amendments to the City’s Comprehensive Plan to address changing conditions or to address emerging issues. On October 27, 2008, the City Council approved Ordinance 122832, amending the Comprehensive Plan as follows:

Links Across I-5
New policies in the Transportation and Neighborhood Planning Elements direct the City to look for ways to reconnect neighborhoods with crossings over or under I-5, and for ways to create open space by constructing lids.

Livable South Downtown
The Future Land Use Map designation of land within the Little Saigon neighborhood and along the northern portion of Rainier Avenue was changed from Industrial to Commercial/Mixed Use. Policies in the Downtown Neighborhood Plan now allow establishment of a transfer of development rights (TDR) program that will encourage preservation of historic properties in South Downtown.

South Lake Union
To allow certain rezones in accordance with the South Lake Union Urban Center Neighborhood Plan, the Future Land Use Map designation of land within the neighborhood was changed from Industrial to Commercial/Mixed Use.

Pedestrian Access to Transit Stops
A new policy in the Transportation Element encourages transit agencies to site transit stops and stations in locations that facilitate pedestrian access, and directs the City to seek ways to develop safer street crossings at transit stops, particularly on streets with more than one lane of traffic in either direction.

Reducing Trips and Vehicle Miles Traveled in the City
An existing policy related to reducing vehicle miles traveled is amended to note the beneficial impact of that policy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Affordable Housing Action Agenda
New policies support sufficient density and incentives addressing infrastructure and amenities in areas where density is likely to increase, e.g., near light rail stations. A new goal calls for implementing strategies and programs to help ensure a range of housing opportunities affordable to those who work in Seattle. Existing land use policies are amended to support seeking opportunities to provide affordable housing when land is rezoned.

Additional Priority Uses for Surplus City Properties
Existing open space policies are amended to include parks, forested areas, and viewpoints among the priority uses for surplus City properties, and a new policy is added identifying parks, viewpoints and P-patches to be included among the priority uses for surplus City property.

Anticipating the Effects of Climate Change
The Environment Element is amended to recognize that, in addition to striving to prevent future climate change, Seattle must plan for the effects of climate change that will occur. A complementary goal and policy have been added directing the City to prepare and plan for addressing the likely impacts of climate change.

Trees and Tree Canopy
Certain existing policies have been consolidated within the Environment Element of the Comp Plan, and a guide to other goals and policies related to trees has been added within the discussion portion of the Environment Element.

2008 Comprehensive Plan Amendment replacement pages (published in 2009):

Seattle's complete, updated Comprehensive Plan is available here.

Last Updated: March 10, 2009