Belltown Small Lot Development

What's Happening Now?

We are considering minor changes to development standards in the Downtown Mixed Residential (DMR) zones of Belltown to accommodate modular and panelized construction on smaller lots. Current zoning requires complicated massing which is very challenging for these types of construction. We are considering changes that would allow more consistent floor plates within the existing height limits for projects meeting certain standards. The goal is to accommodate more modular and panelized construction that can increase the supply of moderately-priced rental housing.

An updated proposal with SEPA analysis was published in February of 2020. Legislation was transmitted to Council in June 2021.

Project Documents

Legislation Transmitted to Council (June 2021)

• Proposal Summary
• Director's Report
• Ordinance

Updated SEPA Draft Proposal (February 2020)

• Updated Belltown Small Lot Development Proposal Summary
• Draft Ordinance
• SEPA Checklist
• SEPA Determination
• Map of Potentially Affected Sites
• Updated Modeling Examples

Original Proposal (June 2019)

• Modeling Examples (August 2019)
  This document shows modeling of likely building massing under existing and proposed development standards for six sample sites. 
• Original Belltown Small Lot Development Proposal Summary