A. Existing Conditions Analysis

1. Review Housing objectives and planning process. Refine scope of work.

2. Assemble housing profile, identifying characteristics of existing housing, rents and sale prices, recent development trends, and reasons for trends. Compare profile with City goals and policies.

3. Review housing capacity analysis to determine where development and redevelopment is likely to happen.

4. Review existing household characteristics and household growth forecasts to determine future household characteristics.

5. Assess City and community goals for affordable housing. Identify any existing and likely future housing affordability gaps. Assess development standards and other possible regulatory impediments to affordable housing.

6. Inventory housing with historic characteristics.

7. Identify impediments and threats to meeting community objectives.
 

Product of Step A:

1. Housing background report consisting of:

• Current household demographics, conditions, trends;
• Inventory of housing resources;
• Conflicts between Capitol Hill's housing objectives and City policies; and
• Impediments to reaching objectives.

B. Alternatives Development

1. Identify opportunities for accommodating the City's household growth targets. The alternatives should consider the location, types and amounts of new housing.

2. Identify options for addressing regulatory impediments to affordable housing.

3. Develop options for maintaining and increasing the variety of housing options, including small lot development, live-work spaces, and residents over existing commercial structures.

4. Identify options for preserving historical housing.

5. Meet with Planning Committee to integrate housing alternatives with other alternatives.
 

Product of Step B:


1. Options for achieving Housing objectives.

2. Maps and other visual representations of growth options, and graphics of housing types. Graphics should communicate the impacts of housing growth alternatives on existing character of areas.

3. Housing preservation measures.

C. Alternatives Evaluation

1. Review alternatives and evaluate relative performance with respect to Housing objectives and City's household growth targets.

2. Prepare brief alternative evaluation report and present to Planning Committee.
 

Product of Step C:


1. Evaluation report.

D. Concept Plan

1. Assemble elements of alternatives to form the Housing component of the concept plan.

2. Coordinate with Planning Committee to integrate Housing component into concept plan.
 

Product of Step D:


1. Housing element concept plan, including:

• Housing Growth Strategy describing actions to achieve Capitol Hill's housing objectives and relation to Comprehensive Plan.
• Housing preservation and development recommendations for various areas.
• Descriptions of desired housing types.

E. Implementation

1. Prepare a Housing implementation strategy that identifies actions related to housing. Identify priorities, costs, responsibilities and timing of actions.

2. Work with Planning Committee to integrate Housing element into community-wide plan.
 

Product of Step E:


Housing action strategy identifying recommended actions and tools with participants, timing, and necessary resources for each. Actions and tools may include:

• Preferred locations for housing growth.
• Housing preservation programs.
• Identification of preferred housing types and desired mix of types.
• Regulatory (zoning) changes.

F. Ideas

The following lists of potential work plan tasks stem from ideas generated by the community during Phase I outreach efforts:

• Add infill housing over single-story commercial units.
• Convert commercial buildings to residential spaces.
• Build more cluster housing and shared courtyards.
• Legalize accessory units.
• Balance housing with parking and open space.
• Assess and, if necessary, recommend revisions for Comp Plan goals for housing growth in Capitol Hill and develop strategies for achieving the community's growth goals.
• Develop a plan for preserving and increasing affordable housing on Capitol Hill.
• Pursue historic preservation designations to protect historic residences.
• Develop neighborhood design guidelines and design review standards to supplement the city's current design review process in order to guide new development in ways that maintain Capitol Hill's character.
• Assess and map underdeveloped properties and explore their potential for redevelopment.
• Explore potential zoning changes that will allow creative ways of developing new housing and that will examine (1) the fate of single-family houses, (2) use of the Residential Small Lot Zone, (3) the potentials of mixed-use structures, and (4) areas where higher densities may be appropriate.
• Assess the need for developing housing geared toward families with children.