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Neighborhood Status Reports Public Meeting November 5 I November 10 I November 12 During June and July, many neighbors joined in meetings and many other hundreds participated in on line questionnaires to review the Draft Neighborhood Status Reports and comment on changes— good, bad, and unexpected —that have occurred since Seattle’s Neighborhood Plans were written in the late 90's. We explored growth, transportation, housing, economic development, utilities, neighborhood character, open space and parks, public services, public safety. So, what did we hear? Come to the November meeting in your area and find out.
The Neighborhood Plan Advisory Committee (NPAC) and the Seattle Planning Commission want to report back to you on the trends that emerged so far and to get your help to identify the continuing priorities and new issues that should be emphasized in the final Status Reports and a State of the Neighborhood Report that will be presented to the City Council and Mayor. Meeting Times and Locations Thursday, November 5, 2009, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. |
Do you have suggestions about the Neighborhood Plans Updates? Neighborhood Specific Comments (Othello, North Rainier, North Beacon) can be submitted until October 30, 2009. General comments can be left on our "Comment Here" page.
Neighborhood plans were completed between 1995 and 2000 to manage growth in the neighborhoods, especially in light of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan and growth management strategy, adopted in 1994. Since neighborhood plans were completed, growth throughout Seattle has been generally consistent with expectations but has varied by neighborhood. In some neighborhoods growth has been far more or far less than anticipated.
The City Council passed legislation in September of 2008 that authorized the Department of Neighborhoods (DON) and the Department of Planning & Development (DPD) to work with Seattle’s citizenry to begin updating neighborhood plans where appropriate. The ordinance and a companion resolution implement three key programs that together are intended to create a neighborhood-based planning process that is rooted in the good work citizens conducted in the 1990s.
1. Updating Plans — Neighborhood Plan updates began in Autumn 2008 in North Beacon Hill, North Rainier and MLK Jr. @ Holly. Each of these neighborhoods is home to a newly opened light-rail station and experiencing or expecting significant new population and business growth.
2. Neighborhood-Plans Status Review — The Seattle Planning Commission and the Neighborhood Planning Advisory Committee, with DON and DPD, are working with neighborhood residents and business people to gather information to create snapshots of each neighborhood compared to 10 years ago. The status reports will help neighborhood advocates and the city recognize gaps and inform decisions about whether or how to update particular plans.
3. Neighborhood Planning Advisory Committee (NPAC) — A committee formed entirely of Seattle residents and businesses-people is providing advice to DON and DPD on conducting the updates. The 24 committee members includes one representative from each of the 13 Neighborhood District Councils, the Chair of the Neighborhood District Council’s Planning Committee, two members of the Seattle Planning Commission and eight at-large appointees (four by the mayor and four by the Council).
Outreach — For both Updates and Status Reports, the City is reaching a broad cross-section of neighborhood stakeholders, using both innovative and time tested tools, from hands-on workshops to smaller scale interactive meetings with community-based organizations, as well as on line updates and surveys. So far in 2009, city staff have sponsored or contributed to more than 300 meetings and events, reaching both long-time veterans of neighborhood planning, stewards of the important work begun in the 1990s, and a new generation of neighborhood planners, building a broader base for civic engagement. This includes the work of Planning Outreach Liaisons (POLs), engaging historically underrepresented communities and multiple language groups.
