Maritime vs. real estate: Seattle’s decades-long rezoning fight (Tacoma: affordable apartment, high crime)

[homesinseattle]

Article link here: https://crosscut.com/politics/2023/0...rezoning-fight

“It has been 16 years since Seattle last made changes to its industrial and maritime zoning, but it hasn’t been for lack of trying. The latest efforts to modify the rules and boundaries governing Seattle’s working waterfront and industrial zones have spanned three mayoral administrations with no legislation passed.

The delay stems from the conflicting goals of two influential interest groups.
On one side are the Port of Seattle, maritime industrial business owners, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Ballard fisheries, the railroads and truckers. They want better protections to keep non-industrial uses out of industrial zones.

On the other are real estate developers, non-industrial businesses, the building trades unions, the stadiums management group, affordable-housing advocates and others. They want to expand into valuable underdeveloped industrial land, especially near the water.

Doing so required a multiyear series of meetings led by an outside mediator. More than 60 stakeholders came together and eventually reached 85% agreement on a package of policies that would close loopholes to better protect industrial-zoned lands for actual industrial work while allowing more housing and other uses in the buffers between industrial and traditional commercial land, among other goals.

That package of legislation is now working its way through the Seattle City Council, with a final vote expected this summer. But getting to that final vote will depend on the outcome of an 11th-hour debate over whether to develop housing, hotels and commercial space in SoDo near the stadiums. The push to include the SoDo “Makers District” in the final package (or put it back in the package, depending on whom you ask) threatens to upend the entire delicate compromise.

[jabogitlu]

The maritime industrial group is extremely powerful here. We’ve been trying to complete multiple bike lanes and bike paths through SoDo and Ballard for DECADES… stymied by these folks. They’re typified by people like Eugene Wasserman, who seems to have time traveled from the 1960s.

[Hemlock140]

I wonder who these people are that want to live next to the industrial areas, with the truck traffic, railroad noise, and diesel fumes.

[gus2]

Interesting... I'm working on a similar project on the opposite coast.

The timing is somewhat of a perfect storm:

• focus on shipping/freight transport given the issues noted during/since the pandemic
• administration's push to address environmental justice and vulnerable communities that live port-adjacent and are subjected to the associated environmental/health hazards.

[jabogitlu]

I wonder who these people are that want to live next to the industrial areas, with the truck traffic, railroad noise, and diesel fumes.

Probably no one, but we have underbuilt housing relative to demand for a decade now. We have so many people here that they're living in the streets, and commuting in from places like Enumclaw and Black Diamond and Cle Elum. Also, our residents won't allow us to build density in our single-family areas, so this housing has to go somewhere.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Probably no one, but we have underbuilt housing relative to demand for a decade now. We have so many people here that they're living in the streets, and commuting in from places like Enumclaw and Black Diamond and Cle Elum. Also, our residents won't allow us to build density in our single-family areas, so this housing has to go somewhere.

There is plenty of housing available, just not "affordable" housing. I just passed by the redevelopment area in Renton opposite Safeway, on Sunset, which is supposed to include affordable apartment. It looks like the framing is well underway, and it's a horribly ugly several blocks of multi-story right up against this major arterial, known for high crime. I can't imagine who would want to live there, but hopefully someone will. It is at least in an area with shops and restaurants, and convenient to 405 for commuting to places with jobs.


https://www.rentonreporter.com/news/...-neighborhood/


https://www.tiscareno.net/solera

[jabogitlu]

Again, where else will these developments go? Single-family homeowners have been extremely loud and consistent in their demands that new residents NOT live in their neighborhoods, including in the most recent legislative session (WA state) where we tried to upzone single-family neighborhoods, but didn't get very far due to residents of places like Mercer Island and Medina. So, this is where the housing goes. I don't understand how you don't understand. lol.

[MechAndy]

I watched San Francisco’s shipyards on 3rd Street turn into an amazing place.
There are now lots of biotech buildings, UCSF medical buildings, nice eateries, new housing and a pretty nice downtown Ballpark in what was a Barbary Coast area.
It’s a shame that we no longer have the shipyards in San Francisco but I’ll take this new development anytime.
I’m fine with having those needs filled in other areas.

I think Seattle would benefit from such a plan.

[Arcos]

Originally Posted by MechAndy

I watched San Francisco’s shipyards on 3rd Street turn into an amazing place.
There are now lots of biotech buildings, UCSF medical buildings, nice eateries, new housing and a pretty nice downtown Ballpark in what was a Barbary Coast area.
It’s a shame that we no longer have the shipyards in San Francisco but I’ll take this new development anytime.
I’m fine with having those needs filled in other areas.

I think Seattle would benefit from such a plan.

We’re a bit secluded from the rest of the country without the shipping though… geographically speaking. Tucked up against Canada, in the armpit of the pungent sound… where would our heavy goods come from… more train and truck traffic, when right now it comes in relatively smoothly by sea.

Portland? I doubt they have the capacity for the larger ships. Where else? Los Angeles is a long way away and also clogged.

Please note, I speak from a position of relative ignorance. If there are other options, I’m happy to learn about them.

[MechAndy]

Wouldn’t relocating some of the shipping needs to Tacoma make a difference?