STOP ZONING CHANGES IN BRYANT

This petition seeks to draw the attention of concerned residents to the inclusion of Bryant as a Neighborhood Center in the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan, and the accompanying zoning changes around 55th St. and 40th Ave.

While the move to increase housing availability is crucial for Seattle's long-term sustainability, the selection of Bryant as a neighborhood center is misguided. The proposed zoning changes will

1. Compromise public safety
2. Harm the environment
3. Stretch our infrastructure beyond its limits

Get Involved:

1. Sign the petition
2. Comment on the One Seattle Zoning Plan 
3. Send your concerns to oneseattleplan.zoning@seattle.gov. and Council Member Maritza Rivera (Maritza.Rivera@seattle.gov)
4. Attend the November 19th town hall from 5:30-7:30pm at 6310 NE 74th St, Seattle, WA 98115
5. Attend a Virtual Office Hour (https://one-seattle-plan-zoning-implementation-seattlecitygis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/engagement

Key Concerns:

Traffic: Increasing population density on our narrow streets by 400% will lead to gridlock. 25 foot wide streets like 39th Ave, 43rd Ave, 56th Street, and 57th Street aren't designed for LR3 or MR1 zoning.

Parking: The plan could increase parking needs by 600%. This is a conservative estimate because the proposal includes loosening zoning parking requirements near the Bryant Center. One only needs to go try parking around Ravenna or U Village to see the impact higher density zoning has on parking without a solid plan to address the increase.

Emergency Services: Increased traffic and parking congestion will hinder emergency response times, especially during peak hours.

Pedestrian and Biker Safety: With U.S. pedestrian deaths at a 40-year high in 2023, adding more cars to our streets will only make walking and biking more dangerous. 39th Street is a 25ft wide street and a current Neighborhood Greenway. Imagine biking down a car-lined 25ft wide street. Getting doored is only a matter of time. Additionally, 40th Ave is a Burk Gillman crossing. The density around 55th and 40th will make this crossing more dangerous.

Children's Safety: Narrow, car-lined streets reduce visibility, making it harder for drivers to see children playing. Drivers already speed on Bryant's narrow streets, bobbing and weaving between parked cars. Bryant is home to many young families and this will make it more dangerous for them.

Road Conditions: Our roads are already in poor condition, and increased traffic will accelerate their deterioration.

Urban Forest Impact: Bryant is part of Seattle's urban forest, home to thousands of trees vital to our environment. The proposed changes threaten this green space.

Utilities: Our power and sewer systems may not support this level of density and would require costly upgrades.

Rainwater Runoff: Increased concrete surfaces could overwhelm our rainwater infrastructure, leading to flooding.

Public Services: Higher density will strain police and public transportation services.

Light and Noise: New five and six-story buildings will block sunlight and the increase in traffic will elevate noise levels.

Recreation: Bryant has only two small parks. How will they accommodate increased demand?

The draft Environmental Impact Study is not thorough enough and does not address the neighborhood level impacts. The city planners suggested we could rely on the city's permitting process to address the local level impacts. This is unacceptable.

We encourage the city to address our concerns to protect public safety, the environment, and our neighborhood infrastructure.