April 2026 Update: 

The City of Seattle is currently considering the rezoning legislation to allow more apartments and condos in centers such as the Whittier Neighborhood Center.

All residential streets within the designated Whittier Neighborhood Center boundaries are proposed to be rezoned to LR3, which allows multifamily buildings up to five stories (approximately 52 feet, possibly higher if certain conditions are met). See map.

There may be an opportunity to reduce impacts on residential blocks by directing more of the increased density to 15th Ave NW, potentially allowing somewhat taller buildings on that arterial in exchange for a lower zoning designation on local blocks. 

The Seattle City Council rezoning process is moving quickly. A decision is expected in late June. The window for public input is very short— it is important to contact Councilmember Dan Strauss and other city elected officials now with your input. Even a short message expressing your views is helpful. 

For more information, please see our website https://www.friendsofwhittierheights.org/

September 2025 Update:

The City Council’s Select Committee voted 9–0 to approve the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan and related legislation. The proposed Whittier Neighborhood Center — with the updated boundaries released in May — was included in the plan as approved by the committee, despite many community concerns. Rezoning of the properties within the neighborhood center will take place in 2026. 

June 2025 Update: Please visit

https://www.friendsofwhittierheights.org

for all the latest information and to subscribe to updates. This petition was originally created in December 2024. The One Seattle Plan is now under consideration by the Seattle City Council and the approval process is moving fast. The City Council intends to adopt the Plan in September 2025. In addition to signing this petition, sending your input directly to City Council members via emails and attending public hearings is essential to influencing the outcome. A critical Public Hearing is scheduled for June 23, 2025. See our website for more information on contacting the Council and attending hearings. 

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We, the undersigned residents of Seattle District 6, having reviewed the One Seattle Plan and its proposed changes to our neighborhood, strongly oppose the upzone.

Many in our neighborhood only learned about the proposed upzone after Thanksgiving—not through the city but via word of mouth. The city’s decision to stage the comment period during the holiday season, when many people have family, community, and religious obligations, is inexcusable. We requested an extension to the comment deadline, but it is unlikely to be granted. The following is our brief response given the limited time available:

Quality of Life: Out of Scale

• The LR3 zoning proposal will allow five-story buildings immediately adjacent to existing one- and two-story homes. The size and scale of these new developments will dwarf existing homes and are entirely out of scale with the neighborhood.

Safety & Traffic

• Increasing population density to the degree proposed on our narrow neighborhood streets will lead to gridlock.
• Whittier Elementary, a K-5 school with about 400 students, borders the proposed zoning area. Streets on both sides are already closed to all but local traffic and school buses. The proposed upzoning will create unsafe conditions for students and parents walking or driving to school.
• 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 without improving infrastructure will make walking and biking more dangerous.
• Public Transit: King County Metro already struggles to meet Seattle’s current transit needs. Upzoning will only exacerbate this issue.

Environmental Concerns

• The city’s Department of Construction and Inspections has shown its inability to enforce Seattle Municipal Code 23.24.040, which is meant to protect the tree canopy and maximize retention of existing trees during lot subdivisions.
• The proposed upzoning will destroy a vital portion of a historic neighborhood and its critical tree canopy. Mature trees reduce noise, improve air quality, provide shade to reduce urban heat, filter stormwater runoff, enhance property values, support wildlife habitats, and improve mental health. Losing these trees will have lasting negative impacts on the community.

Infrastructure Limitations

• The proposed population increase does not account for the neighborhood’s antiquated infrastructure, including narrow roads, limited parking, and outdated utilities such as water and sewer systems.
• A significant flaw in the One Seattle Plan is its failure to require developers of high-density buildings to contribute to improving streets, sewers, or other public services.

Neighborhood Character and Housing Affordability

• This area contains approximately 500 lots and homes, many built in the 1930s and earlier. Many of these homes are craftsman-style bungalows. The proposed upzoning will destroy these homes as developers aggregate lots to maximize profit.
• Recent density additions in Whittier and Crown Hill to the north have had little to no positive impact on housing affordability. Townhouses built in these areas during the last upzoning effort now sell for $800,000 and up—far from affordable housing.
• Homeowners adjacent to new five-story buildings will lose access to sunlight, which is vital for health, essential for homes with solar panels, and critical to maintaining property values.
• Displacement of Residents: Whittier currently provides affordable housing for many, including teachers, librarians, public-sector employees, senior citizens, and others on fixed incomes. If the upzone is approved, many residents may be forced to sell their homes due to development pressures and the resulting impacts.

The proposed upzoning poses a critical concern for our neighborhood. Five-story buildings next to one- and two-story homes will harm public safety, the environment, neighborhood infrastructure, and quality of life. We strongly encourage the city to significantly modify the Whittier zoning proposal to address these concerns and protect our community.

Links with more information can be found here: https://linktr.ee/whittier_seattle