Dear Neighbors:
The One Seattle Plan will guide Seattle’s growth for the next 20 years. It will affect your life and the lives of your neighbors in significant ways. The city is moving forward with the Plan, including designating Whittier a Neighborhood Center with associated major upzone. This is despite serious concerns from Whittier residents and other communities across Seattle. The City Council needs to hear from us! Here are some ways to join us in making our voices heard:
Email the Council:
Please take a few minutes today and email your thoughts about this plan to our Councilmember Dan Strauss at Dan.Strauss@seattle.gov and the entire council at Council@seattle.gov. If you’ve emailed before, please do so again to ensure our elected officials know that you remain concerned. To be entered into the official record comments must be received by Friday, September 12, 2025, at 5 p.m. See the sample message at the end of this email for ideas, or feel free to use any speaking points from our web page friendsofwhittierheights.org or our petition.
Join Us at the Sept 12 Public Hearing:
You can demonstrate your concern in person at the hearing on Friday, September 12, at City Hall. Speaking in public is not required – you could carry a sign or simply stand in solidarity with Friends of Whittier Heights (see below for some sample slogans). A big turnout of residents makes an impression on our elected officials! Carpooling from Whittier is available if you need a ride. The meeting starts at 3:00. But because these meetings are long, we plan to arrive at 5:00, as the crowd starts to thin, and stay for about two hours. Email whittierzoning@gmail.com for carpool info or to arrange a meetup with our group at city hall.
Alternately, you can attend the virtual public hearing session in the morning if that works best for you. See below for more information.
If you have any questions at all about how to make your voice heard, please email us at whittierzoning@gmail.com and someone will be happy to assist you.
Sept 12 Public Hearing Details:
The Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan will be hearing public comments on the more than 100 amendments for two pieces of legislation: the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan and the City’s implementation of Washington State HB 1110, which details the type of development can occur on every parcel zoned Neighborhood Residential (formerly single family). The Select Committee’s goal is to have their final vote in mid-September. The amendments to the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan and the Permanent HB 1110 Legislation can be found here: Updated Amendment Package for Public Hearing Notice.
The Sept. 12 public hearing will be broken into two sessions:
Session I will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be reserved for remote public comment. Registration for remote speakers will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 10:00 a.m. Register to speak remotely.
Session II will begin at 3 p.m. for in person commentors and will take place at City Hall, 600 4th Ave, Seattle. Registration for in-person speakers will begin at 2:30 p.m. and end at 6:30 p.m. In-person public comment will be accepted beginning at 3 p.m. in Council Chambers, City Hall.
If you plan to attend in person Sea Park Parking Garage is across the street from City Hall. Pioneer Square Station is the closest light rail station, just one block from City Hall. The Metro D Line also stops one block from City Hall, 3rd Avenue at Cherry Street.
As this plan heads towards a City Council vote in mid-September, thank you for staying involved.
— Friends of Whittier Heights
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Sample Message to Councilmembers:
To: Dan.Strauss@seattle.gov, Council@seattle.gov
Subject: One Seattle Plan Public Comments
Dear Councilmembers:
I live in the Whittier neighborhood of Ballard and I am concerned about the Mayor’s One Seattle Comprehensive Plan and many of the proposed amendments. As currently written, this legislation writes a blank check to developers and abandons any resemblance of a housing strategy that creates middle housing or strengthens communities. I urge you to pause before moving the plan forward in its current form and work toward a plan that truly supports affordable middle housing while preserving existing communities, diversity of homes, consistent setbacks, trees, and sunlight. Not blocks of oversized buildings that overwhelm their surroundings.
I support adding more homes that families and working people can afford, without destroying existing smaller homes and apartments that provide affordability today. The current plan and amendments will promote high-priced development that displaces renters and pushes out homeowners through rising property taxes and decreased livability. Whittier Heights, in particular, is an ill-conceived location for a neighborhood center. Please take more time to actually get this plan and legislation right, since it will be affecting all our lives for decades to come.