Update on Transportation Impact Fees hearing

Last week I reported that the City of Seattle’s Hearing Examiner had reopened the hearing on the city’s SEPA Determination of Nonsignificance, the first step in establishing Transportation Impact Fees in Seattle. Hearing Examiner Ryan Vancil asked the parties to come back in so he could pose some additional questions to them that he felt weren’t thoroughly briefed in their filings to-date. That meeting was this afternoon; it lasted only twenty minutes, enough time for Vancil to lay out his four questions and for the parties to agree on a schedule for additional briefs.

Continue reading

Hearing Examiner reappointment sails through committee

This morning, the Governance, Equity and Technology Committee wrapped up its work on confirming the reappointment of Ryan Vancil as Hearing Examiner, and sent it on to the full Council for final confirmation next Monday. While that outcome was hardly in doubt, there was still an interesting conversation between the Council members and Vancil that covered several topics related to the Hearing Examiner’s office.

Continue reading

Catching up on the backyard cottages legislation

Back in October, the city issued its final environmental impact statement (FEIS) on proposed legislation loosening rules on building “backyard cottages” in single-family zones in Seattle, as well as a Racial Equity Toolkit evaluation of the impact of the legislation on racial disparities in the city.  To no one’s surprise, an appeal has been filed against the FEIS — but the city is fighting back.

Continue reading

Hearing Examiner issues decision on MHA EIS appeal, largely rules for the city

Last Wednesday, the Hearing Examiner for the City of Seattle released his ruling on the appeal of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the city’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) plan to upzone neighborhoods in exchange for required contributions to affordable housing.  The ruling finds that the FEIS is adequate on nearly all grounds, except for its analysis of historic sites.

Continue reading

City-wide MHA upzone Environmental Impact Statement jumps first hurdle with the Hearing Examiner

The Hearing Examiner’s Office has been adjudicating nine separate challenges by neighborhood organizations to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the city’s city-wide MHA upzones. After a hearing on May 31 to discuss several motions for summary judgment, last Friday the Hearing Examiner issued rulings — and it largely went in favor of the city. The appeals are far from resolved, and won’t be until early fall, but several issues were taken off the table as potential flaws in the FEIS.

Continue reading