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Seattle committee rejects removal of parking mandates, adopts several targeted comp-plan amendments and sends plan for SEPA follow-up
Summary
The committee considered dozens of amendments to Council Bill 120985 on Sept. 18. Members rejected a sponsor'led attempt to remove parking mandates, adopted several other amendments (including targeted neighborhood-boundary tweaks and parking maximums near light rail), and recommended the bill to full council as amended while central staff prepares additional SEPA work.
Seattle ' A select committee of the Seattle City Council on Thursday debated more than 40 amendments to the city's comprehensive plan and voted on a package of changes that it will send to full council after additional environmental review.
The committee rejected a high-profile amendment led by Councilmember Rink that would have removed policy language requiring minimum off-street parking. Rink urged colleagues to "end parking mandates," saying they "are just that, mandates," and argued that minimum parking requirements increase housing costs and are out of step with climate and Vision Zero goals. After discussion about transit capacity, business access and enforcement, the roll call was 1 in favor, 6 opposed and 1 abstention and the amendment failed.
Why it matters: proponents of removing parking mandates said the change would lower construction costs and help meet housing and climate goals. Opponents warned the city does not yet have transit capacity everywhere and raised concerns about…
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