Attachment 7

Neighborhood Planning Element

Introduction

Neighborhood planning is a way to tailor the comprehensive plan and implement it in areas with urban villages or centers and adopted growth targets. It is also a means by which members of any Seattle community may participate in planning for the future of their area within the context of the City’s Comprehensive Plan.

The two phases of neighborhood planning discussed in this element are the planning process and subsequent plan implementation.

In early 2000, the City concluded a five-year neighborhood planning process. The City took three actions in response to each plan produced in this process. From each plan a set of neighborhood specific goals and policies were adopted into the Comprehensive Plan. These goals and policies constitute the "adopted" neighborhood plans. The City also approved by resolution a work-plan matrix indicating the intent of the City concerning the implementation of specific recommendations from each neighborhood plan. Finally, the City recognized by resolution that each plan, as submitted to the City, constitutes the continuing vision and desires of the community. The recognized neighborhood plans, however, have not been adopted as City policy.

GOALS

NG13 Recognize neighborhood planning and implementation as a critical, urgently needed tools for refining and turning into a reality the vision of the Comprehensive Plan.

NG2 Give all community members Seattleites the opportunity to participate ion in shaping the future of their neighborhoods.

NG31 Develop neighborhood plans for all appropriate areas of the city expected to take significant amounts of growth. Such a plan should which reflect the knowledge of the people of each neighborhood's about local conditions, history, neighborhood character, current conditions, needs, and values, vision and goals. Permit other areas interested in developing neighborhood plans to undertake neighborhood planning. In areas not expected to take significant amounts of growth encourage limited scopes of work that focus on specific issues or concerns, rather than broad multi-focused planning processes.

NG4 Define clearly the a clear role that adopted for neighborhood plans goals and policies, neighborhood plan work-plan matrices, and recognized neighborhood plans play in the City's decision-making and resource allocation. in Seattle.

NG57 Foster collaborative relationships between Seattle citizens and the City.

NG65 Build a strong, effective strategies for developing and implementing neighborhood plans ning system to ensure that all Seattle neighborhoods receive the type and level of planning attention need.

G6 Endeavor to complete a neighborhood planning cycle within four years including comprehensive neighborhood plans which encompass all urban village and manufacturing/industrial center areas, neighborhood anchors and other appropriate areas of the city.

NG7_ Help to realize the intent of neighborhood plans for areas that will accommodate the bulk of the city’s growth 1) through adoption into the Comprehensive Plan of Neighborhood Plan goals and policies, 2) by striving to implement the work plan matrix adopted with each plan, and 3) by recognizing each community’s desires, reflected in its proposed neighborhood plan document.

 

POLICIES

N1 Establish a program that carries out the City's firm commitment to a neighborhood planning cycle meeting the urgent need for neighborhood planning.

N1 The policies in this element are intended to guide neighborhood planning for areas that are designated through the Comprehensive Plan to accommodate significant proportions of Seattle’s growth, as well as other areas.

N23 Maintain consistency between neighborhood plans and the comprehensive plan. In the event of an inconsistency between the comprehensive plan and a proposed neighborhood plan, consider either amendments to the comprehensive plan which are consistent with its core values, or amendments to the neighborhood plan.

 

N37 Either Permit both community organizations or and the City may to initiate neighborhood plans. with City support, to the extent provided in the City's annual budget.

N4 Provide that neighborhood plans should describe how comprehensive plan goals would be achieved. Neighborhood plans may also propose alternatives based on a demonstration that meeting the goals of the comprehensive plan is not appropriate.

N414 Neighborhood Plans for Areas with an Urban Village, Urban Center, or Manufacturing/Industrial Center:

A. Each neighborhood plan for areas with an urban village or center must include a section foraddress the following topics: land use, transportation, housing, capital facilities and utilities. A neighborhood plan Those undertaking a neighborhood plan may conclude that the Comprehensive Plan adequately expresses the vision and goals of the neighborhood for any of these topics. A statement reflecting this conclusion will satisfy this requirement When this occurs, the neighborhood plan need only provide that the corresponding Comprehensive Plan element constitutes the policy for the neighborhood plan. In addition, the development of a neighborhood plan could include other elements or neighborhood specific policy recommendations important to the neighborhood (i.e. Cultural Resources, Environment, etc.)

B. In addition, eEach neighborhood plan containing an urban center village, hub urban village, or residential urban village or center must: a.1. Identify the amend or confirm the preliminary designation and the preliminary boundaries of the urban village or center in conformance with the description of urban villages and centers in this plan designated area; b. establish, amend or confirm boundaries of the urban village; c.2. establish growth targets for the designated area urban village that either confirm or modify the growth planning estimates or growth Describe growth targets for the affected center or village in this Plan; and

d3. prepare amend or confirm transportation, capital facilities and utilities inventories and analyses for the designated area urban village or center provided by the City.

The unadopted village boundaries in Land Use Appendix A and the growth planning estimates in Land Use Appendix B serve as starting points for neighborhood plans containing an urban village(s).

Each neighborhood plan containing a neighborhood anchor must confirm or propose a change to the preliminary designation.

The unadopted village boundaries in Land Use Appendix A and the growth planning estimates in Land Use Appendix B serve as starting points for neighborhood plans in preliminarily designated areas. If a neighborhood chooses not to propose changes to the above items in its plan, they will be made final. Any of the above items for areas not covered by a neighborhood plan will be made final as part of the 1999 annual Comprehensive Plan amendments process.

C. Urban centers and manufacturing/industrial centers are designated in this Comprehensive Plan and in the Countywide Planning Policies for King County. A neighborhood plan containing an urban center or manufacturing/industrial center may amend or confirm the boundaries; growth targets; and transportation, capital facilities and utilities inventories and analyses for such areas provided by the City.

D. A neighborhood plan may also make neighborhood-specific policy recommendations on other issues of interest to the neighborhood. (Policy amended 11/96)

N523 Adopt into the Ccomprehensive Pplan portions of any neighborhood or subarea plan that the City Council determines should be incorporated into the Ccomprehensive Pplan and that are consistent with this plan.

N613 Require that the following be taken into consideration in establishing future planning area boundaries:

1. Areas defined by a strong historical, cultural, geographic, or business relationships.

2. Appropriateness of area for the planning purpose (e.g., planning for drainage systems on a watershed basis).

3.2. Natural or built barriers (e.g., I-5, major topography change).

4.3. Manageable size of area, manageable complexity of issues for resources available.

5.4. Generally agreed upon neighborhood boundaries.
    1. The Urban Village Strategy.
    2. The appropriateness of the area for the issues being addressed in the plan.

N75 Establish inclusive basic guidelines for creating and updating neighborhood plans that ensure an inclusive, collaborative and effective approach. Provide guidelines for things such as how to develop public participation processes, make plans with realistic expectations, and monitor implementation of the plans over time. planning processes in which neighborhood plans are created through the cooperation and contributions of all interested parties, including institutions, organizations and individuals of all ages, whether resident, property owner, business owner or employee.

N6 Include in each neighborhood planning process the following:

a. Opportunities for everyone interested to participate;

b. Identification and representation of all stakeholder perspectives;

c. Sufficient tools to allow full and fair participation by citizens, making special efforts to remove barriers to participation such as those created by language and cultural differences, poverty, discrimination, lack of education, disability, age, sexual orientation and other factors;

d. Mutually acceptable roles for citizens and City staff clearly defined at the start of each collaborative neighborhood planning process;

e. Creation and use of methods for people to share their knowledge and differing understanding of issues and problems to find mutually satisfying solutions; and

f. Opportunities for strong partnerships among residents and businesses.

 

N8 Provide guidelines for neighborhood planning processes, content and technical analysis to promote neighborhood plans of a consistent level of quality completed within a reasonable period of time, with sufficient information, for decision-making by the Mayor and City Council.

N812 Neighborhood planning processes and plans may vary, reflecting the different characteristics, interests and perspectives of community members, while meeting basic guidelines for neighborhood planning. Each neighborhood planning process may vary to reflect the different characteristics of the neighborhood and the different interests and perspectives of community members. (Policy amended 11/96)

N9 Encourage collaborative neighborhood planning that involves simultaneous consideration of City and neighborhood goals and strategies, and includes representatives for both the City and neighborhoods working together.

N15 Encourage collaborative planning as defined in these policies when private or non-City public resources are used for neighborhood planning. Work with neighborhood organizations to incorporate the effort into City planning for the area. Neighborhoods that choose to plan without City input will have no guarantee of review, adoption or action by the City.

N9 Consider plans according to established procedures so that all plans are treated fairly.

N21 Establish priorities to be considered in allocating neighborhood planning resources including:

N2 Establish a collaborative neighborhood planning process that involves simultaneous consideration of City and neighborhood goals and strategies., and includes representatives of both the City and neighborhoods working together.

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

N1024 Establish a firm and clear relationship between the City's budgeting processes and adopted neighborhood plans and, using the biennial budget, demonstrate how the urban village strategy is being carried out.

N11 Assess as part of the City's budget process, neighborhood plan implementation needs and resources, taking into consideration the results of implementation activities for each area and public input into the budget process.

N12__ Use adopted neighborhood plan goals and policies and the City’s neighborhood plan work plan matrices to help balance between competing goals in City decision making and the allocation of budget resources.

N1310 Consider recommendations from neighborhood plans in the context of Seattle as a whole. Incorporate such requests into City prioritization processes, as appropriate, for capital expenditures and other decision-making recognizing the City's legal, administrative and fiscal constraints.

N14 When allocating resources to implement neighborhood plans, at a minimum consider the following factors:

N15 In implementing neighborhood plans, work with neighborhood groups to refine and prioritize recommendations in light of changing circumstances and consistent with the adopted goals and policies of each neighborhood plan.

N16 Permit the addition of new strategies, including regulatory changes, through the neighborhood plan implementation process when existing tools are inadequate to meet implementation needs.

N176.5 Support and eEncourage the incorporation of cultural elements involvement of artists, urban designers, landscape architects, architects, and historians in the implementation of neighborhood plans. In future planning efforts, include a ning to broaden the range of creative skills brought to neighborhood planning to improve the value of the neighborhood projects.

N16 Define by resolution after consultation with the public: 1) roles for the general public, community organizations, neighborhood district councils, business organizations, institutions, the Planning Commission and other City organizations; 2) procedures and structures for neighborhood planning, 3) neighborhood guidelines, toolbox, and template, 4) specific information that at a minimum the City will provide for the neighborhood planning process, and 5) the generic scope for comprehensive neighborhood plans.

N17 Describe in detail how to create a neighborhood plan in the neighborhood planning guidelines.

N18 Describe in a neighborhood planning "toolbox" City regulations, programs and capital facilities for growth management and community building that can be used in neighborhood plans.

N1811 Monitor progress toward implementing Council adopted neighborhood plans and communicate results to City officials, neighborhood planning participants and in neighborhood planning and all to interested citizens.

N19 Support neighborhood plan stewardship with the goal of promoting continued cooperation between the City and local neighborhoods in implementing adopted neighborhood plan goals and policies, carrying out neighborhood plan work plan activities and implementing this Comprehensive Plan.

These efforts should be directed toward not only accomplishing specific projects, but also toward fostering the ability of neighborhoods to inspire people with the energy, interest and ability to work collaboratively with the City in implementing neighborhood plans.

 

N22 Provide for review and adoption of neighborhood plans in a timely manner.

Discussion: The neighborhood planning process is illustrated in Neighborhood Planning Figure 1.

Neighborhood Planning Figure 1