Form revised: December 6, 2011

FISCAL NOTE FOR NON-CAPITAL PROJECTS

Department:	Contact Person/Phone:	CBO Analyst/Phone:
Planning and Development	Gordon Clowers/4-8375	Kristi Beattie/4-5266

Legislation Title:

AN ORDINANCE related to land use and zoning; amending page 25 of the Official Land Use Map, Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 23.32, to rezone properties located in the Greenwood/Phinney Ridge Residential Urban Village and applying incentive provisions for affordable housing within the rezone area. 

Summary of the Legislation:  The legislation rezones a central portion of the Residential Urban Village in the Greenwood core area near NW 85^th Street and south of NW 87^th Street, which would redesignate several properties from General Commercial and Lowrise 2 RC zones to Neighborhood Commercial zones, and would extend pedestrian designations to more properties and implement incentive zoning provisions. The pedestrian designation and incentive zoning provisions would define rules that would orient future development toward 85^th Street with street-level non-residential uses and would encourage the provision of denser residential uses as well.  The incentive zoning notations in the proposed zones would set the base density level (in floor area ratio) above which incentive zoning rules in SMC 23.58A of the Land Use Code would apply. These rules encourage additional bonus floor area to be gained by participating in the incentive zoning program for affordable housing.  

Background:  This legislation follows a request by members of the community for a rezone that would assist in implementing the objectives of the neighborhood plan for this area, with zoning that would encourage the provision of mixed-use development in the future. The proposed zones and the scale of future development would be complementary to the existing core business district that is centered at N 85^th Street/Greenwood Avenue N, immediately east of the rezone site.

At the request of the City Council, DPD staff conducted outreach to solicit feedback from the broader Greenwood community on the proposed rezones.  A six person stakeholder group participated, including representatives from the Greenwood Community Council, another advisory group, and residents from the rezone areas. DPD also mailed notice of the open house to approximately 475 property owners within 300 feet of the proposed rezone area. DPD held a public open house on June 29, 2010 attended by approximately 120 people and conducted an online survey. 

Please check one of the following:

 _X_ This legislation does not have any financial implications.

____    This legislation has financial implications.

Other Implications:

a) Does the legislation have indirect financial implications, or long-term implications? 

The rezones would raise the height limit and otherwise change the zoning designation in several properties, which would increase the future development capacity. This could generate additional property tax revenues, and indirectly could encourage future development at denser levels that would also increase the tax base.  No detrimental financial implications are identified.

b) What is the financial cost of not implementing the legislation?

None is identified.  The implication of not implementing the legislation would be to avoid taking steps that would be supportive of community development in ways requested by the Comprehensive Plan and current residents in the neighborhood.

c) Does this legislation affect any departments besides the originating department? 

No. During the environmental review process, DPD’s analyses were jointly prepared with staff from other City departments (SDOT, SPU, City Light, Parks, Seattle Schools, Seattle Police and Fire) and published in two SEPA determinations, the second due to a successful appeal to the Hearing Examiner. These analyses informed the departments of the future actions and confirmed that capacities are or will be available to serve future development of the types contemplated by this rezone proposal. Although a few implications of future development were identified, these will either be addressed by planned improvements in facilities, future possible adjustments in controls, or service extension improvements that will be funded by the applicants for future development.

d) What are the possible alternatives to the legislation that could achieve the same or similar objectives?

No alternatives are identified, because the legislation would directly update the zoning of the core district in the Greenwood/ Phinney Ridge Residential Urban Village. No other actions would accomplish the intended application of land use code regulations to the rezone area.

e) Is a public hearing required for this legislation? 

Yes.  At least one public hearing will be held during the City Council’s deliberative process. As also noted above, rezone concepts were previously discussed at an open house in 2010.

f) Is publication of notice with The Daily Journal of Commerce and/or The Seattle Times required for this legislation?

Two “notices of environmental determination and right to appeal” were published in the Daily Journal of Commerce and the Land Use Information Bulletin on April 28, 2011, and on March 8, 2012. Other public hearing notices will also be published as the proposal proceeds.

g) Does this legislation affect a piece of property?

The legislation affects properties mapped in Exhibit A of the ordinance.

h) Other Issues:

None anticipated.

List attachments to the fiscal note below:   None