What’s covered:
- About the One Seattle Plan
- Neighborhood Centers
- New residential and commercial zoning proposed for Montlake
- Impacts of reduced setbacks
- Proposal for required off-street parking
- About the approval process
- State laws and regional policies
About the One Seattle Plan
Seattle’s population has recently been growing faster than the available housing supply, leading to less affordable housing. The One Seattle Plan and related zoning changes are intended to increase housing availability to close that gap, and also to provide more affordable housing across the city.
The One Seattle Plan was created by Mayor Harrell’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD), and transmitted to the City Council on 1/6/25 for review, modification and adoption. It is OPCD’s approach to meeting the requirements of Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA) of 1990: to create and maintain a comprehensive growth plan.
The One Seattle Plan contains Goals and Policies that guide zoning, parking, and other legislation related to growth across many subjects, such as land use, transportation, housing, utilities, parks, arts and culture, and the Port of Seattle. The Plan also has Appendices containing data, studies, and other resources that are meant to provide context and justification for the Goals and Policies in the Plan itself.
The Plan guides the creation of the new zoning legislation through its goals and policies, but the zoning legislation is created separately from the Plan by OPCD, then reviewed, modified, and eventually approved by the City Council. Proposed zoning legislation is still in-work at OPCD.
The term Neighborhood Center was created by OPCD for the One Seattle Plan in a section called Growth Strategy. There are 30 areas spread throughout Seattle that are proposed as Neighborhood Centers as shown and described on this map. The area of Montlake outside the proposed Neighborhood Center is considered to be an Urban Neighborhood, also a new term defined in the 2025 Plan. In one form or another, zoning changes are coming to all properties in Montlake.
This presentation summarizes OPCD’s growth strategy. It’s worth studying, as it describes the creation of Neighborhood Centers and related zoning changes.
Neighborhood Centers
Neighborhood Centers are areas proposed by the OPCD for significantly increased housing density and building heights. They are found in the One Seattle Plan, and once the Plan is adopted by City Council, those Centers will be “locked in,” and the related zoning changes will follow later this year. So it’s critical to get the location, size and density of these Neighborhood Centers right before the Plan is finalized. The actual zoning legislation has some room for negotiation later in 2025, but the specifics of each Neighborhood Center are what matter most to communities like Montlake.
OPCD’s proposed target for City Council to adopt the One Seattle Plan is May, 2025, but Council is already working on revisions to the Neighborhood Centers based on input from other communities. Montlake needs to join in the process.
OPCD defines Neighborhood Centers as:
“ . . . places with a variety of housing options centered around a local commercial district and/or major transit stop (such as RapidRide). They typically serve as focal points within neighborhoods, offering shops, services, grocery stores, restaurants, and more.”
“These places are suitable for residential and mixed-use buildings up to six stories in the core and smaller apartment buildings on the periphery. Neighborhood centers should generally encompass areas within 800 feet, or one to three blocks, of the central intersection or transit stop.”
One significant issue with the selection of the 30 Neighborhood Centers is that there were no criteria for the types and quantity of amenities such as stores, restaurants and services, relative to the proposed size of the Center. Compared to some other proposed Neighborhood Centers, Montlake’s has far fewer existing amenities, less room for future amenities, and a much larger footprint relative to its business core. Some neighborhoods in similar situations are using this to negotiate with City Council to modify their proposed Neighborhood Centers, or even remove them from the One Seattle Plan entirely.
City Council needs your input on the proposed Montlake Neighborhood Center. It’s absolutely essential to get the Plan right because the impacts to the neighborhood, both good and bad, will last forever.
New residential and commercial zoning proposed for Montlake
The proposed Montlake Neighborhood Center and zoning types are shown on this map. Find your block and the proposed new zoning (NR, LR2, LR3 or NC2-55), then see below for descriptions of the proposed zoning types. Zone NR applies to all lots in Montlake that are outside the proposed Neighborhood Center.
Zone NR
NR (Neighborhood Residential) zoning is defined as multi-unit housing, with a 3- or 4-story height limit, depending on the type of housing units being built.
This presentation explains the proposed new Zone NR in detail. It’s important, so please check it out.
NR zoning meets or exceeds the requirements of a new state law, HB 1110, which is often called the “middle housing bill.” Middle housing is denser than single-family housing, but not as dense as typical apartment or condo zones. Multi-family units, reduced setbacks, reduced off-street parking requirements, increased height limits and increased lot coverage are all part of the new NR zoning.
Per HB 1110, large cities must provide authorization for development of “. . . at least four units per lot on all lots zoned predominantly for residential use, unless zoning permitting higher densities or intensities applies . . . .“ and it offers nine different housing types. See the photo below for examples.
Other provisions in the law increase the number of units per lot to “. . . at least six units per lot . . . ”
It’s important to note that the state law only addresses the number of housing units allowed on a lot (and some parking restrictions in certain areas), but not exactly how the zoning specifics (building setbacks, lot coverage, height limits, etc.) are determined. That is up to each city, and those elements are still being worked by OPCD.
Single-family homes can still be built in NR zones, but the zoning allows for, and is intended to encourage, multi-unit development.
Nine different housing types offered by HB 1110 and applicable to Zone NR.
Zone LR2
LR2 (Lowrise 2) zoning allows 4-story (40 feet) townhouses and apartments. Proposed property-line setbacks are reduced to 5 feet minimum in front and either 5 or 0 feet in back. Side setbacks remain at 5 feet. See the following table for more information.
Zone LR3
LR3 (Lowrise 3) zoning allows 5-story (50 feet) apartments, some townhouses. Proposed property-line setbacks are reduced to 5 feet minimum in front and either 5 or 0 feet in back. Side set backs remain at 5 feet. Density is also increased via the increased Floor Area Ratio. See the following table for more information.
Proposed Phase 2 Zoning Requirements for Lowrise (LR) Housing
Zone NC2-55
Properties facing three blocks of 24th Ave E, from E Boston St to E Calhoun St, are being rezoned as NC2-55 (Neighborhood Commercial, 55’ height limit). This includes current commercial lots and about a dozen existing residential lots, and it allows mixed-use commercial/residential buildings.
Impacts of reduced setbacks
A setback is the minimum distance a structure can be built from a particular property line. Current residential zoning in Seattle calls for a 20-foot setback for the front yard, and most of Montlake’s houses were built to that minimum requirement. Backyard setbacks are more complicated, but are 20 feet for most lots in Montlake. Side yard setbacks are typically 5 feet.
For Zone NR, the proposed front and backyard setbacks are both reduced to 10 feet. For Zones LR2 and LR3, the front and backyard setbacks are reduced to 5 feet (minimum), or no setback at all for backyards that abut an alley. These proposed changes will significantly reduce the existing tree canopy and natural habitat, increase impervious surfaces and result in higher summer temperatures.
Many of Seattle’s large, mature trees are located within the existing setback areas that would be eliminated with the proposed zoning changes, and developers are allowed to remove most of those trees and replace them according to a complicated point system. Many of those big, beautiful trees provide shade to multiple houses, help with stormwater management, absorb greenhouse gases, provide cooling in the summer, and provide habitat for wildlife. And they’re a big part of why Seattle is known as the Emerald City.
The tree point system is defined on page 51 of the Draft Phase 1 zoning legislation. The tree point system is too complicated to summarize here, so here’s an example: If four housing units were built on a 4,000 square-foot lot, large mature trees could be removed to allow for construction, and the developer would have to plant new trees that add up to 5 points. Planting four small conifers (4-foot minimum height), worth 1.25 points each, would satisfy the replacement requirement. The City also allows developers to plant replacement trees off-site “. . . and/or [make] a voluntary payment in lieu of tree replacement.” Seattle Municipal Code Title 25.11 covers tree protection and replacement.
At least one other consequence of smaller setbacks is reduced or impaired sight lines. For example, when drivers or bicyclists approach an open intersection (meaning no stop sign or stop light), they need to see if anything is approaching on the cross street. Putting buildings 10 or 15 feet farther into front yards will cut down the sight lines and increase the chance of collisions. This is already a problem on the 26th Ave E bicycle corridor, even with the existing 20-foot setbacks.
There are several articles about the One Seattle Plan and its effects on the environment at the beginning of the Additional Resources page.
Proposal for required off-street parking
The latest proposal from OPCD is to follow the new state law, HB 1110. It says no off-street parking is required within one-half mile of a “major transit stop.” For Montlake, it’s roughly the area from Shelby St to Roanoke St, on the north end of the neighborhood. The Link light rail station at Husky Stadium is considered a major transit stop, but our Metro Route 43 and 48 bus stops are not.
Outside of the area described above, the mayor’s proposal for Zone NR is to require one off-site parking spot for every two housing units, except ADUs don’t count toward parking requirements. It’s not clear what the proposed off-street parking requirements will be for Zones LR2, LR3 and NC2-55, but we’re checking with OPCD and we’ll update this section soon.
About the approval process
The Mayor’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) started work on the One Seattle Plan in 2022 and transmitted it to Seattle City Council on 1/6/25. After Council review and consideration of public comments, the Council will propose amendments and make them available for a 30-day public review period. Eventually the Plan will be approved and adopted by the Council and will become Seattle’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan.
Before the City Council can adopt the One Seattle Plan, OPCD’s Environmental Impact Statement must be free of any appeals. According to a comment by a City Council member to OPCD’s director, at least one appeal is expected, and that would likely affect the timeline for the review and approval process. The Final EIS was released on January 30. Appeals must be made within 14 days of the Final EIS release date.
The purpose of the EIS is to analyze the impacts of the One Seattle Plan on a range of elements of the built and natural environment including: earth & water quality, air quality/greenhouse gas emissions, plants & animals, energy & natural resources, noise, land use & urban form, plans & policies, population, housing & employment, cultural & historic resources, transportation, public services and utilities. For each element in the EIS, the analysis determines the likely impacts and outcomes, and proposes mitigation options for consideration.
According to the Executive Summary of the Draft EIS, all of the elements listed in the previous paragraph were determined to have “no significant adverse impacts expected,” except for noise, cultural & historic resources, and transportation. We’re reviewing the Final EIS now but do not expect to find any changes to the DEIS conclusions. Updates will be made as necessary.
The new zoning regulations also have to be created by OPCD and approved by the City Council, but those will be transmitted to the Council separately from the Plan, and in two phases. Phase 1 zoning is targeted to comply with new state law HB 1110, and must be in place by June 30, 2025. This will apply Zone NR to most residential lots in Seattle.
If Phase 1 zoning is not in place by June 30, a state zoning law called the Middle Housing Model Ordinance will automatically take effect. It has zoning requirements similar to those proposed Phase 1, but they are not identical. See the Additional Resources page for more information.
Phase 2 introduces significantly more upzoning (e.g., Zones LR2, LR3, NC2-55) to increase housing density and building height in 30 proposed Neighborhood Centers, described above. Roughly 24 blocks surrounding (and including) the business district make up the proposed Montlake Neighborhood Center. Phase 2 zoning also affects Urban and Regional Centers.
It’s not clear when Phase 2 zoning will take effect. The mayor’s target, as proposed by OPCD, is September, 2025, but based on comments from the City Council, it could take longer. Phase 2 zoning has been proposed, but there is still room for refinement.
The proposed zoning legislation for Phases 1 and 2 are still in work at OPCD. Links to draft legislation for Phases 1 and 2 zoning are found on the Additional Resources page. See the Timeline for estimates of when OPCD expects to transmit Phase 1 and Phase 2 zoning legislation to City Council for review, modification and approval.
State laws and regional policies
- HB 1110: This House Bill is a new state law passed in 2023 that affects most cities in the state. It requires cities to create zoning that allows multiple housing units on “all lots zoned predominantly for residential use.” It allows building at least four to six units on most residential lots in cities with more than 75,000 residents. This presentation shows how Seattle plans to comply with HB1110 by creating the new Zone NR, and it defines what “middle housing” means.
- HB 1220 Addresses emergency and affordable housing
- HB 1181 Addresses growth impact on climate change
- Vision 2050 Puget Sound Regional Council’s growth plan
Other laws and policies may apply.
Learn more
The contents of this webpage were assembled by a small group of Montlake Community Club members to help educate the neighborhood about upcoming zoning changes proposed by Mayor Harrell. Any opinions expressed are not necessarily representative of the greater Montlake community.
