Neighbors and friends we need your continued support!
On Wednesday, Sept. 5th at 9:30AM the Seattle City Council Planning, Land Use and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee will hold a public hearing on the renewal of the Interim Zoning Controls for the Aurora Licton Residential Urban Village. The interim controls were originally passed October 2017.
If extended, the Interim Zoning Controls will continue to limit the development of certain heavy commercial auto oriented land uses such as public storage facilities and unsightly outdoor storage yards. These type of uses are incompatible with the City of Seattle Comprehensive Plan and Aurora Licton Springs Neighborhood Plan goals and policies for a residential urban village.
This limitation would be in effect until the City adopts permanent zoning regulations for the residential urban village, likely in early 2019. The permanent regulation is expected to limit these incompatible land uses as well.
A public hearing is required to extend the interim controls for an additional six months until the permanent zoning changes are enacted. After its September 5, 2018 public hearing, the process currently is to for PLUZ Committee to the vote the legislation out of committee, sending it to full City Council for a vote on September 10th.
We expect opposition to the interim controls extension. Your comments, as well as others, in support of the extension are vitally important! Please share with your neighbors!
Meeting details and background for the legislation can be found here http://www.seattle.gov/council/committees/planning
If you are unable to attend the public hearing, please email your support for the extension of the Interim Controls to Seattle City Council council@seattle.gov and noah.an@seattle.gov prior to SEPTEMBER 5th. Below is a sample email template for your use. Please blind-copy auroralictonuv@gmail.com so we can track our advocacy efforts.
Email Template:
SUBJECT: September 5, 2018 Public Hearing – Interim Controls Extension (Ordinance #125425)
Councilmembers,
My name is [INSERT NAME] and [live] or [run a business] [in] OR [near] the Aurora Licton Springs Urban Village.
I am writing to express my unconditional support for the extension of the Interim Controls passed last year (Ordinance #125425) for the Aurora Licton Residential Urban Village.
This legislation is a much-needed step towards achieving the vision for the Aurora Licton Springs Residential Urban Village. The City’s adopted plans identify this area as a Residential Urban Village. The interim controls will allow for greater diversification of business types; specifically, it will afford greater opportunities for land to be developed for residential neighborhood serving goods and services as envisioned in the Aurora Licton Neighborhood Plan (adopted in 1999) and City of Seattle Comprehensive Plan. Losing valuable land in the Residential Urban Village to traffic generating, regional serving heavy commercial land uses will be avoided.
Public safety is the great concern for residents and business alike. By passing these interim controls, we can be assured that public storage facilities/warehouses, open storage yards and other uses that do not activate the streetscape with pedestrians and do not provide “eyes on the street” (which are deterrents of unsavory activities) will not be allowed until the City Council votes on the MHA/HALA land use changes.
MHA/HALA has been a long multi-year process with considerable public notice and opportunities for the public to be engaged. These interim controls will serve as a bridge between now and the time the final vote on the MHA/HALA zoning changes that will increase affordable housing opportunities in the Residential Urban Village and citywide.
Thank you very much for your support of our efforts to work with the City to implement the City’s Vision for a vibrant Residential Urban Village.
_____________ (name)