Letter encourages Council to proceed with rezone; defer discussion on incentives for affordable housing 

In a letter sent to the Seattle City Council on March 1, dozens of business leaders proposed a pathway for Councilmembers to move forward with a rezone in the South Lake Union neighborhood. The letter, spearheaded by the Seattle Metro Chamber and the Downtown Seattle Association, notes that the South Lake Union neighborhood is one of Seattle’s primary drivers of continued job and residential growth. The rezone proposal, which resulted from a nine-year planning process, would allow increased heights in the neighborhood to accommodate this expected growth. However,significant last-minute modifications are surfacing that could seriously derail progress on the plan.

To address these modifications, leaders encouraged the Council to proceed with the rezone as designed within the current timelines and conduct a separate, citywide discussion on the more recently suggested elements, which center on incentives for affordable housing. The letter notes that addressing incentives for workforce and entry-level housing at the citywide level, rather than neighborhood by neighborhood, would allow for a more open and inclusive process and lead to a more effective policy approach to affordable housing challenges facing the entire city. Separating this discussion also helps ensure that the hard work of community members over the past nine years does not get lost in debate over more recent suggestions. 

The Chamber has been a steadfast supporter of the South Lake Union rezone, weighing in on the legislation through a letter sent in November and through public testimony provided by George Allen, our senior vice president of government relations. For further information, please contact Allen at (206) 389-7268.