Frequently asked questions about the Roosevelt Rezones.
What is the Roosevelt Rezone Proposal?
The Roosevelt Rezone Proposal is a proposed modification to the current land use zoning regulations for the Roosevelt neighborhood. Zoning is a critical tool for shaping the growth and future character of a neighborhood. It determines the form of the neighborhood by specifying what kinds of activities can occur in different areas of the community (housing, small businesses, large businesses, apartments, restaurants, parks, etc) and how large the buildings on individual lots can be. The Roosevelt rezone is a community-led and produced proposal for how the neighborhood can accommodate the growth and opportunities anticipated with the coming of the new Sound Transit light rail station, while simultaneously preserving the local character of the neighborhood and its most valued assets.
[Index]
Why do we need to rezone?
Roosevelt, like Seattle and the Puget Sound region, is growing. More people are moving to the city, and more jobs are being developed here. In Roosevelt, these changes will be even greater with the arrival of the Sound Transit light rail station. Roosevelt welcomes this growth, but also wants to ensure that it is managed properly. The rezone helps shape the form of the future built environment by encouraging greater density and building heights in the core of the neighborhood, and less intensive uses on the periphery and in traditional single family areas. The rezone does this by raising height and use levels in targeted areas, and transitioning them to lower levels in areas near key landmarks, open spaces, and traditional single family homes.
[Index]
How was the Roosevelt rezone created?
The Roosevelt rezone was conducted in several stages. The first stage was a block-by-block analysis of current neighborhood zoning. The analysis identified areas that could be “upzoned” (that is, changed from less intensive to more intensive use and size), areas that could serve as buffers between higher and lower intensity use, and areas that deserved particular protection, such as open spaces, view corridors, and landmark buildings. The results of this analysis along with recommendations for zoning changes were compiled in the 2006 Roosevelt Neighborhood zoning report, locally know as the “Warren Report” after its facilitator, and submitted to the Department of Planning and Development for review and eventual adoption by the City Council. Unfortunately, because of budget cutbacks and Department of Planning priorities in other parts of the city, city review of the RNA Roosevelt rezone proposal was put on hold until 2010. The second stage involved a comprehensive review of the neighborhood’s recommendations by the Department of Planning and Development (DPD). This was completed in 2011 and involved a separate analysis of neighborhood zoning by the DPD as well as an Environmental Impact Analysis (EIA). With only minor changes, the DPD has supported the Roosevelt rezone plan. Throughout both of these processes, the RNA and the DPD held multiple community meetings to solicit community comments and feedback. The RNA also routinely updated the neighborhood during its monthly meetings, on its website, and in its local paper, The Roosie. The third stage is the formal adoption phase during which the rezone proposal with the DPD’s revisions is reviewed by the Mayor’s Office and the City Council. Ultimately, the City Council determines whether the proposal is adopted or not. This is why it is called a “legislative rezone”. We are currently in this phase. Please refer to the RNA website for updates and how you can participate.
[Index]
What is the relationship between the Roosevelt rezone proposal and the neighborhood comprehensive plan?
The Roosevelt rezone proposal is directly tied to the neighborhood’s comprehensive plan. The rezone creates the zoning conditions that make possible many of the land use recommendations in the current neighborhood plan, including those related to density, housing, the business core, open space, and transportation.
The neighborhood comprehensive plan, Tomorrow’s Roosevelt, was first written by Roosevelt neighbors and formally adopted by the Seattle City Council in 1998 as part of the Seattle Comprehensive Plan. Within the Seattle Comprehensive Plan, Roosevelt is designated a Residential Urban Village, a status it still retains today, reflecting its character as a primarily single family neighborhood with a strong local business core and transportation network. The neighborhood plan is supported by a companion document, Roosevelt Urban Village Design Guidelines, which was adopted in 2000 and outlines current design principles and guidelines for new development in the neighborhood. Following the approval of a new Sound Transit station in 2005, the neighborhood obtained a Neighborhood Matching grant from the City of Seattle to update its neighborhood plan so that it could better take into account the new location of the station and, more importantly, the transportation and housing opportunities it presents. After a lengthy community planning process, the new plan, The Roosevelt Neighborhood Plan Update was completed and formally adopted by the City Council in 2006. A more detailed discussion of the planning history can be found here.
[Index]
How does the rezone promote growth and density?
One of the most important strategies of the rezone was to concentrate development near the village core by facilitating infill redevelopment and making use of underutilized zoning capacity already in Roosevelt. To do this, the proposal consolidates smaller parcels of mixed zoning into larger, similar zoned whole blocks in and near the urban core and the light rail station. This strategy promotes more compatible development and makes redevelopment more economically feasible while buffering traditional single family areas from the larger building scales and environmental impacts of higher intensity landuse. It also reduces developmental “sprawl” by concentrating similar uses and scales, thus preserving the village “feel” of the area.
The rezone proposal identifies several areas in the neighborhood appropriate for upzoning of this sort, particularly along the north-south arterials of 12th Avenue and Roosevelt Way, which pass through the heart of the business core, and the southwest quadrant of the neighborhood west of 12th Avenue and south of 65th street. This area of the neighborhood already has several apartment buildings and townhouses but could absorb higher densities and more intensive uses. On many lots, single family houses have already been removed for redevelopment, reducing available green space, and increasing impervious surfaces, but, without the upzones, not capitalizing on the full developmental potential of the area.
The rezone recommends 65’ height levels and space for ground floor commercial activity in many of these areas (see figures below). A 65’ building still allows ample street-level light and produces less shadowing on the narrow streets of Roosevelt, thus avoiding the “canyon” feel that taller buildings would produce. This height is also consistent with the neighborhood’s designation as a “residential urban village” under the Seattle Comprehensive Plan and its designation as a “mixed-use neighborhood” in the Seattle Planning Commission’s report on Transit Communities in Seattle. It is similar with the zoning proposed in other transit oriented Mixed Use Neighborhoods cited favorably by the Seattle Planning Commission TOC Report (such as Othello). If done properly, development following the proposed rezone guidelines would produce a new, vibrant community within the neighborhood as well as a bustling street life centered on the urban core.
[Index]
How much density does the Roosevelt rezone proposal create?
The short answer is, quite a lot. To better understand exactly how much, a thorough “feet-on-the-ground” study was conducted in the summer of 2010 that inventoried the current housing and development in the neighborhood and compared it to the amounts allowed for under the neighborhood’s rezone proposal. The results of this study are summarized in the Roosevelt Station Area Density Study. The study was complicated by the existence of different metrics used to estimate potential density (for example, the City uses a different methodology than Futurewise, the leading advocate of Transit oriented Communities in Seattle), and by alternative ways of defining the study area (the formal neighborhood boundaries, for example, versus the much larger .5 mile radius Station Area advocated by Futurewise). However, to ensure that the findings of the study could be compared to the recommendations advocated by Futurewise and other TOC supporters, the Roosevelt study used the methodology and density calculations employed by Futurewise in its report, Transit-Oriented Communities: A Blueprint for Washington State.
According to the results of this study:
• About 7,000 people currently live within a .5 mile radius of the Roosevelt station.
• There are 3,355 dwelling units (houses, apartments, condos, etc.).
• This provides a density of 14 dwelling units per acre.
• Approximately 2,000 people work in the area.
• There is about 600,000 sf of commercial space.
Under Roosevelt’s proposed rezone, however, the numbers look very different:
• Approximately 21,500 people could live in the Roosevelt Station area.
• There would be approximately 10,350 dwelling units in the area.
• This would provide a housing density of 44 dwelling units per acre.
• Just over 7,800 people could work in the area.
• There would be about 2,300,000 sf of commercial space.
In short, under the proposed Roosevelt rezone, the population, number of dwelling units, and housing density could triple from current built levels if built to full capacity.
Such a dramatic expansion would certainly change the character of the Roosevelt neighborhood. But is this enough to meet the demands of a new Sound Transit station? We believe it is, for two reasons. First, a housing density of 44 dwelling units per acre is in line with the goal of 50 units per acre set as a general standard for Transit oriented Communities in the Futurewise report. But the Futurewise report set this standard for all forms of communities, including neighborhoods designated as Cores and Centers. Roosevelt, on the other hand, fits within their much less intensely developed “Village” typology. Although Futurewise did not provide a separate density target for its “Village” typology, 44 units per acres seems to be a reasonable approximation of where such a density level might be set.
Second, it should be noted that the Roosevelt rezone proposal is only for the land included within the boundaries of the Roosevelt Neighborhood Village, which lie well inside the .5 mile station area radius recommended by the Futurewise report for calculating densities. Areas outside the boundaries of Roosevelt are not included in the rezone proposal although, in following the Futurewise methodology, they are included in our density calculations. If the areas outside of the boundaries of the Roosevelt Neighborhood Village but inside the .5 mile Station area radius were also rezoned, it is more than likely that the final density calculations would exceed 50 units per acre recommended by Futurewise.
[Index]
How does the Roosevelt rezone proposal affect housing in Roosevelt?
The Roosevelt rezone proposal significantly increases the overall density and diversity of housing within the neighborhood while also preserving traditional single family homes. The new zoning allows for a considerable increase in multi-family housing. This will provide a mix of housing that is affordable and sized for young workers and retired seniors, but also potentially large enough for small families. Consistent with the RNA Comprehensive Plan, the rezone also allows housing for a range of incomes, including mixed-income rental housing as well as condo and coop ownership.
At the same time, the rezone proposal also preserves traditional single family housing, as well as the neighborhood’s architectural legacy of quality, yet still relatively affordable, craftsman and bungalow style houses. Buffer zones and carefully considered transition zones between larger and smaller scales will ensure that homeowners do not find their property abutting high blank walls or the back sides of apartment buildings or other larger scale structures. Similarly, areas with higher intensity activities, pedestrian use, or parking demands will be buffered from lower intensity areas by zoning that “steps down” uses and scales as it moves away from the urban village core and closer to single family homes.
[Index]
How does the Roosevelt rezone proposal preserve other important features of the neighborhood, like open space and local landmarks?
The Roosevelt rezone proposal takes great care to preserve areas or features of the neighborhood that hold special value to the community. Chief amongst these is Roosevelt High School, the neighborhood’s namesake and its only historical landmark. The high school recently received a $92 million renovation that revitalized and updated its interior learning spaces as well as restored the façade and grounds to their original luster. Notably, the renovation incorporated a wide array of “green” principles, including the strategic use of natural lighting to reduce energy costs, thereby creating a preeminent learning environment for Seattle students. It is a model of sustainability. The Roosevelt rezone protects the city’s substantial investment in this building by limiting height and use levels on the blocks that immediately front the school. The NC2-40 zoning on these blocks responds to the school’s landmark status in the neighborhood by ensuring that it remains viewable from the 65th street axis. The height limit also protects the school and its grounds from the shadowing that would be caused by larger buildings, thereby preserving access to the natural light and southern exposure that are so central to the building’s sustainability plan.
The Roosevelt rezone plan also preserves the view corridors that open to the south of the school. From the athletic field, community members as well as students and teachers enjoy spectacular views of Mt. Rainier and the Olympic Mountains. By limiting surrounding building heights, these view corridors are protected, and area remains a valued and heavily used open space for the enjoyment of all community members.
[Index]
Can Roosevelt meet the standards of a transit oriented community under the proposed rezone?
The answer is, emphatically, Yes! The Roosevelt neighborhood has long been a supporter of transportation alternatives, sustainable development, and transit oriented development (TOD). In 2005, under the banner of “YIMFY!” (Yes In My Front Yard!), the neighborhood vigorously lobbied Sound Transit to move the proposed light rail station closer to the center of the neighborhood and single family homes in order to increase ridership and better embed light rail into the fabric and culture of the community. Since winning its preferred station location, the RNA has revised its neighborhood comprehensive plan to take advantage of the Roosevelt’s emerging status as a transit community of the mixed use type. The plan calls for increased density, a mix of housing for all income levels, a vital and compact business core providing more local services and jobs, and a greater attention to the latest best practices for sustainable development. The RNA also recently informally added the Department of Planning and Development’s 2010 proposed Citywide Design Guidelines into its own Neighborhood Design Guidelines, thereby endorsing them even before the City has. And of course the RNA proposed neighborhood-wide zoning changes that would upzone large areas of the community in order to promote the kind of dense, mixed-use development that proponents of transportation-oriented development favor. We are, we believe, a “model” for how good, community-supported transportation-oriented neighborhood villages can and should be developed within the city of Seattle.
Of course, not all transit oriented communities are the same, and as both the Futurewise report and the Seattle Planning Commission report, Seattle Transit Communities: Integrating Neighborhoods with Transit, emphasize, new transportation systems, and particularly light rail, must be incorporated into existing neighborhoods in ways that embrace the principles of good transportation design while also responding to the needs of the community. In practice this means transportation planning must be done through a process of careful, on the ground analysis of local conditions and preferences. In Roosevelt’s case, such an analysis begins with the recognition that it is a designated neighborhood urban village – not a “Core” like downtown Seattle, or a “Center” like the University District or Northgate – and that as such its transportation role is primarily to serve its own residents. However, the Roosevelt station has two other roles beyond serving its own residents’ transportation needs. First, it also functions as an important interchange between intersecting transportation systems as people transfer from systems serving east/west corridors to systems serving north/south corridors, and second, it supports the movement of students, faculty and guests to and from Roosevelt High School, the largest employer in the neighborhood.
The Roosevelt neighborhood plan, supported by the Roosevelt rezone proposal, takes all critical transportation roles into account while also incorporating expectations for growth. First, it serves the transportation needs and expected growth of the community by concentrating development in a part of the neighborhood best served by multiple transportation modalities, not just the anticipated light rail station. The bulk of the new development envisioned in the rezone is in a part of the neighborhood close to the business district and ringed by local and commuter bus lines, newly installed bike lanes, and a park and ride lot, all of which currently exist. It is also still within easy walking distance of the future light rail stop on 65th Street, which is scheduled for completion in 2021, still nearly ten years away. Second, under the neighborhood plan, Roosevelt continues to serve its role as a transportation interchange within a regional system by maintaining its park and ride lot and full access to local and regional bus lines. The growth allowed under the Roosevelt rezone proposal will also increase ridership on all of these systems, thus fulfilling local obligation to contribute to a regional transportation system. And finally, third, the Roosevelt neighborhood plan continues to recognize the vital role that the high school plays in our community, working to ensure that the school remains the draw that it is today by encouraging a more open physical environment, and responding to its transportation needs by locating the second light rail station directly across the street from the school. Notably, it was never the intention of the RNA to attract additional vehicle traffic and intensive land use adjacent to the school simply because a light rail station was being planned near by.
[Index]
What’s going on with the “Fruit Stand block”?
The “Fruit Stand block”, as it is locally known, is located on the northwest corner of NE 65th Street and 15th Avenue NE, the eastern border of the Roosevelt neighborhood. It is part of a larger collection of mostly decrepit properties in the immediate area owned by Hugh Sisley and leased for development by The Roosevelt Development Group. The lead architecture firm on the development project is GGLO, which partnered with Futurewise, a state-wide pro-density political advocacy group, to produce a report encouraging the intensification of regional land use, particularly around light rail stations, as a way to build “Transit oriented Communities” and reduce automobile usage. In line with this report, the Roosevelt Development Group and GGLO are currently proposing a 125’ or 12 story residential tower for the Fruit Stand block built on a base of large scale retail and row houses. This massive development for the site, far out-of-scale in size and use compared to any other nearby properties, is completely atypically of that found in other neighborhood urban villages and transit oriented communities, even those with light rail stations. The tower would block views of and from the newly restored Roosevelt High School, as well as dramatically change the character and feel of the neighborhood. It would also pull the business center away from the traditional business core, shifting it to the residential edge of the neighborhood, and place a massive building nearly adjacent to single family homes with little room for buffers or step- down development. Based on earlier indications from the Roosevelt Development Group, the tower may also be the precursor of other high intensity, outsized developments planned for the surrounding blocks, many of which might directly abut single family homes as well as block cherished view corridors and hide the face of the neighborhood’s largest landmark.
The RNA opposes this tower, and a recent letter from the Mayor’s Office seems to agree. In addition to violating all norms and best practices consistent with good neighborhood planning, the RDG/GGLO “Sisley Tower”, as it is locally referred to, violates the spirit of the Neighborhood Comprehensive Plan and the letter of the proposed rezone, which calls for height limits of 4 stories on the lots facing the high school. It also violates the principles of Neighborhood Urban Village development which call for low to moderate intensity uses and buildings that typically do not top six stories. Moreover, contrary to claims made by the Roosevelt Development Group and GGLO, residential towers of this size are not needed to meet Roosevelt density targets for a transit oriented residential urban village. Indeed, the Roosevelt rezone proposal not only meets but actually exceeds neighborhood density targets within a quarter mile of the proposed Sound Transit station even with the four story limit placed on these buffer blocks.
The RNA is not opposed to development or increased density, and strongly supports the principles of transit oriented design, particularly with the impending arrival of a Sound Transit station. However, it also believes that neighborhood development should occur at the right scale and in the right place. Despite its relative proximity to one of the proposed Sound Transit station entrances, in both size and placement, a twelve story residential tower on the outer edge of the neighborhood that blocks a local landmark and directly abuts single family homes is inconsistent with these principles, incompatible with the urban village concept, and counter to the community’s plans to maintain a vibrant, livable, compact Roosevelt neighborhood.
The neighborhood understands the predicament the developers find themselves in after signing a long-term lease with the land owner – a lease which, it is understood, contains requirements to build to the maximum height and use on the lots. But the RNA does not believe that the developer’s decision to sign such a lease with this land owner warrants the abandonment of sound planning principles and the countless hours of neighborhood and City work that have gone into developing an appropriate, sustainable, transit oriented plan for Roosevelt. Nor does the neighborhood believe that the private interests of the landowner, developer, or project architect (GGLO) outweigh the potential city-wide negative political impacts to Sound Transit and the City should such an extraordinary departure from normal land use zoning around urban village station areas be granted. Further, the neighborhood rejects the claims made by the developer’s architects for this project that massive development on this site is warranted or needed by the demands of transit oriented development and the arrival of a Sound Transit station. Such claims, much of the neighborhood believes, are designed to benefit the financial interests of the developer rather than the ridership needs of Sound Transit or the long term health of the neighborhood.
Having rejected the concerns of the neighborhood and refused to build within the limits set by both the current and proposed zoning, the Roosevelt Development Group is now seeking a “contract rezone” for the Fruit Stand block. A contract rezone is a legal maneuver that allows the Seattle City Council to grant a private developer a special exception to land use zoning. In this case, should the contract rezone be granted as requested, it would allow the developer to grossly exceed neighborhood height and use limits. It would also set a new precedent for height and use levels in other urban village neighborhoods, and it would undermine the City’s historical commitment to community-based planning. Unfortunately, there is relatively little room for public participation or comment under the contract rezone process.
[Index]