ashley's blog

The Seattle Planning Commission met last Thursday with three items on the agenda: approving the discussion papers for the multifamily code update; a briefing on neighborhood plan updates with representatives from the Department of Neighborhoods (DON) and the Department of Planning and Development (DPD); and a briefing and discussion on the 2011 update to Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan with long-range planners from DPD.

There has been a gaping hole at the corner of Second Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Seattle for the last two years.

Sound Transit is holding the third in a series of community forums meant to explore future transit-oriented development (TOD) concepts at the Capitol Hill light rail station.

Rainwater Harvesting

Washington residents are now free to collect and store rainwater for use on their property without having to obtain a water-rights permit.

Swift, the state’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) line, is launching officially on Nov. 29. Community Transit is holding several public outreach events leading up to the line’s launch:

  -  Oct. 19 from 2-5 p.m. at Aurora Village Transit Center, 1524 N. 200th St.

  -  Oct. 21 from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave.

  -  Oct. 29 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at Snohomish County Campus, 3000 Rockefeller Ave.

Thanks to everyone who attended our discussion about transit-oriented development last week—we hope you enjoyed the event as much as we did. It was great to meet many of you in person!

We would also like to thank GGLO for being such a gracious host for our event, Seattle Transit Blog for co-hosting, and our speakers Tony Case, Dow Constantine, Sara Nikolic and Chuck Wolfe. Stay tuned for our next event in December.

The Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) released its biweekly land use information bulletin today. The following list provides the highlights. For more detailed information, click here.

Appeal of Belltown Development

The Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) has decided to shepherd at least one proposal through the legislature during the 2010 session. After evaluating three proposals based on the criteria established in the chapter's adopted Process for Proposing Legislation, the chapter's leadership will refine a package of proposed amendments to the subarea plan adoption statute. 

Proposal Summary:

Puget Sound Regional Council's (PSRC) Transportation Policy Board voted unanimously last Thursday to recommend adoption of the 2010-2013 Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board. (For background information on the TIP review process, read Northwest Hub's coverage here.)

The water surrounding Seattle is picturesque, but it can make for tedious driving—especially when cars must wait at bridges for ships to pass underneath. 

Have you ever wondered why a long line of cars must wait for a single sailboat or two at bridges on the Lake Washington Ship Canal? John Buswell, roadway structures manager for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), has the answer on Seattle P-I's "Getting There":