Seattle New Liberals
@seattle.cnliberalism.org
300 followers 260 following 100 posts
Seattle/Puget Sound chapter of @cnliberalism.org Open markets, transit, legalize housing, civil rights, open borders. #BuildingsArePeopleToo
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Reposted by Seattle New Liberals
samd.bsky.social
Dems really need to fix permitting so that we can actually build stuff while we are in charge and prevent this bullshit from happening
jael.bsky.social
SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news
Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says
It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.
heatmap.news
Reposted by Seattle New Liberals
andyrandles.bsky.social
Something that really frustrates me about this conversation is that urbanists constantly beat the drum on safety (accurately, FWIW - transit is very safe), but fail to miss the point that security like this makes many people feel safer and likely boosts ridership. Feeling safe is just as important..
ericacbarnett.bsky.social
Buses, unlike rail, are diffuse. There are 100s of them operating across the county from early in the morning until late at night. So it would be nice to have some evidence that distributing a couple hundred security guards across the system makes people "safer" before investing additional millions.
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Calling all UW students!

If you would like to be involved with our new RSO, DM us!

(Or email us at [email protected])
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Bodegas will be allowed to exist, on almost any lot in the city.
bsky.app/profile/seat...
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Grocery stores ARE permitted. The language "sales and services, general" includes both items below it ("retail sales and service, general" and retail sales and service, multipurpose").

The only difference from an NYC bodega, is the Seattle ones will have to close at 10 pm.
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Bodegas will be allowed on any NR lot in the city. The mayor has proposed 700k in the 2026 budget to help get some started.

bsky.app/profile/seat...
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Grocery stores ARE permitted. The language "sales and services, general" includes both items below it ("retail sales and service, general" and retail sales and service, multipurpose").

The only difference from an NYC bodega, is the Seattle ones will have to close at 10 pm.
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Grocery stores ARE permitted. The language "sales and services, general" includes both items below it ("retail sales and service, general" and retail sales and service, multipurpose").

The only difference from an NYC bodega, is the Seattle ones will have to close at 10 pm.
Reposted by Seattle New Liberals
gordonofseattle.bsky.social
Finally Seattle's budget invests tackling our biggest transportation issue: too many agua fresca and mango vendors on our street corners
sweet corn and agua fresca on alaskan way fresh fruit on Beacon Hill in a curb bulb
seattle.cnliberalism.org
That would be up to legal interpretation. You likely could make and sell beer, but likely not serve it. It ties into RCW and rules around liquor licenses.
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Eating and drinking establishments has two elements.
1. Restaurants where alcohol may be served but only ancillary to food
2. Bars where alcohol service is the primary function.

The amendment would have allowed bars specifically and allowed all uses to operate after 10 pm or before 6 am.
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Yes. The amendment was only for bars to be allowed and for all uses to be allowed to be open past 10 pm
Reposted by Seattle New Liberals
seattlebikeblog.com
UPDATE: I got this reply from CM Solomon's staff regarding his absence for yesterday's votes. He was at a previously-scheduled conference in Vancouver, WA:
Hi Tom – Thank you for reaching out. Councilmember Solomon was in Vancouver, WA, attending the 47th Annual Crime Prevention & Community Engagement Conference. This conference was scheduled a year ago, and CM Solomon was attending in his capacity as President of the Washington State Crime Prevention Association (which organizes and leads the conference).

 

In early August, we alerted Chair Joy Hollingsworth to the scheduling conflict as soon as we were aware of it. In addition to being excusing him from the meeting, Chair Hollingsworth worked closely with Solomon and his staff to make sure that the “Chair’s Package” of amendments reflected District 2 priorities. We’re grateful for the Chair’s cooperation, and for the hard work of Council colleagues throughout the week.

 

Councilmember Solomon is back in the office today, and he’ll be joining his colleagues for the final committee votes on the Comp Plan.

 

Sincerely, Sarah Mayes

Chief of Staff

Office of Seattle City Councilmember Mark Solomon
Reposted by Seattle New Liberals
scott-berkley.bsky.social
Yay! Green stacked flat bonus (amendment 91) passed! This version is important because it rewards both preserving existing trees *and* adding new trees and green space to lots that don't yet have enough to preserve.
ericacbarnett.bsky.social
Committee voted down Strauss' tree-only amendment, and then approved Nelson's alternative that gives a density bonus to stacked flats for developers that either retain trees or achieve a green factor.
Reposted by Seattle New Liberals
nicksattele.bsky.social
If you can't make it to City Hall, the best thing you can do is write a personalized letter to council explaining how more housing would improve your life.

City inboxes are filled with thoughtfully typed out NIMBY letters and we need to show them the other side. Resources below.
typewriteralley.bsky.social
Seattle's long in-person public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan has officially kicked off.

First comments were from @ceceliablack.bsky.social: "As you're going through this Comp Plan, I would really hope you ask yourself what you would do if you were disabled tomorrow and you couldn't drive."
seattle.cnliberalism.org
To allow this citywide, email your councilmembers in support of amendments 54-59 & 70!

Also email your councilmembers in opposition to Rivera's tree protection poison pill amendments 93 and 102.
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Montana has led a successful YIMBY movement by appealing to conservative values around property rights. Effective movements require working with those you disagree with.
spokanerising.com
Guilt by association is bad for the progressive movement. If we want to end the housing shortage, we need to be comfortable (or at least be comfortable being uncomfortable) having strange bedfellows.
convolutedname.bsky.social
Why I can't take the Abundance crowd seriously is really exemplified by the conference they're throwing for themselves, where the speakers include Josh Barro, Oren Cass, the Ham and Cheese guy, Nate Hochman's brother, the head of the Manhattan Institute, Reihan Salam and David Shor
Reposted by Seattle New Liberals
qagggy.bsky.social
Do you live in Ravenna or Roosevelt? Sign on to this letter opposing comprehensive plan amendment #40, which shrinks the Ravenna neighborhood center. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
seattle.cnliberalism.org
MHA is focused on 60-90% AMI and largely just helps market rate developments get off the ground. So, if anything, the program has been so effective it has helped drive down market rate rents leading to this squeeze. The solution is to redirect direct subsidies from 60% AMI to 30-50%.
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Councilmember Strauss sent out a public survey asking for input on proposed Neighborhood Center. If option C is picked for all of them, it would upzone dozens of blocks, hundreds of acres.

Tangletown Before->Version C

Link: forms.office.com/pages/respon...
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Bellevue doesn't have this retail problem despite the same market economics. But, Downtown Seattle has over 34% office vacancy while Bellevue is less than 15%. Seattle also has such strong incentives for development to contain ground-floor retail, we might actually just have too much of it.
michaelhobbes.bsky.social
Don't know about other cities but it's remarkable how Seattle's recent job and population growth haven't touched the retail vacancy rate. We have an exurb-style dead mall right in the middle of downtown.
www.seattletimes.com/business/sea...
Seattle's downtown vacancy rate. It rises from roughly 2% to nearly 20% since 2020
seattle.cnliberalism.org
It still doesn't make sense for identical fourplex developments in low-rise zones and Neighborhood Residential(SFH) zones to pay different amounts of fees, but this amendment would help to retain some development feasibility in low-rise zones
seattle.cnliberalism.org
CM Rinck's amendment to exempt ADUs from MHA fees is critical to ensure Neighborhood Center's don't unintentionally *reduce* development.

As it stands, in an LR1 zone, if you want to build the duplex below in your backyard, you have to pay $88,000 in fees. in SFH zones? Nothing.
seattle.cnliberalism.org
South Wedgwood NC: Near Roosevelt light rail station, UW & U Village
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Roanoke Park NC: Halfway between UW and Downtown, naturally expanding downtown centers outwards
seattle.cnliberalism.org
Nickerson - South Canal (North Queen Anne) NC: Near SPU, Fremont and Downtown Seattle