On January 29, Mayor Wilson released her proposed draft of the Comprehensive Plan Phase 2 legislation, building on former Mayor Harrell’s October 2024 draft. The package includes the long‑anticipated “Centers and Corridors” rezones and accompanying map.
The legislation includes the following legal changes to implement the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan:
- Rezones in thirty “Neighborhood Centers,” and on many properties adjacent to frequent transit routes;
- Boundary expansions for five “Urban Centers” (Greenwood, Queen Anne, Graham, Admiral, and Morgan Junction), together with creation of a new Pinehurst-Haller Lake Urban Center;
- Updates to development standards in Lowrise and Midrise zones, including height limit increases and other provisions for increased capacity and flexibility; and
- Creation of a new six-story “Midrise-1” zone, to account for the gap between the current Lowrise-3 zone (which allows for 5-story buildings) and the existing Midrise zone (which allows for seven- or eight-story buildings.
Mayor Wilson’s draft differs from Mayor Harrell’s earlier public draft in several ways: Specifically, it:
- Reduces the size of certain urban centers without light rail or bus rapid transit to align them more closely with other urban centers;
- Scales back rezones in areas with steeply sloped streets, historic boulevards, changed transit service, or irregular zoning transitions;
- Reduces both the frequency and extent of split‑zoned sites; and
- Updates center boundaries to reflect current neighborhood characteristics.
The draft legislation can be found here.
For information on how these changes may impact your property or project
Please contact Holly Golden, Josh Friedmann, Rachel Mazur or Layla Khademi with any questions about how the Downtown Plan may impact your project or property.