CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to Design Review for affordable housing; adopting temporary regulations to exempt affordable housing projects from Design Review; amending Section 23.41.004 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and adopting a work plan.
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WHEREAS, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in April of 2020 the Council passed and the Mayor signed Ordinance 126072, which among other provisions exempted certain affordable housing projects, at the applicant's option, from the requirement to undergo design review if the applicant filed a complete building permit application while the ordinance was in effect. Ordinance 126072 was effective for 180 days; and
WHEREAS, in October of 2020, the Council passed and the Mayor signed Ordinance 126188, which reinstituted the same exemption for a period of time ending sixty days after the termination of the civil emergency proclaimed by the Mayor on March 3, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor terminated the foregoing civil emergency on October 31, 2022, such that Ordinance 126188 will expire at the end of December, 2022; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle is considering changes to its Design Review program, including the applicability of the program to affordable housing projects, but those changes will take time to develop and adopt; and
WHEREAS, in light of the considerations further described below, it is critical that the design review exemption for affordable housing projects established by Ordinance 126188 be reinstituted for a limited time while the City evaluates and pursues permanent changes to the Design Review program; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Council makes the following findings:
A. On November 2, 2015, the Mayor declared a civil emergency to address the homelessness crisis in the City of Seattle, which the Council ratified and confirmed. Despite concerted efforts to prevent...
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