transit oriented development

From Transportation Choices Coalition (TCC) Policy Director and Rainier Vista neighbor Bill LaBorde:

As an advocate for HB 1490/SB 5687, the Transit-Oriented Communities bill, as well as a Rainier Valley resident, I’ve been dismayed at the distortions and misrepresentation surrounding this bill. Unfortunately, what probably started as simple misunderstandings about the level of densities took on a life of their own and were increasingly blown out of proportion with pictures of 50-story apartment towers, false claims of new eminent domain powers and a sense that this bill was somehow targeted at South Seattle with an intention of driving poor people out on the street.

It’s about sustainability

First, let me explain a bit about the intent behind the bill, then let me talk a bit about some of the changes that have been aimed in large part at addressing the concerns of the Rainier Valley residents.  Finally, I want to talk a bit about the real and intended impacts of this bill, here in the Rainier Valley as well as throughout the Puget Sound region.

There have been big governor and legislature initiated efforts over the last two years to look at causes and solutions for some of our most vexing environmental problems.  President Obama and Governor Gregoire are launching major efforts to address global warming, a problem that has the potential to cause tremendous upheaval over the next century at home and abroad through increased flooding, forest fires, a collapse in world food production and more.

Locally, Puget Sound fish, sea mammal and bird populations are dying off because of the run-off of toxic chemicals from households and automobiles.  Every examination of these problems has recommended more compact urban development as the only sustainable way to absorb the 1.7 million additional people projected to come into the Puget Sound region between now and 2040.

At the same time, the first segment of our light rail system is about to enter service while voters have just approved more than $18 billion in new taxes to build out the light rail and commuter rail systems to the North, South and East suburbs.  These rail investments, if leveraged in a smart way, with nodes of compact mixed-use development surrounding station areas, give us an opportunity to absorb much of the population growth onto transit instead of putting new drivers out on the road.  It’s a tremendous opportunity that will be lost for decades to come if we do as other metropolitan regions have done with their rail systems and simply build park & rides or developments of upper income housing around the stations.

We’ve also been able to learn from other cities, as well as right here in the Rainier Valley, that light rail is an amenity attractive to people in a way that can intensify gentrification, displacing existing residents.  This is why Futurewise and Transportation Choices Coalition have joined with the Washington Low-Income Alliance and other affordable housing advocates to have HB 1490 require at least 25% of  new housing in those mixed-income neighborhoods set aside for families earning 80% or less than the area median income.

If low-income housing is lost due to development, replacement of those units is required and the families impacted will receive appropriate advance notification and financial support to move. Without the protections in this bill, gentrification and displacement will occur unchecked.  Families who lose their homes would have no protections and affordable housing that is lost will disappear – forcing many to move farther from the City.

We’re listening to the community

The most salient criticism of the bill is that we failed to come to the community first.  Unfortunately, that’s true.  We made a big mistake.  The bill has statewide implications and the one controversial section of this 28-page bill is intended to address station area planning throughout the Puget Sound area – 43 station areas in 20 cities.  We looked at existing zoning densities in station areas in SE Seattle and did not see this bill producing dramatic change in those areas.  We see the bill as having its biggest impact in suburban station areas where densities are much lower than in SE Seattle and where land is more likely to be under-utilized in favor of parking lots over mixed-use development.

That said, we failed to understand the bill in the context of a history of bad urban renewal projects that leaves many SE Seattle residents  appropriately suspicious of change coming from government and outside interest groups.

The good news is that no bill introduced in Olympia goes to the Governor’s desk in the same form as introduced at the beginning of a legislative session. Rainier Valley was well represented at the first hearing on the bill in Olympia. We have attended community meetings and met with interested neighbors and there will be more meetings with neighbors.

Already the result of this input is a very substantial change from the original bill. For SE Seattle station areas the 50 residential units/acre density standard is gone. That standard will still be in place for communities designated as regional growth centers by the Puget Sound Regional Council – areas such as downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill and Northgate.

But, non-growth center stations, including all four SE Seattle stations, will only have to “adopt comprehensive plan provisions and development regulations that can achieve a similar level of walking, biking and transit ridership, and a similar number of affordable housing units, as would otherwise be required by the bill.”  SE Seattle should be able to meet these standards largely through existing station area plans.

The section of the bill addressing transit-oriented development is likely to see still more changes as more people from affected areas testify on the bill, talk to their legislators and meet with us to help draft additional changes to the bill to address lingering concerns.  There are at least six more opportunities to make substantial changes to the bill by amendment before it sees final passage.  Even now, nothing remains set in stone.

Debunking the myths

• The bill does not take away local control: The revised HB 1490 only sets a floor for development in PSRC designated growth centers and transit area planning to support rail transit use in non-growth areas.  The bill does nothing to alter existing local processes for comp plan updates and zoning changes.  Cities will still continue to make changes through the normal community council, planning commission and city council processes.

• No Manhattan-like (or even Belltown-like) densities: Even in the areas still covered by 50 unit/acre standard, these standards can be met through 3-4 story construction, or a mix of apartment, townhouse and single-family homes.  Jobs can also be counted in lieu of housing units.  For a selection of images that illustrate different density levels, go here.

• No eminent domain: There is nothing in the bill that addresses eminent domain. All rulings related to eminent domain will continue to be based on current law and court decisions.  The Washington Supreme court has ruled that private property cannot be condemned for the purposes of private economic development and those protections continue to be upheld.  The Transit Oriented Communities bill does not encourage the use of eminent domain or in any way open the door for its use.

• No loss of trees or green spaces: State, county, city and local tree protection laws still apply.  The city of Seattle has strict requirements for replacement of trees removed due to development as well protection of trees during construction.

Tagged as: transit oriented development

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