U-District proposal has residents worried about upzoning

The demolition of a decaying, two-story multifamily home isn’t the reason University District residents are upset.

The home at 5001 Brooklyn Ave. N. is, arguably, an eyesore.

What has people upset are the plans for sites such as this that could become victims of upzoning in the neighborhood.

KIRO 7 reports residents gathered for a public meeting, where the city presented three proposals. One would leave zoning as it is. A second would allow five-to-seven-story housing to be built. And a third would green light 16-story apartments and condos.

Architect Martin Kaplan told KIRO 7 it’s a huge potential change.

“It’s taking 127,000 pieces of property and converting them to triplex zones, where right now they’re single-family,” he said.

The city wants to settle on a preferred alternative by November.

Over at 5001 Brooklyn Ave. N., the developer has proposed the construction of a seven-story mixed-use building with a partial basement. That breaks down to about 23,000 square feet of residential space and almost 1,200 square feet of commercial space.

The city’s proposed zoning changes are part of Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s growth plan. Allowing taller buildings and more units will help the city respond to the growth it is experiencing, according to the plan. The zoning changes could allow for buildings as tall as 320 feet in one area. Building in other areas could be as tall as 240 feet.

The mayor’s argument for the changes is, among other things, helping to keep the neighborhood affordable. The proposal incorporates the Mandatory Housing Affordability program.

A few groups, including the Displacement Coalition and the U-District Community Council, say more than 1,000 homes could be impacted through the rezoning. The coalition says at least 1,250 low-income and affordable units are threatened.

The rezoning is focused around light-rail.

Murray said between 40 and 275 homes with low rent in the U-District will be demolished in the next decade or two whether rezoning happens or not, The Seattle Times reports. Meanwhile, up to 910 rent-restricted units and up to 5,000 market-rate units would be created, according to the Times, citing Murray.

The U-District is just one neighborhood that could see upzoning. Lower Queen Anne, for example, is another.

But the city says in order to build more affordable housing and to allow more people to live here, they need to build up.

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