>>> GOOD MORNING.
MARCH 17th, 2026.
LAND USE AND STAINABILITY
MEETING.
IT'S 9:30 A.M.
I'M EDDIE LIN.
>>
FOSTER.
>>
HERE.
>> RINCK.
>>
PRESENT.
>>
LIN.
>>
PRESENT.
>> CHAIR, THERE ARE
THREE MEMBERS PRESENT.
>> IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THE
AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED.
OH, COUNSEL PRESIDENT
HOLLINGSWORTH AND STRAUSS ARE
EXCUSED FROM TODAY'S MEETING.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION,
THE AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED.
HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA
IS ADOPTED.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR COMING TO THE
MEETING TO DISCUSS LAND USE.
THANK YOU TO CLERK AND STAFF
FOR PREPARING FOR THE MEETING.
WE WILL NOW OPEN THE HYBRID
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
HOW MANY SPEAKERS ARE SIGNED UP
TODAY?
>> CURRENTLY WE HAVE
ONE IN- PERSON SPEAKER SIGNED
UP.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS UP
TO 60 MINUTES.
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN
THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY
REGISTER.
[ READING PUBLIC COMMENT ]
>> WE WILL BEGIN WITH OUR
FIRST AND ONLY SPEAKER STEVE.
>> GOOD MORNING, STEVE.
>> WELL, YOUR AGENDA
LOOKS VERY MUCH THE SAME AS IT
HAS FOR
THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS.
GOING FOR THE HAT TRICK
TRIFECTA HERE.
MY SPEECH IS GOING TO BE VERY
SIMILAR TOO.
MHA HAS NEVER BEEN REVIEWED.
IT WAS PROMISED WHEN IT
WAS PASSED THAT IT WOULD BE
REVIEWED IF THOSE LOW, LOW, LOW
FEES WERE
TOO LOW.
AND THE COUNCIL, YOUR
PREDECESSORS, AND YOU SO FAR
HAVE NOT BEEN WILLING TO
REVIEW THOSE FEES.
NOW, EVERYBODY SAYS THEY'RE FOR
HOUSING.
BUT I THINK YOU OUGHT TO PUT THE
WHOLE TRUTH THERE.
THE CITY SEEMS TO BE FOR
HOUSING AS LONG AS THE
DEVELOPERS
SAY IT'S OKAY.
THAT SEEMS TO BE THE DIVIDING
LINE, BECAUSE RAISING THOSE
FEES WILL PROVIDE HOUSING, AND
HOPEFULLY IT WILL
PROVIDE PUTTING PEOPLE OF
DIFFERENT INCOMES
AROUND THE CITY IN MANY
NEIGHBORHOODS.
THESE THINGS USED TO BE SEATTLE
VALUES. IT APPEARS THEY ARE NOT.
STARTING WITH THIS
COMMITTEE, BUT I THINK GOING
MUCH
FURTHER UP IN THE CITY, WE HAVE
A
PROBLEM.
WE WONDER WHY PEOPLE DON'T GET
REELECTED.
WHEN I WAS YOUNG, IT WAS QUITE
A COUP TO GET READY OF
A CITY COUNCIL PERSON OR PERSON
IN THE
CITY.
NOW, THE COUP WOULD BE TO
SAVE
ONE. LOOK AT THE TURNOVER AND
THE CLOSEST OF THE RACES OF
MANY THAT DID SURVIVE.
I THINK IT'S TIME WE STARTED
TO CONSIDER THE CITIZENS OF THE
CITY OF SEATTLE AND BRING BACK
DESIGN REVIEW, SOMETHING ELSE
YOUR GODS DO NOT LIKE.
>> THANK YOU, STEVE.
THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL
SPEAKERS SO WE'LL NOW PROCEED
TO OUR
ITEMS OF BUSINESS.
OUR FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS,
WILL THE CLERK READ ITEM ONE.
[ CLERK READS ITEM ONE ]
>> THANK YOU.
AS WE ALL KNOW WE'VE HADHAD
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION
BEFORE, BUT THIS LEGISLATION
SETS
FORTH PERMANENT FLOODPLAIN
DEVELOP REGULATIONS TO COMPLY
WITH FEDERAL LAW ADMINISTRATION
BY FEE THAT.
THESE PROVIDE
PERMIT APPLICATIONS FOR
CONTRACTION ON
PROPERTY WITHIN FLOODPLAIN AREAS
MAPPED BY FEMA.
FEMA REQUIRES THESE UPDATES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN 2023 FEMA FINALIZED NEW
MAPS IN SEATTLE, THE
REGULATIONS BECAME EFFECTIVE ON
AUGUST 19th,
2020.
THE CITY HAS ADOPTED INTERIM
FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS WHILE
WORKING TO HAVE PERMANENT MAPS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL MAY
HAVE. ONCE READY, PLEASE
INTRODUCE
YOURSELVES.
[ INDISCERNIBLE ]
>> COUNCIL CENTRAL
STAFF.
>> I'M MAGGIE GLOWACKI FROM
SDCI.
I'M A FISH BIOLOGIST BY
TRAINING.
>> THANK YOU.
DO ANY COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE
ANY QUESTIONS?
SINCE YOU'RE AT THE TABLE,
WE DID GET A COMMENT LAST TIME.
ANY SORT OF UPDATE YOU'RE
ABLE TO PROVIDE.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU MET WITH THE
OWNERS.
ANY QUICK UPDATE YOU COULD
PROVIDE.
>> SO WE DID MEET WITH MR.
McCOLLOUGH AND THE PIER OWNERS
LAST WEDNESDAY I BELIEVE IT
WAS OR THURSDAY
ACTUALLY. AND WE HAD A GREAT
DISCUSSION.
ARDELL FROM SDCI
ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM THE PIER
OWNERS
WHERE THEY WERE LOOKING
FORWARD AS TO WHAT THEY
EXPECTED, PROJECTS THAT THEY MAY
SEE
ON THEIR PIERS.
ARDELL WAS ABLE TO
ANSWER QUESTIONS BASED ON THE
PROPOSED PERMANENT REGULATIONS
AS TO HOW
THOSE PROJECTS WOULD BE
REVIEWED.
WE DIDN'T GET FOLLOW- UP
QUESTIONS, SO I BELIEVE THAT THE
QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED AND
EVERYBODY WAS SATISFIED.
>> JUST OFFER THAT COUNCIL
MEMBERS MAY RECALL FROM THE
LAST DISCUSSION THAT ONE OF THE
COMPLAINTS THAT SOME OF THE PIER
OWNERS HAVE HAS TO DO WITH HOW
THEY ARE MAPPED, AND THAT
MAPPING IS REFLECTED IN THE
FLOOD INSURANCE MAPS
PROMULGATED BY FEMA.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE CITY
HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE.
TO THE EXTENT THERE IS A REMEDY
FOR THAT IN THE FUTURE,
THAT REMEDY IS PROBABLY
LARGELY THROUGH SOME ACTION BY
THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THE
CITY CAN DO FOR THE OFFICE OF
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, BUT
AUTHORITY TO MAKE THOSE
CHANGES IS AT THE FEDERAL
LEVEL.
>> THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE
TIME TO MEET WITH THEM AND
ADDRESS THEIR QUESTIONS AND
CONCERNS.
WITH THAT, I MOVE THAT THE
COMMITTEE RECOMMEND PASSAGE
OF COUNCIL BILL 121152.
IS THERE A SECOND?
>> SECOND.
>> IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED.
>> THERE'S AN AMENDMENT WE NEED
TO DO
HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
ALSO LIKE TO AMEND COUNCIL BILL
121152.
>>
SECOND.
>> IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED
TO AMEND THE BILL PRESENTED
ON AMENDMENT ONE.
COUNCIL STAFF, CAN YOU
PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE
CHANGES.
>> THIS IS THE
AMENDMENT THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN
COMMITTEE LAST
TIME.
THIS CORRECTS WHAT IS
ESSENTIALLY A DRAFTING ERROR
IN THE BILL.
IT WOULD CHANGE THE DEFINITION
OF SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE
AND SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
TO CLARIFY SUBSTANTIAL
IMPROVEMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO
IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY
TO
REMEDY CODE VIOLATIONS OR FOR
APPROVED
ALTERATIONS BY THE -- BOARD.
I'LL SCROLL DOWN FOR THE FOLKS
WATCHING AT HOME WHO MAY
BE INTERESTED IN WHERE THIS
LIES.
IT'S IN THE DEFINITION
SECTION OF THE FLOOD CODE.
IT ESSENTIALLY REPLACES THE TERM
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH THIS
TERM.
>> IT MIRRORS WHAT'S IN THE
CODE OF FEDERAL
REGULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
ALWAYS GOOD TO CORRECT
THOSE CLERICAL ERRORS.
ANY COMMENTS ON AMENDMENT ONE?
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL
THE ROLL ON THE ADOPTION
OF AMENDMENT
ONE.
>>
FOSTER.
>> YES.
>>
RINCK.
>> YES.
>> LIN.
>>
YES.
>> THERE ARE THREE VOTES IN
FAVOR AND ZERO
OPPOSED.
>> THE MOTION IS ADOPTED.
ANY FINAL COMMENTS?
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT
TO COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP ON THIS.
I KNOW WE HAD INTENDED TO VOTE
ON THIS DURING THE
LAST COMMITTEE MEETING BUT SOME
OF
THE LAST- MINUTE PUBLIC
COMMENTS THAT CAME UP RAISED
SOME ISSUES.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR LEADING
COMMITTEE TO TAKE A BRIEF PAUSE
BUT THANK SDCI AND THE TEAM
FOR MEETING WITH STAKEHOLDERS
TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ADDRESSING
ANY
OUTSTANDING CONCERNS.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THIS HAS
BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR SIX
YEARS SO
I'M PARTICULARLY EXCITED TO BE
TAKING ACTION
TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP,
CHAIR.
THANK YOU
ALL.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
RINCK.
I WANT TO SECOND THE MANY YEARS
OF HARD WORK AND SUPER
EXCITED TO BE GETTING IT ACROSS
THE FINISH LINE HERE HOPEFULLY
SOON.
WITH THAT, WILL THE CLERK PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL ON THE
RECOMMENDATION.
>>
STER.
>>
YES.
>> RINCK.
>>
YES.
>> LIN.
>> YES.
>> THE MOTION CARRIES.
THE BILL WILL BE SENT TO
THE MARCH 24th, 2026, CITY
COUNCIL
MEETING.
PLEASE READ AGENDA ITEM TWO.
[ CLERK READS AGENDA ITEM TWO ]
>> THANK YOU.
REPRESENTATIVE FROM
COUNCIL STAFF HAS
JOINED US TO ANSWER ANY
USQUESTIONS.
ONCE READY, CAN YOU
PLEASE INTRODUCE
YOURSELF.
>> HB HARPER COUNCIL CENTRAL
STAFF.
>> ANY FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM?
SO WE DID HAVE THE BRIEFING
LAST WEEK.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY
MAJOR
UPDATES.
WE'VE BEEN IN CONTINUED
CONVERSATIONS WITH VARIOUS
STAKEHOLDERS, AND WE
WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS.
I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT
OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE ON
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1st, 2026 AT
9:30 A.M. AT WHICH TIME WE
PLAN TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON
THIS
LEGISLATION. ANYTHING YOU WOULD
LIKE TO ADD?
OKAY.
THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES.
SO SHORT MEETING
TODAY. WE HAVE REACHED THE END
OF
TODAY'S MEETING AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER BUSINESS
TO COME BEFORE
THE COMMITTEE BEFORE WE ADJOURN?
OKAY.
HEARING NO FURTHER BUSINESS
TO COME BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT
9:45.
THANK YOU ALL.