One Seattle

OneSeattle Plan - Urban Density Increases Proposed in Madrona

Page to be updated soon!

The City of Seattle’s One Seattle Plan is the citywide Comprehensive Plan that guides how Seattle will grow over the next 20 years.

The Madrona Neighborhood Association would like to create awareness amongst Madrona community members regarding the urban density/zoning changes. This page summarizes the official plan framework and explains how it applies to Madrona, with a focus on Centers & Corridors, housing choices, and neighborhood-scale growth.

For the most current and authoritative information, including maps and legislation, always refer to the City of Seattle’s Office of Planning & Community Development (OPCD): https://www.seattle.gov/opcd/one-seattle-plan#centerscorridors

Why is Seattle proposing increases to density?

The City of Seattle is upzoning (increasing density) single-family residential neighborhoods as part of a broader effort to address several challenges, including rising housing costs, housing shortages, and equity concerns. Here are some key reasons behind these changes:

  1. Housing Affordability and Availability: Seattle is experiencing a significant demand for housing, which has outpaced supply and driven up costs. Upzoning allows for denser housing developments, such as townhouses and low rise apartment buildings, which can increase the overall housing stock and potentially moderate price increases​
  2. Addressing Inequities: Traditional single-family zoning has been criticized for perpetuating segregation and limiting access to diverse housing options in neighborhoods with better access to amenities. Allowing “missing middle” housing (e.g., fourplexes) aims to create more inclusive neighborhoods​.
  3. Sustainability Goals: Denser housing close to transit lines and amenities reduces dependency on cars, aligns with environmental sustainability goals, and promotes walkable, 15-minute neighborhoods (get to many amenities without a car within 15 minutes). These urban planning strategies are designed to create more livable and interconnected communities​.
  4. Legislative Drivers: State-level laws, like Washington’s HB 1110, mandate cities to adopt zoning reforms to allow greater density in previously single-family areas. This provides a legal and policy framework for upzoning efforts in cities like Seattle​ and elsewhere.

The changes aim to balance the need for new housing with the desire to maintain neighborhood character while reducing economic and social disparities across the city.

Other helpful links:

Issues Madrona community members have shared about the current density increases being proposed in Madrona:

  1. No input from Madrona. The Madrona community was not consulted in the creation of this proposal.
  2. No Notification from the City to impacted neighbors. The City of Seattle did not communicate and educate neighbors in Madrona whose properties have zoning changes proposed for them.
  3. Walkability. Most density increases proposed are focused on Madrona Drive which is a hill and not pedestrian friendly, and not optimized for public transit. Proximity to main transit lines and walkability are main points the city says they focused on when creating this proposal, but increasing urban density on Madrona Drive does not align with those goals.
  4. Horizon views. The current proposal blocks the view of the horizon (the lake and the city) for many in the Madrona community because it will allow for 4-5 story apartment buildings to be built along Madrona Dr., 36th Ave, and 33rd Ave.
  5. Trees. The current proposal does not consider the tree-centric culture of Madrona and could lead to many old trees being removed.
  6. Higher property taxes. Increasing urban density will likely increase property values by making property more desirable for developers to purchase and sparking more competition and increased prices for land, which translate to higher property taxes for all Madrona residents.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Madrona Neighborhood Association was not consulted in the creation of the city’s OneSeattle Plan. Our organization’s role in the Madrona community is mostly focused on creating opportunities for community connection (read our Mission & Goals). Our focus as an organization is not to represent Madrona community members’ individual opinions to the city—neighbors are welcome to share their thoughts directly with government entities, and we’re happy to help by pointing them to the right resources or contact points within the city to voice support or concerns.