Seattle City Council to consider 52 amendments to 20-year Comprehensive Plan

(The Center Square) – The Seattle City Council will soon be tasked with updating the city's Comprehensive Plan, a legally mandated, 20-year roadmap that guides the city's future growth and spending in areas like housing, transportation and infrastructure

On Monday, Seattle City Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth – who chairs the Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan – released her package of 52 proposed amendments to the plan.

Broadly, the amendments address childcare, family housing, incentivizing diverse housing options, sustainable tree management, low pollution neighborhoods, adding ADA accessible units, promoting food access, and developing more affordable and social housing.

Out of the 52 amendments, 28 are set for a single vote, as a consent agenda. However, the city council can choose to remove any of these amendments from the consent agenda to be voted on individually.

The remaining 24 amendments are set for individual votes from Sept. 17-19.

“We have a sense of urgency to make Seattle a city where people, including young families, can build a future, and older residents can age with dignity,” Hollingsworth said in a news release. “I believe these packages of amendments are meaningful steps towards achieving those goals.”

Seattle is currently behind schedule in certifying its Comprehensive Plan, which was due by the state in December 2024. According to the news release, a number of proposed amendments may fall outside the scope of what was studied under the existing environmental impact statement, a document that analyzes potential environmental effects of a proposed action.

According to Hollingsworth, the city council will have to consider three options as it discusses the Comprehensive Plan: which amendments made it into the chair’s packages, which did not, and which ones are docketed in a resolution for 2026 for environmental review to satisfy any necessary state requirements.

The latter option will be included in a resolution anticipated to be released on Tuesday evening.

Earlier this month, hundreds of people spoke at the final public hearing regarding the Seattle Comprehensive Plan. One proposed amendment – Amendment 34 sponsored by City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck – related to adding eight neighborhood centers to Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposed 30 centers. This amendment drew more attention from public commenters during Friday's public hearing.

Neighborhood centers are places with a variety of housing options centered around a local commercial district or major transit stop. The majority of those who spoke on the proposed Amendment 34 were in favor of it, adding that it provides better access to public transportation, fresh food, and education.