SEATTLE – Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6 – Northwest Seattle), Chair of the Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee, celebrated the finalization of the Crown Hill Community Action Plan and the City Council’s 8-0 passage of a resolution recognizing this achievement.
Starting in 2018, the Crown Hill Community Action Plan process sought to establish a vision for the future of Crown Hill as a walkable, vibrant neighborhood. With Crown Hill undergoing significant growth, and with the zoning changes made under Mandatory Housing Affordability, the plan establishes clear steps the City and community organizations should take to achieve the neighborhood’s vision. Development of the plan was led by the Office of Planning and Community Development which connected with 300 community members through workshops, canvassing, focus groups, tabling, and more.
Following a long pause as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Councilmember Strauss pushed for Mayor Durkan to allow the plan to be finalized before the end of 2021. Working with community leaders in Crown Hill, Councilmember Strauss succeeded and work on the plan resumed in the fall. The draft plan was published in November and feedback was solicited through December 3rd to inform the final plan.
“Crown Hill is currently seeing some of the fastest growth in Northwest Seattle, and this Community Action Plan gives the City and community a chance to shape this growth to benefit neighborhood residents before it is too late,” said Councilmember Strauss. “As Crown Hill changes, we must ensure that we keep up with adequate open spaces, tree canopy, transportation connections, infrastructure, and affordable housing.”
Karin LaBelle, the President of the Crown Hill Village Association, said: “The process involved extensive collaboration between neighbors, business owners, and the city to create a plan that will help Crown Hill Village welcome new neighbors and grow a vibrant, accessible, and walkable community. The community started working with the City Council and City back in 2016 and the plan creates an exciting opportunity to continue working together.”
The plan articulates three Community Priorities for the future of Crown Hill:
- A distinct neighborhood with great destinations and a vibrant public realm
- Streets that encourage walking and making it easy to get around
- Connected, engaged, and thriving communities
Within each Community Priority, actionable steps and specific strategies are detailed, including a walkable neighborhood center at NW 90th Street and NW Mary Ave., new pedestrian and bike crossings at 15th Ave. NW and NW 83rd Street, and increasing tree canopy and green infrastructure.
The final round of community feedback led to valuable additions to the final plan, including adding an emphasis on incentivizing indoor meeting and gathering spaces after the closure of The Dane, and strategies to increase affordable housing options.
With the finalization of the plan and today’s recognition by the City Council, work will continue to make the community’s vision a reality. Next steps include continuing to implement the strategies recommended by the plan and developing neighborhood-specific development standards and design guidelines to guide future development.
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