Select Committee will take up Phase 2 of Comp Plan in 2026

The City Council today revisited amended legislation on Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan (CB 120985) and Permanent HB 1110 legislation (CB 120993), approving both pieces of legislation. Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (District 3) chaired the Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan. The delayed vote was due to additional environmental review of the updated plan, which was passed unanimously out of committee in September.    

Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan (or “Comp Plan”) is a 20-year vision and roadmap for the city’s future. The plan guides City decisions about where we locate housing and jobs, and where and how we invest in transportation, utilities, parks, and other public assets.

“A big ‘thank you’ to everybody involved in the Comprehensive Plan process over the last year. It’s been a massive undertaking,” said Councilmember Hollingsworth. “I hope this enthusiasm and commitment continues into Phase 2 in 2026 – please stay involved, everyone.”

Tuesday’s approval comes after a process that involved 17 committee meetings and four all-day public hearings, after receiving the Mayor’s proposed “One Seattle” draft plan in March. The plan received six separate legal challenges, delaying the process of adoption of the permanent regulations. The interim HB 1110 legislation, also known as the “middle housing” bill, was adopted in June to comply with the state deadline.  

Highlights of the legislation

• Incorporating childcare policies and family housing bonuses to create new housing
• Providing a diversity of housing options such as incentivizing stacked flats and cottage housing
• Ensuring sustainable tree and vegetation management and protection of key local species
• Improving accessibility and availability of amenity areas such as shared green spaces and balconies
• Encouraging development of affordable units and making social housing eligible for affordable housing bonuses

Also included in the Council’s vote was an approved companion resolution (Res 32183) to the Comprehensive Plan requesting that City departments add items to their 2026 work program to advance the goals of the plan. In addition, the Office of Planning & Community Development will need to develop proposed amendments to the plan in 2026 as part of the annual amendments process.

What’s next

The Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan will take up Phase 2 of the Comprehensive Plan in 2026. This phase will involve zoning changes within new Neighborhood Centers, new and expanded Regional and Urban Centers, and along frequent transit routes. The Council will also take a closer look at the zoning of specific parcels within the place types identified in the Comprehensive Plan’s future land use maps.

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