Try again.

Okay.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Uh, the May 14th, 2026 meeting of the Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan will come to order.

It's 2.06 p.m.

I'm Eddie Lynn, Chair of the Select Committee.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Foster.

Here.

Councilmember Kettle.

Here.

Councilmember Rink.

Present.

Councilmember Rivera.

Present.

Council President Hongsworth.

Here.

Councilmember Saka.

Here.

Chair Lynn.

Here.

Chair, there are seven.

Councilmember is present.

I'd like to note that Councilmember Juarez and Councilmember Strauss are excused from today's meeting.

We will now consider the agenda.

If there are no objections, the agenda will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

Welcome to session one of this public hearing on the comprehensive plan phase two, focusing on centers and corridors.

We will now open the hybrid public comment period.

Public comments should relate to items on the agenda or items within the purview of this committee.

Clerk, uh, how many speakers are opened uh or signed up today?

We have roughly 18 total, uh, eight remotes and ten in person.

Okay.

Uh each speaker will have two minutes.

We'll start with in-person speakers first.

Clerk, can you please read the public comment instructions?

The public comment period will be moderated in the following manner.

The public comment period is up to 20 minutes.

Speakers will be called in the order in which they registered in-person speakers will be called first, after which we will move to remote speakers until the public comment period has ended.

Speakers will hear a time when 10 seconds are left of their time.

Speakers mics will be muted if they do not end their comments within the allotted time to allow us to call in the next speaker.

The public comment period is now open, and we'll begin with the first speaker on the list.

Laura Lowe.

Good afternoon, Council members.

I'm here today as the advocacy and policy manager for Habitat of Humanity for Humanity, Seattle King, and Kiditas Counties.

Fort Stanha job, a little nervous.

My name is Laura Lowe.

I'm also a renter in Seattle.

Habitat is a proud member of the Complete Communities Coalition, and we strongly support the taller, denser, faster resolution.

At Habitat, we see every day that zoning capacity is not abstract.

It is the difference between a family staying in Seattle or being priced out.

At Olympic Ridge on 14th Avenue, Habitat created 18 permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for first-time buyers earning up to 80% of AMI.

These are teachers, healthcare workers, and community service employees who dreamed of staying in the places where they work and are raising their kids.

This finally was made possible after years of renting and experiencing housing instability.

Without that zoning, those 18 families would not be homeowners in Seattle today.

This was only possible because of the level of density allowed in that neighborhood.

By scanning the scope of the supplemental EIS, the city will understand how height bonuses for affordable housing will work, plus those benefits should be able to stack with other public interest bonuses.

Please advance taller, denser, faster, boldly, and give Seattle every tool to create more affordable homes in our neighborhoods.

This has helps us, Habitat, and our mission to not just build homes, but homeowners.

Thank you so much.