Court Ruling Against Seattle Growth Plan Undercuts State Housing Reforms
A loss for the City of Seattle at a Washington Court of Appeals this week could reverberate around the state, as the court confirms a major loophole in recent reforms enacted by the legislature to reduce barriers to housing production. The ruling, released Monday, will officially reopen the environmental review of Seattle's long-term growth plan and subject it to additional scrutiny.
Two different challenges had been dismissed by a lower court and the City of Seattle's hearing examiner.
The two appeals, filed by musician and environmental advocate Jennifer Godfrey and lawyer John M. Cary in coordination with the group Friends of Ravenna Cowen, allege that the City of Seattle didn't conduct a sufficiently thorough analysis of the environmental impacts of former Mayor Bruce Harrell's One Seattle Plan.
Godfrey's lawsuit – dubbed the "Orca Appeal" – has focused on the environmental impact of additional development on the ecosystem of Puget Sound, including its population of Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW), while the Cary appeal is more broad and targeted alleged deficiencies around traffic congestion, parking, property values, and the potential demolition of historic buildings.
https://www.theurbanist.org/court-ruling-against-seattle-growth-plan-undercuts-state-housing-reforms/