Page 1
Image One:
Text: “Could 2023 be a transformative year for housing? Governor Inslee has put it at the top of his agenda.”
ALT Text: Governor Jay Inslee speaks at a podium, gesturing with both hands as he discusses housing reform, “Prioritize investments in housing, homelessness, and behavioral health with urgency and audacity.”
Image Two:
Text: “There are a bunch of bills in Olympia to do just that. HB1351 would eliminate outdated parking requirements. Seattle has 1.6 million parking spots for its 725,000 residents and has reached ‘peak car’: we’re growing in population but not in the number of cars, as stated by the Seattle Times, 2/28/2021”
ALT Text: A stack of cars is illustrated in a comical pile, with people standing on top, emphasizing the excess of parking spaces over available housing.
Image Three:
Text: “Yet parking is still required in Seattle for new housing on almost half the land within a half-mile of public transit, even as we climb the ranks of top bicycle commuting cities… Though Portland still kicks our ass in that regard.”
ALT Text: Two cyclists ride their bikes with a “Number 1” and a “Number 6” banners, showing Seattle’s ranking while acknowledging Portland’s superior biking infrastructure.
Image Four:
Text: “Then there’s HB 1110, which would allow buildings with up to four units on any residential lot.
Together with the easing of parking requirements, this bill could mean less housing that contorts itself to our zoning, and bring back the elegant neighborhood fourplex.”
ALT Text: A side-by-side comparison of “Today’s Skinny Townhome” with an inefficient, awkward layout but legal in R1 zones, and “The Fourplex of Yesteryear,” a traditional, well-designed residential building with no parking and prohibited by R1 zoning.
Page 2
Image One:
Text: “HB 1026 would eliminate design review boards for residential developments. Among architects, advocates, and developers, design reviews seem to be somewhat unpopular.”
ALT Text: A portrait of affordable housing developer Ben Maritz speaking, with a speech bubble saying, “It’s a stupid process. Totally pointless. Quote me”
Image Two:
Text: “Maritz says Seattle’s design review board prioritizes a certain kind of architecture school designery-ness, and rejects simple shapes like the classic box shape of many beloved old buildings.”
ALT Text: A simple, classic-style brick apartment building with a large red “REJECTED” stamp over it.
Image Three:
Text: “To disguise that their buildings are in fact boxes, architects resort to a riot of colors and textures, ‘massing’ and set backs. One issue with that is more right angles equals more potential leak points.”
ALT Text: An illustration of a modern housing unit with excessive sharp angles and corners, symbolizing potential structural flaws.
Image Four:
Text: “Another issue is that the easiest way to avoid rejection—and costly delays—is to imitate what’s already been approved. This is the proliferation of what Maritz calls ‘Hardie Party’ building, named for the multicolored Hardie construction panels that have become ubiquitous.”
ALT Text: A “Hardie Party” style building with multicolored Hardie construction panels, demonstrating how developers conform to previously accepted styles.
Image Five:
Text: “In one notorious case, a housing development in Queen Anne was held up for years while the design review board debated brick colors.”
ALT Text: A man thoughtfully considers two different brick color samples labeled “Clay” and “Rust?” with a “Hmmm…” expression.
Image Six:
Text: “It’s possible that the state legislature will pass none of these bills.
But they might be wise to pay attention to voters who—like the governor—have made themselves clear.
A new statewide Crosscut/Elway poll ranked cost of living and housing as their top concern.”
ALT Text: A crowd of protesters outside the Capitol building holding signs that say “Legalize missing middle housing,” “This isn’t hard!”, and “Do your job!”, emphasizing public demand for housing reform, reinforcing the urgency of housing as a primary concern for voters.
