Queen Anne Community Alert

The future of Queen Anne is being decided - right now. 

Two sweeping proposals are moving forward at once—and together, they will reshape every residential neighborhood in Seattle, including Queen Anne. Now is the time to get informed and speak up.

• The Interim Ordinance, up for final vote on May 27, applies to every single-family lot in the city. It shrinks setbacks, raises roof heights, and expands lot coverage—changes that will fast-track demolition and large-scale redevelopment across every neighborhood in Seattle.

• The proposed One Seattle Plan, heading to a vote in June, designates Queen Anne as an Urban Center. That change would upzone 1,300+ lots, 70 blocks east and west of Queen Anne Avenue for buildings up to 4–6 stories tall, in the heart of our neighborhood. Urban Centers are typically anchored by light rail, wide arterial roads, and high-capacity infrastructure—none of which exist on Queen Anne hill. Queen Anne lacks the transit, street network, and emergency access capacity to support that level of growth safely.

Speak up before Queen Anne is changed forever

400% Expansion: 4-6 story buildings to stretch 8 blocks East-West of QA Ave, 11 blocks N-South: The proposed One Seattle Plan designates Queen Anne as a much larger “Urban Center,” allowing existing Queen Anne Ave buildings and shops to be wrecked and replaced with seven-story buildings. Additionally, it allows for pockets of six-story buildings, and four- and five-story buildings for up to 4 blocks on each side of Queen Anne Ave (4th Ave W to 3rd Ave N), and 11 blocks north to south (Galer to Smith) – a total of 70 blocks upzoned to increase the population of Queen Anne by 10x.

Five-story buildings on 10th Ave W, Ward/Prospect Streets: Zoning changes on 10th Ave W threaten to erase a rare piece of Seattle’s urban heritage—an Olmsted boulevard with graceful setbacks and mature trees. Developing Ward’s two 16.5ft-wide one-way streets on the steep south slope threatens the stability of the hill itself. The proposal also zones 3rd Ave W for five-story buildings.

May 19th – City Council votes on looser rules for builders: This impacts every lot in Queen Anne. See the beige colored zones in the map below.
State Law HB 1110 (2023) requires cities like Seattle to allow Middle Housing—duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and sixplexes—on every lot. The law promotes gentle density while also letting cities keep existing setbacks, roof limits, and tree protections. However, instead of following HB 1110’s intent, the City is moving to give developers the green light to cut down trees and build structures that are taller and closer to sidewalks (setbacks go from 20ft to 10ft), and build higher—tall, bulky, and boxy buildings will loom over the street.

ACT NOW - see what actions you can take

Friends of Queen Anne believes Seattle can do better

The Mayor’s office is moving too fast, making changes without fully informing its citizens and without a good understanding of the Plan’s impact on our neighborhoods.

1. Yes, to Middle Housing—done right. Queen Anne has many examples of Middle Housing that follow existing standards and comply with State Law HB 1110. These multi-family homes are consistent with the greenways, scale, and character of nearby houses. Let’s shape our policies to encourage more of this kind of housing.

2. The One Seattle Plan overestimates what’s needed. With realistic demand forecasts, the scale of upzoning—both citywide and in Queen Anne—could be significantly reduced.

3. Upper Queen Anne needs to be designated a Neighborhood Center. The city wants to designate Queen Anne as an “Urban Center”—a label typically reserved for areas with light rail, dense housing, and large commercial hubs. But Queen Anne is a hill with limited access and no heavy transit. Despite proposing a 10x population increase across 70 blocks, the city’s Environmental Impact Study claims traffic won’t significantly increase?

4. Keep tall buildings where they belong. Five stories and above should be limited to Queen Anne Avenue.

5. Don’t fly blind into zoning changes. The City Council members will vote on this massive upzone before receiving critical traffic and safety information. We are asking City Council members to understand the traffic and safety impacts of proposed rezoning before—not after—making their decisions.