The Seattle City Council's Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan is heading into a final vote on September 19 that could determine the future of zoning in several Seattle neighborhoods for the next 20 years, with the community of Alki at the center of a heated debate. At issue is a last-minute amendment that would designate Alki as a "Neighborhood Center," a move that the Alki Community Council (ACC) says blindsided residents and was done without proper public process.

The controversy began on July 31, when Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck introduced Amendment 34, which proposes adding Alki and seven other communities as new Neighborhood Centers under the city's "One Seattle" Comprehensive Plan. This designation is intended to create hubs for increased residential density and new commercial zoning. However, the Alki Community Council issued a "Zoning Alert" in early September, stating that unlike the 29 other neighborhoods considered for this status, Alki residents received no public education, workshops, or outreach over the past two years. The council argues this lack of engagement erodes public trust and denies residents and businesses the opportunity to provide valuable local knowledge.

The Wallingford Community Council has echoed these concerns, expressing astonishment at the proposal which they say "sent shockwaves through the neighborhood". The Alki Community Council's alert galvanized residents to oppose Amendment 34, urging them to contact councilmembers and speak at a September 12 public hearing. "Residents and small businesses have been blindsided, with no notice, no ability to see the Alki plan, ask questions, or provide input," a sample letter provided by the council states.

In an unexpected turn, the alert sent to Alki residents stated that an amendment to remove Alki as a Neighborhood Center was not on the schedule for an individual vote. Councilmember Rinck's Amendment 34, which seeks to add eight new Neighborhood Centers including Alki, is listed for an individual vote. The other amendment involving Alki, also sponsored by Councilmember Rinck, focuses on exempting Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) from certain housing affordability rules and is part of the consent agenda.

Despite the absence of a specific removal amendment from Councilmember Rob Saka in the provided council documents, the Alki Community Council has pointed to his work in supporting greater public notification.  That amendment WestsideSeattle has learned will come during the meeting. The ACC encouraged residents to support Amendment 110, proposed by Councilmember Saka, which would require mailed notifications for area-wide rezones to property owners and tenants, a measure they believe would prevent future surprises.

The Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan is scheduled to meet and vote on amendments to two key pieces of legislation—Council Bill 120985, which adopts the new One Seattle plan, and Council Bill 120993, which updates zoning regulations—from September 17 to 19. The final vote and passage of these bills is scheduled to take place during the meeting on September 19, which the Alki Community Council has identified as the last chance for the public to influence a policy that will shape their community for the next two decades. The outcome of the vote on Amendment 34 will determine whether 95 acres in Alki, and hundreds more across the city, will be rezoned without the community engagement process afforded to dozens of other neighborhoods