Next week, the City of Seattle will host a community workshop to gather input on the Ballard Regional Center Plan.
The Ballard Regional Center Plan is a 20-year neighborhood growth and development framework being created by the City of Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD). They’ve launched a corresponding survey to gather feedback from residents, which will be open until Sept. 30. The city is seeking feedback about people’s experiences in Ballard today and what the neighborhood needs to grow in a “healthy, sustainable, and inclusive way.”
Ballard is one of several neighborhoods where the city is developing regional center plans. Other centers include Downtown, First Hill/Capitol Hill, Northgate, South Lake Union, University District, and Uptown.
Once adopted, each regional center plan will become part of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan and will be submitted for certification as a regional growth center by the Puget Sound Regional Council. The plans establish a shared vision for how each area should develop over the next two decades and identify changes needed to support that growth.
The plans address housing options, transportation, public services, climate and environmental conditions, the local economy, and land use and development. They are intended to consider where growth should occur, how schools, parks, and libraries can keep pace, and how the city can improve transit, walking, and biking while helping prevent displacement.
The survey allows participants to place pins on a map of the proposed regional center, comment on specific locations, and answer broader questions about the neighborhood. Residents can submit as many location-based comments as they want before the survey closes.
The “Ballard for all” community workshop is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Ballard Library, 5614 22nd Ave. NW. The event is open to all ages and will include food, children’s activities, and representatives from city agencies.
The workshop and survey follow the city’s launch of the Ballard Regional Center planning process earlier this month.
Photo: SDOT