Seattle Forward

Short Term Rental Regulations: Details and Next Steps

Last week Mayor Murray and I announced proposed regulations for short term rentals. We have taken a balanced approach that recognizes the benefits platforms like Airbnb or VRBO create for Seattle residents, while also attempting to curb the growing commercialization of this industry. At a time where long-term housing is hard to come by, we want to encourage owners of multiple properties to make their properties available to long-term residents.

My Affordable Housing, Neighborhoods and Finance Committee will receive an introductory briefing about this proposal on Wednesday, June 15. We will dive into the details in July.

For those wondering what this means for you, here are a few highlights:

• If you operate a short term rental out of your primary residence (including a connected in-law apartment or backyard cottage), you will be able operate all year long. This allows considerably more flexibility than the regulations in many other cities, which often include a hard cap on the total number of nights.
• If you operate a short term rental in a property that is not your primary residence, you cannot operate year-round; you will be limited at 90 nights a year. This limitation will provide a financial incentive for property owners to move these units back to the long-term market, making Seattle housing available for Seattleites.
• For those who operate past 90 nights in your primary residence, you will need to go online and secure a new regulatory license.
• Overall, these are very modest regulations: we estimate about 80% of short term rental operators will see no new regulations at all under this proposal.

A New Year at City Hall

Today was a big day at City Hall. Hundreds packed the building for the swearing-in of new Mayor Ed Murray, new Councilmember Kshama Sawant, the three reelected Councilmembers and our reelected City Attorney.

Working together, those of us in the City have a fresh opportunity to build the public’s trust and confidence in local government.

The Council also held our first Full Council meeting of the year, where we finalized City Council committee and regional committee assignments. I will chair the Education and Governance Committee, which will focus on realizing the goal of voluntary, high-quality, affordable preschool available to all Seattle’s children. The Committee also oversees intergovernmental relations, the City’s personnel policies, and any legislative matters relating to ethics and elections.

In addition, my colleagues selected me to serve as the President of the City Council for 2014-2015. This means that I chair the City Council meetings and ensure all members of the legislative department can perform their work efficiently and effectively. Below are the remarks I made in acceptance of this position:

The Future of Seattle Center (and Key Arena too)

In its 50^th year, Seattle Center is one of our city’s greatest treasures. And it has suddenly captured a lot of renewed attention because of Chris Hansen’s proposed new sports and entertainment arena in SODO. This attention is a good thing. It focuses the City on the challenges and opportunities we currently face at Seattle Center.

Seattle Center is a place visited by millions of people every year, a mixing place for all ages, cultures, races and interests.

Big Win for Seattle Tourism

Yesterday afternoon, the City Council passed 9-0 legislation that I sponsored with Councilmember Jean Godden to allow major hotels to impose a $2 per night room fee for tourism promotion.  It was a great win for Seattle tourism.  It protects current jobs in the hospitality sector and will create new ones. 

The $2 fee will be collected beginning November 1 on all paid hotel rooms in the greater downtown area of the city, stretching from South Lake Union to the International District/Chinatown, Pioneer Square, and the waterfront.  It's expected to raise between $5 million and $6 million per year, an investment in promotion and advertising that is expected to produce $30-$33 million in tourism revenue.

The funds will be collected by the City, then managed by the Seattle-King County Convention and Visitor's Bureau.  A special rate payer advisory board, along with the Bureau's board of directors, will oversee the use of the funds.  Other west coast cities with similar tourism promotion hotel fees include Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Diego. 

Keeping Downtown Neighborhoods Attractive and Strong

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a quiet little celebration that highlighted the new residents and new jobs that have sprung up and transformed the South Lake Union neighborhood. About a hundred neighborhood activists, representatives of the area's mega-developer Vulcan, business owners, urban planners, and others reflected on the ten-year conversion of a sleepy, somewhat run down area adjacent to downtown into a thriving, upbeat area with thousands of new residents and jobs.

Danny Westneat wrote about South Lake Union's success in last Sunday's Seattle Times, giving appropriate credit to former Mayor Greg Nickels for his vision and persistence in pushing forward the redevelopment of the area.  David Brewster posted an interesting historical perspective at Crosscut.com last Monday.  (Here's a link to the report that both Westneat and Brewster cite that summarizes what's happened in South Lake Union.)

Brewster, in his Crosscut piece, raises an interesting question about how the success of South Lake Union will impact the downtown core of Seattle.  Frankly, we would do well to accept Brewster's commentary as more of a challenge than a question. We dare not become complacent about our downtown, an area of multiple neighborhoods stretching from Lower Queen Anne to the International District and Pioneer Square and from South Lake Union to First Hill and the Central Waterfront.

An attractive and strong city center doesn't flourish on its own.  It takes determined work and a constant focus on things that matter, like the attractiveness of the pedestrian environment, crime and street disorder, quick and efficient transportation options, and strong businesses. (Continue after the jump for a list of key steps to maintaining an attractive and strong downtown . . .)

Where Visitors Go

In my most recent newsletter about the Council’s proposal to create a Tourism Improvement Area I asked readers where they take out-of-town visitors. The responses were numerous and varied, but the general theme was: Outside!

People love our city’s parks and open spaces, from Gasworks to Green Lake to Volunteer Park to Alki to Seward Park. Each one offers something different. Several highlighted the versatility of the Ballard Locks, which provides hooks for the range of visitors: gardens, engineering works, salmon jumping.

Tourism Public Hearing Set

The City Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 8 at 5:30 p.m. in Council chambers on the second floor of City Hall to receive public testimony on creation of a Seattle Tourism Improvement Area.