PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      7a 
STAFF BRIEFING 
Date of Meeting     August 23, 2016 
DATE:    August 10, 2016 
TO:     Port of Seattle Commission 
FROM:    Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
SUBJECT:  Protecting and Enhancing Industrial Lands, Draft Principles 
SYNOPSIS 
This memo and related presentation is intended to give commissioners and other
interested stakeholders an overview of the City of Seattle's process to update industrial
lands policies in their comprehensive plan. In addition, it offers draft principles for the
commissioners to consider and offer feedback to staff. 
BACKGROUND 
History 
Pressure to change uses on industrial lands within urban city-limits is a common issue
throughout the US and beyond. It is well understood that when industrial lands gentrify,
the potential increase for incompatible uses put industrial operations at risk. It is essential
for Port of Seattle and Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) to actively drive the
community discussion on this topic. 
Seattle has struggled with this debate for years with the previous two mayoral 
administrations having conducted some sort of stakeholder process looking at land-use on
and around industrial lands. The current administration intends to update industrial landuse
policies during the 2017 comprehensive plan update following a stakeholder process,
now known as the Industrial Lands Advisory Panel.
Industrial Lands Advisory Panel 
The Port of Seattle and NWSA were invited to participate on the panel. Any proposed
changes resulting from the stakeholder process will be forwarded to the City Council for
consideration early next year. 
Currently, the 2016 plan, known as Seattle 2035, is working its way through the City
Council. The Mayor directed any policy or map revisions affecting industrial lands that
were spelled out in earlier drafts of Seattle 2035 to be removed. 
The first meeting of the panel was on July 28, including only the industrial stakeholder
side of the panel. The non-industrial stakeholder, including developers, met on the
following day. At each of those meeting, several panelists were identified to participate in

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
August 10, 2016 
Page 2 of 4 
a smaller working group that will develop a scope of work for an economic impact study
that will be a part of this process. In addition, the City outlined their perspective of the
"problem and opportunity statement" related to this topic: 
As referenced in the Seattle 2035 comprehensive plan, within the next twenty
years Seattle will have 120,000 more people, 70,000 more housing units and
115,000 more jobs. As we look to the future, we are committed to supporting our
residents as well as the growth of our diverse, evolving economy. The city is also
committed to sustainability, which means that our growth will come with an
increase in density. That commitment, in combination with our growth over the
last several decades, has applied pressure on existing uses to share the limited
land area in our geographically constrained city. We recognize the value of the
industrial and maritime sectors as an essential part of our city's economy; the
comprehensive plan describes "industrial zones are an important source of living
wage jobs and make the local economic base more stable." These sectors are also
evolving and, as we continue to grow our economy in diverse ways, we must
balance the pressures these uses have on one another. 
As Seattle looks ahead to the next twenty years, we must manage our growth
while preserving economic diversity. Implications range from right of way
mobility and infrastructure to housing, retail, and support services.  As such,
responsible growth management will entail: 
Providing for economic diversity and leveraging our core strengths; 
Acknowledging and preparing for the evolution of existing sectors to help
them thrive; 
Balancing the demands of existing sectors and new sectors, including all
associated uses; and 
Prioritizing our values of growth, including livability, sustainability, density,
and preservation across diverse income levels and classes, today and for the
future. 
The City scheduled the working group to convene on August 18 and all panel members to
meet on August 25. 
NEXT STEPS 
Below is a list of seven draft principles for commissioners' consideration. Staff will
discuss options for further review and adoption. 
As there are multiple efforts underway that may impact industrials lands, these principles
will have use in multiple venues, including, but not limited to Sound Transit 3,
implementation of recommendations from the state legislature's joint maritime task force
and Seattle waterfront planning. 
Draft Principles 
1.  Require transportation policy and planning that supports land-use needs

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
August 10, 2016 
Page 3 of 4 
a.  This new effort must take a holistic approach and consider the direct
impact of land-use on transportation and include those findings in any
policy conclusions. 
b.  Throughout this process, any future passenger train development around
the maintenance yard and its potential impact on east-west road capacity
must be considered. 
c.  The railroad will be a critical partner with respect to transportation matters
and as a large industrial land owner. 
2.  Maintain no net loss in industrial lands to support the industrial job base 
a.  We must ensure that adequate land is protected to support current POS and
NWSA activities and allow for planned growth. 
b.  We will seek policy solutions that protect water-dependent uses, such as
fishing and marine cargo. 
c.  Other sectors may also require specific property needs, such as industrial
suppliers and service providers that rely on close proximity and/or reliable
access to certain locations such as Sea-Tac Airport, Fishermen's Terminal
and the Olympic Pipeline. We will ensure this dependency is considered
as well. 
3.  Encourage the creation of incentives to promote industrial investment in job
growth 
a.  We will pursue mechanisms that promote industrial uses while accounting
for the highest and best use dynamic. 
b.  Some examples of possible incentives might include: 
i.  Attract industrials tenants that can operate on the upper floors of
existing industrial buildings. 
ii.  Invite industrial uses on the vacant portions of partially-developed
parcels. 
iii.  Encourage small-scale manufacturing. 
4.  Formally recognize industrial lands as essential public facilities 
a.  The state legislature's Joint Task Force on the Economic Resilience of
Maritime and Manufacturing in Washington included a recommendation
to "develop a legislative 'state economic resilience' rating and map
rating system will describe for these local officials the state-wide
economic impacts of port districts, maritime and manufacturing industries,
and industrial lands located within their jurisdictions" We will
encourage this approach at the city level and seek input from key state
legislators.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
August 10, 2016 
Page 4 of 4 
b.  Advocate buffer zones that provide a transition between incompatible
land-uses (e.g. residential adjacent to heavy industrial operations). 
5.  Seek changes to relevant code to reflect industrial land use policy 
a.  Many of the City's land use policies are presently very strong; however,
the code is not. The City's process must include code changes that are
consistent with stated policy language 
b.  Code is important because permits for individual development projects are
reviewed against code, not policy. 
c.  A key consideration is existing loopholes in the code restrictions on
nonindustrial uses. 
6.  Prevent sprawl to protect from negative environmental impacts 
a.  This  principle  acknowledges  a  key  tenant  of  the  State's  Growth
Management Act. 
b.  When industrial uses are displaced outward from current concentration of
rail, freight roads, docks, power distribution, water supply, waste water
supply, and population centers (employees), most of these utilities and
other components need to be brought out to the new location. Each aspect
of infrastructure has an environmental impact. 
7.  Support efforts to expand industrial training and related workforce
development 
a.  Programs such as Core-Plus provide a comprehensive curriculum and
career direction for young people with practical analytical skills and
mechanical aptitudes.
b.  With a shrinking pipeline of talent ready to step into various jobs that
support port-related industries, it is important to ensure that young people
have access to the opportunities that will lead to those careers. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
Computer slide presentation 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
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