(Editor's note: the following appears in the council member's newsletter, Seattle View from Sally Clark.)

Our multifamily code -- the rules that apply to building anything from a townhouse up to a 40-story condo high-rise -- was last comprehensively reviewed in the 1980's before Seattleites created neighborhood plans, before the state created the Growth Management Act, and before we adopted Seattle's Comprehensive Plan.

The mayor recently sent a 277-page MFC update proposal to the city council with what looks at first glance to be some smart ideas. It took a couple of years for Department of Planning and Development staff to build this proposal and it will take Planing, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee more than a few months to dig through it and consider the proposed changes.

A 277-page piece of legislation is a lot to tackle. My plan is to divide the effort into digestible pieces, updating the code through different lenses, such as affordability, sustainability, a "smart" code, and design standards that sustain neighborhood character. In each chapter I'll be asking if the proposed changes go far enough to cure the ills of the past few years (think cookie-cutter townhomes); whether the proposed changes go far enough to ensure great development.

The multifamily code update will be a large part of the committee's work this year. The initial briefing on the proposal will come from the planning department staff at the 9:30 a.m., March 11 planning and land use meeting. If you miss that presentation, you’ll be able to catch it via Seattle Channel’s Web site anytime you want. Feel free to contact my office for more information about the consideration of the multifamily code update.

Sally Clark is the chair of the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhood's Committee.