Seattle Municipal Archives
PO Box 94728
600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3
Seattle, WA 98124-4728
Phone: 206/233-7807
Email: archives@seattle.gov
http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
1650-07
Seattle
Planning Commission
Seattle Planning Commission Reports and
Studies
1948-1965
2 cubic feet
2 boxes
Working papers of the Seattle Planning
Commission relating primarily to the development of the Comprehensive Plan, a
Civic Arts Center, and recreation studies throughout the city.
Collection materials are in
English
Historical Note
The City Planning Commission was created in 1924 to prepare plans and
gather data for urban planning and the physical development of the City, to
advise City Council on current problems and long range planning, and to
participate in administration of the City's Zoning Ordinance. It was involved
closely in the revision of the City's first zoning ordinance. An independent
nine-member commission was established with adoption of a new City Charter in
1946. It was provided with authority to hire as needed to carry out its
planning and advisory functions. The Commission was charged with advising the
Mayor, City Council, and City departments on planning policies and physical
development plans and projects. The Commission staff were responsible for the
development of the City's first Comprehensive Plan in the mid-1950s. It also
administered the Board of Adjustment following the latter's creation in 1957.
The city planning process was reorganized in 1980 and the Commission's planning
function was transferred to the Department of Community Development. The
current Commission is an advisory agency that reviews development plans and
reports to the Mayor and City Council. It is composed of 15 members all of who
must be Seattle citizens.
Working papers of the Seattle Planning Commission relating primarily to
the development of the Comprehensive Plan, a Civic Arts Center, and recreation
studies throughout the city. The records are primarily those of John Spaeth,
appointed as Director of the Seattle Planning Commission in 1948.
Comprehensive Plan files relate to zoning issues, including height
issues, density, and land use studies. Recreation studies focus on Magnolia to
a large extent but also include studies done on specific playgrounds in other
neighborhoods. Papers of the Urban Design Advisory Board in the mid-1960s are
also included.
Records are open to the public.
[Item and date], Seattle Planning Commission Reports and Studies, Record
Series 1650-07. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Publications were removed from the collection and are cataloged
separately in the Seattle Municipal Archives Published Documents Index.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Spaeth,
John D.
Seattle
Planning Commission
Seattle
(Wash.)
Zoning--Washington
(State)--Seattle
City planning--Washington
(State)--Seattle
Playgrounds--Washington
(State)--Seattle
City
Planning
Parks
and Playgrounds
Seattle
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Seattle Planning Commission
Reports and Studies
1948-1965
1/1
Bitter Lake Study
undated
1/2
Central Business District
(CBD) Action
1964-1965
1/3
Central Business District
(CBD) Action (includes Ring Road, Central Waterfront, and Business
Core)
1964-1965
1/4
Civic Arts Center -
Correspondence
1945-1948
1/5
Civic Arts Center
1946-1949
1/6
Civic Arts Center -
Preliminary Draft
1950
1/7
Civic Arts
Inventory
1945-1950
1/8
Civic Arts
Inventory
1950
1/9
Civic Arts
Interviews
1950
1/10
Civic Arts Center
Restudy
1949-1950
1/11
Civic Arts Center - Land Use
and Valuation
1950
1/12
Landscaping - East Pacific
St.
1951-1952
1/13
Recreation - E 80th and 25th
NE (Picardo Gardens / Dahl Field)
1948-1949
1/14
Recreation - 28th and E
Denny
1949
1/15
Recreation - Alki Playground,
Chilberg at Carroll Ave
1950-1951
1/16
Recreation - Atlantic
Playground, 22nd S at Judkins
1953
1/17
Recreation - Beacon Hill
Triangle
1953
1/18
Recreation - Cherry, Summit,
Minor - Proposed Park Area
1951
1/19
Recreation - Frink Park,
Playground Equipment
1953
½0
Recreation - Playground
Study, Graham St at 51st S.
1951-1956
½1
Recreation -
Laurelhurst/Windermere Study
1949
½2
Recreation - Leschi
Park
1949-1950
½3
Recreation - Magnolia
Study
1948-1949
½4
Recreation - Magnolia
(includes vacant land ownership study)
1949
½5
Recreation - Magnolia
(Margaret Coughlin)
1950
½6
Recreation - Magnolia, Lawton
Neighborhood Study
1950-1956
½7
Recreation -
Magnolia
1953
½8
Recreation - Mt. Baker
Bathhouse
1950
½9
Recreation - South
Park
1950
1/30
Recreation - Southwest
Seattle Playground Study, 26th SW and W Barton
1954
1/31
Recreation - Rainier Beach
Shoreline
1955
2/1
School Building Use
Policy
1959
2/2
Urban Design Advisory
Board
1964
2/3
Urban Design Advisory
Board
1964
2/4
Urban Design Advisory
Board
1964
2/5
Zoning Ordinance -
Correspondence
1956-1957
2/6
Zoning Ordinance -
Correspondence
1958-1959
2/7
Zoning Ordinance - Employment
Density/Industrial
1952-1954
2/8
Zoning Ordinance - Height,
includes Boeing and KIRO (Antenna), also includes maps
1949-1957
2/9
Zoning Ordinance -
Neighborhoods/Districts - University District, Ballard, Columbia City, Rainier,
West Seattle
1956-1957
2/10
Zoning Ordinance - Denny
Regrade, Studies
1960-1961
2/11
Zoning Ordinance - Denny
Regrade, General Commercial / Floor Area Ratio (GC/FAR) Study
1962
2/12
Zoning Ordinance - Studies,
Board of Adjustment, Height Arterials
1954-1956
2/13
Zoning Ordinance - Studies,
Hintz Files
1951-1955
2/14
Zoning Ordinance - City-wide
maps
1953-1958
2/15
Zoning Ordinance - Other
Cities
1955-1956