SB6026 — SB 6026 is discussed as a smart zoning and housing-supply bill that would open more land for housing and allow housing on the ground floor of mixed-use buildings. Speakers express support for the bill, including Everett’s support with a request to adjust ground-floor retail requirements in TOD zones, while also urging carve-outs or flexibility to preserve neighborhood retail.
SB6026 — Supportive testimony for SB 6026 argued that the bill would spur redevelopment and reinvestment, help reverse disinvestment trends, preserve the elimination of ground-floor commercial requirements, and create more housing supply while strengthening long-term tax bases for local governments. It was also presented as a meaningful solution to housing affordability.
SB6026 — The witness urges support for the bill and says it moves Washington toward more housing.
Yasmin Trudeau — Thanked the prior speaker for feedback and asked for written comments to consider.
Yasmin Trudeau — Called the next testifiers and managed the testimony order.
Yasmin Trudeau — Thanked for leadership on the bill.
Yasmin Trudeau — Asked to receive the proposed amendment in writing.
Yasmin Trudeau — Addressed by the witness in committee testimony.
Yasmin Trudeau — Referenced as likely familiar with the California and Charleston example.
Yasmin Trudeau — Thanked the witness and said she looked forward to finding the right balance.
Yasmin Trudeau — Vice Chair Alvarado is addressed twice in the committee proceedings as the vice chair, with no substantive discussion beyond the repeated reference.
Yasmin Trudeau — Addressed at the end of the supportive comment on the amendment.
Yasmin Trudeau — Prime sponsor of SB 6018, explaining that the bill is intended to streamline housing production and support the Housing Finance Commission.
Yasmin Trudeau — Clarified that the bill is not intended to authorize first mortgage lending for homebuyers and is instead about development lending.
Yasmin Trudeau — Closed the sponsor remarks and invited testimony.
Yasmin Trudeau — Mentioned as the prime sponsor being thanked for the context.
Yasmin Trudeau — Senator Alvarado explains the housing bill, emphasizing that zoning reform alone is not enough to produce homes because there are too few homes and the ones built are expensive. She describes the bill as a financing tool that leverages for-profit and nonprofit capacity through a revolving loan fund to support smaller-scale for-sale housing such as infill and townhomes. She highlights that the fund revolves every 36 months, allowing dollars to be reused to build more homes, and notes that the fund is subject to appropriations.
Patience — Scheduled to testify next; noted as being on mute.
Christine McKay — Listed as a remote witness to testify later in the panel.
Mackey — Listed as a remote witness to testify later in the panel; name uncertain.
Philly Marsh — Listed as a remote witness to testify later in the panel.
Philly Marsh — Philly Marsh, the Economic Development Manager for the city of Redmond, testified that redevelopment is displacing more than 100 small local businesses and that finding replacement space is difficult because retail availability is very limited. He argued that ground-floor retail requirements do not fully replace lost commercial space and asked lawmakers to support housing development while also measuring and mitigating the impacts on small businesses and helping displaced businesses relocate to affordable, suitable spaces.
Ivan Barragan — Listed as a remote witness to testify later in the panel.
Ivan Barragan — Ivan Barragan, a planner for the City of Pasco, testified about concerns that the bill could have unintended consequences for the city. He explained that Pasco faces important fiscal considerations and emphasized that development of the Broadmoor area represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help address those challenges.
Patience Malaba — Patience Malaba testified on behalf of the Housing Development Consortium in support of SB 6026, representing affordable housing developers and providers across King County. She concluded by asking lawmakers to adopt a narrow amendment exempting affordable housing from the ground-floor commercial mandate in TOD areas.
Jennifer Gregerson — Testified on behalf of the city of Everett.
Dan Bertelay — Testified in support of SB 6026 on behalf of Sightline Institute.
Christine — Scheduled to testify next.
Philly — Philly is mentioned as a witness scheduled to testify after Christine, and then again as the next witness to go ahead before Ivan, indicating the same testimony sequence and order of appearance.
Ivan — Scheduled to testify after Philly.
Meredith Holzheimer — Listed for a later panel.
Carl Schorrett — Listed for a later panel; name uncertain.
Jennifer Ackerman — Listed for a later panel.
Jennifer Ackerman — Development manager for Southport Financial, testifying in support of the bill.
Chris Mackay — Chris Mackay, executive director of the West Seattle Junction Association, testified in support of the bill’s intent, and the committee later thanked him for his thoughtful testimony and indicated continued work on the issue.
Laurie Jinkins — Chair Bateman is addressed as the committee chair, and the later mention again refers to Senator Bateman in the same chair role, with no substantive change in topic.
Laurie Jinkins — Chair Bateman is addressed as the committee chair across a continuous exchange, with no substantive topic change between the mentions.
Laurie Jinkins — The witness addressed Chair Bateman and committee members.
Meredith Holzmer — Meredith Holzmer, managing director with Mill Creek Residential and a City of Kirkland resident, testified in support of the bill and explained that the underlying mixed-use zoning required 60% of each building’s ground floor to be retail, creating financing challenges on a long-vacant site.
Carl Charette — Carl Charette of AvalonBay Communities and a board member of CREDA testified in support of the bill and introduced his role managing the company’s Northwest development platform.
unnamed witness — Continued testimony in support of more affordable housing and a statewide standard to reduce pre-development time and costs.
Lauren McDonald — Lauren McDonald testified on behalf of Microsoft in support of Senate Bill 6026, framing housing as a matter of dignity, stability, and opportunity and describing the bill as a practical step toward addressing Washington's housing supply gap.
Neil Strigg — Neil Strigg of the Washington Roundtable testified in support of the bill, representing major Washington employers. He argued that ground-floor retail should be flexible and market-driven, noting that when there is demand for retail, developers will include it because it benefits the project.
Sarah Clark — Sarah Clark testified on behalf of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce in support of increasing housing supply, stating that it is a top priority for Seattle’s employer community and urging the committee to pass the bill this session.
SB6026 — Supported as a housing reform that should not wait until the next comprehensive plan update.
Ken Short — Ken Short, speaking for the Association of Washington Business, testified in support of SB 6026 and described it as a practical solution communities can use to unlock development opportunities and help create more homes.
Bill Clark — Bill Clark testified on behalf of Amazon in support of the bill, explaining that a major challenge for the company is land availability and that the bill would help make better use of existing land.
Jordan Mitchell — Jordan Mitchell testified on behalf of Airbnb and its host community in strong support of SB 6026, emphasizing that Washington is facing a housing emergency and urging advancement of the bill.
Carter Nelson — Testified on behalf of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association in support of removing barriers to housing production.
HB1491 — Referenced as governing TOD areas that remain protected.