July 11, 2017
New UW Campus Master Plan released; public comments incorporated
The University of Washington issued its 2018 Seattle Campus Master Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement on July 5. The final document responds to comments received on both the draft master plan and the environmental impact statement during the comment period held last fall.
Like other colleges and universities in Seattle, the UW’s physical growth is guided by a master plan — a blueprint that sets out potential development sites, building standards, open space and the maximum amount of development space that can be built during the life of the plan. The plan issued July 5 will ultimately be reviewed and adopted by both the Seattle City Council and the UW Board of Regents, likely in early 2018.
Informing the blueprint are projections for growth in student numbers over time, as well as plans for improved classrooms and other creative spaces.
“This plan provides the flexibility the University needs to respond to demands for space, but also changes in how students learn and do research,” said Theresa Doherty, UW senior project director and leader of the master plan effort.
The 2018 Campus Master Plan identifies 86 potential development sites and the need to build 6 million net new gross square feet of building space on the Seattle campus during the life of the Campus Master Plan. The additional space will accommodate anticipated growth of students, staff and faculty of 15 percent between 2018 and 2028.
Many changes were made to the Campus Master Plan between the time the draft was issued in October 2016 and the issuance of the final version. These changes were made in response to comments from the campus community and greater public, including the City-University Community Advisory Committee (CUCAC). Other changes were made in response to suggestions from City of Seattle staff in the Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI). More detailed development standards and design guidelines were included to minimize concerns about building height, bulk and scale. Some building heights were lowered in the West and South campus.
The University revised its proposed Transportation Management Plan to commit to a 15 percent single occupancy vehicle (drive alone) mode share by 2028 to minimize impact on traffic. The University already leads major institutions and major employers in Seattle when it comes to single-occupancy vehicle rates, and the UW intends to stay in the lead.
Many more changes were made to the Campus Master Plan and additional analysis was done in the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Transportation Discipline Report. All of these documents can be viewed or downloaded from the following website: http://cpd.uw.edu/campus-master-plan.
The next phase of the Campus Master Plan review starts with the CUCAC and SDCI, which both review the documents and complete their reports by Aug. 30 and Nov. 2, respectively. The Seattle Hearing Examiner will review the CUCAC and SDCI reports this fall and early winter. The Hearing Examiner finalizes the record of information and input on this plan and then drafts a report and recommendation to the Seattle City Council. Thereafter, the City Council and UW Board of Regents issue a preliminary report. Final action on the new Campus Master Plan could be taken by both bodies in spring 2018.
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For more information, contact Doherty at tdoherty@uw.edu or 206-221-2603.
Tag(s): Theresa Doherty • UW Campus Master Plan
