Guide to the Seattle Planning Commission Reports and Studies 1948-1965

Overview of the Collection

	Repository Name:		City of Seattle 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
	Collection Number:		1650-07
	Creator:		Seattle Planning Commission
	Title:		Seattle Planning Commission Reports and Studies
	Dates:		1948-1965 (inclusive)
	Quantity:		2 cubic feet 2 boxes
	Languages:		Collection materials are in English
	Summary:		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.

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.

Content Description

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.

Administrative Information

Separated Materials

Publications were removed from the collection and are cataloged separately in the Seattle Municipal Archives Published Documents Index.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access

Records are open to the public.

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Seattle Planning Commission Reports and Studies, Record Series 1650-07. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Subjects

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.

Seattle Planning Commission

Seattle (Wash.)

City planning--Washington (State)--Seattle

Playgrounds--Washington (State)--Seattle

Zoning--Washington (State)--Seattle

Other Creators :

Spaeth, John D.

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Seattle Planning Commission Reports and Studies, 1948-1965

Container(s)

Description

Dates

box/folder
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

Overview of the Collection

Repository Name:

Collection Number:

Creator:

Title:

Dates:

Quantity:

Languages:

Summary:

Historical Note

Content Description

Administrative Information

Use of the Collection

Subjects

Detailed Description of the Collection

Seattle Planning Commission Reports and Studies, 1948-1965

Container(s)

Description

Dates