Magnolia residents afraid their neighborhood would be split between two City Council districts in the current redistricting process have scored at least a partial victory moving forward.
At a Sept. 27 meeting of the Seattle Redistricting Commission, members voted to amend the draft map previously adopted on Aug. 2.
The Seattle Redistricting Commission, which is in charge of creating new boundaries for Seattle’s City Council districts based on census data, drew the ire of a number of Magnolia business and community leaders and residents this summer after their original draft map proposed splitting the neighborhood, including Magnolia Village, between council districts 6 and 7.
In turn, the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce, the Magnolia Community Council and numerous residents submitted more than 300 comments protesting the split.
Following last week’s vote, however, the neighborhood would no longer be divided between the two districts. Instead, the new map calls for the southeast portion of Magnolia, which previously was supposed to stay in District 7, to rejoin the rest of Magnolia, along with most of Interbay, in District 6. To ensure the new district boundaries meet the parameters set by the city, the neighborhood of Fremont, which is currently paired with Ballard in District 6, will move to District 7 with Queen Anne.
Other map changes include moving all of Eastlake into District 3, rather than dividing it between two districts, and moving a western portion of First Hill into District 7.
Ann Goos, Magnolia Chamber of Commerce representative, said the latest decision by the commission, while not perfect, is better than before.
“I think the commission is just doing its due diligence in listening to residents’ concerns and trying to find an equitable solution that met some of the goals for the southern part of the city and responding to the sheer number and array of comments that they’ve received from other neighbors, including Magnolia,” Goos said.
Goos, who had previously advocated for keeping Magnolia and Queen Anne in the same district in part because the two communities have strong ties and more in common, said keeping Magnolia together in the same district with a single council member puts residents in a stronger position to advocate for their neighborhood interests in city government. She also noted that Magnolia would also be better positioned to advocate with Ballard on shared interests and concerns, such as replacement, transportation and other growth in the Ballard/Interbay Industrial District and shared ties with the maritime industry and the Ship Canal.
“Ballard reflects the city that they once were. It once was an independent city, and it still has those flavors of that independence and a very unique and happening, vibrant community,” Goos said. “And, to me, what’s exciting is things like the new marine innovation center that is going to be built on the Magnolia side, but what a benefit that will be on the Ballard side.”
Also, the ties between the business districts in Queen Anne and Magnolia appear to be solid, with Vixen, a longtime Magnolia business, opening a boutique in Queen Anne, and Unravel, a spa in Magnolia, planning to do the same thing, Goos said.
Goos also thinks the City Council will benefit from the map amendment.
“I feel like the council itself is going to be nice and balanced, and, in the end, I think it’s going to be easier for whoever the council member is for both districts,” she said. “It will be easier on them that they’re not literally trying to represent the same neighborhood twice. I think it’s easier for the council, as well.”
Paula Mueller, executive chairperson of the Queen Anne Community Council, said she doesn’t think Magnolia moving into a different district will affect the partnerships and relationships the two neighborhoods have built in recent years, nor will it keep neighborhood coalitions from collaborating on issues of mutual interest.
“It may mean that we would talk with two City Council representatives on a single issue, but maybe that’s a good thing that we would have two people listening to joint interests,” she said.
Jazmine Smith, a member of the Queen Anne Community Council who was also working with Redistricting Justice Seattle, said she doesn’t oppose the amended district map or keeping neighborhoods together, but a delicate balance is required.
Throughout the process, RJS has advocated for creating districts that allow communities that have typically been disenfranchised and unheard in city government in the past, such as BIPOC communities and renters, to stay together and not be split among different districts.
Smith said she doesn’t think the latest map amendment necessarily negate the strides RJS has made to strengthen minority communities, “as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of splitting another community that has been historically disenfranchised.”
She also doesn’t think redistricting will require changing how neighborhoods work together.
“We have historically had a really strong relationship (between Queen Anne and Magnolia), but also there is a renewed interest in building relationships with community councils across the city,” Smith said, adding the coming changes could be good for everyone involved. “I think that there are lots of different overlays in the different neighborhoods and across district lines. I think it brings the opportunity to work together as a city as opposed to specific enclaves with specific demographics.”
Even though the redistricting commission has adjusted the council district boundaries, it won’t submit a final plan until Nov. 15. Until that time, people are invited to submit comments on the proposed adjustments and the amended draft plan. As well, the Seattle Redistricting Commission will host another public forum from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Bertha Knight Landes Room on the first floor of City Hall (600 Fourth Ave). People can also participate via Zoom: us06web.zoom.us/j/85642302931 (webinar ID 856 4230 2931).