The City’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is investigating the impacts of revising zoning limits in South Lake Union in order to accommodate Seattle’s future growth. Depending on how the zoning limits are changed, Capitol Hill residents may look out on a very different view of Lake Union within the next decade.
South Lake Union is one of Seattle’s six urban centers, an area where growth is directed, along with Capitol Hill, the University District, and Northgate, to name a few. As an urban center, South Lake Union will add about 16,000 more jobs and 8,000 households by 2020.
The Seattle DPD has been working closely with South Lake Union community groups like the South Lake Union Friend and Neighbors Community Committee (SLUFAN) and the Lake Union Opportunity Alliance (LUOA) and has given them an active role in giving input towards the development process, according to officials.
However, LUOA representative John Pehrson says not an active enough role. While he says that City of Seattle planners attend LUOA meetings and listen to their concerns, the LUOA has less of an impact on development planning than it would like.
“Those alternatives [to the status quo] have been modified somewhat due to our pressure – but only somewhat”, says Pehrson.
Currently there are three alternatives being researched by city developers under the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.
Dan Foltz of Weber Thompson, an architecture firm in South Lake Union, says, “Depending on the EIS alternative and where on the map one looks, heights can range from very short buildings to areas where a residential building could be as tall as 400 feet.”
It is the alternative allowing 400 ft. buildings that Pehrson is worried about, claiming that allowing these new towers to span for several blocks will create what he calls a “solid wall of concrete.”
On the other hand, using more vertical space allows for more community growth on the ground level with the installations of more open space, playgrounds, restaurants, bars, and retail — although Foltz believes this sort of first-story development to be a priority for most developers no matter what the heights.
Since many Capitol Hill and area residents also worry about their view of the Lake Union and beyond being blocked by heightened buildings, the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD), has claimed certain places in South Lake Union to be “protected view points.” In these areas, the importance of the view outweighs urban development or obstructive construction.
Jim Holmes, a planner for DPD, said that incentive programs have been developed to deal with companies who want to build above the zone limitations. “If someone wants to go higher, they need to provide further benefits to the community,” said Holmes.
Despite the contentions regarding zoning limits and other issues in the three alternatives, Holmes says that no decisions have been made. He says that the purpose of the EIS is too research the impacts of each alternative, not to make a final decision or proposal.
“We are studying a range of heights so we can study what the impacts are. But for anyone to say we’ve reached a decision it’s just premature . . . We have not developed a proposal and when we do, city council will still have to review it.”
“We just want to ensure that there’s a long-term capacity for growth in the area,” said Holmes.
If you are interested in getting involved with our neighbors in South Lake Union, here’s contact information for the community groups mentioned in this article.
- SLUFAN: Meets first Tuesdays of the month http://www.slufan.org/
- LUOA http://luoa.wordpress.com/
The official “Inventory of Seattle’s Public View Sites” is here:
http://www.seattle.gov/Seattle/dpd/Planning/View_Protection/
It’s important to note that private views are not protected, only views from public parks or right-of-way.
The City has proven that protected views are some of the squishiest protections around. The view of the Space Needle from Four Columns Park (Boren and Pike) was a protected view. Now you get to look at a wall of high rises.
I think further understanding and clearer policy over land use and incentives needs to be done by the City. They have done a lot to change the zoning for SLU (amongst other neighborhoods), even as growth management targets are met ahead of schedule. It is an going issue and City Council, and the past mayor and administration leadership seem to have let their own private ideals get in the way of sound reasoning.
Also, look at the impact Amazon moving to is having — they are moving from the commercial core (Columbia Tower, struggling to pay it’s debt) — how much of a net gain is that?
I believe SLUFAN is heavily supported by SLU developers, so is not very representative of neighborhood views.
Best wishes,
Lee
This is a woefully impoverished inventory of public places with stellar views. There are a dozen intersections on Capitol Hill alone with stellar views of the Space Needle and the Olympic Mountains from the public sidewalk. These views are real and valuable. There is something about walking home from the grocery store and catching a glimpse of the space needle and the olympics in the distance that is deeply satisfying, rather than having to make a huge effort, which almost certainly involves driving a car, in order to take a special trip to a park in order to enjoy the view. Public views matter, and we are not giving them due consideration.