Developers say equipment and technologies needed to create cleaner, more efficient buildings in Seattle require an important resource — rooftop space. The Seattle City Council’s land use committee Wednesday will consider proposed legislation to change the city’s rules to allow more of its new development’s roofs to be covered in important equipment.

The proposed legislation will increase rooftop percent coverage allowances for new buildings in most of the city’s zones, for rooftop equipment and enclosed areas between 4 and 15 feet above the roof. “These kinds of features can legally extend above the height limit that is measured at the roof’s surface elevation,” a summary of the proposal reads.

The council staff report says the legislation updates the Land Use Code to accommodate the amount of needed rooftop equipment “to rely more on cleaner technologies and less on gas as an energy source.”

“This means that greater quantities of features such as heat pumps may need to be placed on building rooftops than in past development,” it reads. “The legislation also helps accommodate options for other beneficial rooftop uses to be present, such as rooftop recreational amenities for building residents.”

In addition to the greater allowances for equipment space, the legislation would create a new experiment for the city by allowing “lodging and eating and drinking establishments” in penthouse structures on rooftops in Pioneer Square. Those types of structures are currently limited to office or residential uses. You can image Pike/Pine developers might also be interested in that change.

The legislation also contains changes that could make it easier to install photovoltaic solar collectors in lowrise and neighborhood residential zones.

The changes are hoped to allow new Seattle development and changes to existing buildings to help the city reach its goals of reducing total core greenhouse gas emissions 58% by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

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