By Katie Zemtseff, Daily Journal of Commerce
Yesterday, the Seattle City Council's Committee on the Built Environment voted to allow taller buildings in Pioneer Square. This was one of the last issues to be tackled in the city's proposal to update land use and zoning rules for South Downtown.
After holding 17 committee meetings since last summer, the legislation now will go to the full council, which is scheduled to vote on the South Downtown legislation Monday.
The rezone would affect areas around Pioneer Square, the Stadium District, the northern edge of the Duwamish Manufacturing Industrial Center, Chinatown, International District, and areas east of Interstate 5 that are within the Downtown Urban Center.
The goal is to get more market-rate and workforce housing in the area, which has not seen as much new development as other parts of the city.
Committee Chair Sally Clark said council wants to get new development without “crushing what is interesting about these neighborhoods.”
Height limits in Pioneer Square are the most controversial issue. Currently, the Pioneer Square Historic District west of Second Avenue Extension South has a variable height limit of 100 feet or 10 stories, though a structure may not be more than 15 feet taller than the tallest structure on the block or adjacent block front.
After years of discussion with the community, the Department of Planning and Development proposed a flat zoning of 100 feet. Except for the block fronts on either side of First Avenue South, heights could be increased to 120, 130 and 150 feet in specific areas or between 12 and 15 stories, if a developer provided affordable housing, open space or bought transferable development potential from historic properties in South Downtown.
DPD's proposal was supported by historic preservation groups but developers wanted more height and asked for buildings up to 180 feet or 18 stories to justify the area's higher development costs.
At a March committee meeting, council members passed an amendment that increased height limits in some areas to 130 or 140 feet. The 140-foot limits are on the east side of the district, where there is a transition to heights up to 240 feet proposed for east of Fourth Avenue South.
In the last month, council received many comments about the proposal. At yesterday's meeting, people spoke both for and against greater heights.
Jen Kelly, a neighborhood resident and writer of The New Pioneer Square blog, urged council to approve taller heights and presented a letter supported by the Downtown Seattle Association. Kelly said the neighborhood needs more market-rate housing to support retail and bring in people.
“I don't feel that this is something that will hurt the historic character. It will enhance it because Pioneer Square will become a place that people want to go, want to work,” she said. “The key missing piece is that we need something to attract more residents.”
Chris Moore, field director at the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, said DPD's original proposal protected the neighborhood's historic identity. “Unintended consequences of heights going above what DPD recommended could really threaten that.”
Committee members spent a lot of time discussing the issue. Council Member Sally Bagshaw said it was one of her most difficult votes because both sides were convincing. The key, she said, is how best to revitalize the neighborhood. “I want to be careful that we don't make a museum of Pioneer Square, that there's flexibility for people to build.”
In the end, Council Members Clark and Mike O'Brien voted to revert to DPD's original proposal while Bagshaw and Tim Burgess voted to support greater heights. When there is a tie, those voting against an amendment win.
Another issue discussed at yesterday's meeting was whether or not automotive sales and service should be exempted from floor area ratio calculations in the area south of Charles Street between Fourth Avenue South and Interstate 5.