SoDense: Council Extends Building Heights in South Seattle

In case you hadn’t heard, the City Council voted Monday to re-zone the Southern Downtown region of Seattle, in an effort to “spur increased development of housing and to support livability”, according to the press release sent out Monday afternoon.

Under the new legislation, each neighborhood will have the maximum building height increased, and developers may obtain further height increases in exchange for various provisions, such as construction of low-income housing units and creation of walkways and greenbelts in the neighborhood.

The legislation is a no-brainer on the Council’s part - the SoDo region is in desperate need of a revamp, and there’s a strong case to be made that increasing the potential for activity in the region is the perfect way to begin. Among other things, increased density leads to less urban sprawl, reduces housing prices, and puts more pedestrians on the sidewalks, allowing for increased economic activity. The SoDo area is also developing into an important transportation hub for Seattle and the surrounding area, and putting effort into developing the area surrounding that hub reinforces both the quality and use of mass transit in the region. Density isn’t going to solve all of the area’s problems, but it does provide a solid framework to improve upon them. Seattle residents generally tend to agree - it’s worth noting that the debate surrounding this legislation was not about whether to increase the building limits, but by how much.

Oh, what a debate that was, however. The arguments centered around the proposed changes to Pioneer Square, where much ink and rhetoric was shed over just how high to extend building heights. Developers and business owners in the area pushed for a maximum height of 150 feet, while historic preservationists argued for a more modest 120 feet, cautioning that too much development could ruin the feel of the area. Heavy hitters came out to argue for both sides of that 30-foot gap, with the Seattle Downtown Business Association arguing for the maximum increase, and Councilman Nick Licata advocating for the more modest proposition.

It was Licata that ultimately triumphed - the initial legislation called for the 150 foot maximum, but an amendment proposed by Licata limited the height to 120 feet and was ultimately the version that passed in the council’s vote. Interestingly enough, Licata’s amendment almost didn’t make it, with Councilmembers Tim Burgess and Sally Bagshaw voting against it in committee. The amendment made it to a general council vote, however, where both Bagshaw and Burgess reversed their previous decision, resulting in a unanimous vote for the measure.

Speculations for the reversal abound, but it appears to be a case of prudent politics. As Burgess himself said, the legislation that was passed “does not close the door for future consideration of [future] heights,” and voting in solidarity with the rest of the council while still appearing to be agreeable to future increases seems to be a win-win for both Burgess and Bagshaw. While members of the public may not necessarily agree with that assessment, it’s clear that increased density in Seattle - in whatever increment - is a win-win for us as well.