South Lake Union reaches for the sky

Though skyscrapers along South Lake Union aren't a certainty yet, an influential neighborhood group said Tuesday that allowing buildings up to 400 feet tall in the area should be considered.

Some residents of the developing neighborhood, and nearby Capitol Hill and Eastlake, worry that taller buildings might block views and cast parks and P-patches in a permanent shade.

But at a meeting Tuesday, the community group South Lake Union Friends and Neighbors, a 13-member group mostly representing such area business and development interests as Vulcan Inc. -- unanimously voted to recommend that the city consider three alternatives for raising building heights in the area, which is currently made up of 40- to 60-foot brick buildings.

One would allow modest height increases. But the two other alternatives would allow residential skyscrapers up to 400-feet tall. In comparison, the downtown Westin Building is 409 feet, the Space Needle is 605 feet and the Bank of America Tower downtown is 967 feet.

Mayor Greg Nickels will consider the recommendations in deciding which alternatives to study. After assessing the effect of the different proposals on traffic, views and other factors, he is expected to make a proposal to the City Council to raise height limits.

However, some didn't want the city to even consider buildings as tall as two of the alternatives would allow.

David O'Hara, a Capitol Hill resident, said Tuesday at the meeting he worried the tall buildings would create "a wall" that might affect views of the Space Needle.

But board members pointed out their recommendation calls for tall, skinny buildings that would let through more light and retain views.

The recommendations also call for improvements such as more schools, parks and green streets in return for the neighborhood's taking on more growth.

More slender buildings also would allow more green space and plazas to make the neighborhood more walkable and livable, board members said.

Taller buildings also would be concentrated around transportation corridors such as the new South Lake Union Streetcar to put growth around transit.

O'Hara, though, wondered what would happen as the issue moves to City Hall.

THE THREE ALTERNATIVES

Allowing commercial buildings to be up to 240 feet and residential developments to rise up to 400 feet around Westlake Avenue North -- between Valley Street and Denny Way, and between Eighth Avenue North and Boren Avenue North. Commercial buildings in the rest of the neighborhood could go up to between 85 and 240 feet and between 125 and 300 feet for residential buildings. The smallest height limit changes would be around the Cascade neighborhood to the east. That would create capacity for about 12 million square feet of commercial development and about 38,000 residential units.

Slightly smaller commercial-building height increases to 85 and 240 feet and 125 to 400 feet for residential buildings. The zoning around the Cascade neighborhood would remain the same. The tallest buildings would be centered farther west around Dexter Avenue North between Aurora Avenue North and the alley between Westlake Avenue North and Ninth Avenue North. That would create capacity for 9 million feet of commercial development and 34,000 residential units.

Smaller height change limits for between 85 and 125 feet for commercial development and 160 to 240 feet for residential development. That would create capacity for 7 million square feet of commercial development and 25,000 residential units.