The Seattle city council unanimously approved the first measure in 20 years to allow denser building downtown.
Allowing taller buildings is a big step toward channeling the region’s development, creating a market for better transit, making the city more affordable and limiting sprawl. Cascadia neighbors Vancouver and Portland are models for how Seattle may develop.
Developers can build taller if they fund affordable housing units. To help pay for amenities, developers will pay an average of $19 a square foot for higher floors. The new rules call for rain covers over sidewalks, a new park in Belltown and a new public school downtown.
Reports say developers have been lining up to build as soon as the zoning rules were set. It remains to be seen if the fees will discourage development the city is trying to channel. At least the city took action. Details can be tweaked again later.