Seattle Press on Line - Kissing the Sky in South Lake Union

Kissing the Sky in South Lake Union

By Patricia Stambor

Mar 07, 2001 -- Billionaire Paul Allen once more tries to "kiss the sky" with his new development proposals for South Lake Union, as city leaders make all kinds of excuses for bulldozing his path to the top. Late last month the Seattle City Council passed new legislation giving Allen special permission to exceed the allowable building height on the valuable shoreline property the city is about to sell to his development company, Vulcan Northwest.

Not only will Allen's tall buildings cast shadows on the shores of a new public park on South Lake Union, but the way he got special exceptions to the zoning code is casting shade on some key figures down at City Hall.

Almost unanimously, city council passed legislation that increases the allowable building height in this area from 40 to 65 feet. Coincidentally, council president Jan Drago scheduled the vote while Peter Steinbrueck, the only member who opposed the change, was out of town (a clever strategy used by seasoned council members to neutralize dissent). For the record, a unanimous decision always looks better than a split vote.

Even more disturbing news about Allen's development comes from an article in the Daily Journal of Commerce (a publication read mostly by developers and their lawyers), in which Councilmember Judy Nicastro says that she intends to increase the allowable height on the shores of South Lake Union to a minimum
Paul Allen, a rich, single, middle-aged recluse who sometimes makes public appearances in Gucci shoes, usually gets what he wants. He can afford the most savvy and well-connected professionals to convince politicians that what is good for him is good for Seattle. The possibility of more "workforce housing" (which could mean anything from comfy apartments for young wealthy techies to dormitories for janitors working in his complex) was apparently what convinced Nicastro that taller buildings are a good idea. Unfortunately, we don't know because "There isn't a plan," according to a statement made by Drago during a KIRO television interview.

Drago and spokespeople for the Department of Design, Construction and Land Use (DCLU) are almost too quick to tell us that a special land-use exception at this spot was not initiated by or granted exclusively to Vulcan Northwest. It is highly unlikely that neighborhood activists in "over-developed" neighborhoods like Ballard and Fremont jumped the fence and advocated for such exceptional heights on the shores of South Lake Union. These neighbors know from experience that tall buildings next to shorelines are not a good fit. Besides, this kind of "shifting the burden" advocacy is downright un-neighborly.

Lone dissenter Steinbrueck says that he has "the distinct impression that Vulcan had sought the 65' exception." He also says that the city certainly will "increase its proceeds from the land sale by increasing development capacity through zoning amendments."

The city gets more money for selling a valuable public asset in exchange for special land-use privileges that primarily benefit Paul Allen. The city says it will impose "special criteria" on how the property is developed with vague promises of open space and view preservation, transportation fixes, public parking, affordable housing, and cultural amenities. Unfortunately, there is no one to force any discipline on the city through the neighborhood planning process, since Allen will own the neighborhood.

What's bad about this deal is that one man is mugging us with his money. Allen is not giving us what we want. He is giving us what he wants and trying to persuade us that it is what we want.

No one is willing to bite the hand that feeds them, but there is no excuse for city leaders who continue to s'cuse Paul while he reaches for anything he wants in the city cupboard and skies beyond. Too many sweetheart deals to Paul Allen and his spreading Lego-like empire will smother Seattle.

Reader Comments

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Rees Clark	Mar 08, 2001
What is the impact on the Westlake corridor? Is this a nail in the coffin of an integrated plan for Seattle's prospective Champs Elysees?


Jason	Mar 12, 2001	Seattle
Thanks Seattle Press! This is very informative. When I see articles like this that fire me up I would like the author to provide constructive action citizens can take to stall or prevent these "deals" in the future. One additional thing... The on-line version of this article is incomplete. When talking about the article in the Daily Journal of Commerce the text stops at "minimum" this isn't a problem in the printed version but I was going to email friends about this and hesitate to do so because of the omission.