What is Seattle's height limit?

[Evan860]

What is Seattle's height limit on high rises?

[mhays]

Go to the DPD website. See zoning maps. Very complicated.

[PDXPaul]

Here's a question, is it possible to break the 500ft limit in the denny triangle? ie does the dpd have the ability to give a 'waiver' or something along those lines. Like the WaMu tower. I'm thinking how not cool it would be if someone bought the clise property down the road and we got stuck with a bunch of flat topped 500ft idx clones.

[mhays]

If you're a major corporation offering to stay in Downtown rather than move to the suburbs, they'll probably make an exception.

If you're a regular developer and offer to donate a bunch of extra money, they'd listen. The amount would need to be huge, like way more than the typical bonus scale, so they'd make a special exception.

Otherwise, the new regs seem to allow larger mechanical penthouses and architectural features than before, like Heron's possible 550'.

[CrazyAboutCities]

That is very true. Mayor Nickel encourages that.

[SeattleRedhawk86]

So realistically, what are the chances of Seattle ever getting a 1000 footer?

[mokocoko]

Originally Posted by SeattleRedhawk86

So realistically, what are the chances of Seattle ever getting a 1000 footer?

Pretty low. The only area zoned "unlimited", which is still limited by FAA regs. is right in the Financial district, and most of that has been built up.

Even if you could build there, you'd be limited by FAR (floor area ratio) which means it'd be really tough.

It's sad though, most of seattle is zoned so low, and the developers build right to the limits, while cities like SF are building dozens of 60+ story buildings.

[mhays]

I believe that residential use is not subject to FAR, and therefore buildings in the unlimited zone could be of any height, up to federal restrictions.

Flight path rules are what kept the Columbia Center to 960' or whatever. I don't know what the current FAA maps look like. But CC's base is at high elevation, so presumably something today under the same regs could be much taller if it started at lower elevation. Also, I suspect the FAA map is ramped, rather than flat, so something farther from the airports might get more room.

I wish Seattle's limits were higher too. Maybe as the Denny Triangle grows there can someday be an unlimited height, FAR-only zone there too. This seems like an easy sell. Right now the FAR is high but the heights aren't, so developers are building thick towers. People would likely be ok with taller, skinnier buildings. The existing heights are already over anyone's view (meaning their view is city, not West Seattle), so that's not a concern.

[SeattleRedhawk86]

Thanks for the insight.