Slog - Comments on Rezoning South Downtown http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density Under a plan from Mayor Greg Nickels’s office called Liveable South Downtown, an advisory group has drafted recommendations to increase density—residential and commercial—in areas around Pioneer Square, the International District, and the stadiums. Tonight the city will hold an open house to exhibit the proposals and answer questions. Here’s a sneak peek at the presentation. Existing zoning in the area: Proposed zoning: This how it could affect Little Saigon (I always feel weird calling it Little Saigon for some reason): “The problem is that this administration is treating everything the same: high rises everywhere,” says Art Skolnik, an architecture preservationist... Copyright 2008 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:45:24 -0800 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:54:52 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Bellevue Ave Dominic, those units actually have to fulfill a demand. 20,000 100 sqft units will drive people away from the area if there isn't a demand for 100 sqft units.

]]> Bellevue Ave http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039144 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039144 Boom Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:08:11 -0800 Comment by kentankerous Right on the money. Established 1-story buildings with sidewalk frontage and a variety of uses are part of density. Parking lots and strip malls are not. Until we figure out a solution to the practice of single developers doing massive projects that take up whole city blocks (hi, old broadway QFC), the smaller buildings are going to provide that essential mixture of building sizes, ages, and uses going on in the buildings. Even in NYC you find little one story buildings squished in with the nearby taller buildings. Way to call it.

]]> kentankerous http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039150 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039150 Boom Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:10:52 -0800 Comment by Westside forever How would you protect the "mom and pop" operations? Rent controls? Direct subsidies? Who decides who qualifies for support? And why should the property owner not be able to develop their lot as they see fit within the zoning laws--this is the very definition of a "taking". And while were at it, what about property taxes? Should the city forgo an increase in the tax base, which benefits us all, so that the neighborhood dry cleaner or bodega can continue to operate in their old building? Nobody seemed too bummed out when the city used eminent domain to condemn small business on the monorail route--that is until we got no monorail and the SMB sold the property at a profit.

]]> Westside forever http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039166 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039166 Boom Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:20:47 -0800 Comment by Fnarf All you have to do is limit the number of new mega-developments. No development over X sq. ft. within Y yards of any other development for a period of Z years. Something like X=100,000, Y=1000, Z=10. First come, first served.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039188 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039188 Boom Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:30:34 -0800 Comment by michael strangeways yeah, I'll be racing to live in mid level high rises built on earthquake prone land...

]]> michael strangeways http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039192 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039192 Boom Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:32:13 -0800 Comment by Bellevue Ave Westside stole my line!

]]> Bellevue Ave http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039209 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039209 Boom Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:40:11 -0800 Comment by Giffy Buildings! In MY Seattle. Say it ain't so.

]]> Giffy http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039268 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039268 Boom Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:23:28 -0800 Comment by Gitai Manhattan by 2050!

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039392 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039392 Boom Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:26:00 -0800 Comment by Cale Interesting. This proposal looks much more thought out and comprehensive than the SLU proposal.

]]> Cale http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039408 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039408 Boom Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:42:44 -0800 Comment by jackseattle just about anything would be an improvement for the development mess that is Little Saigon. It is sooo underparked, and so much arterial traffic flows through there. I think the small scale mom-and-pop development there needs some serious traffic-calming measures

]]> jackseattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039473 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039473 Boom Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:10:54 -0800 Comment by Art Skolnik Correction: It's ART SKOLNIK not SAM Skolnik, the journalist!

And, your quotes of my statements are disjointed and somewhat out of context. Please do a better job next time.
Art

]]> Art Skolnik http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039614 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039614 Boom Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:15:40 -0800 Comment by Dominic Holden I'm sorry, Art. I fixed your name. My most humble apologies.

]]> Dominic Holden http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039644 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/south_downtown_density#c1039644 Boom Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:54:52 -0800