The City of Seattle is currently assessing the impacts of height and density changes downtown. This proposal is coming directly from the Mayors office, in hopes of promoting more development downtown and increasing livability in urban neighborhoods. What do changes in height and density zoning have to do with preservation? How does the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) consider historic resources? Why should you care?

No Arguments Here

The preservation movement has, for the last decade, embraced urban density as a cure for the ills of sprawl. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has led the nation-wide charge toward urban density since the mid-1990s, in the form of law suits against big-box retailers, published commentary on the issue, and coordination of conferences focusing on this complex topic. What has growth management to do with historic preservation? Loss of historic farm land, narrow historic bridges, and the loss of business revenue in older downtowns - siphoned into the suburbs - are all commonly cited connections.

But the overarching planning objectives of growth management mean that preservationists and planners (often one and the same) make tough decisions about older urban resources that do not provide the density required for continued growth in existing urban environments. Balancing the need for density with the value of the historic built environment is a reasonable objective, but how that goal actually supports preservation in cities is largely dependent on policies and incentives that make preservation an economically feasible alternative.

Preservationists: Know Your Rights

In Seattle, an incentive program known as the Transfer of Development Rights, or TDR, evolved during the 1980s and is still in effect. A recent example of TDR operating in a preservation-new development partnership is the IDX Tower and YMCA block between 3rd and 4th Avenues and Marion Street.

The structure of Seattle's TDR program was reconsidered in 2001. The current program provides over 75% of funds from development rights transfer to affordable housing projects downtown, and no more than 25% to historic preservation projects and open space. The zone of transferable rights was also expanded to incorporate Belltown and the Regrade area -- two likely, and close-in neighborhoods with many low-rise and low-density blocks. These neighborhoods also contain unprotected historic resources extremely vulnerable to new development. Taken as a whole, any historic resource within this zone, without landmark protections, might be considered threatened.

Without a designating ordinance, that is, unless a building is a designed City of Seattle landmark, developers cannot take advantage of TDR or other local incentive programs that help them break even on a project. The program ideally helps pay for rehabilitation of the designated resource involved in the trade, therefore producing a win-win scenario for all involved.

Jewels in the Core

Although current economic doldrums have put the kibosh on much new development within Seattle's urban core, there's no time like the present to identify and protect the best of our city's urban resources. Here's an abbreviated overview of potential landmarks and districts downtown, based on multiple EIS statements for downtown projects produced over the last several years:

Belltown's remaining hotels and apartments: The 1990s substantially changed Belltown's residential character, but there's still a bit left of the affordable neighborhood. A thematic district of these historic resources could help support rehabilitation of affordable housing through both preservation and affordable housing federal tax credits as well as local incentive programs.

Small and Funky: Community jewels like Belltown's Two Bells Tavern and the screening room in the Rendezvous are exactly the kind of buildings that get squashed by high-density development. If the community cares about them, these need to be protected. The unsuccessful effort to landmark the University District's Blue Moon Tavern should not dissuade Belltown activists from pursing protections for its historic neighborhoods hotspots. And what could be more fun than researching a thematic historic tavern district?

Terra-cotta Seattle: There are a number of excellent examples of 1920s and 30s terra-cotta clad commercial buildings in Seattle's downtown, including the Medical Dental Building, located at Stewart and Fifth, the Pacific Lincoln Mercury dealership on Westlake Avenue, the Eitel Building (at Second and Pike, its in bad condition, but it's a great building designed by W. D. Van Siclin in 1908). Allied Arts of Seattle produced a book on these buildings in 1986. Some of these buildings are, however, quite tall and therefore less susceptible to zoning-related threats.

Some of these resources are identified by the city's planners in the draft environmental impact statement for height and density changes downtown. Many are not. This is the city's list:

in Belltown

façade of Bethel Temple (currently a part of a new development)

the Griffin Building (no location given for these)

Labuznik Building

Oxford Building

Terminal Sales Annex

Downtown

Central Building

Dover Apartments

Galland Building

Marion Court

Seneca Building

the Vault

Women's University Club

in Denny Triangle

Craftsman Press Building

Johnson Hudson Dealer/Westlake Chevrolet

Lloyd Building

Pande Cameron

"Buildings or Sites of Community Importance that may meet Landmarks or National Register Criteria

Empire Company

Greyhound Bus Terminal

Quinton Instruments Building (for which there are plans for demolition and new construction)

Seattle Trust Building/Times Square Garage

Williamsburg Court

Act Now While Supplies Last

This is a draft list. Buildings listed are not necessarily threatened with immediate development, but are at some risk of demolition even without changes in height and density downtown. These buildings have been susceptable to demolition, as are all historic buildings not "maxing out" their zoning envelope, for decades. Variations in the market, the stewardship ethics of individual property owners, condition of properties, and transportation improvement plans all play a part in each resource's "threat matrix."

That said, now is the time to recognize the significance of these resources. A small part of this is sending a letter to Gordon Clowers, a city planner working on the statement within the Department of Planning and Development, 700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000 Seattle, WA 98104-5070. Your letter should ask that the city acknowledge the expanded list of potential City of Seattle landmarks prepared by Historic Seattle. The full list is available on our website.

The DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) is available for public review and comment until at least January 31, 2004. For more information, contact Gordon Clowers at 684-8375, or email at gordon.clowers@seattle.gov.

View last month's Public Policy article

Back to Top