First Lake Union Opportunity Alliance Meeting a Gas

Sixty people from South Lake Union and surrounding neighborhoods attended last Wednesday's inaugural public meeting of the Lake Union Opportunity Alliance. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss SLUFAN's proposal for a taller South Lake Union, and LUOA's rebuttal.

A smattering of quotes from the meeting have been made available on the LUOA website. Here is a sampling:

“This dialog (between and among the city and SLUFAN) has been more like a monologue”

“(If you look at what SLUFAN proposes to build) We’re talking about 30,000 additional cars in the area, where’s everyone going to park?”

“What is our own environmental impact statement? We need our own plan”

“When I think of neighborhood, I don’t think of 400ft towers”

“I’m hoping that towers aren’t part of the plan”

“These alternatives have been built with the minimum view protections. Thousands of residents and visitors would lose their view of the Space Needle”

These quotes exemplify the "fear of heights" Dan Bertolet refers to in a recent post on hugeasscity. But as Bertolet points out, shorter is not always better, and taller isn't necessarily always worse.

Look at the AMLI 535 or Mirabella monstrosities for examples of what the current zoning is prone to produce.

Vancouver, B.C. is given as an example of a successful urban environment that has no fear of heights. Taller buildings do not negate affordable housing, schools or open space as LUOA's letter to the Mayor might have you believe. In fact, even the SLUFAN's upzone proposal calls for these public benefits.

With enough cooperation from the city in planning for the increased density (transportation, open space, community facilities), South Lake Union can be tall and still be a neighborhood—not just an extension of downtown. Some folks will just have to get over their bataphobia.