Guest columnists
Safeco view is going, going, gone

By Terrence Carroll and Charles V. "Tom" Gibbs
Special to The Times

Terrence Carroll has been a member of the Public Facilities District board of directors since 1997.

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

The view, that is, of the mountains, the ferry traffic, of Seattle's historic and contemporary skyline, and of the sunset over the working waterfront — all this, seen from the upper decks and outfield seats of the ballpark.

Sure, there's a great view of the game from every place in the house, but that can be said of many ballparks around the country. What sets Safeco Field apart is the magnificent Seattle view we enjoy between innings or during a pre-game picnic.

Unfortunately, with the permitting of a Silver Cloud hotel development at First Avenue South and South Royal Brougham Way, a precious slice of that view will be replaced by a brick wall.

	Charles V. "Tom" Gibbs has been a PFD director since 1995.

As the public owner of Safeco Field, the Public Facilities District (PFD) raised objections to the height of the proposed hotel. It did so on behalf of the more than 3 million people a year who visit Safeco Field. In addition to the excitement of the game, the ballpark's stunning and unique setting is part of the value of their ticket price. You just can't put a price on it.

Protests of the hotel project were unsuccessful. Zoning in the block between First and Occidental avenues south, from Pioneer Square to Royal Brougham, permits non-residential buildings to heights of 85 feet. The addition of rooftop mechanical systems can allow a building to rise even higher.

With the construction of the hotel, one of the signature views at the ballpark — the panorama of the city from Lookout Landing — will be lost, and still others will be compromised. So, enjoy the view while you have it, fellow fans, it could soon be gone.

Its loss should serve as a wakeup call to the community. With this hotel project, we're losing a slice of our view — let's make sure we don't lose the whole pie.

In 2000, the city adopted a stadium transition area overlay zone governing development of properties and calling for lower allowable building heights to the immediate west and northwest of the ballpark.

However, in the recent past, developers have proposed changes to this zone to permit towers as tall as 125 feet. Also, shorter but bulkier buildings could eliminate views of ferries, the Space Needle, or other local icons from Safeco Field.

The PFD should continue its efforts to protect ballpark views from new development proposals, but will need broad support from fans, city planners, the mayor and the City Council to be successful.

South Downtown Seattle — an area extending from the historic, residential neighborhood of Pioneer Square to the industrial and manufacturing neighborhood of Sodo — is currently facing many development pressures from private interests. And, most importantly, the Alaskan Way Viaduct's future through this area is unknown. The choices of rebuilding, tunneling or constructing at-grade will shape millions of dollars of nearby development.

Fixed at the center of this area stand more than $1 billion of publicly owned facilities — Safeco Field and Qwest Field — which attract millions of visitors each year. These visitors range from families with kids to seniors, and everyone in between. What will their experience be coming to this neighborhood in the face of transition, and what will it be in the future?

The PFD is not only concerned about preserving the current height restrictions as the way to protect irreplaceable views, but also with ensuring pedestrian safety and appropriate uses in the neighborhood.

We believe that the best way to accomplish this is for the city to work with the surrounding neighborhoods and put in place a comprehensive planning process that will preserve the stadium overlay district and that will ensure development that is in the best interests of all, while protecting those precious views from Safeco Field. This type of planning has met with success in Baltimore, San Francisco, Denver and, most recently, San Diego.

If there is a silver lining to this Silver Cloud, it is the notice it serves to all of us to protect the value of what we have and to plan together for the changes ahead.

Terrence Carroll, left, has been a member of the Public Facilities District board of directors since 1997. Charles V. "Tom" Gibbs, right, has been a PFD director since 1995.