On Monday, March 28, approximately 160 community members attended a public hearing on the South Lake Union Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The goal of the hearing was to hear from the community, interested governmental agencies, and tribes regarding any areas where additional analysis is needed, if there is missing information, or any concerns over some of the conclusions reached in the DEIS. The DEIS was issued on February 24. The public hearing was part of the 45-day comment period that concludes on April 11. The full Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available for public review on the DPD website www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/South_Lake_Union/Overview/default.asp or at the Central and Capitol Hill branches of the Seattle Public Library.
The Draft EIS studies impacts to the natural and the built environment associated with four alternatives for building height and density in the South Lake Union neighborhood. While none of the alternatives studied in the Draft EIS is a zoning proposal, the alternatives represent a range of potential building heights and document the potential tradeoffs and opportunities that these building heights bring. This information will help the community, DPD, and decision makers in considering increased building heights in the neighborhood.
Once the comment period concludes, DPD will prepare a Final Environmental Impact Statement that will be issued this summer. Following issuance of the Final EIS, DPD will be working with the community to develop a rezone proposal that should be complete by the end of 2011.
Comments on the DEIS will be accepted through April 11. If you would like to comment you can submit them through email to Jim.Holmes@Seattle.gov, fax them to (206) 684-8372, or send them to:
City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development
700 5th Ave, Suite 2000
P.O. Box 34019
Seattle WA 98124-7883