CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to land use and zoning; amending subsection 23.49.156.A of the Seattle Municipal Code to clarify bonus allowances in the Living Building Pilot Program.
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WHEREAS, on December 14, 2009, the Seattle City Council adopted Ordinance 123206, establishing a Living Building Pilot program; and
WHEREAS, the Council intended for the Living Building Pilot Program (LBPP) to be one of the City's Climate Strategies to fundamentally reshape Seattle's building and transportation systems for a fossil-free future; and
WHEREAS, Seattle's buildings produce over one-third of the city's greenhouse gases and, reducing these building emissions is critical in becoming a carbon-neutral community by 2050; and
WHEREAS, as part of the LBPP, projects explore fundamentally different approaches to building design, construction, and operations, and LBPP applicants are eligible for additional height and/or floor area ratio bonuses as well as departures from the Land Use Code; and
WHEREAS, early design guidance for project 3036043-LU was applied for under 3034374-EG. The Master Use Permit for the project was reviewed by the Design Review Board and approved by the Director of the Department of Construction and Inspections granting certain departures under the LBPP including additional height; and
WHEREAS, the Master Use Permit decision 3036043-LU, was appealed by Belltown Livability Coalition to the Seattle Hearing Examiner along with a request for code interpretation alleging that the subject lot was not eligible for additional height under the LBPP because the height limitation was constrained by a lot size restriction codified in subsection 23.49.156.A of the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC); and
WHEREAS, as part of the appeal, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) interpreted SMC 23.49.156.A.1 in light of the LBPP code provisions including SMC 23.40.060 and SMC 23.49.008.F...
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