PSBJ takes a look into high-rise tower spacing.

It's contentious to say the least. 

Balancing density, livability and smart development within the downtown core is a high-wire act. As it stands now, the first one up the pole wins! This doesn't impact developers alone, it impacts the value for residential home owners and those of us who work and play downtown. It's complicated... here's a snippet from today's article and link to the full content here.

A battle has begun between two developers with plans for apartment towers not far from the Space Needle. At issue is how far apart the towers will be. If the developers can’t figure out on their own how to meet the city’s tower-spacing requirement, it will be up to Torgelson. His decision could nix development of one tower worth more than $200 million.

This is Seattle’s first tower-spacing fight even though the rules are 10 years old. The outcome has the potential to impact dozens of proposed projects around the city for years to come.

The issue isn’t just about whether building residents can see into each others’ homes, though that is a concern. It also impacts livability in Seattle’s downtown core – the closer skyscrapers are to each other the tighter and darker the streetscape. As the city pushes for more residential development downtown, these decisions have the potential to determine what the future downtown skyline looks like from a distance, from the apartments and condos that fill the buildings, and from the streets below.