Councilmember Tom Rasmussen recently sponsored a project in the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to address concerns about the loss of neighborhood character in Pike/Pine due to redevelopment. The Pike/Pine neighborhood is located between Interstate 5 and 15th Avenue East (see map). The study is based on the recommendations in the Pike/Pine Neighborhood Plan, and is intended to conserve neighborhood character by:
- Promoting mixed-use development
- Keeping new development compatible and in the scale of the neighborhood
- Encouraging small, diverse local businesses
- Saving older buildings of character
- Retaining and attracting arts and cultural uses.
DPD hired a consultant who worked with neighborhood stakeholders and has now produced two background reports. The first one addresses Pike/Pine neighborhood character and recommendations, and the second report discusses the use of transfer of development rights as an incentive for neighborhood conservation. Based on the consultant’s recommendations, DPD staff has drafted proposed changes to the Land Use Code to meet the objectives of the project.
Action Timeline
Work on preserving the character of the Pike/Pine Neighborhood will continue into 2009, according to the following schedule:
| ACTION | DATE |
| Council public workshop to discuss Draft Pike/Pine Action Plan | October 14, 2008 |
| DPD submits Pike/Pine Phase 1 legislation to Council | November 2008 |
| Council holds public hearing and votes Pike/Pine Phase 1 legislation | First quarter 2009 |
| DPD submits Pike/Pine Phase 2 legislation to Council | Second quarter 2009 |
| Council completes review of Pike/Pine Phase 2 legislation | Third quarter 2009 |
Cultural Overlay District Advisory Committee
A related effort that affects Pike/Pine is the work of the Cultural Overlay District Advisory Committee, or CODAC. The City Council established this committee in June 2008 to devise creative ideas for the long-term promotion and preservation of cultural, arts, and entertainment activities and spaces in Seattle neighborhoods. CODAC includes three representatives from Pike/Pine. The Committee is considering the Capitol Hill/First Hill Urban Center, which includes Pike/Pine, as a pilot for its recommendations, which it will present to the Council on September 24, 2008
