Seattle zoning encourages ‘megahouse’ development as transitional zoning.

Check this out. The images below are actually of the same page (one just shows the trees a little better).

What you see here is from a Design Review Board presentation made last year. The ’squarish’ building is a four story mixed-use condo building (zoned NC2-40, neighborhood commercial 40′) located just to the right of single family homes (zoned SF-5000, single family 5000 sq ft lot). The solid lines of the two single family homes show their current size and the ‘dashed’ outlines around each house shows the potential zoning envelope they can build. Each of these homes can build up to 35′ if they make sure to include a pitched roof.

And when these neighbors asked why such large NC2-40 zoning was located directly next to SF-5000 zoning (instead of say stepping from NC2-40 to L2 and then down to SF), here’s what the DPD had to say,

This zoning pattern (NC2/40’ adjacent to Single Family zoning) is a very common occurrence in the city, contrary to what some have suggested. Single Family zones have a 30’ height limit, with the ability to go to 35’ with a pitched roof. For planning purposes, a 30/35’ zone is generally considered a gradual transition to a 40’ zone.

So…what this basically says is that a homeowner who finds themselves next to a big house/building can solve the problem by building a big house themselves. I don’t know, I just find it to be so wrong that instead of transitioning to a less-intensive form of multi-family housing, like say smaller townhomes or duplexes, that the city is content with encouraging inefficient single-family mega-homes to be built in their place? Doesn’t seem too smart to me.