In order to carry out the Mayor’s vision to create a biotech hub in the South Lake Union neighborhood, DCLU proposes to amend the Land Use Code to encourage the development of biotech uses and remove unnecessary obstacles to their development.

DCLU is sponsoring a public meeting to hear comment on the proposed amendments at 6 p.m., Tuesday, September 2, at the Naval Reserve Building at South Lake Union Park (the “Armory”), located at 860 Terry Ave. N.

The code amendments address the unusual characteristics of biotech development, e.g., research laboratories, which require taller floor-to-floor heights to accommodate needed mechanical equipment and duct work for laboratory activities. Under current zoning in the South Lake Union area, floor-to-floor height requirements place biotech uses at a disadvantage, as they cannot achieve a similar number of floors as other permitted uses.

The proposed amendments for supporting biotech development are limited to the South Lake Union Urban Village and address the following issues:

1. Maximum building height and how building height is measured.
2. FAR (Floor Area Ratio) exemptions for mechanical equipment. (Allowed development density, achievable through FAR, or Floor Area Ratio, is a ratio that limits floor area as a proportion of lot area).
3. Roof top enclosures and screening
4. Amount of required parking and number of loading bays.
5. Clarification of the definition of “research and development laboratory.”