APPENDIX D Viewshed Analysis Aesthetics - Viewshed Analysis for the Proposed rd 3 & Cherry Development Master Use Permit No. 3028747 Prepared for BOSA 121 W. Market St. San Francisco, CA 92101 May 2019 Prepared by EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC 2200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 707 Seattle, WA 98121 (206) 452-5357 2200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 707 Seattle, Washington 98121 Telephone: 206.452.5350 Fax: 206.443.7646 www.eaest.com Table of Contents Section I – Overview Purpose of the Study ...................................................................................... 1 Proposed Action ............................................................................................. 2 Section II – Analysis Views of Historic Landmarks ........................................................................... 6 View Corridors .............................................................................................. 14 Scenic Routes ................................................................................................ 14 City-Designated Public Viewpoints and Parks ............................................... 18 Space Needle Viewpoints .............................................................................. 18 Summary ...................................................................................................... 22 List of Figures Figure 1 – Vicinity Map ................................................................................... 3 Figure 2 – Site Plan.......................................................................................... 4 Figure 3 – Building Rendering ......................................................................... 5 Figure 4 – Viewpoint Location Map 1 .............................................................. 7 Figure 5 – Viewpoint Location Map 2 .............................................................. 8 Figure 6 – Viewpoint 1 .................................................................................... 9 Figure 7 – Viewpoint 2 .................................................................................. 11 Figure 8 – Viewpoint 3 ................................................................................. 12 Figure 9 – Viewpoint 4 .................................................................................. 13 Figure 10 – Viewpoint 5 ................................................................................ 15 Figure 11 – Viewpoint 6 ................................................................................ 16 Figure 12 – Viewpoint 7 ................................................................................ 17 Figure 13 – Viewpoint 8 ................................................................................ 19 Figure 14 – Viewpoint 9 ................................................................................ 20 Figure 15 – Viewpoint 10 .............................................................................. 21 2200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 707 Seattle, Washington 98121 Telephone: 206.452.5350 Fax: 206.443.7646 www.eaest.com Section I – Overview Purpose of this Study The Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) contains specific provisions that describe the scope of the SEPA analysis for the viewshed analysis. Relevant policies from SMC 25.05.675 are provided below: P.2. Public View Protection Policies a i. It is the City's policy to protect public views of significant natural and human-made features: Mount Rainer, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, the downtown skyline, and major bodies of water including Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Lake Union and the Ship Canal, from public places consisting of the specified viewpoints, parks, scenic routes, and view corridors, identified in Attachment 1. (Attachment 1 is located at the end of this Section 25.05.675.) This subsection does not apply to the Space Needle, which is governed by subsection P2c of this section. ii. The decision maker may condition or deny a proposal to eliminate or reduce its adverse impacts on designated public views, whether or not the project meets the criteria of the Overview Policy set forth in SMC Section 25.05.665; provided that downtown projects may be conditioned or denied only when public views from outside of downtown would be blocked as a result of a change in the street grid pattern. b. i. It is the City's policy to protect public views of historic landmarks designated by the Landmarks Preservation Board which, because of their prominence of location or contrasts of siting, age, or scale, are easily identifiable visual features of their neighborhood or the City and contribute to the distinctive quality or identity of their neighborhood or the City. This subsection does not apply to the Space Needle, which is governed by subsection P2c of this section. ii. A proposed project may be conditioned or denied to mitigate view impacts on historic landmarks, whether or not the project meets the criteria of the Overview Policy set forth in SMC Section 25.05.665. c. It is the City's policy to protect public views of the Space Needle from the following public places. A proposed project may be conditioned or denied to protect such views, whether or not the project meets the criteria of the Overview Policy set forth in SMC Section 25.05.665. i. Alki Beach Park (Duwamish Head) ii. Bhy Kracke Park iii. Gasworks Park iv. Hamilton View Point v. Kerry Park vi. Myrtle Edwards Park vii. Olympic Sculpture Park viii. Seacrest Park ix. Seattle Center x. Volunteer Park 3rd & Cherry Development 1 Viewshed Analysis EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC 2200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 707 Seattle, Washington 98121 Telephone: 206.452.5350 Fax: 206.443.7646 www.eaest.com The purpose of this Viewshed Analysis is to evaluate viewshed-related impacts -- specifically to City-protected viewpoints -- resulting from the 3rd & Cherry Development that is proposed for the project site. Proposed Action The proponent has submitted a Master Use Permit (MUP) (#3028747) for development of the 3rd & Cherry Development project, which would involve construction of a mixed-use 59-story building containing 918,562 sq. ft. of gross floor area including: 423 residential units, approximately 28,000 sq. ft. of commercial development (restaurant and retail) and seven levels of below- and above-ground parking for 718 vehicles. Access to loading and parking would be provided from a new driveway on Cherry St. The project also includes 27,000 sq. ft. of public plaza space. The site is located in Downtown Seattle’s Commercial Core Neighborhood. The proposed project would be located on a 57,348-sq. ft. (1.32 acres) site near the intersection of 3rd Ave. and Cherry St. (see Figures 1 and 2). The site is currently vacant and partially excavated due to a previous development that was started and never completed. A crescent-shaped podium would cover the majority of the project site, with the remainder of the site covered by public plazas, including landscaping, seating, and a water feature. Figure 3 depicts an architectural rendering of the project. Principal exterior building materials would include glass, mocha grey stone, painted concrete to match stone, glazing, aluminum railings, mullions, visual screen and wood slats. Section II -- Analysis Views of Historic Landmarks It is City policy to: “protect public views of historic landmarks designated by the City’s Landmarks Preservation Board which, because of their prominence of location or contrasts of siting, age, or scale are easily identifiable visual features of their neighborhood or the City and contribute to the distinctive quality or identity of their neighborhood or the City.”1 Three City-Designated Landmarks are located adjacent to the 3rd & Cherry Development project site including: the Dexter Horton Building (710 2nd Ave.), Arctic Building (306 Cherry St.), and Lyon Building (607 3rd Ave.). 1 Seattle Municipal Code Chap. 25.05.675 P.2.b.i. 3rd & Cherry Development 2 Viewshed Analysis EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC Third and Cherry Development Environmental Checklist SITE North Source: Google Earth and EA, 2018. Figure 1 Vicinity Map Third and Cherry Development Environmental Checklist Source: James KM Cheng Architects, 2019 Figure 2 Site Plan Third and Cherry Development Environmental Checklist Source: James KM Cheng Architects, 2019 Figure 3 3rd and Cherry Development Rendering 2200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 707 Seattle, Washington 98121 Telephone: 206.452.5350 Fax: 206.443.7646 www.eaest.com The Dexter Horton Building is located kitty-corner, to the northwest, of the project site. The 13- story building was constructed in 1923 and was one of the largest office buildings in the country at the time of completion. The building was designed in a Beaux Arts classical style by Seattle- based architect John Graham, and housed the Dexter Horton, Inc. Bank (later known as Seattle First National Bank) from 1923 until the late 1960s. The Dexter Horton Building is also eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The Arctic Building is located to the north of the site and was completed in 1916. The 9-story Arctic Building was designed by A. Warren Gould and combines a number of different architectural styles. The building was occupied by the Arctic Club until 1971 and has been remodeled several times and currently houses a hotel. The Lyon Building is located to the west of the project site and was completed in 1910 in the Chicago school architectural style. The six-story building was used for office