Reporter Jake Whittenberg of King 5 News tapped Dean Jones, Principal of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty on what can be done (if anything) about in-city residents loosing heir views to new construction of commercial and residential towers downtown. Understandably, some urban dwellers are frustrated that the view they’ve enjoyed is changing.
“Sadly, the reality is that you really can’t own a view as it’s not part of the legal description,” says Jones. “With condominiums you can sometimes benefit from a prescriptive view easement where the air rights of an adjacent parcel is sold to a developer or to a Home Owner’s Association but those are fairly rare and can be expensive. Some buildings like Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue have some view protection but also benefit from the historic landmarks around the property. In many ways, positioning in a city is much like theater, there are benefits to being front and center.”
According to Whittenberg’s research, the City of Seattle does have an ordinance that protects views of the Space Needle and Mount Rainier, but only for public spaces. Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty estimates property values for the same plan range from 10-to-50% based on a “city view” to a premium “water view.”
Jones offered some helpful research tips if you are in the market to buy in downtown Seattle, which was published on King5.com:
- Work with an in-city broker that’s familiar with zoning, land ownership and market values. Experience in this makes a big difference.
- Check a zoning map and compare with development applications, which are public record, so you can draw sight lines and explore what impacts there may be even if those are a few blocks away.
- Choose buildings with view easements or that are adjacent to historic landmarks or at the threshold to down zone areas because the likelihood of adverse development is much less.
While the increase in high rises is decreasing views of the city and beyond, ultimately, development is an indication that positive things are happening in Seattle.
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