As the area’s largest employer, Boeing employees make up the largest block of commuters as well. If even five percent, three thousand employees, were able to walk to work, everyone in the county benefits from less congestion. If zoning was amended, employee parking lots surrounding factories in Everett, Kent, Renton and Boeing field could be replaced with apartment towers on garage bases.
Boeing can easily poll their workers to gauge demand. Apartments could be rentals, condos, or both. Boeing benefits from reduced lateness and absenteeism (hard to sneak off skiing when the boss lives down the hall) as well as a new revenue source. Since they already own the land, and zoning changes increase its value, Boeing shouldn’t even need tax breaks to make this work, but they will probably still ask.
Walking to work is a luxury few in Seattle have experienced and the new tenants would benefit even more than Boeing. Eliminating the stress of commuting and replacing it with leisure time also creates a better worker. Everyone else benefits from less congestion, pollution, and more open space not turned into subdivisions.
Obviously the larger the development, the more everyone benefits. Some might lament putting towers where none now exists, but low density is what leads to suburban sprawl consuming King County. And as any real estate agent in nyc will tell you, a view of a beautiful building increases propertu. Again zoning can compel builders to build attractive buildings. Imagine a tower evoking the classic age of aviation, it could be a symbol of Seattle during Monday Night Football providing free advertising for Boeing.
Ideally these tenants should not have to drive to buy milk or a latte after work. Retail should be a part of the development with apartments rented in tandem with the commercial lease so another commuter is eliminated. Building support staff should also be rented apartments so they can walk to work as well.
What works for Boeing would probably work for other employers, big and small. King County should consider zoning changes on a case by case basis for employee only restricted housing to eliminate as many commuters as possible whenever possible. Too much of too many childhood memories has been paved over in the county.
Page Two articles are from our reader community.
In South Seattle and Everett, I think you would have a hard time getting anyone to love there. The sites are at airports and the noise alone would be a significant issue. In Renton, Boeing sold a lot of their land to developers to make The Landing, which already has a bunch of housing. Not sure about Kent.
Some of this really gets to the heart of why land-use-based zoning was invented. There’s housing and a commercial strip near industrial sites in Georgetown, and air quality is a concern there. Also true for neighborhoods near Chicago’s industrial areas (Pilsen and Little Village are examples I know about).
Some of the noise and air quality issues depend on particular characteristics of the sites — air circulation patterns, elevation, etc. Hopefully The Landing was sited well for this stuff.
There are certainly people that benefit a lot from not having to drive to industrial jobs (each car added to a household is a significant expense, whether it’s the first, second, or third), wherever they live. We have to make sure industrial sites are accessible from nearby streets and transit stops, and that our pedestrian and bike networks are comprehensive.
Thank you Jason and Al. As industry has become cleaner I think strict separation of uses isn’t as important as it once was. If I worked at Boeing field I would be willing to live there especially if given an incentive to. As for the noise, maybe I lived in NYC too long. Thanks again
You’ve got the Larkspur Landing apartments, and mall, right next door to the Renton plant.
I wonder if that’s full of Boeing employees?
As soon as I read this, I was able to count 14 people that I know who live in either The Reserve or The Sanctuary and none of them work at Boeing.
Quite a few people and businesses have tried those corporate housing parks and they’ve never panned out. A quick brush-up on Disney or Ford attempts will clear this up.
Thanks Greg, it’s sad if no boeing employees do live there. It means they are all commuting and everyone living next door to the factory are commuting as well. Your point is well taken though. Employees will need incentives to try. My experience with real estate is offer a good deal and there will be a line. Is it worth offering zoning and tax breaks to eliminate traffic? It’s an idea I think should be explored. Employee housing for young workers exists in Japan, and walking to work is even greener than the bus.
Issaquah Highlands was basically predicated on a second Microsoft campus. Look what happened to that. Bad timing? False promises?