Both sides say they won last week's rezoning hearing at the Seattle City Council, but only one will advance to the next round: Darrell Vange, the developer planning to build at 10-acre big-box mall at the site of today's Seattle Goodwill store on South Dearborn Street.
On Jan. 28, a council committee rejected a land-use appeal brought by neighbor Bill Bradburd, who had argued that the mall, which will include a new building for Goodwill and 2,200 parking spots, should be a lot more pedestrian-friendly to qualify for the Neighborhood Commercial zoning that the developer is seeking to build to 85 feet (up from today's 65).
Councilmembers let stand an October decision by the city hearing examiner in favor of Vange. But in the same meeting, Bradburd says, they linked their rezoning decision to a deal that Vange must work out with the city Department of Transportation before he can take over public streets -- a process in which the council, Bradburd says, can ultimately get a lot more out of Vange before the rezoning is approved.