Structure width and depth limits
Seattle Mun. Code § 23.73.012
in effectA. Structure width limit outside the Conservation Core. Outside the Conservation Core identified on Map A for 23.73.010, for all portions of a structure that abut Pike, East Pike, Pine, or East Pine Streets, structure width shall be limited to 50 percent of the total width of all lots on the block front, measured along the street lot line, on block fronts that exceed 170 feet in width, except that the structure width limit calculation does not include the following: 1. Portions of a character structure that are retained according to the provisions in Section 23.73.015 , whether connected to a new structure or not; 2. Portions of a new structure that are separated from the street lot line by another lot; 3. Portions of a new structure that are separated from the street lot line by an adjacent structure located on the same lot that is not a character structure, provided that the adjacent structures are not internally connected above or below grade; and 4. Portions of a new structure that are separated from the street lot line by a character structure that is retained according to the provisions of Section 23.73.015 . B. Structure width and depth limits inside the Conservation Core. The structure width and depth limits in this subsection 23.73.012.B apply to lots that are located inside the Conservation Core identified on Map A for 23.73.010, except that there are no limits on width and depth for lots that did not contain a character structure on January 18, 2012. 1. 128 feet shall be the width and the depth limit for portions of new structures on lots that contained a character structure on January 18, 2012. The width limit is measured as the combined width of all portions of new structures located on the lot and the depth limit is measured as the combined depth of all portions of new structures located on the lot, except as provided in subsection 23.73.012.B.2 and subsection 23.73.012.B.3. 2. Portions of a new structure that are separated from the street lot line by a character structure that is retained according to Section 23.73.015 are excluded from structure width and depth measurements, provided that: a. All character structures on the lot are retained according to the provisions of Section 23.73.015 , unless a departure is approved through the design review process to allow the removal of a character structure based on the provisions of subsection 23.41.012.B; and b. This exclusion from width and depth measurement in subsection 23.73.012.B.2 is only allowed for one retained character structure on the lot. 3. For the narrow block bounded by Broadway, East Union Street, Broadway Court, and East Madison Street, the depth limit does not apply to structures on through lots extending from Broadway to Broadway Court, and the width limit only applies to frontages on Broadway and Broadway Court. (Ord. 126157 , § 51, 2020; Ord. 125429 , § 19, 2017; Ord. 124503, § 9, 2014; Ord. 123776, § 8, 2011)
Source: Seattle Municipal Code (Municode library)URL: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_codeFetched: 7/25/2026