When it comes to a proposal to increase the allowable building heights on three pieces of land on Tacoma’s Foss Waterway, seeing is disbelieving.

That is, once you see computer-generated displays of what taller buildings will look like from the Foss and from downtown, you won’t believe that anyone would think this is a good idea.

The parcels are between the Murray Morgan Bridge and the Puget Sound Freight Building where the Working Waterfront Museum is growing.

Current city code allows buildings of 100 feet. But the developers who own or control two of the three parcels don’t think they can make any money with such buildings and have asked the city to change the code to allow 180-foot-tall condo towers.

To put that height in perspective, the cliff off Fireman’s Park downtown is about 80 feet above the water, the bridge is about 175 feet and Puget Sound Freight is about 55 feet.

The developers – Ted Johnson and Herb Simon – argue that the city would be better off, because they would build tall and narrow towers rather than short and squat buildings. That would open up views between the towers.

But computer renderings created by the city show that the difference is minimal. Both heights rob the rest of the city of views of Commencement Bay, the port, the Cascade Mountains and the Foss Waterway.

One who is opposed to the height increase is Frank Jacobs, a longtime member of the Foss Waterway Development Authority board.

“To say that they are developer-friendly and adverse to the needs of the interests of the public as a whole is an understatement,” he wrote about the proposed development rules in a letter to the planning commission. “The developer would be allowed to build substantially more rentable square feet by using the tower option, but offers very little to the public in trade for this huge increase in value.”

After a planning commission recommendation, the final decision will be made by the City Council, probably in early summer.

There is one benefit to the proposal. For the first time, public views of Mount Rainier would be protected. The plan would prevent Foss buildings from obscuring the view of the mountain from the southern edge of Fireman’s Park. But that is a peek-a-boo view at best. Many other mountain views would be lost.

Simon-Johnson is entitled to ask for a change in the zoning, though their vested property right is only to build to 100 feet. What is disturbing is how ready and willing the City of Tacoma is – from the city manager down – to not only process the change but also to promote it.

The state Shorelines Management Act states that no building permits can be issued for structures on the shoreline higher than 35 feet unless the change is part of a master program and if “overriding considerations of the public interest will be served.”

The city says the public has an interest in revitalizing the waterway and recouping the public investment made there. And there will be public access to the esplanade on the shoreline side of the towers.

But this assertion also assumes that the only way to revitalize that stretch of waterfront is with 180-foot buildings. While that might be true at this moment, it won’t always be true. Land along the waterway will not decrease in value. If a better development awaits – one that doesn’t trade views for immediate activity – then by all means we should wait.

Yet once again, the city’s rush to redevelop the Foss right now is leading to bad choices. If the City Council goes along, it will be up to the state to stop a development that arguably violates the shorelines act, which reserves shoreline to water-related and water-dependent uses.

Condos are not considered water-dependent uses but have been allowed elsewhere on the Foss because they were part of mixed-use developments. As these towers grow in height, the mixture becomes diluted, making it hard to claim that these aren’t just private residences taking over public uses of the water.

Tacoma shouldn’t sell its birthright – views of the mountain and the water – to the highest bidder. These views won’t disappear following construction. They will only be transferred to those who can afford to live in taxpayer-subsidized condos that are well out of reach for the average resident.

A quirk in the state Shorelines Management Act gives nearby residents special standing. So the 33 condo owners in the Perkins Building are allowed to intervene, and they are opposing the proposed increased height limits.

But the general public has no standing, even when common views are at risk. For that, we have to depend on the city. And in that, the city has let us down – preferring to push the interests of one developer over the interests of everyone else.

So who is left to shout, “Hey, down in front!”

The Tacoma Planning Commission is considering a proposed change to building height limits on a portion of the Thea Foss Waterway. While current zoning in the area between the Murray Morgan Bridge and the Puget Sound Freight Building allows 100-foot-tall buildings, the proposal is for towers up to 180 feet tall.

Views are from the southern point of Fireman’s Park looking toward Mt. Rainier, including computer-generated representations of what the view would look like with buildings at the current limit and the proposed 180-foot limit.

How to get involved

The Tacoma Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on proposed height changes for the Foss Waterway on April 18. The hearing will be held in the City Council Chambers, 747 Market St., beginning at 5 p.m. Written comments can be sent to comments@cityof tacoma.org.

For a look at the documents related to this issue, go to www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=2219.