San Jose has the least distinctive downtown of any of the nation’s major cities. The same height restrictions that diminish its skyline also limit services and the tax revenues one would expect from a city of its stature.

The City Council should vote Tuesday to raise building height limits in parts of downtown. It makes good business sense and is an important strategic step toward crafting a more vibrant downtown that entices people to work, live and play.

The proposal would allow buildings to be 5 to 35 feet taller in the downtown core and 70 to 150 feet higher around Diridon Station, San Jose’s downtown train station. The tallest current building near Diridon Station is the 110-foot high SAP Center.” City officials say raising the height limits would allow construction of an additional 9 million square feet of office space and bring in about $5 million more in city tax revenues each year.

At its Feb. 26 meeting, the council reasonably delayed a vote on the proposed height limits, citing concerns about aircraft safety and the viability of cross-country and international flight service at Mineta San Jose International Airport. The airport is only four miles from downtown. Safety should come first.

The San Jose Airport Commission supports an alternative plan that would allow taller buildings in the Diridon Station area but not downtown. They argue, and city officials concede, that the taller buildings would hurt the city’s ability to attract and retain direct flights to Europe, Asia and the East Coast because higher height limits would force planes to carry less fuel, passengers and cargo to meet airline safety standards.

But the height limit proposal before the council meets the Federal Aviation Administration’s safety rules. The airport staff also supports raising the height limit, saying they would never recommend anything that wasn’t safe for passengers.

The FAA establishes strict safety standards for airports. Each airline then sets its own guidelines for how pilots there should address emergencies, including what to do if a plane engine stops working. Planes need a safe corridor to return to Mineta International Airport and land. The FAA guidelines may mean some international flights don’t pencil out.

The issue isn’t safety. It’s economics. The tax revenues of adding up to 9 million square feet of development far exceeds any losses incurred at the airport. The city would also benefit from the thousands of construction jobs the new standards would enable. And the airport might be able to make up any potential revenue losses from international flights by adding more domestic flights.