We first told you last Thursday about the Southwest District Council‘s plan to send a letter about The Hole – aka the stalled development site originally known as Fauntleroy Place – pending some final tweaks, as well as a determination of who should receive the letter. Late today, the original drafter, Susan Melrose from the West Seattle Junction Association, sent around the final version, which has been sent by e-mail and postal mail to site owner Seattle Capital Corporation, and cc’d to 22 people including Mayor McGinn, members of the Seattle City Council, and various city department heads. As per the intent expressed during discussion at last week’s SWDC meeting, the letter voices concern about “over the condition, esthetics and most importantly the safety” of the chain-link-ringed, 4-story deep excavation. We’ll check tomorrow with Seattle Capital regarding any response that they plan to make; meantime, read on for the full final text of the letter:
April 8, 2010
Seattle Capital Corporation
Attn: Robert E. Story, Jr.
190 Queen Anne Avenue, #100
Seattle, WA 98109Re: Community concerns over Fauntleroy Place construction site
Dear Mr. Story:
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter; it is representative of the sentiments of a large number of West Seattle community organizations, our constituents, and the general community of West Seattle who we endeavor to represent.
Our concern is over the condition, esthetics and most importantly the safety of the now stalled Fauntleroy Place construction project site. The current fencing is an unappealing chain link that presents an unwelcoming presence at what is essentially the gateway to our West Seattle neighborhood. It is also a serious safety hazard to have temporary fencing protecting vehicles and pedestrians from a 4-story drop at one of West Seattle’s busiest intersections. In addition, parts of the sidewalk do not meet ADA standards. And finally, the area of landscaping on the corner named Triangle Park (as described on page 48 of the West Seattle Junction Neighborhood Plan) was created with community time, resources and pride. This park is haphazardly surrounded with chain link fence and is subsequently overgrown which only adds insult to injury.
We are all struggling during these trying times. We are trying to keep our businesses open, we are trying to keep our homes and neighborhoods attractive and welcoming, and we are trying to build a future where West Seattle emerges prosperous and revitalized. The reaction that residents, visitors and retail shoppers are having to your site – as expressed to us as by the community – is that of seeing urban blight and neglect at the heart of our neighborhood.
We hope the future of West Seattle will include a complete and successful Fauntleroy Place project. The majority in our community were eagerly anticipating the addition of your residents and retail, as evidenced by the primarily positive community response to your proposed project at the Design Review Board meetings.
The above prefaces our request that you please take steps to make your project site more appealing and safe during the time it remains fallow. At a minimum, we are requesting a screening fence, a vehicle barrier, at least 4 feet of continuous sidewalk clearance to meet ADA standards, and the fencing removed from Triangle Park. We would welcome a dialogue with the responsible party from your organization regarding how to put these requests into motion.
We hope to resolve this amicably before West Seattle Summer Fest (July 9, 10, 11) which is the first of several community summer events.
At the April 7th Southwest District Council meeting, the following council members voted unanimously to submit this letter:
Admiral Neighborhood Association
Alki Community Council
Fairmount Community Association
Fauntleroy Community Association
Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO)
Morgan Community Association (MoCA)
Ocean View Community Beach Club
Senior Center of West Seattle
Southwest Seattle Historical Society/Log House Museum
West Seattle Chamber of Commerce
West Seattle Junction AssociationThe letter also endorsed by Harbor Properties, Inc.
Thank you for your attention to this very important matter.
Sincerely, Sincerely,
Erica Karlovits, Co-Chair Chas Redmond, Co-Chair
Southwest District Council Southwest District CouncilCc: Mayor Mike McGinn, City of Seattle
Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith, City of Seattle
Deputy Mayor Phil Fujii, City of Seattle
Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
Seattle City Councilmember Tim Burgess
Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark
Seattle City Councilmember Richard Conlin
Seattle City Councilmember Jean Godden
Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata
Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien
Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen
Diane Sugimura, Director, Seattle Department of Planning & Development
Peter Hahn, Acting Director, Seattle Department of Transportation
Michael Dorcy, Seattle Department of Planning & Development
Tracy Krawczyk, Seattle Department of Transportation
Peter Holmes, Seattle City Attorney
Susan McLain, Seattle Department of Planning & Development
Marshall Foster, Seattle Department of Planning & Development
Denny Onslow, Harbor Properties
Emi Baldowin, Harbor Properties
Southwest District Council File
The site has been idle since late 2008, when work stopped and multiple lawsuits erupted. The firm that currently holds the note for its financing had signaled last year that it would seek to foreclose, but that hasn’t happened yet.
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