Design Review doubleheader: Nod for Nova; Avalon concerns

July 29, 2011 at 1:59 am | In Development, West Seattle news | 6 Comments

(Harbor’s Denny Onslow talking to SW Design Review Board about Nova; photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Toplines from Thursday night’s two-project meeting of the Southwest Design Review Board at the Senior Center of West Seattle: Harbor Properties‘ 62-apartment Nova, proposed for a 36th/Snoqualmie site north of The Grove/West Seattle Inn motel in The Triangle, won unanimous approval.

Board members said the design brought before them (here’s the presentation “packet”) addressed the concerns/suggestions they had brought up during Nova’s “early design guidance” review earlier this year (WSB coverage here). You can track Nova via its city webpage here; we’ll be following up with Harbor regarding expected construction timetable. (P.S. For those wondering how much demand there is for new apartments – Harbor’s Onslow noted that its recently completed Link Apartments [WSB sponsor], two blocks from the Nova site, is now 70 percent leased.)

For the “early design guidance” review of the 117-apartment 3247 Avalon proposal (“packet” here), to cover what are currently five single-structure lots (one vacant) overlooking the West Seattle Golf Course: Board members asked the project team to give it another try and come back. They expressed comments similar to two members of the public who spoke – that all three design options bring the proposed building too close to its neighbors on both east and west sides; the latter sparked the most concern.

6 Comments

  1. I’m not really opposed to development in general…but sweet lord does this town need better architects. All these little proposals look exactly the same, and are completely uninspired. Not even interesting enough to be called ugly.

    Comment by HimAgain — 9:08 am July 29, 2011 #

  2. Agreed. A field trip to Vancouver, B.C. for some world-class inspiration certainly wouldn’t hurt. That’s a city that “gets it”.

    And they could take the region’s transportation planners along for the trip.

    Comment by westseattledood — 11:40 am July 29, 2011 #

  3. I agree with the first two comments that buildings are looking the same but it’s not the architect’s fault! There is a general lack of architectural risk-taking in the Seattle. Generally speaking, developers don’t want to take risks because the people don’t like things that are too “different”. The Seattle Department of Planning and Development as well as the local Design Review Boards have their guidelines too.
    I know a lot of architects who would love to do something unique, but their clients and well as the city and the people of Seattle are too timid to accept new things. I believe this is true for the whole nation, we’re a very uncertain country right now. Look around the world and you’ll find amazing architectural ideas, some successful, others not so much, but to evolve risks must be taken.

    Comment by haltman — 12:56 pm July 29, 2011 #

  4. amen, ‘dood.

    Comment by ellenater — 6:26 pm July 29, 2011 #

  5. COOKIE CUTTER DEVELOPMENT. BASTARDIZING THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH CHEAP DEVELOPMENT. LOOK AT JEFFERSON SQUARE PROJECT REMOVED A WONDERFUL HISTORIC BUILDING TO BUILD A CLUSTER… .

    Comment by DF — 8:37 am July 30, 2011 #

  6. I completely agree with haltman. They all look similar because nobody wants to take risks.
    In response to DF, Jefferson Square is probably the worst project in West Seattle. Can’t wait until they open the Admiral Safeway. It’ll be worth the drive. Can’t stand the stupid parking lot at the Jefferson Square one.

    Comment by Anon — 10:31 am August 2, 2011 #

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