West Seattle Thursday: From microhousing to megaproject, author reading to in-store concert, & more…

(Alki sunshine, photographed Monday by Flickr member wsLaura, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Busy Thursday! Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you’ll find yet more on the schedule for today/tonight, and way beyond):

WSB @ WEST SEATTLE CHAMBER: Your WSB co-publishers join Swift Media Solutions‘ Lora Swift (also proprietor of our inaugural sponsor Hotwire Online Coffeehouse) for a social-media presentation at today’s West Seattle Chamber of Commerce lunch, 11:30 am, The Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW; WSB sponsor). Reservations required so if you haven’t already signed up, check with the Chamber office ASAP to see if there’s room.

COUNCILMEMBERS TALK MICROHOUSING: With several such developments on the drawing board here in West Seattle, following others around the city, City Councilmembers are gathering for a special brown-bag-lunch discussion of the trend’s implications, among other things. 11:30 am-1:30 pm; you’re welcome in council chambers downtown, or watch live on the Seattle Channel (online or Cable 21).

THIRD THURSDAY BOOK CLUB: A Lifelong Recreation event, 1 pm at High Point Community Center. Books provided! Want to be part of it? Call in advance – the info’s in the listing.

4755 FAUNTLEROY WAY @ DESIGN COMMISSION: West Seattle’s biggest proposed mixed-use project returns to the Seattle Design Commission for a second look at its “urban design merit,” as part of the city’s review to decide whether to grant an “alley vacation” for the 370-apartment, 598-parking-space, supermarket-and-drugstore-included site. 1:30 pm-3:30 pm in the Boards and Commissions Room, downstairs at City Hall downtown, 4th and Cherry. (Here’s our report on the commission’s first review last month.)

COMMUNITY ORCHARD OF WEST SEATTLE: Come join in the weekly work/planting party, 3-5 pm, north end of the South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) campus – details here.

LGBT SOCIAL GROUP: This monthly group gathers at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon), and tonight, you’re welcome to join them in a Piano Bar setting, with food, beer, and wine, 6-8 pm.

TEEN AUTHOR READS AT C & P: Emerging teen author Samantha Ayala reads from, and signs/sells, her book “The Loudest Silence,” 6 pm at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California; WSB sponsor) – details here.

ASK AN EXPERT/FIXERS’ COLLECTIVE: Double bill tonight at the West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW), 6-8 pm – come to get advice and/or join the Collective in fixing something, with help! Details here.

ROBERT DeLONG LIVE AT EASY STREET: 7 pm, Bothell native Robert DeLong performs a free in-store concert at Easy Street Records (California/Alaska in The Junction) – details here.

ile April 18, 2013 (10:02 am)

Just wondering if anyone knows when the drum circle at the statue starts back up. Anyone know?

Norma April 18, 2013 (10:48 am)

The park looks beautiful in spite of the dousing of salt water it took last winter!

Liz April 18, 2013 (11:48 am)

My concern with micro housing is that they could be easily turned into halfway houses.

photon April 18, 2013 (12:30 pm)

Some interesting discussion going on regarding developers’ multiplicity on tax exemption for microhousing. Telling one department (office of housing) that there are (for example) 56 units, vs telling DPD that there are eight.

Short summary:
1) other taxpayers likely paying their property taxes for them when they shouldn’t be (through MFTE);
2) they’ve been skirting design review requirements (only 9 of 48 have had it, but if they had counted the true numbers, all of them would have qualified);
3) resulting growth target measurements are inaccurate.

Loophole has now been identified, but there was something about the pre-loophole developers being able to continue for 12 years. I didn’t quite follow that part though.

(this info presented by Rick Hooper, Mike Podowski & Sara Belz)

I have mixed opinions personally on microhousing, but I found the above issue concerning. Please keep in mind that this is my own interpretation of the discussion, and I could be wrong! I encourage folks to watch it for themselves.

Actually, this whole presentation is interesting. Parking, safety, rents, zoning, 1970s housing history, transportation…

wetone April 18, 2013 (9:37 pm)

Was at the meeting today also and you got it right photon. I think DPD and the city of seattle have some major issues. This dorm room style building they are allowing is one of them. Never seen such poor planing and I was blown away with the tax breaks involved for the builders leaving the rest of us in seattle and king county to pay for them. These projects should be stopped until DPD wakes up. I was alarmed at what I heard today. People need to go to these meetings as it is a real eye opener.

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