49 Replies to "West Seattle development: New mixed-use project; 9 more notes"

• AN April 2, 2015 (2:09 pm)

  WOW….This leaves me speechless! West Seattle is just not appealing anymore!

• Paul April 2, 2015 (3:43 pm)

  What is you editorial policy for publication of these actions as a story? Houses are torn down and lots or developed or subdivided all the time. Maybe it’s coincidence or just the way it is, but all mentioned lots are north of Dakota sw.

  • WSB April 2, 2015 (3:56 pm)

    Paul – We’ve always published a lot of development information, of all sizes of projects, of all areas in West Seattle (scroll through the Development archive category). We don’t sort geographically within the peninsula – my source is http://data.seattle.gov – we just look for addresses with SW in them (which covers the entirety of WS). This is just what happens to be out there for the past two weeks or so, which is how long I’ve been trying to write this roundup – breaking or otherwise more-urgent news keeps getting in the way, and today I finally had a chance to get all this out of the scratch pad. Meantime – The fact that this happens “all the time” IS what makes it news IMO. Haven’t seen this pace in the eight-plus years we’ve been watching and reporting. Particularly the demolitions. Sorry I don’t have a way to contextualize at this point, such as “eight permits this week, up from six last week”; would love to have a data-parsing-expert assistant – TR

• hopey April 2, 2015 (3:51 pm)

  Interesting background on the 3219-3221 California Ave SW property here: http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/preservation/documents/LPBCurrentNom_3219CalifSW.pdf

  The section on Historical Context is especially interesting. I take it the Landmark nomination was not successful, or it wouldn’t be getting town down.

  • WSB April 2, 2015 (4:00 pm)

    Hopey – There’s a clause in which buildings more than half a century old have to be reviewed for possible landmark status – they don’t all result in nominations, though. I thought I’d written a standalone story about the 3219 California nomination but I only got around to it in a daily preview (with a historical photo):
    .
    https://westseattleblog.com/2013/10/west-seattle-wednesday-youth-basketball-signups-ex-substations-future-the-taming-landmark-nomination/

• Fregirl April 2, 2015 (3:58 pm)

  All these new developments… All so pricey and yet, many SO tiny. Meanwhile our landlord raising our rent 100 a month and already told us they will again next year. We couldn’t afford to buy a house in West seattle in any conceivable way and the costs for a tiny house even are insane! Now we are being priced very fast out of renting here. Anywhere not a crap hole, that is on our bus commute line, with enough space even barely, is outrageously expensive and getting worse daily. We don’t own a car and can’t afford to and don’t want to, so going off bus line is a no. We are middle class, and very community oriented, clean, quiet, nice neighbors. But our landlord has never been willing to do a multi-year lease to keep our rates down. Already sadly planning to have to move out of the neighborhood we love so much next year. Priced out of two neighborhoods in five years. Don’t know where we will go next.

• HC April 2, 2015 (4:00 pm)

  This is just sad and I agree with AN. I want the old “Mayberry USA” West Seattle back!

• hopey April 2, 2015 (4:01 pm)

  The lead item with the photo (4801 Fauntleroy Way SW) is most definitely not north of Dakota. Click on the category tag of Development just to the right of the date at the top of the article, and you will be able to see that development is happening all over the peninsula, and WSB is reporting on all of it.

• Les April 2, 2015 (4:07 pm)

  Paul last time I checked Edmunds street was still located south of Dakota.

• AN April 2, 2015 (4:23 pm)

  North or South….it’s just wrong! West Seattle used to be a close nit, neighborhood and now it’s just like a city with high-rises. No, not the size of downtown buildings but too high for the square miles that it does cover.

• G April 2, 2015 (4:35 pm)

  Head-scratching here. There has been a head-swiveling accelerated pace of building for sure, but does anyone really find that dumpy stretch of California appealing as it is now? Whatever charm that area had evaporated when McGregor Books closed up over a decade ago (where Prost is now). But beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.

• SlopestyleJ April 2, 2015 (4:49 pm)

  6 parking and 6 bike spaces for 39 total units at the South-of-the-Whittaker project? Really? Another disaster in the making that needs a NERD intervention!

• Dakota Andover April 2, 2015 (4:50 pm)

  Related to the 3219-3221 California landmark nomination, it’s important to realize who is submitting the landmark nomination. Buildings are not always nominated with the intent to save it, but rather for an Owner to pre-emptively showcase that it’s not worth saving so they can tear it down and build their new project, before their plans get disrupted by a group successfully nominating it for landmark status.
  –
  Taking this project as an example, the landmark nomination was submitted by the Owner, Cayce and Gain, who has plans for this site and is also part of the group with the large project across the street that was so controversial for that neighborhood. The Architect involved with the nomination was NK, who I believe may be involved with the design of the replacement for this building being demo’d.
  –
  Look through the nomination; the intent was to show the building in it’s worst light, with clutter and lack of maintenance, just so it would not be given landmark status.
  –
  The building’s original architect Paul Hayden Kirk, was a fantastic architect with many great examples in the Seattle area, but arguably this was not one of his masterpieces, and ultimately may not have been worth landmark status. It is, however, important to consider who is submitting the nomination and the true intent of doing so. Developers are smart people who do not want unknown complications in their projects, so it may be just another step in their process towards demolition.

• Diane April 2, 2015 (5:58 pm)

  and fyi folks; this list doesn’t even include projects that manage to loophole their way through DPD, and NOT give any notice of demolition; there is a project in my neighborhood, where two 100+ yr old houses were demolished, with no notice; it’s been in demolition mode for a month, and they’ve already starting building foundations for house #1, house #2, house #3, and they’ve left a tiny z-shaped piece of the original foundation, on top of the mound where house #4 will soon be built; I’m assuming they’re doing that so they can still use some absurd loophole, and call this a remodel, even though 2 entire houses are gone and carted off in dump trucks weeks ago
  ~
  the demolition of 100 yr old house started early Feb 26; the street closure signs with notices went up AFTER the demo started; at the same time, the DPD document still said “remodel/alteration”; it’s a lie; how many more projects get pushed through DPD with lies like this?
  ~
  the demolition of a 2nd 100+ yr old house happened on the same big lot, on Feb 27; I don’t know what the permit said on that one; but adjacent neighbors were not warned of demolition, and it certainly didn’t show up in this bi-weekly land use bulletin from DPD
  ~
  and yes, you guessed it; 4 giant modern boxes are going up
  ~
  the entire lot has been demolished and dug up and 3 brand new houses started
  ~
  city permit still says “addition and alterations to existing single-family residence including attached garage”
  ~
  http://web1.seattle.gov/DPD/permitstatus/Project.aspx?id=6401242
  ~
  there was no attached garage; there were ancient unused tiny concrete street-level garages/storage sheds; those were completely demolished weeks ago
  ~
  permit says “Substantial Alteration—NO”; it says that right now, even after two 100yr old houses and three 100yr old garages were completely demolished
  ~
  the record states “Alteration–$327,795.00”; this is a lie; these are brand NEW construction houses, that are certain to sell for million plus each
  ~
  the director of DPD knows this, is ignoring this; this is just one of many examples of how DPD joins forces with developers to deceive the public to get whatever they want built
  ~
  this is the house demolished on Feb 26 (thanks to TR for the link) and the tiny old garages in photos, demolished
  ~
  http://info.kingcounty.gov/Assessor/eRealProperty/pictures.aspx?ParcelNbr=4321200114&View=1
  ~
  there are NO remodel/alterations on this property; it is all NEW construction, of 4 new houses

• Northwest April 2, 2015 (6:09 pm)

  I sure hope someone begins to catalog and photograph the change taking place I thought about it over ten to fifteen years back or more then other projects and life in general got in the way. Along those lines a documentation of traffic titled “Traffic”would be another eye opener. A lot of older apartments with character some god-awful very photo worthy.

• HappyOnAlki April 2, 2015 (8:43 pm)

  So subdividing takes place AFTER the new construction? 3015 60TH SW is around the corner; two old houses were leveled and the eight new townhouses are almost finished.

  And now they’re “approving subdividing one development location into eight lots”?

  I’m sure this makes sense somehow . . . .

• KM April 2, 2015 (8:58 pm)

  Glad to see they are doing something with a empty lot on Fauntleroy rather than tearing down old buildings to build new. Great location for those who don’t want to own a car and live in West Seattle.

• elly April 2, 2015 (9:10 pm)

  Is it possible to set up a public hearing or meeting with the city? So many issues are being ignored and most of the residents are directly impacted daily. (Businesses shuttering due to construction like the Sneakery,the strain on infrastructure, traffic, trucks, public roads shut down or blocked by private developers for MONTHS, etc). We need a “big picture” meeting because our “planners” (ha) have blindly bought off (literally?) on the “urban village” idea and are rubber stamping every development request.
  WS IS NOT ANOTHER BALLARD!!

• Azimuth April 2, 2015 (9:54 pm)

  When the DPD site says “per plan” (for example ” Demolish (3) existing SFR and construct new townhouses (total of 3 buildings)per plan.”) is there a way to see that information?

• Meagan April 2, 2015 (9:59 pm)

  A Whole Foods? Really? Right across from the West Seattle Produce Market? What a shame.

  • WSB April 2, 2015 (10:02 pm)

    WSP definitely has lots of fans. But by the time WFM opens – end of next year at the earliest – it may well be somewhere else, since its current location is scheduled to make way for a CVS drugstore …

• John April 3, 2015 (1:26 am)

  Not that I want to be put in the position of defending DPD, but Diane’s post has incorrect assumptions about the Seattle DPD process and building codes.
  –
  One example is,
  ““Alteration–$327,795.00”; this is a lie; these are brand NEW construction houses, that are certain to sell for million plus each.”
  –
  Diane appears here to confuse the permitted construction cost with the sales price, somewhat akin to comparing the cost of steak in Safeway with a sit-down one at Jak’s.
  –
  The comment about there being no attached garage is another example of lack of familiarity with the DPD lingo.
  “city permit still says “addition and alterations to existing single-family residence including attached garage” – That actually means that the new addition and alterations will include an attached garage.
  –
  Other not so apparent things such as existing water, sewer & electrical utilities help define an existing house.
  –
  Any one is free to call on the phone or visit the DPD information center downtown to learn more about permitting.

• Rick April 3, 2015 (4:33 am)

  The “old,charming” West Seattle has been sold to developers. If you need to know why,all ya gotta do is falla the dalla.

• m April 3, 2015 (6:40 am)

  Am I the only one that thinks that old ugly houses and apartments are being replaced with much more attractive alternatives.

• eigenwijs April 3, 2015 (7:01 am)

  WSB – I might be missing it on the link you provided but how do you know the breakdown of what’s facing Edmunds vs. Fauntleroy? And how many stories will this building be? That lot is practically next door to me and is not huge – I can’t quite picture how 2 commercial, 7 live/work units and 30 apartments can fit on it!

  • WSB April 3, 2015 (7:03 am)

    There’s a site plan in the file (which is usually a fairly basic black/white outline of what’s been roughed out). The version of the lookup that we use does not make these documents directly linkable but you can put the address in at: http://web6.seattle.gov/dpd/edms and find it for download. (Added) At least part of the building is labeled on the site plan as 4 stories. Projected unit sizes are mentioned as well, and 8 of them (2 per floor) are labeled as 210 sf; the largest ones, on the alley, are labeled as 650 sf. – Tracy

• to m April 3, 2015 (8:16 am)

  I’m sure you’re not the only one who thinks old houses are ugly, and clearly there’s a market for the box-design homes that are springing up everywhere.

  I feel bad for anyone who’s renting, many of whom are my friends and neighbors, as they keep getting priced out. And many of the owners will sell and move as the neighborhoods become more and more dense.

  As for me, I’m planning to be the next Edith Macefield, and I will happily stay in the tiny old house I love while buildings grow around me. And, for the record, I’m not even close to being old, so that’s going to be a very long time.

• wetone April 3, 2015 (9:36 am)

  Diane, same thing is happening at many project sites where the developers get early site plans for lot line adjustments pushed through DPD then go back after project is started and again make more lot line adjustments allowing more units with little or no real usable parking. They also do some interesting stuff with addresses. For some reason DPD is allowing more and more of this style of practice and the developers sneak more units or houses on property without public knowing. Perfect example is the corner property on California & Andover (3917 California originally)now 44xx Andover. This project is nothing like the original site plan and they added more structure’s after the fact.

• G April 3, 2015 (10:01 am)

  I can’t wait until my 100 year Craftsman goes on the market this spring with all the attending scrutiny by self-appointed neighborhood busybodies. If this is what people have in mind when they think of community, I’m going to have to pass.

• West Seattle since 1979 April 3, 2015 (10:33 am)

  If people keep wanting to move here, and there isn’t enough housing because people don’t want more development and work to stop it, it’s not going to make rent prices go down any. Not having enough of something doesn’t usually make prices go down.

• WS since '66 April 3, 2015 (10:54 am)

  I love the changes! All of the buildings that are mostly completed look great. I think we all had visions of big ugly boxes, kind of like a bigger version of one at Calif and Edmunds,that should go. The Spruce with its brick work, different textures of exterior, and lines looks much better than the ugly parking lot with the old grocery store converted to Hancock Fabrics and the auto parts store. I look forward to seeing the Whitaker and others completed.

• vanessa April 3, 2015 (11:49 am)

  …with 6 parking spaces. Great.

• wetone April 3, 2015 (12:25 pm)

  Charlestown and Californa ave. area is going to be a very busy place over the next 2yrs. 3829 California demo has started, 3811 staring soon, 3717 has exterior envelope starting very soon, Charlestown Café (3800) starting soon, 44xx Andover in work and there’s more coming… Most likely a couple these sites will be getting permits for taking the street parking in front of projects for job shacks, equipment storage and access. Fun times ahead ;)

  • WSB April 3, 2015 (12:40 pm)

    Thought about that driving through this morning. Charlestown Café already has some deconstruction going on – people up on the roof for the past three days. No heavy equipment yet as of our drive-by about two hours ago, though. Is 3829 happening from the alley? Didn’t see anything but the fence still up as of that same drive-by, but will have the co-publisher look as he’s en route back from another Admiral errand …

• natinstl April 3, 2015 (1:06 pm)

  Is there anyway to know if the current new apt. buildings are even full yet? I feel like there are an awful lot of apartment buildings going up and I’m finding it hard to believe they will be filled. I’m in an office full of people looking to move, etc… and they always seem to avoid West Seattle because of the bridge so I don’t always consider it the most desirable place to live by most, even though I love it. Perhaps I’m naïve to all the people looking for apt’s though.

  • WSB April 3, 2015 (1:20 pm)

    Nat – since they are private businesses they are under no obligation to provide that information, though some real-estate-related companies do general surveying, without reporting the results business by business. It would seem, however, by the prevalence of enticement attempts out there – signs bearing balloons, signs on corners far from the buildings, even people hired to hold and twirl signs on corners some weekends – that they’re not all full yet. But whether a signboard or sign twirler is an indicator of 5 vacancies or 50, I don’t know! Anybody else?

• wetone April 3, 2015 (1:53 pm)

  Got my numbers mismatched to info. 3800 as WSB stated workers have been on roof working and 3829 starting soon :)

• Brian April 3, 2015 (1:59 pm)

  I miss the old west seattle where you could buy an entire cheesecake with a nickel and still have money left over for the trolley ride home.

• obvious April 3, 2015 (2:21 pm)

  Why haven’t the developers been held accountable for the infrastructure? Turn lights, added congestion, the fact that the 4 lane bridge out of WS narrows down to one lane, and added traffic means more wear and tear on the roads. Light Rail out of WS?? Who pays for it? Everyone one of us. Times are changing and not for the good.

• AmandaKH April 3, 2015 (2:39 pm)

  Hi Everyone! Take a few minutes and fill out this DPD survey on what YOU would like to see the design review process look like. Survey’s are the most commonly cited tool by multiple City agencies on how they make decisions.
  *
  http://buildingconnections.seattle.gov/2015/04/01/design-review-program-improvements/

• Arianna April 3, 2015 (2:57 pm)

  M, you want to be the next Edith Macefield – more power to you, but unless your house is of a very special architecture, etc., I don’t see how it will work to make your life better or for anyone around you.

  So for example, a developer offers you $1M for the property, you say no, developer builds 15 units less. Victory, fewer people move to the neighborhood! But now your property is worth $200K because it is sandwiched between huge buildings.

  Edith’s house is on the market now. There is no asking price, since there were zero offers for it at the last auction. It will sell for very little money, obviously no one believes it is worth much today. Eventually, it will be demolished, unless the city spends hundreds of thousands of our money to renovate and for upkeep.

  I wish I was in your situation, this is like winnig the lottery. But I would be worried sick to stay,
  once it is sandwiched, it will be next to impossible to get financing for renovations, additions, etc., when the banks see the new appraisal. You might even end up under water and not be able to even refinance. Good luck to you!

• Diane April 3, 2015 (3:05 pm)

  thanks Amanda; unfortunately, most of the projects in this story do NOT go through design review

• Jeffrey April 3, 2015 (5:01 pm)

  Ballard is the Portland of Seattle and…

  West Seattle is the Ballard of Seattle.

  It’s what y’all voted for, whether you realize it out not.

  Thank you for your support.

  Carry on.

• MsD April 3, 2015 (10:56 pm)

  Those things (don’t even know what to call them) that are going up at California & Andover are the reason that design review, flawed as it is, is important. They are literally less than 2 feet from the sidewalk on Andover. Such an odd development – they painted and re-roofed two of the, um, “cottages” then tore down the rest. Reminds me of Houston – just random crap thrown up and anything goes. And on a slightly related topic, how do we get a left turn signal at California & Oregon? I know we’re not supposed to be driving in West Seattle any longer, but just in case I have to take a load of orphans to the emergency room.

• MsD April 3, 2015 (11:05 pm)

  @WSB – no demo/construction at 3829 yet. Just the fence and abundant tags lending to the South Bronx circa 1977 visual appeal. Too bad it’s not winter, some burning barrels out in front would lend added authenticity.

• B April 4, 2015 (9:46 am)

  Y’all complaining are quite entertaining. What exactly are you upset about? The buildings that were torn down to make way for the whole foods were from an abandoned car dealership. Not exactly historic architecture with any redeeming qualities. Same goes for the development at the junction. They tore down an old PetSmart that was not a nice building and put up something much nicer. You cannot stop time. There will always be development and progress. The alternative is Detroit. I own a house in west Seattle and I welcome the improvements.

• Northwest April 4, 2015 (12:01 pm)

  I have so far saved one large mature sword fern from one of the above lots slated for development that friends of mine have called home for almost ten years.

• MsD April 5, 2015 (1:09 am)

  @B – Some of us aren’t concerned just with aesthetics. Yes, there are some vacant rundown buildings being torn down to make way for something more useful and attractive. But in many more cases, the only affordable housing in West Seattle is being bulldozed to make way for very expensive tiny apartments. This argument that there’s nothing between bulldozer gentrification and Detroit is ridiculous.

• WS since '66 April 5, 2015 (8:25 am)

  @B – Excellent points and well said. The new buildings that have been completed or close to completion look great! I can’t wait to see the Whitaker when finished.

  @MsD- All of us want “affordable” housing. Your comment “the only affordable housing in West Seattle is being bulldozed to make way for very expensive tiny apartments“ seems contradictory because supply and demand sets values. One home vs 30+ apartments/condos means. When the supply is increased the values are lower. Just think how expensive it would be to live here if the supply of housing hasn’t increased to attempt to keep up with demand.

  I understand that people feel they want their “old West Seattle” back. Perhaps it is not necessarily the old run down buildings and lack of amenities or even fewer people that is missed but one’s own memories from their younger days in a place as awesome as West Seattle.

  Btw, the construction is going on all over the Seattle Metro area.

Sorry, comment time is over.