DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWUP: Next round of comments for 5952 California SW microhousing

From today’s city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin, the next phase of a microhousing project we first told you about in May of last year, at 5952 California SW, north of Morgan Junction, replacing this 1925-built house and the garage building behind it:

(King County Assessor’s Office photo)

Last September, we reported on the “administrative design review” phase – a process in which comments are invited, but there’s no public meeting – for the proposal. Today’s notice (see it here) is for the land-use permit; the project has downsized from the first-proposed 48 units and is now described as “a 4-story apartment building with 29 small efficiency dwelling units and 6 apartment units (35 units total). Surface parking for 5 vehicles.” (Small efficiency dwelling units is the current official city term for microhousing.) Comments will be taken until March 20th, the city says; here’s how to send in yours.

P.S. Here’s the city’s final report on the aforementioned no-meeting design review.

26 Replies to "DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWUP: Next round of comments for 5952 California SW microhousing"

  • bob March 6, 2017 (10:30 am)

    and parking is going to be where? and density issues? and traffic issues? Good luck west seattle 

  • WSBgal March 6, 2017 (11:03 am)

    “Surface parking for 5 vehicles” – really!?  Micro apartments or not, most folks still drive cars and development of this size will have significant impact on the community streets.

  • Claytone March 6, 2017 (11:27 am)

    Cheap rent will mean even if they didnt have a car before, they will now.

    • WSB March 6, 2017 (11:40 am)

      Cost is not the only reason to not have a car. Trust us. (Parents of a non-driving millennial with many non-drivers among his friends. Even without light rail in our area yet, there’s a wide array of ways to get around that didn’t exist when we were his age.)

    • Swede. March 6, 2017 (12:34 pm)

      ‘Cheap’ is relative… These units will likely be, like all other ‘Apodment’ and ‘micro’ apartments, more per sqft than bigger units. But the actual amount will be lower. 

  • plf March 6, 2017 (11:33 am)

    Side streets will absorb all the parking

    We continued to be screwed  

  • Mr. J March 6, 2017 (11:53 am)

    I’m not sure “cheap” is the right word. They built micro-housing across the street from this site a few years ago and starting units were $750+ for 200 odd SF and shared living and kitchen space. There’s also a proposal for similar housing a block south. Parking east of California in this area is pretty gross.

    I’ll be making comments.

  • Morgan Junction Dad March 6, 2017 (1:45 pm)

    Owing a car is super expensive. I think these units should be built without parking. 

  • Fed up in WS March 6, 2017 (2:41 pm)

    I am super annoyed with all these damned micro-housing units overtaking neighborhoods.  There is currently a nightmare one being built right now on 36th and Dakota.  40 units and NO parking, plus it’s on the same street as Buddha Ruksa so there is already zero parking.  This *&^%$ mayor needs to go!!  The 2017 Seattle mayoral election will be held on November 7, 2017.  Make sure you vote!!

    • Fed up n West Seattle 2 March 6, 2017 (7:30 pm)

      Agreed!

    • Fed up n West Seattle 2 March 6, 2017 (7:32 pm)

      Agreed! He’s got to go!

      • Dave March 6, 2017 (8:00 pm)

        I’ll be voting him out and a few others on the council. 

    • Diane March 6, 2017 (11:28 pm)

      well first we need someone viable to run against the mayor; you can’t just vote him out if there’s no other good contenders; ps, these “zero parking required” rules went in under Mayor McGinn; and it’s the city council that votes on rules re apodments/micro-housing

  • Anne March 6, 2017 (3:20 pm)

    I’m confused about how this moved forward without a public meeting.  Neighbors signed a petition asking to have a meeting, which I had understood would be granted if more than 50 people signed. 

    • Diane March 6, 2017 (11:29 pm)

      do you know who has the petition?  call/email the city planner on this project to demand a meeting if there were 50 signatures

  • Les March 6, 2017 (4:07 pm)

    A 7500 square foot lot for $935000 !  I remember back in the 1980’s when you could still buy a  WS waterfront house for less than $250,000

  • Keith B March 6, 2017 (5:56 pm)

    A proposal: have the developer and each tenant sign an affidavit that they will not own a car while living there, subject to eviction if broken. We are perusing a permit for an ADU in our basement and we had to sign an affidavit that we will meet certain conditions. 

    • ImAmAmamma March 6, 2017 (10:48 pm)

      Keith- No kidding? You have to agree to not allow your ADU to require street parking?  If this applies to small scale residential ADUs, this should apply to micro housing too, like its so logical some representative would go for this requirement! 

    • Diane March 6, 2017 (11:34 pm)

      agree that the discrepancy in those rules make no sense; I know several DADU/backyard cottage builders who are super frustrated with the stupid parking requirement rule, for one little cottage; at the same time that dozens of apodments/micros/apts can be built in a project with zero parking required; seems pretty unfair

  • Linda Anton March 6, 2017 (6:01 pm)

    Please dont tear down this historic home!

  • Hame March 6, 2017 (11:07 pm)

    We in West Seattle need to be less concerned with legislating away housing and more concerned with the cost of housing and how it hurts all of us who are not rich.   These units help those who would love to live in West Seattle but can’t afford a larger apartment.

  • Diane March 6, 2017 (11:23 pm)

    I saw the land use sign in yard of this sweet old house a few days ago, and wondered/feared what might go in; makes me so sad every time a beautiful old home is demolished for no damn good reason except profiteering

    • John March 7, 2017 (7:00 am)

      no damn good reason except profiteering?”

      Diane seems to be ignorant of housing shortage and continuing demand exceeding supply that is causing costs to rise. This one parcel will soon offer 29 units  of housing replacing just one.

  • WS since '66 March 7, 2017 (6:40 am)

    All the hand wringing and knee jerk responses crack me up. How
    does the small size of the units affect you? If you don’t want to live in one…..don’t.
     Many people do. Lots of those who
    complain about parking on the streets actually have off street parking via
    alley behind the home which they don’t use. Finally, believe it or not, there
    actually are those who choose not to own a car due to expense. They get around
    various ways. Why pay more in rent for a parking place which you won’t use?

  • DH March 7, 2017 (7:33 am)

    @WS since ’66. Thank you. Agreed!

  • momof3boys March 7, 2017 (9:53 am)

    I understand the need for housing, and I’m not completely opposed to new development here – but the no associated parking spaces is a PROBLEM, I live in Morgan Junction, and parking is getting difficult in our neighborhood. 

    We live in a beautiful part of the country, and although you can get around the city and suburbs without a car – if you like the outdoors – try taking metro to Mt. Rainier, or the Olympic Peninsula.  I know of many millennials (I have three of them myself) who don’t own a car – but they still use a vehicle to get around outside the city.  When mine finish college and move out – they will buy a car – because they want to enjoy nature.  I bet many others will too.  I will plan to comment – as I have in the past – I don’t expect it to change things – but I continue to say my piece.

Sorry, comment time is over.