West Seattle, Washington
04 Thursday
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(WSB photo, taken Thursday)
6:31 AM: That’s the construction site at 4435 35th SW, the mixed-use project where tower-crane installation is set for this weekend, with a permit to close 35th between Avalon and Alaska both days for that work. In case you missed our earlier mentions of this, here again is the message from the contractor:
We are approved by the City of Seattle to close all 4 lanes on 35th AVE SW adjacent our jobsite (4435 35th Ave) to erect our tower crane. The plan is to roll on site at 5:30 am Saturday with our mobile crane so we can start work by 8:00 am. Weather permitting, we’ll have the crane put together on Saturday and come back Sunday to remove our mobile crane. Though we are permitted to work until 10 PM with the lane closures, we are confident (weather permitting) we will be out of there by noon. Again, we apologize in advance for any inconveniences this may cause to your weekend commutes.
The published reroute for Metro’s RapidRide C Line and Routes 21 and 50 in that area says only southbound is affected; we’ll be checking later in the morning to see if that’s true.
9:31 AM UPDATE: One northbound lane is currently open, so the bus reroute IS just for southbound.
ADDED 11:56 AM: We’ve added photos from this morning, above and below.
This will be the third crane currently at work in West Seattle, following Junction 47 at California/Alaska/42nd and the Alliance project at 40th/Edmunds.
ADDED 3:10 PM: Thanks to Eddie for this view:
P.S. We went back just before sunset; crane-building wasn’t done yet:
We’ll check its status on Sunday morning.
2 stolen-car reader reports to share, so you can help be on the lookout:
From Fabiola:
My black 1997 Honda Accord 4 door #ALL3193 was stolen Monday night from the Highland Park neighborhood. The front bumper is slightly broken with the front pushed up and the sides hanging.
From Lauri:
I got my car stolen late (Wednesday) night behind Hotwire Coffee in the parking lot. It is a blue Nissan 2001 Xterra, the usual bumper stickers, Luna Park and Hotwire “Obey the Bean.” Plate 244XSB.
If you’ve seen either one, call 911.
(WSB photo: June 3rd raid at 28th/Yancy)
Six months after police raided an indoor marijuana farm in North Delridge, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged its owner with three felonies. This was originally reported in a Seattle Times (WSB partner) story that a WSB reader pointed out to us; we have since obtained the court documents.
After the June 3rd raid at the building alongside Longfellow Creek at 28th/SW Yancy, we spoke by phone with owner Matthew Segal, who told us in that interview that he had been growing 2,500 plants, of which police allowed him to keep 45. At the time, he owned two medical-marijuana dispensaries under the Rain City name, and told us he had been growing at the North Delridge site for three years (records showed he had bought it for a million dollars last March). Police said they also raided two houses, one in the Morgan Junction area.
The charges filed Wednesday against Segal and four others, all described as having no criminal history, allege violations of the state’s Uniform Controlled Substances Act – three charges against Segal, one each against four people alleged to have been working for him, “paid to maintain the marijuana grows, receiving salaries and a share of profit from the sales.”
One week has now gone by since WSDOT disclosed new “settling” of, and near, the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the hole being dug to reach the Highway 99 tunneling machine for repairs.
After the ensuing week of various updates, discoveries, and concerns, today’s update is out, and in it, WSDOT says “to date, no significant settlement has been observed beyond the initial settlement we reported publicly on Dec. 5. The viaduct remains safe for travel.” The update also says that so far, ground-based radar hasn’t shown any “voids” under the crack scrutinized on King St. in Pioneer Square on Thursday. (E-mail from WSDOT to reporters adds, “The crack in the middle of King Street has been there for some time, as seen in a Google Maps picture from 2011. Given the absence of prior settlement data on this particular street, it may take a while to fully understand what may have caused pavement to shift.)
Meantime, the City Council‘s agenda for next Monday morning has been revised to start with WSDOT execs’ updating the council on the “settling” at 9:30 am, followed by a 9:50 am discussion with state and city officials about what would happen if the Viaduct had to be closed, short term or long term. The agenda section for the latter item includes this existing document that discusses closure in the context of an earthquake.
HomeStreet Bank is celebrating its 1st anniversary at 40th/Alaska in The Junction, and Santa was the star of the party (pictured above, manager Melodie Van Houten with “Santa Al”). They’re just wrapping up three hours of free photos, photographed by longtime local pro Gail Ann. A decoration on the tree caught our attention:
We’re told that little Seahawks “piggy bank” is available if you stop by and show a ticket to a Seahawks home game – if you hadn’t already figured out from Melodie’s jersey (it is “Blue Friday,” after all), the ‘Hawks are big at HomeStreet – you can also get team-themed checks and cards.
P.S. Next place to see “Santa Al” – JF Henry Cooking & Dining (4445 California SW; WSB sponsor) 10 am-1 pm tomorrow (Saturday, December 13th), bring your own camera, or $5 without one.
(WSB photo from Thursday – part of the tank pit’s new slab)
The big pour is over, but two more notable pours are on the way for the Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project million-gallon-storage-tank site across from Lowman Beach. The 17-foot-thick slab that will hold the tank is now in place; the county’s update today says two smaller pours are set for December 23rd and 29th, with 10 trucks an hour, half the volume of the three-day slab pour last Friday and this past Tuesday and Wednesday. The county also wants people in the area to know that there will be Saturday work on December 20th, for rebar installation and form-building to shape the bottom of the tank. The project will be idle on Christmas and New Year’s Day, according to the calendar on its main webpage. The project continues to have a 24-hour hotline for problems/concerns: 206-205-9186.
Today, we welcome the Endolyne Children’s Choir to the WSB sponsor team. It’s a busy season for the choir, which performed at last Saturday’s West Seattle Junction Tree Lighting and will sing at the Alki Christmas Ship celebration tomorrow (plus a morning concert). They’re welcoming new members, too! Here’s what the choir wants you to know:
The Endolyne Children’s Choir is a non-audition community choir, serving the greater West Seattle area since 2003. Our choristers will learn fundamentals of music theory and vocal training. They enjoy multiple performance opportunities throughout the year, including our spring musical.
Under the direction of Amy Bokanev, ECC provides a fun environment that promotes music appreciation and confidence through performing. All boys and girls grades K-10 who like to sing are welcome. Our Mission: Teaching the joy of singing in a community setting that fosters self-confidence, teamwork, and a lifelong appreciation of music.
Interested members are invited to observe a rehearsal at any time. Stop in on a Tuesday night. Visit our website for rehearsal times and location: endolynechoir.org
We thank the Endolyne Children’s Choir for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
12:19 PM: SDOT is “shelving” its unpopular proposal to reroute Metro‘s RapidRide C Line onto California between Alaska and Edmunds. That’s the word from City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, with whom we just spoke. He says he asked the department to stop pursuing the plan, and that SDOT agreed, which he says is “a real win for the community.” While SDOT had said one minute would be saved each trip by moving the buses onto that block, instead of jogging westward from Edmunds to 44th and then eastward on Alaska, we’ve covered two public discussions at which multiple concerns were raised, with alternative time-savings suggested. The most recent discussion was this past Tuesday at the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s monthly meeting (WSB coverage here), during which opponents of the proposal said a lot more could be done by fulfilling the longtime promise to get transit-signal prioritization along the route.
We first reported the reroute proposal four months ago; its first public airing was at November’s meeting of the Southwest District Council (WSB coverage here), where commenters also voiced a host of concerns.
ADDED 2:03 PM: An official statement from Rasmussen was sent from City Hall, including:
“I appreciate that the Department is working to improve reliability of busses through West Seattle. However, it is important that transit efficiencies not have a negative effect on our business districts or major pedestrian areas such as the Junction. Improved bus service will be coming to West Seattle in June because of the passage of Proposition 1 without changing the C Line route as has been proposed by SDOT.”
(Rendering by SMR Architects, looking at project from the southwest)
New on the Southwest Design Review Board calendar: 4106 Delridge Way SW, a project that went on hold after its first SWDRB review six years ago. It’s set to go before the board on January 15th, still described as:
… a five-story structure containing 4,000 sq. ft. of retail at ground level and 36 residential units above in an environmentally critical area. Parking for 39 vehicles to be located within the structure.
The site is vacant land at Delridge/Dakota, zoned NC1-40. We covered its October 2008 design review in the second half of this report. It’s changed architects in the interim; SMR Architects is the firm that put together the packet for the upcoming meeting, and it’s already online:
The January 15th meeting is scheduled for 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (Oregon/California).
(©2014 – Eric Shalit, www.boxturtledesign.com – taken 5:30 pm Thursday)
Our spotlight photo today is from “the calm before the storm,” but as we look ahead, the weather’s calmed down and we’re headed into another big holiday weekend. Most of what’s below is from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide – which lists what’s up through New Year’s – but we also have highlights from our regular ongoing calendar:
LITTLE PILGRIM SCHOOL TOY DRIVE: The Holiday Guide features a growing list of giving opportunities, but some are in their final days, like this one. Today is the final day of the Little Pilgrim preschoolers’ collection of toys to donate to the Salvation Army – you are invited to help by dropping off toys at Fauntleroy Church. (9140 California SW)
FREE PROFESSIONAL SANTA PHOTOS AND MORE @ HOMESTREET: HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) celebrates its one-year anniversary in West Seattle today, 3-6 pm, featuring free professional photos (courtesy of Gail Ann Photography) with Santa Al, a hot cocoa bar, warm apple cider, holiday treats and more! Please bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the West Seattle Food Bank. (41st/Alaska)
LAFAYETTE CRAFT FAIR: Tonight, a unique chance to shop for student-made gifts and decorations – it’s the Lafayette Elementary Craft Fair – and the community is invited!
(Some of the creations you’ll find available for purchase – photo courtesy Edgar Riebe)
The fair is on from 5-8 pm. (California/Lander)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL, WSHS VS. SEALTH: 6:30 pm at West Seattle High School, it’s the only scheduled matchup this season between the WSHS and Chief Sealth International High School girls-varsity basketball teams. Fill the gym to cheer them on! (3000 California SW)
DENNY POSADA: Posada Navideña at 6:30 pm at Denny International Middle School, as tweeted:
Don't forget to join us this Friday 12/12 at 6:30pm for the annual Denny Posada @westseattleblog @seapubschools pic.twitter.com/eGKexbt9MX
— Patricia J Rangel (@dennydolphinap) December 9, 2014
(2601 SW Kenyon)
‘THE CHRISTMAS POST’: All are welcome at the annual dessert-theater show at Westwood Christian Community. 7 pm. Admission free, as are the desserts. (9252 16th SW)
BELLS OF THE SOUND: Come see and hear Puget Sound’s premier handbell ensemble, Bells of the Sound, at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor), 7:30 pm. This year’s holiday concert is themed “A Winter’s Night.” Find show and ticket details here. (3940 41st SW)
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS: 7:30 pm, “Celebrate!” is West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ first of two seasonal concerts – WSCO Symphony Orchestra and Wind Symphony at Chief Sealth International High School auditorium – program details in our calendar listing. (2600 SW Thistle)
‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’: Join Twelfth Night Productions this holiday season for “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.”
(Photo courtesy Twelfth Night Productions)
Showtime tonight is 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall. Buy your ticket(s) online at brownpapertickets.com/event/917572 or an hour before showtime at the venue box office. (7904 35th SW)
P.S. If you’re shopping tonight/this weekend for your Christmas tree, locations are listed in the Holiday Guide, including this one with just a few days to go:
HOLY ROSARY TREE LOT’S FINAL WEEKEND: Until 9 pm tonight, the last Friday night for the Holy Rosary Tree Lot (WSB sponsor), north of the school. Part of this lot’s proceeds benefit West Seattle Helpline, Hickman House (domestic-violence shelter), and West Seattle Food Bank. (41st/Dakota)
MORE FOR TONIGHT AND BEYOND … on our calendar!
9:52 AM: So far we haven’t heard of any major damage in West Seattle resulting from last night’s wind, but we did find out this morning about another tree that came down – this one behind C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). Barista George tells us it fell around closing time last night; no one was hurt. We’ll be checking back later on their removal plans; C & P has an arts-and-crafts fair scheduled both days this weekend – indoors, but take note you might only be able to enter from the front door.
11:28 AM UPDATE: Just checked back – cleanup is actually proceeding quickly. Proprietors Cameron and Pete have chainsaw-and-pickup-equipped friends helping:
They’re feeling lucky the tree fell northward, missing nearby structures, including the classic Craftsman that houses their shop.
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
No major problems lingering in West Seattle from last night’s wind, and nothing major on the routes through/from here either, so far.
WEEKEND ALERT FOR 35TH SW: One more reminder that you’ll want to avoid 35th SW between Avalon and Alaska tomorrow and at least part of Sunday – the road is scheduled to be closed for tower-crane installation. From the contractor:
We are approved by the City of Seattle to close all 4 lanes on 35th AVE SW adjacent our jobsite (4435 35th Ave) to erect our tower crane. The plan is to roll on site at 5:30 am Saturday with our mobile crane so we can start work by 8:00 am. Weather permitting, we’ll have the crane put together on Saturday and come back Sunday to remove our mobile crane. Though we are permitted to work until 10 PM with the lane closures, we are confident (weather permitting) we will be out of there by noon. Again, we apologize in advance for any inconveniences this may cause to your weekend commutes.
This means Saturday/Sunday reroutes for Metro Route 21, Route 50, and RapidRide C Line – details here.
12:57 AM: A big Seattle Fire response is arriving at the 3900 block of SW Holden in Gatewood (map). It was described as a suspected roof fire; first units arriving aren’t seeing anything.
1 AM: They’re checking the attic, but report that it might just be “an overheated light fixture.” Some of the arriving units are being canceled.
1:09 AM: They’re now checking to be sure there’s not a smoldering fire in the ceiling.
1:11 AM: Minutes later, that’s what they’ve found, a small “smoldering fire in insulation … knob and tube wiring.”
1:19 AM: They’ve re-assessed the fire at 3′ x 3′ and declared it “under control.”
(RESOURCES: Outage? Call City Light: 206-684-3000 … 7:36 PM: Tree/debris on road/sidewalk? Call SDOT: 206-684-ROAD)
(Added: Big branch down on SW Cloverdale in Westwood outage area, south of ex-Denny site)
7:36 PM: The wind’s been steadily strengthening for a while, so we’re officially opening storm coverage. Here’s what well-known weather analyst Cliff Mass is saying in his “nowcast,” for starters: Likely peaking 10 pm-ish. We hope the wind will pass through without power outages, downed trees, or other trouble, but if something does happen in your neighborhood, please let us know (after you’ve notified authorities, etc.) – comment here, or use our voice/text hotline 206-293-6302, or e-mail editor@westseattleblog.com.
8:05 PM: Checking the City Light outage map, looks like we have our first power-less pocket of note – 88 customers east of 35th, centered mostly around SW Trenton. SCL says a tree is to blame.
8:44 PM: Back from checking the outage zone. Added photo of a tree-size branch down on SW Cloverdale just east of 30th SW. The gusts are intermittent, no really strong sustained wind while we were out.
9:13 PM: No new reports of trouble around here. North Seattle seems to be getting hit harder – but this hasn’t peaked around here just yet, the weather experts say. Still, it’s not exactly a mild breeze – the top-of-hour numbers, for example, show Alki Point with sustained winds at 38, gusting to 52 (look for K91S here).
9:46 PM: No new outages in West Seattle/White Center, and the one north of Westwood is down to 57 customers. In the rest of the city, 12,000 homes/businesses are out, and tens of thousands more around the region. Note – our Lost/Found Pets page is busier than usual tonight; if you have lost or found a pet, send info, and photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com and we’ll post it. Just added a dog found in North Admiral, and about to add a dog lost in Highland Park.
10:48 PM: Still on watch – but for West Seattle, tonight, so far, no news is good news.
1:16 AM: One more small West Seattle pocket without power – shown on the SCL map as seven residences, at 35th/Marine View Drive and just southeast in Seola. The wind hasn’t entirely quieted yet – at the top of the hour, Alki Point clocked 33 mph sustained, 51 mph gusts.
2:57 AM: The wind warning is no longer in effect. Only weather alert that IS, is a “special weather statement” warning of increased landslide risk today, with all the rain we’ve had.
The tech-teach-in Hour of Code came to Sanislo Elementary this afternoon.
Librarian Craig Seasholes already was planning to work with fourth and fifth graders – and then he got word of a special visitor:
Tanya Parker (above left) is the International Program Manager at Code.org and also an engineer on its product team.
Students heard about her work and also did some work of their own, programming with computers and iPads, working with drag-and-drop programs that could show them the underlying code, too. West Seattle’s school-board representative Marty McLaren was there to see them work.
Hour of Code isn’t a single day or a single hour, but it’s focused on this particular week (which happens to be Computer Science Education Week) this year, as explained on its website, which says it’s “a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries” – not just kids, but anybody “4 to 104.” The main point: Learning something about coding isn’t just for people planning to focus on computer science – it can help us all with problem-solving and with being ready for just about any field of work.
Busy news day, so we didn’t get to publish the usual daily list of calendar highlights (you don’t ever have to wait for our list, though – the calendar looks ahead days/weeks/months, 24/7). But since the expected wind isn’t here yet – still a few hours away – here are a few things you might want to check out:
WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: Holiday edition, 6-9 pm. Map/venue list is above; artist previews are on the official website.
DELRIDGE GROCERY BENEFIT AT SKYLARK: Starting at 7 pm, part of tonight’s beer sales at Skylark go to the Delridge Grocery project, and DG reps will be there to sign up new members – they only need a few dozen, we’re told, to hit the next milestone toward opening the store in North Delridge next year. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
THE TEA PARTY AT EASY STREET: 7 pm, free in-store concert; details on Easy Street’s website.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports, starting with another case of a stolen holiday decoration:
#1 – Ann-Marie says her 4-year-old daughter is broken-hearted after someone stole her 5-foot-tall decorative snowman from their front yard in Arbor Heights sometime Wednesday. Here’s what “Monroe” the snowman looks like. “Please bring him back. Our daughter is so upset.”
#2 – Chance‘s car was broken into, back window shattered, sometime during the day Wednesday near the 15th/Roxbury Walgreens. “My SUV has an alarm; didn’t deter them.”
#3 – Meredith reports car break-ins north of Morgan Junction last night:
I just wanted to let you know that last night there were two cars (could be more) in my lot on the corner of Juneau and California were broken into and all of its contents stolen. It’s an apartment complex and has happened twice in the last 6 months. They were able to disconnect my stereo system and break in with the doors locked. Just wanted to give a heads up in case anyone else in the neighborhood has any information or also had their cars broken into.
If your car was broken into but nothing taken, please be sure to report it to police anyway so at least there’ll be accurate stats of what’s happening – you can even do it online.
P.S. Right after we published this, Becky sent an alert about suspicious activity on Beach Drive, so we’ve added it:
We live on Beach Drive, near Cormorant (Cove) Park. My husband was up early Wednesday morning (4:30 am) when he saw a couple of people looking in the windows of parked cars, including a UHaul van parked in the parking lot of the condos out on the pier. The individuals hadn’t done anything criminal but were acting suspiciously. He startled them by saying Good Morning, and they quickly moved on. Again there wasn’t anything to report to the police but we thought the neighborhood should be made aware of this early morning activity and keep an eye out for anything else that is unusual.
As we e-mailed back, police *do* encourage calls about suspicious activity – if they are too busy with major incidents to respond, the dispatcher will say so, but do make a call.
(SCROLL DOWN for newest updates)
2:58 PM: That map (click the image to see the full-size version) is the main Alaskan Way Viaduct/Highway 99 Tunnel update so far today, six days after first word that some areas in the vicinity have “settled” more than an inch. You might have seen a version of the map on Publicola this morning; the version released by WSDOT this afternoon has added context and a slightly different color scheme. It shows settling of almost an inch and a half in some areas, but does not show the areas of “uneven” settling, says WSDOT, and the text of their update makes it clear this does not show what’s happened on The Viaduct itself:
Crews from WSDOT and Seattle Tunnel Partners are conducting ongoing surveys of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and ground to determine whether settlement is continuing near the SR 99 tunnel access pit. In general, the surveys include:
Twice daily manual measurements at the bottom of both the east and west columns of the viaduct.
Approximately every other day measurements of deep survey points. These are survey points more than 80 feet underground.Ground surveys of sidewalks and streets from Alaskan Way to Second Avenue and from Yesler Way to South King Street. Some areas are surveyed twice a day; other areas are surveyed once every two to three days.
Surveys of some buildings. Data is collected both manually and automatically and monitored daily.
The data from the ground surveys and deep survey points are represented on a survey point data map. This map does not represent data from building surveys or the surveys of the viaduct.
The map is a computer-generated approximation to show visually the survey results that were shared with the public on Dec. 5, which indicates approximately 1.4 inches of ground settlement near the access pit and a lesser amount of settlement in the surrounding area. It does not show differential settlement, which is uneven settlement that occurs underneath a particular building or structure.
Lastly, the map does not present conclusions about the effect of dewatering. Additionally, the colors have been modified to better show the change in settlement from high to low.
We asked WSDOT earlier today if the tunnel contractor was continuing with access-pit digging, estimated two days ago to have another day to go before they reached a point where they’d stop to evaluate. The reply said only that the December 9th update still applied. We’ve been watching the “live” construction camera, and the excavation equipment does seem to have been in action as the day goes on.
ADDED 4:15 PM: New development – a crack in King St. downtown, not far east of the “rescue pit.” A briefing by the mayor is expected soon.
For the first time in a while, the Seattle Design Commission has a West Seattle project on its agenda. At 9 am next Thursday – December 18th – the commission will be checking in on the “public benefit” program promised by The Whittaker (under construction at 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW) as required for its alley vacation (explained here). The SDC reviewed the project four times last year before giving its blessing; here’s our coverage of the final meeting, including links to the three before it. Next Thursday’s meeting is open to the public, in the Boards/Commissions Room at City Hall downtown.
We’re continuing to share local holiday giving opportunities, both via the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide and via spotlights like this one, received from Schmitz Park Elementary 1st-grade teacher Emily Veling and librarian Lesley Vannini, both advisers to the SPES Student Council:
Student Council members at Schmitz Park Elementary have been busy organizing, marketing, and supporting a holiday donation drive. One of our goals at Schmitz Park is serving our community, and we hope to do this by collecting new toys to help foster kids through Treehouse. These young leaders hope to help all kids have a special holiday season. So far, we have collected hundreds of gifts for our community.
Read more about the Schmitz Park Student Council effort – and see more photos – in this story on the Treehouse website. You can drop off toys for the drive at Schmitz Park (5000 SW Spokane) through next Monday (December 15th).
(WSB photo, added Thursday afternoon)
If you don’t often check the schedule for West Seattle’s historic Admiral Theater, you might not have noticed yet, but the success of the “Interstellar” premiere run is bringing more first-run movies to The Admiral.
One big example: “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” (trailer above) is on the way, starting December 16. As for the theater’s future – very much up in the air as of our update last month – the latest is that the current management is “in talks with the landlord to move forward with the lease toward a hopeful renovation.” Stand by for updates.
P.S. Following up on a reader question, we asked theater manager Dinah Brein if they’re planning a Christmas movie again this year. Doesn’t look like it, she says, given how busy they’ve been with all of the above, but she’s expecting to have a holiday donation drive of some sort later this month.
(Added: Photo from Alki this morning, by Brian Youngstrom)
Minutes ago, the National Weather Service upgraded the weather alert for this afternoon/evening to a “high wind warning.” It’ll officially be in effect 4 pm-4 am, but the wind isn’t expected to hit our area until after 6 pm. The NWS says the wind is expected to rise to south/southwest 25-40 mph, with gusts possible to 60. Read the full alert here.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 9:30 AM: What’s officially on the city Department of Planning and Development books as “Director’s Rule 11-2012 Parking Reductions Based on Frequent Transit Service” is getting a rewrite. This city policy is the reason some development projects in recent years – here and elsewhere in the city – have been approved to be built with few or no offstreet-parking spaces. If you’ve never read it, see it here or below:
A notice in today’s city Land Use Information Bulletin says that because of a “recent” decision by the city Hearing Examiner, DPD proposes to rescind (cancel) this rule “and write a new one in 2015.” Which decision? The notice doesn’t say; we’re inquiring with DPD. But we wouldn’t be surprised to hear it’s the one we reported on December 1st, involving the Neighbors Encouraging Reasonable Development (NERD) appeal of 3078 SW Avalon Way – since parking figured into the challenge and the decision. We’ll add anything more we find out from DPD.
5:35 PM: DPD spokesperson Bryan Stevens has replied to our questions:
Yes, the notice which proposes to rescind Director’s Rule 11-2012 is related to the recent Hearing Examiner decision on the proposal at 3078 SW Avalon Way. It may have been a little premature though, as the Hearing Examiner’s decision isn’t final until the appeal period on that decision has lapsed, which is December 22. However, our proposal to rescind would not occur until sometime after December 26, after taking public comments.
The Hearing Examiner took issue with the averaging technique allowed in Director’s Rule 11-2012, a method sometimes used by applicants to demonstrate whether their site was located close to frequent transit service, thus not requiring parking if located within an urban village. The Hearing Examiner felt the averaging technique within the rule allowed too much leeway in how to determine if a site was located near frequent transit service compared to what the actual code required. Projects under review still have the ability to apply the Director’s Rule while it’s in effect. However, those few projects that may currently be applying the averaging technique shown in the rule will be advised of the recent Hearing Examiner’s decision and could be at risk of a similar appeal.
However, the frequent transit service parking reduction will continue to remain in effect within the Land Use Code. To qualify under the existing code definition, an area must have transit service headways in at least one direction of 15 minutes or less for at least 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, and transit service headways of 30 minutes or less for at least 18 hours every day. Most projects within an urban village apply this method, which may be the only method for demonstrating frequent transit service if the Director’s Rule is rescinded.
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