Permit-less parking-lot paving torn out in North Delridge

| Delridge | West Seattle news

Don’t know how many days ago this happened, but we just noticed it today while turning around in the SW Yancy dead-end adjacent to Longfellow Creek, across from Allstar Fitness – the asphalt-topped parking lot installed after an old industrial facility was torn down has been torn out. Now the lot is just dirt. Checking the city’s online file, repeated violation notices were issued because the parking lot (“more than 2,000 square feet of impervious surface”), the city says, was installed without a permit. The removal was done with a permit, which was “finaled” by a city inspector yesterday (and there also was a permit for last year’s demolition of the buildings on the site). There have been previous proposals for new commercial buildings on the site, but none appears to be active right now.

Curious March 14, 2013 (4:27 pm)

I have noticed a strange smell which I believe is eminating from the building next to this lot. Is it truly Washingtom State Apple Growers? Pretty strong in the mornings.

WS Taxpayer March 14, 2013 (5:23 pm)

Cool – now we’ll have a big patch of weed covered dirt that will likely not be maintained. I’d love to see a picture of this plot in 3 months…

Either way, I guess you still can park there if you don’t mind getting your car dirty.

Mary March 14, 2013 (7:24 pm)

Shoot. I could have been a hot-tipper if I’d realized this was news! It’s been a couple of weeks, I think, since they took the backhoe to the asphalt.

Mamie March 14, 2013 (7:25 pm)

I get to look at this every day.

sophista-tiki March 14, 2013 (7:44 pm)

OMG, Provide some parking so people can take the bus across the bridge instead of driving, HOW DARE THEY! Wont be too much longer before that entire area is blighted with multi story condo problems. GOD FORBID a single family home exist when 500 people could be shoved into the same amount of space,,,,, with no parking.

sara March 14, 2013 (8:07 pm)

I really liked that parking lot.

Bill at Duwamish Head March 14, 2013 (9:14 pm)

So,
They unpaved a parking lot,
and
put up a paradise?

Ajax March 14, 2013 (9:25 pm)

Well played, Bill at Duwamish Head. Well played.

Down In Delridge March 14, 2013 (9:52 pm)

Glad to see that this issue was resolved and that DPD took the owner to task. The owner was warned that what they were doing by building a parking lot required a permit due to all the stormwater runoff they were to be dumping into Longfellow Creek. They didn’t listen, hence they were forced to tear it out.
–
The fence that this same owner installed on Parks Department land is the next thing they will have to rip out. Parks Department land means my land, and your land, not private land. Again, the owner was warned to do a survey before they put up the fence, but they didn’t listen, or didn’t care. Looks like maybe next time they will follow the rules, or pay the price.

WSB March 15, 2013 (12:43 am)

Mary – Yes, you’d be surprised what’s news :) Sorry if it’s old news to some, but I recalled the concern that Down in Delridge mentions and thought it was worth noting even though we weren’t sure how “new” it was. We often travel that dead end because Stor-More houses our mail drop, and while we don’t often make mailbox stops together, somebody goes a few times a week and when I looked over today and said hey, what happened to the parking lot? co-publisher thought it had happened in recent days. Oh well. Just not every day you see a parking lot get torn out. P.S. Any time you see something that MIGHT be news, we’d rather hear and say “nahh” than not hear at all. 206-293-6302 any time or editor@westseattleblog.com…

Cary March 15, 2013 (5:40 am)

From the appearance in the photo looks like they will now be getting mud runoff into Longfellow Creek …

AE March 15, 2013 (9:57 am)

Thanks, Down in Delridge. This issue was that it was done without a permit, no stormwater control in place. That equals toxins (parking lots generate a lot) to the creek. The removal, you might note, was done WITH a permit, which means BMPs and TESC (look them up) were employed.
.
I’m surprised how reactionary people here are about this!

cranky Westie March 15, 2013 (12:05 pm)

Another treasured West Seattle landmark destroyed. Sure it was only a couple of months old and an illegal parking lot with potentially toxic run off and an ecological mess with misplaced fencing but it was a cultural touchstone to our shared nightmare of poorly thought out development of the early twenty-teens. What will our future generations have to judge our poor taste and ugliness now? Oh well I guess we will always have Youngstown Flats. E Pluribis Coyote.

WSB March 15, 2013 (12:08 pm)

Always a joy to hear from Cranky Westie. We are in fact off to YF momentarily to photograph a sculpture installation.

NeighborMom March 15, 2013 (12:55 pm)

Fascinating. Saw the demo, then the lot, then the use by Allstar members, then the addition of chains and padlocks, now demo. Fastest life cycle I’ve ever seen.

cranky Westie March 15, 2013 (5:33 pm)

Lucky WSB! One can only imagine the global threat to good taste and sobriety that Youngstown Flats public art might present. Possibly a life-sized tribute to Mayor McBeard and the Zombie corpse of Ivar Haglund Greco-Roman wrestling an inflatable Sasquatch? Possibly too high concept and offensive to Sasquatch enthusiasts and seafood consumers, not to mention the mayor (who by most odds-makers would potentially lose such a match, 7-5, unless Ivar lost a zombified limb or the Sasquatch were filled with helium). Modern art is fraught with hysterical speculation. I’m sleeping the Trader Joes garage tonight, because these ideas frighten me.

CJ March 15, 2013 (5:52 pm)

LOL, cranky Westie (re:your first post). I can’t believe people are lamenting the loss of pavement.

WSB March 15, 2013 (5:59 pm)

To the person worried about runoff – we drove by again this afternoon and noted that there appears to be black plastic/fabric barrier along the bottom of the fence on the east side of the now-dirt lot alongside the creek. I have no idea if that’s appropriate, adequate, etc. but there does appear to be something in place at least now to address that concern. Just wasn’t in the angle from which we caught an on-the-run view yesterday before writing about this – TR

timh2o March 15, 2013 (9:09 pm)

Not only did was the project built without permit it extended into city right way. the big concern its right above a fish bearing stream with no pollution concern.

Creekside March 16, 2013 (11:48 am)

WSB & Cary – The black fabric on the downslope portion of the property is a filter-fence and is part of DPD’s requirement for Temporary Erosion Sediment Control (TESC) during the asphalt parking lot removal process.
Info on TESC’s and Best Management Practices may be found here: http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/codes/dr/dr2009-16.pdf
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There are so many things wrong and illegal with how this entire property has been managed over the years it is ridiculous. The owner has proven themselves over and over to be rogue. They were given an opportunity to do the right thing but they shined a number of neighborhood people on who tried to counsel them. They didn’t care. If they, or anyone other property owner in North Delridge tries to pull this kind of crap again be assured they will be reported and forced to comply with all land use and building codes. We have come to far in this neighborhood to let these jerks run roughshod over Longfellow Creek or our housing and building stock.
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The possible movement of what was a major pot grow operation from the old, demolished building into the remaining building on the site is next on the list to be checked with the City in terms of making sure it is compliance with the new WA state law regarding pot grow operations. If it isn’t, it is going away to.

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