The Southwest Design Review Board got its first look tonight at the 150~-apartment project proposed for 4745 40th SW – and asked the development team to take a second pass at Early Design Guidance. Bottom line: This means the project will be reviewed at least two more times.

As summarized toward the end of the two-hour meeting, with more than two dozen people in attendance, board members were particularly concerned with its ground floor and how its live-work units and lobby will relate to the new city park that’ll be on the north side of the site, among other factors. Most of those who commented on the project tonight identified themselves as residents of a condo building facing the sharply upward-sloped west edge of this project’s site; one noted that the parcel, part of which now holds a two-story office building, was zoned for four stories until a few years ago. (Now it’s partly zoned for six stories, partly for eight.)

Board members want the developers, Encore Architects and purchasers Alliance Residential, to also reconsider the massing options and the project’s relationship with the alley from which its parking garage will be entered, among other aspects. (It was also mentioned tonight that the project plans .7-.8 of a parking space per unit, though its location near the RapidRide bus line means it is not required to offer any parking.)

The project’s early-design “packet” was revised before the meeting, making changes to what had been made available via the city website, and we’ve been provided with a new copy – see it here. If you couldn’t make the meeting, the city planner assigned to the project, Bruce Rips, continues to accept comments, on issues beyond design too; bruce.rips@seattle.gov.