West Seattle development: Backhoe appears at 24th SW subdivision-proposal site; elsewhere, 6 teardown plans

More development notes tonight, starting with something of a followup to last Thursday’s public-comment meeting about the 6536 24th SW subdivision proposal (WSB coverage here):

Neighbors say that backhoe was dropped off at the site this morning; we went over to take that photo shortly after hearing about it. There are no current permits for work on the site, as you can see on the city webpage for the address. The site includes land the city considers an Environmentally Critical Area, so if anything is started, neighbors vow to call police. The site’s owner is asking the city for approval to split two lots into eight, and has drawn up plans to follow that up with single-family houses. As city planners told those in attendance Thursday night, they are still waiting for the owner’s replies to “correction” notices they have issued (all readable here). We first reported on the subdivision proposal back in December and about neighbors’ concerns in January.

Tonight’s other West Seattle development notes start with another backhoe sighting, this one WITH a permit:

Demolition is expected any day at 4808 SW Alaska, the 88-year-old house that was once Fraker’s Grocery and is now making way for a single-family house. We last wrote about it in December, and commenters shared memories; we had also featured the site in a then-and-now report six years ago.

OTHER TEARDOWNS: Looking at the city Department of Planning and Development‘s online files, a few other demolition permits have been filed for in the past week or so – one big, others smaller. Teardown/redevelopment activity is definitely on the rise for sites of all sizes:

4745 40TH SW: The ’80s-era office building here will be torn down to make way for the 135-apartment, 115-parking-space development that finished going through Design Review in December. Here’s the demolition-permit application.

4522 DELRIDGE WAY SW: Four houses are planned at this teardown site.

6780 48th SW: This 93-year-old house near Lowman Beach will be torn down and replaced with a new single-family house. Here’s the demolition-permit application.

6008 44TH SW: This 96-year-old Seaview house will be torn down and replaced with a new single-family house. Here’s the demolition-permit application.

8313 CALIFORNIA SW: A new single-family house is proposed to replace this 73-year-old Gatewood house.

RESEARCH TIP: If it’s not already in your bookmarks, this is the link to use to find out what if anything is proposed for any given address in Seattle.

9 Replies to "West Seattle development: Backhoe appears at 24th SW subdivision-proposal site; elsewhere, 6 teardown plans"

  • jissy March 23, 2014 (10:29 am)

    The 48th Ave. SW house was torn down MONTHS ago and temp. electric pole installed at that time.

    • WSB March 23, 2014 (10:37 am)

      That’s odd … as you can see on the link, the permit application is dated Friday (in the city system, anyway), and it doesn’t say anything like “retroactive.” Looking at the online DPD file, they were working through a variety of “corrections” (involving an Environmentally Critical Area) as recently as last month – at least for the official building permit. – TR

  • wetone March 23, 2014 (11:02 am)

    Houses on 55th 2500 block (Alki) were knocked down last week also, getting ready for row house project.

    • WSB March 23, 2014 (11:08 am)

      Definitely lots of demolition permits already granted and in waiting. These just happen to be the ones filed last week – and 4808 Alaska, which has been on our watch list.

  • Azimuth March 23, 2014 (2:02 pm)

    There’s a few houses on my block I can recommend for demolition if the backhoe guy doesn’t fully satisfy his demolishing quota.

  • DSchmitz March 24, 2014 (11:34 am)

    Well, here we go: they’re running a backhoe over the property today with no permits in place.

    • WSB March 24, 2014 (11:44 am)

      DS – we got another call from the neighbors and apparently this has something to do with soil sampling re: the former alleged meth house on site.

  • Heather Wiker March 24, 2014 (3:25 pm)

    I hope they do some soil sampling regarding the former meth house on the site. However, that was not what is occuring today.

    Call off the neighbors… I’d like to thank neighbors for their vigilance and follow-through today. The DPD received several complaints as soon as work started on the property this morning.

    Although we are still very concerned about the backhoe digging holes all over the property, the DPD did a great job of responding very quickly this morning. They came out and spoke with the property owner, who stated that he is digging holes for the DPD Correction Notice required Geotechnical survey.

    So, while we are not happy about the soil disturbance in the ECA, we are back to monitoring and reporting mode, rather than mobilizing and filing DPD complaints mode.

    The DPD determination regarding today’s complaint is here: http://web1.seattle.gov/DPD/permitstatus/Project.aspx?id=49560

    It says:

    Service Request # 49560
    Address: 6536 24th Ave SW

    Ordinance: VIOLATION OF BUILDING OR OTHER DEVELOPMENT CODE

    Case Status: NO VIOLATION

    Inspector: MOORE, ROGER

    Notes: Per 3/24/14 DPD inspection, Geotechnical engineer is onsite digging test holes for engineering report.

    Resolution Date: Mar 24, 2014

  • natinstl March 24, 2014 (7:36 pm)

    For once I am happen to see a house go. The one in Seaview is around the block from me and has been an eyesore for quite a while. Not sure what happened to it, fire?

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