West Seattle development: See the design packet for 1307 Harbor SW, ex-Alki Tavern site, before next week’s Design Review

(From cover of Miller-Hull Partnership design packet for 1307 Harbor SW, showing project outline)
Both design packets are out now for next Thursday’s Southwest Design Review Board doubleheader. The first meeting (6:30 pm Thursday, April 3rd) is for 3210 California, and we reported eight days ago on its revised design. Now, the packet is out for the second project of the night (8 pm Thursday), 1307 Harbor SW, the site including the former Alki Tavern. We showed an early rendering here back on March 3rd; the official packet can be seen here. One feature that stands out: A potential hillclimb between California Way and Harbor Avenue. The packet also lists the toplines:

Development Objectives:
• 100,000 square foot mixed-use structure containing approximately:
– 21 residential apartments, totaling about 25,400 square feet
– 11,800 square feet of commercial office space
– 7,500 square feet of light manufacturing
– 6,700 square feet of ground floor retail
– 4,200 square feet of restaurant
– 41 parking spaces below grade, totaling approximately 14,400 square feet

Because of the varying grade on the site, it would rise 70 feet from ground level at Harbor Avenue, the packet says. Review for yourself, and if you have something to say about the design – this is the early stage, where height/size/shape are the focus – say it during the public-comment period at the meeting, Thursday, April 3rd, 8 pm, at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon).

12 Replies to "West Seattle development: See the design packet for 1307 Harbor SW, ex-Alki Tavern site, before next week's Design Review"

  • unknown March 29, 2014 (7:24 am)

    OH BROTHER!

  • sna March 29, 2014 (8:03 am)

    California Way is a designated scenic drive.

    http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~scripts/nph-brs.exe?d=CODE&s1=25.05.675.snum.&Sect5=CODE1&Sect6=HITOFF&l=20&p=1&u=/~public/code1.htm&r=1&f=G

    However, the city has long neglected its responsibility to protect scenic drives and viewpoints via vegentation management so why block this project.

  • Marty March 29, 2014 (9:15 am)

    At least they have parking…

  • Acer macro March 29, 2014 (9:28 am)

    Parking below the waterline…

  • Vanessa March 29, 2014 (10:03 am)

    How safe is that hillside behind them?

  • dawsonct March 29, 2014 (10:51 am)

    Oh GREAT, how uninspired! Just a dotted outline for a building!? How do they expect people to live in that? And where are they all going to park!?
    I wish there had been a law passed to never allow West Seattle to change. Ever. At least since the time I moved here 5,10,50 years ago.

    Has anyone heard if they are going to open a Trader Joe’s in Morgan Junction? It’s SUCH a hassle getting into the parking lots at the Fauntleroy Joe’s.

  • dawsonct March 29, 2014 (11:09 am)

    Vanessa, the one immediately behind the project will probably be quite stable with a retaining wall and what I have to imagine are some pretty deeply drilled anchors.
    However, as we saw recently near Oso, our bluffs are fairly unstable in a geologic sense. The likelihood is we will see similar landslides coming off the bluffs of West Seattle at some points in the future, and if the one above that part of Harbor/California gave way, it would certainly bury all that is below, no matter how well the part of the hillside directly behind the building is stabilized.

    But you know what? We can’t live our lives anticipating disaster all the time. That would lead to paralysis.

  • wetone March 29, 2014 (11:18 am)

    41 parking spots for a 100k sqft building that includes:
    21 residential apartments, totaling about 25,400 square feet
    11,800 square feet of commercial office space
    7,500 square feet of light manufacturing
    6,700 square feet of ground floor retail
    4,200 square feet of restaurant

    So who is the parking for ? residents, customers and employees for the commercial office space ?customers and employees for ground floor retail space or the restaurant customers and employees ? This place should have double the parking at a minimum as to not impact area anymore.This area has zero daytime parking available now as the foot ferry users use it up. We just spent how many millions for new foot ferries and now taking away what little parking there was, another winner idea by our city, I guess we will just subsidize them alot more. You have a dive park, public fishing pier, Marination and more. People have nowhere to park already for access to this area. Doesn’t do much good to have all this maintain it and not be able to use it. Don’t forget more apartments (big)coming soon down the road that will really make it fun for access on/off Harbor ave.

  • old timer March 29, 2014 (12:26 pm)

    How about some kind of Government/Development alliance to build a massive parking garage behind the new building.
    It would be heavy concrete, to add to hill stabilization, and could be connected, via a bridge with ramped access, to the waterfront.
    Parking would aid potential Water Taxi passengers who now face a bus and a shuttle connection to the ferry, as well as all the other users of the waterfront.
    Too rad?

  • amalia March 29, 2014 (4:36 pm)

    The hillside will be engineered for stability. It will be safer than what exists now (there’s a very old retaining wall there).

  • Sunsetgirl March 29, 2014 (8:51 pm)

    As many of us know, lots of the new developments in Seattle are with minimal parking and/or none! The city is trying to encourage people to use bikes and walk, not cars. So parking requirements will likely continue to decline. The design with the hill climb means that all residents will have a new and more direct route to get from Harbor up to California instead of going around. Runners and walkers can head down thru the building to the planned coffee shop at beach level. Developers don’t have to do this (its expensive and doesn’t pencil out) so this seems to be a purposeful amenity to enhance the use and appeal of the building. Check out the architect firm they picked….its Miller Hull!!!!! this isn’t a turn and burn so lets give it a chance.

  • WS since '66 April 10, 2014 (6:47 am)

    The no parking in the new buildings has proven to be a fallacy. I saw someone’s facebook page,Jim Biava at RSVP Real Estate, where there is a chart of units vs parking spaces. After reviewing 15 of the biggest projects the tally shows 1,483 units and 2,064 parking spaces. The building projects will continue to added to the list.

Sorry, comment time is over.