West Seattle schools: Hearing set for third Arbor Heights appeal

| Arbor Heights | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Although work on the Arbor Heights Elementary School site has been under way now for more than four months, one more appeal is pending against a city decision allowing the new school to be built. We covered the two appeals that already have resulted in rulings, in May and August; the current appeal, filed in November, has a hearing coming up January 13th, per a notice in this week’s city Land Use Information Bulletin. It was filed by three area residents and district watchdog Chris Jackins, along with his Seattle Committee to Save Schools, who pursued the two other appeals. Here’s the two-page document covering four points, including the fate of two large trees on the edge of the site, and four zoning exceptions that were granted:

(If you can’t read it embedded above, here’s a PDF version.) We believe these are the two Douglas firs at issue (visible toward the upper left of the top photo – the trees between them and the excavator are not part of the site):

Documents related to the appeal are linked on this page of the website for the city Hearing Examiner, whose chambers on the 40th floor of the city Municipal Tower downtown will be the location of the hearing at 1 pm January 13th.

jwright December 30, 2014 (11:05 am)

“District watchdog” isn’t exactly the title I would confer upon Mr. Jackins.

JanS December 30, 2014 (12:03 pm)

is it me, or does this appealseem like a waste of time and money that they certainly can’t afford to spend. And to what end? What will this save? a hole in the ground? There is a point, and then there is practicality…it just seems nit picky to me…parking spaces, etc. Would this delay the building of the school in any way?

ha December 30, 2014 (12:19 pm)

Who ever try’s to stop this is crazy. The new school will increase property values. You can after all move to somewhere else since you clearly don’t like children. Perhaps Alaska.

M. December 30, 2014 (5:34 pm)

I can understand wanting the additional 7 parking spaces, limiting use of the lighted sign to non-commercial use only, and the traffic mitigation. But 2 very common Douglas’ Fir trees? They grow pretty well around here, shouldn’t be any problem to move, or REMOVE and plant new ones. And involving the Duwamish Tribe? Seems a bit much.

JJ December 30, 2014 (5:46 pm)

This appeal is just wasting time and money. As a tax payer with three children in the the public school system I ask Mr. Jackins to stop wasting my children’s resources.

Peter December 30, 2014 (6:36 pm)

M, this isn’t about trees or the Dueamish, and it’s not about parking or a sign. It’s about four anti-education activists who feel important about themselves for trying to stop a school from being built. It’s just an ego-boosting exercise for them. That’s all it is.

AH Parent December 30, 2014 (11:12 pm)

Huh? Consult the tribe before digging? I don’t say this to be snide but if there were artifacts they are probably down at the dirt recycle center. Has this guy not seen the school site? It’s been dug up, piled up, pulverized and paved over. Clearly this is just a few blowing steam for no good reason.

WSEd December 31, 2014 (6:53 pm)

As an Arbor Heights parent is there any way we can take legal action against Mr. Jackins as a group or class. I would like to waste some of his personal resources.

AH Parent at Boren December 31, 2014 (8:57 pm)

Wow. They’re fussing because there are “only” 55 parking spaces planned? Did these people visit the campus before it was torn down? Previously, there were 6 parking spaces in front of the school. The majority of the staff (and volunteers) had no choice but to park in the neighborhood. As far as traffic is concerned, that’s how it is when you decide to live by a school. You can easily figure out how to deal with it since the traffic pattern is predictable both before and after school. It seems to me the other issues were already addressed in previous rulings. These people are just wasting precious district resources.

Sorry, comment time is over.