West Seattle rezoning: South Morgan Junction, Pier 1 potentially back in play

From the city files, two potential West Seattle rezones, both on sites where rezone proposals have come up before but not gone through for various reasons:

7001 CALIFORNIA AVENUE SW: City records show an early-stage proposal for rezoning this almost-one-block business district in south Morgan Junction in 2008 was eventually canceled. Now we’ve found a new early-stage proposal in online files. This time they’re looking at rezoning from LR2-NC (lowrise 2/neighborhood commercial, explained here) – to NC3-30 (neighborhood commercial, explained here). No formal application yet, but the property owners have met with the city. If they do apply for and get the rezone, the documents say, the owner would pursue an unspecified plan involving “green building and affordability.” Rezones need City Council approval, so if this goes ahead, watch for commenting opportunities; the land Use file to watch is 3020646.

PIER 1 ‘COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT’: This is actually a potential prelude to rezoning, and it’s a retry, having been rejected by councilmembers last year. The owners of an industrial-zoned strip of land between Salty’s (WSB sponsor) and Jack Block Park, whose future has long been in play, say it’s a “hole in the continuity of the business and residential environment along Harbor Avenue” and want to change its designation in the city’s Future Land Use Map. The proposal is one of eight Comprehensive Plan amendments that the City Council will consider for next year. From the notice in today’s Land Use Information Bulletin:

Proposal from AnMarCo to amend the FLUM to remove an area waterward of Harbor Avenue Southwest and south of SW Bronson Way known as Pier 1 from the Duwamish Manufacturing/ Industrial Center and to change the designation of that area from industrial to commercial/mixed-use.

You can read the full document about the proposal here. Rezoning the land would be a two-part process; the comprehensive plan would have to be amended, and then a rezone could be sought.

As a first step, the council’s Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee will have a formal public hearing on this and seven other CP amendments (none from West Seattle) at 2 pm July 7th, City Hall downtown. If you can’t be there, today’s notice explains how to send a written comment. More backstory on the site is in this WSB story from 2012.

16 Replies to "West Seattle rezoning: South Morgan Junction, Pier 1 potentially back in play"

  • AceMotel June 4, 2015 (5:11 pm)

    There have been attempts to change the designation of that property for at least 20 years, and the motivation is nothing altruistic. I can just hear developers salivating. Now that Terminal 5 is empty, all the moneymakers are rushing in again. There is a train track that separates Pier 1 from the roadway, which has long been another difficulty in imagining a strip mall back there. Or a hotel, according to one of the proposals. I guess industrial use isn’t profitable enough for the owners…..

    • WSB June 4, 2015 (5:32 pm)

      The document (which I have linked as a PDF – tried to embed it with Scribd, locked up my laptop so I just went ahead without that) says they have not been able to get an industrial tenant and that they tried selling it back to the port, who had no interest. Harbor Avenue has several proposals in the works – we’ve reported them all – within a half-mile or so each way, and yet none has gotten to the construction stage, most notably the Alki Tavern site, now two years closed, with the proposed project not even all the way through Design Review yet.

  • Neighbor June 4, 2015 (7:56 pm)

    It is interesting about the re-zone at 7001 California. I love the small businesses there so I hope anything going in would add to the neighborhood in a positive manner. Looking forward to hearing more when more information is revealed.

  • M June 4, 2015 (8:21 pm)

    I’m not completely sure what the rezoning means for 7001 California? Is that cafe ladro, little gym?

    • WSB June 4, 2015 (8:32 pm)

      Specifically from Stella Ruffington corner house south to Caffe Ladro, property has same ownership. Townhouses and Little Gym *not* involved.

  • Pat June 4, 2015 (9:38 pm)

    It has been at least twenty years since a developer floated the promenade concept for the pier 1area and that was soundly beat back by the marine industry as an assault on the waterfront industry. And we now see the results of this, still vacant. Maybe commercial development could be a bad thing but if the watchdogs keep their eyes peeled, maybe something could finally come of this long neglected parcel of waterfront. As for those tracks, they haven’t seen any use in decades.

  • M June 5, 2015 (6:15 am)

    Save cafe Ladro

  • wakeflood June 5, 2015 (9:49 am)

    Whatever is planned for that section of Pier 1 will have to be functional with the Port’s use of those tracks. The Port says that spur will be even more important for rail use when T5 expansion is complete.

    We need to discuss this as a community. Is the Port ok with having those tracks less available now or is the developer ok with having their property access blocked periodically? Which is it?

    Color me really curious.

    If those tracks AREN’T going to be fully protected by the Port, then we should be looking at using that space or some of that strip along T5 for Park & Ride or expanded water taxi or other similar use. We can’t keep growing without some transpo offsets.

  • AceMotel June 5, 2015 (11:03 am)

    It’s re-opening an old wound, one that hasn’t healed over yet. Just wait long enough and nasty industry will all be located in Tacoma, the waterfront will consist of residences and maybe a few services for the .05%, and everyone who cares will be long dead.

  • Silly Goose June 5, 2015 (1:49 pm)

    I would love to see a beautiful, affordable water front hotel that is built in a northwest style. There just isn’t any lodging in West Seattle for out of town guest.

    SAVE CAFE LADRO!

  • AceMotel June 5, 2015 (2:06 pm)

    There is ONE waterfront hotel in Seattle. If the second one (almost-waterfront) is built at Pier 1, it will not be affordable.

  • flynlo June 5, 2015 (3:38 pm)

    In 2008, the two parcels identified as Pier1 properties were appraised at just over $2,800,000.
    Today they are appraised at $3,000. Taxes paid this year were just over $8673. (most of which was for “surface water”). Wish I could get my property re-appraised at that ratio!!!

  • ltfd June 5, 2015 (3:42 pm)

    affordable water front hotel = oxymoron

  • Thomas M. June 8, 2015 (9:33 pm)

    7001 California Ave SW – NC3-30 is 30 feet high. It also allows 2.5 times the lot size in permitted uses. There is no such thing anywhere in the area (yet). That is a very large change. It is also too close to the elementary school for my comfort. Too many cars moving around too many little kids.

  • Meyer June 14, 2015 (2:15 pm)

    Does anyone know why the zoning permit for the 7000 block of California Ave failed back in 2008?

    • WSB June 14, 2015 (2:31 pm)

      Meyer, it didn’t “fail” … it just didn’t proceed. There are two things in the file: The preliminary application in 2008, later marked “canceled by applicant,” was evaluated by the city and in a note that’s in the file, they note it might be a difficult rezone to approve because they were looking for a 45-foot height (which in reality would be taller than that) and nothing in city code would permit that. No further activity was noted until the file under the same land-use number (NOT the same one that has surfaced now) added a 2012 boundary sketch; then a 2014 notation says it was canceled for “lack of activity.” No specific development plan was proposed; the file notation in 2008 had the question of whether the owner could seek a rezone now and come up with a development plan later. – TR

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