(King County Assessor’s Office photo)
A very busy block in Morgan Junction, the 6900 block of California SW, has a new development proposal – and an unusual one at that. The same block that gained fame for the “30 apartments, no parking” controversy might get a restaurant right next to that almost-complete building. But it would require a zoning change. Documents are now filed with the city seeking a contract rezone – one that would be approved for a specific proposal – for the property at 6921 California SW, which currently holds the 103-year-old two-bedroom, one-bath house shown in the photo above. The change would be from Lowrise 2 to Lowrise 2 – Residential Commercial. According to what’s on file with the city, it would be a new location for Chungee’s, a Chinese restaurant that opened five years ago on Capitol Hill. Why this house? The Chungee’s proprietors own it. One of the documents filed in connection with the project describes it as:
Located in a LR2 Zone at 6921 California Avenue SW, Chungee’s West is a contract rezone proposal for a family-run, neighborhood restaurant. The rezone requires adding the RC designation to the existing LR2 zoning for the parcel.
The entire project includes an addition and renovation of an existing 100 year old one story single family residence. The extent of the remodel & addition will be to establish a commercial use (restaurant) on the lower and main level and a two-bedroom residential dwelling unit on the upper level. The owners of the restaurant intend to live in the upper level dwelling unit once complete. In order for the project to be realized, the parcel must be zoned LR2 RC from the existing LR2. The RC overlay designation currently applies to the parcel and block directly to the South across SW Mills Street.
An established family-run restaurant will increase the walkability of the neighborhood and the adjacent business district supporting the existing commercial node and attracting patrons from other neighborhoods. The proposal is consistent with the 2013 comprehensive plan for the Morgan Junction urban village and the long term goals of this area in West Seattle.
With immediate access and circulation off of California Avenue, a major thoroughfare, the restaurant will serve not only the immediate neighborhood but West Seattle and Greater Seattle via local transit and car.
The site plan shows three parking spaces in back, where the existing garage would be removed. Meantime, the city files include “proposed project images:
Any rezone will need City Council approval. Now that the city has formally accepted the application, a comment period should open soon – watch the Land Use Information Bulletin, which is published Mondays and Thursdays, for that. The proprietors already have sought letters of support, some of which are part of the official files already.
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