West Seattle land use: 2 parking tales from outside the lines

From the land-use files, two items that involve parking, but not in the way it usually comes up:

TEAR DOWN A HOUSE TO CREATE A PARKING LOT? A West Seattle church is considering seeking a land-use permit to demolish a house and turn its 5,750-square-foot site into a parking lot. The early-stage filing is from the West Seattle ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 4001 44th SW, with a document explaining that its church/meeting hall is “very active” and causing parking congestion that has left neighbors “frustrated” that nearby streets are full of church-related parking on Sundays. “The church is anxious to mitigate the concerns of the neighborhood by creating on-site parking spaces,” says the pre-application document, which goes on to say that the church discovered a house next door is for sale (not publicly listed so far as we can find) and is interested in buying it to turn its site into 19 parking spaces for the church. The documents acknowledge that would require exceptions to city rules – aka “variances” – but also point out that the church has never met city requirements for the offstreet parking it was supposed to provide, and currently provides none. The formal application has not been filed yet but you can watch land use project #3022789.

SOUTH ADMIRAL BUILDING GETS PERMISSION TO HAVE NO OFFSTREET PARKING: This land-use item is sort of the flip side – a commercial building that doesn’t meet city rules for offstreet parking used to have some on a nearby site, but lost it, and sought formal confirmation that it doesn’t need to provide any. The decision for 3270 California SW was published in Monday’s Land Use Information Bulletin, and if anyone wants to appeal (here’s how), the deadline is November 23rd. The building houses several fitness businesses. Its owner used to have a covenant for eight spaces at 3239 California SW, but that site is now part of what was the Admiral East Apartments, now “Springline,” construction project. The city’s Land Use Code allows offstreet parking to be provided within an 800-foot radius; there is no longer any place that can happen, the city’s decision notes.

Tedb310 November 10, 2015 (8:51 pm)

“They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot”

RayWest November 11, 2015 (4:41 am)

There’re too many cars in West Seattle everywhere. Every street is clogged either with parked cars or ones being driven.

David November 11, 2015 (6:20 am)

I live about 50 yards from the church – they have always been good neighbors – I hope that if this is approved that it is not just a flat parking lot – it needs to have landscaping that makes it fit into our neighborhood

Jeff November 11, 2015 (6:44 am)

First one seems like a no brainer. They are causing a problem, and in wanting to be good neighbors are trying to solve it at their own cost.

Mightymoh November 11, 2015 (7:38 am)

I hope it’s that house to the south (vacant for ages but somewhat kept up). The one across the alley to the west is a cute, older house. I know that one is a rental, so neither house has the owner living in it right now. And yes, I hope they figure out a way to keep it nice. Maybe the entrance could be through the alley?

WSB November 11, 2015 (8:05 am)

The house does appear to be immediately south; the site plan looks to have potential entrances on both the 44th and alley sides, but at this point it’s mostly overlay to a murky aerial photo. Once there’s formal application, you’ll see a land-use sign go up, and it’ll appear on the Land Use Info Bulletin that the city sends on Mondays and Thursdays.

Scott November 11, 2015 (8:37 am)

“…neighbors “frustrated” that nearby streets are full of church-related parking on Sundays…” You should have thought about that before moving next to a Church. You can be frustrated, but it was your own doing.

WSB November 11, 2015 (8:41 am)

Please keep in mind, that’s the way a consultant employed by the church describes it. No comments from neighbors in the online file, so far. 44th, of course, densifies just a few blocks south in The Junction, not just with existing multi-family units but also two new apartment buildings.

Mightymoh November 11, 2015 (8:53 am)

I am a neighbor to this church. I wouldn’t say we are frustrated; we knew what we were getting into. It means that on Sundays we don’t go out and plan to come back before noon — unless we want to park a little further, and we do that plenty. The church members are very neighborly and friendly. Whenever we talk with neighbors about it we shrug. We never hear anyone complain about it.

Brian ws November 11, 2015 (8:53 am)

Considering how we flip out about parking this is the next logical step. I personally loved the late 1980s when half the world felt like surface parking lots.

Brian ws November 11, 2015 (8:56 am)

… And I am glad we have free housing for cars and expensive housing for people.

WSince86 November 11, 2015 (9:02 am)

Regarding the parking situation at 3270 California, while I agree with the decision, I’d like to take the opportunity to point out that there is a driveway to a parking lot just to the south of this site. As a business owner in this building, I have lost count of the times I have seen this driveway being blocked partially or fully by people going to one of the fitness facilities mentioned. We have signs asking not to block the driveway, have painted the curbs and it still happens. Please be good neighbors and give us a break so we are able to conduct our business as well.

Joe Szilagyi November 11, 2015 (10:02 am)

Why just a flat parking lot? Space for housing and services is THE most precious commodity in this city. Whatever that land is zoned for, they ought to put stuff above the parking lot. Affordable housing, community space to be rented out… lots of options.

John November 11, 2015 (10:27 am)

If the church really wants to be a good neighbor they would buy the lot and turn it into a park. I’m sure the neighbor would rather have that then a little parking problems on Sunday.
We don’t need more impervious surface areas.

Neighbor November 11, 2015 (10:39 am)

If offices can encourage their workers to use alternative means to get to work, maybe the church can encourage their able bodied parishioners to get to church by bike.

WS4life November 11, 2015 (12:57 pm)

First of all building a parking lot for 1 day a week is about the daftest idea I’ve heard in a while. How about the Church tear down the part that’s not the chapel, the gym, and turn that into a lot on there own property. This home needs to be sold to a family. As single family homes are becoming more and more scarce in WS. A parking lot is not going to solve the parking issues in this my block & neighborhood. Does WS Baptist Church a block south have a parking lot NO.

sc November 11, 2015 (2:24 pm)

So I saw Mark Miller from KOMO with a cameraman walking south down the block that the church is on around noon. Guess I’ll watch Channel 4 tonight!

WSB November 11, 2015 (2:44 pm)

Yes, a reader e-mailed to say they showed up to follow up on this. I won’t be watching TV but if you hear them credit us having broken the story, please let me know. It would be a refreshing change. Highly unlikely, but refreshing. In the very rare occasion that we find out about a story by seeing it somewhere else first, we credit that source, because that’s just the ethical way to do it. Believe me, no one else was rooting around in the dark corner of the early-stage land-use files where we first uncovered this about a week ago (I have been trying to get time to write it ever since, and finally did last night) … if we hadn’t reported this, it wouldn’t have come to light until it appeared on the Land Use Information Bulletin, which could be days, weeks, or even months. (Or maybe never, if it doesn’t proceed to the application stage.) – TR

Neighbor November 11, 2015 (3:01 pm)

WSB: I’m a neighbor of the church. KOMO did come to my house and credited you with breaking the story.

WSB November 11, 2015 (3:37 pm)

Glad to hear that. I’ve also freely admitted to my sins from many years in TV (which I quit eight years ago) where almost all our stories came from somewhere else and credit wasn’t given unless it was oh say a big copyrighted investigation. These days, “hat tips” are very easy to give (a link, for example). – TR

sc November 11, 2015 (3:58 pm)

When I saw KOMO’s Mark Miller I figured it was only because of the story in WSB!

Alex November 11, 2015 (4:11 pm)

This anti-parking sentiment is interesting. People are actually speaking out against an organization solving a problem at their own cost? I mean, it’s not like there is anything nefarious about this. The church isn’t secretly plotting to increase the cost of single family houses, they’re just trying to help.
.
I’m all for increasing parking capacity. Churches are full of old people, it would be ridiculous to expect them all to ride bicycles.

Jennifer November 11, 2015 (5:06 pm)

I agree with Alex. To add to that, churches have other activities that stretch beyond just Sundays, so it’s not just for 1 day a week.

Ruby S. November 11, 2015 (5:14 pm)

You can’t fault the church when West Seattlites think they own the public street in front of their house. There is no point having a conversation with crazy.

bolo November 11, 2015 (10:47 pm)

Old people? As in “everybody older than me is old people?”

Kimmy November 12, 2015 (7:48 am)

I hear you, Alex. I think building a parking lot (only) is a terrible idea for a growing city and echo Joe’s feelings, though ultimately, if they obtain the property and follow code that’s their call. Maybe time to push for new codes regarding tearing down housing for parking?

debra November 12, 2015 (11:15 am)

Kimmy
Might be time to change the code that allows this horrible ugly density to occur
I am neighbor of the church and while I am not clear why they want to do this (since we all understand the Sunday parking) I would rather have a parking lot then an ugly box that has not a bit of charter with the neighbohood
Look at the garbage they built on Andover and California with 2 little building inbetween
the archites should be ashamed of their design
A child has more design ability with a box of crayons then what is going up in west seattle
we will be come detroit in time

Neighbor November 12, 2015 (1:15 pm)

Just want to add that it seems so many people still think riding a bike is just for the young. In fact there are many “older” riders out there (in their sixties and older). It makes me think a lot of people still have the notion that most riders are the young “dudes” that have a cavalier attitude in their interaction on the street. Wouldnt it be a good thing to promote health and environmental concern – even the Pope is doing it.

RB November 12, 2015 (1:27 pm)

People will just complain no matter what. If they build buildings without parking they will complain and if they build parking for buildings they, apparently,will still complain. Besides, if the church does not buy it it will most likely become one of the ugly modern boxy homes.

Lastly, the church mostly needs parking on Sunday mornings. Can the neighbors use it when empty? Can neighboring kids go there to play ball when not in use?

haters just going to hate.

Also a Neighbor November 12, 2015 (1:31 pm)

FWIW, both KOMO & KIRO reporters in the church neighborhood mentioned WSB in person!

For those not in a direct radius to the LDS church, it DOES look at first glance that the lot is a helpful idea, but most on our block think there’s more to the story. I’ve never heard anyone complain about Sunday parking…only being chased down on the sidewalk by proselytizers in ties ;) Concerns range from potential plans for the building’s use that could drastically change traffic to “variance creep” that might eventually eat up another two blocks of residential property north of the current border.

KT November 12, 2015 (6:17 pm)

This I found more interesting – – – “The documents acknowledge… that the church has never met city requirements for the offstreet parking it was supposed to provide, and currently provides none.” I guess city requirements are only enforced some of the time.

WSB November 12, 2015 (6:30 pm)

It was built in the ’30s. I’m sure there’s some amount of grandfathering around here.

JB November 20, 2015 (6:23 pm)

First: the church has been there for at least 75 years. Everyone currently living on that block bought their home after the Church was built, so as has been noted above, they knew what they were in for. Second: the LDS folk attend in the largest bulk on Sunday, for sure, but they are also there on several weeknights (Tues, Weds), and on many Saturdays; so they aren’t building a pkg lot for one day of the week. Third: what would the neighbors have the church members do? The folks who attend at the building live from Alki to Roxbury. Many have small children and infants; many are more senior. Riding a bike is not a workable idea for the majority.

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