SELL THE STREET? ‘Vacation’ hearing Tuesday @ City Hall for Harbor Avenue self-storage project site

This morning’s City Council briefing meeting included a reminder of a major West Seattle item that’s on the calendar for the Sustainability and Transportation Committee tomorrow afternoon (as announced last month), including public comment if you have something to say about it – a “street vacation” sought in connection with the West Coast Self-Storage project proposed for 3252 Harbor Avenue SW. Above (or here), you can scroll through the slide deck that shows not only what’s proposed and where – one slide notes they expect the building to include ~850 units – but also what’s being offered in exchange for the “vacation.” It’s a request for the city to “vacate” what is currently publicly owned property, technically part of the street system but not being used as such. These requests have to include a “public benefit” package – the slide deck includes a list of what West Coast Self-Storage is offering, valued at more than $300,000, from moving a utility pole off the Alki Trail to including art panels in its building’s exterior. Eventually, the property that’s approved for vacation is sold at fair-market value. Also of note in this case: Nearby Nucor is a party to the vacation request for land that’s technically part of 29th SW and SW City View, seeking “to accommodate” railroad tracks. The proposed “vacation” area otherwise would be covered by the new 4-story self-storage building.

If you have something to say about the vacation request (see the full 81-page document here), be at City Council chambers at City Hall (600 4th Ave.) downtown at the start of Tuesday’s 2 pm committee meeting. If you can’t be there, you can e-mail comments to mike.obrien@seattle.gov – Councilmember Mike O’Brien chairs the committee.

7 Replies to "SELL THE STREET? 'Vacation' hearing Tuesday @ City Hall for Harbor Avenue self-storage project site"

  • Deb August 14, 2017 (4:38 pm)

    I’m as big a fan of public art as the next person, but I suggest that instead of art panels, the applicant be required to put money into solving actual safety problems in the vicinity of the street vacation. A true benefit to the  Public would/could/should be fully funding ROW improvements to Harbor Ave SW at lower SW Spokane including safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists.  

  • Denis August 14, 2017 (6:47 pm)

    $5000 is what they claim it costs to remove 6 bollards. No frigging way.  $50,000 for their art, really?  Sweet deal for them to get huge chunk of public land to line their grubby pockets. Not a single affordable unit out of it either.   The city just keeps giving it away. Give them nothing until they commit to putting permanent affordable  family size units in their 850 unit mega eye sore. 

    • WSB August 14, 2017 (9:32 pm)

      This is not a residential project – that’s 850 storage units. And they will be paying for the public land if the vacation is approved. But before they are allowed to do that, the council has to give its approval, and that’s followed about a year of review by SDOT.

      • Dustin August 15, 2017 (9:22 am)

        You might not have to work very hard to make residences at this location affordable, because it’s hard to imagine many people would want to live there! I used to rent a work space at the ActivSpace next door, and the Nucor rail tracks are used to transport heavy industrial material around the clock – the noise and vibration from activity on the rail tracks is tremendous.

  • West Sea Neighbor August 15, 2017 (8:11 am)

    I would be glad to see those utility poles relocated–they are a pain and a hazard when the trail gets busy. Too bad they can’t put money into improving the pedestrian/cyclist transition from the alki trail south onto Avalon.

    • Kathy August 15, 2017 (9:29 am)

      The number one Neighborhood Street Fund project in 2016 was to improve crossing from the Alki Trail to Avalon. Under design scheduled for construction in 2018.

      https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/NSFHarborandSpokane.htm

      Thanks to West Seattle Bike Connections and project lead Jodi Connelly.

      • West Sea Neighbor August 16, 2017 (7:25 am)

        That’s great to hear! I remember reading about it, but I didn’t realize it had been approved. Great work, West Seattle Bike Connections and Jodi!

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