FOLLOWUP: Madison Middle School portables? Community committee to consider zoning modification

We first reported four weeks ago on plans to add 4 portable classrooms at Madison Middle School. The early-stage site plan shows the expected placement on the north side of the campus. Today, the city sent an announcement that it’s forming a community advisory committee to consider whether a zoning modification can be granted to allow the placement:

Here’s your chance to serve on an advisory committee that will recommend whether to grant a modification to a City zoning regulation for Madison Middle School at 3429 45th Ave SW. The Seattle School District is requesting to provide less than required on-site parking in order to add portables.

The committee will convene up to three public meetings at or near Madison Middle School over a three-month period. The committee will receive briefings from the School District, and gather and evaluate public comment on the departure request. Following these meetings, the committee will make a recommendation to the Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI) to either grant or deny the requested modification. The committee may also recommend relevant conditions to be applied to granting the change to minimize its impact on the surrounding neighborhood. SDCI will make the final decision.

Those who can apply to the committee are neighbors who live or own a business within 600’ of Madison Middle School, residents in the surrounding neighborhood, representatives of city-wide education issues, and parents of potential Madison Middle School students. Other committee members will include a representative from the School District and City of Seattle.

To apply, send a letter of interest by Wednesday, March 14 that includes your address, information about yourself and your interest in serving on this committee to:

Maureen Sheehan
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
PO Box 94649
Seattle, WA 98124-4649

Email: Maureen.sheehan@seattle.gov

That’s also who to contact with questions.

SJW February 28, 2018 (4:24 pm)

How tall are the portables generally?

PatHH February 28, 2018 (5:59 pm)

It must be Back to the Future time. When I was at Madison (1966-67) we had several portables in the same general area. The print shop (it was a shop class like woodworking or metal shop) was in one and the music department was in another. I can only imagine how the neighbors felt about early morning band practice in a portable near the school property line.

Tdml March 1, 2018 (7:16 am)

We also had portables in 2001-2003 right before their big renovation. It sucks that their renovation didn’t incorporate enough classrooms for the long haul.

Jean Amick February 28, 2018 (6:05 pm)

Good luck, Parents. Laurelhurst had such Committee. Voted 6-1 (1 was SPS rep) against adding portables which would have taken valuable playground space. Parents appealed. Cost $1000s three years ago. Parents lostbappeal then SPS Used honest projections and fewer kids came. Whole exercise loot and costly for us taxpayers and appellant parents. Hearing Examiner allowed district to use faulty data and numbers from 1950 when baby boom, post war and kids ALL walked to school.

dsa February 28, 2018 (8:30 pm)

Looking at the site plan, the portables do not use existing parking. I think what they mean by “less than required on-site parking” speaks to the additional parking generated by those portables. That is simple, to teach in one of those four, you must bike or use other than sov. not serious

brandon 5406 February 28, 2018 (9:12 pm)

This is just the starting of “Portable City”.

PJK February 28, 2018 (10:05 pm)

PATHH – we must have been at Madison at the same time – had algebra in a portable, taught by Mrs. Ringo! Had lots of classes in portables at WSHS – they were great! Yes, orchestra taught by Mrs. Nelson at Madison was in a portable as well. Glee Club was early in the morning too with Mrs. Lynch and we all sang with the windows wide open!!

Wsres February 28, 2018 (10:10 pm)

This district does not plan ahead. Madison is already full and all but two of the elementaries that feed into Madison are packed to (or beyond) capacity. Is the SPS plan just to start creating a portable city like they had at Schmitz Park Elementary?

Trickycoolj February 28, 2018 (10:27 pm)

Not really sure why the hubbub over 4 whole portables? My elementary school had 9 and my high school had 16. My junior high was only spared because it was on septic and the student population was capped and required boundary changes ever 2-3 years. Every summer a few more were trucked in. The glory days of suburban sprawl in Pierce County.

Mike March 1, 2018 (7:00 am)

Schmitz has ~12 or so, when in operation they had more sq/ft of portable class space than actual class room space in the school building. The hubbub is that it’s a horrible solution to overcrowding. Just because it was done in the past does not make it a good solution. There’s also the idea that portables are temporary, however, Schmitz had them for over a decade before the new Genesee school was built (and immediately over capacity when opened).

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