DEVELOPMENT: Proposal for HALA-upzoned ex-single-family sites in Morgan Junction

| Development | West Seattle news

Two years ago, we reported on the for-sale listing of seven Morgan Junction single-family-zoned parcels in anticipation of their HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability upzoning to Lowrise 3. That happened, and now two of those parcels are set for redevelopment into townhouses and listed on the city’s Early Design Community Outreach site – 6326 41st SW [map], planned for nine 4-story townhouse units with no offstreet parking, and 6320 41st SW, planned for six 4-story townhouse units with four offstreet-parking spaces. Neither parcel has a sale showing in county records yet. Meantime, while it’s not listed in the Early Design Outreach program with those two sites, a different set of city records shows a similar proposal for the also-upzoned lot just north of them – six 4-story townhouse units with four offstreet parking spaces.

Resident June 24, 2019 (6:42 am)

I live on the street and I’m trying to understand the implications of light rail possibly coming down 41st. Would the city be seizing property on one or both sides of the street? What are the implications for building projects such as the ones mentioned in this article? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

WSB June 24, 2019 (7:04 am)

There is no light rail south of The Junction in the plan that covers through 2040 or so. After that? Who knows.

(Also, just a side note for accuracy’s sake, the city is not involved. Sound Transit is a separate agency.)
Bradley June 24, 2019 (1:29 pm)

That’s probably 30-35 years away. Light rail will most likely be obsolete by then, with self-driving cars being the primary transportation infrastructure, so I doubt there will be any phases beyond Phase 3.
- WS Guy June 24, 2019 (8:53 pm)
  
  Correct.

Also John June 24, 2019 (9:52 am)

@Resident…. Phase 3 of ST’s light rail will have either of these possibilities.1. Elevated station facing north/south at 41st Ave SW/Alaska2. Elevated station facing north/south at 42nd Ave SW/Alaska3. Underground station facing north/south at 41st Ave SW/AlaskaI spoke with a Sound Transit (ST) appraisal representative at one of the many meeting leading up to this point. He told me that ST will buy the homes on both sides of the street if the light rail is elevated going down 41st or 42nd. This would be Phase 4 of the light rail.I live on 41st also and continue to wonder why the City allows permits on 41st or 42nd to move forward. All we can do is cross our fingers that ST finds 3rd party funding to pay for a tunnel.