DEVELOPMENT: 1st Design Review Board date set for 3417 Harbor SW apartments

| Development | West Seattle news

Ten months ago, we reported on an early-stage proposal for an apartment building at 3417 Harbor SW, just north of the West Seattle Bridge, on the site that now holds this small commercial building:

(King County Assessor’s Office photo)

The plan has proceeded through the city system since then, with an Early Community Outreach meeting in mid-December. Now its first Southwest Design Review Board meeting is set, and the project is starting to take shape – here are the three size/shape (“massing”) options in the draft design packet (PDF):

It is now described as “a 5-story, 140-unit apartment building. Parking for 68 vehicles proposed” – almost twice the unit count mentioned last year. The architecture firm for the project is Atelier Drome. The SWDRB meeting is tentatively set for 6:30 pm Thursday, March 5, at the Senior Center/Sisson Building (4217 SW Oregon).

West Seattle Lurker January 28, 2020 (9:17 pm)

It’s kind of a polluted mess around that area, the pool of water across the street is grayish blue looking, and is not protected or covered. I hope the eventual construction leaves the artwork on the electrical box intact.

Just wondering January 28, 2020 (10:18 pm)

Yuck!

Lol January 29, 2020 (6:16 am)

Wow. The developer just does not care. Went to the community meeting and we specifically said there’s no parking to be had. Now ten more units and only 36 more parking spaces? Lmfao. They didn’t listen to a damn thing us neighbors said.

Kram January 29, 2020 (7:23 am)

Developers usually care a lot about the neighborhood, input and the long term practicality of their projects. Looking at the EDG on page 14, 15 and 22 you can see the amount of shoring wall will be extensive. You are not putting enough thought into the project as a whole. If you fill this building with parking it doesn’t get built because of the high costs. Shoring, excavation and concrete are the largest costs on properties like this. Also, you mention they added 36 parking spaces. If they really didn’t care they would have added Zero.
- H. Shap January 29, 2020 (7:54 am)
  
  If they cared they wouldn’t be cramming that many units/people into such a small space with ZERO nearby street parking. Now myself and another neighbor are looking to move because of this crap. If they did care they would build a couple nice townhomes in that small space (like what was suggested at the meeting by a neighbor).
  - Kram January 29, 2020 (8:18 am)
    
    This is were it gets hard to have a meaningful conversation. You cannot build a couple town-homes on this property. It would cost more to build them then you could sell them for. That makes no sense. You just don’t understand the dynamics of these projects. I’m sorry you feel you have to move because of the coming density but I hope you realize that 15-20 thousand people are moving to Seattle (accounting for people leaving) every year. They have to live somewhere and even if a couple town homes did make economic sense it doesn’t help our housing shortage. These are small apartments meant for people who live a certain life style and many do have bikes and take the bus. Your lack of understanding of the construction and apartment business doesn’t translate to people not caring. They do.
  - KM January 29, 2020 (8:31 am)
    
    There is street parking on both sides of Harbor Ave, as well as off street parking under the bridge. That’s not zero. However, being such a narrow and congested intersection as it is, any parking in the building will just make it worse as it will encourage driving. There are 3 bus routes and a water taxi shuttle within a couple block radius, and this is across the street from access to the bike trails to downtown and Alki, and newly protected Avalon bike lanes.
Peter January 29, 2020 (8:34 am)

It is not your property.

Airwolf January 29, 2020 (9:12 am)

Sad to see the beautiful home go

momosmom January 29, 2020 (9:15 am)

Money, money, moneyMust be funnyIn the rich man’s worldMoney, money, moneyAlways sunnyIn the rich man’s worldAha ahaAll the things I could doIf I had a little moneyIt’s a rich man’s worldIt’s a rich man’s world

Due West February 7, 2020 (5:19 pm)

I’ll start with the positive:There has been some serious thought and effort that has gone into this presentation. Very professional and lays out the proposed project clearly. Breaking down the scale at the south end makes sense as well as the entry at the south end; and the parking entrance off Harbor was a must. Concerns:Parking will be a problem, there is no question. Every tenant will need a car; not many people will take the bus to go grocery shopping at Trader Joes which is one mile away. The 30th Ave elevation stills feel like an after-thought. The proposed modulation is simply a result of the most efficient arrangement of the small units; feels messy, not residential. The units that face the hillside and step out onto the proposed ‘terrace’ over the parking structure will be the lowest value units, getting very little sunlight and located essentially in a hole. The terraces will be cold and dark and in the end will not be used as envisioned but simple as a place to store stuff that didn’t fit in the small unit. Also, there is a high probability that the developer will not fulfill the promise of terraces and in the end simply cover the garage roof with a roofing membrane. Remember, these are apartments and the sense of pride and ownership is not the same as with a condo or townhome. In short time the landscaped hill will be forgotten and begin to fill with garbage, and the units will become even more difficult to rent. This scinario, for an aprtment building, is a disaster waiting to happen. The solution is to infill the back of the site (yes you will need to sacrifice a few units) and create some real, usable, terraces with a landscape buffer that can actually be accessed and appreciated.

Sorry, comment time is over.