FOLLOWUP: Early Community Outreach meeting scheduled for ~500-apartment Triangle project

| Development | Triangle | West Seattle news

This past week, we checked in on the status of the planning for a major project in The Triangle, exactly a year after the Sweeney family – best known for Alki Lumber – announced intentions to explore redevelopment. We noted that the sites at 4440 Fauntleroy Way SW and 4406 36th SW had appeared on the city website for the Early Community Outreach for Design Review process, with a ~500-apartment project in the early stage of planning. Since then, a community-meeting date has been added to the city calendar – 6 pm February 12, at Chaco Canyon Café (3770 SW Alaska). This is a casual early-feedback meeting, before, before the project moves into the formal Design Review process.

Tsurly February 2, 2020 (1:26 pm)

Oh my where will those 500 residents park their cars?!?

KM February 2, 2020 (2:08 pm)

:-D
Also John February 2, 2020 (2:24 pm)

They’ll use the already full YMCA parking lot.
WS Guy February 3, 2020 (12:14 pm)

The question is where will they work? The Junction is way above its housing target and way below its employment target. I suppose we will load them up in cars and buses and send them across the bridge. We are missing the opportunity to put office and work space in the Triangle.

Just wondering February 2, 2020 (1:47 pm)

How many apartments at the whitaker?

WSB February 2, 2020 (2:21 pm)

I believe about 400.

Taz February 2, 2020 (3:21 pm)

Ugh, adding another half hour to my commute when it opens… :(

JTK February 2, 2020 (4:22 pm)

We are overpopulated as it is. I’m already stuck in traffic trying to get out of my own subdivision. Every. Day! And it wasn’t like that until all of these apartment buildings are everywhere now. Ridiculous! 500 units. West seattle is quickly becoming a mini downtown Seattle. Horrible. Right now. The prices are ridiculous for even a studio. In a few years when no one wants to live over here anymore because of over saturation, people will be begging for people to rent their apartments. There will be a shift. And it will be soon.

heartless February 2, 2020 (7:19 pm)

Nobody will want to live here, it’s too overcrowded!
WSJ February 3, 2020 (10:08 am)

This is one of the most profoundly ignorant comments I’ve seen here, which is quite a feat. There is no evidence that Seattle-area growth will slow, and demand for smaller apartments is significantly higher than supply, so even if growth stopped tomorrow, we still need thousands of units just for people who are now forced to look outside of the city. And if you’re so sure that demand will drop off, why are you worried about a new building? According to you no one will be living in it soon anyways.
Ice February 3, 2020 (10:09 am)

“Too many people make the same decision as me to drive everywhere, I AM THE VICTIM!!!”
AMD February 3, 2020 (10:50 am)

You live in a city… There are suburbs for people who like suburban living.
- ARPigeonPoint February 3, 2020 (11:09 am)
  
  AMD – West Seattle *was* pretty suburban for those of us who don’t like feeling like we live downtown. I guess we should all move far away so your snark no longer applies to us.
  - heartless February 3, 2020 (12:11 pm)
    
    PigeonPoint: I mean, yes, if you don’t like where you live you should move. If you’re in an apartment, it should be easy to find an apartment in an area you actually like, and if you own a home, it will have gone up considerably in value. So yeah, it certainly seems like you should move!

Mj February 2, 2020 (4:54 pm)

Tsurly at your house, kidding. How many parking stalls are being planned for is a good inquiry? I would conjecture 250 at a 0.5 stall unit rate as a good number. The site is served by frequent transit thus a potential for far fewer.

Graciano February 2, 2020 (6:04 pm)

With all the people living in West Seattle, Don’t you think SDOT should be widening the roads to make room for all the extra vehicles that are already on the roads.So is Alki lumber going to stay?

WSB February 2, 2020 (7:02 pm)

Alki Lumber, as noted again in last week’s story, is looking for a new location.

Wsres February 2, 2020 (6:11 pm)

Believe it or not, not everyone has a car. I live in a bldg in the junction that has 100 units and the parking is never half full. The bike storage, is packed.

Also John February 2, 2020 (7:48 pm)

That’s because your apartment…most likely..charges extra for parking. Thus, your fellow apartment dwellers park on the street.That’s what happens here at mine
- ALUVER February 3, 2020 (9:50 am)
  
  And you and your neighbors in a house also park on the street too so quit complaining about something you abuse. It’s not *your* spot, it’s *ours*. It’s a public right of way.
  - alki_2008 February 3, 2020 (10:24 am)
    
    Did you understand the context of “also john” reply? The post before said that the apartment had a lot of open spaces, and that was because a lot of residents don’t own cars. “also john” was saying that the apartment lot has open spaces because apartment dwellers are parking on the street, not because they don’t own cars. I didn’t see a complaint. Someone seems easily triggered.
    - Ice February 3, 2020 (12:08 pm)
      
      How about we make them pay for street parking then? If something is free, easy to access, and excludable, people will abuse it.

AlkiBarb February 2, 2020 (7:25 pm)

With rents so high, if they charge extra for parking, not everyone who has a car can afford it, so they park in the street. I know someone who just moved into a building close to the Junction where they charge $150 extra per month for parking.

KM February 2, 2020 (7:52 pm)

That’s the problem with free parking, it further subsidizes car ownership. And car ownership, while subsidized, is still not cheap.
ALUVer February 3, 2020 (10:31 am)

Most people who park on the street are single family home owners who don’t have on site parking. Until you’re screaming about their own lack of parking on site I find it disingenuous to listen to this complaint.
- alki_2008 February 3, 2020 (11:14 am)
  
  Most single family houses have at least one on-site parking spot. Whether they choose to use it for parking or storage or whatever else is a different story.

Alki resident February 2, 2020 (9:12 pm)

We’re FULL

LG February 2, 2020 (9:48 pm)

I think we’ve been full for quite a while. Now in overflow?
heartless February 2, 2020 (9:56 pm)

Full of something…
Jort February 2, 2020 (10:20 pm)

Yeah, we’re not.

ALUVer February 3, 2020 (9:48 am)

All of you sitting in traffic ARE traffic. Stop complaining about others doing the same thing you contribute to.

Zoey February 3, 2020 (9:50 am)

I’m incredibly excited for this project! I’ve lived in West Seattle for 22 years, and I’m being priced out. More units like these, and right near the bus, would be awesome!

Wendell February 3, 2020 (9:54 am)

Honest question. When developers get approval for these buildings, are they taxed in a way that supports transit? If we’re getting 500 more units on the mainline out of West Seattle, shouldn’t there be some sort of contribution to pay for more buses?

ALUVer February 3, 2020 (10:31 am)

Yes. They are. You know who isn’t? Home owners
- alki_2008 February 3, 2020 (1:40 pm)
  
  If developers are charged a fee to support transit, then that fee is part of the price when people buy those developments or rent the units. It’s like construction costs, renters/buyers don’t directly pay the construction company, but the cost is part of the rent/purchase. You sound like someone with a grudge against homeowners.
chemist February 3, 2020 (10:33 am)

Between Sound Transit, King County Metro, and the Seattle TBD, I think 2.4% of our local sales tax rate is dedicated to transit. Simply buying construction materials for the building is a boost to transit. ———I think the better question is should every apartment unit be eligible for 4 RPZ passes as if they were a full-sized house. That’s one of the few parking management tools Seattle has and it doesn’t factor in number of bedrooms in a household or garage capacity.
- KM February 3, 2020 (1:42 pm)
  
  Chemist, you raise an interesting point. If they considered garage capacity (regardless if it’s useable, as someone has converted it to a home gym or what not), and bedrooms, would it be a wash for some single family homes? For people with 4 residents, and 2 bedrooms, how would they be counted? Also, considering driveway capacity would be good too. I’m not sure we’ll ever have a reasonable way of measuring “need” however. I live in a neighborhood with a lot of large homes with only 2-3 residents, so bedroom count tips the scales toward the more affluent. My neighbors can fit about 6 cars in their (illegal) driveway, have a 5 bedroom home for 2 people, but have no garage. RPZs are just messy no matter where we set the goalposts.
WS Guy February 3, 2020 (12:11 pm)

No, unlike other WA cities, Seattle does not levy impact fees on development.

steve February 3, 2020 (10:24 am)

Nominate Alki Lumber for National Historic Preservation. Such a long history here. They practically built West Seattle. Hate to see them go.

alki_2008 February 3, 2020 (10:31 am)

How many of the people here complaining about more apartment units ALSO complain about how there’s no affordable housing? How do you think housing will become more affordable if there isn’t an increase in the supply? Hypocrites and/or NIMBY’s.

the more controversial steve February 3, 2020 (11:53 am)

Interesting to see more comments on an article about homes being built than on one about a shooting. Personally I think giving human beings a nice place to live in a nice neighborhood should take priority over worries about car storage. More neighbors means more customers for local businesses, and more local businesses started by neighbors. I’m hoping for zero on-site parking at this development. It’s absurd that so many buildings are going up with hundreds of parking spots, baking in decades of automotive encouragement during this climate crisis. People living in new apartment homes have much smaller carbon footprints than those living in old inefficient houses with lots of empty rooms. And I say that as someone who lives in such a house.

alki_2008 February 3, 2020 (1:45 pm)

It’s very unrealistic to think that people aren’t going to own a car, at least one per household. Especially as cities make alternatives, like uber/lyft more difficult for those companies. See California’s AB5 legislation.If the building has zero parking, like you want, then residents will use street parking, which will make it harder for the local businesses to get customers. Local businesses will have a much smaller, more limited customer base.
- Steve February 3, 2020 (3:47 pm)
  
  Surely the 500-1000 people living in this building could walk to the businesses? The Junction is only a 10-minute walk from this parcel. And there’s only so much street parking that exists. If you want to deal with this fundamental supply/demand problem, the city should use Donald Shoup’s method of charging the perfect price for parking, so that about 15% of spots are always available to those who need one. Then the funds from these parking fees are used to make the neighborhood where the fees are collected a more beautiful and inviting place by widening sidewalks, installing benches, water fountains, and art. The more people walking around, the more healthy and happy our city will be!

Joe Z February 3, 2020 (5:39 pm)

This is literally going to be across the street from the Avalon light rail station. Nobody who lives there is going to drive downtown to work. They will take the C-line like everyone else who lives in that area and eventually the train when it opens. Next to a light rail station is exactly where we should be building 500 unit apartments! I wonder what Junction businesses think about having all of these new customers?

Sorry, comment time is over.