DEVELOPMENT: New proposal in north Morgan Junction; comment time for 4515 44th SW microapartments

| Development | West Seattle news

Two development notes this morning:

6007 CALIFORNIA SW: An early-stage site plan has been filed proposing a “new 4-story mixed use building” for 6007 California SW [map]. currently the site of a preschool/day-care facility and a 4-plex.

No other details, since this is a very early filing; the site-outline document is by the architecture firm Atelier Drome.

4515 44TH SW UPDATE: It’s been almost a year since we first reported a plan for apartments at the former CDE Software site in The Junction, at 4515 44th SW [map].

(King County Assessor’s Office photo)

The formal application is now in the comment stage, according to a notice in today’s city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin, which now describes the project as a “4-story apartment building with 43 small efficiency dwelling units. No parking proposed.” You can comment through March 29th; the notice explains how.

Reed March 15, 2021 (12:27 pm)

No parking!?!

WSB March 15, 2021 (1:02 pm)

The Junction project has no parking; doesn’t have to as it’s in a “frequent transit” zone. The bare-bones early site plan for 6007 California indicates some parking but not how much.
Peter March 15, 2021 (6:55 pm)

We need housing for humans, not cars.
Derek March 16, 2021 (7:50 am)

This is backwards thinking. People living in these are likely to take bus or new light rail to the city and aren’t parking. Stop worrying about parking.
- reed March 16, 2021 (8:53 am)
  
  Sorry, next time I will try to make my sarcasm much more apparent. We all know parking is the primary point of discussion when things like this come up, thought I would just get it out of the way!

natinstl March 15, 2021 (1:10 pm)

It would be interesting to know the vacancy rate for micro apartments now a days. With rents going down a bit and more people are working from home are they still attractive to renters? Personally with the bridge situation I feel they should put a moratorium in on adding more people in WS right now.

Gull March 15, 2021 (7:14 pm)

Maybe they should put a moratorium on adding cars to WS, not people. Not all people own cars and drive.
JohnW March 15, 2021 (7:30 pm)

Rents are not really going down significantly, but the example of the micro apartments going begging may be true, at least in Capitol Hill where a new micro apartment development has been bought by the Low Income Housing Inst and repurposed housing homeless.
Would natinstl prefer that?
- WSresident March 15, 2021 (9:00 pm)
  
  Been searching for apartments in WS the last few weeks. A building that’s brand new, great walk ability and sound views that are normally $2010 are offering 6 months free rent, bringing monthly rent to just over $1000. I’ve seen so many prices like this, prices ARE going down, so many vacancies!
- West Seattle Mad Sci Guy March 15, 2021 (9:40 pm)
  
  Rents are definitely down significantly. My place was $600 less a month than a few years before. And that was before the ten weeks free.
- Derek March 16, 2021 (7:51 am)
  
  What’s wrong with housing homeless or pro I don’t cheap housing? Sounds win-win…

Auntie March 15, 2021 (1:13 pm)

The permitting process does not seem to involve common sense. Just because the development is in a frequent transit zone doesn’t mean that the people who live there won’t have cars. Street (free) parking in the Junction is already at a premium. This will just add to the problem and people like me will go there less frequently due to lack of parking.

Kram March 15, 2021 (4:34 pm)

Many buildings without parking have very low car ownership rates. Some with no car-owner ship at all. The rule was created by the city because requiring parking in a building like this means it doesn’t get built. Which you would probably like but the city wants density, not sprawl. Since creating parking spaces is so expensive losing that requirement when bus routes are more convenient helps to create more housing. Which if you involve some common sense, we need more housing. We live in a city that does not want to prioritize vehicle storage. People are very split on this but the future is not far off. The future is fast efficient on demand self driving vehicles and car ownership will be rare as it will not be needed.
Ice March 15, 2021 (4:44 pm)

If you were willing to pay for the space that you take up, and not expect others to cover the cost for you, you’d probably have no issues finding parking.
- Auntie March 15, 2021 (5:52 pm)
  
  There used to be lots of parking on the street (which is not being subsidized for me by any of the local businesses nor by you). That is, until they overdeveloped the area around the Junction without adequate parking for all the newcomers. For those of us on fixed (low) income, every penny counts and being able to park for free makes a difference as to where we can afford to shop.
  - Kram March 16, 2021 (10:48 am)
    
    Seattle is one of the most expensive fastest growing cities in the country. I just don’t know how you can expect to see everything remain as it once was. There will be less parking, it will become more expensive, there will be more apartments and housing. These are facts when you are living in Seattle proper.
  - JohnW March 16, 2021 (11:53 am)
    
    Auntie, to be accurate, the street parking is in fact heavily subsidized.
    Those parking on the street are receiving a subsidy that those without cars or who park on site do not receive.
Chemist March 16, 2021 (12:22 am)

Don’t worry, the new residents will still be eligible for four rpz passes per 1 bedroom apartment. Eventually the rpz hours might even include overnight restrictions.

Will S. March 15, 2021 (1:43 pm)

Why didn’t anyone tell me that CDE Software is a leading maker of software for bowling alleys and sells a comprehensive library of bowling-themed clipart?

WSB March 15, 2021 (1:56 pm)

Past coverage includes the owner’s death:
https://westseattleblog.com/2014/04/followup-motorcycle-rider-killed-on-vashon-island-was-west-seattle-entrepreneur-patrick-lajko/
Lance March 15, 2021 (7:33 pm)

We are still around, Will, continuing to make bowling league and tournament management software used worldwide. And still have a West Seattle connection with West Seattle Bowl and Roxbury Lanes as customers. And as a current owner of CDE, I still live in West Seattle, though our office moved to Tukwila.
- west sea neighbor March 16, 2021 (10:39 am)
  
  That’s great to hear, Lance! Way to keep it going!

Ron M March 15, 2021 (5:09 pm)

Anyone else tired of these micro apartments? It’s about $1000 a month for a cheaply built micro studio, pretty disgusting.

Peter March 15, 2021 (6:57 pm)

Please propose a more affordable housing option.
- Ron M March 15, 2021 (8:05 pm)
  
  They could make MFTE more widely available, or they could lower the rent of these microstudio apartments by a couple hundred bucks. Have you got any ideas, peter?
  - Fauntleroy March 15, 2021 (10:18 pm)
    
    Ron; it’s responses like these that show how incredibly out of touch people are from understanding how these apartment projects are built and managed. I’m sorry you find alternative housing options in which you are not the target demographic “disgusting”.
    - CMT March 16, 2021 (9:47 am)
      
      And Fauntleroy, I believe you are being willfully obtuse in terms of Ron M’s meaning. Are there some who desire an extremely minimalist experience? Sure. However, Microhousing is a subpar living experience for most. Many people rent them because that is all they can afford, not because it fits their needs. The people that rent them are not disgusting. The greed that makes this their best option is.
    - Fauntleroy March 16, 2021 (11:00 am)
      
      CMT; Another ignorant comment. Of course some people would like to have more room but please explain another option to make some type of housing affordable in city. There truly is a large pool of people who do
      not value possessions and seek out small spaces. People who live a life style that involve rarely
      being home or often being mobile. Look at the microhome movement as similar example. I talk to these people often and
      microhousing is a good product for certain people who are looking for
      it. It is also a very small percentage of the housing products in the
      Seattle market. You just do not understand the economics of running an
      apartment just like Ron but you choose to comment like you do.
    - CMT March 16, 2021 (10:47 pm)
      
      I am familiar with the economics of the various phases of an apartment project, including the costs of initial acquisition and development and the costs of ownership and management thereafter. It remains my opinion, based on speaking with people with firsthand knowledge, that microhousing is frequently a subpar living experience for the tenant – regardless of how you try to spin it. I do not agree with you that micro housing is a particularly good solution to the fact that more people want to live in Seattle than there are affordable homes. PS. That does not make my opinion ignorant.

Ugh March 15, 2021 (5:55 pm)

Lots of parking already gone due to apartments not providing it. Just because it’s on a bus line, does not mean people will give up their cars. The city is ridiculous to think so. Someone should buy one of these projects and build a parking garage. Wish I could.

JohnW March 15, 2021 (7:23 pm)

Ugh, lots of parking gone because Seattleites love owning vehicles and love even more their entitlement to store their many vehicles on the street for free.
All of these parking issues van be solved by monetizing all on street parking.
Charging for parking is the only fair way to lessen impacts caused by vehicle storage.
What is wrong with you park,
you pay?
Derek March 16, 2021 (7:54 am)

Car culture in Seattle is so annoying. Literally move outside of the city then! I don’t get why people feel entitled to park a hunk of painted metal in the middle of a dense city.
reed March 16, 2021 (9:02 am)

UGH do you have off street parking for your car? Sounds to me like you feel you deserve the ability park on the street more so than people living in new construction.
skeeter March 16, 2021 (11:37 am)

“Someone should buy one of these projects and build a parking garage. Wish I could.”There’s a fundamental economic problem with your proposal. No one is going to spend millions of dollars to build a parking garage and then try to charge customers for parking when the city is offering free car parking on the street. The only time people are willing to pay for parking is when there is no free parking or the free parking is inconvenient.

CarDriver March 15, 2021 (8:57 pm)

johnw. You’re free to lobby city council demanding 24/7 citywide pay parking-and the metermaids to enforce. Why haven’t you?????

JohnW March 16, 2021 (9:52 am)

I have. But the monetized parking would not involve meter maids any more than the good-to-go pass requires toll booths.

Amused March 16, 2021 (11:33 pm)

It’s interesting to see people who lament the city changing in ways that make it inconvenient for them to access places they want to go being called entitled and told to leave the city by people demanding cheap housing so they can continue to live in a city they can’t afford. Seems like there’s plenty of entitlement to go around.

reed March 17, 2021 (6:15 am)

It goes far beyond the cry of “inconvenience.” There have been several posts on here from the “Nothing But Cars” crowd of homeowners actually harassing people for parking in “their” space in front of their house. It is public right of way, and if you don’t want to share it with the rest of the public, then yes please pack up and head to the suburbs and a have multicar driveways and all the parking lots you want.
Jon Wright March 17, 2021 (9:52 am)

Amused, yes, there may be some inconsistency in the arguments. But I think it ultimately comes down to one basic issue. Should the city prioritize people or cars?

swell March 17, 2021 (8:18 am)

Would like to see the city acquire/convert all micro housing properties into both low income and housing for the homeless.

JohnW March 17, 2021 (11:06 am)

I too support city and county purchase, with our tax dollars, of any available low-cost housing options including condos, hotels, and apartments.
All are a better than tiny house villages and a quantum leap for tent bound homeless.