(Rendering by Mahlum, from last year’s info packet for proposed zoning ‘departures’)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
As reported previously, the planned rebuild of Alki Elementary School includes nine zoning “departures” – exceptions – that require city approval. In a decision made public today, the city Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) has granted approvals of all nine. They are, in brief:
1. To allow greater than allowed building height.
2. To allow less than required vehicular parking.
3. To allow bus load and unload off site
4. To allow a curb cut to a service area without parking
5. To allow larger curb city width
6. To allow larger curb cut flare
7. To allow less than required long-term bicycle parking.
8. To allow less than required weather protected bicycle parking.
9. To allow a changing image electronic sign.
The first two, height and parking, generated the most neighborhood concern, including in an environmental appeal that a district hearing examiner rejected. Regarding height – zoning would limit the building to 35 feet, but Seattle Public Schools‘ plan is for 57 feet – the SDCI decision says:
The increased height accommodates important classroom uses, building parapet and necessary mechanical equipment to service the building. The departure is appropriate in relation to the programmatic requirements of an elementary school and the character and scale of the surrounding area and appropriately located on the site. The over height areas will increase the appearance of bulk at the site but is commensurate with the overall scale of the school.
The Director finds that the height departure will not exacerbate existing traffic, noise, circulation, or significant impacts on housing or open space in the area.
The parking-reduction approval is more complicated:
If built to code, the school would have to have 48 off-street spaces, but the plan includes none. The decision notes, “Due to the limited area of this site, providing on-site vehicular parking would result in sacrificing educational program and outdoor learning opportunities,” and sets five conditions for approval:
1) School Transportation Management Plan (STMP): Prior to the school reopening each year, the District and school Principal should establish a STMP to educate families about the access load/unload procedures for the site layout. The STMP should also encourage school bus ridership, carpooling, and supervised walking (such as walking school buses). The plan should require the school to distribute information to families about drop-off and pick-up procedures, as well as travel routes for approaching and leaving the school. It should also instruct staff and parents not to block or partially block any residential driveways with parked or stopped vehicles.
2) Engage the Seattle School Safety Committee: The District should continue the ongoing engagement with the Seattle School Safety Committee (led by SDOT) to review the new access for pedestrian and bicycles and determine if any changes should be made to crosswalks, traffic control, crossing guard locations, or to help encourage pedestrian and non-motorized flows at designated crosswalk locations.
3) Develop a Neighborhood Communication Plan for School Events: The District and school administration should develop a neighborhood communication plan to inform nearby neighbors of large events each year. The plan should be updated annually (or as events are scheduled) and should provide information about the dates, times, and rough magnitude of large-attendance events. The communication would be intended to allow neighbors to plan for the occasional increase in on-street parking demand that would occur with large events.
4) Update right-of-way and curb-side signage: The District should work with SDOT to confirm the locations, restrictions, and durations for curb-side parking and load/unload zones adjacent to the school.
5) Create a Large Event Plan for events expected to attract 400 or more attendees and modifies the event to reduce total peak demand by separating it into two sessions or into two nights as occurs at other Seattle elementary schools.
SDCI approved all the other departures, without conditions except for #9, regarding the illuminated sign. These are the conditions for that approval:
1. Limited to one single-faced sign.
2. Time of use is restricted to 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. weekdays and weekends.
3. The sign is limited to being lit using one color with a dark background.
4. No video, flashing, scrolling, rolling, tumbling, or moving images are allowed. The message may change, however.
You can read the entire decision here. Feedback was solicited for the proposed exceptions last year. Today’s release opens a two-week appeal period, through May 22nd; this notice explains how to file one. The district expects to start construction this summer; Alki Elementary is scheduled to move to the former Schmitz Park Elementary campus for two years while the new school is built.
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