WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Beach Drive slide aftermath

Thanks to Lura for the tip and photos. It’s a reminder that the rainy season is slide season – part of the hillside slid in the 5000 block of Beach Drive SW on Tuesday. Seattle Fire sent several units; spokesperson David Cuerpo told us after we inquired Wednesday, “Crews evaluated the debris from the landslide and determined no one was trapped or reported injuries.”

He suggested we follow up with the city Department of Construction and Inspections, which is charged with ensuring that buildings are safe, among other things. Spokesperson Wendy Shark told us today that the slide affected 3 properties: “1 above the slide area, and 2 below. We posted a yellow tag on each property meaning they are required to hire a Geotechnical Engineer to evaluate the slide area. There are no limits on using the structures.Debris slid down the hill onto the 2 properties below. One house had some impact on the North side of their property. Soil and debris were pushed over their fence. The other house below the slide has a large soil/debris pile in their backyard.” We’re getting close to the end of slide season, but if you live in or near a slide-vulnerable zone, it’s worth availing yourself of prevention education.

KM March 27, 2026 (7:44 am)

I am sorry the people that own these properties are dealing with this. Thankfully people and houses are okay. The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections is granting too many zoning exceptions for new construction on historically zoned steep slope and slide properties. We are going to be seeing more of this if the city doesn’t start paying attention to the reasons properties were zoned this way decades ago. I am not saying this particular slide is a result of zoning exceptions, I am just stating an SDCI judgement problem that is creating future hazards similar to this slide.

Frog March 27, 2026 (10:23 am)

Hard to declare a lot unbuildable after collecting high property taxes on it for decades.
- KM March 27, 2026 (2:43 pm)
  
  We have been observing and experiencing the tax issues for years. We just got a huge increase in our property tax…. way beyond the rate at which our property tax usually increases. We have lived in our Alki house for 25 years so this isn’t our first rodeo. The city is trying to use the “value” of new construction on these lots, that should have limited or no construction allowed (due to steep slope/slide zoning), to try to justify these huge increases. SDCI needs to slow down and think about what they are doing to the future of our properties, homes, and safety.
  - Slider March 28, 2026 (9:16 pm)
    
    The problem with KM’s observation is that Seattle does not tax real estate, King County does.
    
    The value of steep slope properties is a fraction of flat easily buildable parcels.
    - KM March 29, 2026 (10:39 pm)
      
      I should have broken down my thought process more clearly. I am aware that King County is the determiner of property values and taxes, as I have been making payments to them for over two decades. However, we have been going through the process of determining the reasons our own property taxes, along with neighboring property taxes, have risen so much over the past two years and the new construction values , indeed, figure into it (the Comparable Sale Effect). We also follow listing and sale prices of steep slope properties and flat parcels in the Alki area and the steep slope lot prices are certainly not “a fraction” of flat parcels, when looking at comparable lot sizes. The prices being paid for lots that have steep slope zoning attached to them have steadily increased. Finally, the amount of fees being collected by the city when SDCI allows one or more zoning or building code exceptions or variances on a property clearly benefit the city.

wetone March 27, 2026 (8:36 am)

Had family members that lost their house in 1970’s a little farther south from this site. They barely made it out as slide happened early morning hours. Home was destroyed and they basically lost everything except the pajamas they were wearing. This hillside is no joke and full of springs. Glad to see no one was hurt. Agree with what KM says….

Christine Cannon March 27, 2026 (10:56 am)

Hi it’s Michael’s mother. That photo was taken on our property. One of the homes affected by the landslide. I have lots of photos and info if furtheris neededhope you are all doing wellkind regardsChristine Cannon

gh March 27, 2026 (11:20 am)

No amount of zoning restriction or tree cover can prevent these slides. As someone who generally supports a somewhat maximalist approach to densification and development, nothing should be built on these slopes what so ever, and the existing structures are, in so many words, doomed.

All of our area is geomorphologically young, and many of the steep slopes carved during the last glaciation are steeper than weak, poorly compacted layers of outwash, clays, and tills can maintain. The bluffs and hills bordering the highlands of West Seattle are fundamentally geologically unstable, and over time these slopes will fail and slide. New structures should not be built on them. Build above the slope or below the slope with sufficient space to account for the inevitable slope failures.

Firefighter March 27, 2026 (6:29 pm)

Agreed – we knew that back in 1990 when I moved over here. But in that era the richie-riches were literally sueing the City to allow them to build on the steep “Scenic View Properties” 😂 above Beach Drive. At the time Beach Drive was lined with old fishing cottages – but it was also the Glory Days of the “condo-ification” of Beach Drive and so every greedy developer wanted a piece of the (mud) pie. I think it was about 10 or 15 years later, after all the mini Mar al Lagos had been sued for and built above and below these slopes, that we had some very rainy wet years like now and the slides, predictable as rain, came sluicing down. I laughed my head off at the fools who sued to build them and then lost their palaces – but they had (and still have) the last laugh: unbelievably they sued the City for allowing them to build there and won. 😱 Follow the real estate money – these are pure and simple Greed Slides. Get used to it – America is Great Again – so we’ll not only see more Greed Slides but we’ll be “allowed” to do our civic duty and pay for them!! LOL. Such is the innate Climate Change of the Covfefe-zoic Era.
Mac MacD March 28, 2026 (7:37 am)

Well said. I’ve spent many of my 48 years in plumbing and construction repairing and stabilizing homes that were and should’ve stayed condemned. The Big Tax Grab by the City is too tempting to ever let that happen, and they typically take ZERO responsibility when these disasters happen, letting gambling homeowners and insurance roulette deal with it.

Mike March 27, 2026 (6:48 pm)

Scary stuff. Does anyone know more specifically where this is? I live nearby and have not noticed any slide activity. FWIW, the city has rigorous geotechnical engineering requirements for new construction in this area die to it being in a soil liquefaction zone

Slider March 28, 2026 (10:15 am)

The slide is behind the home at 5026 Beach Drive.
The houses affected, above and below, were built before the Critica Areas designation existed.
The ECAs of this hill area are for steep slopes and slides as opposed to the sandy flats of Alki that are at risk for liquefaction.
Seattle does indeed have a notorious requirements for construction in ECAs.
KM March 28, 2026 (7:15 pm)

We live three blocks above Beach Drive and have seen construction allowed on ECA properties several times. There is even a 100% ECA property close to us that has recently been granted several exceptions by SDCI in order to build on the property; regardless of the Environmentally Critical designation and regardless of the adjacent neighbors challenging the decisions. The city has loosened restrictions and allowed loopholes over the past 6 years. It is not a good thing……..
- Slider March 29, 2026 (9:23 am)
  
  KM is not familar with ECA.
  
  No changes have been made over the last six years.
  The only change made was the requirement for an exception to build.
  This change lead uniformed people to think that construction is banned.
  It is likely that KM’s and the neighbors’ “challenging the decision” homes are also in the ECA, pure NIMBYism.
- Slider March 29, 2026 (7:37 pm)
  
  Please share what restrictions the city has loosened or loopholes that have opened?
  
  Adjacent neighbors are not allowed to prevent a neighbor from legally developing.

Sorry, comment time is over.