DEVELOPMENT: 11 townhouses proposed for Harbor Avenue SW site

| Development | West Seattle news

(South part of the site as shown on King County Assessor website photo)

Residential-development proposals in West Seattle continue to be dominated by townhouses. One of the newest early permit filings is for 11 of them proposed on three vacant parcels in the 2200 block of Harbor Avenue SW [map], immediately southeast of the West Bay building (which has a separate non-townhouse proposal that’s been in the system a while). The preliminary site plan filed a few days ago for 2271 Harbor SW shows the townhouses in a single row facing onto Harbor Avenue. The online files say 11 parking spaces are proposed, and 44 “sleeping rooms,” which would suggest these will be 4-bedroom townhouses. Of note: One of the developers/owners listed on the site-plan document is Kathryn Kingen, co-proprietor of Salty’s on Alki, a few blocks north. Again, this is an early-stage proposal, so it’s not in the review/comment phase yet.

Daniel June 2, 2026 (4:23 pm)

Sounds like a good idea? Vacant land used for more housing. We definitely need more total housing units. 4br, those are going to be pretty big units, yea?

Anne June 2, 2026 (6:29 pm)

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Big & expensive -“more housing” doesn’t necessarily mean affordable housing.

don'tblockme June 2, 2026 (5:48 pm)

But will they be affordable to the average hardworking person/family?

Anne June 2, 2026 (8:22 pm)

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You’re joking -right?
K June 2, 2026 (8:24 pm)

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Not directly, but more available housing for those who can afford a 900k home means the people who can afford 900k aren’t buying a 500k home with some cosmetic issues simply because that’s all that’s available, and more affordable units will exist on the market in total. Home prices are driven by supply and demand, so creating housing at any price point helps even the equation, which cools housing prices in the long run.
- Kyle June 3, 2026 (6:50 am)
  
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  If these are 4 bedrooms, they will all be priced over $1M.
- Anne June 3, 2026 (7:05 am)
  
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  Well that’s one way to look at it.
  - Bob June 5, 2026 (10:39 am)
    
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    Ya it’s the logical and correct way to look at it
- Frog June 3, 2026 (12:58 pm)
  
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  There are no $500K homes with cosmetic issues in West Seattle. To find those, you would need to go to White Center, Burien, Tukwila, South Park etc. The $750K homes with cosmetic issues in West Seattle are nearly all snapped up by a developer, who will build three to six $700-1,100K townhouses. Or at least it has been that way up to now. The only way to create affordable market rate housing in Seattle is to make the city a less attractive place to live, so the population stagnates or declines. (Mayor Wilson seems to understand that.) Meanwhile, the cost of new construction that meets Seattle and WA codes will tend to make it unaffordable to most people, even if the land was free.

Griper June 2, 2026 (8:06 pm)

No new market-rate housing in Seattle is affordable to the average hard working person.
Period.
WSB’s article does not mention that this is subsidized low income housing.
Why would people assume it would be?
Would one expect Salty’s to switch an affordable to families menu?
Our housing shortage and lack of affordability have been a long time coming and fiercely defended by those with homes already and the community associations that controlled zoning and their lifestyles.
Other cities (Austin for example) have had success increasing affordability through reducing their zoning restrictions which were similar to ours.
So, although more housing may not be affordable housing, it does lead to more affordable housing.

This infill project offers 4 bedrooms and parking, two frequently commented complaints.
No existing low rent house is being demolished.
No lot with heritage trees is being ‘scraped’.
The setbacks from the street are 50 plus feet and the rear also 56′!
The majority of the property will remain undeveloped treed hillside.

It will vitalize a derelict stretch of Harbor Ave.

Full disclosure. I have no connection or any involvement with this project.

stuck June 3, 2026 (9:01 am)

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I have to take issue with your implication that by living in my house I am fiercely opposing building affordable housing. Since my immediate neighborhood (four blocks) was rezoned to RSL(M) and now LR1, exactly one (1) parcel has been redeveloped with multiple townhouses and one (1) neighbor has built an ADU (finishing about a year late thanks to glacial city permitting). Rebuilding is too difficult and expensive for the average homeowner to take on. It has to be done by professional developers. Which means you have to sell and go somewhere you can afford and want to live. Or up and die.
- Griper June 3, 2026 (11:43 am)
  
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  Sorry Stuck, I did not intend to make any such implication. I wrote that the zoning restrictions supported by homeowners and their organizations are a major cause of current housing shortages. The examples given by Stuck suggest that some people are successful in this process. The Seattle building department is legendary for causing delays, adding to construction costs.

WS Neighbor June 2, 2026 (11:35 pm)

Hi WSB! Thanks for all the updates about development. I love them. Do you know what the plan is for the area where they took down those 4-5 houses on the west side of Fauntleroy just north of Dawson? Townhomes? Condos? Apartments?

WSB June 3, 2026 (12:42 am)

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Hi, we’ve reported on that several times, dating back to 2024. Mix of townhouses/standalones
https://westseattleblog.com/2024/12/development-28-townhouses-houses-planned-on-southeast-edge-of-the-junction/
- Griper June 3, 2026 (9:36 am)
  
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  Next door to the 28 townhomes at 5049 Fauntleroy Way is this site that appears stalled. It appears the developer designed to protect the tree in this tortured scenario.
  - 1994 June 3, 2026 (9:54 pm)
    
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    The tree does not look healthy and has been chopped. Maybe the city designated this a tree that can’t be cut?