(Renderings courtesy Nicholson-Kovalchick Architects)
Here’s your first look at the newest changes proposed for one of the most-scrutinized development proposals on the table right now in West Seattle. 3210 California SW is the 134-unit, 152-parking-space, ~450-foot-long mixed-use project proposed for most of the east side of a block-plus area upzoned in 2010. Intracorp‘s project has been before the Southwest Design Review Board four times, and board members are scheduled to consider it again on April 3rd, as reported here four weeks ago. Today, the project team has shared three new renderings and a summary of changes – including reduced height for part of the building, a key request by nearby neighbors, who have continued to challenge the city rules that wound up allowing a 5-story building in an area upzoned to a theoretical 4-story (40-foot) height limit:
Summary of Proposed Changes:
§ Reduced the north building by one floor. It’s now under the allowed height and zoning. This is also a reduction of 10 apartment units.
§ Reduced the quantity and the height of the stair and elevator penthouses.
§ Set back the top floor of the middle and south buildings by 4 feet from the three residential stories below.
§ Widened the gap between the three buildings to a minimum of 25 feet to allow for more natural light and reduce the massing. (formerly the minimum gap was at 19 feet)
§ Removed all the balconies facing the single family homes. Replaced them with Juliet balconies to allow the doors to open for natural ventilation. (Juliet balconies do not allow a person to step onto the balcony.)
§ Made the bridge more transparent to allow for natural light.
§ Varied the color of the window frames to further differentiate the three buildings, creating a tapestry rather than a uniformed look.
(North retail, street level)
§ Carried the brick material (in a different color) from the northern building to the middle building. This gives the middle building a finer, masonry look and resembles more of the California District character.§ Added finer scale, smooth masonry face on the retail side of the south building and varied the storefront and other street level materials in order to compliment the character of California Avenue and the Admiral District.
(South residential, street level)
The project team will be submitting the full “design packet” for the April 3rd meeting (6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle, California/Oregon) before the week’s out.
2:16 PM UPDATE: The full packet is now linked from the city website – see it here.
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