West Seattle development: What’s up this week

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For starters, that’s what was “up” over the weekend; WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham caught West Seattle resident Fred Cavazos, owner of “Above the Rest,” maneuvering his blimp-borne photographic equipment over Huling land in the Fauntleroy Triangle. (Matt reports: “The blimp is tethered without power and the camera is controlled remotely from the ground. A video camera sends an image from the camera viewfinder where the operator can view it from a small screen mounted on the controller. This type of aerial photography can be used to better understand the views before developing a condominium or other high-rise venture.”) Matt adds that Cavazos couldn’t discuss exactly what he was working on, but certainly there’s plenty of development proposals in the area (see our clickable map here). This week brings two chances in West Seattle for you to find out more about development and issues relating to it: First, at the Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) meeting Tuesday night (6:30 pm, Ginomai @ SW corner of 42nd/Genesee), reps from major players in current Junction-area development are expected; read more at the JuNO site. Second, the Alki Community Council meeting on Thursday (7 pm, Alki Community Center) is expected to include an agenda item on the upcoming multifamily code revisions, according to member Karen Clegg; read on for information she wants you to know about it:

A proposal to raise the height (and capacity) of Multi-Family dwellings in Seattle will be presented to City Council by Seattle’s Dept. of Planning and Development (later this year).

Although presented as a minor adjustment in current code rather than an alteration in zoning, the alterations will be a defacto upzoning of current zone definitions. The height rise will affect the whole city and our neighborhood, Alki, in particular, since we have such a mix of differently zoned areas. For example, the current LDT (Lowrise Duplex/Triplex) height limit of 25’ flat roof /30’ pitched roof will be raised to 30’ flat/35’ pitched, ostensibly to bring the allowable LDT height to that of a single family home (currently 35’ with a pitched roof).

However, in multifamily zones, rooftop apparatus such as decks, play equipment and mechanical penthouses for elevators and/or air conditioning equipment are allowed; equipment housings that can add as much as 10’ to 16’ to the height of a structure. This increases the allowable height from 30 or 35’ to 40 or 46’, a significant difference, particularly if next to single-family-zoned homes.

Multi-Family structures of 40’ to 46’ would be totally out of character to neighboring single-family homes. These ostensible “lowrise” structures will destroy the visual integration with neighboring single family homes — integration that is one of the stated goals of the zoning revisions. They will also cause single family homes near and behind them to lose views (and also property value), sunlight, and more. Also, Multi-Family structures erected on a hillside are allowed an extra 5’ in height. Another aspect of the Multi-Family code revision includes reducing parking requirements, eliminating them in some areas. …

To learn more about the impact of these changes, go to www.LivableSeattleMovement.com You can also go to the DPD website for more information: www.seattle.gov/DPD/Planning/Multifamily_Code_Update/Overview/

To find out about meetings of the Land Use, Planning, and Neighborhoods Committee, which is the committee that will be addressing the DPD proposal, you can call 684-8802, or go to www.seattle.gov/council/list.htm to get on the mailing list. Chair Sally Clark can also be reached at sally.clark@seattle.gov. Tim Burgess, the vice chair, can be reached at 684-8806 or at tim.burgess@seattle.gov. We’ve learned that the most effective way to reach city council members is by U.S. Mail. That address is: P.O. Box 34025, Seattle 98124-4025.

We talked with Councilmember Clark about this issue during her recent Junction walking tour (WSB coverage is here; Clark’s own blog post about it is here) — she told us she wasn’t expecting any action on this issue to be finalized before year’s end, because for one the council hasn’t even seen the official proposal yet and doesn’t know what its scope will be, and for two, once that’s out, months of hearings and public input will ensue, with a break during the budget process this fall.

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