Few projects have gone before the Southwest Design Review Board in the past few years, as large-scale development has slowed down dramatically in West Seattle since the boom years a decade ago. But the board does occasionally get a project to review. This past Thursday night, for the first time in five months, the SWDRB met online, for the second Early Design Guidance meeting for 1116 Alki Avenue SW, a proposed ~60-unit residential building replacing a group of old houses on Duwamish Head.

The board’s newest chair Gavin Schaefer led the meeting. Also present: members Brenda Baxter and Alan Grainger, plus fill-in member Gina Gage, as well as the project’s assigned city planner, Theresa Neylon. She reminded everyone that since this project is still in Early Design Guidance, the graphics in the design packet (see it here) are “conceptual.” Here are toplines from the meeting, which followed the standard four-part format:

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Tomorrow (Thursday, July 6th) at 5 pm, the Southwest Design Review Board meets online for its second “early design guidance” look at a residential project planned for 1116 Alki Avenue SW, replacing six standalone houses. The meeting includes a public-comment period; you can preview the new design options by looking at the packet here. Remember that in the “early design” phase, the project team is supposed to offer three options for the “massing” of the building – its size and shape – so these renderings do not show what the building would eventually look like, with materials, colors, etc. The three new options vary slightly but the building is proposed at six stories and around 60 units, with offstreet parking totaling at least the number of spaces required by the Alki Parking Overlay (one and a half spaces per residential unit). The project team’s “preferred option” would remove two trees that were much-discussed at the previous review (WSB coverage here), replacing them with four trees that would anchor two “corner gardens.” If you’re interested in attending Thursday’s meeting and/or commenting, go here to see how.

(‘Preferred option’ massing from last year’s draft design packet by MZA Architecture)

As we reported two weeks ago, the Southwest Design Review Board has one of its now-rare meetings scheduled next month, for the second Early Design Guidance review of 1116 Alki Avenue SW. The date is now corrected to July 6th, and the official notice was made public by the city today. It’ll be a 5 pm online meeting, with the opportunity for spoken or written public comment. The project is proposed for six floors, 65 units, 102 offstreet-parking spaces; here’s our report from its first early-design meeting in April 2022. Information on how to attend/comment is on this city webpage, which is also where you’ll find the new design packet when available; note that the early-design stage is primarily about a building’s massing – size, shape, and placement on the site.

Two development notes this afternoon:

(Rendering from 2021 design review of 4406 36th SW)

LAND-USE APPROVAL FOR PART OF TRIANGLE PROJECT: One of the two buildings planned on West Seattle Triangle land owned by the Sweeney family of Alki Lumber has received a key land-use approval, which in turn opens a two-week appeal period. The building at 4406 36th SW [map] is the easternmost of the two, proposed for 7 stories, 284 apartments, commercial space, and 162 off-street parking spots. It got Southwest Design Review Board approval a year and a half ago. Here’s the new city-staff decision; here’s the notice, which explains how to appeal (filing deadline is June 15th). We asked family spokesperson Lynne Sweeney about the project’s status recently, and she replied that they’re continuing to work through the permit process on both sites: “We are still moving toward construction, but no firm dates.” (The west building, 4440 Fauntleroy Way SW, is a bit further behind in the process, but received SWDRB approval two weeks after the east building.)

1116 ALKI AVENUE SW: This 6-story, 65-unit building with 102 offstreet-parking spaces [map] is tentatively set for its second Early Design Guidance meeting of the SWDRB on July 11th. We covered the first one in April of last year. Watch here for information on how to participate in the upcoming review.

(Texted photos)

12:43 PM: Cleanup is under way today in north Morgan Junction, where a duplex was damaged when part of an under-construction building next door at 5952 California SW fell down onto it last night. Nobody was hurt, and the duplex owner told us the damage wasn’t major, but questions remain about why it happened – the initial report was that the wind blew the pieces down, though last night’s short-lived wind didn’t seem particularly strong.

We checked city files for the project at 5952 California SW; they show its “plywood sheathing” had undergone a construction inspection by a private firm just last week. And now last night’s incident has led to a complaint filed today with the city Department of Construction and Inspections, asking for urgent investigation and action; we’re checking on that with SDCI, and also attempting to contact the project’s owner. It’s been seven years since an apartment building was first proposed for the site; the property was sold last year.

ADDED TUESDAY EVENING: We asked SDCI spokesperson Bryan Stevens about the newly filed complaint. Stevens replied, “Inspectors are aware and looking into it” but didn’t expect an update until tomorrow. The online file also indicates that evaluation of the complaint is “in progress.”

(Massing rendering of Option 3 for 5252 California SW, by Ankrom Moisan)

About a dozen people showed up for last Thursday’s informational meeting about the Aegis Living project planned for 5252 California Avenue SW. The meeting was requested by neighbors, who said they were hoping to get more information on the project that had been provided thus far, and led by Bryon Ziegler from Aegis, the company’s director of development and entitlements. Here are the toplines of what happened:

Ziegler started with a recap of the February 2nd meeting with the Southwest Design Review Board (WSB coverage here), at which board members recommended that the project move ahead in the process (which means at least one more design-review meeting, not yet scheduled). That recommendation paves the way for the company to apply for a Master Use Permit for the site, on which Aegis plans to build a five-story, 100-unit complex, a mix of assisted living and memory care.

So what’s the overall timeline? neighbors asked. For one, Ziegler indicated, demolition of the vacant former strip-mall and restaurant buildings on the property is not imminent – but they’re hoping it can happen before year’s end, depending on when the city issues project permits. Construction would likely start several months after demolition, likely in summer or fall of 2024.

Other questions focused on the building’s massing – size, shape, placement on site – which was the focus of the first-stage design review. Is it settled? Ziegler was asked; based on the results of the first SWDRB meeting, he replied, yes. Attendees weren’t happy to hear that, and wondered why they hadn’t had more opportunities for input. (The February SWDRB meeting featured about a dozen comments received before and during the meeting.) Residents who border the alley behind the site also had questions about how the parking entrance, solid-waste pickup, and large deliveries will be handled.

In conclusion, neighbors talked about pursuing a meeting with the city agencies involved in the project, as well as meeting again with Aegis Living; Ziegler said that’s possible. Meantime, since the project is still in the review process, comments on any aspect of it are still being accepted by the city planner assigned to the project, theresa.neylon@seattle.gov.

(Massing rendering of Option 3 for 5252 California SW, by Ankrom Moisan)

The Aegis Living plan for 5252 California SW is midway through the Design Review process, after “early design guidance” approval three months ago (WSB coverage here). The project is proposed to include 100 units – one-third memory care, the rest assisted living – plus 750 sf of commercial space, and offstreet parking for 40 cars. The project site currently holds three commercial buildings that were vacated several years ago while previous ownership pursued other plans for the property. Neighbors with questions are organizing an informational meeting with project-team members next week, and they’re inviting everyone in the community who wants to find out more. Here’s the announcement sent to us:

Aegis & Architect re: 5252 California Ave SW
May 4 @ 7:00 – 8:00 pm

If you live near 5252 California Ave SW (corner of Brandon and California) or are just interested in the development of this large, senior living complex — please join Aegis, its Architect, and neighbors to discuss this project and its impact on the neighborhood.

Location: West Seattle Senior Center (Nucor Room), 4217 SW Oregon

The organizers also have set up a website with project information. Meantime, the second and potentially final Southwest Design Review Board meeting about the project is not yet on the schedule. Aegis Living has more than three dozen locations in three states, including one in Admiral.

Almost a year and a half after 3010 SW Avalon Way cleared the first phase of Design Review, the project has taken the next step – applying for land-use approval. That opens a new two-week comment period, as announced in today’s city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin. The official city description of the project is “an 8-story, 87-unit apartment building” with 4 offstreet-parking spaces for cars/trucks (the project will include bicycle parking). The site originally held two old houses, as noted when we first reported on an early-stage plan in 2019. Today’s notice explains how to send the city a comment on the project; there also will be another opportunity to comment whenever a meeting is scheduled for the second and final Design Review phase.

(WSB file photo)

Four and a half years after Roxbury Auto Parts was forced to close, the site has just been listed for sale. In 2018, the building at 2839 SW Roxbury was “red-tagged” by King County (it’s just south of the city limits), declaring the building was unsafe and that its back wall was in danger of collapse. The store’s third-generation owners – who leased the site – had to close, and never reopened. The building has sat vacant and vandalized ever since. It’s on a half-acre site described in the listing as “Perfect development site with 155 feet of frontage on SW Roxbury. … Great location for chain restaurant or other commercial/mixed use applications.” Asking price: $1,375,000.

Thanks to everyone who’s tipped us about activity seen at 4457 Fauntleroy Way SW, where Midas closed in 2019, including fencing that went up a few days ago. After three years on the market, the site was sold a week ago. It was originally listed for $3,250,000; online records show it sold for just over half that, $1.8 million. The buyer is an LLC linked to a Mercer Island real-estate investor/developer; no permit applications are on file for the site so far.

Two West Seattle projects are part of today’s twice-weekly Public Notices Summary from the city Department of Construction and Inspections:

PUBLIC MEETING FOR 6504 24TH SW: A public meeting is being held for comments about an 11-unit proposal at this site in Delridge [map] – five 2-story single-family houses, three attached accessory dwelling units, and three detached ADUs, with 11 offstreet-parking spaces. The meeting will be online at 5 pm on March 2nd. The official notice includes information on how to participate/comment. We first briefly mentioned the site back in 2014, when neighbors were voicing concerns about another site on the street, in the context of flooding concerns from nearby Longfellow Creek.

(WSB photo from last year, with tagging obscured)

COMMENT TIME FOR LONG-IDLE 5249 CALIFORNIA SW: More than a year after we reported on a new plan for the long-stalled site at 5249 California SW [map], the land-use application is being reviewed, and that’s opened a comment period. The site is proposed for what the city website describes as “a 3-story, 6-unit townhouse building, and a 3-story, 3-unit live-work building (with p)arking for 4 vehicles.” Comments are being accepted through February 22nd; the official notice explains how to submit yours.

(Massing rendering of Option 3 for 5252 California SW, by Ankrom Moisan)

In their second online meeting of the night – after months with no meetings at all – the Southwest Design Review Board gave the Aegis Living plan for 5252 California SW approval to move into the next phase of the review process.

The first phase of Design Review is about “massing” – buildings’ size and shape – and this project is a lot larger than what’s around the site right now, so that was a major factor in the discussion. The meeting was led by SWDRB chair Patrick Cobb (Fauntleroy), with board members Alan Grainger (Fauntleroy), Johanna Lirman (North Admiral), and Gavin Schaefer (Camp Long area)=. From the city Department of Construction and Inspections, the project’s assigned planner Theresa Neylon was there. Here’s how the meeting went:

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(Rendering from design packet by LDG Architects)

The first of tonight’s two Southwest Design Review Board meetings ended with an order for 7617 35th SW to make some changes and return for a second round of Early Design Guidance.

This first phase of Design Review is all about buildings’ size and shape, aka “massing,” and that’s what the big concern was here, along with placement of its entries. Board chair Patrick Cobb (Fauntleroy) led the meeting, with board members Alan Grainger (Fauntleroy), Johanna Lirman (North Admiral), and Gavin Schaefer (Camp Long area) in attendance. From the city Department of Construction and Inspections, David Sachs was filling in for the project’s assigned planner Joseph Hurley. Here’s how the meeting went, along the required four-section format:

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(Rendering from design packet by LDG Architects)

That’s one of the design concepts in the final packet for Thursday night’s Southwest Design Review Board online meeting about the mixed-use building proposed for 7617 35th SW, between SW Holden and SW Ida. As reported here previously, this is a new plan for the site, where a smaller-scale plan went part of the way through the process four-plus years ago. This time the proposal is, as described on the city website and in the packet, for a building with six stories, 130+ apartments, ground-floor commercial spots, and ~50 offstreet-parking spaces. See the packet here; see information on attending the 5 pm online meeting and commenting here. Remember that this is the Early Design Guidance portion of the process, which means the review is primarily focused on the size and shape of the building as well as its placement on its site. (This meeting will be followed by the board’s separate 7 pm review of the Aegis Living proposal for 5252 California SW.)

Two project notes:

5252 CALIFORNIA SW DESIGN PACKET: One week from tonight, the Southwest Design Review Board meets online to look at two West Seattle projects. The second review, at 7 pm, is for the Aegis Living seniors’ complex proposed at 5252 California SW. We’ve been reporting on the plan since last July; now with a week to go until the meeting, the final design packet is available for review – more than 100 pages, twice the size of the draft version we linked previously, It includes the new “concept” rendering shown above, but its main purpose is to explore three “massing” (size and shape) options, since this is the Early Design Guidance part of the process. As previously mentioned, the proposal is for a five-story building – one floor higher than the basic zoning because they’re proposing Living Building Challenge elements – with up to 100 units (70 assisted living, 30 memory care). Public comment is part of the 7 pm Thursday, February 2nd, meeting; attendance/commenting info is here.

1318 ALKI COMMENTS: From today’s Land Use Information Bulletin, a Shoreline Substantial Development application has been submitted for a proposal to build two buildings with six townhouses and nine offstreet-parking spaces at 1318 Alki SW. Comments will be accepted through February 24th; this notice explains how to offer yours.

(Preferred ‘massing’ – size and shape – for project, from draft design packet)

As first reported here last July, Aegis Living is proposing a new assisted-living/memory-care complex at the long-vacant strip mall/restaurant site on the northeast side of California/Brandon, formally using the address 5252 California SW. Last month, the six-story, 100+-unit project was set for a mid-January date before the Southwest Design Review Board, but now that’s changed – it’s set for the second half of an online doubleheader, 7 pm Thursday, February 2nd. (The first half of the meeting – at 5 pm – will focus on the 7617 35th SW mixed-use project.) Meeting participation info, including how to comment, is here; the official meeting notice (to be published by the city Tuesday) is here; a draft version of the design packet is here. The first meeting is for “early design guidance,” so it will focus on the project’s size, shape, and placement on the site.

It’s been more than four years since a mixed-use project on 35th SW between Holden and Ida was last seen by the Southwest Design Review Board, which ordered the project team to come back for a second round of Early Design Guidance. (Remember that Early Design Guidance is largely about size and shape of the building – “massing”; the project team’s preferred option is above.) Two years later, we reported the plan had expanded. Now, two years after that, the project is scheduled to return to the board – and it’s been expanded again. Back in 2018, a four-story building with about 50 apartments was proposed; in 2020, it was a five-story plan with 120 apartments; now it’s six stories and more than 130 apartments, with ground-floor commercial space and 50 underground parking stalls. You can see the draft design packet here. The revised project is scheduled to go before the SWDRB at 5 pm Thursday, February 2nd, online; watch for the meeting link here.