West Seattle, Washington
29 Friday
First one has to do with the doomed building shown above (future home of a 3-story commercial building plus townhouses), which, as we first wrote in April, we have a soft spot for. Big green signs in its window today announce a “moving sale” this weekend for the martial-arts studio that’s been the storefront’s most recent tenant; we found more about the sale online.
Second note: Across the street and to the south from the aforementioned moving sale, the city seems to still be having trouble getting the ex-Chuck and Sally’s Tavern to comply with the rules regarding not using the property as a parking lot; this page says it’s failed two inspections and now is under a warning to comply by 11/30, or else.
Continuing our report on details about the California Ave (Hanford to Hinds) rezoning request that were revealed at tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting: While, as we mentioned earlier, there are two “primary applicants,” the area involved in this request to “upzone” from the current NC1-30 to NC2-40 has more than 20 property owners. The applicants’ rep Josh Stepherson says 70% of them have signed on for this, but even among the other 30%, he says, none are opposed. His presentation included bullet points on what “positive impacts” the applicants think this would have on the area — but first, the full text of their statement, included in the 10-page handout Stepherson distributed tonight:Read More
Just back from dropping in on the Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting to hear the promised mini-presentation on the proposed “upzoning” of both sides of California from Hanford to Hinds (and a bit beyond, on the west side). Not only was a DPD rep there as expected, so was Josh Stepherson, who’s representing the property owners behind the proposal. He brought along a 10-page handout, and among the new details included in that handout were the names of the “primary applicants” — Roger Cayce and Mike Gain. If you are a relatively recent West Seattle arrival, you might be thinking “Yes, and your point is — ?” It’s this: Back when we arrived in the early ’90s, they were the biggest names in WS real estate, with their names on almost every for-sale shingle. (We bought our house from a Cayce & Gain listing, after two years of renting a Cayce & Gain-managed condo.) Their names are still on a property-management firm in the proposed rezone area, but what was Cayce & Gain Real Estate is now Prudential NW (also in the proposed rezone area). So why are they (and other area property owners) asking to change the zoning? We have some details on that too, as well as on plans for a public meeting in about 2 weeks, coming up in a complete report we’ll post here later tonight.
We first told you five days ago about the new proposal to rezone both sides of a stretch of California Ave south of Admiral Junction. Right now it’s zoned NC1-30 (latter number is maximum height); the proposal, brought by a representative for area property owners, is to change that to NC2-40. (“NC” stands for neighborhood commercial; other Seattle zoning designations explained here.) Here’s the area in question, in a screengrab straight from the city “notice of application” page:
Some of those commenting on our original post suggested new development in that area will be an aesthetic improvement. Then there are concerns like this one:Read More
If you are going to The Junction for the Farmers’ Market (or anything else) today and have time to stroll a block east — check out how massive the excavation for the Capelouto megaproject (announced as Office Depot/QFC/apartments) has become (above photo was taken looking through the fence from the west side, along 42nd). Downtown, big digs like this are old hat, but in West Seattle, not so much.
There’s a real bulletin this time around in the semiweekly city Land Use Information Bulletin that just came out: A request to rezone both sides of California, between Hanford and Hinds on the east side, and from Hanford to 100′ south of Hinds on the west side. If this is granted, the zoning would change from NC1-30′ (the last number is max height) to NC2-40′. Looking now to find out more about what’s behind this, but wanted to pass it along in the short run – we’ve been following the LUIB fairly closely for more than a year and haven’t seen anything like this in that time.
What a day for High Point, with a big event this morning to officially celebrate the global award just given to the Seattle Housing Authority‘s grand experiment. Citywide media dropped in too; check out this tv clip with a few familiar folks (Wendy Hughes-Jelen, who has two sites on our Other Blogs in WS page, and neighborhood activist Miranda Taylor). We stopped by to check out an expected appearance by the mayor, but the crowd was told he had to cancel at the last minute for a funeral. Instead, Al Levine from SHA (photo right) emceed. High Point is amassing quite the trophy case. If you haven’t been through the area lately, make time for a drive, or a stroll. The sheer scope is something to behold.
It’s been four months since we last checked on this empty lot in the 6000 block of California, north of Morgan Junction. Just discovered a couple new permit applications came in only days ago for a big grouping of townhouses and “live/work” units here — Knoll Development is seeking permits for four addresses: at 6021, at 6025, at 6029, and at 6031.
The development has just won a Global Award for Excellence — one of only two U.S. projects among the 5 winners worldwide. Here’s what the judges liked about it.
Earlier this month, the city invited citizens to an event to learn about the “multi-family code (zoning) update” in the works. It wasn’t in West Seattle but it was for the whole city; the topic may sound dry but for all the times we’ve all talked about development and zoning and city regulations and how did project X get through and … it’s important. Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) president Erica Karlovits went to that event and kindly shared notes so we can all have the details of what was discussed, what these changes might mean for development here (and citywide), and what you might want to contact the City Council about before they vote on all this in the coming months:Read More
Several West Seattle projects turn up in the latest edition of the city’s Land Use Information Bulletin:
JUNCTION MEGA-PROJECT BEHIND PETCO: A land-use decision is in for this 7-story, 136-apartment, 5K-sf-retail project, to be called “Mural” (more info here on the developer’s website). Construction permits are the next step.
4116 CALIFORNIA: Land-use decision on a 4-story, 40-apartment, ground-level-retail building proposed here. (map)
3636 BEACH DRIVE: Application filed to officially reclassify this one lot into five; townhouse permit already issued for this site. (map)
WEST SEATTLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH ADDITION: The land-use decision is in for a three-story structure adjacent to the church. (The project is explained on the church’s website.)
7200 block of California, June:
July:
Now:
We first told the story of the fight over the townhouses, and the now-obscured view of the old house many in the area know as the Gatewood “hunting lodge,” in February.
While webcombing in the dead o’night for updates on Fauntleroy Place, we discovered a new West Seattle project on the website of FP developer BlueStar Management: A retail/residential complex to be called Spring Hill. Here’s what the BlueStar site says about it (followed by what else we have found out so far):
BlueStar Management/Development of Seattle, Washington has purchased three contiguous parcels on the east side of the 5000 Block on California Avenue SW, just south of the West Seattle Junction.
Preliminary plans for the Spring Hill development include approximately 80 apartment homes above 3,600 square feet of retail space. Parking will be available under the building as well. The apartment homes are expected to range from 550 to 1250 square feet and will help to fill the growing need for rental housing in the area. … Construction is slated for 2008 with anticipated occupancy in 2009.
Armed with that general location information, we scoured through the city’s online files, and discovered this project appears to be centered on the parcel at 5020 California, currently half-century-old apartments, per county records. (Saturday afternoon addendum: The streetfront of these apartments is actually marked 5022 Cali; photo below; BlueStar page about the complex, Skyliner, here.) Its land-use permit application and construction permit application are not dated right now, but they’re clearly new because the “pre-application site visit” happened on October 5th; the applications aren’t even coming up yet in a search of the city’s Land Use Information Bulletin archives. We’ll check with BlueStar next week to see what more they can tell us. Architects listed on the application are from Hewitt, which also is working right now on the QFC/Office Depot megaproject progressing rapidly north of Jefferson Square. Side note: If you’re thinking, “Isn’t Spring Hill also the name of a restaurant in development on the north edge of The Junction?” yes, you’re right. Popular name with long-ago geographic relevance.
We’ve talked before about the teardown-to-townhouse plan for the 57th/Alki corner (across from Alki Automotive) now mostly occupied by the stately brick Shoremont Apartments (photo above). After WSB reader Fiona e-mailed to point out (thank you!) that the parcel suddenly turned up the other day listed for sale for $2.2 million, we published a post about it half an hour ago – then double checked the listing link – which originally had ad verbiage suggesting the project could proceed OR the apartments could stay (or some combination?) – but that link (as you’ll see if you click it) is suddenly no longer good; sometime in the past 24 hours or so, the listing went away. We’re looking to see if evidence of it is still out there somewhere (that’ll teach us, we need to get screen grabs of everything!), so far can’t find it. Sold, or “never mind”? Fascinating.
These WWII-era multiplexes on the west side of California near Hinds — 3409 and 3423, sold earlier this year for almost $2 million — are now future townhouse fodder. A permit has just been granted to change the lot boundaries; two 4-unit townhouses are planned at 3409, same thing for 3423.
Thanks to Junction Neighborhood Organization president Erica Karlovits for sending notes from what was discussed at the second-ever JuNO meeting this week. Two items have been covered here — the Design Review Board meeting for 4502 42nd (at which, as mentioned in our report, Erica advocated for Junction neighbors’ interests) and the Water Taxi’s future — but that’s just part of what they talked about, and some of it may be of interest even if you don’t live in the Junction vicinity:Read More
This could be our last look at the burned-out ex-Schuck’s on the northwest corner of Cali/Charlestown — the demolition permit has just been granted. No backhoes yet when we went by an hour and a half ago, but another eyewitness report later spotted utility disconnections under way.
Future mixed-use project sketch here.
Long “early design guidance” meeting tonight — almost 2 hours — for the proposed mixed-use building we told you about last month at 4502 42nd SW, southeast corner of 42nd & Oregon, east edge of The Junction, where these small old homes now sit:
Discussion and concerns centered on two aspects of the project: Its size, and how traffic for the building will flow. At meeting’s end, Southwest Design Review Board members took the somewhat-uncommon step of telling the architect to come back for a second “early design guidance” meeting, meaning the project will ultimately go through at least three design-review meetings.Read More
Another building permit’s in the books for the fast-moving QFC/Office Depot mixed-use property on Alaska north of Jefferson Square, and a new retaining wall at the back of the site has replaced the old now-knocked-down wall — this view just in from WSB contributing photographer Christopher Boffoli:
When we mentioned the other day that we had happened onto a teardown-to-mixed-use plan pending for 4515 44th (the site shown at right, across the street from the Junction parking lot that’s behind WaMu, the liquor store, etc.), we noted no Design Review Board meeting had been set yet. Today, that’s changed – the city website is now updated to say the Southwest DRB will meet on November 8th to review the plan.
Just 4 days after we told you they got the permits, they brought in the demolition crew at the ex-Guadalajara Hacienda site this morning. Here’s all that’s left of the bright pink building and the vivid murals on its sides:
Cross-checking some of the city’s alternate methods for unearthing proposed projects (the Activity Locator is a fun time-killer), we happened onto a proposal we hadn’t noticed before. It seeks to take down two small Junction buildings including the one shown below (4515 44th, across from the big parking lot behind WaMu/liquor store/etc.), so a 4-story mixed-use building can be built in their place.
The city system indicates a design review meeting for this hasn’t been set yet; the only date of any kind listed in the online records is 5/29/07, when the fee for the “pre-application site visit” was paid, so we’re not sure how long this has been pending (it doesn’t seem to have appeared in any of the city Land Use Information Bulletins, at least not the ones we searched going back to this time last year). Meantime, a second teardown proposal, this one from inland Alki, a new yellow land-use application sign just went up on the northwest corner of 60th/Admiral:
The teardown-to-townhome proposal for this parcel dates back to March, but the application to subdivide the lot was just filed a few weeks ago, hence the yellow sign.
Since our report yesterday quoting a 3811 California tenant as saying the endangered 80-year-old brick 4-plex across from Charlestown Cafe was apparently being evaluated for city landmark status, we’ve found out more from the city Landmarks Preservation Board. Coordinator Sarah Sodt tells WSB that the board has “asked the property owner to submit a landmark nomination … as part of the MUP-SEPA process.” That’s Master Use Permit and State Environmental Policy Act, both aspects of the development process. According to the city website, “All buildings over 50 years old that are proposed for redevelopment are referred to the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board as part of the city’s SEPA policies.” However, Sarah also said the board has not “been in communication” with the owner, and has not arranged for a site tour (contrary to what the tenants were led to believe, apparently), but believes the owner is “working on preparing the nomination” paperwork. The bar for landmark status seems pretty high; the list of official city landmarks in WS contains only two residential properties (the Hainsworth House on 37th, sold earlier this year for $1,490,000, and the Satterlee House, aka Painted Lady, still on the market for $2.2 million). The process is explained here; looks like the next step after the nomination application would be a public meeting. The board’s website says it takes up to a month to determine if an application is “complete,” and it wouldn’t be scheduled for consideration at a public meeting until it is. Here’s the board’s schedule for the rest of the year. If a landmark designation does happen, a whole separate process begins regarding setting guidelines for what can be done with the property and which of its features must be preserved; that’s all outlined here. We’ll keep checking with the Landmarks Board to see how this progresses.
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