The development site at Harbor/Avalon is being cleared, as work begins for the six-story, 114-unit building that’s been in the works for three years.

(Rendering by Atelier Drome Architecture)

This project now goes by the address 3405 Harbor Avenue SW (previously 3417) and is being developed by Housing Diversity Corporation with West Seattle-headquartered STS Construction (WSB sponsor) and Atelier Drome Architecture. HDC announced today that it’s closed a $25.7 million loan to finance the 3405 Harbor project, which is described as “91 attainably priced market-rate units as well as 23 rent-restricted units through Seattle’s Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) Program.” HDC, STS, and Atelier Drome are collaborating on a half-dozen other West Seattle projects, as noted on the HDC website, all projects we’ve been covering – 214 apartments at 1704 SW Roxbury, 96 apartments at 4448 California SW, 76 apartments at 9201 Delridge Way SW, 48 apartments at 6007 California SW. 39 townhouses at 2501 SW Orchard, and 24 apartments at 9038 21st SW.

Back to 3405 Harbor – documents in city files indicate the construction should last just over a year and a half, and that the Mandatory Housing Affordability fee paid for this project was just under a million dollars.

(‘Preferred option’ rendering from draft design packet by MZA Architecture)

Almost two years after we first reported on a development proposal for 1116 Alki Avenue SW [map], the project on Duwamish Head is set for its first Southwest Design Review Board meeting. We last mentioned the project one year ago, when the developers ran a survey as part of the Early Community Outreach process. The project is described on the city website as “a 6-story, 65-unit apartment building (with p)arking for 102 vehicles” but the draft packet for the upcoming meeting features three massing (size/shape) options that max out at 58 units with 87 offstreet-parking spaces. The project is to be built on a site that holds six houses, four of which are more than a century old. The SWDRB meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 7, at 5 pm, online; watch here for participation information when it gets closer. You can also send pre- and post-meeting comments to theresa.neylon@seattle.gov, to reach the city planner assigned to the project.

Thanks to the texter who tipped us that the backhoe has arrived at that destined-for-demolition house, 4022 Beach Drive SW [map], a particularly visible spot because of its proximity to Weather Watch Park and La Rustica. Online records say the 107-year-old house, sold late last year for $925,000, will be replaced by four townhouses, each with a single-car garage. The 5,000-square-foot lot is zoned Lowrise 2. One other note of interest: The city’s Shaping Seattle map now includes information on how development projects are dealing with the Mandatory Housing Affordability requirement (either incorporating affordable unit[s] or paying a fee that the city will invest in affordable housing elsewhere); it shows that the developers of this project will be charged a $106,000 fee.

From today’s city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin, key approvals for nine single-family houses east of Puget Park. The lots carry addresses on Puget Way just south of SW Alaska [map], from 4704 through 4726, in a greenbelt-adjacent neighborhood uphill from West Marginal Way. Documents indicate the houses will each have parking for two vehicles. The proposed development has long been in the works – you can see the city notification signage in the Google Maps Street View image above, which is timestamped June of 2019, and city records show documents going back a year before that. The land-use approvals open a two-week window for appeals (deadline March 3rd), as explained in the notice.

(King County Assessor’s Office photo)

One month ago, we reported on the new plan for 1704 SW Roxbury and adjacent parcels on 17th SW – a mixed-use building with more than 200 apartments. The project is now listed on the city’s Early Community Outreach for Design Review website, which means the project is in the phase requiring the developers to offer early commenting opportunities to the community. It’s still described, albeit briefly, as a 4-story building, though the project’s page on one development partner’s website describes the plan as six stories and 214 units, broken down as “171 attainably priced market-rate units, and 43 rent-restricted units through Seattle’s Multifamily Tax Exemption Program.” City policy only stipulates notification within a specific area fairly close-in to the development site, but there’s a contact email address in the online notice if you want to ensure you’re in the loop.

(Early rendering from 2021 presentation to MoCA)

From the latest city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin, the townhouse project planned for 6314 41st SW [map] has advanced to the next major step in the planning process. We’ve been reporting on this HALA-upzoned site for two years – first, a larger project was planned; then, one year ago, the developers presented a revised plan to the Morgan Community Association. That’s what’s moving through the system now – three 4-story buildings with 34 units total, and 14 offstreet-parking spaces. Though the city website continues to label this an “apartment” project, the developers told MoCA last year that it’ll be a mix of small townhouses and flats that will be sold, not rented; the project is described on their website as “34 stacked townhomes in the heart of West Seattle.” They’ve given the project a name, too – Callie. The project is going through Administrative Design Review and passed the first phase, which is why it’s advanced to the application stage. That opens a new public-comment period; this notice explains how to comment. January 26th is the deadline.

(WSB photo this morning, with tagging pixelated)

What might be the longest-stalled development site in West Seattle has a new plan. At 5249 California SW [map], the small commercial building that was previously on the site was demolished almost a decade ago. The foundation for a new mixed-use building was put in six years ago, and some framing followed. After that, the site went dormant, and as reported here a year and a half ago, the property went up for sale. County records don’t yet show an ownership change, but city records show a new early-stage proposal – nine townhouses, with five offstreet-parking spaces. The site plan shows that two of the townhouses would face California SW, with the other seven lined up in north-south orientation, rowhouse style, behind them, and parking off the alley.

(Latest “massing” – size/shape – proposal from November Design Review meeting)

Four weeks ago, the mixed-use proposal for 4448 California SW cleared the first round of Design Review. That meant the project team could apply for a land-use permit, and today’s city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin brought word of that application, which means another comment period has opened. The proposal is for a 7-story, 88-apartment building with ground-floor commercial space and no offstreet parking. Here’s the notice published today, which explains how to comment, by a deadline of December 29th. The project also will have at least one more Design Review meeting (no date yet).

At its second-to-last scheduled meeting of the year, the Southwest Design Review Board took its second look at two West Seattle mixed-use projects. Here’s how the Thursday night reviews went:

4440 FAUNTLEROY WAY SW: Two weeks ago, the board gave its final approval to the first of two mixed-use buildings that comprise the Sweeney Blocks megaproject in The Triangle [map]. Thursday night online, they approved the second (westernmost) building. Architect Jenny Chapman from Ankrom Moisan outlined this building as 222 units, 13,000 square feet of retail, and 150 offstreet-parking spots. She noted the first review in August of last year approved the massing (size/shape) in a “stacked-lumber” concept evocative of the site’s legacy as Alki Lumber. She passed the baton to David Cutler of Northwest Studio to talk about the streetscape, with a proposal for “boardwalks” along the ground floor, on 36th SW:

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Updates on three West Seattle projects going through the Design Review process:

9218 18TH SW: Today’s city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin includes the next date for this South Delridge project [map]. It’ll go back before the Southwest Design Review Board on December 2nd. Here’s our coverage from back in April, when the project passed the first phase on its second try. The project is proposed for five stories, ~48 apartments, and ~28 offstreet-parking spaces (none are required). Participation for the 5 pm December 2nd online meeting is here (which is also where you’ll find the design packet when the meeting gets closer).

Before then, two projects go back to the board next Thursday (November 18th), and you can preview their design packets now:

4440 FAUNTLEROY WAY SW: Last week, the board reviewed one of the two buildings comprising the Sweeney Blocks megaproject in The Triangle. At 5 pm Thursday, they’ll consider the latest proposal for the other one, 4440 Fauntleroy Way SW [map]. This is proposed as a 7-story mixed-use building, with ~217 apartments and ~153 offstreet-parking spaces. (Here’s our coverage of its previous review in August of last year.) Viewing/commenting info for the meeting is here.

4448 CALIFORNIA SW: At 7 pm Thursday, the board will move on to this Junction project [map], proposed for 7 stories, ~96 apartments, ground-floor commercial space, and no offstreet parking. (Here’s our coverage of their first review in July.) The packet is above and here. Viewing/participation info is here.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

A seven-house West Seattle development called The Orchard is home to a fight over trees.

This past week, several readers called our attention to a banner hung on the front of one of the new homes in the development, at 5620 Beach Drive SW [map], very visible to passersby. The banner announces, “WE’RE SUING THE DEVELOPER.”

The banner also names the developer, Calvin White, so we checked King County Superior Court files and found the lawsuit against him and his firm Charcoal Creek LLC, filed almost three weeks ago.

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The Southwest Design Review Board had a doubleheader last night – first of two this month. We reported on the first hearing here, after the board gave its final approval to 4406 36th SW. Half an hour later, the board reconvened online for its first look at 3010 SW Avalon Way [map].
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This was the Early Design Guidance (focusing on size, shape, placement on site) review for the building, proposed for eight stories, ~86 units, and 4 offstreet-parking spaces. Here’s the design packet used for the meeting:

Architects presented three massing options for the building, as is standard for the first review. The board gave its support to #2, with the stipulation that the west side be lowered to match the height of the single-family homes to the west, and they wanted the entrance moved to the northeast corner. Early on in the meeting, the board talked about how the building has to deal with what they all considered a narrow site. Much was said about how the building would look in relation to the buildings on either side and how it would sit in relation to the single-family homes behind it. There was also some concern over use of the alley behind the building
and how it could accommodate both trash pickup and ADA access from the few parking spaces tbat will be provided in the rear.

The board also asked for a privacy/visibility study for the street-level units and the units on the north and south sides of the building. They also had questions about whether some of the ground-floor units would look out onto a concrete retaining wall.

No members of the public offered comments during the meeting, but city staff said 22 public comments were received before the meeting. Most dealt with the proposed height, with those comments suggesting something between four and seven stories. Other comments included a request to examine the alley in the rear to take into consideration the increasing number of personal-delivery trucks that the building will bring. (The online files show many comments about the need for parking, but that’s outside the Design Review process.)
The board was in general agreement with the comments as to how the building fits in with what’s on either side, and the general
look of the buildings along Avalon; they voted 3-1 to allow the project to move to phase two. You can still comment even if you missed the meeting – email assigned planner Theresa Neylon at theresa.neylon@seattle.gov. This building will have at least one more SWDRB meeting, date to be set when the architects are ready to return with a more-finalized design.

The two-building “Sweeney Blocks” megaproject in the West Seattle Triangle is halfway through the final stage of Design Review – the east building, at 4406 36th SW, got unanimous approval tonight from the Southwest Design Review Board, which will review the west building in two weeks. Here’s the “design packet” from the meeting:

Four board members were present – John Cheng, who chaired the meeting, along with Johanna Lirman, Patrick Cobb, and Alan Grainger. They were joined by the city planner assigned to the project, Sean Conrad.

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Next Thursday (November 4th) at 7 pm, 3010 SW Avalon Way [map] goes to the Southwest Design Review Board – an apartment building proposed for eight stories, ~86 units, and 4 offstreet-parking spaces. The design packet for the meeting is now available for an advance look – see it above or on the city website. This is an Early Design Guidance meeting, so the review will focus on massing – size, shape, placement on the site – rather than design details. The meeting will be online at 7 pm Thursday, with a public-comment period; viewing/call-in/commenting info is here. If you have comments but can’t participate in the meeting, email comments to assigned planner Theresa Neylon at theresa.neylon@seattle.gov.