West Seattle, Washington
27 Sunday
(How 9051 20th SW should look to passersby along Delridge, per project team’s description)
9051 20th SW – 41 apartment and live-work units over retail – is done with the Design Review process. Its third and final session before the Southwest Design Review Board was relatively short, since there was no public comment. Your editor here was the only person in attendance besides the board, the project’s designated city planner, and the project team. “It seems very few people show up just to say ‘hey, I like the project’,” one board member observed at the meeting’s end. (The other side of the Senior Center‘s 2nd floor, though, had a rollicking party going.) The building will be 4 stories along 20th SW, 3 stories along SW Barton, with big trees on two sides – Norwegian Sunset Maples along 20th and elms around SW Barton, “at the request of SDOT,” per the landscape architect, who pointed out that the full planting list is in the “information packet” available online.
Board members had a few concerns:
(Photo from SW Design Review Board’s 9/27/2012 meeting)
Tonight (6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle), the Southwest Design Review Board convenes again, this time to review 9051 20th SW for what might be the final time. Ever wonder, who’s on the board and how they got there? The city is recruiting right now – for openings citywide including two on the Southwest DRB. See the official announcement to find out how to apply –
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
That’s 4515 41st SW, which has gone through several development proposals in recent years, and is now the subject of a new one, according to city online records. The Department of Planning and Development page for the site now has an early-stage filing described as follows:
Proposing construction of a new 50-60 unit Alzheimer’s care community in West Seattle. Questions relative to use in the L3 zone, setbacks, parking requirements, permit timeline, and where any other Alzheimer’s communities have been proposed and or are under development in West Seattle.
The second line appears to be a note about issues brought to the DPD in early discussions; the only date on the DPD page involves a fee payment on September 18th. One contact is listed for the potential project; we tracked down a phone number and have left multiple messages seeking further comment on the proposal and what stage it’s in, and will update whenever we hear back from them. The site is in the process of being sold, according to pages like this; we had reported back in June that it was on the market. Two years ago, it was the subject of a short-lived proposal for a 7-story apartment building; in 2006, it was envisioned as 70 apartments over a park-and-ride.
Thanks to Mike for pointing us to this story on The Seattle Times (WSB partner) site: After more than a year on the run, Michael Mastro has been arrested. His numerous property holdings – before he was forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2009 – had included two West Seattle development sites, one on Harbor Avenue which remains undeveloped, and one that was sold and is finally almost complete, under its new ownership, as The Residences at 3295 (southeast corner of 35th and Avalon). He also held a company involved in a canceled condo conversion south of Morgan Junction. The Times’ story says Mastro and his wife were arrested in France.
If you are interested in Junction development, the Southwest Design Review Board meeting scheduled for November 8th will be one to not to miss: The two newest projects in the area are now on the agenda. We’ve already reported that it’s the date for the second meeting for 4724 California SW, the 88-apartment, 14-live-work-unit project planned for the former Petco space in The Junction. Today, the city also scheduled the second meeting for 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW for that same night; that’s the 370-apartment (plus grocery store and drug store as well as smaller shops) megaproject proposed to span Fauntleroy between Edmunds and Alaska, then across Alaska to 40th, and down 40th to just north of the Masonic Hall. The official schedule is 6:30 pm for 4724 California – for which this may be the final meeting – 8 pm for 4755 Fauntleroy – which is back for more Early Design Guidance, so will have at least one more meeting; both meetings are at the Senior Center of West Seattle (WSB sponsor), California/Oregon in The Junction.
The third Southwest Design Review Board meeting for 9051 20th SW isn’t until October 25th, as we first noted two weeks ago, but the “packet” is already available through the city Department of Planning and Development – you can see it here. According to the packet, the project is now proposed for 41 units, three of them live-work, and 3,300 square feet of commercial space. Along 20th SW, it is proposed for four floors, and along Barton on its south side it is proposed for three, as shown in this design from the packet:
This project, on a site where two boarded-up and vandalized houses now sit, had two “early design guidance” meetings because the design changed dramatically after the first one, into one building instead of two. Its next meeting, which could be the last if the board gives its blessing, is scheduled for 6:30 pm October 25th at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California and Oregon in The Junction).
If you’re watching the 4724 California project in The Junction – informally known as the “former Petco site,” currently home to Sound Ad Group – we have an update today: November 8th has been tentatively set for the project’s second Southwest Design Review Board meeting. Since the board allowed the project to move out of the Early Design Guidance phase at the end of the first meeting back in May, this will be the “recommendations” meeting – at which the board could give the 75-apartment, 13-live/work-unit project its final blessing. The time and place are not yet listed; the official announcement will be out at least two weeks before the meeting. The city report on Design Review meeting #1 can be seen here; our coverage, with video, is here. Two months after the meeting, we published this update on how the project was evolving; a project spokesperson tells WSB today that it’s continuing to evolve, and they have incorporated many of the comments from that community feedback session.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:46 PM: On a routine check of the city-permit files, we noticed something unusual a few days ago: Permits issued for a Delridge site to include “boarding houses.” Also catching our eye besides that seldom-seen term, the fact that the permit applications were filed more than three and a half years ago, and granted just now – not unheard of, but not common, either. The permits issued last week are for 4546 Delridge Way and 4548 Delridge Way, the overgrown site in our photo (between two houses); there is a demolition permit for a foundation at the latter address, and a construction permit for each address, described as “establish use … as single-family residence, construct boarding house.” (The one for 4546 is here; the one for 4548 is here.) A city website featured the boarding-house classification back in June, as a new “director’s rule” was implemented by the Department of Planning and Development. Seeking specifics about this project, we called the architect listed on the DPD pages as a contact, Novion; they noted that the project – as the DPD pages show – started several years ago as townhouses, and “the use has changed” because “the economy changed” – the idea is indeed, according to Novion, that the design would be “providing multiple bedrooms within a dwelling” and “the potential is that they would be rented or leased by the bedroom.” The architecture firm didn’t know about the current timetable for construction; the permits are good through 2014, so it could be soon – or could be a while.
6:40 PM UPDATE: We just heard from a neighbor who says a handwritten note was delivered yesterday saying construction will start on Monday.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Southwest Design Review Board‘s first decision about West Seattle’s biggest development proposal in years – sending it back for a reboot – wasn’t a surprise to the development team.
But they have some challenges to hurdle before they can bring back 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW for a second round of Early Design Guidance, at a yet-to-be-scheduled date.
Round one was last Thursday night. We reported the toplines immediately afterward. This story’s for anyone interested in the detailed play-by-play.
The cast of characters was a unique mix. For one, the board members included two substitutes – both past members, Catherine Benotto and Vlad Oustimovitch – filling in for Robin Murphy and Daniel Skaggs. Oustimovitch and Benotto joined Myer Harrell, serving as chair, Norma Tompkins, and Layne Bennion. They were joined by city Department of Planning and Development staffer Bruce Rips, the city’s point person for this project.
By our estimate, at least 40 people were in the audience.
First: If you would like to see and hear how it went for yourself, we recorded most of the meeting on video. (Due to a camera change, we’re missing a few minutes of board deliberation. Also forgive us some odd camera angles during the public-comment period, since some of the speakers didn’t come to the front of the room, and the best we could do was to turn the camera in their general direction.) Here’s the first hour, beginning with the developers/architects’ presentation, continuing with board members’ questions, and then public comment:
The second section, 24 minutes, continues the public comment – this begins where clip 1 left off, with the most impassioned commenter – and then moves on into the start of board deliberations:
At the end of that clip, we lost about six minutes of board discussion before the final recorded section, about 40 minutes.
Now – on to what was said, and what happens next:
Two development notes tonight:
DEMOLITION DONE: At 5247 California SW, the former home of (among others) “Psychic Barber” Rick Cook (who is now at The Classic Barber Shop) and other businesses is now rubble. We had noted previously that the house behind the commercial building was taken down first; then a plywood facade went up along the California SW street front,and finally yesterday the one-floor building came down. A three-story mixed-use building with underground parking is planned, according to online city records.
DESIGN REVIEW MEETING FOR VESSELIYE: The third Southwest Design Review Board meeting about a four-story mixed-use building at 9051 20th SW in South Delridge, is now on the schedule. 35 apartments and four live-work units are now proposed for the project called Vesseliye (described at the 1st Design Review as a Slavic word meaning “joy”), which was originally two buildings, as noted in this WSB report from June, but was changed into one and so went back for a second round of Early Design Guidance. Its third and possibly final review is now set for October 25th at 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle. P.S. For those interested in fine-point details, the developer of this project has documentation online including the floor plan from its master-use-permit application.
After compiling a long list of concerns about the megaproject proposed for 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW – and because, in the words of Southwest Design Review Board member Layne Bennion, it’s a “humongous project” – the board decided tonight to ask the project team to come back for a second round of Early Design Guidance.
That means there will be at least two more meetings before this project clears Design Review. It was agreed that the only workable alternative was #4 – outlined in the rendering above – and the project team confirmed that was closest to what it hopes to have in the project – around 370 apartments, 570 parking spaces, a grocery store and drugstore (still unnamed) and other retail. Major concerns included what the key corner at Fauntleroy and Alaska would look like, and how the drive between the project’s two buildings would work. Much more in a separate report later; we estimate 50 or so people attended, and there were some thoughtful and thorough comments (from 13 of the attendees). We have all but five minutes of the two-and-a-half-hour meeting (camera change) on video and will upload it to include with the full-length story.
Next step: The project team goes back to the drawing board to address the issues brought up tonight, and when they’re ready, a date will be set for that second EDG meeting.
Just published to the city website this afternoon – the “packet” of graphics and information for this Thursday night’s first Southwest Design Review Board meeting reviewing the biggest West Seattle development proposal yet – 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW, including the ex-Huling Chevrolet site between Alaska and Edmunds on Fauntleroy, the gas-station site to the north, and the funeral home and ex-used car lot facing Alaska to the west.
You can see the packet here (PDF).
It includes four proposed alternatives for the site. Three – #2, #3, #4 – split the commercial area into 60,000 to 65,000 square feet apportioned between a grocery store, a drug store, and other shops; each includes two buildings and would require an “alley vacation” – seeking City Council approval for a current alleyway to be built over. This one is Alternative 2:
Here’s Alternative Three:
And #4:
The apartment count, according to each alternative, could range from 400 to 600. The other one (Alternative 1) – the version that could be built if no alley vacations were allowed – would not be able to accommodate the grocery, so it would have three buildings, 662 apartments and 32,000 feet of retail:
(The project team reconfirms that the overview page’s mention of 105,000 sf of retail is an error; the four alternatives range from 32,000 to 65,000.) As is always stressed, this is a very early stage of design, meant to determine the size, shape, site coverage, and other factors – so take a look, and bring your opinions to the meeting, 6:30 pm Thursday, Senior Center of West Seattle.
5:53 PM NOTE: We’ve added the “massing” (height/shape) renderings for each of the four alternatives that are in the documents for Thursday’s meeting. Again, the “packet” includes details specific to each one, and a lot of other information regarding where entrances might be, among many other details, and the reason we’ve been watching closely for this to appear on the city website is so those interested can get as much time as possible to take a look before bringing comments to Thursday’s meeting. Page 20 has detailed summaries of the pros and cons – as the project team sees them – for each of the alternatives. (Pay attention to the list of “departures” – those are specific aspects that would require an exception from the zoning code’s rules.) Another interesting point, in case you read past it above – we had reported that developers confirmed they were talking with a grocer, but this also mentions a drugstore, and then miscellaneous shops. No potential tenants have been publicly identified yet.
Leasing has begun for apartments in the building that has been in the works seemingly forever at 35th and Avalon – stalling more than once along the way, during ownership changes among other things. Our coverage goes back exactly five years; the site was intended to be part of the never-built monorail, and was at one point owned by troubled fugitive developer Michael Mastro. While a commercial “for lease” sign has been up for a while in its retail windows on the corner, today was the first time we noticed a sign inviting would-be renters to check out the apartments – referred to as “The Residences at 3295.” The website for the ~60-unit building is at rent3295.com, and shows floor plans ranging from studios to 2 bedroom/2 bath units. We’ve been talking with project representatives for a while in hopes of getting a look inside.
The city’s twice-weekly Land Use Information Bulletin is out, and there are two projects potentially of note to neighbors who might want to comment:
3829 CALIFORNIA SW: We’ve reported before on this proposal for a 3-story, 30-unit, 30-parking-space apartment building. It’s been through Early Design Guidance; no date set yet for the second Design Review meeting, but the developers have officially applied for a Master Use Permit, which triggers a new comment period. The official notice has information on how to get your comment(s) to the city (deadline October 3rd).
4526 41st SW: This application would subdivide one Junction lot into four, with townhome plans already under consideration. Here’s the official notice, with a link for public comment (deadline October 3rd).
P.S. The city offers tips on making “effective public comments” – see them here.
Two development updates this morning:
DESC DELRIDGE PROJECT SCHEDULE: We checked with DESC after noticing an online business-publication ad seeking “sub-bids” for this project – 66 units of “supportive housing” at 5444 Delridge Way SW, much-discussed since the project first came to light in June 2011 (all of our coverage is archived here, reverse chronological order). Its land-use permit was issued a month ago; the construction permit is still pending. According to DESC executive director Bill Hobson, Walsh Construction – whose portfolio includes Youngstown – is the general contractor, and that’s who is soliciting subcontractor bids right now. (Its ad describes the project as 75 units, its original size, but Hobson says that is a mistake, and it remains at 66.) Regarding when work will begin, he tells WSB, “We anticipate starting construction sometime in the first 2 weeks of November.”
FORMER ‘PSYCHIC BARBER’ SITE: We have reported on the building at 5247 California SW largely through the relocation of its longtime tenant, “Psychic Barber” Rick Cook, now at The Classic Barber Shop further north on California. He called our attention to the demolition work now under way behind the one-story commercial building, and we went by yesterday afternoon:
Rick says the house is gone as of early this morning, while the commercial building’s still standing. Timetable for its demolition isn’t as clear, as the proposal for a three-story building at the site, with underground parking, is still in the early stages. We’ll be following up with the owner, who didn’t want to discuss his plans in detail last time we checked.
(Click image for PDF with larger view)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
On September 27th – one week from Thursday – the Southwest Design Review Board gets its first look at the mixed-use megaproject (we haven’t used that term in a while, but this one seems to merit it) proposed for 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW.
As noted in our September 7th report on the project – which first came to light in July – it would span not only the ex-Huling Chevrolet site at that address but also, fronting Alaska, the block from Fauntleroy to 40th, now holding a gas station, funeral home, and ex-used car lot.
By the end of this week, the “packet” with visuals for the meeting should be available online. Over the weekend, the project team went public with three sketches that envision the streetscape in the spots where they are looking at mid-block connectors, aka passthroughs Above, a possible Fauntleroy view looking into the “connector” – next, a possible view from 40th SW on the other side.
(Click image for PDF with larger view)
The project team say they are envisioning the 40th SW side overall as more of a “green street.” Here’s their concept of a potential street-level view:
(Click image for PDF with larger view)
The project site does NOT include the Alki Masonic Lodge, though its Fauntleroy side would be immediately east of that. Right now, the project – which does not have a working title as of last check – is envisioned at six floors, more than 350 apartments, and around 55,000 square feet of retail, over more than 530 parking spaces. While no retailers have been named yet, the project team confirms they’re in “advanced” talks with an unnamed grocer for about two-thirds of the space.
The September 27th Design Review Board meeting is set for 6:30 pm at what’s become the board’s usual venue in West Seattle, the Senior Center (California/Oregon). Public comment is welcome; if you’ve never been to a DRB meeting before, here’s the city’s guide outlining the process.
P.S. For one more layer of public process, an alley vacation – which triggers a different review process that includes the city Design Commission and City Council – would be involved in the plan, too.
With two months to go till completion, the Harbor/Urban all-apartments development Nova started leasing this weekend in The Triangle, and has launched its website too. We visited the 62-unit building this week, in advance of the milestone. See our photo tour ahead:
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“Love The ‘Hood,” read the sticker worn by many of the three-dozen-plus neighbors who made Thursday night’s Southwest Design Review Board meeting the most-attended one in months.
Some even stood in the back of the room to listen, and to speak, as the board took up the 108-unit apartment project proposed for 3078 SW Avalon Way.
If you wonder, “what’s the big deal about another apartment building on Avalon?”, note that the neighbors, from 32nd SW behind the site and a few from adjacent sites on Avalon, were not there to protest or rage or weep. They said they had met four times since first word of the project exactly one month ago, and they came with clearly articulated requests and recommendations (as previewed here).
In the end, the project passed Early Design Guidance, and the architects went away with a list of recommendations to work on before the second, and possibly final, meeting.
The city has just sent the official notice for the first Design Review meeting for the 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW development proposal – which will span three properties on SW Alaska west of Fauntleroy, as well as stretching to SW Edmunds along the west side of Fauntleroy. As reported here last Friday (along with new information on the proposed 350-plus-apartments, 55,000-sf-retail project itself), it’ll be at 6:30 pm September 27th (two weeks from tonight), Senior Center of West Seattle.
P.S. In case you saw it and wondered – newly added text on the DPD page for the project includes some erroneous details, according to our followup conversation with the project team after we noticed it. The current apartment count remains at “more than 350 units,” and the retail remains “around 55,000 square feet” (with the caveat “possibly more, possibly less”), with parking projection remaining around 530. The packet for the Design Review meeting should be out at least a week in advance – by next Thursday – and the numbers will be refined by then.
(One possible view of 3078 Avalon Way building, from design-review packet)
Tomorrow night (6:30 pm Thursday at the Senior Center of West Seattle), the Southwest Design Review Board gets its first look at 3078 SW Avalon Way, which has grown in proposed size since we first mentioned it here. It’s now proposed for seven stories, 114 units, and 77 parking spaces. Here’s the packet for tomorrow night’s meeting, including neighborhood characteristics and proposed shape/size (massing) schemes. Neighbors have some concerns about the plan. Here’s the top of a flyer they are circulating and shared with us:
From the flyer (which you can see here in its entirety):
Obviously, this will hugely impact our quality of lives and the character of our neighborhood.
• Parking — the developer is proposing only 77 spaces for a 114 units. Where will the overflow park?
• Huge increase in pedestrian and pet traffic — there is no park within easy walking distance; we will certainly see a lot more dogs (and dog poop) in our neighborhood.
• Alley safety and congestion — the development plans to use the alley as a parking entrance.
• Loss of privacy (the apartment residents will be looking right into the houses and backyards of almost all of us who live on 32nd Ave SW).
• Public safety concerns — does more people mean more crime?
• Vehicle traffic on Avalon — already very congested and dangerous.
Note that, as you will hear at tomorrow night’s meeting, some of those aren’t Design Review topics, they are topics for the project’s environmental review, and can be brought up by e-mail or phone to the assigned city planner. But if you are interested in the project, do come tomorrow night – there is always a public-comment period.
After an intense round of public comment – which ended with heckling from people who wanted it extended – the City Council voted unanimously today to pass emergency rules targeting a particular form of so-called “tall skinny house” development. Here’s the news release:
The Seattle City Council today approved legislation that puts interim controls in place on small lot development in Seattle.
While the City has generally been supportive of urban infill development, some single family development approved under current lot size exceptions, has resulted in structures that are out of character with surrounding conditions and inconsistent with the policy intent for infill development. Interim measures were adopted today to allow adequate time for analysis and discussion of permanent standards.
Two Morgan Junction development-related notes this morning:
(WSB photo from this past June)
SHORT STOP SITE: Though it’s still on the market as a “development site” – as first reported here in June – there’s a chance the Short Stop/cleaners property at 6311 California SW might be purchased by Seattle Parks. It’s immediately north of Morgan Junction Park, and the city had long been “looking to purchase property in the Morgan Junction Urban Village with funds allocated through the Neighborhood Park Acquisition program,” according to the Morgan Community Association. This Thursday (September 13), 6-8 pm, interested community members are welcome to join MoCA and Parks’ Chip Nevins for a meeting that’ll start in the back room of Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor; 6451 California SW) and head over to the site. MoCA’s announcement also notes that in case this purchase is made, “Input from neighbors is sought on what should be done with the property in between purchase and the actual development of the park space, which may be several years in the future.” (11:23 am P.S.: Parks confirms it’s in negotiations for the site.)
ANOTHER ‘ROW’ PROJECT: In July, we reported on two “row house” townhouse developments in the works in West Seattle, including Morgan 5 in Morgan Junction, at California/Myrtle. Those are being developed by Isola; now, JBC Real Estate has sent word of one in Morgan Junction for which they have just broken ground, right behind the McDonald’s at California/Holly. It’s a six-unit project called “Holly Row.” JBC’s Jon Coombes also has a 4-unit Alki project on the drawing board, at 60th and Stevens.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
New information today about the big project in the works for 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW, first reported here in July.
The first Southwest Design Review Board meeting about the plan is now set: 6:30 pm Thursday, September 27th, at the Senior Center of West Seattle.
The project site has grown, too. In addition to the former Huling Chevrolet site fronting on Fauntleroy and the current Howden-Kennedy Funeral Home site and used-car-lot site fronting on SW Alaska, the Shell station adjacent to those properties is now part of the plan – that’s a change from our last conversation with John Wunder, who represents the Huling-owned properties and is speaking for the project team. We talked with him again today after the Design Review date was made public.
We also have learned that this will be the biggest project in the new wave of West Seattle development – more than 350 apartments are envisioned on the five residential floors that will be designed over 55,000 to 60,000 feet of retail. No retailers are signed yet, according to Wunder.
And we also know now who’s developing the project: It’s a partnership between two multi-state firms, Weingarten, known as a retail-center developer, and Lennar, known as a homebuilding company. The property planned for the project is all under contract, according to Wunder.
Right now they are in the “conceptual design” phase; no renderings to show yet, though there will be soon, with the first Design Review meeting three and a half weeks away.
On behalf of the major property sellers in the deal, the Huling family, Wunder says of the developers, “They are very, very pleased that they are under contract with Weingarten and Lennar – they’re great to work with, and we think, at the end of the day, the project they put on the site will be a great asset to the community.”
The project team has been talking with community leaders and hopes to hear from the community at the September 27th meeting. (The city webpage for this project, by the way, is here.)
Even if the Design Review process moves at the fastest-possible clip, though, don’t expect to see construction at this site starting any time soon. They’re envisioning that construction would start toward the end of 2013, and would last about 2 years.
ADDED MONDAY 9/10: Another detail has emerged regarding the retail space in the project. Developers say they are in “advanced” negotiations with a grocer for much of the space.
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