West Seattle, Washington
26 Thursday
THE KENNEY: From last night’s Morgan Community Association meeting (full report to come) – A West Seattle consultant working on the retirement center’s redevelopment project says they’re working toward having its next Design Review meeting in early March (no date formally set yet). The latest comment period for the proposal is open until Feb. 3; the consultant says the project team is looking at all the comments as they come in – “We just went (downtown) and picked up another batch (Wednesday), 16 more.” He says traffic and parking concerns are generating the most comments right now.
ADMIRAL SAFEWAY: The lone West Seattle item on today’s Land Use Information Bulletin from the city finalizes the Design Review meeting date first noted here a week ago – 6:30 pm February 11, Youngstown Arts Center. Here’s the official notice.
For the first time in almost a year, there’s a construction crane in the Junction/Triangle area. Last one to leave was at Capco Plaza (here’s our February 2009 report). Before that, the crane for Harbor Properties’ Mural (WSB sponsor) left in November 2008. And today, the crane’s going up for Harbor’s next project – Link, along 38th between Fauntleroy and Alaska. WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli spotted it a little while ago, and got some information from the crew: The base will be set around 11, with its bottom “probably at least 30 feet below grade. So it will probably take them a couple of hours to get enough pieces of crane in place so that it stands out over the other buildings.” And he asked the big (literally) question: How tall will this crane be? 118 feet. More numbers: Link will have 200 apartments and 14,000 square feet of retail space; its construction began in November, with demolition of the auto and school buildings that were on the site. 12:38 PM UPDATE: Checked with Emi Baldowin at Harbor. They are putting up the crane base today but the rest of the crane is scheduled to go up on January 28th.
Today marks exactly one year since the landmark Alki Homestead restaurant caught fire in the early morning; Fire Department investigators traced the fire to faulty Christmas lights. No one was hurt, but the beloved restaurant has been closed ever since. What happens on the site next will require approval of the city Landmarks Preservation Board, because of the Homestead’s status as a city landmark. Working with a team of experts who say the structure is too damaged for restoration, Homestead owner Tom Lin has been working on a proposal to instead reconstruct it and add other structures on the site, as first outlined in a presentation to the Alki Community Council in September (WSB coverage here), then brought to the Landmarks Board’s Architectural Review Committee in November (WSB coverage here). The Landmarks Board will have to have a full hearing before voting on whether to approve the development proposal; no date has been announced yet. The project will also require Southwest Design Review Board approval, according to the permit applications recently filed with the city Department of Planning and Development. Here’s the land-use-permit page, summarized as “reconstruction of Fir Lodge/Alki Homestead Restaurant”; here’s the construction-permit page, which summarizes the proposal as “Reconstruct restaurant and structure, remove existing surface parking and add below grade parking, commercial/retail space, and a small inn,” same as outlined in the September and November presentations.
Just last night, the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s monthly meeting (story still in the works) included a recap of where the Admiral Safeway redevelopment project stands. It was asked at the time if anyone knew the date for the next Southwest Design Review Board meeting on the project – which is supposed to focus on the last point of board concern, the new store’s California SW frontage; the date wasn’t posted last night but it is now, on the city’s Design Review/Upcoming site: February 11th. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center; it could be the last SWDRB meeting on the project if board members give their approval. (Like The Kenney‘s redevelopment on the other end of West Seattle, this project also includes a rezoning request, so it will also require City Council approval along the way.)
Thanks to Cindi Barker from Morgan Community Association for the update that the city has granted a request to extend the comment period for The Kenney‘s redevelopment-rezoning request, reported here earlier this week. The comment period now will be held open till February 3rd; the notice posted online includes a link you can use to send in your comment(s). The Kenney project also will be discussed at the quarterly MoCA meeting next week (as noted here last night).
As pointed out by Cindi Barker in the latest Morgan Community Association bulletin, The Kenney has now officially applied for the “contract rezone” it needs to carry out the current redevelopment plan (above), which the online notice summarizes:
Council Land Use Action to contract rezone 228,490 sq. ft. of land from LDT & L3 to MR and to allow a 387,450 sq. ft. expansion to an existing independent living apartment, assisted living and nursing home facility (The Kenney). Project includes three, 4-6 story multifamily structures containing 202 independent living apartments, 112 assisted living units, and 35 skilled nursing units. Parking for 279 vehicles to be provided below grade. Project includes 57,681 cu. yds. of grading and street vacation (46th Pl SW). Existing landmark building (Seaview) to be modified and relocated on site. Ten existing multifamily structures to be demolished.
A “contract rezone” means that a site would be rezoned under specific terms for a specific proposal, and, like any zoning change, requires City Council approval. Comments on the proposal are being accepted through January 20th; the online notice has a link for submitting them. As for the status of the project overall, here’s our October report on its most recent Southwest Design Review Board meeting – at least one more SWDRB meeting is still required for final approval. The date for that is not set yet. It’s been almost a year and a half since our first report on the project at The Kenney; all WSB coverage is archived here (newest to oldest).
An update tonight on the 2-year fight over what can be built on the expansive front lawn of the Satterlee House, the 103-year-old city landmark that’s also known as the Painted Lady of Beach Drive: The attorney for the Satterlee House’s owner says they’re taking the fight to the next venue – the state Supreme Court. This follows a series of rulings against the specific 3-home plan that Conner proposes for the land in front of the house: First, the city Landmarks Preservation Board rejected the proposal two years ago, saying the proposed homes’ size and scale would take away from the landmarked traits of the site. Conner appealed the decision to the city Hearing Examiner, who upheld it in April 2008; then he asked King County Superior Court to review the decision, where it again was upheld; from there it went to the state 1st Division Court of Appeals, which heard oral arguments last June, and then announced on December 21st that it too upheld the previous decisions. Next potential step was asking the state Supreme Court to review the case, and tonight the lawyer who’s led the case for Conner all along the way, Richard Hill, confirms to WSB, “Yes, the Conners intend to ask the Washington Supreme Court to review the Court of Appeals decision.” We’ll watch the court records and keep tabs on what happens next; as we reported after last month’s ruling, the case has drawn national attention.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
This week’s state Appeals Court ruling does not necessarily end the two-year fight over a three-house development proposal for the lawn of the city-landmark Satterlee House at 4866 Beach Drive (map). Owner William Conner can request a discretionary review by the state Supreme Court. His lawyer, Richard Hill, told WSB after the decision was announced (WSB coverage here), “We will be studying the Court’s ruling, and Mr. Conner will then decide whether or not to appeal.” In the meantime, the ruling (read it here) has drawn national attention: It could have nationwide significance, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Pacific Legal Foundation, which both had filed “friend of the court” briefs in the case, NTHP supporting the city, PLF supporting the property owner. More ahead:Read More
(Photo added 12:37 pm, looking toward north side of lot, from SW Yancy westbound)
Thanks to Mike for spotting this one, which online records indicate just went on the market yesterday: The long-abandoned 4-townhouse project at 30th/Avalon/Yancy (map) – fenced-off concrete and rebar at a high-traffic site, inactive for months – is now listed for sale. Here’s the $300,000 listing, which describes the parcel as “bank-owned.”
Just back from the two-part Southwest Design Review Board meeting at Youngstown Arts Center. The easy part is the report on the Transitional Resources residential expansion on Avalon: It was approved to move along out of the DR process, with just a few concerns, such as a suggestion that the upper floor plan from the alternative option – including a different alignment for the elevator tower – be incorporated into the recommended plan. Not much controversy, no public opposition, the meeting didn’t even take the full potential hour-and-a-half timeslot. The second part – the fourth Design Review meeting on the Admiral Safeway project – was more contentious and complicated. Bottom line, the project is not done with Design Review yet – it will have to come back for a fifth meeting – but just specifically for another look at the west side of the store along California SW – the biggest concern, board members want to see more entrances on that side; it originally had none between the store’s main entrance and a door at California/Lander, then one was added for the Starbucks stand midway down California, but board members say that’s not enough. Full details, including other concerns they want the final design to address, in our second report, later Friday.
All’s been somewhat quiet in meeting-land, with the holiday season leading many groups to take December off. But not the two that are meeting today/tonight:
ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT SOUTH PORTAL WORKING GROUP, which is working on VERY West Seattle-relevant issues centering on how the south end of the planned tunnel ties into the transportation grid, meets 4 pm at Puget Sound Regional Council‘s board room, 1011 Western (map) …
SOUTHWEST DESIGN REVIEW BOARD looks at the Admiral Safeway redevelopment project at 8 pm (here’s our preview with the link to the proposal that’ll be reviewed) after Transitional Resources‘ new residential building at 6:30 pm (here’s the corresponding link); both meetings are at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center …
Also tonight, the WEST SEATTLE BIG BAND‘s Holiday Concert fills Grace Church (map) with music, 7 pm …
And one note from outside West Seattle – but maybe near your workplace or somewhere outside WS you’re going today/tonight – the Jimmy John’s sandwich chain is donating all Puget Sound PROCEEDS (as in, 100% of sales) today to the murdered Lakewood Police officers’ families’ fund. Here’s where to find local locations – Pioneer Square looks like the closest.
Though the King County Council appointment drama isn’t over yet, and we’re not leaving the courthouse till it is, we’re moving on to add some more news to the site while they continue meeting behind closed doors: This Thursday night, the Southwest Design Review Board takes up two projects in a meeting at Youngstown Arts Center. Last week, the design proposal for the 6:30 pm review, the new Transitional Resources building, became available at the city website, as we reported here; tonight, the packet for the 8 pm review, the Admiral Safeway redevelopment project, is available – you can download it here (20 MB PDF). This could be the final review for what Admiral Neighborhood Association leaders call “maybe the biggest development project in this neighborhood, ever,” if board members give the plan their blessing.
Those are the “now” and “future” views of the northwestern corner of Avalon Way/SW Yancy (map), from the plan that’ll be reviewed one week from tonight by the Southwest Design Review Board for 2988 Avalon – a new 4-story, 16-unit building for Transitional Resources. The full packet of renderings and plans has just been added to the city Design Review website; download it here (big PDF – 23 MB). This is the first of two projects on a double bill for the board next Thursday night – this one’s at 6:30, with Admiral Safeway at 8, both reviews at Youngstown Arts Center.
We’ve noticed work resuming on several projects around West Seattle. 2 examples: Several people have e-mailed to point out that crews are back at 35th/Avalon (whether just to weatherproof or something more, we haven’t confirmed), and framing has gone up at a townhouse site north of Morgan Junction where work began in spring but then idled, among others. And now there’s word from a neighbor that a once-controversial proposal across from Alki Elementary School has reactivated as well.
The site at 59th/Stevens (Google Street View above) is the subject of a “revised application” – a two-week comment period that opened with it was listed as closing the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but the sign says that it could be extended to December 13th, so the neighbor who contacted us has put in that request. The original application was filed in early 2008; it proposed two single-family homes and three townhouse units replacing the house that currently occupies the lot. Among the concerns neighbors had raised were parking; the project calls for 8 spaces for the 5 units, and street parking in the area has long been tight (some restriping happened last year, as reported here). They also contended that three-story units putting neighboring Alki Playfield in the shade. They discussed those issues during a meeting with developers and city planners in May of last year (WSB coverage here). The DPD page listing all applications for this proposal (no permits finalized yet) is here; comments on the project go to city planner Holly Godard, holly.godard@seattle.gov.
From City Hall downtown: The Seattle Design Commission has finished its two-part review of the portion of the Admiral Safeway redevelopment project on which it’s 
required to sign off, the “alley vacation,” and the vote was in favor of approval. (If a project requires a street or alley vacation – asking the city to give up its right of way – that requires several levels of approvals, including the Design Commission’s blessing in two stages, urban design and public benefit, what citizens theoretically are getting in exchange for giving up publicly owned property.) After the first presentation (WSB coverage here), which resulted in the group approving the urban design, they made it clear they wanted more information about its possible traffic effects, so at this afternoon’s review, architect Bill Fuller was joined by a traffic consultant. She said they’d studied the effects of five Safeway redevelopment projects in the region and by extrapolating those results – particularly knowing that these projects are not geared to bring more people to the store, so much as to add improvements that would have existing customers spend more money at the store – they do not expect a sizable traffic impact – about 300 additional “trips” per day beyond what the site generates now. The project will include about three dozen residential units and almost 100 “flex-work units” as well as almost doubling the size of the grocery store and adding a 6,000-square-foot retail building along California on the northwest edge of the property. Landscape architect Andy Rasmussen also joined the presentation, during which it was noted that the project will be trying for LEED certification. The only member of the public to attend and speak was longtime Admiral neighborhood advocate Dennis Ross, who again voiced strong support for the project. Leaving City Hall now to return to West Seattle, will add details of the commissioners’ concerns when we get back online.10:33 AM FRIDAY: Highlights finally added, ahead (note – we also have added graphics from the presentation – thanks to Fuller Sears for answering our request for digital copies):Read More
RESERVOIR PARK PLAN: Residents of Highland Park have been brainstorming for years about the future of Westcrest Park and extra parkland to be created by the covering of its reservoir (including June’s HP Action Committee mini-summit); now, the work is well under way, and while the Parks Department says park construction won’t start till 2011, its official meetings to plan and design the space start tonight. 7 pm, High Point Community Center (map).
WESTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 7 pm, Southwest Community Center (map). Tonight’s agenda includes presentations on community murals, robbery prevention and the ReLeaf free-tree program.
ARTIST RECEPTION AT THE DUWAMISH LONGHOUSE: Photographer Joanne Petrina has been documenting the lives of Duwamish Tribe members for two years, and her work is on display at the almost-year-old longhouse in West Seattle ; tonight, you can meet her at an artist reception, 6 pm. Full details here. (Side note – there’s a holiday craft fair at the longhouse this weekend.)
LOW TIDE, AGAIN: As pointed out yesterday by Lura, tonight’s even lower than last night.
TWO AFTERNOON REMINDERS: The “alley vacation” component of the Admiral Safeway redevelopment project goes before the Seattle Design Commission at 2 pm today (previewed here); another planning meeting for the Admiral-area kiosks and signposts in the West Seattle Trails project (second one this week) starts at 4 pm at the West Seattle (Admiral) Library (map).
More on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar and the West Seattle Holidays page – which includes ongoing “giving tree” and other charity efforts as well as specific time-based events – LOTS of chances to make this a happier holiday for those going through tough times.
In The Triangle, demolition crews have finished knocking down all the buildings on the future site of Harbor Properties‘ Link (200 apartments/14,000 sf commercial, background here), along 38th between Alaska and Fauntleroy. That photo looks north; here’s a Google Street View image looking east at the now-gone ex-Huling/Gee service building:
When we went by about an hour ago, crews were pummeling away at the remaining below-grade concrete walls on the south side of the site. It’s the biggest active construction site in West Seattle right now; probably the second biggest is the new Fire Station 37, under construction for 2 months now at 35th/Holden.
ADMIRAL SAFEWAY PROJECT: The agenda’s just come out for this Thursday’s Seattle Design Commission meeting, and the group’s 2nd review of part of the Admiral Safeway redevelopment project – required because they’re requesting an alley vacation – is set for this Thursday at City Hall downtown, 2 pm, Boards and Commissions Room. Here’s our report on the project’s last Design Commission review four weeks ago. (As reported earlier, the Admiral Safeway project also has its next Southwest Design Review Board date set – Dec. 17, 8 pm, Youngstown Arts Center.)
ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT/TUNNEL: Also just announced: After a few months off, meetings are resuming for the “working groups” looking at how the tunnel will tie in with the transportation systems at both ends . There are West Seattle reps on both the “north portal working group” and the “south portal working group”; the latter has the most WS-relevant work to do, and its next meeting has just been set for Thursday, Dec. 17, 4 – 5:30 pm in the Puget Sound Regional Council Boardroom, 1011 Western Ave.; the north portal group will meet at 4 pm tomorrow at the Seattle Aquarium. More info at alaskanwayviaduct.org.
WEST SEATTLE 5K: Half a year after the first-ever West Seattle 5K, organized as a benefit for local schools (masterminded by West Seattle High School PTSA but with three other schools participating and more than 1,000 people participating), the date is set for the sequel: Jo Bader sends word that they’ve chosen May 23, 2010. Registration isn’t open yet so the website still reflects last year – but you can set aside the date right now.
From today’s city Land Use Information Bulletin: More than a year after demolition of the big old house at 4532 42nd SW (map) – just north of Capco Plaza — the official city decision is published approving the mixed-use project replacing it (July rendering above) with 35 residential units and 3,000 square feet of commercial development: Read the decision here. The documents say changes were submitted in September to address the concerns brought up at its last Southwest Design Review Board meeting in July (as covered here):
These included an irrigation component as part of the landscape plan, a widened sidewalk along the entire 42nd Avenue SW façade, extending the height of the Prairie Stone bases of the columnar design elements along the 42nd Avenue SW façade, and the insertion of Prairie Stone headers above the windows of the commercial storefronts on 42nd Avenue SW, as well as providing these Prairie Stone headers along both the north and south ground-level facades to be consistently co-extensive with the areas of brick façade. The Director finds that these changes when implemented will adequately address the concerns and meet the recommendations of the Design Review Board as expressed at the July 23, 2009, Board meeting.
Now that the decision’s been published, there’s a two-week period in which appeals can be filed – the deadline is December 14; the official city notice explains how.
We stopped by to check out the Triangle site (38th/Alaska) where work has begun on Link (background here), taking these photos just as day 2 of demolition work was concluding at mid-afternoon Tuesday. The old Huling repair-shop building (which more recently had been used to build/store Hi-Yu floats) is about half-gone – above, the view from SW Alaska, looking north; next, the view from 38th, looking east through what’s left of its customer-service area (note the slogan on the wall):
And on the north side of the site, the remaining ex-school buildings are just a pile of splintered wood:
The head of the construction project, developer Harbor Properties tells us, is the same one who ran Mural (WSB sponsor), the apartments/retail building that opened this year across from Jefferson Square. Right now, this is the only project Harbor – which works around the city – has under construction. Before they started work on Monday morning, they visited nearby homes and businesses, they say, to make sure everyone knew who to contact in case of concerns about anything at the site.
(Photo courtesy Harbor Properties)
As reported here yesterday, construction is beginning for Link, Harbor Properties‘ 200-unit, 14,000-square-foot-commercial building along a block of 38th running north from Alaska (map). Harbor says the former school building in the photo above and the former auto shop on the site’s south end will both be demolished over the next 10 days; other equipment, including excavation gear, will arrive within a week; the big “tower crane” should be up by mid-January; construction is projected to last about 17 months. ADDED 1:30 PM: Teardown work started on the north side almost simultaneously – here’s how it looked by midmorning:
We have a few more project details to add shortly, after a followup chat with Harbor execs.
One month after announcing it had secured financing for the project, Harbor Properties‘ Emi Baldowin reports that construction work is scheduled to officially begin tomorrow at the Triangle site where it’s building Link. There’s already heavy equipment staged on the north end of the site, as you can see in our photo (taken along Alaska, from which point the site runs north along 38th [map], with to-be-demolished buildings including an ex-Huling garage and the former home of West Seattle Montessori School [WSB sponsor, now at a new location]). Link will have 200 apartments and 14,000 square feet of retail; at last month’s Fairmount Community Association meeting, Harbor’s Denny Onslow said they expected construction to go “really fast” – which still means just under a year and a half.
New on the market for $2,895,000 – the parcels south of The Junction that former Fauntleroy Place (Whole Foods) developers BlueStar were at one time going to develop as a residential/commercial project called Spring Hill
(no relation to the renowned Junction restaurant). When we reported on foreclosure proceedings involving the site (5020-5030 California SW) back in June (second half of this story), that’s the same amount a bank was pursuing as an opening bid. Property records show Shoreline Bank owns the three parcels that comprise the site, and the listing mentions a land-use permit is pending; here are details on the originally proposed project, from its last Design Review meeting 14 months ago. More recently, part of this site was mentioned at the Fairmount Springs community crimefighting meeting we covered last month – there were complaints of transient/squatter/drug-house activity involving one of the vacant buildings long scheduled for demolition till the project stalled.
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