West Seattle, Washington
14 Thursday
(WSB photo, added Wednesday morning)
The DESC homeless-housing building at 5444 Delridge Way is three-fourths complete, DESC executive director Bill Hobson told its Advisory Committee tonight when they met at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Hobson says it’s expected to be complete in November, with residents starting to move in near year’s end, two and a half years after the $14 million plan was first disclosed to neighborhood advocates.
Asked by committee member Dorsol Plants how the residents will be chosen, Hobson said they will use DESC’s standard procedure (described in part in the project FAQ). He also announced that they’ve hired a building manager from within DESC, Levi Dineson. He and his to-be-hired staff will handle the process of choosing residents, who will be moved in groups of 15 to 20 until the 66-studio-apartment building is full. Hobson said the manager’s job also will include neighborhood outreach and participation in the North Delridge Neighborhood Council. One decision yet to be made – a permanent name for the building, currently dubbed Delridge Supportive Housing. The committee discussed the possibility of using a relevant local geographic term as part of the name – such as Longfellow, Findlay (the nearest east-west street), or Cottage Grove. The name will be chosen at the next DESC Board of Directors’ meeting.
(WSB photo, July 25: Original house at right, under-construction house at left)
The city Department of Planning and Development has just announced that it is approving the revised boundaries for splitting what was once one home’s lot at 55th/Manning (map) into three. “Lot boundary adjustments” are not uncommon, but this one has been under a microscope since early this year, because of a challenge by residents who call their neighborhood Benchview. They appealed the city’s original approval of the lot split and went all the way to King County Superior Court, where they won a partial victory last month. They believed Judge Mariane Spearman‘s decision meant the site’s new owners could only build one new house on the lot. Shortly after the decision, the owners/developers filed documents for revised boundaries, and today, the DPD sent this letter saying those will be approved – read it here (or as a PDF here if you can’t see Scribd embeds):
Benchview residents had contended the city could choose to “protect the neighborhood” rather than consider the revised boundaries; DPD director Diane Sugimura contended, in both a letter earlier this week and the letter today, that her department was required to review them for consideration. We will be checking with the Benchview neighbors to see if they plan to challenge this new decision.
ADDED 5:17 PM: Benchview spokesperson Dave Allen cc’d us on his reply to the city – an excerpt follows:
6:11 PM TUESDAY: Earlier today, we reported that The Residences at 3295, a 60-apartment mixed-use project completed last year at 35th/Avalon, is up for sale. This afternoon, WSB has learned that another building finished in 2012, Nova Apartments (WSB sponsor) at 4600 36th SW in The Triangle, has a new owner. Nova was the last West Seattle holding for Harbor Urban, which sold Mural in The Junction and Link in The Triangle last year, both built by Harbor Properties before its merger with Urban Partners last year. County records show the $17.5 million purchase closed today for Nova, an all-residential 62-unit, 36-parking-space building that started leasing last September. The new owner is Sea Apartment 1 LLC, which so far traces to a New York City-based LLC listed in state records here as ZREC.
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING, 9:09 AM: The formal announcement of the sale, just received:
With at least half a dozen other projects along Avalon Way in varying stages of planning/construction, a recently completed building on Avalon is now up for sale.
Here’s the listing for 3295 SW Avalon Way, also known as The Residences at 3295, a six-story, 60-unit, 100-parking-space building which got its construction permits in 2006-2007, sat partially built for years, then finally was completed last year. Part of the delay was because it was originally in the portfolio of now-fugitive real-estate tycoon Michael Mastro (detained recently in France, which wouldn’t extradite him). Before that, it was supposed to be part of the Seattle Monorail right-of-way. While still unfinished, county records show that it sold for almost $4 million in 2010, and then again for $7.3 million in April of last year. It’s now owned by Randolph Street Realty Capital, headquartered in the same Chicago building as, and led by former executives of, Equity Residential, which owns the not-yet-begun Junction project site at California/Alaska/42nd.
Back to 3295 Avalon (which has a bit of history on its current owners’ website): According to the listing and accompanying documents, there is no set asking price for The Residences at 3295 – they are calling for offers this Thursday (July 25). The extensively detailed flyer for the property mentions that the building’s entire retail space is leased for five years; that would be the new Redline, whose proprietors we’re working to reach for an update on when they plan to open – we last talked with them in March.
P.S. Selling a recently completed project isn’t unheard of; three newer West Seattle projects – Mural in The Junction, Link in The Triangle, and the Admiral Safeway redevelopment – were purchased last year by American Realty Advisors, which is headquartered in Los Angeles.
Datapoint: The flyer for The Residences at 3295 quotes analysts as saying the vacancy rate in the West Seattle apartment “submarket” is currently 2.5 percent.
The city’s first take at “microhousing” regulations is scheduled for a special meeting Friday (June 28th) of the City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee. That’s the date mentioned by DPD director Diane Sugimura when she visited the Southwest District Council earlier this month; now the agenda’s out, with the draft of what’s being proposed. The map above accompanies the agenda and includes four locations where microhousing is under construction or planned in our area. (See the addresses and unit counts on this list.) Among other things, as laid out in this memo, it sets up new terminology such as “micro dwelling unit” – up to 8 living units sharing a kitchen – and “congregate residences,” 9 or more living units sharing one. But the term “dwelling unit” will still apply to that group of up to 8 living units, for State Environmental Policy Act review purposes, anyway. And for purposes of tracking neighborhood growth, a group of four living units would count as one “unit.”
As for parking:
*Parking minimums are not required or are reduced in certain areas of the city, primarily
urban villages, centers and frequent transit served locations.*Outside the areas noted above, required vehicle parking for most multi-family residential
uses is 1 required parking space for each dwelling unit (SMC 23.54.015).*For congregate residences, and for assisted living facilities the vehicle parking requirement
is 1 space for each 4 residents.*In areas of the city where parking is required, add a parking requirement for micro dwelling units
consistent to that of congregate residences: 1 space for 4 micros*Currently the amount of required off street bicycle parking required for residential uses is one (1)
bicycle parking space for every 4 dwelling units in multifamily housing, and 1 bicycle parking
space for every twenty (20) residents in congregate residences. (Table E, SMC 23.54.015)Micro dwelling units appear to have higher demand for bicycle usage than other forms of
development; increase the requirement for off-street bicycle parking for micro dwelling units to
1 bicycle space to 4 micros.
A later section of the memo addresses microhousing built in Residential Parking Zones, and says there should be up to four permits for each “micro dwelling unit.” Meantime, the agenda for Friday’s meeting also includes a memo from the Seattle Planning Commission, which says these types of apartments “fill a unique niche” in the city and should be permitted wherever multifamily development is allowed. But the SPC does think the buildings should be required to have more amenities. Friday’s meeting is at 9:30 am at City Hall.
Six months ago, we reported on a first-of-its-kind plan for remodeling and reselling three vintage West Seattle homes instead of tearing them down. Now, the Westwood Village-vicinity homes dubbed “The Triplets” are done and listed for sale, with their first public open house today (Sunday). We stopped by for a sneak preview Saturday. Here are two of them:
All three are in the 8800 block of 24th SW – from north to south along the east side of the block, Clara, Zelda, and Louise, as named by Green Canopy Homes, which “re-envisioned” them with financing from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission‘s Sustainable Energy Trust Lending Program. It’s all about energy efficiency – but “The Triplets” have been updated in far more than that aspect, from the entries…
Two local meetings next week feature two hot topics:
MICROHOUSING @ SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: After stirring concern in other parts of the city, “microhousing” started turning up here (browse WSB development coverage), and now the City Council is considering setting new rules for it. Here’s the recent memo from Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen and Nick Licata and Council President Sally Clark to Department of Planning and Development director Diane Sugimura, who is scheduled to discuss microhousing at the Southwest District Council‘s monthly meeting next Wednesday (June 5th). Also on the agenda: A Seattle Public Schools manager with updates on the school construction projects in the works here (which include the Fairmount Park addition and the new Arbor Heights and Genesee Hill schools). The meeting’s at 6:30 pm Wednesday, Southwest Teen Life Center/Pool (2801 SW Thistle).
METRO @ WWRHAH COUNCIL – AGENDA/GUESTS UPDATE: We’ve already mentioned that the new Westwood Roxhill Arbor Heights Community Council will focus its entire meeting on Metro next Tuesday (June 4th), and you’re invited even if you’re not within WWRHAH boundaries – there’ll be lots of time for community questions. WWRHAH chair Amanda Helmick has shared the agenda/guest list – read on:
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
We learned a lot more about the “Lofts at the Junction” project last night during its first Southwest Design Review Board meeting, which ended with the board giving it clearance to move to the next phase of the process.
For one, while it does include about 40 apartments on a lot of less than 4,000 square feet at 4535 44th SW, it does not have all the attributes of so-called “microhousing” – each of its units will include a private kitchen and bath.
For two, the Nicholson Kovalchick Architects-designed project is now envisioned with an “industrial loft” type of look, and a brick facade, as shown in the “character sketches” (above is the 44th SW view) – completely different from what was shown in the design “packet” prepared for the meeting and shown here two weeks ago.
The Design Review process has drawn more consistent public interest lately, and this meeting brought another full house of about 40 in the upstairs meeting hall at the Senior Center of West Seattle.
Boyd Pickrell from NK Architects led the presentation, which was weighted toward context for the site and an overview of the project’s goals:
Tonight during the monthly West Seattle Art Walk, the new North Delridge apartment building Youngstown Flats not only will be open to visitors, it’ll host a reception for the 14 artists whose work can be seen around the complex. Youngstown Flats, now open to leasing and already home to its first tenants, is a new WSB sponsor; we toured recently to give you a peek inside. The art is not only outdoors, , but also in the public hallways of each floor, including the work shown above, and in the main lobby:
More ahead:
Looking to sell your home and/or buy a new one? One of the newest WSB sponsors, Prudential Northwest Realty, would love to talk with you. Here’s what managing broker/branch manager Don Bereiter wants you to know about their business:
Prudential Northwest Realty has been a part of West Seattle for more than 50 years. Sure, the name has changed from time-to-time, but the integrity and value has never wavered. We are a full-service real-estate office with 75 full-time brokers that range from just licensed to veterans with over 30 years experience. Our average broker has over 15 years in the business! While we do have 5 other offices in the Puget Sound area, West Seattle has always been the hub of the operation.
In the past, Prudential Northwest Realty has sponsored many West Seattle events, including:
*West Seattle Summer Fest
*Global Volunteer Day (Collecting food and cash for the West Seattle Food Bank)
*Admiral Neighborhood Association’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha
*West Seattle Garden Tour
*Sunshine Kids (Helping to fulfill dreams for kids battling cancer)
We are very proud to be a part of such a great area and most appreciative of our past and current clients that continue to refer their friends to us. Trusting in us to handle their real estate needs gives us great pride and we want to say “Thank you!” to each and every one of them. We are also excited to become a sponsor of the West Seattle Blog!
We thank Prudential Northwest Realty for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Seattle city rules provide for hearings on certain types of developments – while other types only get internal reviews by planners. Then, there are situations in which hearings can be requested. That’s what’s happening with the Alki-area development site shown above, where four 3-story “rowhouses” containing 11 residential units are proposed for 2414 55th SW, a short distance inland from the beach, on a site that’s already gone through a “boundary adjustment.” Neighbor Marie McKinsey says that while she and other neighbors were doing research, they found out that the city MIGHT set a hearing if at least 50 people petition for it. So they’re collecting names right now – Alki residents interested in signing can contact her at marie.mckinsey@gmail.com. Ahead, the concerns she shared with the city:
(“Character” rendering of 4535 44th SW proposal, by Nicholson Kovalchick Architects)>
With two weeks till the first Southwest Design Review Board meeting about 4535 44th SW, the project’s “design packet” is now online, for anyone who wants a preview (see the 27-page PDF here). When we first reported on the proposal in mid-March, the early online documentation referred to it as “micros” – a hot-button word citywide right now – and then a later version used the term “studios.” Now, the project bears the name Lofts at the Junction, with some other changes – the plan now calls for a 4-story building with around 27 studio apartments (depending on the final approved configuration) and six live-work units – three along the 44th SW facade, three along the Glenn Way facade. No on-site parking; none required under city code, because it’s near what’s considered rapid transit (on SW Alaska). The review is scheduled for 6:30 pm Thursday 5/9 at the Senior Center of West Seattle (here’s the official notice, which explains how to comment in advance, whether or not you plan to be at the meeting).
P.S. If you’re interested in the Design Review process in general, the City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee plans a public hearing at City Hall next Monday, 5:30 pm, on new guidelines regarding how it works and what it’s about – here’s the agenda.
How often do you get a say in what color somebody else’s (future) home is painted? Four months have passed since we reported on “The Triplets,” three old homes in Westwood getting major makeovers – instead of being torn down – as part of a program carried out in conjunction with the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. They renovation work is almost done – and now, you have a chance to participate in the final phase of the makeover: Voting on what color palette will be used for their paint. It’s a tradition with Green Canopy Homes, which has been working on the project. Voting is open till 2 pm tomorrow (Friday); you can go here to have a say. The homes are expected to go on the market in June.
(Proposed ‘preferred’ massing for the development; rendering courtesy Nicholson Kovalchick Architects)
Tomorrow (Thursday) night is the first Southwest Design Review Board meeting for 3210 California SW, the 166-apartment project that’s the first proposal for a block-long stretch of South Admiral upzoned two years ago, after an at-times-contentious process that started more than three years earlier. The meeting was set to happen last month – until neighbors pointed out that the notice had not gone to everyone affected, so the city postponed it at the last minute. Those neighbors live in the single-family neighborhood behind the proposed development plan; while they expect to be at the meeting, they also have drafted a 13-page letter they sent in advance in hopes the board members would have time to consider it. Here’s a copy they provided. It details their concerns, particularly regarding height, bulk, and scale of the new development. Looking at homes to the east along 42nd, you can see its potential top floors in blue to the west.
An excerpt from the letter:
1. The proposed project abuts a much less intensive SF zone of substantially different scale, along its long axis. 80-percent of the abutting single-family residences are one or two-story bungalows on 5000 sf lots. The absence of an alley for access and buffer is conducive to a project of smaller scale.
2. The proposed project is two full stories taller than the buildings on California Ave to its north and south. (See Section D in the project packet.)
3. The development site is of such exceptional length not only for its immediate context, but for Seattle overall. The proposed building is 200 feet longer than a downtown block, with a footprint equivalent to 6 NC parcel lengths and 9 SF parcel lengths. Even with one “break” in the building’s upper stories, the two masses are still each far longer than any other buildings.
4. The current proposal appears substantially greater in height and scale than in representations made in connection with a 2011 rezone.
The project packet can be seen here. This review is the second one on the board’s agenda for tomorrow night at the Senior Center of West Seattle (second floor of California/Oregon building) – at 6:30 pm, they take up the 39-apartment building proposed for 3829 California SW, and then 3210 California SW’s part of the meeting is scheduled to start at 8 pm. There’ll be a period for public comment on each project.
(Looking west toward the project site, from the alley on the east side of 44th)
Followup to the “microapartments” project in The Junction that we told you about last month – its first Southwest Design Review Board meeting is now tentatively scheduled for May 9th (6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle). According to the project page on the city website, the 4-story building is now proposed for 34 “residential units” and 1 live-work unit; the page also has the notation, “No parking proposed.” A pre-Design Review draft document on the city’s website says that’s because of the site’s transit accessibility; that document also now refers to the project as “studios” rather than the term “micros” used on an earlier document in the online file.
With the “microhousing” trend expanding to West Seattle, including a new Junction proposal for 31 units in 4 stories on a 3770-square-foot parcel, questions are coming up here that already have been raised in other parts of the city, and four councilmembers have announced a public meeting aimed at answers. Here’s the official announcement circulated today:
Seattle City Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen, Nick Licata, Sally J. Clark and Richard Conlin today announced a public meeting on micro-housing developments on April 18, in response to questions and concerns raised in several Seattle neighborhoods.
“Several Councilmembers and I are sponsoring a two hour meeting to review what is occurring due to the strong interest and concern we are hearing in the neighborhoods,” Councilmember Tom Rasmussen stated. “A portion of the meeting will include an opportunity for the public to provide comments and recommendations on what, if any, regulations should be enacted for this unique type of housing.”
(King County Assessor’s Office photo)
A brand-new multi-million-dollar listing on Alki – the 87-year-old Friedlander Court courtyard apartments at 2246 Alki SW (map). The nine-unit complex on a 15,000-square-foot lot has just gone up for sale, listing price $3.8 million. County records say they were built in 1926 and have been under current ownership since 1996, with a purchase price reported as $850,000 that year. The new listing describes the property: “Classic brick 9-unit w/ big units and 5 garages provide immediate income to offset holding costs for future development. Zoning allows 20-unit apartment building or 10 townhomes with unobstructed views of Puget Sound and Olympics.” While the complex has never gone through historic review that we know of, it was held up as a notable example of “Bungalow Court” architecture five years ago when Charlestown Court was being reviewed; The now-dormant Vintage Seattle website took a closeup look at Friedlander Court a year later. (Thanks to Jonathan French for the tip.)
Two development notes today:
AND NOW THERE ARE TWO: That 61-year-old duplex at 7018 California SW in south Morgan Junction, across from the row of businesses anchored by Caffe Ladro, will be replaced by a five-unit “rowhouse” of 3-story townhomes. It’s next to 4250 SW Myrtle, where a similar, if not identical, development is on the way (as reported here last July). (added – aerial photo by Long Bach Nguyen showing both sites, the cleared one on Myrtle and the to-be-demolished duplex facing California)
Both are being developed by Renton-based Isola Homes, which also is building a five-unit “rowhouse” in The Junction (mentioned in that same July story). The 7018 California proposal is up for the city’s streamlined Administrative Design Review process, meaning it will be reviewed, but there’s no public meeting planned. From the city website, here’s a scanned version of the design packet submitted last week. County records show this site was sold to the developers less than a month ago for $400,000.
UPDATE ON THE BLAKE: When the owners of the 101-apartment development planned for 5020 California SW, just south of The Junction, announced its new identity as The Blake in December, they said work would begin in January. Since February is almost over with no sign of groundbreaking, we checked in with the company managing the project. They say the permits will be “pulled” this week, so the start is near. The site has had a land-use permit for more than a year but the construction permit is not yet finalized, according to online records.
The house that’s home to local history, the Log House Museum, has a doubleheader on Saturday: Its next volunteer-training event, and, whether you’re volunteering or not, free chili to celebrate Neighbor Appreciation Day. Here are the details on event #1:
Got time to volunteer? The Southwest Seattle Historical Society needs you!
Like to interact with people? Fix computers? Update databases? Make small repairs? Transcribe interviews? Shoot videos and still photos? Plan events? Get a glimpse of our community’s past? Whether you have lived here one year or 50, come learn about how to turn your desires and skills into meaningful tasks that will help preserve and promote the heritage of West Seattle and the greater Duwamish peninsula. Here’s a way to look to the future helping others explore West Seattle?s past. The Southwest Seattle Historical Society, which operates the Log House Museum, offers this introduction to volunteering, led by Carol Vincent, longtime historical-society volunteer, and Clay Eals, new executive director. It will include a brief primer on West Seattle history.
Bonus: At the end, those participating will enjoy free chili and corn bread on the museum’s porch, as part of the city’s Neighbor Appreciation Day. The museum is one block from Alki Beach, at 61st and Stevens. More info: 206-938-5293, loghousemuseum.info.
The aforementioned chili is available to all as part of the citywide Neighbor Appreciation Day – stop by the museum 1-4 pm on Saturday (southwest corner of 61st/Stevens). Before or after chili, go inside and explore the museum’s newest exhibit “Telling Our Westside Stories: The Land.” (No admission charge, but they always appreciate donations.)
Early this morning, the hundreds of volunteers who fanned out for the annual One Night Count of homeless people in King County found five percent more without shelter than a year earlier, according to a news release just sent:
2,736 men, women and children had no shelter in King County last night, a small increase over those found without shelter last year. Last year, volunteers found 2,594 people surviving outside without shelter.
Teams of volunteers with trained leaders are dispatched from ten locations throughout the county to count every person they see outside overnight on one night in January. Approximately 800 volunteers counted people trying to survive in cars, tents, all night buses, hospital emergency rooms, or curled up in blankets under bridges or in doorways.
The Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, an independent coalition of organizations and individuals that works on homelessness issues in our region, organizes the count, now in its 33rd year.
A breakdown of how many people were found in what circumstances – cars, doorways, etc. – is in the second half of this document. While West Seattle is not broken out separately from the city at large, White Center has its own column, with 51 people found unsheltered this time. P.S. We checked with organizers, and the count does include those found in “tent cities” such as the West Seattle encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville.”
With the economy improving, a variety of construction is happening around West Seattle – not just the medium-to-big apartment or mixed-use projects we often report on. Last night, we mentioned a unique three-home remodel/rebuild project in Westwood with special financing related to energy improvements. Today, a more typical type of project that’s happening more often (judging by demolition permits on file) after a few quiet years: Old-house replacements. Steve e-mailed us to share the photo of demolition happening right now at 2134 44th SW in North Admiral. County records show the house is more than a century old, sold three months ago to Isola Homes, a Renton-based company that’s currently building small multifamily projects in West Seattle – the five-unit “rowhouses” on which we reported last summer – as well as new single-family homes. The Isola website includes renderings of the 2 1/2-story house with rooftop deck that’ll be built after the 1906 home is demolished.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
New life is ahead for three old homes near Westwood Village.
Instead of being torn down to make way for townhouses or apartments – or big new homes – they will be transformed into three new/almost-new, modestly sized, energy-efficient homes, as part of a program financed by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.
We visited the site a few days ago, as the owners/builders – Green Canopy Homes – and WSHFC reps met the neighbors to explain the project :
(From the design packet for 3062 Avalon Way)
The neighbors who came to a Southwest Design Review Board meeting in September to show concern about the 108-unit building planned for 3078 Avalon Way SW are planning a return trip tomorrow (Thursday) night to comment on its similar-sized prospective next-door neighbor. The project to be reviewed this time is at 3062 Avalon Way – first mentioned here 3 weeks ago – 107 apartments and 80 parking spaces on a site that now holds two older, small apartment buildings and a house:
The images are from the design “packet,” viewable online in advance of the meeting (6:30 pm Thursday, Senior Center of West Seattle at California/Oregon); the architect is Caron, same as the project reviewed in September. The concerned neighbors are along 32nd SW to the north, and according to e-mail discussions shared with WSB, their research has yielded a new point since their September show of force: When the West Seattle Junction urban-village plan was drawn up more than a decade ago, theirs was described as one of three pockets of single-family homes whose neighborhood character was to be protected. So that’s their rallying cry now.
You don’t have to live near a project to have a say at a Design Review meeting, so if you are interested in input – particularly on the size and shape, also known as “massing” – you should be there too; a public-comment period is part of every design-review meeting.
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