Land-use updates: 42nd/Oregon followup; 9030 35th proposal

| Development | West Seattle news

From the city Land Use Information Bulletin:

42ND/OREGON CHANGE-OF-PLANS COMMENT PERIOD OPEN: The official comment period has just opened for a project change on which we reported yesterday, the 42nd/Oregon (official address: 4502 42nd SW) development changing from 89 apartments and 20,000 sf of retail to 135 apartments and less than 3,000 sf of retail. Here’s the notice; it lists the comment deadline as June 15th (and explains how to comment). Though the city website cites May 18th as the “application date” for this proposed change, it has apparently been in the works for several months: CIty documents dated in January and in March related to the developer’s application for the Multi-Family Tax Exemption (that’s the tax break spotlighted recently by our partners at the Seattle Times), list the project as having 135 apartments, not the longstanding, already approved 89.

9030 35TH SW REVIVED: Also on the LUIB, an application for 9030 35th SW in Westwood. We last heard about this site more than three years ago – here’s our report from a Design Review meeting back then. At the time, developers were talking about four stories and 30 apartments; now the proposal is for five stories and 40 units. The new proposal doesn’t appear to address what was a controversial point in that earlier review – parking. In 2008, DR Board members were concerned that the 30-unit proposal had only 38 units, given parking challenges related to the nearby Southwest Library; this new 40-unit proposal has fewer spaces, 32. Here’s the notice for the new application, which also has a comment deadline of 6/15.

Todd June 2, 2011 (3:02 pm)

More apartments with less parking? Sounds like good City planning to me! I can almost accept 137 parking spaces for 135 apartments (wonder where the retail spaces will be?), but 32 spaces for 40 apartments?
I’d like to leave you with a classic…”Why are they called apartments when they’re actually connected?”

JanS June 2, 2011 (3:15 pm)

Todd…we asked the same when they started with the apartments next to the Admiral Safeway…78 apartments…58 parking spaces. They “say” that they figure some will use mass transit, and wont have vehicles. And there will be 3 Zipcars for occasional use. Still, I wonder what parking will be like in the area now on the street. It’s horrendous with all the construction guys’ vehicles, hope they don’t do away with 2 hour parking in front of the apartment buildings for all day parking.

JB June 2, 2011 (3:36 pm)

Less parking than unit is astoundingly stupid. Yes, some will use transit, just like my family does. However, we still have a car for leaving the city, and to take the family to visit friends on the NW side of the city. Transit is not a 100% solution in this city. 3 Zipcars as the solution? Are they serious? This is irresponsible development.

Mike June 2, 2011 (5:52 pm)

Back when I lived in apartment buildings in Queen Anne each 2 bedroom unit had on average 2 cars… why? Most 2 person units are roomates and each has their own car.

Todd_ June 2, 2011 (10:04 pm)

I am happy to find like minded feelings on this density subject .. all I can say is BOHICA. :D

Jasperblu June 2, 2011 (10:59 pm)

Sigh. Nope, I don’t like it one bit. Parking is already difficult enough in this area of 35th. And why does the City continue to go out of their way to say “eff you” to West Seattle by approving supremely UGLY buildings &/or development plans with nowhere near enough parking, and seemingly no forethought about the impact on the people already living here? Oy.

anonyme June 3, 2011 (6:49 am)

Great. More nice, small old houses to be demolished for mega-pieces of crap that begin to deteriorate before they’re even finished, more traffic, and more transient residents who do nothing and care nothing for the neighborhood. I also agree with Jasperblue that the ugly, cheaply built projects approved in West Seattle would never pass muster in Magnolia or elsewhere. Lots of us out here purchased little old houses and have worked bloody hard to improve our property. The developers come out and vomit these projects all over neighborhoods, raising the property values while destroying the livability of an entire area. Greater density can and should be achieved in a much more intelligent way.

anonyme June 3, 2011 (3:28 pm)

I meant to say “raising property TAXES”, not values.

Go away NIMBYs June 3, 2011 (4:00 pm)

@anonyme: you say it’s ugly before a disign is known, you say it’s cheaply built before ground has even broken, and you assert that developers set property tax rates. I’m challenging you to back up your statements with facts.

Also, your assertion that renters “do nothing and care nothing for the neighborhood” is patently false and offensive to the vast majority of Seattlites who are renters. You’re displaying classic elitist snobbery: people who own (have money to buy) are better than people who rent (don’t have money to buy). There are tons of houses for rent in West Seattle, are you also against people who rent a house instead of an apartment?

Finally, lots of people seem very concerned about these houses. Who out there was working to preserve them before the developer bought them? Why are you so concerned about them now if you weren’t before? If any of you really wanted to preserve these houses, why didn’t you buy them yourself instead of letting the developer buy them? Why are you blaming the developer for everything, anyway? What about those that sold these houses to the developer, did any of you even try to get the previous owners to preserve them? I didn’t think so.

WSB June 3, 2011 (4:23 pm)

Addendum to the folks still checking back on this – since the developers had told the Junction Neighborhood Organization they didn’t want to provide drawings before the June 15th meeting, I’ve gone downtown to review the file, including taking photos of the revised drawings. No bombshells, really, but if you want to compare to the previous iteration, you’ll be able to. Watch for the followup over the weekend. – TR

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