West Seattle, Washington
13 Saturday
Thanks to Rick for the tip – 5 months after the demolition permit was granted, it’s finally teardown time at the house at 5933 California — future townhouses, next to the townhouses that are almost done on the ex-Guadalajara Hacienda site. Here’s the “before” photo:
Six townhouse units and one single-family home are slated to be built at the site (city project page here).
Over the weekend, the city launched big changes for the Department of Planning and Development section of its website. Supposedly “easier to navigate,” according to the explanation in the dpdINFO newsletter posted today, but it took us a good long time to figure out where we could do the simple “look up a development by address or project number” search. That used to be accessible from the DPD home page, but now you have to go to the “permits” area, where you will find the lookup at web1.seattle.gov/DPD/permitstatus.
After this morning’s groundbreaking for the Hope Lutheran School/Church expansion/renovation project, we caught the video above, as an illustration of the church building boom in that block of 42nd alone – Hope Lutheran leaders and members in a procession past the West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) construction project, on their way to continue their service at the Seattle Lutheran High School Gym, where they’ll hold services all summer while site work is under way. More on what’s happening with these projects, and another one under way at Holy Rosary a bit farther north along the same street, ahead:Read More
Not our headline – that’s how the city slugged its announcement of two forums called by Councilmember Sally Clark (who toured The Junction a month ago at the invitation of resident Sue Scharff; WSB coverage here). Our only question: Why isn’t either forum happening here in West Seattle, where so much townhome construction is under way? Anyway, here’s the announcement:Read More
That’s Charlie Conner, president/owner of Conner Homes, whose California/Alaska/42nd project went back to the Southwest Design Review Board last night for a second round of “Design Review Guidance.” He was clearly there to lead the team making the case for the project; this time, he directly addressed the crowd to open what is usually the architect’s presentation to the board — and that followed time he spent before the meeting introducing himself to members of the standing-room-only crowd as they arrived. Then, more than half an hour after the meeting, he was outside the Southwest Precinct, still talking with a small group of attendees in which we recognized at least one Junction merchant. Our full report on what happened, and what happens next, straight ahead — long report, for a long (more than 2 hours) meeting:Read More
Standing-room-only crowd at the Southwest Precinct for the Design Review Board meeting on the Conner Homes project in The Junction, two buildings at California/Alaska/42nd. Conner boss Charlie Conner attended and directly addressed the crowd as the meeting began, saying he thought people might want to put a face to the name. Board members were disappointed some of their recommendations from the first “early design guidance” meeting didn’t seem to have been considered in tonight’s presentation; after public comments that board chair David Foster described as “brilliant,” they have some very specific recommendations, but also agreed to let the project move to the next phase of Design Review. Full report in the works.
In case you missed it on the More page — this might be of interest, if you’re interested in the broader philosophies driving development in West Seattle and beyond. This addresses transportation needs as well; it’s written by two executives with Harbor Properties, which is building Mural in the old Petco lot and has at least two other West Seattle projects in the pipeline (38th/Alaska and the motel site). Most Daily Journal of Commerce content is subscription-only but that article (and the special section, published today, where it appears) is available free, at least as of this writing.
OFF-LEASH AREA CLOSED TODAY: Westcrest Park Off-Leash Area is closed 9 am-4 pm today for maintenance work, and park steward Steve says in this post on the WPOLA Yahoo! group, “I need all the humans I can get!” to help.
JUNCTION DEVELOPMENT DESIGN REVIEW TONIGHT: 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room, the California/42nd/Alaska development (presentation previewed and linked here yesterday).
SCHOOLS SHOW OFF ART/MUSIC TALENT: Lafayette Elementary has an Art Walk 6-9 pm at the school and in nearby businesses’ windows; Pathfinder K-8 has its first all-school art show 6:30-8 pm; the West Seattle High School Spring Concert is at 7:30 pm.
More new events added daily (now stretching to next spring!) on the WSB Events page.
Those are from the “Preferred Scheme” section of the newly released Conner Homes presentation that will be made tomorrow night at the second Early Design Guidance meeting for Conner’s proposed buildings at California/Alaska/42nd in The Junction. See the presentation in its entirety here. The city Department of Planning and Development sometimes posts these presentations on the Design Review site in advance of the meetings (otherwise, they go up afterward), and that’s where we just found it. (Our coverage of the project’s first EDG meeting is here; tomorrow’s meeting is at 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room.
We also have some new info about the groundbreaking celebration for the project that’ll soon start construction at that site, Fauntleroy Place (aka “the Whole Foods project”). Eric Radovich from development firm BlueStar says the June 12 event (first announced here) wiil start at 5:30 pm with a hosted barbecue (beer, wine, soda available). Music will be provided by local reggae band Andy O. Eric says, “You can expect a politician or two and a few of the key players to say a few words between 6:10 pm and 6:30 pm. We’ll turn a couple of shovels full of dirt and then back to the party until probably around 8 pm.” (Whole Foods and a new Hancock Fabrics store are the only two retail tenants who’ll be in the new building, which also will include hundreds of residential units.)
(photo added 1:08 pm)
Patricia says demolition crews are taking down the house at 6307 Wilton Court (near the corner of 63rd; map). In case you went by and were wondering – city website says it’s being replaced with a new single-family home.
As you gear back up into post-holiday-weekend mode, a reminder that Thursday night is the next public meeting about a development that will literally change the face of the heart of The Junction: the Conner Homes buildings proposed for California/Alaska/42nd (city map at left). The first “early design guidance” (EDG) meeting last month (WSB coverage here; developer presentation from that meeting available online here) resulted in Southwest Design Review Board members requesting significant changes and a second EDG meeting. That’s what’s happening Thursday night (official notice here), 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room, which is where you’ll see the developers’ latest proposals for what this project could look like.
Two highlights from the slate of events on tonight’s agenda (see the Events list page for more):
CITY COUNCIL IN WEST SEATTLE: Topic – the city budget and how you think city leaders should spend your money. Time/place – High Point Community Center (map), 5:30 pm. Tons of supplementary info here.
ALKI PROJECT MEETING: Neighbors gathered signatures to force an official city meeting to review the proposal to replace a house at 59th/Stevens, across from Alki Elementary and Playfield, with a five-unit development. As explained at the last Alki Community Council meeting (WSB coverage here), they are concerned the three-story buildings will put much of the playfield in shadows at key times of the day (our coverage included graphics they created). The meeting’s at the Admiral (West Seattle) Library branch, 6:30 pm.
This filing just appeared on the city Department of Planning and Development website – no dates on the entry but the project number is among the latest few issued – an application for development at 4755 Fauntleroy, the former Huling (and fleetingly Gee) site on the west side of Fauntleroy just south of the Fauntleroy/Alaska Shell station, same Huling spot where we took the shown-above sign-removal photo three months ago. The city webpage describes the application as:
Approx. 360,000 sf over six floors with 2 levels underground parking. 244 residential units (approx.) with retail @ grade.
The filing is devoid of other details, except for the applicant, listed as Jim Lee, with an address and phone number that appear to trace to Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects in Pioneer Square. No sale records for the property at this point, but we recall at least one other area development that popped up this way, before the deal even closed. Meantime, of course we have now added this to the clickable Junction/Triangle development map. 10:58 AM UPDATE: This application apparently is really new – called DPD to see if they could tell us which planner’s been assigned to it, and they said it hasn’t even had an “intake appointment” yet.
Development and sustainability don’t have to be at odds with each other: That was the 
central theme tonight at Camp Long as Sustainable West Seattle‘s latest monthly meeting looked at Junction/Triangle development, the opportunities, the realities, and the potential pitfalls. With much of the area getting a “fresh start” as new development proposals come in for the former Huling parcels as well as other sites, city planner Marshall Foster — a West Seattle resident — had important reminders about what it takes to have a well-planned neighborhood: Is it compact, is it complete, does it offer a wide variety of goods/services, how mobile can its residents be (whether by foot or by transit)? One of the companies currently developing Junction/Triangle sites, Harbor Properties, was represented at the meeting, by Sean Sykes. He talked about the HP project that’s currently in the Design Review process, on parcels including a former Huling shop and part of the West Seattle Montessori site. No new revelations since the last DR meeting (WSB coverage here); Sykes says the company’s been talking with Metro about how to address a possible transit gap in the area between the year or so between the project’s opening and the start of RapidRide. Right now, Harbor’s looking at building this project to a 3-star green rating; Lucia Athens from the city’s Green Building team said she hopes they’ll aim higher, for at least 4 stars. Other participants tonight included Dave Montoure, West Seattle Junction Association president, who’s part of a recently launched project exploring how to improve the Triangle/Junction entrance to West Seattle (WSB coverage here), and Derek Birnie, executive director of Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, which led many recent redevelopment projects including transformation of the old Cooper School into Youngstown Arts Center and the creation of the 35th/Morgan buliding that houses West Seattle organizations including the WS Food Bank (next up for DNDA, the Delridge Day festivities on May 31).
Its official name is Fauntleroy Place, but as reps of the development firm BlueStar wryly acknowledged at last week’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting on major Junction projects (WSB coverage here), it’s become better known as “the Whole Foods project.” Whatever you want to call it, we’ve just received word from BlueStar’s Eric Radovich that the official groundbreaking ceremony is set for the evening of June 12th, 5:30-7 pm. (Recap: This project [city project page here] will replace the current Schuck’s/Hancock Fabrics building at Fauntleroy/Alaska/39th with residential units over retail space that will be entirely devoted to two tenants: Whole Foods and Hancock.) 3:46 PM UPDATE: Regarding the question asked in comments about the status of the stores currently on the site, here’s what Radovich e-mailed back:
Hancock Fabrics began their “Everything Must Go” liquidation sale today. They will be open until the inventory is depleted (typically 30 days or so)…Schuck’s is a sub-tenant of Hancock Fabrics and I believe they have been given notice and will close in mid to late June. We will do our groundbreaking on June 12 regardless, and start with work in the north end of the parking lot.
That’s an aerial view of the Fauntleroy Triangle, centering on Fauntleroy/Alaska, as shared by Harbor Properties during the Design Review Board meeting for two Junction projects — including theirs at 38th/Alaska — last month (WSB coverage here). Tomorrow night, a representative from HP will be among the participants as Sustainable West Seattle‘s monthly meeting focuses on “sustainable development” possibilities in the area. Here’s how SWS president Bill Reiswig describes what’s planned for the meeting:
Marshal Foster, local West Seattle citizen and urban planner, will share some models of sustainable development and describe the opportunity at Fountleroy/Alaska. Following this we will have a panel discussion that includes: Sean Sykes, Sustainability Officer, Harbor Properties; Jim Burton and Justin Fogle, NW Ecobuilding Guild; Derek Birnie, Executive Director, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, and Dave Montoure, president of the West Seattle Junction Association and proprietor of West 5. Topics addressed will include: What is your vision of positive uses of this space for West Seattle? What are the challenges to realizing a sustainable vision? What are the key benefits for the neighborhood and city? What are the most sustainable elements that we should advocate for?
Sustainable West Seattle – the group behind the hugely successful SWS Festival in The Junction two weeks ago – meets tomorrow night at Camp Long, potluck snacks and beverages at 7 pm followed by the meeting at 7:30. (To review what’s currently planned, and up for sale, in the Triangle/Junction area, check our clickable map.)
(updated Friday morning with attachments/images re: 59th/Stevens project “shadow” concerns)
Steps away from the busy beachfront, Alki Community Council members gathered tonight for updates on several topics – most notably, police plans for helping Alki stay safe, and two hot development-related issues — read on:Read More
The fight over what can and can’t be built on that large lawn in the 4800 block of Beach Drive, stretching westward from the city-landmarked Satterlee House, isn’t over yet. Richard Hill, lawyer for Satterlee House owner William Conner, has just confirmed to WSB that Conner is going to court to challenge the city Hearing Examiner‘s recent ruling on his development proposal. As reported here April 28th, Hearing Examiner Sue Tanner upheld the city Landmarks Board vote against Conner’s proposal to build three 3,000-square-foot homes on the land; it’s been subdivided into three lots for potential development, and it was suggested at the extensive hearing preceding the ruling (this archive includes all WSB coverage) that the board might have looked more favorably on smaller houses. The HE ruling was the city’s final say, so court action was the only means by which it could be challenged; the 51-page appeal asks King County Superior Court to review the decision – we won’t have time to review all 51 pages till later, but we’ve uploaded the document here in case you want to read it first.
And another major scheduled event from Tuesday night: The JuNO meeting with updates from two major Junction-area developers who had some new info to share:Read More
Three notable West Seattle meetings tonight from the Events page:
VIADUCT: By the end of the year, state and local leaders promise they’ll settle on what to do about the “Central Waterfront” section of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Tonight, the latest info on the options, the state/city/council managers involved in the project, and a chance for you to speak up are all converging on one place: Madison Middle School (map), 5:30-7:30 pm. (Open-house format, so don’t worry if you can’t get there right at the start.) Read more here.
JUNCTION DEVELOPMENT: Two developers who have three megaprojects on the board — Conner Homes (Alaska/California/42nd) and BlueStar (Fauntleroy Place and Gateway Center) – are scheduled to present their newest info to the Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) tonight, 6:30 pm, Ginomai (42nd/Genesee).
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Its monthly meeting is 7 pm tonight at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, which is likely to be discussed since less than 6 weeks remain before the Fauntleroy Community Services Agency has to reach a purchase deal with Seattle Public Schools, which is putting the schoolhouse up for sale as “surplus property.”
Now that the brick fourplex at 3811 California is officially deemed unqualified for city-landmark status, the project to replace it with a 4-story apartment/retail building is proceeding. Next step, a Design Review Board meeting just set for June 12, 8 pm, Madison Middle School (following the 6:30 pm meeting, same place, same date, for 4532 42nd SW, as reported here last week). A much bigger West Seattle project has also just reappeared on the city’s “upcoming Design Review meetings” page — the 6- and 7-story Conner Homes buildings at California/Alaska/42nd in The Junction, which drew a lot of constructive criticism at their first DRB meeting exactly one month ago (WSB coverage here) — this project is now tentatively set to return before design reviewers at 6:30 pm May 29 in the Southwest Precinct meeting room. (As mentioned here earlier today, Conner Homes reps are scheduled to speak to the Junction Neighborhood Organization, along with reps from BlueStar — developing Fauntleroy Place (Whole Foods project) and Gateway Center (old Huling showroom) — tomorrow night, 6:30 pm in the community room @ Ginomai, southwest corner of 42nd/Genesee.)
For starters, that’s what was “up” over the weekend; WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham caught West Seattle resident Fred Cavazos, owner of “Above the Rest,” maneuvering his blimp-borne photographic equipment over Huling land in the Fauntleroy Triangle. (Matt reports: “The blimp is tethered without power and the camera is controlled remotely from the ground. A video camera sends an image from the camera viewfinder where the operator can view it from a small screen mounted on the controller. This type of aerial photography can be used to better understand the views before developing a condominium or other high-rise venture.”) Matt adds that Cavazos couldn’t discuss exactly what he was working on, but certainly there’s plenty of development proposals in the area (see our clickable map here). This week brings two chances in West Seattle for you to find out more about development and issues relating to it: First, at the Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) meeting Tuesday night (6:30 pm, Ginomai @ SW corner of 42nd/Genesee), reps from major players in current Junction-area development are expected; read more at the JuNO site. Second, the Alki Community Council meeting on Thursday (7 pm, Alki Community Center) is expected to include an agenda item on the upcoming multifamily code revisions, according to member Karen Clegg; read on for information she wants you to know about it:Read More
From the latest Land Use Information Bulletin: This is described as a “revised application” so perhaps it’s come up before, though we can’t find evidence of that on the DPD website — the project-page address is 3601 Fauntleroy (see city map above; here’s a G-map) and the public-notice page describes the project as “Land Use Application to allow 21 single family residences in an environmentally critical area (clustered housing). Parking for 30 vehicles will be located within the structures and 8 surface parking spaces will be provided on the site.”
| 23 COMMENTS