West Seattle, Washington
08 Monday
The semiweekly city Land Use Information Bulletin has just arrived, and the site shown above — 4103 SW Edmunds, proposed for teardown-to-five-townhomes (as first reported here in February) kitty-corner from the south side of Jefferson Square — is the only West Seattle project on it; the city has ruled that its land-use permit application doesn’t require environmental review even though it’s technically in an “Environmentally Critical Area” because of the steep slope. Its construction and demolition permits are still pending. Nothing unusual given that it’s in the densifying area around The Junction, but it comes at a time when the city is about to start reviewing “multifamily zoning” (as reported here). Related to that issue, a West Seattle resident just cc’d us on her letter to a councilmember expressing opposition to the changes – we’ve had some glowing reviews of them already, so we’re sharing this counterpoint – read on:Read More
(photo shows the California/Spokane townhouses mentioned in third-to-last paragraph below)
After the mayor’s proposed changes in “multifamily zoning” came out yesterday afternoon (WSB coverage here and here; city infopage here), with a particular focus on townhouse design, we wondered how one high-profile expert would react to the proposal — West Seattle architect David Foster, current chair of the Southwest Design Review Board, gained citywide attention earlier this year after this WSB report, in which he lashed out at “micropermitting” — large townhouse developments escaping design review by applying for permits as separate small developments. We e-mailed Foster to ask for his comments on the new zoning proposal, and he says it’s a mixed bag:
I am very happy to see the City finally recognizing the importance of requiring Design Review for all townhouse projects. It would fix the micropermitting issue because it removes the thresholds that allowed
builders to dodge the process. Every neighborhood deserves good design. Since townhouse builders have consistently failed to deliver good design, it’s time to require it as a condition of permitting.As for the other proposed amendments to the code, I support them, but feel that many don’t go far enough – or will have little effect. The 4′ max fence height restriction for example is a no brainer: better would be to require real landscaping and no fence at all. (Look at the NW corner of Spokane and California for a 4′ fence that is still UGLY.) I don’t think that a ‘proscriptive’ code can be relied upon to ensure good design, which is why
the Design Review requirement is so important.I’m very disappointed to see that the mayor removed the height increases in L2 zones and lower. Obviously he is feeling the heat by the NIMBY crowd. Any good designer will tell you how is hard to do decent architecture with a 25′ height limit. The fact that most lowrise zones will continue to have a lower height limit than single family zones is sort of absurd. And, height limits will remain ‘non-departable’, which means Design Review won’t be able to offer that flexibility either. So, we’ll be stuck with more low-ceilinged, faux-craftsman designs in the years to come.
Next step in the “multifamily zoning” proposal will be various opportunities for review and comment as the City Council reviews it – we’ll keep you updated when dates are set.
On the day BlueStar Management ceremonially broke ground last month for the Fauntleroy Place project – future home to Whole Foods, Hancock Fabrics, and nearly 200 apartments, on the northwestern side of the multicorner Fauntleroy/Alaska intersection – executive Eric Radovich sent out the new rendering you see above. Many were startled – it had little in common with the design that even that very day had been on the BlueStar website, and had been shown at previous Design Review meetings:
And in fact, the new rendering resembled the one that neighbors had brought to a previous Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting – one that BlueStar told us the next day was just for “massing.” Memories of this were still fresh when the new design abruptly emerged last month; last night, BlueStar sent a team back to JuNO to explain the changes, and listen to neighbors’ thoughts in advance of an August 14th Design Review Board meeting now set for the project. Here’s our full article:Read More
As mentioned earlier, the long-awaited “multifamily code (zoning) update/changes” proposal by Mayor Nickels just went public this afternoon. Next step is City Council review, starting with the Planning, Land Use, and Neighborhoods Committee led by Councilmember Sally Clark, who was cautiously optimistic (and also reiterating no one’s saying townhouses themselves are “bad”):
For full details of the proposal, the right side of this page has links you can check; the full ordinance is 271 pages. We’re still going through them. Here’s what West Seattle architect and Design Review Board member Brandon Nicholson, who appeared with the mayor and Clark at the announcement this afternoon outside a Capitol Hill townhouse cluster (here’s our first report), said he considers most promising:
Regarding townhouses in particular, there are also some design specifics mandated, such as: “Limit the height of fences in a street facing setback to four feet (4’) in height .. Limit building overhangs over driveways and aisles to 3’.”
Another topic of intense interest ahead of time: Height. It’s not changing as much as once feared. In the mayor’s ordinance, it’s addressed starting on page 101, and here’s all the summary says:
1. Maintain the current overall scale and density of zones, including the 25’ height limit in certain Lowrise zones (LDT, L1 and L2).
…
4. Use an incentive program in the Lowrise 3 (L3), Midrise (MR) and Highrise (HR) zones to encourage affordable housing in exchange for additional height and floor area.
As mentioned in our previous report, “affordable housing” will be defined two ways – for purchasable units, affordable by those making 100% of the state-defined median income; for rental units, affordable by thosemaking 80% of the median.
So how high can you build, if you merit the incentives? That’s what we asked Department of Planning and Development director Diane Sugimura after the news conference. She and assistants say L3 is the West Seattle zone most affected – it’s a 30′ zone but a developer who merits the incentives could go up to 37′. Then there could be an additional 5′ in L3 for a pitched roof, and more height beyond that in this instance:”Additional height is permitted for sloped lots, at the rate of one foot (1’) for each six percent (6%) of slope, to a maximum of five feet (5’). The additional height is permitted on the down-slope side of the structure only …” And two more feet could be allowed as part of a “green roof.” But then there’s a later clause about “additional height and floor area” that says it does NOT apply to L3 in Admiral and Morgan Junction “urban villages” (but does not rule out the West Seattle Junction and Westwood UVs). What does that all really add up to? We’re at the JuNO meeting right now, and expecting to hear some further expert analysis that we’ll include in our report later tonight. 10:55 PM UPDATE: Nicholson was pre-scheduled to speak at tonight’s JuNO meeting, and while the focus of his presentation was townhouse-design-improvement advocacy on behalf of the Congress of Residential Architects, he also wove in some points about the zoning proposal, particularly what had changed from reports/expectations in recent months – including the fact it will not change height limits in most of West Seattle’s zones after all, and does not drop parking requirements below 1 space per unit (except in a certain type of area that doesn’t exist in West Seattle) – he also noted the design-review mandate for townhouse projects was a last-minute addition.
At the podium is Brandon Nicholson of Junction-based Nicholson Kovalchick Architects, who was asked to join Mayor Nickels and Councilmember Sally Clark as the long-awaited proposed changes in the Multi-Family Code — aka zoning for townhouses and other multi-family units — went public a short time ago on Capitol Hill. Nicholson also is a member of the Southwest Design Review Board, and a strong advocate of the design-review process, as he explained during his presentation at Clark’s recent townhouse-design forum (WSB coverage here) — and more design review (mandatory “administrative design review” for townhouse projects) is a component of what the mayor unveiled today, along with a proposal to allow developers more height and density in exchange for reserving a percentage of the project for “workforce housing” (those earning 100% of the state-set median income for ownership, 80% of that number for rentals). We’ll add more details shortly – three documents including the full text of the proposal have just been linked from the right side of this page; many reviews and public hearings are ahead, and whatever emerges at the end will not be finalized till sometime next year. (By the way, Nicholson coincidentally is scheduled to speak about townhouse design at tonight’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting, 6:30 pm at Ginomai, 42nd/Genesee.) 2:53 PM ADDITION: Here’s the official city news release toplining today’s announcement. We will be working on a “what’s in it for WS”-specific breakdown when we get home shortly. Note that the “urban centers” mentioned in the news release are NOT synonymous with “urban villages” – West Seattle has u-villages but not u-centers. (Here’s a map of UVs and UCs citywide.)Read More
How will city leaders change the “multifamily code” (zoning for townhouses, apartments, etc.)? The long-awaited proposal from the mayor’s office goes public tomorrow afternoon — first step in the next stage of the process, which then will involve public comment including City Council hearings. We’ll be there to cover the announcement. (Some of what it might include was previewed during a city Planning Commission member’s presentation in the “Townhouses: Can the Patient Be Saved?” forum we covered here a month ago.) City background on the issue can be found here.
CLOSURES: Southwest Community Center, all week (maybe a little longer), related to the renovations at adjacent Southwest Pool … West Seattle Driver Licensing office, reopening Wednesday.
NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP MEETINGS: Big night on Tuesday, highlighted by Junction Neighborhood Association with guests including BlueStar reps to discuss the latest design for Fauntleroy Place (received and published here hours before the June 12 groundbreaking ceremony), 6:30 pm @ Ginomai; also Tuesday, Westwood Neighborhood Council gets a Denny/Sealth update and discusses the neighborhood vision for the Denny site’s future, 7 pm @ Southwest Precinct (location changed because of SWCC closure); Admiral Neighborhood Association meets @ 7 pm Tuesday, Admiral UCC Church, and Fauntleroy Community Association meets @ 7 pm at the schoolhouse.
EVENTS: The BizJam Seattle entrepreneur/small-business conference takes over Youngstown Arts Center on Wednesday and Thursday (your editor here is among the presenters, 2:30 pm Wednesday); it’s the West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk 6-9 pm Thursday; and Friday is the first of 3 days/nights for West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction (come see us at the Information Booth!).
NOT IN WEST SEATTLE BUT IT’LL AFFECT YOU: The City Council‘s public hearing on the proposed foam ban and bag tax is 7 pm Tuesday at City Hall downtown.
TONS MORE GOING ON … check the WSB West Seattle Events calendar page for the full list.
Before we shift into Total 4th of July Coverage Mode, a quick note about two meetings just announced regarding projects you might be following: DELRIDGE SKATEPARK – Word from city Parks Board vice chair Jackie Ramels of Alki is that the first meeting about the proposed Delridge skatepark (reported here when seattleskateparks.org broke the news last month) is 7:30 pm July 30th, Delridge Community Center. SPRING HILL (the mixed-use building, not the restaurant) – The next Southwest Design Review Board meeting for this project at 5020 California is now on the “Design Review Upcoming” website for August 28, time/place TBA. (WSB coverage of its last SWDRB meeting is here.) UPDATE: The Spring Hill Design Review meeting has been moved to September 11th.
Though its groundbreaking ceremony is already two-plus weeks in the rear-view mirror, Fauntleroy Place (aka “the Whole Foods project,” city page here) still has some important audiences ahead: The new design shown above (made public the day of the groundbreaking) will go before the Southwest Design Review Board at 8 pm August 14 (same night as the High Point mixed-use development review mentioned here Friday), according to an update posted today on the city’s Design Review/Upcoming page (which likely means official notice will go out in Thursday’s Land Use Information Bulletin). In the meantime, work on the site will continue — Eric Radovich from BlueStar says that once Hancock Fabrics closes after this Saturday, the next step is asbestos abatement for the building, before it can be demolished. BlueStar, by the way, will be at the next Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) meeting July 8 (6:30 pm @ Ginomai) to talk about the revised FP design and answer questions. (Also on the JuNO agenda that night, a presentation about the CORA [Congress of Residential Architecture] NW townhouse-design initiatives, featuring West Seattle architect Brandon Nicholson, who presented design ideas on behalf of CORA at Councilmember Sally Clark‘s recent townhouse forum (WSB coverage here).
Just added to the city webpage for upcoming Design Review Board meetings: 3420 SW Graham, aka the shopping/residential complex to be built at 35th/Graham. 6:30 pm August 14, location TBA. Project page here (13k sf of retail, 300 parking spaces, 220 residential units, in three 4-story buildings).
STATION CONFIRMATION: Yesterday, we showed you the long-closed Roxbury 76 station getting fueled. Today, the state liquor-license-application site shows “Roxbury Gasoline” at that location applying for a store license to sell beer/wine. So a mini-mart’s on the way too.
FUTURE TOWNHOUSES: The city’s latest Land Use Information Bulletin includes the decision approving a five-lot “subdivision” at 4009 California, currently home to this:
A permit to build five townhouses here was issued earlier this month.
Want to hear from/meet the city councilmember whose committee has a stack of development/neighborhood issues on its plate — issues that could affect the livability of our neighborhoods for decades to come? Councilmember Sally Clark speaks at the Delridge District Council‘s monthly meeting tonight, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct community room, all welcome, agenda here. (WSB coverage of her recent townhouse-design forum is here; we also covered her recent Junction walking tour.)
Seven months after we first reported the proposal to “upzone” California SW 
between Hanford and Hinds (map at left) and a bit beyond on the west side — more than three months after our last update — and more than six months after the big public meeting about it — the city Department of Planning and Development‘s recommendation about the California Ave “upzoning” proposal is finally close to completion. We just talked with Malli Anderson, the city planner working on it, and she says she is “writing the recommendation this week.” She says it’s a complicated multi-page decision and can’t commit to exactly when it will be done – but everyone who is a “party of record” will get notification by mail (if you don’t hear about it sooner) — that includes everyone who has sent the city comments about the proposal, as well as everyone who put their names on the sign-up sheet at that official meeting last November (WSB coverage here). Here’s how the process will go, according to Anderson: DPD issues its recommendation to the city Hearing Examiner, who then schedules a hearing. That recommendation can also be appealed. About two weeks after the hearing, the HE makes a recommendation to a City Council committee, which then in turn makes a recommendation to the full Council (which has to approve any zoning change such as this). The recommendation will not be public the moment Anderson finishes drafting it – it first must go through various stages of internal review at the DPD before it’s released. We’ll keep watch and let you know as soon as we know. (To catch up on this proposal, you can check our coverage archive here; that includes our December interview with area property owners/rezone backers Mike Gain and Roger Cayce.
Two nights after we told you about the sudden change in plans for 3811 California SW – once targeted for teardown, and once rejected for landmark status – the Southwest Design Review Board got its first official look at the new design shown above, which retains and raises the existing building’s front “wings” — this one and its south-side twin:
For our summary of board and public comments – plus what was said about the other project on the SWDRB’s agenda last night, 4532 42nd SW on the east edge of The Junction – read on:Read More
(Archive note: Video clip lost to hosting service closure)
The formal shovel-turning is now in the books, and construction of the long-awaited Whole Foods/Hancock Fabrics (and residential units) project — Fauntleroy Place — will begin at 39th/Alaska; the existing Hancock/Schuck’s building will be demolished. About 100 people attended tonight’s groundbreaking bash thrown by developers BlueStar Management, who provided food, music, and of course, speeches — King County Councilmember Dow Constantine (at right in the clip above) said the area’s come a long way from the days in the mid-’90s when businesses were closing and people were telling him what a shame it was that the West Seattle business scene was ailing — other speakers included West Seattle Chamber of Commerce executive director Patti Mullen and West Seattle Junction Association president Dave Montoure (proprietor of West 5). A cameo appearance was made by the Seafair Pirates, who sailed, er, drove up about 15 minutes before shovels hit dirt:
(Archive note: Video clip lost to hosting service closure)
Maybe a coincidence, but BlueStar exec Eric Radovich, who emceed tonight, used to do publicity for Seafair. (Pirate side note – co-publisher Patrick says he gave a WSB business card to one of the pirates, who chided him for a misspelling, saying that it should be “West Seattle Flog.” Arrrrrrrrrrrrr.) BlueStar’s newest estimated date for Fauntleroy Place completion is February 2010.
That’s the south side of Charlestown Center, the under-construction commercial building at California/Charlestown, a corner where much is happening — kitty-corner from Charlestown Cafe (where repairs are under way) and just north of Charlestown Court (Design Review meeting tonight). This is the site where the burned-out Schuck’s was torn down exactly six months ago today (WSB video coverage here). We checked today with the leasing agents to see who’s going to be in the building when it opens this summer; they don’t want to name names yet but Joe Beynon with Retail Realty Services tells WSB, “We have numerous deals in process at different stages so it looks that by the time the building is ready for the first tenant we may have 5 of the 7 suites leased.” He says they may be ready to name names by early next month but in the meantime, he believes the businesses with whom they’re negotiating will be “good uses for the neighborhood.”
Just checked the city’s Design Review website – if you want a sneak peek, you can now see the proposals, renderings and all, that will be made tomorrow night for both 3811 California SW (as previewed here this morning) and 4532 42nd SW. Click here for 3811 California (which is on tomorrow night’s Design Review Board agenda at 6:30 pm); click here for 4532 42nd (on the agenda at 8 pm); both meetings at Madison Middle School.
That’s the dramatically different new design just unveiled by Junction-based Nicholson Kovalchick Architects for the mixed-use project at 3811 California SW (map), currently the site of the 80-year-old brick fourplex known as Charlestown Court:
It’s been 14 months since we first told you Charlestown Court was marked for teardown, and two months since we brought you the city Landmarks Board‘s decision that it didn’t merit landmark status, which seemed to open the door for demolition. But instead, a surprise twist last night, as we briefly mentioned earlier — full details ahead:Read More
(photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Just back from tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting. Huge news for those who lamented the plan to tear down Charlestown Court, the 80-plus-year-old brick fourplex (photo above) across from Charlestown Cafe. Quick backstory – its owner wanted to tear it down and replace it with a mixed-use building; the landmark proposal slowed its progress, but after the “no” vote un April (WSB coverage here), it seemed the backhoes were on their way. The project is set for one more Design Review meeting this Thursday night — and tonight, when the ANA got a preview from the architecture firm on the project, Junction-based NK Architects, a surprise: A brand-new design that would preserve and lift the two distinctive front sections, or “wings,” of the building — arches and all — as part of the project, demolishing only the rectangular back section. We’ve got a photo of the design rendering and many more details we’ll share in the full writeup later tonight (as well as other news from the ANA meeting).
(the street view of some of the townhomes that are almost complete on the ex-Guadalajara Hacienda site)
… if they can evolve from the form shown above. By most accounts at this morning’s townhouse forum, an official meeting of City Councilmember Sally Clark‘s Planning, Land Use, and Neighborhoods Committee held at the Capitol Hill Arts Center, townhouses themselves are not inherently evil. “There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with” them, Clark said in her opening remarks. However, the current form so many of them take — and if you think West Seattle has its share, it’s nothing like some of the photos shown of sprawling blocks of them in the North End — is primarily blamed on the city code, which as reported here and elsewhere, may soon be changed. Clark half-joked that the topic was a sneaky way to engage citizens with those upcoming revision proposals, saying at the start, “this is a way to keep people from getting narcoleptic about the Multifamily Code.” Definitely not a sleep-inducing event. Our full story, ahead:Read More
We’re at the Capitol Hill Arts Center for the “Townhomes: Can the Patient Be Saved?” forum. Glad we’re here, definitely some West Seattle-related players on the roster — local architect and Design Review Board member Brandon Nicholson, developer Dan Duffus (whose name has appeared on many a townhouse permit in WS), several councilmembers including of course Sally Clark who called the event and West Seattle-dwelling Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. Not planning to liveblog it – will add a complete report later – but if anything incredibly newsworthy happens, we’re online and will add here as it happens. 1:52 PM UPDATE: The forum wrapped up around quarter past twelve; we are working on our article – no stunning revelations but quite the range of viewpoints about how to “save” the “patient” (and a couple suggestions to “kill” it, as Clark joked at the start of the session), including thoughtful and thought-provoking proposals for what Townhouses, The Next Generation might and should look like. More in a bit.
Full list in the West Seattle Weekend Lineup; couple of highlights — Freedom Church (35th/Roxbury) is throwing a party 10 am-4 pm and you’re invited — there’s a lot percolating at the ex-Safeway-turned-church site as it builds a “Village of Hope” that eventually is envisioned to include housing and community services; today’s event celebrates their ownership of the site and vision of the future. Meantime, another notable event happens outside West Seattle — City Councilmember Sally Clark (whose recent Junction walking tour was covered here) convenes her “Townhomes – Can the Patient Be Saved?” forum on Capitol Hill at 10 am today (original WSB report here; details from Clark’s site, including location and map, here). Our favorite excerpt from the description on her site — “The morning will start with a few examples of the good, the OK and the fatally wounded.”
Harbor Properties‘ Emi Baldowin tells WSB the big white sign’s going up Monday at 38th/Alaska, site of the next residential/retail project it’s planning in The Junction area (city project page here; coverage of last Design Review meeting here). The site includes former Huling land that’s been headquarters for Hi-Yu float work this summer, as well as West Seattle Montessori School, which we’re told has found a location for next year, in White Center; Baldowin says HP is still talking with WSMS about having a permanent home in the new development. She adds that construction at this site likely will start in late winter.
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