West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
That’s an architect rendering of Neighborhood House, the new social-services center to be built in High Point starting this fall. 80% of the money for it already has been raised – now the “Heart of High Point” campaign wants to get the word out about this major West Seattle project, and invites you to a gathering next Monday night. Here’s what Cathy Cooper e-mailed WSB about it:
This “Heart of High Point” Neighborhood Center will be a Gold LEED certified
Green building, with solar panels, water filtration systems, a deep-well based heating/cooling system … all set in the environmentally sensitive and award winning High Point community. This building will be a real-life example of how to create sustainable spaces for delivering social services, combating poverty, and building a stronger community.The HPNC will provide vital community services and support programs to more than 4,000 residents and their families annually. It will provide access to critical support services to 700 low-income families living in the redeveloped public housing in the High Point mixed income community.
The center will also demonstrate how cultures all over the world view environmental stewardship, and how immigrants from these cultures can teach us all lessons about caring for our shared planet.
To help spread the word about this exciting new development in our own backyard, a group of West Seattle-connected volunteers are meeting at Mission (2325 California Ave SW) at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 18. We’re focused on how to raise awareness about the “Heart of High Point” campaignand let West Seattelites know what this new building is all about. We’d like to invite our neighbors to join us. For more information, contact me at cooper1513@comcast.net.
We told you last weekend about Harbor Properties — the company behind Mural, going in at the former Petco parking lot — applying to the city for a permit to build a mixed-use project east of The Junction, including former Huling parcels (photo above) and land now occupied by West Seattle Montessori School. We’ve since talked with Emi Baldowin at Harbor, who says there’s one big “if” here — “We have not formally acquired the property,” she says, explaining that they went ahead and filed for the permit anyway to get the ball rolling because the process takes so long. She wouldn’t comment on how much other Huling land Harbor Properties is hoping to buy, but says her firm should have word on its proposed purchase by the end of the month. She also says that if it does go through and they are indeed able to work with West Seattle Montessori, they’re looking at the school perhaps being “on the other end of the block,” which could alleviate a pickup/dropoff situation that has been less than ideal for parents (and sometimes for drivers going by on Fauntleroy).
Wondering when Pegasus is going to move into its new location next door (former Coyotes, Chez Million, Lighthouse, Point)? At last night’s Statue of Liberty Plaza Project party, the announcement was “within the next couple of weeks.”
Wondering when Pioneer Coffee Roasting Co. is going to open in its new spot east of Slices? Thanks to Rod for forwarding an e-mail exchange he had with its operators, who told him they are currently hoping to be open in early March. (The new location also is finally listed on the Pioneer website.)
Now a followup on our report yesterday morning about new owners for the old Shoremont Apartments on Alki – The firm to which we traced the purchasers, Pb Elemental, has e-mailed back to say, yes, it’s them, and here’s a few words about its plans (they’re promising more info and renderings shortly):
We have recently acquired the Shoremont apartments and the Mediterranean home next door (to remain). We are planning and permitting a six unit project featuring private roof decks and modern details. These new homes will be built green certified (4-5 star), featuring similar green products as our South Park lofts. (green roofs, rainwater collection, radiant heat, solar arrays). The existing building will be recycled as much as possible. We look forward to our first project in the Alki neighborhood and will ensure it is consistent with our design and quality.
The South Park lofts mentioned in that note are featured on the Pb home page.
Remember West Seattle architect and Design Review Board member David Foster’s beef about — 
and investigation into — so-called “micropermitting,” the loophole through which some big (and sometimes not-so-lovely) townhouse developments escape design review? Two weeks after the original WSB report (and followups here and here), KUOW picked up on it today, featuring Foster and someone who’d taken a different viewpoint in our original comments thread, High Point resident and real-estate agent Wendy Hughes-Jelen. Read the story and get audio links here.
Caught that photo late morning while en route to the Viaduct event posted below – sign removal under way at the ex-Huling/Gee dealership location on Fauntleroy south of Alaska. Then before we could even post it this afternoon, we wound up hours later alongside the truck carrying the signs away:
Haven’t done a check on that property yet today but as we reported over the weekend, Huling land a couple blocks east is slated for a mixed-use project (we expect to talk with Harbor Properties tomorrow to find out more).
A potentially big piece of the puzzle regarding future development in the area along Fauntleroy east of The Junction, in the wake of the closure of the Gee/ex-Huling dealerships, is clearer today with two things we’ve just learned: The first one is this new application filed by Harbor Properties for a 6-story mixed-use building at 38th/Alaska. We found it after learning that West Seattle Montessori School has sent home a letter to its students’ families informing them the school has to leave its current location, because part of the property has been sold to Harbor Properties (which is building “Mural” in The Junction) and is going to be developed into apartments. We have a message out seeking comment from Harbor Properties, but in the meantime, here’s the full text of the letter, a physical copy of which was provided to WSB by a source with ties to the school, followed by more info on the development application:
Dear Parent of West Seattle Montessori School:
This school began in 1980 in just the property that is now the preschool building. We grew quickly and were renamed as West Seattle Montessori School in 1985. Over the years we continued to grow and expand from that original two preschool classes and one 1st and 2nd grade class into a diverse campus that includes 5 preschool classes, 3 elementary classes, and our 6th through 8th grade Middle School program.
Through the years we made several offers to purchase the facilities that we rent, but were turned down. On February 5th, our landlord informed us that the preschool building property has been sold to Harbor Properties and will be developed into apartment buildings in 2009. Harbor Properties met with us to discuss how they could incorporate a space for the school into their property designs. They expect to begin reconstruction in early 2009 and would have the project ready for us for the school year beginning 2010, which would mean moving our preschool and lower elementary programs to an interim site this coming summer.
After absorbing the initial shock of this news, and in discussing this with our staff, we all agree that we want to try to keep all our classes together in one campus and are excited to seek a property that meets all our needs. We are now working with a commercial realtor and have been told that there are several properties available that could meet our requirements. We know what a supportive group of parents we have and hope that if you have any suggestions or leads for us, you won’t hesitate to share them.
The Board of Directors
West Seattle Montessori School
After getting that letter, we started checking city and county records for property ownership and development applications along that block of 38th. We found the development application filed for 4550 38th, which is the Huling-owned property immediately south of West Seattle Montessori:
As you can see on that city page, it describes the proposal as “Const of a 6 story mixed use bldg. (5) floors Residential, Type VA construction over one level commercial/parking garage.” The earliest date on the proposal is January 23, so this appears to have been in the works for at least two weeks. More later, when our research continues post-caucus.
We’ve been tracking the fate of 3811 California (left), the brick apartments that a developer has proposed razing and replacing with a 4-story mixed-use building. But first, the city has to decide if the buildings qualify for landmark status. As the next step in the process, the 46-page landmark-nomination document has just been posted on the city website – you can download it here (it’s fascinating to browse – detailed history, photos old and new, inside and outside – and more). Also posted on the Landmarks Board site: the official notice of a public meeting on the nomination, 3:30 pm Feb. 20, 40th floor of the Municipal Tower downtown. In the meantime, if you have an opinion on the proposed landmark status, as we mentioned earlier this week, you can e-mail Landmarks Board coordinator Beth Chave at beth.chave@seattle.gov.
Last week, we brought you a followup on the landmark-consideration status of these apartments at 3811 California (just south of Charlestown), proposed for demolition as part of a mixed-use project, which we have been tracking since last April. When we checked in a week ago, the city Landmarks Board told WSB that the required application for landmark-status review still was not complete. Now, this site has landed on the radar of the advocacy group Historic Seattle; preservation advocate Christine Palmer just sent a bulletin saying that 3811 is tentatively scheduled for Landmarks Board consideration on Feb. 20 (although the site is not on the “current nominations” webpage as of this writing), and advising everyone concerned about its fate to send the board a message expressing “concern about protecting this beautiful building and guarding against insensitive infill construction if it is demolished.” She suggests that messages be sent to Beth Chave, Landmarks Board coordinator, at beth.chave@seattle.gov.
It hasn’t appeared in the city’s Land Use Information Bulletin yet – the next one is due out later today – but according to this webpage, February 28 is the date set for the revised version of Spring Hill (the mixed-use project at 5020 California, south of The Junction) to go before the Southwest Design Review Board. DRB members asked for significant revisions at the first meeting on the project last month, which drew dozens of concerned neighbors. (WSB coverage is here; project materials submitted to the city before that meeting are here.)
While the “Painted Lady of Beach Drive,” aka the Satterlee House, remains listed for sale after a year and a half, city hearings are now scheduled for a proposal to build three homes on its sprawling front lawn. According to the city Hearing Examiner’s Office website, proceedings are scheduled to start March 5 with what the site describes as “testimony from David Satterlee on the appeal of William Conner from a Denial by the Landmarks Preservation Board for a certificate of approval for construction of 3 homes on property known as 4866 Beach Dr. SW.” (David Satterlee sold the property to William Conner in 2000.) The HEO site says March 10 and March 13 also are set aside for proceedings in the appeal. The short plat for the land was granted in May of last year; last word we had of Landmarks Board involvement was in July of last year. The house is one of a handful of officially designated landmarks in West Seattle (full list here).
Less than a week after West Seattle Christian Church (WSB sponsor) broke ground for its multipurpose building, the latest Land Use Information Bulletin from the city (subscribe here) includes the permit application for Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s new Parish Administrative Center. This will be built at the site of the existing offices, north of the parking lot (which is at the northeast corner of 35th/Myrtle; the green rectangle at the top right of the art shown above from the church’s online brochure). According to the OLG website, it’s part of a two-phase project, first building the administrative center, then a parish Family Life Center. (We reported the capital-campaign kickoff last March.)
So says Charlestown Cafe owner Larry Mellum, 
in an e-mail response to our inquiry about a note that a reader saw posted at CC, saying it looks like the project that posed the most immediate threat to the restaurant’s future is indeed stalled, or maybe even dead. (Background: First word of CC losing its lease was a year and a half ago; the community started rallying to save it last March; most recent Design Review meeting on the Petco store proposed for the cafe site was last August our last report on the project’s nonprogress was in December.) Tonight — here’s what Larry just e-mailed to WSB:
By all indications it appears that Madison Development has pulled out of the project. The Landlord’s agent, Rick Megenity, and I spoke last Friday and that is what he said.
Further, he indicated that Madison has not responded to the Landlord’s requests both in writing or verbally to tell them what is going on. Nor have they been able to meet the formal time lines for development that were laid out in the agreement between them. All that being said, Madison has NOT and I repeat HAS NOT formally backed-out. I don’t however believe that they have to. Because by virtue of their non-performance the contract likely has been breached. What this means without putting words in anyone’s mouth is that the Landlord is likely to proceed in finding some other means of re-development at the Charlestown location. They have indicated that this is how they would hope to proceed. In my conversations with them, we discussed putting some type of multi-use facility here that would include space for a restaurant suitable in size for a “Charlestown-like” location to be included. Although they cannot or will not lock themselves into anything at this juncture, I believe they would like it developed in that way.
So, there you have it. It looks like the community and ‘Charlestown has won the “first round” and by all indications we could be here for a long time to come. If not in our current form it will be in a form suitable for the landlord to receive what he wants — which is more rent out of the property, BUT STILL HERE situated with a couple of other retail and/or office tenants.
Thank you for your inquiry … and to all of West Seattle, thank you for your overwhelming support. It is truly humbling.
Best wishes,
Larry Mellum
Charlestown Street Cafe
We had checked both with Petco and with city planners in the past few weeks; Petco said only that they hoped to stay in West Seattle one way or another, city planners said they hadn’t heard anything in quite some time. (Previous WSB coverage of the Charlestown Cafe situation is all archived here.)
During our discussion of townhouse design standards last Friday, ignited by Southwest Design Review Board member (and West Seattle architect) David Foster‘s investigation of micropermitting (first report here; City Council President reaction here), it was suggested we should photograph some of the townhouse projects. So we did. Please keep in mind that unless otherwise noted, these are NOT examples of the practice he is concerned about – instead, the thought here was JUST to take a look at townhouse faces for some of the larger, newer groupings, for anyone interested in seeing examples of current West Seattle townhouse construction, somewhat side-by-side. Here’s a sample from a weekend morning drive: (PS: TUESDAY MORNING ADDITIONS AT BOTTOM OF POST)Read More
Seems the Charlestown Cafe/Petco project (most recent WSB update here; we checked directly with Petco a few weeks ago and they had nothing new to report) isn’t the only thing proceeding at a snail’s pace at California/Charlestown. That’s also the case for the determination of the fate of the brick apartments (file photo above) at 3811 California, which were pre-mourned by us and others when we first reported the surfacing last April of a proposal to replace them with a mixed-use building. A tenant’s tip back in October (WSB coverage here) revealed that the city Landmarks Preservation Board would have to evaluate the buildings before the proposal could advance. We just checked back with the Landmarks Board and the status of that part of the process hasn’t changed since October — Beth Chave tells WSB they “do not yet have a complete nomination application for this property, so it has not been scheduled for a review by the Landmarks Preservation Board.” (If and when the nomination paperwork is done, the site will eventually turn up here.) And the city planner assigned to the proposed mixed-use project, Holly Godard, says the final land-use decision on this site can’t be issued till the Department of Neighborhoods (parent of the Landmark Board) review is done.
According to a listing we just found, the land under John’s Corner Deli at 35th/Webster (map), known for the cow on the roof (file photo @ left), is for sale, along with three adjoining parcels. The listing doesn’t say which three, but King County property records show the deli lot is owned by the same person as the three lots immediately south. The listing, priced at $2,685,000, says in part:
Prime mixed use development site near the highest point of W. Seattle with commanding views of Sound, Olympics & Cascades. Corner lot with alley access. Four tax parcels (zoned NC2-40) to be sold together as one 27,256 sq. ft. parcel. Preliminary feasibility report indicates the potential for at least a 79,500 sq. ft. structure. (Note that the 23,600 sq. ft. lot next door has 71 residential units).
(That last line appears to refer to 7524 35th SW, which is the fourth lot south of the deli.) A different version of the listing on the agent’s website has a few more pix.
The first city official we pinged about this (see earlier report) was Council President Richard Conlin — and he replied tonight:
Thanks for the message. I am very familiar with this problem — we caught a developer on Greenwood doing this a couple of years ago, not for the design review purpose, but to evade sidewalk construction requirements. When we reported it to DPD, they were able to enforce the requirement by telling the developer that both parts of the project had to be permitted together. I wasn’t aware that it was as widespread as your story indicates, I thought the one we found was an isolated instance.
Since DPD did take corrective action on the one we found, that suggests that it is not the law that needs to be changed, but rather that something in DPD’s procedures. I’m wondering if there were complaints made on any of these projects and if DPD responded in any way. It may be that a Councilmember intervening might be necessary, which would be unfortunate, as that should not be required, but it is a path that can be taken.
Council President Conlin, you may recall, had some interesting comments about development — “McMansions” in particular — during his appearance last week before the Alki Community Council (WSB coverage here). One other note — we sent the “micropermitting” link from earlier today to our favorite citywide news blog, Slog, thinking they might be interested since Slog and parent publication The Stranger pay closer attention to development issues than many other citywide news sources. They posted a followup late today; if you haven’t seen it yet, that link is here.
Whenever we have one of our “teardown-to-townhome” threads going – like this one – somebody wonders why so many of the new townhouses seem to have no style. Today, as a backhoe scoops debris from the latest t-to-t, we have one answer.
Those photos are before (earlier this month) and after (this morning) in the 3400 block of California. Our most recent mention of that project brought the following e-mail from David Foster, who is not just your average critic — he is an award-winning architect who serves on the Southwest Design Review Board, which you hear about a lot here on WSB, because its public meetings on projects that require design review are often the only times the public gets to hear about/comment on such projects before the backhoe shows up. This particular project, no such review. Some other ones — such as the controversial townhomes across from the church @ California/Othello — no such review. Foster says he knows why:
That project [3400 block of California] is for 16 new townhouses, which is well above the threshold for SEPA Review and Design Review, but it was issued a construction permit without going through either review.
How? The applicants employed an illegal trick called micropermitting (aka segmented permitting). The threshold for SEPA (and Design Review) in this zone (L3-RC) is 9 units or more. The developer maneuvered underneath the threshold by pulling plans for 4 fourplexes off the shelf, and applying for multiple permits. The result – unless this project is challenged – will be another crappy, cookie cutter project that did not receive proper reviews.
SEPA has specific language prohibiting this. But when I spoke to the manager of the Design Review program at DPD, he admitted that all too often the bureaucracy lets these projects slip under the radar – “it’s too hard to keep track of”, and once permits get issued, there is no real remedy short of a lawsuit. He’s tried to get the Land Use section’s support, but to no avail.
This situation got me curious about other projects that might be employing the same illegal strategy, so I took a little field trip through West Seattle. In an hour’s time I found 5 projects that were built in the last year, and 3 more that are under construction (or in the case above, about to start). I put together a chart (attached) showing the projects’ locations and permitting data. (One currently under construction is another 12-unit project in the 5900 block of California Ave.) Looking at these projects as they are now built, any idiot can see that each one was constructed by a single builder as a single project using the same recycled plan. And each could have benefited greatly from Design Review.
SEPA Review and Design Review are processes that were instituted to protect the public from environmentally- and aesthetically harmful projects. Judging by your readers’ response to [this post], people are pissed. Isn’t it time pressure was brought on the City to do its job and enforce the law?
David Foster AIA
Principal, David Foster Architects
Member, West Seattle Design Review Board
SEPA stands for State Environmental Policy Act. A city page about it is here. The attachment that Foster refers to is an Excel spreadsheet that we have uploaded so you can download it (click here). We will be seeking some city comment on this; we’ll let you know what we hear back.
Beach Drive Blog has the pix. We’re still doublechecking on which project this is for; there is one in the area that is proposed for single-family homes but the city website doesn’t show its demolition permit as having been granted yet. Elsewhere in West Seattle, the teardown-to-townhome site in the 3400 block of California is in demolition-cleanup mode today; more on that, with an unusual angle, shortly.
A few notes from these two public open houses in West Seattle tonight:
SPRING HILL (THE MIXED-USE PROJECT, NOT THE RESTAURANT) OPEN HOUSE: No new info or drawings since the Southwest Design Review Board meeting earlier this month (WSB coverage here). Project manager Barbara Hartley told WSB they hoped to use tonight’s open house to clarify some points of concern voiced at that meeting, such as the separation between Spring Hill and the building to the north (25 feet total), and gather more comments before architects revise the plans for the next SWDRB meeting (she says they’ll be ready next month, if the city can get them on the schedule). She also says they’re leaning toward designating the “residential units” as apartments, since “that’s where the development synergy seems to be right now, especially in West Seattle,” and for the ground-level commercial, they have no “anchor tenant” yet but are envisioning professional offices.
METRO RAPIDRIDE OPEN HOUSE: No major new info since the presentation we covered at the Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) meeting earlier this month (WSB writeup here), but a few additional infoboards not shown at that meeting were on display here — including one listing possible stoplights that could have “transit priority” as part of speeding up the bus trips. (How much faster? one reader asked in earlier comments — Paul Roybal of Metro told WSB tonight, about 25% faster than the current 54.) We also learned tonight that before RapidRide starts up in 2011, Metro will do a West Seattle-wide review of ALL bus routes in 2010, figuring out how to make it all work together. Open houses without full presentations don’t make good writeups but they are EXCELLENT ways for you to get questions answered and register opinions, so if you have even the slightest interest in RapidRide, we strongly urge you to get to one of the next three West Seattle events: open house 5:30-8:30 pm Tuesday (1/29) @ West Seattle Senior Center, info table noon-3 pm Wednesday (1/30) @ WS Senior Center, 6 pm Feb. 19 @ Southwest Library. And an online questionnaire is still available for you to answer by Feb. 1; find it here. You can find more Metro contact info for RapidRide comments here.
5:30-8:30 PM TONIGHT, THE HALL AT FAUNTLEROY: The first West Seattle open house where you can find out more about the future Metro service known as “RapidRide.” (That photo shows what the special buses will look like; it’s from the RapidRide briefing at the last JuNO meeting – WSB coverage here.) Metro managers want to hear what you think NOW, as they make key decisions about the route and station siting.
4-7 PM TONIGHT, WEST SEATTLE SENIOR CENTER: The development firm BlueStar Management is following up the Jan. 10 Design Review Board meeting (WSB coverage here) on Spring Hill, the mixed-use building proposed for 5020 California and neighboring sites (shown above are the early drawings from the DRB meeting), with a public open house for anyone interested in the latest info about the project.
7:30 TONIGHT, WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL THEATER: Thanks to TC for that photo showcasing the title of the WSHS play “Love, Sex, and the IRS,” which the WSHS Drama Club is staging tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday night. Plot summary from the Westside Notes e-mail list: “This absurd farce will “drag” you through a wild tale of cross-dressing, mistaken identities and hilarious comic lines. Remember the saying “one lie leads to another?” Well, in this case the lies start when Jon and Leslie, out of work musicians trying to save money, take advantage of Leslie’s ambiguous name and file tax returns as a married couple. The IRS is now investigating them and that is where the cross-dressing comes in. Add a fiancée, a girlfriend, a mother and an affair, and you have all the ingredients for mayhem.”
This just appeared on the list of upcoming Design Review Board meetings — 9030 35th SW (map) has been added to the agenda for the February 14th Southwest DRB meeting that was already set to consider Fauntleroy Place. This proposal would replace the two 85-year-old houses shown above with what the city project page describes as a “new 4-story building providing 3,000 sf of retail and 33 apartments with parking for 38 vehicles.” Apartment buildings already bookend this site, by the way.
Two notes from the city’s latest Land Use Information Bulletin, starting with 4515 44th SW in The Junction:
Back in October, we brought you first word of a planned mixed-use development on that site; the Design Review Board took a look at it in November. The application notice (which also includes contact info for comments that’ll be taken through 1/30) describes the project as a “4-story, 14-unit apartment building with 1,334 square feet of retail, 3,860 square feet of office space” and parking for 15 vehicles. Next, to Harbor Ave:
The land-use application for 2775 Harbor Ave (map; the Harbor Ave building boom was also discussed at last night’s Alki Community Council meeting). The application notice (also taking comments through 1/30) describes this project as “a 5-story 13,101 sq. ft. office building with an 800 sq. ft. caretakers unit,” parking for 15 vehicles. No rendering publicly visible on the architects’ site at this point.
That house is at 5933 California (map), immediately south of the townhouses going up on the former Guadalajara Hacienda site (as we most recently documented here). On Friday, the city granted a permit to tear down this 85-year-old house; more townhouses are on the way. About a mile and a half north on California, in the 3400 block (map), demolition equipment is likely to be seen soon here:
We first mentioned the impending teardown-to-townhouses status of this site in October. The demolition permit’s been in effect since November but we just noticed the fence.
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