The Laurelhurst Community Club published this information in a recent newsletter:
Report on City Council’s Public Comment on MHA – Affordable Housing
LCC trustee, Colleen McAleer, and many concerned neighbors attended Seattle City Council’s public hearing in February, to comment on the new Mandatory Affordable Housing Ordinance, which is up for a vote soon.
LCC has participated in the public comment process since 2015 and has contributed constructive comments in attempt to balance growth to accommodate newcomers with livability for all.
Key issues include the displacement of current home dwellers due to new development and the selling of single-family properties to developers who upzone them to build more new units that become too expensive for existing residents to move back to after construction.
The option for developers to pay small fees toward affordable housing units often results in those units being built outside the original neighborhood. This could lead to the City creating sub-neighborhoods of segregated low-income housing.
Other issues noted by those attending the public hearing included: more resources should be available for all neighborhoods to preserve historic districts and buildings from destruction; require at least minimum parking for housing units that are not located close to transit (especially backyard units); retain Seattle’s shrinking tree canopy to balance denser urban living with the natural environment.
The City Council offered only this one opportunity for the public to make two-minute comments. The five women City Council members conducted the five-hour comment session.
Neither LCC’s District #4 Council member Rob Johnson nor Council Member Mike O'Brien, who were the key architects of MHA, showed up to hear the public’s feedback.
"Windermere Circle," built in the 1950's and 1960's, on the north side of Laurelhurst has seen a lot of change with many affordable duplexes being torn down and being replaced with 3-story townhomes.
Here is a list of some, not all, that are currently under construction or finished to the north of NE 50th Street:
#6430745 5048 Sand Point Way NE
6 town homes built on one lot where 1950's triplex was demolished. Three town homes to face Sand Point Way NE and three town homes to face Sand Point Place NE
Subdivide one development site into four unit lots and demolish existing building. The construction of residential units is under Project #6477308. This subdivision of property is only for the purpose of allowing sale or lease of the unit lots. Development standards will be applied to the original parcel and not to each of the new unit lots.
#3027079 5029 44th Avenue NE
#6552793 5001 44th Avenue NE
6 town homes (each to be only 12' wide) on one lot where 2 story 1950's triplex currently exists.
Three story, 3-unit rowhouse structure in an environmentally critical area. Surface parking for three vehicles. To be considered with Project #3018927 for shared access
3018297 5048 Sand Point Way NE
6 town homes built on one lot where 1950's triplex was demolished. Three town homes to face Sand Point Way NE and three town homes to face Sand Point Place NE
Permit 3033263, 4402 NE 50th Street
3-story, 6-unit townhouse. Parking for 6 vehicles proposed. Demolition of one story 4 unit town home.
The Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) said about the multi-family development that is slowly being demolished for townhomes and the current construction:
The existing multi -family development has a long history as a very compatible transition to the single family zoning adjacent. It provides affordable housing for mid to lower income level families, seniors, grad students and some staff who work at Seattle Children's Hospital nearby.
This project, if completed, would grossly alter the character of the neighborhood. This area is made up of two story duplexes and triplexes built in the middle of the 20th century. The new building(s) would increase the building height and double the number of units on the lot in addition to introducing that modern, plain rectangular building style that maximizes interior space. It would add to the trend of making housing less affordable throughout the city. Three reasonably priced rental units would be replaced by six upscale condominiums, meaning that the people who live there now would not be able to afford to in the future.LCC also submitted concerns about the proposed development on NE 50th Street and 44th Avenue NE, (now under construction), based upon the Seattle Municipal codes, HALA, and the applicants responses in the SEPA process:
Displacement of diverse socio-income residents - In 2011, the Laurelhurst neighborhood lost 136 affordable housing units at Laurelon Terrace with had family sized units. Many of the existing families who were displaced from their community when the tear down occurred, and could not afford , nor find similar housing nearby. LCC supports more density as a goal of the City, but we are even more concerned about the displacement of a whole sector of economically diverse families, seniors and work force salaried folks who have lived within higher income leveled neighborhoods. Displacement can lead to homelessness, and these new "rowhouses" will be priced for ownership at around $1,000,000 each.Out of Scale compatibility - the existing LR1 zoned Windermere Circle complex of multi-family housing envelopes this permit, and was built with the architectural style of its time, to blend seamlessly into the single family neighborhood with similar features and in similar bulk, scale and massing in heights and setbacks. The new SMC 23.34.014 , B, #5, states that the function of the LR1 zoning should be: The area would provide a gradual transition between single-family zoned areas and multi-family or neighborhood commercial zoned areas. The proposed Rowhouses are much taller in height, boxlike and are built in a 72 feet wide mass along the residential NE 50th street, and along 44th Avenue NE. The adjacent residences are not 32 feet in height, and the rowhouse plan without set backs will create a tunnel effect along both NE 50th Street and 44th Avenue NE, destroying the character and scale of the existing LR1 and adjacent SF5000. The location and orientation of the proposed 32 foot high row houses places a wall along these sidewalks instead of a set back and entry along NE 50th Street. This is not a gradual transition which is in the SMC. Cottage housing, or lower scale or homes that face both NE50th Street and 44th Ave NE would be more compatible with the SMC, and still provide denser housing options.Building set backs and width of the new rowhouses - the set back on 44th Avenue NE is only to the property line which is completely opposed to a normal set back of a LR1 project. SDCI should oppose this and require a normal set back for pedestrian sidewalk safety and zoning adjacency compatibility and zoning. This is in violation of the at least 5 foot minimum set backs for side yards, and should NOT be permitted. Secondly, the overall building width of this rowhouse project appears to violate SMC 23.84.032 which caps the maximum width of rowhouses at 60 feet. (about 3-4 units) Project # 3025713 has 6 units at 12; each which equals 72.5 feet. SDCI should clarify the code, or reject the project.The applicant's SEPA evaluation states that no view blockages will occur. However, the proposed 72.5 mass width and a 32 foot height (plus roof garden) WILL impact neighboring residents viewline to the west where the Olympic Mountains offer spectacular sunsets. This view of the mountains would be blocked from existing residents across the street on NE 50th Street and 44th Avenue NE.
Citizens commented to the City about the design and construction of that development:
The new development is going to tower over all of the surrounding homes. The town homes will be very narrow, in order to fit six townhouses side-by-side on the lot with underground parking.
I am a resident within a couple miles of this proposed construction (permit # 3025713) and I formerly lived two blocks from the proposed site. I firmly disagree with the approval of this and similar developments that have a broad and deep negative impact on all involved other than the permit applicant.
16 town homes each with a 4th story rooftop deck are currently under construction in quaint little historic Windermere Circle, the charming loop of duplexes and triplexes near Children's Hospital where most buildings are two and three story. The transformation is going to be dramatic.
It makes for reduced home values. Towering 3-story homes (with 4th floor rooftop decks) reduce the value of the one- and two-story homes surrounding them. The smaller houses lose privacy, views and sunlight.
Parking and traffic problems always follow. Each of these projects has off-street parking. But the parking arrangements (for the first and third projects listed in the document) are ridiculous.
Like many row house projects, these garages will be very difficult to get a normal size car in and out. The owners will most likely use their garages for storage and park their cars on the street. The streets around Windermere Circle are already extremely cramped and crowded.
There are construction irritations for surrounding neighbors. With all three of these projects going at once in Windermere Circle, there's going to be noise, dust, and traffic issues for the folks living in the Circle, as well as the larger community.
I have several objections as to why this project should not be approved -1) Loss of affordable housing - the renters in the current building will be forced, against their will, to move, costing them money to do so. Further they themselves would not be able to afford to live in the townhouses that are being proposed, causing a decrease in affordable housing in this area and in the city. The other three demolitions and new buildings currently under construction in the neighborhood that will be raising the cost of housing in this community. This is a mixed community with students, young working families and retirees placing an even greater burden on them if forced to move. 2) Parking - an increase in the number of units from 4 to 6 will increase the number of cars. While the project proposes on site parking (as does the current building) it is common for their to be more than one car per unit making on street parking even more congested at that corner 2) Traffic flow - the proposed plan will increase traffic at this intersection. There is already a circle that was added to slow down the traffic coming West on NE 50th Street towards Sand Point Way. This is already a busy / constricted intersection. Adding more traffic will increase risk of accidents.
I have lived in my house, very close to the new project, for over 20 years and have watched the housing transitions in the area. I am not opposed to development but feel that it should be appropriately scaled to the neighborhood and take into account both the goals of the developer and the concerns of the neighborhood. While I recognize that NE 50th Street is the demarcation between single family zoning to the south and multiple family zoning to the north, I believe the development as proposed presents an extremely tall and cumbersome vertical façade at this zoning transition. NE 50th Street is a busy thoroughfare into the Laurelhurst neighborhood, a conduit to the Villa Academy a few blocks further east, and is frequented by large trucks as well as significant traffic.
This project, if completed, would grossly alter the character of the neighborhood. This area is made up of two story duplexes and triplexes built in the middle of the 20th century. The new building(s) would increase the building height and double the number of units on the lot in addition to introducing that modern, plain rectangular building style that maximizes interior space. It would add to the trend of making housing less affordable throughout the city.
In June 2017, one of the tenants who lived in a duplex on the corner of 44th Avenue NE and NE 50th Street (since demolished), told the Laurelhurst Blog:
As one of the current residents of this building with my husband, a UW graduate student and our young children,we are concerned about where we are going to land next, as we are priced out of most of what we see listed online in all of Seattle, let alone just this neighborhood. This has been a great location for my family — proximity to UW, nearby parks, safe neighborhood, and more.
Additionally, although I am as disappointed as many others are about the plans for rowhouses, fault does not only lie with the developer who bought it. This building was always going to be sold. It was an investment property for the former owners, but they did not take care of it in the way they could have. To buy the property and not displace tenants, to not tear it down, would require quite a bit of money toward repair. I’m not sure who would make that investment. For example, there is roof damage, resulting in water leaking inside the house last year and there is constant water in the basement. This is unfortunate as there is some beautiful, original craftsmanship inside.
On another note, a woman recently stopped by saying she grew up in the unit that we are living in. Her dad sold the building to the person who just sold it to the developer. She recognized the tools we have for the fireplace as ones her dad bought and used, so my husband gave them to her. I just thought it was interesting, and was glad she got to see the bedroom she grew up in again before it was torn down.
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