Plans have been submitted to the City (Design Review #3039209-EG) for three - 8 story buildings where Burgermaster and Safeway are currently located.
Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) told the Laurelhurst Blog that there has not been additional information published by the City except for the Early Design Review process which was completed in October. LCC added that the next step, if any, is for the owner to apply for a MUP (Master Use Permit) which has not yet been submitted.
LCC said that "nothing else has been vetted except the requirements of the design review process report for the City record."
Here are LCC's comments on the project submitted in October:
1.Project # 3039209 -EG requires a change in zoning, and is requesting code departures for an additional 10 feet in height on a very condensed site that both changes the zoning, and displaces two essential businesses.
Context & Site design guidelines state "Prefer that buildings are sited to preserve and incorporate existing mature trees, and configure open space to accommodate large canopy trees". Thus, the design guideline is that exceptional trees should be not removed at all, but rather incorporated in the design to comply with Design Guidelines. The proposed demolition of all other site trees at a minimum requires that the applicant retain at least one mature tree. The City of Seattle's tree canopy shrunk by 2% in these past 3 years mostly due to highly density projects that clearcut this type of development site. To insure that to achieve Seattle's goal of a 30% canopy is achieved in 15 years, healthy mature trees should be saved outright to provide shade to prevent heat islands and clean the air, especially in newly built residential areas.
Retaining only ONE existing exceptional tree actually on the site to shade its new 780 residents is not a good reason for the Design Review committee to grant a 10 foot height departure, regardless of adding some new small trees. Certainly, one tree (or more) can be "designed around" to retain it.
2. Urban Pattern & Form design guidelines require zone and height transitions at edges. Allowing extra height at the edge of the 8 story tower is opposite of the design requirements intent and the 10' departure should be denied as it does NOT comply with SC2 b. which requires, " transitions to zoning edges" instead of more height. Nearby existing buildings which complied with the existing code of 75', 65' or 55' including the apartments (55') and detached home dwellers (30')located behind the commercial strip in the Bryant neighborhood, may be adversely impacted by an additional 10 feet of height which is more visible from the north, and in the viewline of public view corridors of Mt. Rainier. The extra height departure should be DENIED as it does not meet the transition criteria.
Secondly, the massing of the project is too dense as it faces the pedestrian activity and adjacent apartments on the ground level streets. Ironically the applicant claims to align its philosophy with the open space of the Union Bay Natural area (page 37) which is inside Laurelhurst, but its own footprint is the complete opposite with massive walls of solid concrete (page 19), especially along Union Bay Place NE street where the most of the pedestrian traffic occurs. The site also does nothing to blend into the existing low rise street appeal at the 5 corners intersection, and should not be approved without opening it up, and lowering its entrance to ground level in an open and inviting way , rather than massive stepped up buildings away from street level.
2. PL (Public Life) It states, "Include open space at grade that physically or visually engages the public realm". More large commercial space is needed to be designed in the project which requests a change in zoning from commercial to residential mixed use, and displaces the venerable Burgermaster and Safeway. Both commercial entities have served the adjacent neighborhoods as "essential services" which provide access to fresh food access for these new and existing residents, who need to eat real meals, not available in coffee houses. Burgermaster serves 3 hot meals a day since 1952 (including Bill Gates, Jr.), and its business is robust today even without all of the new residential buildings in place. Safeway provides an easy option for essential groceries for renters who can access it without a car. The QFC is far enough away to be a long walk with groceries, and its shelves are already half empty from too much demand (and some supply issues). Thus, the applicant should include larger commercial space in this project that is easily accessed from a ground floor for the "public realm" to provide essential needs-a large grocery store and the Burgermaster. There will also be an Aegis senior facility (already underway) across the street from this project in 2024 for 136 residents and staff, and 240 new units of UW student housing units in 2025 across the other side of the street who will also need a grocery store and full service restaurant that already exists. It is imperative that access to commercial food sources be retained in the development plans instead of building only apartment units.
3. Outreach -This review outreach process for this project has been flawed, and should be expanded and re-noticed to include more impacted people. The report says that 12 people "took the project survey" and 9 people attended one of the public meetings. then , the applicant extrapolates percentages from such a low number of respondents. The 500 foot "radius approach" in this case is insufficient because contains almost no "people". The 500 feet notices , which are 250 feet from the commercial center, were sent to : The Safeway grocery store, the Burgermaster, one apartment building across the street, a sub shop, a vape store, Fedex shop, a small gym, a bank, and to "the geese" on the University of WA play field. Masterfully, the "mailing map" did not include ANY residents in the northeast detached home neighbors in Bryant, nor across the street to Laurelhurst residential neighbors and the business district along NE 45th Street. These existing residents and businesses will be the most impacted by adding over 1,000 people with 684 cars to the congested 5 corners intersection, and will experience the real loss of a grocery store and a full service large restaurant without receiving a real "notice". Most have no knowledge that it is happening and no "big signs" have been placed to inform these impacted neighbors. This is an inadequate "outreach" process and should be re-done to include more impacted people and the nearby community associations and the businesses in Bryant and Laurelhurst along NE 45th St.
Here are some recent on-line articles:
Burgermaster CEO Alex Jensen revealed on "CASCADE OF HISTORY" on SPACE 101.1 FM that the University Village location - the original Burgermaster which dates to 1952 - is likely closing permanently as early as the end of February 2023. "About 30 years ago, the Mowat family that had owned this property sold to the Safeway next door. Safeway has merged with Albertson's, and somewhere along the line, they made an agreement with a developer to sell the properties. So we do think there's a very good chance from everything we're hearing that we're probably out of here next year, early in the year . . . I know the gym next door I think is supposed to be out at the end of February. We don't know if we're going to be around the same time. We haven't had a long-term lease for a long time. We've been basically operating on a month-to-month basis."
Lennar Multifamily Communities has filed a draft early design guidance package for an eight-story, three building mixed-use apartment project near University Village, on the site of an existing Safeway grocery store and Burgermaster restaurant. As proposed, the development would be one of the largest mixed-use residential projects in the city. The proposal shows ~760 apartments, ~25,300 square feet of retail and structured parking for ~650 cars. Parking and retail will be on levels one and two, and the apartments will be on levels 3 through 8. The site is adjacent to the east of the University Village mall, and across 45th street to the north of the UW ballfields. Typical of early design guidance proposals, LMC shows three potential designs for the site. The third plan - typically the developer's preferred option - includes a large public plaza facing 45th street. Two large london plane trees would be kept in their current locations. Under all options, new street trees would be added. According to the PSBJ, in Spring 2021 Safeway parent company Albertsons paid $25 million for the 1.8-acre site, where Safeway has operated since 1976. Albertsons also owns the surrounding property, making the land assemblage over 4 acres.
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