A development project at 8044 35th Ave NE recently received preliminary guidance from the Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI), and appears to be moving ahead.
In mid-February of this year, the property owner of 8044 35th Ave NE submitted a site plan with the Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI). The site plan proposed new construction of seven townhome units with individual one car garages, and demolition of existing one story office building (the Maid in the Northwest building) on the property.
A month later, the architectural firm associated with the project filed a Land Use Pre-submittal Conference Application for a Streamlined Design Review, which provides public notice about development but does not require public meetings. The firm also requested advice on faster building permit reviews and processing, and asked about options to reduce the front yard setback and to add an eighth townhouse unit.
In late March, the project description was revised to propose construction of an 11,802 sq. ft. residential building with seven units and seven parking stalls, instead of seven townhome units with individual one car garages.
SDCI recently provided preliminary guidance for the Streamlined Design Review, which advised the developers to make a strong connection to the street, contribute to the pedestrian experience, and reduce the perceived mass and avoid large blank walls through detailing.
While the project seems to be moving ahead, Maid in the Northwest owner Liane Christianson says that she has eight years left on her lease and has told her landlord that she is not moving. “They can do all the planning they want, but it will have to happen in eight years,” she says.
To read more about this project, or to submit a comment to SDCI about it, go to http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/shapingseattle/detail-dev.aspx?id=3027235.