SEATTLE | CITY Activity (non-downtown) - Page 16

mhays · #**301** Posted **Sep 15, 2014, 7:15 PM**

Seattle wants to be affordable to more people, but we're also beholden to the "what about my free public parking space" crowd and blatant classism. Single family house zones are 2/3 of the city. Accessory units should be a slam dunk.

mSeattle · #**302** Posted **Sep 15, 2014, 9:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by navyweaxguy

For myself. Granny flats are easy to do. If it is occupied less than 180 days a year the permitting is no problem. Permanent dwelling is a whole different ball game. That's a lot of the tiny house movement is focused on rural areas where they can skirt the laws.

Yea. I thought you were talking about putting a tiny house in your backyard. I've only seen pictures of them in the country setting.

I think urban zoning needs to be overhauled. The rules seem to prevent more dynamic and innovative building styles. I would like to see where sites can be subdivided and built tall (8-10 floors) by more developers, especially modular/container construction.

mSeattle · #**303** Posted **Sep 15, 2014, 10:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alki

The Land-Use Battle That Is Reshaping Seattle

A building frenzy provokes a citywide revolt, name-calling, and arguments over whether growth is helping or hurting housing affordability. And it doesn’t look as if it’s going to end anytime soon.

By Nina Shapiro Tue., Sep 9 2014 at 09:41PM

http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/95...t-is-reshaping

Former Mayor Greg Nickels' condo conversion policy is responsible for the intensity of this battle. I didn't realize that he also trashed the work that the neighborhood groups had done. That, combined with the recession that soon followed put Seattle in a pickle.

Nickels isn't solely responsible. Lack of developed rapid transit (right-of-way), surface parking lots (downtown, Northgate), underdeveloped corridors (Aurora, Beacon Hill, Lake City, Rainier Valley, Roosevelt, 45th St), multi-level garages in downtown that are not redeveloped, atrocious anti-social (as if we need help on that) "design"...

There's no need to put all the pressure on existing off-corridor single family areas.

mhays · #**304** Posted **Sep 15, 2014, 11:06 PM**

Accessory units aren't "pressure." They're appropriate, easy-to-do use. They'd help existing homeowners afford their houses, and help people of different incomes live in neighborhoods where they otherwise couldn't. They'd add to Seattle's overall capacity. You could make the "there are other places to grow" argument about any location.

Yes other neighborhoods have room to grow too. But you might have noticed that land values have risen dramatically on average. Part of that is high demand right now, and reduced supply of developable parcels. Another factor is that only a fraction of developable land is for sale at any given time, and sometimes even in a given decade.

mSeattle · #**305** Posted **Sep 16, 2014, 12:33 AM**

They are pressure because they are often off-the-line in terms of TOD and come with a car or two. That's not what my main beef is though. The sluggish redevelopment around the rail stations, Northgate, SODO and Yesler Terrace put pressures on other areas. These areas would have a crap redeveloped out of them if they were somewhere in Asia or Canada. I think development sensibilities aren't up-to-expectation in terms of literal green design. You have to give people more than dull planting of shrubs and twig "trees" after you've cleared a site of all vegetation.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/329748003938534531/

http://panoramafr.blogspot.com/2012/...-decorado.html

http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/sijpk.../building.html

This stuff already exists in the world but US developers want us to think that they don't or they want to complain that it costs too much to build more than a mind-crushing box.

mhays · #**306** Posted **Sep 16, 2014, 1:55 AM**

Those look extremely expensive. Should Seattle be an island of wealth only? Developers build space-efficient (or boxy) six-story buildings because that's what works financially. The alternative is not getting things built, and/or quickly going out of business.

Development is on the verge of exploding at rail stations based on what's proposed, or in the case of Mt. Baker the recent rezone. Of course this is limited by mostly-lowrise zoning, the State's refusal to allow Sound Transit to sell its excess properties at current market rates (starting to ease as property values rise), etc.

As for accessory units, limit them to one off-street parking space each, and allow them to have none, and you'll never get more cars than the street's capacity.

Vashon118 · #**307** Posted **Sep 16, 2014, 8:05 PM**

Queen Anne area.

Astro Apartments

Astro Apartments 2014-09-13 by planet_lb, on Flickr

Astro Apartments 2014-09-13 by planet_lb, on Flickr

Hyatt House Seattle

Hyatt House Seattle 2014-09-13 by planet_lb, on Flickr

mSeattle · #**308** Posted **Sep 16, 2014, 10:59 PM**

Can't fully tell from the angles, but I hope that they haven't toned down the roof effect of the Astro. Hyatt House is an interesting character.

Swell in-fill. Thanks for posting Vashon.

alki · #**309** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 6:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mSeattle

They are pressure because they are often off-the-line in terms of TOD and come with a car or two. That's not what my main beef is though. The sluggish redevelopment around the rail stations, Northgate, SODO and Yesler Terrace put pressures on other areas. These areas would have a crap redeveloped out of them if they were somewhere in Asia or Canada. I think development sensibilities aren't up-to-expectation in terms of literal green design. You have to give people more than dull planting of shrubs and twig "trees" after you've cleared a site of all vegetation.

This stuff already exists in the world but US developers want us to think that they don't or they want to complain that it costs too much to build more than a mind-crushing box.

Since we are talking about interesting, greenish bldgs, have you seen this bldg redo in Portland? I missed it last time I was down there.

And I like the Hyatt House too. I like the design a lot.

alki · #**310** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 6:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhays

Seattle wants to be affordable to more people, but we're also beholden to the "what about my free public parking space" crowd and blatant classism. Single family house zones are 2/3 of the city. Accessory units should be a slam dunk.

I think Seattle is going the way of SF and will become less affordable in the future. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to offset the trend.

As for your ongoing parking rant, cars and their use in Seattle are not going away any time soon. So yeah, people are concerned about parking.

mhays · #**311** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 3:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alki

I think Seattle is going the way of SF and will become less affordable in the future. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to offset the trend.

As for your ongoing parking rant, cars and their use in Seattle are not going away any time soon. So yeah, people are concerned about parking.

I think our parking requirements are pretty reasonable. No ranting here. But yeah there are some "ranters" who complain endlessly that we need more parking...I thought you were one of those?

Yes we're becoming less affordable. Right now City Council has declared war against the lower and middle half of the population....proposing giant fees on new development, and curtailing micros.

mSeattle · #**312** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 8:34 PM**

I don't know if CC has "declared war" on micros, I think they just don't like big buildings or that micros were being built in areas where large apartment developers couldn't go. I suspect that probably some of those developers or their sympathizers are part of the backlash against micros - like rental car companies fought for Zipcar to have to be under the car rental tax (it wasn't at first).

My guess is that instead of 5-6 floor micro buildings we'll see 2-3 floor buildings and hopefully more of them.

mhays · #**313** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 9:05 PM**

Fees and barriers are definitely desired by the owners of many buildings...higher rents due to less competition.

I suspect much of City Council isn't smart enough to know that. It's like they're in building owners' pockets right now, starting with the land use committee.

Vashon118 · #**314** Posted **Sep 18, 2014, 3:07 PM**

Fence has gone up at 4400 SW Alaska St (West Seattle).

http://westseattleblog.com/2014/09/w...f-the-backhoe/

mSeattle · #**315** Posted **Sep 18, 2014, 5:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vashon118

Fence has gone up at 4400 SW Alaska St (West Seattle).

http://westseattleblog.com/2014/09/w...f-the-backhoe/

Thanks Vashon. Never heard of this one. Updated first page with rendering.

mSeattle · #**316** Posted **Sep 18, 2014, 5:42 PM**

^^@Alki, Portland's Hyatt House is an excellent example close to home. The knowledge and skill are already here. I wish there were conversation between innovative designers and community groups so that the everyday resident could understand the possibilities and help mitigate the impact of large structures through beautiful, gentle, inspiring, playful (to the outside viewer) design.

alki · #**317** Posted **Sep 18, 2014, 6:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mSeattle

^^@Alki, Portland's Hyatt House is an excellent example close to home. The knowledge and skill are already here. I wish there were conversation between innovative designers and community groups so that the everyday resident could understand the possibilities and help mitigate the impact of large structures through beautiful, gentle, inspiring, playful (to the outside viewer) design.

Agreed.

alki · #**318** Posted **Sep 18, 2014, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhays

I think our parking requirements are pretty reasonable. No ranting here. But yeah there are some "ranters" who complain endlessly that we need more parking...I thought you were one of those?

Me? lol. I am not a ban parking ideologue. Cars are a part of every day life in Seattle. They are not going away any time soon. Ignoring that fact creates problems for neighborhoods getting bldgs short on parking spaces. Baby steps plz. Tough love isn't the best way to go.

Quote:

Yes we're becoming less affordable. Right now City Council has declared war against the lower and middle half of the population....proposing giant fees on new development, and curtailing micros.

A war? Who knew? I thought they were putting in closer scrutiny measures on micros because of neighborhood complaints.