Applications for developments in Ballard have been coming in fast this week to the Department of Planning and Development (DPD).
Check out the most recent applications and decisions from the DPD as posted in the Land Use Information Bulletin.
Applications:
A Land Use Application has been submitted to subdivide one parcel into two parcels of land in an environmentally critical area. Proposed parcel sizes are: Y) 9,062 sq. ft. and Z) 7,215 sq. ft. Existing structure to remain.
Decisions:
A Land Use Application has been approved to subdivide one development site into three unit lots. 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. Appeals of the decision must be received by the Hearing Examiner no later than May 19, 2014.
A Land Use Application has been approved to subdivide one development site into three unit lots. 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. Existing structure to be demolished. Appeals of the decision must be received by the Hearing Examiner no later than May 22, 2014.
A Land Use Application has been approved to allow a 3-story, five unit residential structure with attached garages. Existing structures to be demolished. Environmental Review includes future unit lot subdivision. Appeals of the decision must be received by the Hearing Examiner no later than May 22, 2014.
A Land Use Application has been approved to subdivide one development site into two unit lots. 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. Appeals of the decision must be received by the Hearing Examiner no later than May 22, 2014.
Public Meeting:
The DPD is currently reviewing an application and will hold a public meeting to gather comments on this project. A Land Use application has been submitted to allow a 1,952 square feet area to be used as a community center (hygiene center) at ground level in a 51 unit low-income elderly apartment building.
The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 4, at Ballard Community Center (6020 28th Ave NW) at 7 p.m.
Appeals and comments on proposed land use actions must be submitted in writing to the Public Resource Center by email to prc@seattle.gov, by fax to (206) 233-7901, or by mail to the address below:
Department of Planning and Development
ATTN: Public Resource Center or Assigned Planner
700 Fifth Ave, Ste 2000
P.O. Box 34019
Seattle, WA 98124-4019
The hygiene center is the Urban Rest Stop we’ve all heard about for a few years now. The reason for this public meeting is that the building is currently only approved for low-income senior housing, not for an URS.
In order to be able to house the URS, LIHI needs exceptions to the land use code:
The project requires the following approvals:
Administrative Conditional Use to allow “community center” (URS) in a midrise zone within 600 ft. of an existing institution (Ballard Branch of Seattle Public Library).
Administrative Conditional Use to allow an institution in a midrise zone that does not meeting parking requirements.
The senior housing part of the building was already allowed to skip building the 10 spaces code required it to include. The code requires the URS part to include another 6 spaces, so if LIHI’s request to waive that requirement is approved, we’ll have a new unmet need for 16 more parking spaces in the parking-tight Library area.
Neither Senior Housing or an URS would really require that much parking, I would bet mostly bus or transit van. I think it was probably the right thing to do to waive the parking requirement in this case.
I am against the whole idea, these should be located near the aurora area, where there are less families and children and more bus options
I’m with Bus Riders, this is the rare case where the waiver is justified.
Like the idea of an URS but hate the location. It’s a low/mid rise residential area. Agree with John on location or maybe put it down by Leery.
Wait, just because someone is homeless and just wants a place to wash up, they shouldn’t get to do it in an urban area with lots of transit options, a park, a library? They should have to go to an industrial area along a busy road? P.S. Plenty of homeowners off of Leary/Aurora might take exception to your logic. You opinion doesn’t matter more then theirs.
Should homeless people be hidden from families and children? What about homeless families? Yeesh, the intolerance is staggering.
Sure, some of the characters who hang out in the park/library who seem to be homeless by lifestyle choice can cause trouble, but I don’t think those dudes are going to lining up to launder their skivvies at the URS.
My problem with this is that there should be a URS in every neighborhood. If Seattle is going to continue to be compassionate towards homelessness, then spread the wealth.
If the Ballard URS focused on homeless families I’d happily support it in a heartbeat – just like I do the Food Bank.
According to LIHI’s information the majority of users at the downtown URS are male transients and street stayers – probably the same demographic that we’ll see at the Ballard URS. That’s LIHI’s target audience for an URS and that population probably will be lining up to clean their skivvies in Ballard. About 500 line up at the downtown Seattle URS. We’ll probably see about half that.
Most of those individuals have substance abuse problems and mental health issues. That’s not a group you want concentrated around areas like neighborhood libraries or playgrounds – where I take my children and family.
If there was an URS in every neighborhood (and not just in Seattle) that would change things too but there aren’t so communities should make some hard decisions on where they want to cluster homeless services.
If you want to know why Ballard is suffering from “densification” or rather why people are being squeezed into smaller and smaller spaces, please educate yourself and go to the Democrats Against UN Agenda 21 website. You will find there why you WILL NOT have a voice in this.