Original Story (updated information from transportation committee meeting found below)

After several years in the “possibility” realm, Conner Homes mixed-use apartment/retail complex planned for the southeast corner of the Alaska Junction may be getting closer to happening.

The proposed project will demolish existing buildings from California Ave to 42nd Ave s.w. and raise, in their stead, two seven-story buildings with a combined 198 apartments and 25,000 square feet of retail.

The alleyway between the proposed buildings is the subject of a Transportation Committee meeting at 9:30 a.m. on April 26 to discuss Conner’s petition “to aquire the public right-of-way for private purposes a subterranean portion of the alley,” according to the notice of public hearing. Conner plans to build a 271 vehicle underground parking garage beneath the alley and two buildings.

The project has become a contentious issue for some West Seattle residents. A City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development report from a meeting in April of 2008 spelled out those concerns which included worries that the seven-story height would clash with the Junction’s “small town feel” and the retail space “ran counter to the neighborhood’s predilection for small, locally-owned businesses.” The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce was recorded as countering the retail concern by saying “too much is being made of small, locally owned businesses since there was a demonstrable need for some larger retail spaces in the area that would provide greater employment opportunities to residents of West Seattle.”

In response to those concerns, Charles Conner met with West Seattle residents and members of the West Seattle Junction Association over the course of five meetings last year. The meetings culminated in the signing of a letter of agreement between Conner and concerned West Seattleites on Nov. 30, 2010.

The agreement defined nine changes to the original plan, including requests for community involvement in the design of pedestrian level landscaping and building design, an art panel with “historical representations” on s.w. Alaska St side of the buildings., extending the brick-style look of existing Junction businesses at the retail level, extending streetscape benches and pedestrian lighting to both the east and west buildings and Conner Homes contributing $5,000 towards construction of a Junction Plaza Park.

Updates from transportation meeting with Councilmember Tom Rasmussen

On April 26 representatives from SDOT, Seattle Department of Planning and Development, Weber Thompson Architects and Charlie Conner met to discuss the final roadblock before Conner’s two building seven-story residential/retail project gets the green light to go up at the Alaska Junction.

It ended with City of Seattle Councilmember Tom Rasmussen telling the representatives he would recommend the City Council pass Conner’s petition for subterranean alley right-of-way.

In addition to discussing Conner’s petition to obtain a subterranean section of the alleyway (also termed “vacate”) in order to build an underground parking garage, the committee discussed Conner’s “public benefit package” to help ease community concerns over a project of this scale going in at the heart of West Seattle’s Junction.

The Conner Junction project presentation is attached as a file at the top of the story. Please check it out for detailed information on the proposed complex.

Beverly Barnett with SDOT said, “It’s a pretty modest vacation request,” since Conner is only requesting use of land underneath the alley and plans to detour traffic over land where the east building will be built during construction under the alleyway.

Conner originally planned for the parking garage entrances on both sides of the alleyway between California Ave s.w. and 42nd Ave s.w., but representatives from Weber Thompson, the architectural firm designing the project, said they changed their mind and are now proposing an entrance from 42nd Ave. The change came as a result of community concerns over further congestion in an already congested alley and issues with sight lines for vehicles coming out of the alley (either onto Alaska or Edmunds).

Weber Thomspon also sighted the future of the Junction in their proposal, stating they see future development on the block along California Ave and by taking their traffic off the alley it eases future traffic issues as new buildings come in.

Junction business owner Dave Montour voiced his opposition to the 42nd Ave entrance during the public comment phase.

“I’m not here to oppose the alley vacation … but I am here to press city leadership … on the garage entrance on 42nd Ave. I really strongly urge consideration of moving that garage entrance from 42nd Ave and into the service alley where I believe it properly belongs,” Montour said.

“Please do not allow the automobile garage entrance servicing almost 200 residential units and 26,000 square feet of retail property to run over our public sidewalk on 42nd Ave, please put it in the service alley where it belongs,” he added.

In their presentation, Weber Thompson explained how they have set the east building back from the street as far as possible to create a wide sidewalk and open sight lines for vehicles exiting the garage – design elements they believe will help with pedestrian safety issues.

Harbor Properties, the developers of the Link Apartments (on 42nd across from Safeway) also sent a letter to the transportation committee asking that the garage entrance be at least 75 feet away from their property line. The idea was countered by Weber Thompson architects who said moving it farther north from the current spot (roughly middle of the block) would violate city code of having a garage entrance too close to the intersection at 42nd and Alaska.

The other concern raised by Montour is Conner’s plan to have the residential entrance to the west building on California Ave instead of Alaska St.

“I would like a commitment to move the residential lobby off of California Ave. Retail frontage on California Ave. is the best retail frontage in West Seattle. It’s very desirable and it’s much like waterfront property – they’re not building any more. I really desire and would hate to lose some 13 feet of retail frontage for a residential lobby.”

Councilmember Rasmussen thanked Montour for his comments, but ultimately sided with the developers on their plans to have a garage entrance on 42nd and keep the residential lobby on California Ave.

Public Benefit Package

Part of the process of easing community concerns over the project was Conner coming up with a series of public benefits. Charlie Conner and Weber Thompson associates explained the following plans during the meeting:

-Widening the sidewalks around the two buildings. City code calls for sidewalks at least 11’6” wide and the Conner plan has sidewalks at 16’7” along California, 15’5” along Alaska and 18’11” along 42nd.

-Creating a through-block connection with landscaping, good lighting, café style seating, benches, bike racks and waste and recycling cans. The connection will have access to retail offerings at the base level and link 42nd to California in a Z-shape. Pedestrians will have to walk through the alley to get all the way through, but there will be clear markings and barriers between pedestrian and truck traffic.

-Working with Harbor Properties to create a well-lit plaza between the two complexes along 42nd Ave.

-Pulling the storefront and residential entrances as far away from the street as possible and creating “eddies” at the corners where Alaska intersects with California and 42nd. A Weber Thompson architect described the eddy as a large enough area for someone to step out of the flow of foot traffic for a moment, like a river eddy provides relief from the river’s current.

-Weather protection awnings around the majority of the buildings except where it would interfere with artwork (more on that shortly). They plan two types of awnings – canvas and glass/metal to mimic the variety of awnings found today on California Ave.

-An art program of sculpture and glass-etched reliefs with historical significance to West Seattle, done by local artists. Conner plans to have 18 sculptures and 10 glass art pieces around the street-facing sides of the complex.

-Putting in street lights similar to those already found at the Junction in addition to lighting on the columns of the building.

“Councilman Rasmussen, I believe that this project has probably had more scrutiny than any other project in the community there,” Charlie Conner said. “I thank the community for participating because I think we have a much better project because of it.”

Councilmember Rasmussen said he will make his recommendation to the City Council that the alley vacation petition be passed. The Council will vote on Monday, May 2.

The Department of Planning and Development can issue a master use permit if the Council approves the petition, and upon doing so the Conner Project has the green light to move forward.

A specific timeline for Conner’s plans to start construction was not covered in the meeting, but the story will be updated when that information becomes available.