Low Income Housing Institute's Cheryl Chow Court under construction last March. The 1,948 square foot URS is planned to serve as a hygiene center for homeless and low-income individuals. The plans show four private hygiene stations, public restrooms and a laundry facility.
The Low Income Housing Institute's, (LIHI) Cheryl Chow Court (2014 N.W. 57th St.), is completed and has started to lease apartments.
Meanwhile, the Department of Planning and Development announced last week that permission has been granted for establishing a Urban Rest Stop on the lower level of the facility.
The 1,948 square foot URS is planned to serve as a hygiene center for homeless and low-income individuals. The plans show four private hygiene stations, public restrooms and a laundry facility. The Ballard location would be the third URS managed by LIHI in Seattle. The other two are Downtown and in the University District.
LIHI applied for the approval last February. As reported by the Ballard News-Tribune last March (www.tinyurl.com/mxbreae), the Seattle municipal code stipulates institutional use facilities need to be at least 600 feet apart. The now approved URS is less than 600 feet from the Ballard Public Library and St. Luke’s Church.
An ACU waives developmental standards for developers. The project has mustered resistance from some neighbors from the very beginning.
In addition, the project does not meet parking requirements for the zone (Institutional use in a mid-rise zone) but the DPD has granted ACU permission for this as well.
The Northwest 57th Street Neighborhood Group submitted a request for a public meeting with 102 signatures. They felt that the URS would not be a "good fit."
Since the decision was announced, the Northwest 57th Street Neighborhood Group has not determined if they will appeal the decision.
The Hearing Examiner must receive appeals for the decision by Dec. 15.
