The City Council of Seattle unanimously approved Conner Homes’ petition to vacate (or use) a subterranean portion of the alley between California Ave s.w. and 42nd Ave s.w.

The approval signifies Conner Homes’ last major hurdle in moving forward with their planned two-building, seven story apartment/retail complex at the southeast corner of West Seattle’s Alaska Junction.

For more background on the project and how it has been perceived by the community and business owners in the area, please check out the Herald articles:
Conner’s mixed-use Junction project closer to reality

Rocksport owner sees Conner Junction project as an opportunity to “buy dirt”

With the Council’s approval of their petition, Conner can move forward with plans to build an underground parking garage beneath the two buildings (one building is at the corner of California and Alaska, the other at the corner of Alaska and 42nd) with an entrance to the garage on 42nd Ave.

Councilmember and Transportation Committee head Tom Rasmussen addressed the council prior to their vote.

“The reason why the subterranean vacation is being proposed in the first place is that it allows for more efficiency in the development of the parking that will be underneath the two buildings. It allows for consolidation of services such as loading, recycling and building systems and the alley will provide access for services and uses, such as service vehicles, for better loading purposes."

Rasmussen brought up two community concerns expressed during the transportation committee meeting last week. First, that the west building residential entrance is planned on California Ave s.w. which would take away 13 feet of possible retail frontage and second, that the parking garage entrance on 42nd Ave s.w. poses a safety issue between pedestrians using the sidewalk and vehicles entering and exiting the garage.

“I carefully weighed their concerns because I know that generally we like to discourage vehicles crossing sidewalks to enter into a building but this will go into the below grade parking area and I felt that the recommendations that came from the various departments (SDOT and Dept. of Planning and Development) were that … the entrance into the parking garage should be from 42nd rather than through the alley were valid.

Secondly, I felt that the residential entrance along California Ave, because it was only 13 feet wide, would not detract from the rest of the retail along California Ave … so I concurred in the recommendations of the various departments and do recommend this vacation to be approved by the full council.”

“It is one of the most significant corners and sites in West Seattle and we want to make sure that it’s going to be fitting in with the community as best as it possibly can,” Councilmember Rasmussen said after thanking individuals from the community, Conner Homes and city government for their work in developing the project.

A major stipulation in Conner Homes’ ability to move forward with the project was developing a public benefits package to calm community concerns over the size and aesthetics of the buildings.

“The community … because of its strong involvement and interest in this project has signed an agreement with the developer and in this community agreement … the developer and petitioner agrees to engage the community in the design of cornices, … canopies, art, lighting and other details as the design proceeds.”