Seattle's Department of Planning and Development has posted the latest new apartment project on its site. The developers propose to demolish an existing house at 4439 41st Ave. S.W. and replace it with an apartment building of 46 units. Five parking spaces are proposed. It will be a livable basement and 3 stories wood framed above the basement. Approximate 15,000 GSF total.

There's a special grading requirement and this is in a salmon watershed. It would be located directly behind Hope Lutheran School.

The owner is listed as Si Ith of Seattle.

It is listed as Project #3015444 and is getting comments already from area residents.

You can make a public comment on the project with the information here or by email to prc@seattle.gov, by fax to (206) 233-7901, or by mail to:

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

Please note, there is only a 14 day comment period that began March 5.

Julia Doerr, Parish Administrator for the school writes: "Please consider that this proposed building would be constructed directly across the alley from an elementary school, where 217 children are being educated each day. As in any school, the facility and surrounding environment should be safe and child-friendly to promote and maximize learning. As designed, it is hard to imagine that this proposed project will preserve such an environment in any way for the children who attend Hope School."

Emily Butler writes: "There is no way to contain what will be produced in excavation or construction and what hazardous materials could be present in the air. I also believe that having a housing unit that large so close to a school poses a threat to our children in terms of their privacy and
safety."

Jane Leonard/Starke Shelby write: "The pending project at 4439 41st Ave. SW has a planned roof top of 48 feet above the street in a very small space with 40 to 80 planned residents. There are only 5 planned parking spaces!

We are really concerned about this project moving forward for several reasons:

• Lots of people in a small space with very limited parking
• Lack of privacy for our students at school
• Increased traffic in the alley
• Lack of a turnaround space in the alley
• The construction impact on our students’ learning during the building phase
• The high volume of excavation that is planned for this project

Additionally, the west side of 42nd Ave. SW - directly across from from Hope Lutheran School - has posted signage for single family home demolition and pending development. Essentially, Hope Lutheran School will be surrounded by multi- family dwellings on three side subjecting the schools to density, parking and safety issues.

Scott Minaglia writes: "I have a problem with this for a couple of reasons:
1.The project is in a very small space with 40 to 80 planned residents and only 5 planned parking
spaces. There should be no building built without ample parking in West Seattle or any other place in Seattle. I don’t care how much more it would cost the developer. We have to live with it and they don’t. You need to start getting this right.
2. The block the development would be located on is a small residential street and there is no way this type of development should be allowed to be developed in a small residential area.
3. I have a problem with the location of such a large building being put up right next to a school and the lack of privacy for the students at school.
4.The increased traffic in the alley which would lacks a turnaround would be a problem.
5. Also the construction impact on the students’ learning during the building phase and the high volume of excavation that is planned for this project.