Showing posts with label development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label development. Show all posts

Shoreline Place redevelopment

Thursday, July 18, 2024

Looking southwest, over the top of Town & Country Market (silo)
Drone photo by David Carlos

Merlone Geier is in the process of redeveloping the former 1960’s era Aurora Square Sears into Shoreline Place. 

This multi-phased mixed use project will incorporate previous planning efforts from the City and community while creating shopping and living experiences that meet current market demands and reflect the unique characteristics of the area. 

For additional updates and information visit www.ShorelinePlace.com.

Still in the plans are a small "town green" as well as a dog park and retail spaces. Round Table Pizza and Chipotle are open on the lower level and they have signed leases with Mod Pizza, and Big Chicken.

Looking east, the Town & Country silo is to the right. Straight ahead is Pet Evolution, next to Bed Bath & Beyond. The new construction site has been completely cleared. Drone photo by David Carlos.

Pet Evolution featuring pet food, supplies, and grooming, is holding its ribbon cutting and grand opening on Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 10:45am PDT. This event will be held at 15515 Westminster Way N Suite C, Shoreline, WA 98133 with the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce.

Construction materials and equipment and huge piles of dirt on the lower level, looking directly south
Drone photo by David Carlos

Sears building. Drone photo by David Carlos

Front and center is the old Sears building. In the background, the six story Department of Transportation building. Behind Sears is a former auxiliary parking lot, now used for construction equipment and next to it are the piles of dirt.

In the lower, right corner, cars are parked at existing businesses on a separate land parcel, not owned by Merlone Geier.

--Diane Hettrick


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Shoreline to help struggling apartment developer; again

Vacant lots awaiting construction crews like the future site of the ION 149th are a common sight in Shoreline. Photo by Oliver Moffat

By Oliver Moffat

With 3,010 units coming soon, Shoreline has more new apartments under construction than any other King County suburb. 

Yet, amid a housing affordability crisis, more than nine vacant lots and blocks of derelict homes blight Shoreline neighborhoods as high interest rates cause some developers to struggle to get the construction loans needed to start building. 

The Shoreline city council will hold a public hearing on July 22 on whether to extend permit deadlines for the eighth time to help developers get more time to secure construction financing.

Projects must complete a costly and time consuming permit application process after which the developer has six months to start work. The city can issue a one-time, six month permit extension “due to circumstances beyond the control of the applicant” but after that, the permit will expire - forcing the developer to go back through the application process again.

Because of pandemic stay-at-home orders, the city granted temporary permit extensions to developers in May of 2020, July of 2020, January of 2021, June of 2021, and again in November of 2021.

As previously reported, starting in the fall of 2022, the city said developers were asking for permit extensions because they had been unable to get construction loans. So in 2023, and again earlier this year, the city granted more extensions. On July 22, the Shoreline city council will hold yet another public hearing on a proposed ordinance to extend permit deadlines for struggling developers again.

Under state law, the city must hold a public hearing to wave permit deadlines but the city did not release information about which developments were asking for help prior to any of the previous hearings. 
The city also removes architectural plans and contact information for permit applications after six months from its website, making it difficult for residents to look up information for themselves.

A map shows the locations of vacant lots and blocks of derelict homes near the 145th Light Rail station.

More than nine vacant lots and blocks of derelict homes are visible in the North City, Ridgecrest, Parkwood and Richmond Highlands neighborhoods: 
  1. The Leeway (MXU23-3073) at 104 NE 147th St by Evergreen Point
  2. the Ion 149th at 345 NE 149th Street by AAA Management
  3. Paramount 2 at 305 NE 152nd St by WZL Enterprises LLC
  4. Shoreline Peak at 14540 5TH AVE NE by Grand Peaks
  5. Burl at 14802 5TH AVE NE by Spectrum
  6. MSR Communities (MFR24-1397) at 15124 5th Ave NE, and 
  7. derelict homes on 155TH at 15455 4TH AVE NE by TERRENE
  8. Brea at 18005 Aurora Ave N formerly Highland Ice Arena, and 
  9. Trent at 18910 8TH AVE NE the former site of North City Little Free Pantry.

The city has not said whether or not those projects are delayed because of the high cost of construction financing and the city has been inconsistent about which developers have asked for the permit extensions. 

At the public hearing in August of 2023, the city said “there are more than one and they are in both of the station areas” but then in January of 2024, the city said, “there is one applicant who has taken advantage of the extension.”

In an emailed response to a request for clarification, the city said AAA Management Company (a San Diego based Real Estate Investment company) is the only company to take advantage of the extensions because their financing fell through. 

AAA previously built the Ion Town Center and the Geo on Midvale and 180th and in 2021 they purchased a block of homes north of the 148th Light Rail Station at 345 NE 149th Street which is now vacant. In 2022, CBRE helped AAA get a $85.5 million construction loan for the project, but that loan fell through.

In an interview, Rosalie Merks VP of Real Estate Development at AAA Management, said rising construction costs from a concrete strike and the war in Ukraine plus rising interests rates caused lenders to pull out of the project. 

In addition, construction by Sound Transit caused a “pressurized aquifer” under the site which cost $2 million to de-water and an additional $250,000 redesign. Merks said despite the setbacks, she is working to get started as soon as possible. “We are $9 million in on this project. We are not limping along. We are fully committed,” she said.

Merks said the building will meet LEED platinum standards, the highest level of sustainability practices, and its location steps from the transit station will reduce car dependence of residents. Unlike the homes it will replace, the entire building will be electric and the building will have space for ground floor retail.

In response to local activists who criticize tree removal in the neighborhood Merks said, “where are you going to put 254 units? I think I save more trees by making one building than if I built 250 single family units… Do they care about whether their kids or grandkids can find a home nearby?”

The city council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed permit extension ordinance on July 22, 2024 at Shoreline city hall.


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Shoreline considers Land Conservation program but has concerns

Saturday, March 9, 2024

An illustration from Forterra explains how TDR and LCLIP works

By Oliver Moffat

In the game Catan, players build cities and roads on a map of forests and farmland while trading resources like timber and wool. Emphasizing cooperation over competition, the interconnected fates of the players is often cited as the inspiration for modern tabletop games. 

Also sometimes criticized for its convoluted and hard to understand rules, Catan might resemble a land conservation program the city of Shoreline is considering called Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) and the Landscape Conservation and Local Infrastructure Program (LCLIP).

At the Monday, March 4, 2024 meeting the Shoreline city council reviewed proposed ordinance (1009) aimed at conserving rural land in King County. Several members of the council raised concerns and directed staff to come back later with a revised plan that addressed their concerns.

A map from the King County website shows the locations of land that has been conserved through the TDR program (green) in exchange for higher density developments (orange)

The proposed ordinance would have adopted Transfer of Development Rights (TDR), a free-market scheme designed to encourage conservation in rural areas while concentrating development in cities.

Under the TDR scheme, owners of undeveloped farms and forests can sell the right to develop their property in the form of credits. When a developer buys the credits, a conservation easement is placed on the rural land to permanently preserve it from future development. 

Cities (like Shoreline) can choose to designate areas where developers can spend the credits to acquire higher density development rights. Developers can then trade their credits for density bonuses that allow them to build taller buildings or fewer parking spaces.

Only land outside of the King County Urban Growth Area can be conserved under the TDR program. Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell and most of Woodinville are within the Urban Growth Area, meaning that the TDR program cannot be used to conserve land within these cities.

Back row (l-r): Councilmembers John Ramsdell, Betsy Robertson, Annette Ademasu, Eben Pobee, Keith Scully; Front row (l-r): Mayor Chris Roberts, Deputy Mayor Laura Mork.
Photo courtesy City of Shoreline

Councilmember Annette Ademasu asked for more details about the specific kinds of lands that would be conserved. “I would like for the city to prop up sustainable farms that are in King County and organic farms,” said Ademasu. However, “one farm is not the same as another farm as far as climate change is concerned,” she said.

First introduced in 1998, Shoreline has been considering participating in the program since at least 2014 but few cities in King County participate in the program.

Councilmember Betsy Robertson, who has served on the council since 2019, spoke of the scheme’s complexity and reflected that the proposal has been brought before the council repeatedly throughout the years. “I'd like to see it work, which implies it isn't or hasn't worked yet. So why not?” she said.

To encourage cities to participate in the TDR program, the state created the Landscape Conservation and Local Infrastructure Program (LCLIP) tax incentive scheme in 2011. With LCLIP, King County shares some tax revenue with cities that can be spent on infrastructure improvements like new sidewalks and parks.

But the proposed ordinance in front of the council did not include adoption of the LCLIP incentives. 

Deputy Mayor Laura Mork and Councilmember John Ramsdell said they wanted to see the financial incentives included with the TDR program. “What I am kind of concerned about is that there will be no financial advantage to doing the TDR without doing the LCLIP,” said Ramsdell.

Mayor Chris Roberts expressed skepticism. “I’ve had concerns with this program. I still have concerns with this program…. There’s definitely value in this program because the goals are right and the goals are just. Preserving land in King County is a very important goal. But ultimately I think we have to look as a council at does it work for Shoreline?” he said, “I’m not convinced that it is.”

A map from the LCLIP staff report shows neighborhoods that might receive greater density in exchange for land conservation and infrastructure funding.

The city already allows developers to build taller buildings in exchange for amenities that benefit Shoreline residents such as including restaurants, grocery stores and open space. 

Developers can build higher if they pay into the city’s parks and recreation funds and the city offers height bonuses through the deep green incentive program. 

“These are things that help the people who are living in these units right now,” Roberts said. If the city adopted the TDR program as is, developers could build taller buildings without providing Shoreline residents with those benefits.

Because taller buildings are more expensive, Roberts was also skeptical that developers would be enticed by height bonuses.

And Roberts raised concerns about the timing of the proposal because the city is revising its comprehensive plan this year. “I’m thinking that adopting something this year doesn’t make sense,” he said.


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Public hearing for Fircrest nursing facility “Grudgingly Accepted” by some

Sunday, March 3, 2024

The Fircrest plan calls for a new nursing facility to replace the badly outdated buildings like this one.
 Photo by Oliver Moffat

By Oliver Moffat

A stroll along the meandering pathways of the forested 65 acre Fircrest campus provides a quiet and peaceful break from the busy car traffic of 15th Ave NE.

Despite the peaceful setting, the future of the Fircrest campus has long been the focus of controversy with some advocates calling for the facility be closed while others seek upgrades.

The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) has applied for a permit to proceed with the Fircrest School Master Development Plan - a twenty year plan for the campus. A public hearing on the plan will be held on Wednesday night March 6, 2024 at Shoreline city hall.

The plan calls for the demolition of aging buildings that have fallen into disrepair. In their place, new residential cottages, and a commissary.

The southeastern quadrant where the dog park is today will be redeveloped into commercial spaces. In the center of the campus, the historic chapel will be preserved and the plan calls for retention of as many significant trees as possible. A new public, forested trail will connect the chapel to Hamlin Park to the north.

A rendering from the Fircrest plan shows the proposed nursing facility that has drawn criticism 

A controversial 120-bed nursing facility is also planned that would replace the dangerously aging “Y buildings”.

Originally a Naval Hospital during World War II, the site was used as a tuberculosis sanatorium before Fircrest opened in 1958. By the middle of the 1960s Fircrest was home to over a thousand residents with mental and physical impairments. 

Since then, the population has declined to about two hundred residents thanks to advances in rights for people with disabilities that moved people out of isolated institutions and helped parents support family members at home.

Some of those residents now live in the Fircrest nursing facility in the northwest quadrant of the campus in six Y-shaped buildings dating from the 1960s. These structures do not meet current seismic codes according to the plan and virtually everything needs to be replaced including heating, plumbing and electric.

Current view of Fircrest from Google Earth shows the Y shaped buildings.

After decades of conflict between advocates, families and caregivers, the State Legislature tasked a workgroup to broker consensus between stakeholders and make a specific set of recommendations.

According to the workgroup report, most adults with developmental disabilities live at home with their aging parents acting as caregivers. As their parents age and are no longer able to care for them, they need long-term supportive care.

After listening to over 135 people including residents, parents, and caregivers, the workgroup made a series of twenty recommendations five years ago.

One of those recommendations was for the state to build a new 120-bed nursing facility replacement on the Fircrest campus.

To many disability rights advocates, Fircrest is a relic of a bygone age when people with disabilities were segregated from the community. Advocates including The Arc of Washington and Disability Rights Washington have called for shutting down the facility arguing that residents can receive better care within the community.

An alternative preferred by some advocates was a plan to build multiple 6-bedroom homes across the state that would site residents closer to their communities of origin while allowing them to live in a non-institutional home.

According to a follow up report published by the workgroup early this week, the Fircrest recommendation is still contentious with some while others have “grudgingly accepted” that the facility will be built; like it or not.

DSHS is also seeking a special use permit to build a new 48 bed behavioral health facility on the campus that would provide urgently needed capacity to serve people who have been involuntarily committed to receive mental health treatment in a secure environment for up to six months. The facility will have large spaces for activities, exercise and life skills instruction to help transition patients back into the community.

Some neighborhood residents have expressed concern over the development of the campus, preferring preservation of open space and historic buildings instead of new buildings and commercial space.

In September of 2023, the Naval Hospital Chapel on the campus was listed on the Washington State Registry of Historic Places. (See previous articles about the Chapel and Fircrest)

A locked gate separating Fircrest from Hamlin Park could be removed under the plan.
Photo by Oliver Moffat

According to the proposed plan, the chapel and its surrounding forest will be preserved and a new network of trails will connect the chapel to Hamlin Park to the north. Currently, access to Hamlin Park is blocked by locked gates, preventing Fircrest residents and caregivers from waking north into the 80 acre forested park. The plan also includes badly needed sidewalk and bicycle lane improvements along 15th Ave NE to the west and NE 150th St to the south.

A study in 2023 recorded 2,258 significant trees within the Master Development Plan boundary. It is unclear at this point which trees will be retained: the plan says a minimum of 60% of significant trees will be retained while city staff are recommending that 80% of trees be retained.

A map from the Fircrest plan shows the location of the proposed nursing facility and walking trails connecting the historic chapel to Hamlin Park.

On a typical Saturday afternoon, the noisiest thing on the peaceful campus is the Eastside Off-Leash Dog Area located in the southeast quadrant of the campus. The city currently has a month-to-month lease to use the site which is expected to end when dog parks at Ridgecrest Park and James Keough Park funded by the 2022 Park Bond open. According to the proposed plan, the dog park will be redeveloped into commercial or office space and will include publicly accessible open space.

The Fircrest Master Development Plan does not include the southwest quadrant of the campus where the COVID testing site was located during the height of the pandemic. 

A proposed amendment to the city’s Comprehensive Plan would rezone that parcel which is owned by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A bill (House Bill 2003) that would provide tax exemptions to incentivize affordable housing on DNR owned lands is on the way to the Governor’s desk after sailing through the House and Senate with broad bipartisan support in this year’s legislative session. State Representative Cindy Ryu has championed a proposal for an affordable housing development on the parcel.


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Waterfront Seattle now installing park amenities

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Photo copyright Tim Rice for Waterfront Seattle

Waterfront Seattle reports that exciting developments are underway for the future park. 

We are working on installing park amenities including planters, plants, bike racks, benches, swings, drinking fountains and more! 

These will join the over 30,000 new native plantings which have found their home along the waterfront just this winter.

We've come a long way in constructing the park since we began in July 2022. We look forward to sharing continuing progress as we introduce new park elements for all to enjoy before the end of the year!


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Shoreline Council approves Affordable Housing Tax Exemption for The Line Apartments

Friday, February 9, 2024

The Evergreen Point website shows the crane being dismantled from above The Line apartments

By Oliver Moffat

The crane above 132 NE 145th Street in the Parkwood neighborhood was dismantled in January, marking a milestone toward completion of 241 new homes in an apartment building to be called The Line.

In another milestone for the building, at the February 5, 2024 Shoreline City Council meeting, the council approved an affordable housing tax exemption for the apartments.

The Woonerf, looking south. Concept drawing

The Line will include more than 1,900 square feet of ground floor retail space and a Woonerf (pedestrian friendly road) will run through the property.

The developer is the Evergreen Point Group, who previously built the Träd apartments in Shoreline’s North City neighborhood which has since been renamed the Green Leaf.

Evergreen Point plans to build the Leeway apartments nearby at 104 NE 147th St. (see our previous article

Addressing the city’s housing affordability crisis while preserving open spaces by concentrating development in high density areas has been a priority for the city. 

A graph from the city of Shoreline shows the estimated number of new homes needed in the next twenty years versus the number of homes in 2019

According to data from the King County Housing Needs Dashboard, Shoreline needs to build 13,330 new homes before 2044 to accommodate our rising population and more than two-thirds of those homes need to be affordable to people making less than 80% of the area’s median income.

Scheduled to open in 2024, the Line apartments will have 241 homes of which 41 will be affordable to people earning less than 70% of Shoreline’s area median income (AMI) and eight will be affordable to people earning less than 80% of the AMI. Most of the affordable homes will be studios and one-bedroom apartments.

As an example, to be considered affordable a studio apartment could be rented for $1,578 per month to someone earning no more than $63,100 per year (70% AMI).

Despite the tax break, city estimates show tax revenue will increase overall. The apartment developers will still pay one-time taxes and fees totaling an estimated $1,750,000 according to the city. Because the building will have 241 homes, the city estimates it will collect $160,900 in annual tax revenues compared to the $5,300 per year it would have collected from the seven homes previously on the site of the new building.

However, to receive the tax break, apartment owners are required to present documentation to the city each year - which means city staff must spend time administering the program and enforcing compliance.

Although Shoreline’s MFTE program only requires 20% of units to be rented as affordable by the city’s definition, most buildings exceed that ratio according to city data. Shoreline currently has 14 buildings in the MFTE program that are providing 476 units of affordable housing out of 1,705 total - about 28% affordable. The data also shows another 22 MFTE apartments currently under development that will provide 1,168 affordable units out of 4,910 total (almost 24% affordable).


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Preserving Heritage: Shoreline Community College introduces new 'Cedar' Building, honoring Pacific Northwest Indigenous Peoples

Monday, February 5, 2024

Cedar Building photo by Steven H. Robinson

In an earnest endeavor to strengthen ties with local tribes, and to honor the rich cultural heritage of the Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific Northwest, Shoreline Community College (Shoreline) is proud to announce the naming of its new academic facility. 

The chosen name for the new building is, "Cedar," and pays homage to the region's natural environment, characterized by towering trees and dense plantings.

Washington State legislation requires the inclusion of Indigenous voices in the creation of new capital building projects, but leadership at Shoreline wanted to go beyond that requirement, and really work to forge an intentional and lasting collaboration with local tribes that will impact not only this building but also future community partnership efforts. 

The naming process was initiated as a collaborative effort with various tribes, including representatives of the Tulalip and Muckleshoot tribes, with a focus on engaging in meaningful conversations and respecting tribal perspectives. 

Cedar Building
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Shoreline also worked closely with Eliise Bill-Gerrish, a Lushootseed Language Educator from the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, who played a pivotal role in ensuring that the naming process honored the authenticity of the Lushootseed language, the traditional language of many tribes in the Puget Sound Region, reflecting the wishes and cultural nuances of the tribes involved. 

Bill-Gerrish is meticulously translating and creating audio clips for each word in the Southern Lushootseed language. This approach was adopted to honor the language and culture in its true form, avoiding the phonetic translation into English.

“The Cedar building is named after the prolific Western Red Cedar trees, x̌əpay̓ac in Southern Lushootseed, which are beloved by Pacific Northwest Tribal Nations. The cedar tree is revered for its ability to lift the Lushootseed People up in numerous ways. For example, many styles of canoes are made from the trunks of the x̌əpay̓ac, the inner bark and roots are used to weave baskets and hats, and the leaves can be used to support respiratory systems,” said Bill-Gerrish about the meaning of the name.
 
“Another significant part of the story behind the new building name involves Shoreline’s Associated Student Government (ASG). Often new buildings are named after famous people or donors who made the highest donation toward the project. In our case we are proud to say that our largest donor was our students. 

"Our student government also advocated strongly for honoring our region’s Indigenous heritage and at the recommendation of our Indigenous partners, ASG helped us choose the name Cedar for our new building,” said Dr. Jack Kahn, President of Shoreline Community College.

The Cedar Building
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Shoreline Community College's commitment to honoring Indigenous Peoples extends beyond this new building. 

“Tulalip and Muckleshoot tribal members, college leaders and the design team embraced Indigenous values by thinking about names for buildings and campus open spaces in terms of the nature of a place,” said Walter Schacht, Architect and Partner at the Mithun Architecture Firm. 

The College's approach aligns with its broader initiative, of wayfinding across campus which seeks to name various features of the campus, including the proposal to associate Lushootseed names with Indigenous trees and shrubs.

"We know there is still much work to be done to acknowledge and serve our Indigenous communities, but we are excited about the prospect of building a relationship with Muckleshoot Tribal College and other tribes, fostering meaningful and ongoing collaboration. This is just the beginning of a continuous effort to strengthen relationships with the tribes and respect the cultural significance of the land we occupy," said Dr. Kahn.

The Cedar building is devoted to the sciences and manufacturing, and will house biology and chemistry courses, biotech and biomanufacturing instruction, and advanced manufacturing, as well as a few other related programs. It is now fully open for instruction as of the start of the Winter Quarter, on January 8, 2024.

Founded in 1964, Shoreline Community College offers more than 100 rigorous academic and professional/technical degrees and certificates to meet the lifelong learning needs of its diverse students and communities. Dedicated faculty and staff are committed to the educational success of its nearly 10,000 students who hail from across the United States and over 50 countries. 

For more information about SCC, visit www.shoreline.edu


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City to help struggling apartment developers

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Vacant lots awaiting construction crews like the future site of the ION 149th are a common sight in Shoreline - photo by Oliver Moffat

By Oliver Moffat

It’s tough times for the real estate investor. High interest rates, inflation and worker shortages are making it hard to secure financing. And with a recent surge of big apartments in the region, vacancy rates are rising.

At the City Council Meeting on January 29, 2024 the council held a public hearing on proposed ordinance 1003 which, if enacted by the city, would help developers by extending permit expiration dates. No one from the public spoke at the hearing and the council is set to approve the measure at the February 12 meeting without debate.

A graph from the UW WASHINGTON STATE APARTMENT MARKET REPORT shows increasing vacancy rates for rental apartments

According to the City, the last two years set a record for new apartments entering the market and the vacancy rate has hit a 15-year high. Apartment developers spend years and millions of dollars buying land, planning buildings and securing permits before they start digging. 

Once issued, permits normally expire after six months. Because of high interest rates, developers are contacting the city pleading for more time because although their projects are approved they haven’t secured the financing to get started.

Once expired developers must reapply for new permits and conform to any new zoning rules the city has recently put into place. The city granted extensions in 2020 and again in 2021 because of the global pandemic and stay-at-home orders. In August 2023, the city extended the permit expiration dates by six months and now is considering doing it again.

A graph from the King County Housing Needs Dashboard shows Shoreline needs 13,330 new homes by 2044; two-thirds of which must be affordable to people making less than 80% of the area’s median income.

The city needs more homes; a lot more homes. According to data from the King County Housing Needs Dashboard, Shoreline needs to build 13,330 new homes before 2044 to accommodate our rising population and more than two-thirds of those homes need to be affordable to people making less than 80% of the area’s median income.

Shoreline has seen a surge in large apartment developments thanks to zoning rules to allow greater density and tax breaks for investors who make some of their units affordable to people earning 70% or 80% of the area median income.

But, according to the city, there’s a problem: “despite the volume of residential units, Shoreline has not seen a correlating volume of commercial space in these areas that could provide retail services to the residents of those developments and would also contribute to the creation of a vibrant, walkable community. 
Currently commercial development is not as lucrative as residential, due to the competition for developable land. Without development regulations mandating commercial space, the City is losing a valuable opportunity to provide the services to residents of a growing city.”

And so, in December, the city passed the ground floor retail rule that requires big apartments to also have commercial space. Because the ground-floor retail rule is new, developers who get an extension under the proposed ordinance won’t be required to go back to the drawing board to add commercial space.

Tough times indeed.

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Alta North City (aka Leena's building)


Alta North City apartment building (aka Leena's building) construction, taken Monday, January 30, 2024 by David Carlos.

The previous building on this site on 15th NE in North City housed the popular Leena's Cafe and was owned by the family. They sold the property to a developer with the understanding that a section of the ground floor would be designated for a new Leena's Cafe.

Ground floor space in buildings in commercial zones have to be set up for businesses, but owners have not been compelled to recruit businesses. 

--Diane Hettrick


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Shoreline city council meeting Monday, January 29, 2024 includes public hearing on proposal to extend application deadlines for multifamily projects

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Shoreline City Council 2024
The Shoreline City Council Regular Meeting will be held Monday, January 29, 2024 in the Council Chamber using a hybrid format where both in-person and online attendance is allowed. 

You may attend the meeting in person, join via Zoom webinar, or listen to the meeting over the telephone. 

Council is providing opportunities for public comment in person, remotely, or by submitting written comment. 
Council Links:
These three items are on the agenda:

ACTION ITEM  
  • Public Hearing and Discussion of Ordinance No. 1003 – Extension of Interim Regulations to Extend Application Deadlines for Multifamily and Mixed-Use Projects That Are Ready to Issue and Delayed Due to the Unavailability of Construction Financing
Excerpts from the staff report:

In the Puget Sound region, slower tenant growth, record-high vacancy rates, and higher interest rates continue to stifle new construction in the region and leasing activity has slowed. More new apartments came onto the market in 2022 and 2023 than in any previous two-year period, and current vacancy rates are at a 15-year high.

Developers are still experiencing difficulties in securing lending for certain projects in Shoreline. Some developers were also met with unanticipated development costs in the 148th Street Station Area related to high ground water and lack of adequate utilities to serve multifamily and mixed-use developments.

Staff have heard from developers in Shoreline that long identified and secured by option financing for multifamily and mixed-use projects in our area is being terminated and not extended. Additionally, the cost of construction is high, rents are leveling out, the cost of lending and insurance has also dramatically increased

Proposed Ordinance No. 1003 has the potential to protect the time and financial investment of applicants for mixed use and multifamily developments. Supporting the viability of approved Ready to Issue permit applications supports the greater economy and community with little or no impact on the City’s resources.

STUDY ITEMS

(a) Discussion of Law Enforcement Accountability Study (No action will be taken)

The City of Shoreline retained the Center for Public Safety Management, LLC (CPSM) to provide a third-party assessment of law enforcement services and accountability in Shoreline, including the internal mechanisms of the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) – both from a preventative and reactive perspective. The intent of this study was to ensure public trust and safety and to improve the relationship between Shoreline Police and the community they serve.

The City Council will receive a brief update on the finding of the study. The City Council will be joined by the Public Safety Consultant and Team Leader, Jarrod Burguan, from CPSM. Chief Kelly Park will also be present to provide context to some of the findings highlighted in the study. The report is attached to the staff report.

(b) Discussion of Next Steps for the Distributed City Maintenance Facility Plan (CMF) (No action will be taken)

The execution of the Distributed City Maintenance Facility Plan (CMF), approved by the City Council in 2019, is nearing completion. The CMF authorized and funded “early work” improvements at the North Maintenance Facility (North MF), design and construction of improvements at the Ballinger Maintenance Facility (Ballinger MF) and schematic level and final design for the Hamlin Maintenance Facility (Hamlin MF) and North MF. The early work at North MF is complete, the Ballinger MF improvements are scheduled for completion in the first half of 2024 and the schematic design phase of the Hamlin MF is complete. With completion of the schematic design, the next step in thePlan is to complete the final design for Hamlin MF and North MF.

There are impediments to implementing the CMF as originally envisioned however, with the most notable barrier being insufficient funding to construct facility improvements at Hamlin MF and North MF. As a result, staff have identified a revised strategy for the maintenance facilities.

--Pam Cross


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Pam Cross: So... just what is a Concept Design

Sunday, January 14, 2024

The sign at Hillwood Park is a statement of concept design.

By Pam Cross

It seems as if every time we turn around we are looking at a Concept Design for a new building, a new car, a new plane, a new park, or the latest expansion of Sound Transit. So what exactly is a Concept Design?

A concept design refers to the early idea or plan that will guide the design of a specific project. It is the very basic structure of what something will look like upon completion. Because it is preliminary, the concept design must be fluid.

Example: Park Concept Design

Once a bond measure passes the voters and the funding is available, the real work begins. The park has to be designed, construction plans need to be drawn up and the actual building of it needs to be opened up to the public for bidding. There are a multitude of steps along the way and each is critical to ensuring the project is successful.

The pictures we see on the City’s website and in the presentation materials are design concepts that reflect the priorities from public feedback regarding the types of park amenities desired, and provide a general idea of how the park improvements may look.

The City of Shoreline website states:
 
“There will be a public engagement process incorporated in the final design process. What won’t change in the final design are the amenities that are going into each park and the general location of the amenities.”

There is a lot of work that is still to come: design, construct, improve, obtain permits, renovate, acquire, develop, or equip, all necessary appraisals, inspection and testing, demolition, administrative expenses, permitting, mitigation, construction, and so forth. So completion is a long way from a concept design.

If we look at the actual wording of Parks Proposition 1 we see the following: (emphasis is mine)


“The Projects shall include the acquisition of real property as necessary to locate such facilities. The City shall complete the Projects at the time, in the order and in the manner deemed most necessary and advisable by the Council.

"The Council shall determine the exact specifications for the Projects, and the components thereof, as well as the timing, order and manner of completing the components of the Projects. The Council may alter, make substitutions to, and amend such components as it determines are in the best interests of the City and consistent with the general descriptions provided herein.

"If the Council shall determine that it has become impractical to design, construct, improve, obtain permits, renovate, acquire, develop, or equip all or any component of the Projects by reason of changed conditions, incompatible development, costs substantially in excess of the amount of Bond proceeds or tax levies estimated to be available, or acquisition by or dependence on a superior governmental authority, the City shall not be required to provide such component or components.

"If all of the Projects have been constructed or acquired or duly provided for, or found to be impractical, the City may apply remaining proceeds of the Bonds authorized herein (including earnings thereon) or any portion thereof to other park, recreation and open space capital purposes or to the redemption of the Bonds as the Council, in its discretion, shall determine.”

Clearly changes can be made by the City after the proposition has been passed. None of this information was hidden in “the fine print” - it is clearly stated in the proposition.

We have to remember that landscaping takes time to grow and the “finished product” likely won’t look finished for some time.



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North City Water: Providing adequate fire flow and water pressure for Shoreline's rapid development

Friday, January 12, 2024

Diane Pottinger
District Manager
By Diane Pottinger, District Manager
North City Water District

With all the new high-rise development in Shoreline, rumors have arisen that there’s not enough consistent water pressure to adequately service fire hydrants in the city. Thankfully, this is not true in North City Water District’s service area.

New high-rise developments, including single-family residential neighborhoods that are redeveloped with new, large multi-family structures, require larger water mains to meet their increased fire flow demands.

While North City Water District does not control or oversee this development, we are responsible for ensuring every new development permitted in our service area by the Cities of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park has adequate water pressure and fire flow, with water mains adequately sized to accommodate the new structures.

Managing The Process

Before any development is approved for a City building permit, the developer, property owner, or homeowner must begin by identifying all existing and potential water “units” that are or will be associated with the proposed property—including sinks, washing machines, showers, etc.—using the Uniform Plumbing Code to know how much water flows through the various units. We encourage they schedule a meeting with us so we can assist them in this process and discuss the potential project’s impact on the water system.

They must also obtain a permit from the applicable Fire District.

Then the developer, property owner, or homeowner must submit a request form and pay a fee to North City Water District to have us conduct a Fire Flow Analysis.

Conducting Fire Flow Analyses

A Fire Flow Analysis indicates how much water is currently available for the potential new development. We use a computerized hydraulic model to hypothetically assess the impacts on our water system in order to measure projected water flow to the new development. We analyze multiple factors—from the project’s location within our system, and the distance from the project to nearby fire hydrants, to project size and even intended construction materials.

Example: if a contractor approached us wanting to build a very large wooden structure for a multi-family or office space, we would run a hydraulic model to identify the available fire flow rates at specific hydrant locations in the system. Because a large structure built primarily of wood could require additional fire flow (as compared to the fire flow requirements of steel or concrete materials), we would need to identify which water mains needed to be upsized to meet the fire flow demand required by the Uniform Fire Code.

Continuing with this example, a structure built primarily of wood could require a large amount of new water mains. We would then need to conduct further analysis to determine the right diameters of the new water mains, since the diameter of every pipe in our closed loop system affects the flow rate in every other pipe (much like a human circulatory system, which includes everything from large arteries to smaller veins and capillaries). Selecting the right water main diameters ensures proper water pressure as well maximum velocity in each fire flow location.

Sharing all of this information with the developer early on in the process allows them to reconsider the type of building material before the project is too far along. It also determines whether the developer, property owner, or homeowner will be required to make additional improvements to the water system in order to accommodate the impacts of their project.

If the results of the Fire Flow Analysis indicate the District’s existing system can provide adequate fire flow to the proposed development, the District will issue a Certificate of Water Availability to the developer, property owner, or homeowner, and the developer can connect to our existing water system after they pay a connection charge.

When the results of the Fire Flow Analysis indicate the District’s existing system can not provide adequate fire flow to the proposed development, the developer, property owner, or homeowner must enter into a Water System Extension Agreement (WSEA) with North City Water District to make the necessary system improvements that will achieve adequate fire flow before connecting to our water system.

Growth Pays for Growth

During the negotiation of Water System Extension Agreements, we ask developers to pay for upsizing the water mains that go to their structures, and also have them construct the actual improvements using the very same set of design and system standards that we follow on our own projects.

This ensures the cost of the new water connection is paid for by the developer, which helps keeps our water rates affordable for everyone, while improving the overall water system.

Should you have any additional questions about water pressure, fire flow, or your water system in general, feel free to give us a call at 206-362-8100.

Founded in 1931, North City Water District (formerly King County Water District No. 42 then Shoreline Water District) currently serves approximately 25,000 people within the cities of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, covering a roughly 5 square mile area. As a public water district, we operate independently from the City of Shoreline, WA

Photos courtesy North City Water


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Public comment period for Parkwood Shoreline III Apartments now open

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

A map from SEPA review documents shows the Shoreline III site.

By Oliver Moffat

Developers building an apartment along in the southeast corner of the Parkwood neighborhood on 147th street have posted site plans for review and the public comment period is open now until January 19th. 

Named the Shoreline III, the apartment building will replace eight single family homes with 360 homes and include affordable homes and retail space. The building will be built between 1st Ave and I-5 and stand south of the Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Church (SUUC) and Philippi Presbyterian Church.

It will be one block away from the planned pedestrian bridge across I-5 to the 148th Light Rail Station.

Logs from removed trees on the future site of the Shoreline III apartment building
Photo by Oliver Moffat

The plan calls for an 8-story apartment building with 360 units to house about 684 residents. According to the plan, 20% of the homes (72 total) will be affordable to people earning less than 70% of Shoreline’s median income. 

There will be roughly 3,000 square feet of retail space, 268 parking spaces, and a breezeway running north through the middle of the building. Renderings of the building are available on the developer’s website.

Previously, the block had eight single family homes - all of which will be demolished. 28 significant (large) trees have already been removed. 

According to the Landscape Plan and confirmed by the City Manager’s office, the developers do not need a permit to remove trees and are not required to replace the trees because the site is zoned MUR-70 and is not in a critical area. More details on Shoreline’s tree regulations are available on the city’s website.

Our region faces a housing affordability crisis with more than 53,000 people experiencing homelessness each year. According to the King County Council, to solve the housing crisis, Shoreline must build more than 13,000 new homes by 2044 - with more than two-thirds of those homes affordable to people making less than the region’s median income. 

To help address this demand, the city of Shoreline rezoned the neighborhoods near the 145th street light rail station to encourage high-density, affordable, transit-oriented housing.

The Evergreen Point Group’s rendering of the Shoreline III apartment complex.

The developer is the Evergreen Point Group, who previously built the Träd apartments in Shoreline’s North City neighborhood and are currently building the Line apartments on 145th Street and 1st Avenue also south of SUUC. 

Scheduled to open in 2024, the Line apartments will have 241 homes of which 20% (48 total) will be affordable to people earning less than 70% of Shoreline’s median income. The Line will include more than 1,900 square feet of ground floor retail space and a Woonerf (pedestrian friendly road) will run through the property.

The state environmental protection act (SEPA) requires projects such as the Shoreline III to seek public comments because of the size and scope of the development. The SEPA public comments allow neighbors to review plans and comment on concerns about the environmental impact of developments. More details on the project and information on how to comment is available on Shoreline’s website.


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