If you believe that, you haven't been paying attention. The Roosevelt Development Group, their public relations hiree, and their attorney have been cozying up to the Roosevelt and Ravenna neighborhoods since the fall of 2008 when they contracted to lease the Hugh Sisley properties for 99 years.
About two weeks ago the RDG met with the Seattle Department of Development (DPD) with a few questions about applying for a contract rezone of the properties owned by Hugh Sisley. On April 13, 2009 the city responded that they would like a "map indicating the parcels included in the proposed rezone, and the range of proposed zones and heights for each parcel..." and "(a) narrative describing the rezone proposal."
RDG opted to share their response to the DPD with some of the people in the neighborhood on Monday 4/27.
The DPD and the community need this information to formulate a comprehensive Environmental Impact Study. The DPD and community need details so we can assure that the study will include all of the factors that would change with the proposition.
The developer's response consisted of a one page letter and a zoning plat drawing with the high and low zoning limits and the changes they are requesting. Here is the zoning change plat and an excert from the letter:
What is missing?
A. Any detail about the proposed number of units that might be built in any of these areas.
B. Any respect at all for the Roosevelt Neighborhood Plan.
C. Any respect at all for current zoning.
D. Any respect at all for the input of the community during the DPD sponsored meetings.
E. Any recognition that the property that falls east of 15th Ave NE is not in the Roosevelt Urban Village and that it would require a change in the Seattle Comprehensive Plan to include those properties.
F. Any sense at all that they recognize the importance, beauty and historical significance of the Roosevelt High School building.
G. Any concern at all for the community request to observe transitioning from single family zones into zones of greater height and density.
Notice that other than changing the single family zoning along 15th Ave NE to L2-NC2-30, all of the minimum requests equal or exceed 65 feet, some extending as high as 160 feet. Notice what NC3 zoning permits. Zoning codes described.
A few local neighbors met today and discussed the proposal. It's possible the community needs an attorney versed in zoning and development to help us prevent irresponsible development in this area. These developers, in my opinion, are offering nothing constructive or beneficial for the community. Of course the cooperation of the land owner would be an important factor to any accomplishment along that line, and no one is expecting that.
My mission is to be a part of those who will educate and inform as many affected residents and business owners as we can as this process continues. No one in the neighborhood wants to see the poorly maintained buildings in this property group continue to be rat infested, fire traps. They are certainly eyesores. They denigrate the educational institution they surround, but we have pride in. They are a negative influence on our students. For my part, I see even the low end of the proposal an affront to the wellbeing of the neighborhood, the students who attend our school, and the businesses which serve our people.
I could go on and on. Thanks for reading to this point. If this issue interests you, please contact me or respond here and we will keep the dialogue going. I, for one, will not sit around and do nothing. The time to resist has come, as later, if a rezone is granted, will be too late.
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Keep your eyes on the prize and work with what you've got. It's about the neighborhood, right? This corner is the gateway to Roosevelt which is an amazing opportunity. RDG and Sisley are just the landscape you have to work in.
I don't know anything about the RDG but it is entirely possible that the only language they understand is money, so speak that language. Want housing for teachers? See if you can trade: get the city to reduce the parking requirements (building those underground garages is expensive) for apartments pegged to median teacher salary. Seems like a no-brainer to me since the teachers could walk to work.
You may need a lawyer given the Sisley history, but I think what you really need is a consultant who knows how a developer thinks. Be clear and specific about goals for this location and come up with some legally binding language that still leaves the developer something to
work with. Maybe you could email Dan Bertolet (hugeasscity at noisetank dot com) and get some advice from armchair planning nerds.
Also keep in mind the neighborhood will probably get some design review input. And I hate to harp on this, but if you're serious about preserving the historic character someone should explore what North Slope in Tacoma did to become a National Historic District in 2003.
Thank you, Joshua. Your input is constructive and helpful. I will follow up on your suggestions. A big part of the problem is that the Roosevelt Community spent over two years developing a design and method to grow so that light rail would come here and so that the necessary increase in density would provide both housing and transportation for teachers, among others, who have been priced out of Seattle markets for too long. We embrace growth.
The concept that the high school would be surrounded on two sides by buildings 125-160 feet tall, wholly comprised of rental tenants may result in a worse condition than what currently exists. It looks like 10-15 years of construction going on in the area. It looks like a monumental increase in car, bus and pedestrian traffic at the intersection of 65th and 15th. It looks like it would create a canyon of darkness along 65th and bordering the high school property.
The Brooklyn Court development (at 12th and 68th) is expected to move forward, and was planned within the design and scope of current zoning and the neighborhood plan. I am one of many opposed to granting favors to one man because what’s next might be better than what he let happen to his land over the past 20+ years. I doubt if it would be. But there are many reasons this development shouldn’t be where it’s proposed.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Thanks Glenn. I hear your frustration and the neighborhood concerns are real. Overall the theme I'm hearing is "let's minimized the damage these properties can do," though, which seems backward to me. I'm not an expert in the planning process, but can't community leaders basically make a list of features they want (within reason) which the city should then enforce? Perhaps I'm getting mixed up with design review--in any case, this is why it would be great to speak with an experienced developer or architect. In the meantime, my wife and I are happy to provide input as interested outsiders.
Hi Joshua,
Thanks again for your comments.
RDG first approached the community with open arms telling us they wanted to embrace the community. We had reservations because of the history of these properties, but we were open. The meetings were staged by a PR firm and always attended by RDG’s land use attorney. The trio frequently promised to tell us what they had in mind. Our simple question was what will it look like.
Meanwhile RDG spent time schmoozing the city council. “Look how bad these building are, and we’re going to make it all better,” is my paraphrase of their message.
RDG tried to paint the picture of an obstinate landowner who demand the project meet his needs or he would cancel the lease. They continued telling the community how nice it was going to be because they were going to manage it and wanted it to be profitable.
With each meeting our hope that they had genuine concern for the community diminished. I know from spending a dozen years as a contractor that when a project is in its infancy, there is little I could do but picture the completed building in my mind. But from these people we can’t even get a pencil sketch. After 6 months of asking we only know that they want buildings up to 160 tall. They’ve claimed that if they have to build to current code, it would only be a 4 story box and it would be ugly. I’m sorry, but it is possible to build to code and make beautiful buildings.
So they really have little interest in what the community wants. And no one with a creative mind wants to work with the land owner. He has already severed those relationships. Anyone can see how much he cares about the community.
My wish, right now, is for RDG to fail with the rezone, pick up their briefcase and head on down the road. And secondly, I wish for the community to contact the city council, the land owner, their neighbors, and anyone else that has ever or will ever need to travel down NE 65th Street between I-5 and 20th Ave NE and demand that the vacated buildings be removed and the debris cleaned up.
Neither the landowner, nor the developer, give a damn about what the neighborhood looks like now, and I doubt they will care later. Now is not the time for excuses. Now is the time to get the mess out of our face.