Alki beach development plans?

[Matt S.]

I was watching tv and in the ad for the local news, they said something like, "Dream development at Alki? Tune in for the details." There was a photo of Salty's, and then a picture of a computer model showing many bigger buildings along the beach.

I think the news aired yesterday so I have no idea what the real story is. I can't google anything up either. But any building at Alki scares me for obvious reasons.

Putting up a mall or something like that on the water is just a waste of a beach. We can shop anywhere! Does anyone know what may be built?

[CaptnJack]

I have no idea what the plans might be.

But the Shoreline management act requires marine shorelines, and those on major rivers to be maintained as a "water dependent use". E.g. the old condos south of the Alki pipline site would be virtually imppossible to build today. I.e. can't really put a shopping mall out there without a virtual maze of permit variances and exemptions. With real estate tanking big time, I doubt this will go anywhere soon.

Although they might be able to rebuild Salty's into something else.

[kjc]

I have no idea what the plans might be.

With real estate tanking big time, I doubt this will go anywhere soon.

Ya think?

http://www.portseattle.org/downloads/ne ... 801208.pdf

The entire harbor front is owned almost entirely by the Port of Seattle.

The POS Real Estate division is actively seeking to market its future development plans for the harbor front with the intention of there being harmony with the environment! Of the many proposal out there, most involve zoning changes away from heavy industrial to more mixed use commercial - residential with environmental restoration mitigation packages.

Construction and development spending is one of the key indices for economic growth and recovery in looming recessionary times. The POS is looking at the waterfront very carefully with an eye for the future! The 15-20 year POS Capitol Improvement Project budget is only about 1/2 spent! All of the work done in the last 10 years to include the 3rd Runway, A Concourse, Central Terminal Expansion, Satellite Transit System, (the very first airport subway in the whole country 40 years ago!) and all of the rest of the terminal expansion projects at the airport and what has been done and what is being done now at the Seaport amounts to only HALF of what was originally budgeted for!

If anyone is willing to consider anything more in their diving then their next dive, now is the time to become aware of the potential to have underwater marine habitat development included in future land use proposals.

[Matt S.]

That is a great idea.

I wouldn't have the first idea of how to write such a proposal but I would volunteer my elite desktop publishing skills to the job.

Hmm, here's an idea: talk to Bruce Higgins and pick his brain about Edmonds. It's a successful marine park and his figures and timelines would probably be very useful in creating a similar proposal for Seattle.

[kjc]

That is a great idea.

I wouldn't have the first idea of how to write such a proposal but I would volunteer my elite desktop publishing skills to the job. :)

Hmm, here's an idea: talk to Bruce Higgins and pick his brain about Edmonds. It's a successful marine park and his figures and timelines would probably be very useful in creating a similar proposal for Seattle.

Yes, the Edmonds Underwater Park is a PARK!

It is not necessarily marine habitat!

The idea to replace any marine habitat lost to development in the future would be to build actual marine habitat, not just a dive park! Hopefully, there would be shore access to the water and ammenities like restrooms and such included in whatever future plans there may be.

The proposal that I read about for the Alki shoreline was to include the land where Saltys is now, and Coves 1, 2 & 3. It was an extensive development!

It consisted of a mixed use "Alki-Luna Park" type dock for several passenger walk-on ferries, a walk-on ferry maintenance facility, a parking garage for 250 cars, retail and restaurant tenants and a staging area for 10,000 earthquake evacuees from Seattle.

The Alki Ferry was originally funded in part to provide for earthquake evacuation from Seattle.

[CaptnJack]

The Port is always schemeing something, rarely with much of an eye towards state law...

http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/news/20071031a.asp

The goals of the SMP are to maintain preference for water-dependent uses in the shoreline, improve public access, and to restore ecological functions.

Also:
http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/Sho ... efault.asp

1. Preferred Shoreline Uses: The SMA establishes preferred uses in order to prioritize water-oriented uses and ensure that land uses are appropriate for the environmental context.

In other words, you can't put a shopping mall along the Alki waterfront.

[Penopolypants]

It looks like permits have been applied for to create two new buildings on a piece of property southeast of Salty's, in the triangle created by SW Florida St., Harbor Ave., and the railroad tracks. One is to be a 3-story office building and the other is a 2 story retail/restaurant building.

BUT...this project is between Harbor Ave and the railroad tracks, not directly on the shoreline.

[Grateful Diver]

It looks like permits have been applied for to create two new buildings on a piece of property southeast of Salty's, in the triangle created by SW Florida St., Harbor Ave., and the railroad tracks. One is to be a 3-story office building and the other is a 2 story retail/restaurant building.

BUT...this project is between Harbor Ave and the railroad tracks, not directly on the shoreline.

If I'm not mistaken, that's a currently undeveloped piece of property containing a bunch of trees and an eagle's nest ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Penopolypants]

It looks like permits have been applied for to create two new buildings on a piece of property southeast of Salty's, in the triangle created by SW Florida St., Harbor Ave., and the railroad tracks. One is to be a 3-story office building and the other is a 2 story retail/restaurant building.

BUT...this project is between Harbor Ave and the railroad tracks, not directly on the shoreline.

If I'm not mistaken, that's a currently undeveloped piece of property containing a bunch of trees and an eagle's nest ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

That would be horrifying.

Nah, there's a building and parking there, it's developed Port property.

[kjc]

The Port is always schemeing something, rarely with much of an eye towards state law...

In other words, you can't put a shopping mall along the Alki waterfront.

First you post that you don't know anything, and then you post your opinion about what you don't know.

...uuuh OK?

What ever anyone does or proposes in the future will have to be consistent with law. Consertative cinicism won't change that.

What is topical NOW is that the no net loss of marine habitat is not mainstream in the developmental land use process the way the no net loss of wetlands is.

I think the land use law needs to be changed to reflect the no net loss of marine habitat in land use development so that when land does get changed in the future, new, divable marine habitat is built also.

[CaptnJack]

Ummm dude, the parcel apparently under discussion isn't even waterfront.

Feel free to continue to disagree with every post I make regardless of topic. You've bumped yourself onto my very short ignore list Kevin.

[kjc]

Good.

Since he can't hear me anymore, there is no reason for me, or anyone to tolerate the kind of toxic, self serving persuasion that prevents anyone from enjoying the simple pleasure of falling in the water.

I'm empowered. I can think for myself.

We all are.

[John Rawlings]

Gentlemen.....time for the bouncer to step in.

For whatever reason....and it isn't clear to me.....hostility between the two of you has sprung up on this thread - over issues that SHOULD be matters of public record.

So - if you cannot refrain from directing harsh comments toward each other please take those comments to PMs or, better yet, somewhere other than here.

There is no need to attack another person. Disagreement can be valuable to us all as we can often learn from it, but there is no need on this board to allow anger to take control of your comments.

Please feel free to continue this discussion, but leave the personal jabs out of it.

Thanks!

John