Petition of City Investors IV, LLC for the vacation of a subterranean portion of the alley in Block 89, D.T. Denny's 5th Addition to North Seattle, bounded by Westlake Avenue North, 9th Avenue North, Denny Way and John Street.
The Report of the Transportation Committee Agenda Item 22 Clerk File 313894. The petition of City Investors for LLC for the vacation of a subterranean portion of the alley and block 89. Denise fifth addition to North Seattle, bounded by Westlake Avenue, North Ninth Avenue, North Denny Way and John Street. The committee recommends the full council grant the petition as condition. Thank you, Councilmember Rasmussen. Thank you. The petitioner is seeking a subterranean elevator case as a part of a commercial residential project with two towers on an entire block in the South Lake Union neighborhood. The block is bordered on the South, by Denny way, by John Street on the North Lake on the East Ninth Avenue on the West and unimproved alley runs north and south, and it bisects the entire block. Generally, a full vacation is necessary only when a building is proposed atop the right of way, and when the petitioner seeks to gain an extra land area in order to increase the building floor area. But the vacation is not sought for those reasons, and instead is requested to allow the construction of a garage and loading access area and a single location from John Street under the block rather than using the alley. Given the traffic conditions on Denny Way, Daly is not usable for through traffic. The alley would instead continue to function as a public pedestrian access area, open space, and would continue to contribute to the network of open spaces in the neighborhood. For that reason, under the street location policies, public ownership of the right away is a preferred method. The public benefits that are being proposed includes the alleyway right away will be improved for pedestrians and bicyclists and will not be open to motor vehicles, landscaping and public improvements to the triangular portion right of way at the corner of Ninth Avenue and Denny Way will be constructed at the petitioners expense. Green Street improvements will be provided on John Street and a voluntary step back and streetscape improvements has been offered and will be constructed on Denny Way. Street streetscape improvements on Ninth Avenue, North and West Lake Avenue North will also be constructed at the petitioners expense. One of the concerns that came up is that because the Surface Alley right of way will still be in public ownership, but the abutting properties will be designed in such a way that it makes both the public and the privately owned areas appear to be one. It will make it difficult for the average person to know what is public right away and what is private property. So what the Transportation Committee said and requested at the committee meeting was to include a condition, and you'll see that condition now set out in the vacation petition itself or the is the planned use and development agreement that it is Section seven that the applicant has to incorporate clear and obvious design cues to delineate, delineate between the public property and their private property. The condition requires that the applicant work with the Design Commission and the Commission for People with Disabilities and the Department of Transportation to include design elements in wayfinding signage to more clearly defined public space. At the committee meeting, Councilmember O'Brien abstained from voting on this matter. I don't know if the language has included in the property use and development agreement would satisfy his concerns. Certainly it is a strong statement of. Ahmed out of the petitioner that they do clearly delineate between the public property and the private property, and that they work with the design commission, the Commission for People with Disabilities, and has started to ensure that that does happen. The rest of the committee members who attended did support approval with that condition being added. Thank you. Questions or comments? Those in favor of granting the petition petition as conditioned vote I by those opposed vote no. The motion carries the petition is granted as conditioned and the chair will sign the conditions of the City Council. Immediately following this council meeting, the council's central Waterfront Seawall and Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program Committee will meet and that meeting will begin at 325. Are there any other items to come before? Oh, that's right. Item number one. Yes. We'll return now to item number one on the agenda. If the clerk could read that in. And thank you for the reminder. Agenda item one Council Bill 118578 relating to the Construction and Land Use Fund, adding a new section to 2.202.070 to the Seattle Municipal Code introduced November 30th, 2015. Thank you, Councilmember Lakota. Second time is the term and more prep for this time. Okay, so this bill amends this year municipal code to allow a transfer of funds from the construction and land use if authorized by ordinance. Among other things, the Construction Land Use Fund receives revenue from judgments for construction of land use code violations. Generally, judgment revenue is used for cost recovery. This bill, however, would enable transfer of revenue from judgments related to the Cicely properties for other uses. Right. Thank you. Questions or comments? Please call the roll on the passage of Council Bill 118578. Back shot by Gordon Gonzalez, Carol Licata, Rasmussen and President Burgess seven in favor and opposed. The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Now, is there any other business to come before the council? We will adjourn and then reconvene in 5 minutes as the Select Committee on the Central Waterfront. Thank you.