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DRA Blog Post Series: Too Big to Fail

Design Review, CongestionDRA Seattletraffic, seattletraffic, seattle, construction, toobigtofailComment
DRA Blog Post Series: Too Big to Fail

The biggest boom since the Gold Rush is rebuilding Seattle’s core with many massive 40 to 50-story towers. Each of these vertical villages will hold 1,000 or more residents and/or office workers. Together they'll generate over 10,000 new vehicle trips a day. All of them are seeking approval with substandard designs for loading and waste facilities.  

 

If allowed to pass, they’ll become a problem for everyone who lives or works downtown. In the City’s mind, these massive towers seem to be too big to fail. However, if they can’t contain their transportation and waste impacts they will dominate shared public right-of-ways, adversely affecting downtown traffic, livability and mobility for first responders.

 

Over the coming weeks DRA will examine how some of these individual towers are being handled in the City’s Design Review process.

Alleys, Design Review, CongestionDRA Seattletraffic, seattletraffic, alleys, seattleComment

More gridlock ahead: Seattle’s 100-year-old alleys were not built for mega-towers.

Density done right could alleviate traffic congestion, but no one is considering the cumulative impact of spiked demand for access and service in alleys from a new round of mega-towers in downtown Seattle.

Alleys, Design Review, CongestionDRA Seattletraffic, seattletraffic, alleys, seattleComment
More gridlock ahead: Seattle’s 100-year-old alleys were not built for mega-towers.
Congestion, Design Review, fairness and justiceDRA SeattleTower spacing, seattle, traffic, seattletraffic, toobigtofailComment

Too Big to Fail: Part 2 of 4 [Project #3028017, Griffin Building & Sheridan Apartments]

While the basic building design is more aesthetically attractive from the street than many of the “big box” designs we’ve seen, this design is not functional, and thus is nowhere close to meeting the standards for approval today. Further, they are not “preserving” the two historic buildings, only using the preservation of the façade to avoid necessary alley setbacks.You will be doing the Applicant a favor by requiring them to come back for a 2nd EDG with a functional ground-floor alley-side design. As is, you have a recipe for loading, servicing, and resident parking disaster.

Congestion, Design Review, fairness and justiceDRA SeattleTower spacing, seattle, traffic, seattletraffic, toobigtofailComment
Too Big to Fail: Part 2 of 4 [Project #3028017, Griffin Building & Sheridan Apartments]
Congestion, Design Review, fairness and justiceDRA Seattletraffic, seattletraffic, seattle, construction, toobigtofailComment

Too Big To Fail: Part 1 of 4; First Light at 2000 - 3rd Avenue


First Light Condominium at 2000-3rd Ave. boasts a rooftop pool and some of the best sunset views in the Pacific Northwest. Its problems come on the ground, where it is not a functional design.  As home to an anticipated 1,600 condo dwellers and office workers, this small village is requesting fewer and smaller loading berths than required by code. Most trucks won't be able to access the berths because the project's narrow alley is lined with dumpsters from neighboring older buildings, home to some of Seattle's most popular restaurants. And ingress and egress from its parking garage will be challenging, if not impossible.

Congestion, Design Review, fairness and justiceDRA Seattletraffic, seattletraffic, seattle, construction, toobigtofailComment
Too Big To Fail: Part 1 of 4; First Light at 2000 - 3rd Avenue
Congestion, Alleys, Design Review, fairness and justiceDRA Seattleallery, seattle, seattletraffic, poordesign, traffic, congestion, toobigtofailComment

Too Big To Fail: Part 3 of 4; Jiffy Lube Site/Silver Cloud Hotel [#3025502]

The Applicant ignored all substantive design guidance from EDG1: loading design, turn radius study, alley circulation, waste storage niche --only to focus on ribbons, colors, palette, etc. That’s like saying "The patient is terribly sick and may die...but is wearing a lovely color of hospital gown.” And what did the Board do in response? They passed the project on to the Recommendation Meeting phase. Unbelievable! If you agree, please voice your displeasure by writing to prc@seattle.gov.

Congestion, Alleys, Design Review, fairness and justiceDRA Seattleallery, seattle, seattletraffic, poordesign, traffic, congestion, toobigtofailComment
Too Big To Fail: Part 3 of 4; Jiffy Lube Site/Silver Cloud Hotel [#3025502]
Alleys, CongestionDRA Seattletraffic, seattletraffic, seattle, construction, alley2 Comments

Too Big to Fail: Part 4 of 4; 5th & Lenora [#3026266]

Just as in what appears to be the Design Review standard script, the Downtown DRB approved yet another major downtown Seattle high rise apartment building (MUP3026266, 2025-5th Ave) with only one, symbolic and for all practical purposes, unusable loading berth! 

How can the Design Review Board keep a straight face while claiming loading berths, waste storage, or parking aren't issues for them to consider? This is the same endless loop of pass the buck we've been fighting for over four years.The DRB says it’s not their purview and will be taken up in SEPA. In SEPA, it is presumed that it has been considered by DRB, when in reality no one has considered functional design.

Alleys, CongestionDRA Seattletraffic, seattletraffic, seattle, construction, alley2 Comments
Too Big to Fail: Part 4 of 4; 5th & Lenora [#3026266]