The Applicant for project #3025502 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 and referencing project #3025502.

What is the incentive for the Applicant/Developer to make “real” design improvements, when the Design Review Board does not hold them accountable for following their own Design Guidance? None that we can see. Making this design approval even more ludicrous is the fact that SDOT had sent a letter to the DRB and the SDCI planner on the project on 1/14/19, eight days before the meeting [read aloud at the meeting by DRB Chair Grace Leong] that indicated their disapproval of the loading berth/alley ROW usage design. 

Here are a couple of key quotes (emphasis added): “SDOT does not support the applicant team’s request for a loading berth reduction as currently shown on p.39 of the EDG packet”. “The project may not use the public alley right-of-way to meet the code requirements on the development of private property”.

Full content of SDOT letter to DRB and DSCI

The following are detailed comments and drawings showing why this project fails to pass the test for good functional design:

Comment letter Project 3025502 1/22/2019

Hungry for more “Too Big To Fail“? We wish there weren’t more, but sadly — we’ve got you covered.