The Downtown Alley Cat Is Now On The Prowl: Part 10
As I walk the alleys of Seattle every day, I see more and more evidence of why an alley code amendment is long overdue. For example, when I heard that the design team for the high-rise proposal at 1516-2nd Ave [#3032531] said they wanted to make the already busy alley behind the tower the "front door" of the building, with a port cochere for residents to pick up their Ubers, I meowed under my breath “you cannot be serious!!!”
This is a working alley [between 2nd & 3rd Ave, and Pine & Pike]—it’s ugly and narrow and busy and dangerous…
and this project already will expect traffic from almost 300 parking stalls. What gives a developer the right to overwhelm a working alley, where every other building relies on the alley for loading and waste storage--especially since on-street loading spots continue to be taken away?
There’s going to be a huge safety risk in this alley, too…not just for us alley cats, but for pedestrians and residents of he other buildings along this alley. This proposed port cochere is located directly across from the 110 year old Fischer Studio Building's fire escape and utility room door. That will put their residents and staff in direct contact with a larger than average number of vehicles in order to service their building.
And, finally, both us and humans will need to beware of the gigantic increase in emissions from cars and delivery vehicles that will be stuck in this narrow alley.
Click on the link below and see more evidence for why the non-functional design for this project must be improved, and why an Alley Code Amendment is so desperately needed here in downtown Seattle.
—Sincerely,
DAC
