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9:18 am
June 28, 2009


JvA

Neighbor

Comet Lodge area of Mid Beacon Hill

posts 6
1

Anyone know what’s up with the car wash zoning issue? The DPD site still says that compliance was due on June 1:

http://web1.seattle.gov/DPD/pe…..x?id=26197

When I asked Inspector Blackmon about it a couple weeks ago, he referred me to Christopher Ndifon (Christopher.Ndifon@seattle.gov) and Welty Parmenter (Parmenter.Welty@seattle.gov) at the DPD. However, they haven’t responded to my June 15 e-mail.

I’m mostly just curious at this point. Besides the awesome Baja Bistro, there’s never been much of pedestrian interest to me in the center of the Beacon Hill business district, and somehow I’ve managed to shuffle through life OK anyway, right? But I would still love to understand how the DPD works — how many years a business gets to be “awaiting compliance,” if Seattle zoning doesn’t really mean anything, if Beacon Hill issues are usually overlooked, if “pedestrian” has a special definition in the SMC, or what.

Have you guys heard anything? Do you know who these DPD people are who I was referred to? I’d love to see a followup post if you guys have time to check up on it.

5:38 pm
June 29, 2009


Wendi

Admin

North Beacon Hill

posts 45
2

Post edited 5:57 pm – June 29, 2009 by Wendi

I haven’t found out anything new about the original zoning violation complaint. What IS new is this:
http://web1.seattle.gov/DPD/pe…..id=3010412
(and then there’s http://web1.seattle.gov/DPD/pe…..id=6216884 which has been online for a while).

It says “Under threshhold (sic) for SOAD in NC2 5000K sq.ft. change of use in existing structure.” SOAD, I think, is a typo for Station Area Overlay District… is this some attempt to bypass the station-area zoning restrictions? I don’t really understand what this means.

Note also that they have posted a big banner on the front of the building that includes the word “retail”… but also small yellow signs on the entrance that warn pedestrians of constant auto traffic!

Editor, Beacon Hill Blog

5:46 pm
June 29, 2009


Wendi

Admin

North Beacon Hill

posts 45
3

Post edited 9:58 pm – July 1, 2009 by Wendi

Ahh… I think they mean that it is under the threshold for environmental review. See http://www.seattle.gov/DPD/Pla…../Overview/ . It is less than 12,000 feet so no review required.

However, it still violates the pedestrian zoning in the area, so I do not understand why DPD is (apparently) guiding them through the (possibly expensive) process like this. It seems as if this could cost them a lot of money and time and still end up with the business being told they can’t operate there.

Editor, Beacon Hill Blog

3:03 pm
July 16, 2009


Chris

New Neighbor

posts 1
4

It looks like another inspection was performed, and failed, on Tuesday. This is going to end up just like the building across the street; an obvious violation with marginal enforcement by a toothless DPD. I think the place across the street made it up to 9 failed inspections. Now they have a for rent sign out front, which apparently means they are trying to rent the place and the code doesn’t apply. I have wanted to call the number just to see how much the rent is.

The car wash seems pretty busy, so my guess is they will continue to operate while they repeatedly appeal failed inspections. I have walked past there during operating hours and the workers seem to be doing a good job of directing the exiting traffic, but I still think it is a nightmare scenario for pedestrians.
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