The former Vitamilk Dairy property, located one block east of Green Lake, may become the home of a six-story, multi-use development.
On behalf of the property owner, Seattle-based developer Lorig Associates L.L.C. submitted a request to rezone nearly 3 acres of land connected to the site.
If approved, the developers would be allowed to build up to 65 feet. The property could hold up to 10,000 square feet of commercial/retail space and up to 300 units of residential housing, estimated Lorig representative Tom Bartholomew.
Neighborhood impacts?
The size of the development has many worried about its impacts on the surrounding neighborhood.
At a recent public meeting in Green Lake, a slide show of the surrounding area gave the audience a sense of the project's scale. The property's boundaries stretch from Northeast 70th Street to the south to Northeast 72nd Street to the north and would extend from Fifth Avenue Northeast to the narrow arterial of Woodlawn Avenue Northeast. Except for the nearby Green Lake Condos, the building would tower over most of its neighboring properties.
Hoping to mitigate potential problems, the Green Lake Community Council created a task force of neighbors to collaborate with Lorig Associates and the Department of Planning and Development.
"We didn't want to be an adversary. We wanted to partner with them," said Green Lake Community Council vice president Ref Lindmark."We're not out to stop [the development], we're out to make a better project."
After four months of meetings, the task force created a proposal outlining a series of recommendations to the rezone. The plan sets down guidelines for the developers, including the need for easy pedestrian access, a feeling of safety and an aesthetically appealing design that respects the scale and character of the existing neighborhood.
"The idea is to come up with something that is safe and attractive that doesn't have a canyon feel," Lindmark remarked.
Changing zones
The neighborhood's long-range plan originally called for replacing the property's current commercial zoning with neighborhood/commercial (NC2-40) and multifamily zoning (L4). According to the city's zoning requirements, NC2-40 would serve the surrounding area, allowing a neighborhood commercial development with small- to medium-size businesses, such as a small grocery store, coffee shop or video outlet.
However, the developer has requested NC3-65 (neighborhood/commercial, up to 65 feet) zoning, which would create a destination shopping district serving both the neighborhood and the larger community. Typical commercial uses would include a supermarket, restaurant/bar and offices.
The council hopes to keep NC2-40 zoning in the north parcel but requested NC2-65 zoning in the middle and south parcels, allowing the developer to build beyond the property's 40-foot height limit.
"I don't agree with going to 65-feet," indicated a disappointed neighbor."It's the busiest corner of the park and would impact the area even more in terms of aesthetics, population density and congestion."
Lindmark acknowledged the challenges associated with the building's size. "There were some differences of opinion about [the zoning]," he said."It's gonna be big. That scares some people."
"The community isn't in a position to downzone," he added."To make it viably successful as a project, [the developer] indicated that he needed to build up to 65 feet."
Lindmark indicated that the community wants to avoid potential impacts by affecting how the frontage is built. One possibility is to build back from the street, which prevents a bulky base and allows for light to come through the property.
Additionally, they hope to create the appearance of a small retail district, rather than a big commercial development.
At the recent public meeting, Lorig Associates indicated that they would seek out businesses that would complement the community.
"We see this as a neighborhood-oriented place. We're gonna try to get some very nice, local tenants," said Bruce Lorig, who hopes to attract regional chains like City People's Mercantile and Larry's Markets.
Concerning parking and traffic concerns, Lorig representatives indicated that they will construct underground parking to accommodate additional congestion associated with the project.
Despite potential impacts, many hope that the new development will breathe life into Green Lake's sleepy retail district.
"For our business district to do well, we needed more shops here," Lindmark said of Green Lake's potential for growth."I think people want a successful development."
If all goes well, construction is estimated to begin by mid-2006. Meanwhile, the committee's recommendations will be presented to the city's hearing examiner for consideration. The public will be invited to participate in the upcoming design-review process.
"Our anticipation is that the community will be involved in every step of the process," a hopeful Lindmark said.
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