Category — Landmarks

The Seattle Hearing Examiner is an interesting quasi-judicial role - Hearing Examiner Sue Tanner can reverse, amend or affirm a decision made by a city agency (including the DPD). Lots of interesting appeals make their way to the Hearing Examiner, but the most significant DPD reversal she’s made recently was when she rejected the Master Use Permit issued by the DPD for a parking structure at Woodland Park Zoo.

And one really fascinating decision was reported by the West Seattle Blog today regarding the ‘Landmark Preservation Board’s denial of a “certificate of approval” for the replacement of the Satterlee House’ front lawn on 4866 Beach Drive with three 3,000 sq ft homes.The Hearing Examiner affirmed the Board’s decision, but also provided lots of interesting supporting information - that future appellants of other developments in town might want to keep on file.

• The Hearing Examiner affirmed that the owner couldn’t claim he was being denied ‘reasonable economic use’ because there are other ‘Landmark-compatible’ ways of developing the site that would provide the owner with economic gain
• How building on the front lawn,

“..would destroy the residences “prominence of spatial location” and “contrasts of siting, age and scale” that make it an “easily identifiable visual feature of its neighborhood and contributes to the distinctive quality or identity of such neighborhood”

• And that the landmark status will remain even when the property is sold to another owner. 

All in all a very interesting decision, and one that the West Seattle Blog covered well.(West Seattle Blog photo)   FYI - The Office of the Hearing Examiner also just published this really handy guide to their office. It does a good job of explaining their jurisdiction, what you need to do to prepare for the appeal hearing, and how to file an appeal.