Category — Magnolia/Interbay

I don’t usually come across too many application decisions that the DPD rejects, (and that’s ‘cuz I gotta think you will receive some pretty strong hints from the DPD that your application isn’t going to make it). But here is one rejection today - the applicant wanted to rezone from L3 to NC2-40.

However in this case, it seems like that the source of this rezoning application was the result of a mistake made back in 2003 when the DPD made (but didn’t publish) a decision on a project that was submitted for NC2-40 zoning when in fact the zone was L3. For this particular rezoning application, the DPD weighed the reasons for making this rezone while neighbors submitted 28 written comments and a neighborhood petition with 130 names opposing the rezone.

Anyway, it’s an interesting decision documenting what criteria are used to make an upzone decision and to learn about some errors within the process.

Quote from the decision,

On December 17, 2003, an application was submitted to DPD for a Master Use Permit for Early Design Guidance and SEPA review to construct a four story building with three floors of apartments, ground floor office space and below grade parking at 1966 Thorndyke Avenue West. The application indicated that the zoning was NC2-40. The applicant (Frank) was informed on the same day that the zoning was, in fact, Lowrise-3 (L3) and that a mapping error had occurred that affected not only the applicant’s property but those at 2000 and 2012 Thorndyke Avenue West as well. The L3 zoning had been in effect for many years and research by DPD staff found no ordinance changing the zoning to NC2-40. On June 8, 2005, applicant Frank was then joined by the owners of two other properties where the same mapping errors had occurred in an application for a rezone from L3 to NC2-40.

If you’re interested in learning more about issues related to Magnolia land use, the Magnolia Neighborhood Planning Council has put together a really indepth site that does a really good job of laying out their thoughts about development in Magnolia and Interbay. You can visit their site at magnolianpc.com.