June 10, 2010 - Latest Developments Regarding View Analysis for the Proposed Development at the current site of B&O Espresso

Another update regarding the B&O Espresso building site – this time regarding public views of the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound and the city skyline.

“It is the City’s policy to protect public views of significant natural and human-made features:…the Olympic Mountains, the downtown skyline, and major bodies of water including Puget Sound….from public places consisting of specified….scenic routes and view corridors identified in Attachment 1. The decisionmaker may condition or deny a proposal to eliminate or reduce its adverse impacts on designated public views.” – Seattle Municipal Code 25.05.675 P. Public View Protection (This subsection does not apply to the Space Needle, which is governed by another subsection.)

Please see the images below taken from the developer’s “Scenic Route View Study” showing the current view and the blocked view should the proposed building be placed on the B&O building site. 1650Choice encourages you to take a moment and walk to Harvard Ave East and East Olive Way and experience this great view up close and see what will be lost if this development is allowed to move forward as planned. 1650Choice supports drastically limiting this project in height and scale and encourages you to send comments adamantly protesting the blockage of this great view with another large apartment building.

We encourage you to provide your comments to the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development regarding this potential blockage of the scenic view from Olive Way, looking west to the mountains and sound. Send your comments to: Bruce Rips, bruce.rips(at)seattle.gov or PO Box 34019, Seattle, WA 98124.



December 21, 2009 - Latest Developments and Info Regarding how to Voice Your Concerns

A Master Use Permit (MUP) application has been applied for the building proposed to be built on the site of the B&O Espresso. The posted MUP sign, stating information about this proposed project, has been placed on the south wall of the B&O Espresso business. This is only one part of due process and is required before consideration for a building permit is granted by DPD. This is not a building permit. The MUP public comment period for this proposed project has been extended until December 30, 2009.

1650choice urges you to take a moment and mail or email comments or concerns regarding this project to: DPD, Attn. Bruce Rips, 700 – 5th Avenue, Suite # 2000, P.O. Box 34019, Seattle, WA 98124; 206-684-8467; or email to: PRC@seattle.gov. Be sure and include the Master Use Project No. 3002133.

These public comments are very important. We know you may have already sent comments to DPD, but this is another important opportunity to reiterate your concerns.

We should clarify that this MUP process is independent of the nomination process for historic landmark status. This historic nomination process is required before consideration to grant a building permit may proceed. The historic landmark nomination process is the last important step that may help save the B&O building and your support is greatly needed and appreciated. PLEASE attend the nomination meeting. 1650choice will notify you when this nomination meeting is scheduled.

Also, a final Design Review meeting will take place early next year and 1650choice will notify you of this meeting date and location as well.

It is understood that there is a lot of information and many scheduled meetings involved with this entire process. At times, it becomes frustrating and may get to a point where it is questioned if anything we do in this long, involved process can have an affect on saving the existing B&O building. We believe it is possible and worth trying. Without the thousand signatures already collected on the 1650choice petition, this project would not have been considered for the historic landmark nomination process. Only time and your enduring involvement and continued participation will tell.

PLEASE continue with your involvement and support:

1. Write or email your comments to DPD concerning this proposed project’s Master Use Permit application. (Project No. 3002133)

2. Attend the nomination meeting for historic landmark status (very important).

3. Attend the next Design Review meeting and continue to share your comments and concerns.

Thank you,
1650choice.org

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January 17, 2008 - Notice about upcoming Design Review Meeting.

There is an upcoming public meeting about the new building proposed to replace the B&O Espresso building. The meeting is a “Design Review Meeting” and is an opportunity for you to provide design input and voice your concerns about the proposed new building.



Date/Time: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 8:00 p.m.

Location: Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway, Room 4106



We want to tell you how you can be most effective at this upcoming meeting (with regards to a new building on this site.)

Your most effective input for the design of a new building on that site will be to:

Attend the meeting and submit your comments in writing to the Board (there is a public comment period, but if lots of people show up not everyone will get a chance to speak) Read/scan the guidelines (prior to the meeting; not mandatory but advised) During the public comment part of the meeting (if time permits), tell the Board members which guidelines you think should apply, and/or what desirable features in general you think should be included in the design Feel free to express your desire to have the B&O stay in this location but make that part VERY BRIEF (you could even just say, “I feel the same as that guy that just spoke.”) because the purpose of the meeting is for design review and that’s what the City will be focused on accomplishing. We will all get cut off if we talk too much about the B&O, which will limit the kind of comments that WILL bear weight in this Design Review meeting for the proposed new building.

You can read about the City of Seattle’s Design Review process at: http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/dpd/Planning/Design_Review_Program/Overview/default.asp

There was an earlier Design Review Meeting for this project in 2006 - you may have attended that. Because that meeting was too long ago, and only one current Board member will be present from the 2006 meeting, this upcoming meeting is a repeat of that meeting: Early Design Guidance, during which the Board will be re-applying design guidelines to which the proposed building must adhere….sort of a “start-over”. The current Board is not required to “keep” the design guidelines established at the 2006 meeting, they can completely revise the guidelines. The 2006 guidelines for this project are attached to this email.

Our arguments should be directed toward avoiding another huge, monolithic, dense building lacking both charm and character. These are the kinds of new buildings we are seeing all over Capitol Hill that are destroying the sense of neighborhood that we identify with.

Please take a moment to jot down any ideas or thoughts that you deem important and have them available to submit to the Board at this meeting. Submitting your suggestions and concerns in writing is VERY important and by far the most effective way to be “heard” and to have them entered into the public record for this proposed project.

Tell others about this upcoming meeting. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!! We need as much attendance and support as possible to express our displeasure with this proposed project. See you there!

Aside from the Design Review process, here are the current results from the 1650choice.org website petition:

So far, approximately 1,400 people have signed the petition on the website, providing comments and wanting to be apprised of upcoming meeting or information updates. This number, which grows daily, has people signing the petition strongly in favor of saving the existing B&O Espresso building in our neighborhood and adamantly opposing the proposed redevelopment. Because you are getting this from 1650choice.org, let us first say our primary concern is whether or not the B&O building should be replaced (ABSOLUTELY NOT ! is the consensus from the e-mail feedback). It’s understood that keeping the B&O Espresso business in the existing building is highly desirable and of great concern to the neighborhood. This approach would have to be pursued either through nominating the building as a historic landmark or somehow persuading the developer to sell the building to the B&O owners (not through this Design Review process). Again, the main argument of 1650choice.org is directed toward saving the existing structure with the B&O business intact, instead of building another huge, monolithic dense building lacking both charm and character with little connection to the neighborhood.

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June 1, 2006 - 1650choice.org is officially online.

April 19, 2006 - The first public meeting for the development of the B & O site was held. Download this PDF to view the meeting notes.