05/20/02

Saxe Greenhouse Site

The owners of the Saxe Greenhouse property, located on 25th NE and NE 65th, have applied for permission to build seven buildings on the site.

The proposed development, to be called Ravenna Court, would include four townhouse buildings facing onto 25th NE, a mixed retail and apartment building facing onto NE 65th and two townhouse buildings facing onto 24th NE. Entrance to an underground parking garage for for the apartments above the retail building would be from 24th NE.

Together the buildings would include 34 apartments above the retail, 25 townhouses and eight other apartments with parking for 90 vehicles. Grading for the underground garage would require removing 4200 cubic feet of earth.

All windows on the residential portion of Ravenna Court are shown as vinyl on the architect's plans. Exterior walls will be made of cement fiber board shaped to look like clapboard or batten boards.

A small courtyard, described as "open space" on the plans would be located on the corner at the intersection of 24th NE and NE 65th. It would contain the the entrance to the apartments and an entrance to the retail portion of the building. No canopy or other variation, other than windows, is proposed for the retail frontage of the building where it faces NE 65th.

The period for commenting on SEPA issues arising from the projected development has been extended until Wednesday May 22. (SEPA deals with environmental issues which may be the result of the development of a piece of land.)

The period for comment on design review issues continues until the design review hearing on the project. Design Review deals with, among other issues, traffic, how a building fits into an existing neighborhood and height, bulk and scale of a project.

Five volunteers make up a Design Review Committee. One member has a background in architecture, another has experience in property development and another represents the neighborhood. The committee members review the architect's drawings and a report from the DCLU planner assigned to a project. The report includes comments from people in the neighborhood.

If you wold like to receive notice of the Design Review hearing at which Ravenna Court will be discussed email your request to PRC@ci.seattle.wa.us and refer to MUP 2108312. Notice will be sent by U.S. mail, so give your home address.

Written comments on the project can be sent to Bruce Rips, the planner assigned to the project, at Bruce.Rips@ci.seattle.wa.us or to DCLU, 700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2000 Seattle, WA 98104-500. Again, be sure to refer to MUP 2108312

Ravenna-Bryant Community Association