I am writing to declare my opposition to the proposed up-zone of NC-30 properties along California Avenue.

For over 10 years I have been an active participant in the community definitions and Neighborhood Design Standards for the Admiral Urban Village. There are agreements and standards published and supported by the city that were the result of over four years of community participation in the Admiral Neighborhood Plan and Design Standards.

With this proposed up-zone, I see three major deviations from our Admiral Neighborhood "agreements" with the City of Seattle.

First deviation is the property developer's disregard of our agreed community standards for commercial construction in the Admiral Urban Village. The issue is the interface between single family and commercial zoning and the abrupt jump in building height, parking requirements and lot coverage differences.

In our planning efforts, which involved more than 300 neighbors and residents of the declared urban village, we agreed to require gradual transitions between commercial zoning and single family 5,000 zoning. For example, between commercial properties and single family, there would be a rezone for a buffer strip of multifamily or town homes.

Your proposed up-zone from NC-30 to NC-40 creates an unacceptable and unmitigated trespass to the single family properties abutting the proposed up-zone.

The second deviation from our neighborhood standards was the understanding that there was to be a well-established need and community support for significant deviation from our standards. The proposed up-zone must be a positive contribution to the value and quality of life for the residents of the Admiral Urban Village and not just for the property owners along that strip of land.

As I walk this strip of properties each day, I have not seen the burning need for this strip of the village to be up-zoned to help alleviate some pent-up demand for more development. Eighty percent of the properties are not developed to the present allowed NC-30 as of Nov. 6, 2007. There appears to be little need to rip out the present structures, build bigger boxes and up the rent to "drive out" the existing renters. There appears no evidence that the up-zone would benefit or improve the quality of life for the other residents of The Admiral Urban Village.

The third deviation from our agreements between the City of Seattle and the Admiral Urban Village Plan is the recent changes the City of Seattle has approved in commercial property design and development such as reduced parking requirements and lot coverage standards. These city-wide changes were proposed and decided through planning department decisions and our neighborhood had little or no input as to how these changes will affect our local community design specifications. This little neglected issue has all the sting of a slap in the face to the entire body of work completed by our Neighborhood planning efforts.

Because these issues, I see the up zone of this piece of the Admiral Urban Village resulting in a "select few" property opportunists, pocketing a huge increase in property income. The many other residents of the neighborhood will be burdened with a lower quality of life from less parking, less gardening sun light, congestion and no mitigation for the increase in traffic.

Way to go, city government.

Robert Shives

Admiral Neighborhood