West Seattle property owners Mike Gain and Roger Cayce have asked the city of Seattle to rezone a block of California Avenue Southwest in the Admiral neighborhood that will increase building height by 10 feet, but the proposal has been met with fierce opposition from nearby residents.

If approved, zoning on the 3200 block of California Avenue Southwest between Southwest Hinds Street and Southwest Hanford Street would change from Neighborhood Commercial 1 with a 30-foot height limit (three stories) to Neighborhood Commercial 2 and allow 40 foot high buildings (four stories).

Buildings there are currently limited to 10,000 square feet on the ground floor level. The proposed change would mean new developments could leave a footprint of 25,000 square feet.

The applicants' attorney, Josh Stepherson, said the change would bring "significant benefits" to the area. But nearly 100 community members showed up to bash the proposal during a public meeting last week at West Seattle High.

Blocks to the north and south are already zoned for four story structures, and before 1987, the proposal area was zoned to allow that height. said Stepherson.

But homeowners said views of the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains would be lost from towering new developments, reducing the value of their homes. Many said they are concerned about parking and added traffic congestion that could come with higher density.

Steve Levy has lived on 42nd Avenue Southwest since 1981 and said an additional 10 feet would eliminate his view of the Sound. He's afraid that what are now affordable rentals on that block would be replaced with high-end condos.

"When change is proposed, people want to see how that change will benefit them," said Levy. "In this case it will only negatively impact our quality of life."

Stepherson, who also works part-time for the city's Department of Transportation, said changing the zoning is meant to "reinvigorate" the area, which has a number of vacant storefronts. It's also located in the Admiral Residential Urban Village, an area designated by the city to accommodate growth, he said.

"This proposal intends to make this area a little more vibrant," Stepherson said. "It makes sense to provide a little more density in this area."

There are about 30 parcels in the subject area. Property owners for 25 have been contacted and are in support of the proposal, Stepherson said. Cayce and Gain, who own about 50,000 square feet of property on the block, said they'd like to build mixed-use condo or apartment buildings with two levels of underground parking.

Parking is a big issue in the area, as most developments aren't built with any. It's hard for developers to make parking, which is often as expensive as the development itself, pencil out with three story buildings, said Gain.

The extra height and larger retail spaces would allow developers enough of a profit to make including parking feasible, as well as improve the design of buildings, he said.

It could also encourage new housing and bring in new businesses, increasing employment opportunities. Stepherson said.

Gain, who said he was born and raised in West Seattle, said he cares about building something "aesthetically pleasing" to the community and that the change could be a "win-win" for everyone.

"I'm not a monster developer," he said. "I don't think a10-foot increase on one block will be that devastating for the community. I think it's reasonable to ask for the zoning to be returned."

Mark Wainwright, president of the Admiral Neighborhood Association, said the community group doesn't support the rezone because it runs contrary to specific guidelines in the neighborhood plan, which calls to maintain current zoning to preserve the existing character of the community.

Also, it presents no clear public benefit for the community, such as enhancements to transit, public spaces and contributions to affordable housing funds, he said.

"This is a big deal and we haven't seen enough of what the community gets," said Wainwright. "Zoning was created to accommodate growth and we've got enough there."

Malli Anderson, a planner with the Seattle Department of Planning and Development, will review the proposal using the city's rezone criteria, which takes into consideration zoning history and density requirements established under Seattle's Comprehensive Plan.

She will also look at how the proposed changes fit with goals adopted by the city in 1999 under the Admiral Residential Urban Village Plan.

Then a recommendation will be made to the city's hearing examiner. That decision can be appealed before it goes to the Seattle City Council for a review, public hearing and a vote. The process could take well over a year, said Anderson.

Dennis Ross participated in creating the neighborhood plan and said the proposal is an "egregious violation" of its goals. The city should consider the impact of congestion and potential loss of affordable rentals, he said.

"We need goals for affordable housing and workforce housing," Ross said "I really think this proposal should be denied outright."

One woman questioned the fairness of private business owners proposing a rezone that had great financial benefit for them but not to residents and homeowners.

"I think all of us could retire early if we could rezone our own plot," she said.

Several people said they would like the area to stay relatively undeveloped and keep the bulk of commercial business concentrated in the Alaska and Admiral junctions. Cayce warned that development would happen on that block regardless, but the quality of those developments would depend on the outcome of the proposal.

"There will be growth here whether we build it or someone else does," said Cayce.

Rebekah Schilperoort may be reached at rebekahs@robinsonnews.com