A community meeting about the $66.9 million, Alki Elementary School construction project is scheduled at the school itself on Monday, May 22, from 7 to 9 p.m.
It will be in the lunchroom at Alki Elementary School, and it will also be available virtually using Microsoft Teams.
The link will be posted on May 22 at www.seattleschools.org/alki-construction
This is chance to meet the project team, learn the latest information and hear what Seattle Public Schools has heard from the community. There will be a Q&A as well.
A flyer (below) is going out to Alki Elementary School families.
Postcards are being mailed to neighbors within 6 blocks.
The project has encountered opposition from neighbors who say that the plans to take the size of the school up to 57 feet high (for the atrium area) to accommodate a projected 540 students on the 1.4 acre site make little sense in the face of the demographics of the Alki neighborhood, the declining enrollment that Seattle Public Schools is seeing and the character of the neighborhood itself.
The portions of the building that exceed the maximum height include the third floor of the main school building, the main school building roof parapet, and the mechanical penthouse to enclose mechanical equipment.
The district is asking for nine departures from the City building code.
They are:
#1: Building Height: Exceed the 35 foot maximum height for schools in residential zones by 22 feet.
#2: Vehicular Parking Quantity: Eliminate all vehicle parking spaces on site.
#3: Bus Loading and Unloading: Retain on-street bus load zone instead of on site.
#4: New curb cut to serve a site without on-site parking.
#5: Curb Cut Width: Exceed maximum allowable 25 foot width by 10 feet.
#6: Curb Cut Flare: Double the maximum allowable 5 foot width.
#7: Bicycle Parking: Substantially reduce quantity below code minimum for elementary schools.
#8: Bicycle Parking Performance Standards: Provide bike shed instead of locked room or cage.
#9: Electronic Reader Board
The district is aware that enrollment has been declining since 2017 but the plans for Alki Elementary call for enough space for close to 30% more students.
