A unanimous vote from Seattle’s City Council approved rezoning changes for West Seattle’s Triangle on Dec. 19, leading the way for new developments and streetscapes to transform the area confined by Fauntleroy Ave to the northwest, 35th Ave to the east and Alaska St. to the south.

Here are the specifics of the resolution as presented by Councilmember Tom Rasmussen
Rezone from Commercial 1 to Neighborhood Commercial 3, described by the city as “a larger pedestrian-oriented shopping district serving the surrounding neighborhood and a larger community, citywide or regional clientele; allowing comparison shopping among a range of retail businesses.”

“It encourages pedestrian-friendly development while allowing existing buildings to continue to operate and that’s important to the community,” Rasmussen said prior to the vote, mentioning Tom’s Automotive (no relation) and Alki Lumber as examples.

Additionally, the resolution proposes the establishment of a “pedestrian designation” along S.W. Alaska St. between the junction business district and 35th Ave S.W. to encourage the walkable connection between the Junction and Triangle business districts.

The building height will be increased to an allowable height of 85 feet in a “two and a half block area at the core, near the intersection of S.W. Alaska St. and on south to S.W. Edmunds St.” However, the remainder of the Triangle will retain existing height and density so as “to not put too much pressure on the properties, because if they were zoned to a greater height” there would be pressure to sell and the community would lose existing businesses, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said a number of design guidelines will be put in place to ensure people visiting the Triangle will have a sense of open space. For example, he said setbacks of 10 feet will be required at 45 feet to provide a feel of open areas and to offset the building height.

Several local residents in and around the Triangle have voiced their opposition to increased building height for fear of creating a canyon effect and cutting off neighborhood views.

Additionally, Rasmussen said Seattle’s Dept of Transportation has set aside funding to study streetscape and parking plans in the Triangle.

Background
When the Huling Brothers auto dealerships closed in 2007 a lot of space opened up for development in the Triangle, considered the gateway into West Seattle.

“The need for a comprehensive plan for the Triangle became urgent when the Huling Brothers property closed in 2007 and many acres of undeveloped land and parking lots remained in the community and redevelopment of the sites was anticipated,” Rasmussen said. Additionally, with the RapidRide C Line planning two stops in the Triangle in 2012, pedestrian traffic will increase.

Going back a bit further, Rasmussen said in 1999 a West Seattle Junction Hub Urban Village Neighborhood Plan was drafted and the Triangle was slated to become “a vital small business and mixed use district with walkable streets, transit service and improvements to the public places.”

Then, in 2010, the Seattle Department of Planning and Development began working with a community advisory group to develop the “urban design framework” with the following goals (according to Rasmussen):

- To create a walkable, livable neighborhood with active sidewalks and safer pedestrian crossings
- To make this a more attractive gateway with guidelines for landscaping for public and private development
- To create a sense of place by offering a variety of experiences that are compatible with the surrounding residential areas
- A clear pedestrian connection to the Junction
- Create a stronger connection to the public open spaces
- Adoption of a streetscapes concept plan with specific guidelines for each street in the Triangle – from improving Fauntleroy as a boulevard and making Snoqualmie a festival street.

While significant changes to the Triangle are years away, the city council vote paves the way to move forward with the above vision.

For anyone interested in researching the Triangle vision further, three useful documents are included as links at the top of this story.