October 2018
Madison Park Times
Serving East-Central Seattle since 1983
Real Estate
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Save Madison Valley works on case Group to argue city erred in issuing permit for The Madison development during December hearing By Brandon Macz
Madison Park Times editor Save Madison Valley is facing a lengthy uphill battle when it makes its case for why the City of Seattle erred in permitting the construction of a major multifamily housing project in the neighborhood earlier this year. “We’ve been told, and we all know, community groups rarely win these kinds of things,” said Melissa Stoker during the Sept. 18 Madison Valley Community Council meeting. The neighborhood group in August filed an appeal with the Seattle Hearing Examiner. SMV challenges a final recommendation of the design review board, the director’s decision on a land use application by architecture firm Studio Meng Strazzara and the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection’s land use code interpretation for The Madison project at
2925 E. Madison St. A preconference meeting was held on Sept. 13, and the hearing is now set for the entire week of Dec. 10. The Madison would replace City People’s Garden Store with a six-story mixed-use development that includes 82 housing units and a PCC Market. A tree canopy sloping down from East Madison to Dewey Place East would also be removed; six townhomes are planned to front Dewey. Save Madison Valley is arguing that the city erred in determining there would be no significant environmental impacts from the development, and did not properly apply its own codes when assessing the Velmeir Properties project for a master use permit. The appeal states the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections director did not properly analyze adverse impacts related to slopes, surface water,
Photo by Brandon Macz Legal counsel for Save Madison Valley and Velmeir Companies will go before the Seattle Hearing Examiner regarding a challenge to The Madison on Dec. 10. it builds its case for the weeklong hearing. groundwater, sewer, wastewater, flooding, The neighborhood group has spent trees, land use, wildlife, transportation, more than two years challenging aspects parking, noise, infrastructure, aesthetics of The Madison’s design, including during and construction. Stoker said SMV is working with its legal counsel to gather data and witnesses as APPEAL, Page 6
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