Greenwood residents are invited to a March 14 public hearing on rezoning part of downtown Greenwood, which is part of the Greenwood/Phinney Ridge Residential Urban Village. The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) proposes amending the Official Land Use Map to rezone land and apply incentive provisions to encourage affordable housing.

Last summer, the City Council had proposed a more extensive rezone of the land around Fred Meyer, called Greenwood Town Center, but has changed the proposal based on testimony from a July public hearing and more analysis by DPD staff.

The new proposal will NOT apply a pedestrian zone designation to the block facing the south side of NW 85th Street, between 1st and 3rd Avenues NW, which is zoned Neighborhood Commercial 2 with a 40-foot height limit (NC2 40).

But it does increase the maximum floor area ratio (FAR) permitted in mixed-use structures of both residential and non-residential uses on those lots from 3.25 to 4.0, without changing the existing 40-foot height limit. That is designed to encourage affordable housing on those lots.

You can find background on the rezone area on DPD’s website, complete with maps of each proposed rezone area.

The City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Sustainability Committee will hold a public hearing on proposed rezones on Thursday, March 14, in City Council Chambers, Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 2, starting at 9:30 a.m. If you want to testify, a sign-up sheet will be available outside Council Chambers at 9 a.m.

Questions about the public hearing can be directed to Sara Nelson in Councilmember Conlin’s office at 206-684-8805, or sara.nelson@seattle.gov. Written comments can be sent to: Councilmember Richard Conlin, Legislative Department, 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 2, PO Box 34025, Seattle, WA 98124-4025, or by email to richard.conlin@seattle.gov. Written comments should be received by 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 14.

A five-story building is planned for a currently empty lot that has turned into a dumping ground at 143 NW 85th St.

The lot is between a small office building on the right and a home on the left.

The Land Use Application calls for four residential units and one live/work unit on the lot, which includes a steep slope and will require 11,034 cubic yards of grading.

The project requires a SEPA Environmental Determination. The public may comment on the project through Nov. 21.

Taproot Theatre’s expansion plans took another step forward today as the Seattle Department of Planning and Development issued its Determination of Non-Significance with regards to environmental impacts.

The theatre is expanding into the space formerly occupied by four restaurants that burned in the Oct. 23, 2009, arson. The new building will include a second theater, dressing rooms, offices, scene workshop and a café and wine bar at 208 N. 85th Street.

DPD also conditionally approved Taproot’s design plans, and its plan to install a wine bar in its new café.

Appeals of any of DPD’s decisions must be received by the hearing examiner no later than Aug. 30.

This afternoon, the city’s Department of Planning and Development affirmed its original Determination of Non-Significance of environmental concerns at the Greenwood Fred Meyer site. Fred Meyer is now free to begin work on its major renovation of the site, which includes a down-to-the-studs remodel of the existing store, the demolition of the former Greenwood Market building, and a large addition.

Fred Meyer closed the Greenwood store on Feb. 25, before the deadline for appealing the city’s original decision. Neighborhood activist Kate Martin then appealed, and a hearing was held on April 25. Hearing examiner Sue Tanner issued her decision this afternoon.

The city added one condition: Fred Meyer will have to add some kind of landscaping or pedestrian buffer around NW 85th Street and 3rd Avenue NW.

The city’s decision that the expanded Fred Meyer will not cause significant environmental impacts has been appealed. An appeal hearing is set for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 25.

Fred Meyer closed its Greenwood store on Feb. 25 for a major renovation, which will add 55,305 square feet, demolish the former Greenwood Market building, relocate the Pacific Locksmith kiosk, and reconfigure parking for 444 vehicles.

You can read the city’s February decision on environmental impacts here.

We have a message in to the Department of Planning and Development for more information on the specifics of the appeal. We will update this post when we know more.

The city’s Department of Planning & Development has given preliminary approval to a proposed development on the corner of Greenwood Avenue North and North 107th Street, where an abandoned car wash now sits.

The proposed four-story building will have three live-work units on the ground floor and 54 apartments above, and 40 parking spaces.

DPD determined that there were no significant environmental impacts from the proposed development. DPD placed some conditions on the project, including increasing the landscaping. You can see the full decision here.

Appeals on the project must be received by the Hearing Examiner no later than Dec. 22.

Don’t forget that Monday night is the public meeting on Fred Meyer’s expansion plans for its Greenwood store at 100 NW 85th St. The Department of Planning and Development meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday at the Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N. 85th St.

Fred Meyer’s plans for the Greenwood store have changed over the years from a proposed mixed use development with residential, to a plan to turn the Greenwood Market building into a garden center, to the current proposal to demolish Greenwood Market and expand the current Fred Meyer by 55,305 square feet, with parking for 449 vehicles.

The project requires a SEPA Environmental Review.

Fred Meyer has applied once again to the Department of Planning and Development to redevelop its Greenwood store.

After plans for a major development – including a 160,000 square foot store, approximately 250 units of residential, 25,000 square feet of retail space for other businesses, and a three-story parking garage – were shelved last August because of the economy, Fred Meyer decided to do a down-to-the-studs remodel of the existing store, and planned to turn the Greenwood Market building into its home and garden center.

Those plans have now changed again after Fred Meyer decided that the building currently housing Greenwood Market was not suitable for remodeling.

The new plans instead call for the 20,950-square-foot Greenwood Market building to be demolished, and for the existing Fred Meyer store to expand by 55,305 square feet.

The 340-square-foot kiosk housing Pacific Lock & Key will be relocated from the middle of the site to the west side.

The new plans call for parking to be reconfigured for a total of 449 vehicles at and below grade.

The plans are subject to environmental review. Comments on the plan may be submitted online through July 27.