You know that feeling…you’re at the ball game, sitting comfortably, and the guy four seats in front stands up for a better look. So the people behind him stand up, and now you really can’t see. Then the next row stands, and pretty soon you’re on your tip-toes getting the same view you had when you were in your comfortable seat. Now, what if instead of standing, everyone was building second stories.
The Windsor Hills neighborhood, on Bronson and Windsor Way (between old Sunset, Edmonds Ave NE, and NE 4th) has some beautiful vistas of Lake Washington, The Landing, Boeing, and Downtown. Off in the distance, the city of Seattle can be seen over the lake.
Typical homes date back 60 years or more, generally cover one story, and have shady lots big enough for a game of frisbee or volleyball in the backyard.
For these reasons, many of these residents have been loudly speaking out about new homes in their neighborhood that cover more of the lot, and reach up to the maximum height allowed by code in the R-8 district. (about 30 feet, depending on factors).
The city council has not changed anything about the zoning in this neighborhood for at least ten years (at least not that I can remember…we are checking), so this recent concern is a result of market conditions more than city policy direction.
But the resident uprising may create a dilemma: we can usually count on the other side to show up whenever we float the possibility of new restrictions. There are probably going to be some property owners, perhaps residents on the same streets, that will not want to face any new restrictions on their property. Any reductions in height or lot coverage will likely reduce the value of some lots, even while helping protect the views of others. All in all, it is likely to be a sensitive and delicate issue.
Windsor Hills neighborhood was at our council meeting in force on Monday, to drive home the point that they want council to take action of some kind if possible. The neighbors who spoke were eloquent, and the council is clearly sympathetic to such worried long-time residents; so we referred the issue to our Planning and Development Committee to investigate it further.
At this point it is not clear what Planning and Development Committee (a subcommittee of the council) will do. They could simply review existing rules, or recommend holding a public hearing, or conduct a survey, or many other actions to study this.
One interesting statement made on Monday night was that many of the properties in Windsor Hills carry restrictions on their deeds limiting building heights; if such a restriction does in fact exist on many of these homes, then the city building department has authority to enforce this. Such a restriction could possibly provide the relief the neighbors are seeking.
The trees are a slightly different variable. While people in view neighborhoods often try to get rid of their neighbor’s trees, the citizens I’ve heard from in Windsor Hills are grieving the loss of some of the older trees. Some of the residents have read my blog, and realized that the tree-cutting issues are similar to what is occurring on the property next door to me.
I’m not on the Planning and Development Committee, but I’ll be anxious to see what they have to recommend.
Meanwhile, the council will no doubt be receiving more correspondence from residents and other property owners on this issue in the coming weeks.
Here is a flier that one of the residents passed around the neighborhood prior to Monday’s council meeting.
I am on the other hill. Unincoorporated KC. We are about to loose our beautiful view we have had for over 30 years. We have watched the Christmas boats from our deck, the lighting of Coulon Park, and the fire works. We have a developer about to build 4 or 5 homes and block everything. Its heart renching that these devlopers come in and literaaly build in back of and in front of existing neighberhood. He really putting these homes in the middle of me and my neighbors. It is totally bizarre. It doesn’t make sense to put these ugly homes in the center of these existing neighborhoods. They don’t sell right away and when they do they are back on the market in a year,and are sitting vacant because no one can afford them.
Restrictions on development could lower my property value, but they could also improve it. A McMansion in front of my house would probably lower my property value more than restrictions on me building a McMansion of my own. Why should someone else get to “improve” their property (it’s a matter of taste and opinion, but I don’t see a McMansion as an improvement) at the expense of my property value? The fact that this can happen is one of many reasons why we need zoning changes in our neighborhood–as Bellevue has already done in its neighborhoods.
For what it’s worth, the title search when I bought my house didn’t reveal any restrictions on building height or any neighborhood CC&Rs. In fact, one of the reasons that attracted me to the neighborhood was the lack of CC&Rs (overzealous neighborhood associations in other cities restrict campaign signs–I’m politically active on occasion–and even regulate the color of your curtains). I’m kind of wishing there were CC&Rs now, though, because that would most certainly prevent the sort of development we’re now seeing in the neighborhood.
-Robert Walker
432 Bronson Way NE
Most of what you say is true. If not all of it. The pipeline is long, from the time citizens ask for change in policies, to the time of any action, could be a year or longer. The process has to start sometime, but it’s often to late to help those with immediate concerns. Sometime back there was a comment about making local government campaigns funded by public monies a reality. By removing the alliance of builders with council members we may have a better chance to enact better development standards. But until then, I don’t see how any city will stand in the way of tying their hands at building whatever they think will sell. Even if it angers some neighbors from what they have done, it’s way to late to effect any change during construction. Private property right allows them to be belligerent in whatever they do. I have seen this personally.
RM
Ain’t that the truth the only thing the city does fast is issue building permits!!
things can change
This is a much more serious issue than the city has been willing to admit. People are going to start voting for the candidates who are willing to put the existing neighborhoods’ interests on par with the developers’ demands. The voters are starting to pay attention, and they don’t like the fact that they have no voice. Except for yours, Randy. Help!
focusing on just Windsor Hills is too narrow
Kennydale, Renton Hill, North Renton and parts of the Highlands, and even the newly-annexed Cascade/Benson Hill area, all have older housing stock with established neighborhoods.
If the Council is considering revising regulations in one neighborhood, the approach should be looked at holistically rather than piecemeal. Otherwise, I see this kind of development banned in one neighborhood only to be forced into others. If a builder cannot build a view-blocking McMansion in Windsor Hills, what’s to stop them from putting their eye on Monterrey Terrace, Renton Hill, or Kennydale?