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.
