After being on the market for nine months, not one of the 14 new townhomes in The Village has been sold.  Now the Carleton Park townhomes have undergone a big price reduction.  Originally priced from $1,165,000 to $1,495,000, now four of the units are listed at $895,000. In addition, two of the homes will now be leased to tenants in December for a monthly rent of $3,200.  

Located in the heart of the Magnolia Village across from Bartells, the townhomes range in size from 2,500 to 3,000 square feet.

Greg Walker from Windermere says that with the lower price, activity on the weekends is now brisk and they are getting more showings.  He says one agent expects to write an offer this week and he is confident that the new price will produce additional sales in the next few months. 

Walker says that developer and Magnolia resident Tim McHugh is actually losing money at the new price which is why they only reduced the price on four of the units.  He says McHugh will retain the other units, if necessary, until the market rebounds. 

The homes have high end finishes and each includes a private elevator.  There is a den/office space on the entry level, a main floor with kitchen and living room, guest room, bath and bonus room on the mid level and a top level master suite.

The grand opening event last February drew a big crowd but no buyers. 

The project at 2301 West Newton will now be 18 apartments instead of 12 townhomes. Back in February, we  reported that the townhome project, designed by E. Cobb Architects of Seattle, had been approved.  Now project planners blame the change on the economy , saying it is really tough to sell townhomes and switching to apartments is the best way to keep the project alive. 

The look of the project will stay the same but it will now consist of 18 two bedroom and two bathroom apartments.  They will be roughly 1,000 square feet each.  There will now be room for 24 cars in the parking area, up from 18 under the original townhome plan.

The switch means they have to start over with the public review process but they do not have to go through the design review process again since the outside will not change.  The comment phase will continue until May 20.  To see the land use bulletin click here.  To see more pictures of the project, click here.

The triplex and duplexes on Magnolia’s east slope at 2301 and 2315 Newton will be demolished to make room for the apartments that will be located between West Newton Street and West Plymouth Street. 

The City of Seattle has approved plans for a different kind of townhouse development at 3044 31st Ave West.  The four-unit project from Runberg Architects is located mid-block between West Dravus and West Barrett.

“We were looking for housing for our families, but felt there must be an alternative to city’s existing standard. As designers at a small architecture firm, we set out to use our experience, coupled with our personal desire for quality homes, to see what improvements could be made,” says Chad Lorentz, Runberg Architecture Group.

Lorentz says this will not the typical Seattle townhouse four pack.  Instead, they are creating socially oriented homes by arranging the four units in a “C” shaped plan with an open landscaped courtyard.  Lorentz says large expanses of glass, front decks and back patios make the homes feel larger and more connected to the outdoors. 

“Ultimately, the focus of this project is not the material on the walls, or color palette chosen, or the ability to squeeze as much living space as possible onto a tiny site; rather, the focus is on the quality of life for it’s occupants and their connectedness to the people within the development and their surrounding community,” says Lorentz.

The townhouses are each about 1,600 square feet with 2-3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, an open office area and parking for one vehicle. The courtyard will have a shared vegetable garden, central seating space and private patio areas. The townhomes will replace an existing duplex on the site.  

There are no prices set yet for the homes.

More townhomes are coming to Magnolia’s east slope.  The triplex and duplexes above at 2301 and 2315 Newton will be demolished and 12 townhomes will be built on the site between West Newton Street and West Plymouth Street.   The project was approved by the city last week.

There are a number of locations in that neighborhood that are already being developed into townhomes.    This site is interesting because at once housed the Officer’s quarters for the Naval installation at Smith Cove.

The design is described as contemporary with extensive use of cast concrete. Parking for 20 vehicles will be included within the structure. 

This is the view from the new townhomes.  No word yet on when construction will begin.

The construction of townhomes in Magnolia has been a source of concern for many residents.  The most  noticeable is this development in The Village across from Bartells.

Now Mayor Nickels is proposing new rules for townhome development in neighborhoods all over the city.  Nickels says his legislation will improve the character and design of townhouses and require environmentally sensitive building and landscaping.
 
“Most of us would agree that multifamily development must fit better into our neighborhoods,” said  Nickels.  “These regulations will help ensure that this housing is attractive, sensible, and welcoming, while
also supporting our affordable housing goals.”

This proposal adds more design standards for all townhouses, with lower fences and more doors and windows on street sides to open up to the neighborhood. Current landscaping requirements would be increased 15 to 20 percent, which could include green roofs and vegetated walls.   In some areas already zoned for three story buildings, the proposal would allow an additional 7 feet if the developer agrees to provide affordable housing.   

Nickels sent this legislation to the city council and the next step is public hearings.

Neighbors of the proposed townhomes next door to Bartells on 32nd Ave West say the city hearing officer has agreed with their appeal to keep the area zoned for single family homes.  The decision also found that the area is home to exceptional trees that cannot be put at risk or destroyed. 

“This means that we won on both issues. Not only did the decision find that the trees are rare and must be saved so the development as planned cannot be built but also that the land is to be noted as single family and should not be rezoned, ” said Joan Abrevaya, one of the neighbors leading the fight.

The neighbors have been fighting the proposed development that would put ten three story townhomes in the location that currenly has just one house.  The group turned in 1,494 signatures to show their opposition to the rezoning.  

“We are thrilled and shocked and excited that our hard work paid off.  We are grateful for the support given to us by the Magnolia community and think this decision will help keep the charm of Magnolia Village and not turn us into another condominium community,” said Abrevaya.

The developer, Meridian Greenfield  says the development would preserve many of the larger Giant Sequoia trees on the site.  They also say that they proposed 10 units for the site which is less than the maximum allowable 13 units. They have the opportunity to appeal this decision and the City Council will make the final determination. 

Neighbors living near the ten proposed townhomes on 32nd Ave West and Clise Place West (next to Bartells) won’t let the project proceed without a fight.

They have gathered over 300 signatures to keep the city from rezoning the property to allow multi-family use.  Joan Abrevaya, shown here with some of the petitions, is part of the neighborhood group.  

The Seattle Department of Planning and Development has conditionally approved the rezone to allow the townhomes.  A public hearing is set for September 15.  Neighbors say the townhomes will destroy the character of the neighborhood.

“If they change the zoing for this project, there will be nothing to stop Magnolia from becoming just like Ballard,” said Abrevaya.  “This is just wrong.  It changes the neighborhood in a way that is not pleasant.”

The group has petitions in area businesses and will keep gathering signatures until the hearing.   They are concerned about the fate of the Giant Sequoia trees that are on the site as well as the impact on traffic and parking if the townhomes are built.

The neighbors with homes bordering the property are concerned about the impact of having ten three story townhomes so close to their backyards.  Currently there is one home and a garage on the site.

The developer on the project is Meridian Greenfield,  Spokesman Keith Hammer says neighbors concerns were taken into consideration during the design.  

Hammer says current zoning allows for five single family homes.  Meridian Greenfield feels there are more benefits for the neighbors with the proposed townhomes, including increased side yard setbacks, the preservation of many of the larger Giant Sequoia trees and a transition between the commercial property and neighboring single family property.  They are proposing 10 units for this site which is less than the maximum allowable 13 units.   

 ”We will be able to be more sensitive to the trees in the area by building townhomes than if we built single family homes.  We like the site because of the trees and we want to come up with a plan that will save as many of the big trees as possible,” says Hammer.

Hammer says the townhomes will be high end and though they don’t have final prices set they will likely sell for at least $800,00 and above. 

 Anyone interested in signing the petition should email joanabrevaya@gmail.com

Here are the renderings of the ten townhomes that have now been conditionally approved by the city for the area next to Bartells at the junction of 32nd Ave West and Clise Place West. This southern edge of The Village is quickly turning into townhome heaven with 15 townhomes almost complete across the street. 

There are lots of trees on this site, some of them up to 60” in diameter. Many have expressed concern that the trees would be taken down for this project.  In the written approval the city claims that most of the ‘substantial’ trees, including four of the five existing Giant Sequoias will be retained. The design concentrates development into a tight cluster and they also plan additional street trees for privacy. 

We reported a few weeks ago that the permit sign posted at this project has been defaced by someone who was unhappy with the project.

Townhomes continue to show up all over Magnolia, and one of the most visible projects in The Village will see residents move in as early as October.  The 15 three-story townhomes are located on West Lynn Street across from Bartells.

These homes have attraced lots of attention as they grew up from the former parking lot.  They are currently on the market starting at $1.2 million.  The homes are large, with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 2 car garage and luxury details throughout including Sub Zero appliances, Wolf ranges, built in wine cooler and high tech wiring. The homes start at 2,500 square feet and each one has a private elevator. 

The developer is Tm Homes, owned by Magnolia resident Tim McHugh, who has 28 years experience in home building. McHugh said he expects buyers to be people from the area who want to be free of home maintenance and have the ability to walk to services. He admits he is concerned about the downturn in the housing market but believes many Magnolia residents are living in homes that have increased in value and can afford the new townhomes.  So far one home has been sold and three have been reserved.

For Magnolia residents who miss the mailbox that had to be moved to make room for the townhomes, the developer says the post office was going to move the mailbox to its new location in the parking lot of Magnolia Park anyway.

We saw this message on the sign announcing four three-story townhomes to be built on 32nd Ave West next door to Bartells. It appears that someone is unhappy with the project and believes that six Seqoia trees will come down for the construction.

This part of Magnolia is changing quickly, with the construction of 15 townhomes across the street and now this notice that more townhomes are coming.