Seattle U. Preliminary draft EIS Public Meeting

The next meeting of the S.U. Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is Wednesday, August 27, 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on the S.U. Campus in the Student Center, Room 160, known as the LeRoux Room. (The Student Center is on James Way --- on the north side of the street.)

The agenda for this meeting includes discussion and public comments on the "preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement" (EIS).

Public comments are important to help highlight areas of possible environmental impact which should be evaluated and for which alternatives should be considered.

The proposed Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP) which is the subject of the EIS includes plans for an increase of the student, faculty and staff head count from the current 8,850 to approximately 11,300 over the next two decades.

The MIMP would set standards for planned and potential development of over 2,000,000 square feet of new building. Near-term development on or near the east side of the campus would include renovation of the former Coca Cola Building, renovation and additions to the former Plasteel Frame store, renovation and addition to the self-storage building at the southwest corner of 12th and Madison, and new parking spaces and retail spaces at Logan Field (12th and Cherry).

Over twenty years, up to 700 additional parking spaces would be created with a corresponding increase in automobile traffic on neighborhood streets.

Significant Land Use impacts proposed in the MIMP include an expansion of the institution's boundary to the east side of 12th Avenue between Marion and Spring (a block currently occupied by the Photographic Center Northwest, two restaurants and a cafe, and Moss Alley Motors.) If the boundary expansion takes place the allowed height would be increased to 65 feet for S.U. The University could develop in that block to that height, although others would be limited to the height limit of the underlying zone which is currently 40 feet.

The MIMP proposes increasing the limit to 65 feet for the University on James Ct. and Barclay Ct. where existing zoning allows 35 feet, and on the block occupied by the Coca Cola Building (which recently was designated an historic landmark). If the proposal is approved, in those blocks S.U. would be allowed to develop to a height almost twice that available to others and more than twice that of most existing residences on those blocks.

If you are not able to attend the meeting on Wednesday, you may submit comments to Lisa Rutzick, Land Use Planner with the Department of Planning and Development: lisa.rutzick@seattle.gov .

Following the Draft EIS comment period, DPD will prepare a Final EIS that addressed comments it has received.