More than 150 people filled a meeting room in Wedgwood on June 24, 2015, to hear a presentation about how changes in zoning could help to develop more businesses and a more pedestrian-friendly walking environment along 35th Ave NE.  The meeting marked the completion of five years of advocacy by neighborhood activists to seek preservation of Wedgwood’s business district.  But due to complete lack of action by Seattle City Council, as of the year 2017 Wedgwood’s business district is being destroyed, building by building.

Wedgwoodians want their commercial district to have a variety of locally-owned shops.

Changes in zoning could have helped to protect the business environment along 35th Ave NE in the face of oncoming developments, including replacement of any current buildings when that occurs, at the “nodes” (intersections) of NE 75th and 85th Streets along 35th Ave NE in Wedgwood.  The Neighborhood Commercial Zone which was proposed by the Future of 35th recommendations, would apply to future development in the event that any of the buildings at these corners are torn down and rebuilt.

Participants at the meeting in June 2015 looked at display boards showing the present zoning of the buildings at the intersections of NE 75th, 85th and 95th, and potential changes. The main proposed change was for more Neighborhood Commercial Zones which would be mixed-use with retail stores along the sidewalk and residential units on the upper floors.

The “retail” specification in the zoning proposal could help bring in more food and coffee venues which is the most-requested type of commercial activity among Wedgwoodians, as surveyed in the Vision Plan and the Future of 35th projects.  The “density” component would be the residential units on upper floors:  creating more housing and bringing more people into the neighborhood who would be customers of the retail storefronts.

Projects for planning in the neighborhood

The June 2015 meeting began with a review of the process since the time that the Vision Plan was completed in the year 2010.  The Vision Plan surveyed residents of Wedgwood to learn if they were comfortable with more development which would accommodate more retail buildings.  

A grant-funded, coordinated neighborhood design plan for what people want in future commercial developments along 35th Ave NE.

The Vision Project had been launched in part because of the building of the Jasper, the first four-story commercial building to be constructed near the “heart of Wedgwood” close to the NE 85th Street business intersection.

The Jasper at 8606 35th Ave NE has “live-work units” at the sidewalk level. These have been disappointing to Wedgwood residents as the live-work units do not all have retail outlets and the building was not constructed to allow restaurants or coffee shops.  The live-work units do not have the ceiling height needed for the mechanical systems and vent space which is required for a food service business.

The Future of 35th Project requested business zoning

With the foundation of the Vision Plan, in the year 2014 neighborhood activists expanded their work to the project called The Future of 35th Ave NE.   The project name was not meant to refer to the street itself such as the issue of whether to have bike lanes or not.  The name meant to refer to the business district along the arterial.   The focus was on the “nodes” of commercial intersections, most especially at the intersections of NE 75th and 85th Streets.

When the Final Report of the planning process was completed, the Steering Committee met with the Land Use Committee of Seattle City Council, presented the suggested streetscape designs and asked for a rezone to provide for more retail storefronts and a more pedestrian-friendly environment along 35th Ave NE.

At left is the present Seattle Audubon Society office at 8050 35th Ave NE. The building was oritinally the office of Albert Balch, developer of Wedgwood. Balch’s original real estate office at right, 8044, had a C-shaped sign out front, for Crawford & Conover.

Currently some buildings in Wedgwood, such as the Seattle Audubon Society at 8050 35th Ave NE, are restricted in what they can do because of the inadequate zoning in that block.

Seattle Audubon Society would like to expand their building to improve the street-level Nature Shop and create more space for classrooms on upper floors. They will not be able to do this unless the zoning is changed.  This is an example of the kind of expansion which would be allowed in a Neighborhood Commercial Zone, as recommended by the Future of 35th Plan.

Wedgwood: ignored by its own representatives on Seattle City Council

In February 2015 Wedgwood’s requested zoning changes as per the Future of 35th Plan, were presented at a Land Use Committee meeting of Seattle City Council.  Since the time of that presentation of Wedgwood’s request for rezoning along the commercial district,  Wedgwood’s Future of 35th requests have been repeatedly brought to the attention of Wedgwood’s representatives on Seattle City Council but have been ignored.

There has been a complete lack of action on the part of Seattle City Council regarding Wedgwood’s zoning request.   City Council does not seem to have any concern for supporting and promoting healthy business districts in Seattle neighborhoods.

Meanwhile more buildings in Wedgwood’s commercial district are being torn down and replaced by townhouses instead of retail storefronts.   Completely-ineffective Seattle City Councilmembers may find themselves replaced at the next election, since they have not done anything to address the needs of the Wedgwood neighborhood.

Wedgwood’s business district is being destroyed due to lack of action by Seattle City Council.  Wedgwood asked for rezoning to require commercial storefronts and prevent townhouses from being built in the commercial district but Seattle City Council never acted upon the request.

This building at 8044 35th Ave NE was the original real estate office of Wedgwood’s developer, Albert Balch.  It was demolished on August 8, 2018 and more townhouses are to be built in its place.  This is exactly what the Future of 35th zoning request was meant to prevent, but all of Wedgwood’s planning requests have been ignored by Seattle City Council.