We care about the preservation of Seattle historic properties, the protection of marginalized city neighborhoods amidst mass gentrification, the preservation of our urban canopy for beauty and environmental reasons, the guarantee that the bird populations on the state and federally protected lists will be, and creative growth we can be proud of in the long-term.

We are asking for your help and signature with an appeal to the City of Seattle Hearing Examiner to overturn the decision to allow demolition of the property at 905 17th Avenue, Seattle, 98122 (MUP #3033574-LU).

The basis of the appeal are the following points:

The house actually should be considered historic and registered as such based on year, original elements and features.

There are numerous trees and mature plantings slated for removal in conjunction with the demolition that do not align with the Seattle Green Factor or recently passed Seattle Green New Deal resolution so we are requesting the reversal of the Determination of Non-Significance.

We know that tree preservation and mature plantings are environmentally critical for so many reasons and that low-income communities have far fewer trees than wealthy neighborhoods. During heat waves, the few degree increases in these low-tree-density urban heat islands, especially in neighborhoods with the lowest percentage of air conditioners, can result in greater incidence of heat-related illnesses and even death. Not only do trees provide positive health impacts for communities, but they also improve the environmental design of city streets, and can even reduce instances of violence and petty crime.

We are appealing the Director's erroneous claim that the the proposal has been determined to not have a significant adverse impact upon the environment. The proposal is incomplete and does not show how the existing Exceptional trees will be retained and how the potential impacts to environmental will be mitigates. Therefore, the Department should be asked to re-evaluate their decision based on a completed submission and full compliance with environmental provisions set forth in SMC 25.05 and SMC 25.11.

We request the remanded decision to the Department to review the significant adverse impacts and to require mitigation measures to loss of tree canopy, that by the environmental code of Seattle may include reduction in the development size and other stipulated measures to retain a protected tree canopy not only on this lot but collectively from past and forthcoming developments within this area.

Some degree of preservation is critical for so many reasons, especially in light of the gentrification happening in the CD, which was acknowledged by the unanimous passing of SB 1918 by the state legislature and subsequent signing into law by Governor Inslee. WA State Rep Santos introduced and brought the bill to life, specifically to protect residents, businesses and history/ cultural elements of the Central District in Seattle. (Concerning community preservation and development authorities.) http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2019-20/Pdf/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/1918.PL.pdf

The SEPA submission omitted the federally and state protected birds (woodpeckers, songbirds, hummingbirds, and crows that are easily verifiable as inhabiting the greenery on the property).

We don’t want to prohibit growth, we want to support properly managed growth, preservation where it makes sense, and creative sustainability.

Again-we care immensely about our community and history; we want to be involved in a way that we can all look back and be proud of how we contributed to Seattle’s responsible growth and resource management. We want ask the City and the owner to partner with us for a new solution instead of the proposed demolition and lot sub-division to six.

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