Committee recommends conditioned approval of Greenwood alley vacation for 101‑unit development

The committee recommended that the City Council grant Clerk File 314530, a petition to vacate a remnant portion of an alley in Greenwood to enable a multiunit residential project. The motion to add SDOT’s recommended conditions to the clerk file passed on a 5‑0 roll call; the committee then voted 5‑0 to grant the clerk file as conditioned and will transmit the recommendation to the full City Council on Aug. 4, 2026.

Amy Gray of SDOT described the proposal as a partial alley vacation to consolidate the site at 8623 Palatine Avenue North and enable development of 101 rental units. She said the southern portion of the alley had been vacated under a prior ordinance in the 1970s and this remnant parcel would be incorporated into the development. SDOT and the Seattle Design Commission reviewed the proposal and recommended approval with conditions.

Rebecca Maskin of central staff said this step authorizes the committee to approve the conditions to be added to the clerk file; after construction and delivery of the public benefits, the developer will present documentation that all conditions are met and the council would then vote on the final vacation ordinance. Public benefits described in the presentation include habitat restoration and art elements on a conservation site, widened and extended sidewalks (highlighted where none currently exist), and viewpoint features to allow pedestrians to see restored habitat. Gray emphasized that the conservation site would not be publicly accessible but would include viewpoints for public observation.

The committee approved two motions: first to amend Clerk File 314530 to include SDOT’s recommended conditions, then to recommend granting the clerk file as conditioned. Both votes were recorded 5‑0 (Foster, Kettle, Lynn, Rink, Sacca). The committee’s recommendation will appear on the Aug. 4 City Council agenda for final consideration.