6010 Phinney Building – Phinney Ridge Community Council
6010 Phinney
The Phinney Ridge Community Council held its September meeting this Tuesday. PRCC meetings are open to the public, so neighbors can drop by to voice concerns about everything from zoning to parking to the Zoo.
The fate of the 6010 Phinney building — home to Rooster’s Breakfast Club, The Daily Planet, Chef Liao’s, and Phinney Ridge Cleaners — is back on PRCC’s radar because of an upcoming Design Review Board meeting. On Sept. 14, the public will have a change to weigh in on the proposed development, which includes 18 residential units, 2,700 square feet of ground-floor retail, and 23 parking spaces. The meeting takes place at Ballard High School from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Roosters and 6010 Phinney
There was no love lost for the 6010 proposal at the PRCC meeting, as members voiced several potential concerns about the design for 6010 Phinney. In particular, a proposed curb cut on 61st St., instead of facing out toward Phinney, could cause parking problems and create a crowded alleyway behind 6010 and neighboring Zeek’s Pizza. Building on top of the current Phinney Ridge Cleaners site worried some at the PRCC meeting.
The dry cleaner has been in operation since the 1930s, and nobody in attendance had seen any kind of environmental report from the developer, assuring that the site was free of hazardous chemicals. Some also felt that the new development doesn’t fit the character of the neighborhood, decrying its generic “Belltown-style” design.
Chef Lao at 6010 Phinney Building
And, with another large mixed-use building already in place across the street, nobody was in a hurry to support something that would block out even more of the sun on the 6000 block. Losing the existing businesses didn’t seem to be as big a concern for PRCC as gaining almost 3,000 square feet of retail that could be extremely difficult to fill. With other mixed-use developments in the area still not full, people at the meeting were skeptical that the new building could attract small businesses with the same local flavor. Some would have preferred a more restaurant-friendly retail space, particularly since two of the businesses currently occupying the building are restaurants. 6010 wasn’t the only thing on the agenda, though.
There was also a brief discussion of potential new park sites in the neighborhood. Phinney Ridge has been identified as one of around 20 areas in Seattle that lack open space, and there’s money in the recent parks levee to acquire some. PRCC is looking at a handful of lots to potentially throw its support behind, but that hinges on finding an owner who’s willing to sell to the City. So far, that hasn’t happened.
If you’re at all interested in the direction development is taking in Phinney Ridge, make your voice heard by coming to the next PRCC meeting, which should take place on Tuesday, October 6, at 7:30 pm at the Phinney Neighborhood Center. On the agenda: revisiting Phinney Ridge’s ongoing parking problems.
By: Jay Hathaway
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