SEATTLE — A proposed land use plan has sparked controversy as neighbors fear it would destroy about a century's worth of natural beauty.
On Wednesday, Seattle's Department of Construction and Inspection held a virtual hearing to allow public comment's on the proposed project in the 700 block of McGilvra Boulevard.
According to city records, a developer has filed paperwork to split the property into two separate parcels to build a new single-family home on the backside of the current home.
Several neighbors and other concerned residents spoke at Wednesday's hearing, including actor Tom Skerritt and Julie Tokashiki Skerritt who live nearby.
"We're the Evergreen State, right? We're all about the trees here and the canopy," said Tokashiki Skerritt. "When you start talking about that, I think a lot of people — not only us — get concerned about that. This is what we're known for. The greenery. The nature."
She also pointed to the sloping nature of the street behind the property, which makes it prone to ponding water.
"Our concern is that the potential erosion of the slope and the excess water that would be present once a mature tree is taken out and the root system is damaged. I've noticed there's a constant stream that runs down our curb once a home site was completed a couple years ago," said Tokashiki Skerritt.
"The water runs all the way down the hill and puddles at the bottom," she added. "With the natural cracks in the unstable earth, underneath our street is full of potholes and bigger cracks and black ice when it's cold enough."
Records show the property owner, who's also the permit applicant, lives at another location.
Phone calls and texts to the number listed in city documents were not returned.
As part of the process, the applicants must respond to all requests for information that come from the city project review team.