West Seattle residents worried about project's impact on wetlands, creek

SEATTLE, Wash. — A property owner wants to divvy up his West Seattle lot into lots for multiple homes.

Now neighbors are worried he could hurt what the city calls environmentally critical areas: the wetlands on the lot, as well as nearby Longfellow Creek and the salmon downstream.

KIRO 7 found more than 70 complaints from neighbors and residents filed with the city of Seattle regarding the plot on 24th Avenue SW.

Heather Wiker printed up protest postcards and put them on her fence when she found out the property owner next door wanted to subdivide.

"We understand it's private property," Wiker said. "We're not saying you can't build there. It's just-maybe not eight."

At first it was eight lots. The property owner, Nick Antonie, told KIRO 7 on Friday he now plans for six.

Either way, Wiker said it's a problem. She's concerned about the environment, as well as how the homes might cause additional traffic on the street.

She said last year she even tried to buy the part of Antonie's lot closest to her home because she was afraid of development.  She said the deal didn't work out.

KIRO 7 told Antonie about a neighbor's concern about the creek, the salmon and the wetlands.

"How does [your project] impact that, possibly?" KIRO 7 asked.

"Well, that's kind of what we're waiting for, we're going to do some additional - we have some additional information to gather," Antonie said.

Antonie said he won't be building on the part of the property that has wetlands.  He also thinks Wiker has a personal vendetta.

"I think she's a little upset that she didn't get that piece of land," he said.

Wiker said that's not the case at all.  She just wants the city to look at the project very carefully.

"I just want them to be sure to not grant any waivers for the wetlands or any of the ECA (environmental critical areas) regulations," she said.

Antonie said he's within his rights as a property owner.

"[I want to] have a lot for my family to build a home on and have additional lots to sell to additional families or builders," Antonie said.

The city plans to hold a public hearing at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in West Seattle on March 20th.

KIRO