Prescott Developments, the firm planning on tearing down Waldo Hospital and cutting trees to make way for townhomes, has submitted for "early design review". The Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has assigned Scott Kemp, a veteran city planning official to be the lead person on this application.

You can track the application's process through the city system on DPD's web site by clicking here.

Landmark Nomination

On May 2, the Maple Leaf Community obtained a unanimous vote from the Seattle Landmarks Board to nominate Waldo Hospital (the site and the grounds) as a Historic Landmark. This is only Step One in the process according to information sent out by the Maple Leaf Community Council. Now they must convince the same Board to "designate" Waldo Hospital as a landmark. That meeting will be on June 20.

On June 20th, a Landmark Preservation Board with mutiple new members went against the recommendation of the Landmark Preservation Staff and all major Seattle-area landmark preservation advocacy groups and voted against designating Waldo Hospital as a historic landmark. According to interviews given to news media, Campfire spent $65,000 on lawyers, expert witnesses, and a PR media campaign to defeat Maple Leaf's volunteer effort. There is no appeal for this decision except through the court system.

It is worth noting, however, that a majority of Board members thought Waldo was worth designating. A majority just couldn't agree on which of the seven criteria to vote on.

Master User Permit process

Prescott has filed for demolition and building permits, the next step in the process. Comments will be taken from interested parties at least until January 30, 2008. A public meeting will be held to solicit additional comments on the project. Additional Design Review Board meeting(s) will be held to discuss the design features of the project. Prescott hoped to start construction summer 2008 and start selling in 2009.