W.A.C = We Acquired Clearance/ Water Availability Certificate

We got a special early Christmas present form Seattle Public Utilities, which boils down to the right to build (sanely) on the land we already own.  What a relief!



Basically our second appeal to SPU was accepted due to the upcoming re-development of 23rd avenue, a major thoroughfare through the Central District, and SPU’s uncertainty about the master plan for the water system in the area.

Here’s an excerpt from the explanatory email from SPU, where reason prevails and our wish is granted:

SDOT’s plans for reconstructing 23rd Ave for several blocks … add some complexity. Watermain extension requirements for the subject property, and appeal decisions were based on an initial determination by SPU that we would not replace the 6” watermain along the 23rd Ave corridor. However, at this time USM is revisiting the merits of replacing/upsizing the 6” main.
While a half-block of 8” main in the west half of [the supplicant’s] block … is still technically beneficial, it would not necessarily interact well with other watersystem changes now being considered for the 23rd Ave reconstruction project. Given the high cost of the WAC-required main extension relative to the property owner’s project cost, and given the uncertain integration of that extension with other required improvements, it would better for SPU – and certainly for the developer - to not proceed with the original main requirement.

The 23rd Avenue Action Plan is supposed to make the street safer and improve the community in other exciting ways.  I’ve followed the project primarily through the Seattle bike blog which is trying to make room for a bike lane or neighborhood greenway nearby.  
Victory!