After predicting a barrage of criticism from NIMBY neighbors opposed to any new density at the Beacon Hill light rail station, Seattle Transit Blog's Roger Valdez was pleasantly surprised last night, when most of the folks who showed up at the Southeast Design Review Committee meeting expressed enthusiasm for a proposed four-story apartment building (and an upzone to 65 feet) on a vacant lot adjacent to the Beacon Hill light rail station.

Four stories doesn't sound like much, but in Beacon Hill---where a neighborhood plan update allowing slightly taller buildings adjacent to the light rail station (in general, 65 feet instead of the current 40) prompted an onslaught of appeals ---the idea that more density might not be the end of the world is actually novel.

Not everyone was impressed:

Now, make no mistake, one could sense some Concern Trolling going on. There were some straight up statements by some that “we really wanted a park there, so I hope it only gets built at 40 feet.” There were also a fair number of comments suggesting “big setbacks” above the second story of the project to better fit with adjacent single-family homes. One neighbor said asked whether “parking is 1 spot per resident.” The answer is no, since this is a transit area, the proposal includes only 14 -17 spaces. “And the rest will park where?” the neighbor asked. The planner from the City said they “won’t have cars, but I won’t try to convince you of that."

In general, though, Valdez says the project is moving along "easily in a neighborhood that just over a decade ago needed a federal mediator just to get through a community council meeting."

Read his whole post --- including his theories about why the mood has shifted in favor of density on Beacon Hill---here.