Jenny Brailey writes:
I want to update you on some progress on the CVS issue. As you may know, CVS plans to build suburban-style new stores not just in Wallingford but in Queen Anne and West Seattle too. Those communities have similar concerns to ours.
Good news firstThe good news is that CVS is now signaling it wants to do the right thing in our community by re-designing its building in Queen Anne, hiring a local architect, and incorporating input from the community. I haven’t seen its new plans yet but I hear they are significantly better than before.I’m hopeful CVS will begin a dialogue with the Wallingford and West Seattle neighborhoods next. I’m hopeful we’ll see a better building emerge for our neighborhood.Keep up the pressureWe can’t assume CVS will change its plan for Wallingford just because things seem to be headed in the right direction for Queen Anne.What you can doCVS is presenting its revised design for its Queen Anne store on Monday night. The meeting is open to the public and includes a public comment period.The meeting will be at the Queen Anne Manor, 100 Crockett St, at 7pm on Monday, September 16th.It’s important to show CVS that neighbors across Seattle are united in our efforts to preserve our vibrant, livable urban centers. We want them to know that Wallingford is watching what’s happening in Queen Anne and preparing to put up a fight to protect our own neighborhood. I hope you will join me in attending the Queen Anne meeting and speaking up to deliver a strong message to CVS.Message1. Our 3 neighborhoods are UNITED IN OUR OPPOSITION to buildings that degrade the character and livability of our neighborhoods. We are paying close attention to what CVS is doing.2. We are pleased to see that CVS appears to be taking a NEW APPROACH to designing its store in Queen Anne,3. We expect CVS to work collaboratively in OUR communities of Wallingford and West Seattle… to engage the community and design a building that is compatible with our neighborhood vision.This is the message I hope we can deliver. The more voices we have, the more powerful our message is. Please come and speak up!More information here on the Queen Anne meeting:Thanks for reading, and I hope to see some of you on Monday night in Queen Anne.Your neighbor,Jenny BraileyWallingford resident
I believe it is Velmier (the developers of the Queen Anne site) doing the presentation. Not CVS.
Thanks, Jenny, for posting this. But, I’m sorry, I might have to ask whatever made them think we can support a fourth pharmacy in our neighborhood!
I plan to go, anyone else going? I’ll go with friends from Queen Anne, but I wish i had a Wallingford shirt, and I definitely plan to get on the list to speak.
Janey, CVS are not expecting four pharmacies in the neighborhood. They are planning for a CVS in the neighborhood and then some or all of the others will shut down because they won’t be able to compete. The are also expecting customers to come from all along the 45th / 50th St corridor, i.e. Ballard, Phinney, Fremont, Wallingford, U District; hence all the parking.
Is CVS going into Wallingford now a done deal? All we can do is try to have input into what they put in? This neighborhood does not need another pharmacy.
I’d love it if they could preserve the stone cornice. They could of course build above it or put windows in above it but the juxtaposition of a modern building with a nod to the much older building that stood there before would be interesting. I sent that feedback to the design review board weeks ago.
To Amy’s question, CVS is definitely coming to Wallingford, and Queen Anne and West Seattle too, and probably more neighborhoods. We cannot stop that. I think what we can do is encourage them to build a building that fits into our neighborhood and comports with our vision of how our neighborhood should grow.
Doug, Is Velmier the developer of the Wallingford site as well as Queen Anne? I wonder if this will be a forum for our concerns?
I went to the Queen Anne meeting. It was over 3 hours long.
Yes, Velmer is the QA developer, and Norr associates were there. I don’t know if Verlmer is same for W’ford. The developers said they listened carefully to QA community and their concerns. My notes are sketchy, but this is what i learned.
QA has a great in-house land use representation that they have had for years, comprised of builders and architects. I have forgotten the name. and the acronym. But Wallingford could sure profit from this. It is not the OFFICIAL land use group, is comprised of community members.
1. Was a 1 story, will not be a 2 story..Queen Anne would prefer 3-4 stories.Either CVS corporate offices upstairs, and/or storage and offices for community members. No decision.
2. Will have the design more anchored to neighborhood. Windows with vision glass. Will have brick, not stucco as originally planned.
3. 30 parking places down below bldg. Not sure who they are for. Depends on who is upstairs.
4. “CVS will be here a long time, we consider ourselves local already.” Much dissent with this comment by them.
5. I overheard that the leases are 65-70 years.
6. QA concern about single tenant/single user, wants some of the smaller local retail business incorporated. No answer.
7. They will apply for building permit in6-7 weeks.
8. Sorry, I just forgot the name of the one person from Wallingford. I think he is in WWCC. I overheard the CVS guy tell him that they had some “very pleasant surprises for Wallingford community” but I don’t know what they are.
Audience was allowed ONLY to address Queen Anne CVS. Not refer to any other parts of town,and were supposed to ask questions and clarifications, not be critical.
I had only a sales slip to write on,and am trying to state only what I feel to be accurate.
I’d sure like to know what is going on that we do not know about re Wallingford.
I have an update.
What CVS is now planning in Wallingford is to keep the existing building in place, remodel the inside and make improvements to the outside to ‘restore its grandeur.’
CVS/Velmeir is NOT interested in a multi-story building with housing on top. They say this is per the wishes of the property owner, who I’m told is a longtime Wallingford family.
The building would continue to be 1 story, possibly with some extra height in a new portion of the building (the part in the middle of the current “u” shape). Besides restoring the building, they are talking about improving the bus stop area, greening the parking, and improving the general appeal of the corner/intersection.
For those trying to understand more about this project, Velmeir is the developer for the project in Wallingford, and also for the other two store sites in Queen Anne and West Seattle. CVS is the tenant who will occupy the buildings. I think Velmeir would lease the land from the owner.
They also have retained a local PR firm to help them “engage the community.” Clearly they’ve gotten the message that cookie-cutter stores don’t belong in our urban neighborhoods. The Wallingford project, like the Queen Anne one, is NOT required to be multi-story, despite recent legislation by the city council setting minimum density requirements in urban centers (because they were started before the legislation passed.)
In Queen Anne, despite making lots of nice improvements to the proposed building there, including making it two stories instead of one, Velmeir/CVS have declined to make the building any taller or put housing on top.
I’m curious what people think about this new path in Wallingford…? Would you:
–Be satisfied with keeping the building 1-story with some restoration and improvements (and having CVS there) or
— Push for a multi-story building with apartments on top, even if CVS is saying that option is off the table?
— Something else?
What does Wallingford want?
Thanks for the update Jenny. My sense was that if someone was just proposing to remodel a building they’d have a significantly lower level of scrutiny from the City and community than if they were proposing a new structure. I would imagine we’d only have limited opportunities to have an impact on the design.
Anyone have a different sense?
I would still be dissatisfied with CVS coming in but I don’t think there would be any way to stop it. I’m not planning on shopping there in any event.
I think keeping the existing facades would be okay, particularly if neither the current owner nor CVS is interested in a multi-story development. I still wouldn’t be thrilled at having yet another drugstore in the neighborhood, but at least it wouldn’t be out of place.
This is better than the proposed replacement. I do not favor tall structures that are flush with the side walk with no space for vegetation or a bench. Such buildings create canyons that block out the light and feel claustrophobic. I wish the new owner of Tully’s would bring back the spacious coffee shop that accommodated small group meetings if members of our community. I have been in CVSs in other cities, and they are not attractive places to shop. Membership cards are pushed at you, goods are cheap, and you have to buy in packs rather than just buying one of anything. I will not patronize CVS and will urge others not to go there either.