The garage. June 2013
The north wall with the dining room window at lower center & north bedroom window above left. On the west wall are the windows of the master bedroom above & kitchen below. June 2013
Ell Alley at left & its 2 adjacent neighbors. June 2013
By early June the roof was on & the windows installed. We went inside the house & saw the views from all windows. The view from the master bedroom, across the valley to the Cheasty Greenspace, was expansive. The view from the east bedroom was mostly of the large ash tree in front of the house. The dining room would have a view of the garden. The unfortunate north bedroom had a view of the alley, the garages across it & the houses behind them. Trees might obscure that scene in the future.
Jordan met with the Senior Development Manager at the Seattle Housing Authority on June 10. He learned that the main design criterion for landscaping was visibility, mainly for safety. No shrubs taller than 4 feet were allowed in the back yard, or higher than 3 feet in the front yard, unless they were placed against the house or garage. It seemed we would be allowed to plant a few trees. But that remained under consideration. Both the front & back yards exist on the north side of the house. Nothing could be planted on the east side of the house, which was considered the critical root zone under the ash tree. This area was to be covered with bark & kept free of weeds. Our plan to use native plants was encouraged. We were grateful for that.
