By CLAYTON PARK

The owners of University Mazda, located at 4546 Roosevelt Way NE, have applied to the City for a Master Use Permit to change a portion of its property currently used for vehicle repair and parking to use for vehicle sales, and to expand its facilities by demolishing a single-family house located just south of the dealership. Parking for nine vehicles would be provided on the site. Tim Hamann of Northwest Permit has been hired to represent the owners of University Mazda in this matter. The City's Department of Design, Development, Construction and Land Use (DCLU) has assigned the project (#2105626) to planning consultant Rick Sepler. DCLU is accepting written comments from the public regarding University Mazda's land use application through Feb. 6. For more information, contact Sepler at 297-2106.

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Fremont hotel project gets green light

DCLU has granted a Master Use Permit to a developer that plans to build a 4-story hotel at 3838 Aurora Ave. N. The 22,505-square-foot project will include accessory parking for 50 vehicles (partially within the structure) as well as landscaping. The site of the hotel is currently a vacant lot. The developer and operator of the proposed hotel is SMK Development of Edmonds. The new hotel will be called Fremont Inn. We're shooting to begin construction by this summer," said Mel Meartz, a spokesman for the developer. "I would imagine completion by late fall or early winter." The deadline for filing appeals regarding DCLU's decision must be received by the Hearing Examiner is Feb. 7. For more information about the project (#9902494), call land use planner Marina Haufschild of DCLU at 233-7193.

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U-District mixed-use project to be reviewed

DCLU's Design Review Board will meet on Monday, Feb. 4, at Eckstein Middle School to consider a developer's plans to build a 6-story mixed-use project that would include a 3,000-square-foot restaurant on the ground floor and five upper floors of rental residential units. The project, located at 4707 12th Ave. NE, calls for the demolition of two existing rental houses. Don DeVore, a representative for developer Matthew Lukito, says the new building would be called The Collegian, and would include two apartment units and five congregate residences with a total of 105 beds, as well as partially below-grade parking for 31 vehicles. DeVore explains that the term "congregate residences" refers to rental dwelling units that have a shared kitchen and laundry. "It's designed to accommodate students or people just starting out who don't have problems sharing a kitchen," he says. Lukito built a similar project a couple years ago called Academia Court, which is located on 15th Avenue NE, near NE 50th. Lukito continues to own and operate the Academia Court building. "We hope to begin construction by the end of the summer and hope to be open by August 2003," said DeVore. The Design Review Board meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in the Eckstein cafeteria. For more information about the project (#2105797), call land use planner Scott Ringgold of DCLU at 233-3856.

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Greenwood Greenhouses update

The Superintendent of the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation has issued a determination of nonsignificance regarding potential environmental impacts that would be created by the creation of a park on the site of the former Greenwood Greenhouses located on the 600 block of N 87th, between Evanston Ave. N and Fremont Ave. N. The proposed park, located just north of the Greenwood Boys & Girls Club, would include an open meadow, children's play area, a unisex restroom building, stairs, walls, walkways and plazas. Construction of the project is expected to begin this spring or summer. For more information, contact Virginia Hassinger, project manager with the Parks Department, at 684-7054.

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4-story building planned near Aurora

A developer has applied to the City for a Master Use Permit to build a 4-story building with 21 residential units at 1008 N. 109th St. (located on the corner of Whitman Avenue N and N. 109th St., just west of Aurora). The proposed building would include a 2,469-square-foot customer service office space and 26 parking spaces on the first level. The project calls for demolition of an existing motel building which is currently being used as apartments. Architect Greg Maxwell is listed as the contact for the developer. DCLU is accepting written comments regarding this project (#2007604) through Feb. 6. For more information, contact land use planner Christopher Ndifon of DCLU at 684-5046.