by Kirby Lindsay, posted 21 May 2014
At the May meeting of the Fremont Neighborhood Council (FNC) several residents attended for their first time ever, and they did because they had business before this organization. The volunteers who serve on the FNC Board are all Fremont residents, but having other residents in attendance makes the organization even more responsive to the needs and concerns of those who live here.
Reigniting A Spark
One resident who attended this meeting only moved to Fremont this year. He accompanied Beruktawit Giday, the Project Manager for Patrick Place Apartments, a new development built by Catholic Housing Services (CHS.) Giday explained that CHS maintains 40 low-income, subsidized housing projects throughout Western Washington, with Patrick Place providing long-term housing for people who have been homeless.
“Most are capable of handling their own affairs,” Giday explained about Patrick Place residents. These are not disabled people. They were referred to Patrick Place by shelters that partnered with CHS, and helped the applicants with paperwork and background checks. The rent they pay is 30% of their income, whatever that may be. The building is secured, with check-in required 24 hours a day, and all guests must give identification. Any overnight guests must be cleared in advance.
Residents were given, in their new units, a bed, bedding, stove, refrigerator, and bathroom. Bedding and other linens, Giday acknowledged with gratitude to all donors, came through donations solicited by the FNC and Key Bank. The apartments are all above the first floor, which has offices and common areas. Anyone interested in learning more about the building, or wishing a tour, can call Patrick Place at 206/737-9255.
When asked how residents are settling in – the building has already reached 100% capacity at 75 people – Giday deferred to the representative resident, whom she described as a musician and community organizer. “Thank you for allowing me to have a home in your community,” he stated formally. He introduced himself as being originally from the mid-west, and a steel worker.
According to the resident, he has been trying to find housing for five years. As he and others start planning for a resident’s council, he’s working with his neighbors who arrived with a serious lack of trust and after many years of living in despair. “Some don’t know how to be a neighbor,” he said, but also, “I see a potential.” They’ve begun building relationships, gathering everyone together for house meetings, and talking individually about how they want to proceed. “It’s just a matter of reigniting the spark,” the Patrick Place resident said about getting our new neighbors excited about being in a community again.
Seriously, Sewers
From there, Ed Mirabella of the Seattle Public Utilities spoke about overflowing storm water drains. The residents who came with no familiarity on this subject asked many revealing questions, including the discovery that Seattle currently incurs fines from the Environmental Protection Agency for the storm drain overflows that release sewage into our waterways during storms approximately, Mirabella said, fifty times a year.
Mirabella gave three options being considered for addressing the overflows:
- Long Term Control Plans (with three of the four plans dependent upon a partnership with King County Wastewater)
- Integrated Plan Alternative (which uses some of the Long Term Plans, some mitigation and defers some projects until after 2025)
- Non-Action Alternative
All the ‘Plans For Protecting Seattle’s Waterways’ will be discussed – with public input – on June 24th at the Lake Washington Rowing Club. The gathering will open at 6p, but public will be allowed starting at 6:30p. Find out more about this project on-line.
Small Sparks & Community Clean-Ups
FNC Board Member Linda Clifton volunteered to apply for a City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Small Sparks Grant to fund a day of clean-up – picking up litter, and scrubbing the N 46th Street and Aurora Bridge Murals – and celebration. Patrick Place Apartments has been offered as a gathering place for volunteers after cleaning, so everyone can meet and celebrate.
The grant funds would pay for cleaning supplies, snacks and maybe some live music for the party. The FNC Board discussed the idea briefly, and agreed unanimously to support Clifton in her efforts. Nearly all the meetings attendees asked for the date, and Clifton promised to broadcast it on the FNC website and Facebook page once the grant is secured and the date is determined.
Development Developments
Some residents attended this meeting due to their concern over a proposed micro-housing development at 3639 Linden Avenue N. FNC Board Member, and Land Use Chairperson, Toby Thaler addressed some of those concerns. He is familiar with the project, and knows the comment period for it ends May 28th. He offered to write a letter on behalf of the FNC on the scale and size of the project, and its lack of parking.
According to the permit application, the proposal is for a three-story structure of 35 residential units to be built on two lots. A short discussion started on whether these will be apodments, or S.R.O., housing. Suffice to say, the planned development will create a denser amount of housing in that area, and this has alarmed neighbors who already feel hemmed in, and pressure on the street parking.
Also, one neighbor presented a mailer he received from a real estate agent ‘asking’ to purchase his rental property. The notice contained language meant to alarm and upset the recipient about proposed developments coming to the area.
The FNC Board agreed to send a letter to the City, and to invite representatives from the Department of Planning & Development to a future meeting to discuss density, developments and the term ‘apodments’.
Consider attending a future FNC meeting yourself. The next meeting will be Monday, June 23rd at 7p at Doric Lodge #92. The meetings are open-to-the-public, and the agenda can often be found before the meeting, particularly to those who are paid members. Join the FNC through the website, to find out more about how this organization advocates on behalf of Fremont residents.
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©2014 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.