by Kirby Lindsay, posted 25 June 2014
The Fremont Neighborhood Council June Board meeting had a full agenda – and the meeting kept to a sprightly clip, breezing through several items even with the assembled crowd of Fremont residents anxious to hear more.
Development & Parking Concerns
Geoffrey Wentlandt and Jerry Suder of the City of Seattle Department of Planning & Development (DPD) addressed questions about developments in general, and the specific project proposed for 3639 Linden Avenue N. Suder started by correcting previous descriptions that refer to this development as micro-housing or apodments. Micro-housing, he explained, means shared kitchens or other common uses. The 3639 Linden project has proposed construction, on two housing lots, of 35 very small, but entirely self-contained units.
A permit is being considered for the project, which is in an area zoned ‘Low Rise 2’, in the Fremont Urban Village. As a low-rise 2, the project is exempt from Design Review. Being in an Urban Village allows the developer to provide no on-site parking, under regulations established by the Seattle Comprehensive Plan, Suder explained. Urban Villages have more access to transit, and other resources, that make personal vehicles less necessary, according to policy.
Suder said that while developers can leave parking out, “the market is going to demand parking. Not everyone is going to go with no parking.” In response to questions by one of the very concerned, immediate neighbors to this proposed project, Suder did acknowledge that DPD has requested the developer do a parking study – and provide DPD with information on the number of legal, public parking spaces within a few block radius.
FNC Board Member Linda Clifton pointed out that a parking study done now will not include information on other area projects that could increase parking and traffic impacts, including proposed improvements to the Troll’s Knoll Park. Also, impacts could come from other neighborhood developments, such as the mixed-use building recently permitted at 3601 Greenwood Ave N for ground floor retail, 66-residential units, one live/work unit and 16 on-site parking spaces.
A Full-Service Library
This FNC meeting took place in the basement, public meeting room of the Fremont Branch of the Seattle Public Library (SPL,) thanks to Supervising Librarian Andy Bates. Bates introduced himself, and described several programs now available at our library – Tech Talk, Story Time, Book Club, and quarterly live poetry readings (next one on July 7th.) He also mentioned recent presentations, by local authorities, on dog training, bee keeping, and Fremont history (in partnership with the Fremont Historical Society.) This summer, SPL has a summer reading program for youth, to encourage engagement and activity with book giveaways. Finally, he thanked the Seattle voters who approved a 2012 levy that raised the funds that made it possible to restore the Fremont Branch to full-service status, making these programs once again possible.
Transit Expansion Through Fremont?
Rachel Smith, of Sound Transit, spoke on planning just completed for expanding light rail transit service between Downtown Seattle and Ballard. Having collected public comment, and completed studies, they’ve narrowed in on the most viable options – with no funding currently available to implement any expansion improvements. Smith clearly stated, several times, that no plan is in place to build any of this route – certainly not before 2025.
However, they studied 20 “potential alignments,” Smith said, for the Ballard – Downtown light rail, and narrowed it down to five. Originally, a few corridors included Fremont – now only one does. Corridor D, an all subway option, tunnels under Queen Anne, Fremont and the Ship Canal to reach Ballard. An evaluation of the five options gives Corridor D highest marks for ridership, reliability, travel time improvement, disruption to other modes, and station area development potential, and lowest marks on cost and complexity (risk/construction challenges.)
FNC Board President Stephanie Pure pointed out that Sound Transit currently has an on-line survey about their Long-Range Plan. Smith clarified that while survey answers will be helpful to Sound Transit, this survey has few opportunities to comment on the expansion study project.
Observations On The Troll’s Knoll
Pure also noted another survey, open until July 7th, on the Troll’s Knoll Park project, in planning by the Seattle Department of Parks & Recreation. Board Members Clifton and Judie Clarridge attended a recent public meeting and saw improvements proposed for this park, including a 30-plot P-Patch.
Clarridge reported that planning currently focuses on the west side of the park land (which surrounds but does not include the Fremont Troll sculpture.) Concerns came up at the public meeting about parking impacts the improvements could create, and environmental issues related to the P-Patch. Neighboring residents raised concerns about soot and other air-borne pollutants that spray off nearby Highway 99 and will coat P-Patches, and make raising food there ill-advised.
A second public meeting on the Troll’s Knoll is scheduled for July 16th, from 6:30p, at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center.
Other News
FNC Transportation Chairperson Erik Pihl reported that the RPZ (Restricted Parking Zone) has been lifted several times lately for construction projects in process. The FNC Board approved his request to submit a letter to the Seattle Department of Transportation to ask that they be more selective about allowing these ‘closures’ of the RPZ.
Clifton announced that July 20th has been selected as the date for a clean-up of the 46th Street Mural, and possibly a community-wide clean-up and celebration. Clifton, on behalf of the FNC, applied for a City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Small Sparks Grant. If the funds are granted, the celebration will take place. Otherwise, a concentrated volunteer clean-up effort will be directed at the mural. Please, plan to attend either way.
Board Member Norma Jones then asked for an update on restoration of the sidewalk canopy on the McKenzie Building, where Chase Bank installed a branch last year. The original, structural canopy came down during the remodel, and the FNC has since been given assurances that it would be replaced. Volunteers offered to follow up on the restoration.
For more information about this, and other residential concerns, please attend the next FNC meeting – on July 28th at 7p at Doric Lodge #92. The meetings are open-to-the-public, and the meeting agenda can usually be seen a few days in advance on the FNC website or Facebook page.
Hope to see you there!
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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.