Greenwood Community Council (GCC) Meeting Notes for May 21, 2013.
Primary Topic: Improving Greenwood For Walking And Biking.
Agenda:
- 7:00 – Welcome And Introductions.
- 7:05 – Round Robin Updates And Announcements.
- 7:15 – Discussion: The Experience Of Walking And Biking Around Greenwood.
- 7:45 – Short Presentations On Specific Projects/Proposals.
- 8:15 – Proposed Development @ 101 NW 85th Street (Pizza Hut – Long Ago).
- 8:30 – Adjourn.
Notes:
— Meeting began – ended: ~7:05 – ~8:55.
— ~15 people attended, including speakers.
Round Robin:
Announcements:
– Recycling challenge win for “Wednesday North”!!!!.
“Wednesday North” = BlueRidge/NorthBeach, Crown Hill, 1/2 of Greenwood and small part of PhinneyRidge.
We now get $40K to improve the neighborhood, PNA volunteered to lead.
Selena (Crown Hill) discussed talking with PNA to leverage some money for expansion of a community computer space and wireless hotspots.
– Greenwood for election forum in September.
In contact with taproot.
Will wait till after the primary (will invite every candidate).
Lisa – interested in a co-sponsored event with League Of Women Voters.
– Neighborhood matching fund.
Donations and time matched, tiny, small, and large projects fund.
Deadline for LPF was in May
$1.1 million was allocated for the cycle. Only $600K was applied for. Unknown where the extra money will go.
– Treasury report $95.
– Opening on the GCC board.
Special mention for transportation.
– Announcement on the 81st street park.
No action is happening.
– There will likely be a levy on the ballot for parks in 2014.
Main Business:
General discussion from the group (general obstacles, issues for walking and biking).
– A lot of talk from Rob about Urban center development (then promised to stay quiet).
– Unfocused chat on missing links in sidewalks and reconstructing streets as the mechanism to change.
– Mentioned the potential to work on project to finish 87th to 145th with Broadview.
– One of our projects is a finalist for neighborhood funds to study and put in sidewalks to complete the sidewalk from ~90th – ~105th (neighborhood streets fund).
– Chip sealing program 85th to 105th, 15th Ave NW to Greenwood Ave.
All non-arterials will be chip sealed over the summer.
This is not the mechanism that allows for sidewalk improvements in the neighborhood streets.
– Greenways is seen as an opportunity to prioritize those routes.
Bigger issue N of 85th due to lack of sidewalks.
Safety for all users, with the ideal of adding some actual green to the route.
Has been in planning for some time.
Routes: 1st was made a priority.
Discussion on what is a greenway.
Intended to be for bikes and pedestrians.
A little discussion that greenway isn’t appropriate for both bike and pedestrian (from Rob).
Follow-up there are new guidelines for bike and ped (from a greenway representative).
This can include speed tables around the roundabout’s.
There are diversion techniques.
There are new engineers in place for the greenways projects.
European ideas are that bikes would get an advanced light to allow bikes to clear the intersection.
Greenways are meant to be combined ped and bike, they are meant for slower bike commuting.
Keith Bates regarding Interurban 90th-105th project.
Parks opportunity fund grant submitted, unsuccessfully.
Making use of Seattle city light undeveloped corridor.
Purpose to extend the interurban trail south in off-street usage.
Idea that you could place an asphalt and side jogging trail.
Comments on why they didn’t get funding was that the levy committee didn’t envision how it was going to work.
It’s not dead in the water – still talking about working on this further.
Plan to work further on this, contact the residents and the property owners.
Intend to apply for a “small & simple” matching fund to get some planning done.
Did pull out of the larger matching fund due to not being ready / lack of time to commit.
– Walking concerns N in greenwood.
Concerns lack of sidewalks.
Safety concern in the lack of sidewalk area.
– Fred Meyer can have an impact.
First may increase car traffic.
How will the city deal with car traffic there?
– Concern that the crossings to get to outside parks is difficult.
– Traffic light times are a concern and often not considered.
This could lead to more risky ped crossings.
Good focus would be signal timing.
– Cars vs. pedestrians.
How do we work on promoting all our modes of transportation (e.g. we all still drive).
Greenwood Ave moves very quickly, and there is no opportunity to cross at intersections without a crosswalk.
Also the problem of cars parking all the way to the corner blocking sight and visibility. Curb bulbs would ‘fix’ this.
Project on Stone way is the police put a sting up to ticket people that wouldn’t stop for pedestrians.
Another issue is the false sense of security if the crosswalk is put in.
– It may benefit the community as a whole to focus in on the gaps closest to the business districts.
Completing the central area may help focus walking to the urban center.
To get involved in Greenways – google group greenwood-phinney greenways.
Feetfirst.org.
Posted on the website – Keith’s project.
101 NW 85th Street (Pizza Hut – long ago) Project – Security Properties:
– Ready to start the public process.
Plans for the property are available to share.
No Greenwood Market.
– Retail scheme with housing up top.
Neighborhood oriented (e.g. dentist).
Broker Susie Detmer may be able to describe the types of retail that are looking.
It seems there may be a good amount of interest.
The side along 1st may be a unique option for outdoor dining or open space.
Mark Simpson – Architect.
Browsed Portland to look at similar neighborhood for ideas.
Looking for opportunities in the alley.
Trying not to bring the cars in off the alley, will plan on an lower parking level (~70cars).
Residential parking will come in off of 85th.
Curb cut will not line up with the Fred Meyer’s.
Commercial parking will come in off the alley or 1st (at grade with retail on 85th).
30 parking stalls for commercial use.
This was an issue that came up that people may have to be trained to find the parking (this would impact the type of retail possible).
Possible to have a single occupant for the whole retail (8,000 sq ft space).
There will ideally be 25ft set back from the alley, recognizing the need to keep the alley nice due to the single family homes on the alley side.
The height of the building is zoned for 40ft from the average grade (noting there is 20 ft of grade change).
4 stories of residential over retail.
Idea to look at off street / on street parking on the south side of the road again (on street starts at 8th).
Issue of traffic problems were discussed when there is a combination of the new building and Fred Meyer.
Bog issues have been tested and it seems that 1 floor below cleared a water table concern.
Residential to be apartments.
From a resident there was a suggestion some sort of treatment to increase privacy for the south facing terraces.
ADJOURNED.