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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Feb. GCC Meeting on Transportation: Bus Routes and 83rd St. Greenway [Links fixed]
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Feb. GCC Meeting on Transportation: Bus Routes and 83rd St. Greenway
Greenwood Transportation:
Big Changes Proposed for Bus Routes,
and Creating a Greenway on N 83rd St.
Greenwood Community Council February Meeting
Tuesday February 18, 7:00 pm
Greenwood Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N
We have two great transportation topics this month – great because (1) they are important, and (2) because they are at a point in their processes where your input can make a difference.
Agenda:
7:00: Intro and Announcements
7:05: North Link Connections Mobility Project: Metro will present their preliminary proposals to reconfigure the north end bus network once Link light rail opens to Northgate in 2021. Routes 355 and 45 would be changed, and a new route would connect Greenwood to Northgate and Lake City. (More information later in this email, or on Metro’s website, which includes maps and route descriptions).
7:50: N 83rd St. Greenway and Safety Improvements: Seattle SDOT staff will describe work underway to design and construct a greenway on N 83rd St. connecting Greenwood to Green Lake by bicycle for those who prefer riding on streets with less traffic. A new crosswalk signal would be installed at 83rd and Greenwood. Safety improvements in the area will also be described. (More information below, or on the SDOT website).
8:25: Next Steps?
8:30: Adjourn
GCC needs your help!
We would be a lot more useful and effective with your participation. We’re looking for active board members, issue leaders and website writers. If you might be interested, check out our website volunteer page.
More on Proposed Metro Changes:
Metro is using the introduction of light rail as a catalyst for major network changes throughout their service area to promote high frequency routes and relying on transferring to reach more destinations. Metro’s proposed changes affecting Greenwood include:
- Starting route 45 in Greenwood rather that in Loyal Heights, and using 80th instead of 85th east of Greenwood Ave. Route 45 buses would begin and end on 3rd W where the 5X ends now. Route 45 riders headed to Loyal Heights would need to transfer, and there are concerns about long waits to cross Aurora on 80th.
- Eliminating route 355 and route 5 express, replacing both with new route 16, that runs the current 5X route but extended north to N 130th St. The 355 would no longer serve 85th St. or Roosevelt Way in the University District; those riders would take route 45. Route 355 riders to Shoreline CC would take local route 5.
- Adding a new cross-town route 61 beginning in Loyal Heights and connecting to Northgate and Lake City. This route would follow the 45 route on 85th, but then turn north to serve North Seattle College, connect to Link at Northgate, then continue to Lake City – connecting Greenwood to new destinations across north Seattle.
Please give some thought to whether you would use buses more frequently if they went to the places you need to go, and how these changes would affect you. Greenwood has chimed in previously hoping for direct connections to proximate destinations in Ballard and Fremont.
Here is Metro’s letter to community groups describing this process:
– – – – –
Dear Community Leaders and Partners,
We’re excited to announce the next phase of the North Link Connections Mobility Project! We thank you for your continued interest, great feedback and input into the plan, and for the great work your organizations are doing to support and improve transit in King County.
As part of Sound Transit’s light rail extension to Northgate, including three new stations, Metro and Sound Transit are considering changes to over 30 routes that serve North King County. This phase of the North Link Connections Mobility Project represents the first draft of service concepts based on ideas from the community. These ideas were also shaped in collaboration with the project’s Mobility Boardmembers (people who live, work, or travel in the area and represent diverse communities, who worked alongside Metro to provide guidance and feedback based on the priorities identified by the community.
Over the next two months, Metro and Sound Transit will be out in the community, having conversations and gathering feedback on the proposed service concepts. We’d like to encourage you to share the proposal with your community so that we can use this valuable input to help shape further refinements that will be shared again with the public in late summer 2020.
The details of the proposal and a survey to gather opinions on it are available in six languages (Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, Korean, and English), and can be viewed here: Metro’s North Link Connections Mobility Project page and Sound Transit’s Northgate Link Extension page for the latest project information.
Ultimately, changes will need to be approved by the King County Council. Final recommended changes will be shared with the Council in early spring of 2021. The approved set of changes would take effect during Metro’s September 2021 service change.
If you would like to discuss the proposal in detail, or have community events that you would like to have Metro attend to share more information, we would be happy to work with you. We thank you for your continued partnership and look forward to hearing your thoughts on the proposal.
Sincerely,
North Link Connections Mobility Project Team
More on 83rd St. Greenway:
Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan includes improvements to N 83rd St. to make it a greenway bike and pedestrian connection between the existing greenway on 1st W across 83rd St. to Green Lake. Greenways attempt to provide a fast and safe riding experience off the main car routes by adding stop signs to crossing streets, and speed bumps or other methods to keep car through-trips from using the greenway.
Seattle is proposing to add a signalized crossing on 83rd at Greenwood Avenue, one block north of the new park, and one block south of an existing crosswalk at N 84th St. A crossing improvement is also proposed on 83rd at Linden. SDOT is making safety improvements elsewhere in Greenwood, and we are likely to hear about some of them.
Here is a map of the proposed greenway:
Reminder: Winter GCC Social at the Naked City Tap Room is Tomorrow (Tuesday)
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Next Tuesday: Winter Social at the Naked City Tap Room (Not the Taproot!)
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Next Tuesday: Winter Social at the Taproot
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Reminder – City Meeting to Plan New Park at the Library is TONIGHT at PNA, 6:00
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Changes at the Greenwood Community Council
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Next Week’s GCC meeting: Mike McGinn – and Elections
March Membership Meeting
Tuesday March 17, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N
Former Greenwood Community Council President
Mayor Michael McGinn Reflects …
— and also —
Community Council Elections
Michael McGinn was our Greenwood Community Council President for several years before he left first to form Great City and later run successfully for mayor. Now back to private life, we’ve asked him to tell us how being mayor changed his perspective on city issues, and how in retrospect he’d advise us to be productive and effective representing Greenwood concerns in a changing political environment. He will also take your questions.
We will also have the community council elections at this meeting. If you’ve ever considered becoming more involved in the community, please give some thought to entering your name for a board position. We hold no power; we are strictly volunteers trying to provide a means for Greenwood residents and businesses to discuss issues of common concern and represent our neighborhood’s interests in a way that makes a difference. This weekend I will send a more impassioned plea, complete with job descriptions – but the most important qualifications are an interest in being involved in the neighborhood, commitment to stay involved for a year, willingness to meet occasionally over coffee or beer, and willingness to take on some meaningful role to keep the community council meaningful and effective. Let me know if you’d like more information by responding to this email.
GCC Seeking New Board Members!
Community Council Elections at the March Membership Meeting
This is an open invitation to be involved in the Greenwood Community Council leadership. At our March meeting, members will elect officers and board members for the coming year. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved in the neighborhood, please consider nominating yourself!
Elections will be open for all positions, including:
- President
- Vice president
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Land Use Chair
- Transportation Chair
- Health and Safety Chair
- Outreach Chair
You can nominate yourself or someone else you think should consider the job. Ideal candidates will be available for occasional meetings over beer or coffee, respond to emails so we can make decisions, and be interested in creating opportunities for neighbors to meet developers and decision-makers, shape neighborhood priorities, or make things happen in Greenwood.
These are two year terms, but please be prepared to commit to staying involved for the coming year. Any kind of skills and diversity you bring to the board will be appreciated. Please give it some thought … but don’t overthink it.
If you’re interested, you’ll need to show up at our membership meeting on March 17, 7PM at the Greenwood Library. If you have questions, please send me a message by clicking here. [Link fixed]
March 11: Candidate Forum for Seattle City Council District 5
Broadview Community Council, in association with the Greenwood, Haller Lake, and Pinehurst community councils, presents
A Candidate Forum for Seattle City Council District 5
Wednesday, March 11, 2015, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm
Doors open at 6:30 for socializing
Bitter Lake Community Center
13035 Linden Ave N
Calling all community council members, neighborhood activists, business advocates, political junkies, civic troublemakers, citizens with a beef, and all other North Seattle voters!
This is the time to meet candidates for Seattle City Council in YOUR VERY OWN District 5
Sandy Brown
Mercedes Elizalde
Debora Juarez
Mian Rice
David Toledo
Halei Watkins
Learn about their background and experience, ask them questions, grade them, and challenge them to be transparent. Decide who might get your donation and/or your vote.
Don’t be late. Seating is limited.
District 5 runs from Puget Sound to Lake Washington, from 145th St. to roughly 85th St. See the official map for details.
February Meeting: Parking Requirements
February Membership Meeting
Tuesday February 17, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N
How Much Parking Should Be Required
in New Apartment Buildings?
A few years ago Seattle changed its development regulations to eliminate the requirement to provide parking in new multi-family buildings in areas defined as urban villages, or places with accessible and frequent transit service. Almost all of Greenwood fits that definition, and several micro-housing buildings are being built that will take advantage of that change by not including parking as part of the development.
There are advocates and strong feelings on both sides of this issue. Seattle’s previous parking requirements often required developers to include more parking than needed, raising the cost of living in new buildings and requiring residents who don’t own cars to help pay for their storage. Providing no parking at all takes advantage of unused public street space at no cost to the developer or tenant. When parking is scarce though, neighbors and their visitors have a harder time finding a place to park and need to walk farther to get groceries and kids to the car.
So what is the right amount of parking, and what should guide the city in deciding how much developers need to provide as part of their projects? The City Council has requested a review of parking requirement policies, and the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is preparing its analysis. Gordon Clowers is leading the team that will respond to the council, and at our February meeting he will discuss some of the factors DPD will consider in forming their analysis.
Agenda
7:00 Introductions and Agenda Review
7:10 Gordon Clowers, Department of Planning and Development
– Parking Requirement Policies for New Development
– Q&A, Discussion
7:55 Land Use Committee Report/Proposed Action
– Pedestrian zones on Greenwood Avenue
– Potential Action
8:20 Community Council Business and Announcements
– Nominations open for Community Council elections in March
– Other announcements
8:30 Adjourn
Please note that the Library’s garage closes at 8PM, so if you park in the library you will need to move your car before then.
January Meeting: Developing a Vision for a New Library Park
January Membership Meeting
Tuesday January 20, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N
Developing a Neighborhood Vision for the New Park North of the Library
Our January meeting will kick off the process to develop a community vision for the new park that will be developed on the lot north of the library, where the minimart used to be. Bill Farmer will speak on the history of this site as a proposed park through inclusion for funding in the park district ballot measure that Seattle citizens passed last year and the implementation process. Bill was a member of the 2008 Parks & Green Spaces Levy Committee that resulted in acquisition of the site, and the Parks Legacy committee that helped develop the park funding ballot measure. He has followed this process over the years.
The majority of the meeting will be for brainstorming – what are the things a park could bring to the neighborhood? What uses should (and shouldn’t) it accommodate? What matters about how it’s designed? What should it be called?
The objective is to begin the neighborhood discussion, that will ultimately need to involve many others in the broader Greenwood-Phinney area that this park will serve. Being proactive to develop a community vision will help designers develop a park we will use and feel ownership and pride in. The ideal outcome of this meeting will be to get discussion going and identify a core group to broaden the discussion to the wider community.
Agenda
7:00 Introductions and Agenda Review
7:10 Update on Greenwood 2035 Study Groups
7:15 Bill Farmer: History, context, and the park development process
7:25 Brainstorm: What does the community desire for this site?
8:10 Summary – points of agreement
8:15 Next steps to advance the conversation and the project
8:30 Adjourn
Hope you can make it!
December Meeting: Dialogue with a Micro-Housing Developer
December Membership Meeting
Tuesday December 16, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N.
There’s been a big to-do about micro-housing (aka apodments*) in neighborhoods all over Seattle. Micro-housing is a relatively new idea in Seattle, allowing people who don’t need a full apartment to rent a bedroom only with access to a common kitchen. Many do not provide parking because micro-housing many micro-housing resident don’t own one. The micro-housing boom has caught neighborhoods by surprise, with buildings appearing all over town. These projects have been largely exempt from regulation or public review, but the City Council is reconsidering whether to change that.
Three micro-housing developments are under construction now in Greenwood – comprising most of the development that will open here in the next year. (One is on Phinney Ave. above the Safeway parking lot, and two are on NW 85th St.) There are clearly potential benefits, but also unknown impacts that raise concerns for some neighbors.
Daniel Stoner is a developer who has built micro-housing projects previously, and he’s asked for the opportunity to discuss plans for a new micro-housing project on 95th St. with Greenwood neighbors – the topic of our December meeting. KCTS recently did a story on micro-housing and Daniel was interviewed — you can see the interview by clicking here. Representing the community council, I really appreciate Daniel’s willingness and commitment to engage in community dialogue. This meeting will be a great opportunity for community members to understand the benefits of micro-housing, and also to pass along concerns about the development he’s proposing on 95th St., replacing the building shown below.
*Apodments is a trademark of a specific micro-housing development company, so the term micro-housing is used here.
November Meeting: What are Ingredients of a Livable Neighborhood?
November Membership Meeting
Tuesday November 18, 7:00 – 8:30
NOTE LOCATION!
Taproot Theatre’s Stage Door Cafe, 208 N 85th St.
(Refreshments available)
This month’s community council meeting is part of the year-long “Greenwood 2035” planning process to help inform Seattle’s comprehensive plan update. Three study groups have had their initial meetings to discuss land use, transportation and sidewalk issues. This month’s membership meeting will be an open meeting of the land use study group (usually on third Thursday evenings).
Seattle’s “Urban Village” strategy is to identify areas where new growth is planned, and prioritize city investment into making these become high quality urban environments. The question is — what defines a high quality environment, and what steps can the city take as a practical matter to make this policy meaningful? Some feel that density is needed to bring pedestrian traffic that supports thriving business districts, others focus on the need for sidewalks, parks and play fields. We have seen massive development near Aurora Avenue and Holman Rd. – what can the city do to make these places the high quality urban environments envisioned in the comp plan?
This meeting will be an extended meeting of the study group open to anyone who wants to participate. Study group participants were to come prepared to discuss the issue, but most likely this will be an open-ended discussion for anyone interested in the subject.
Agenda
7:00 Introductions and Agenda Review
7:10 Update on Greenwood 2035 Study Groups
7:15 Presentations of research by study group members (if any this month)
7:25 Open discussion on ingredients for livable neighborhoods
8:05 Summary – points of agreement
8:15 Next study group topic – brainstorm research needed and assign tasks
8:30 Adjourn
Election Forum at the Taproot Theatre
Northwest Seattle Neighborhoods
Election Forum
at the Taproot Theatre
204 N 85th St. in Greenwood
Next Tuesday – October 21 at 7PM
Please join your neighbors next Tuesday evening to make sense of ballot measures as the fall election closes in. The election forum gives you an opportunity to hear from the campaigns and ask them your questions.
Program:
7:00 – Welcome and settle in
7:10 – Dueling Seattle Early Childhood Education initiatives
7:45 – The Reduce Class Sizes state initiative
8:10 – Seattle Transportation Benefit District (for bus transit service)
8:20 – The New Monorail Initiative
8:30 – 36th District candidates* have been invited to introduce themselves
8:45 – Adjourn – cafe will stay open so you can talk to campaigners
*Not all candidates are able to attend.
This event is sponsored by the Greenwood, Broadview, Green Lake and Phinney Ridge community councils. Space is generously provided by the Taproot Theatre. There is no charge to attend, but donations to offset the Taproot’s costs will be appreciated – and please plan to stop by Taproot’s Stage Door Cafe before or after the event.
Please help spread the word!
September Meeting: Intro to Seattle 2035 (at Taproot)
September Membership Meeting
Tuesday September 16, 7:00 – 8:30
NOTE DIFFERENT LOCATION!
We’ll meet at the Taproot Theatre Cafe, 208 N 85th St.
** (Refreshments available!) **
Topic: Introduction and Overview of the
Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan Update
This month’s community council meeting will also be the kick-off for the Greenwood 2035 Study Groups. Tom Hauger from Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development will give an overview of the Seattle 2035 update process for Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan and some of the key issues that will be addressed. Tom will also take audience questions. This will be a good opportunity to get oriented to the comprehensive planning process for those who hope to become more involved in it. (For those who are opinionated about development issues, this is not the forum to air them, but there will be plenty of opportunities as the process continues.)
Agenda
7:00 Introductions and Agenda Review7:10 Introduction and Overview of Seattle 2035 – Tom Hauger8:00 Status and update on the Greenwood 2035 Study Groups8:10 Announcements and information sharing – around the table8:25 Adjourn and clean up – need to let the cafe staff go home at 8:30
Note – October’s meeting will be the annual Election Forum at the Taproot Theatre. Mark your calendars now — October 21 at 7:00PM.
Still time to join Greenwood 2035 Study Groups
Over the summer the Greenwood Community Council has been recruiting volunteers to participate in “Greenwood 2035” study groups to coincide with Seattle’s update of its Seattle 2035 comprehensive plan. We’ll educate ourselves about growth, development and infrastructure issues, learn about how things get done in Seattle, and discuss how to involve people who don’t usually participate in neighborhood discussions.
Despite being as grown up as I’m likely to become I still think of the year as starting in September and ending in June – so if you’re like me, welcome back to the new school year. Fall means we are getting the study groups organized and set up soon, so I’d like to encourage you one last time to join the Greenwood 2035 study groups. If you are interested, please take a moment to fill out a survey by clicking here. The survey questions ask about your interests in the study groups, the times you could be available each month, and your likes and pet peeves about Greenwood. If you know of others who are or may be interested in the study groups please forward this email to them too.
The survey asks which study groups you may be interested in. For your reference, here are the descriptions as proposed — but remember that these groups will be self-directed and can choose a different course if desired:
Proposed study groups:
- LAND USE. This study group will develop information and positions about how Greenwood should develop.
For example: - What is loved about Greenwood that should be preserved, and what could be improved?
- How can new density and development enhance and promote Greenwood’s livability?
- What city improvements and services are needed to make new development work?
- What can be done to preserve affordability and healthy small businesses?
- What kinds of development are helping or hurting livability in Greenwood?
- TRANSPORTATION. This group will address Greenwood’s transportation needs and priorities.
- What new transit connections are needed, and how can service be improved?
- What’s the best way to accommodate bicycles, and where should greenways be located?
- What should be priority uses for our main streets? How should they operate?
- Should car use be more efficient, or should it be frustrating to spur shifts to transit and bikes?
- What are the transporta! tion projects and improvements that should top our priority list?
- SIDEWALKS. This group will propose practical ways to start building sidewalks north of 85th St.
(Note: Seattle’s change to district elections makes this a timely opportunity – any candidate for the district north of 85th will need a program to address sidewalks, and we can help!) This group will study and consider: - Why are there so few sidewalks north of 85th St., and what’s been tried to get them built?
- What is the city’s obligation vs. the home or business owner?
- How will Seattle’s complete streets policy help? How effective are grant processes?
- What are obstacles to building sidewalks and what can be done to overcome them?
- What is a practical program that a new city councilmember could promote?
- NEW MODELS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. This group will aim to broaden community involvement.
- Are meetings still an effective way to involve people in addressing neighborhood issues?
- What are generational differences – how do younger community members engage?
- How can dialogue increase between residents and local business people?
- What are engagement and outreach models that are more participatory?
- How do different constituencies feel the community council could better engage or represent their interests?
August Meeting: Greenwood 2035 Planning Meeting
Instead of having a Greenwood Community Council meeting this week, we will have an open meeting for anyone wanting to help plan the Greenwood 2035 Study Groups.
Tuesday August 19, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N
Greenwood Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N
Tuesday evening’s meeting is for anyone interested in helping to plan the study groups – described in the message below that was originally posted in June. The meeting will be at the Greenwood Library at 7PM, replacing the n! ormal Greenwood Community Council meeting. We’ll meet there for a few minutes and then break into groups (sidewalks, land use, transportation and engagement) to continue discussion at a local business that serves beverages of one sort or another. I hope you can make it – but if not we’ll hope to see you when the study groups begin in earnest this fall.
No meeting this Tuesday
There will not be a July meeting of the Greenwood Community Council this Tuesday.
However, we expect to have a special August meeting on the usuals third Tuesday meeting date (8/19) to plan next year’s Greenwood 2035 planning effort, including study groups on sidewalks, transportation, land use and new models of community engagement. More information coming soon!
June Meeting: Greenwood 2035 Plan
June Membership Meeting
Tuesday June 17, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N
Tomorrow (Tuesday)’s community council meeting will be an open meeting of the board to discuss the Greenwood 2035 planning effort described in a post below. If you’re interested or have other community issues you’d like to discuss, please join us – everyone is welcome.
Seattle is beginning a year-long effort on a major update to its comprehensive plan, identifying where new development should occur and what city investments will be needed to accommodate growth. The initial plan focus is on whether urban centers (downtown, Capitol Hill, Northgate) and/or stations near light rail should be upzoned to be far denser than today; but eventually the plan must also address city plans for transportation, schools, parks, housing affordability and other critical issues that will affect Greenwood. Greenwood 2035 will prepare us to participate on behalf of our neighborhood, and to inform and engage Greenwood neighbors to influence the plan to benefit Greenwood’s livability.
If you’ve thought about getting involved in the neighborhood, this is a great time to do it. This will be a great opportunity to meet neighbors and learn how the city works. We will be planning and recruiting for Greenwood 2035 over the summer so we’ll be ready to hit the ground running next September. Please take a look at the call for volunteers below, and consider joining the discussion tomorrow (Tuesday) night.
Get involved in Greenwood – Looking for your help and participation
The Greenwood Community Council is looking for volunteers for Greenwood 2035 – a year-long effort to develop Greenwood’s input and feedback to complement Seattle’s comprehensive plan update: Seattle 2035.
(This is the topic of this Tuesday’s community council meeting – agenda coming in a separate email).
Volunteers are needed for the following study groups:
- LAND USE. This study group will develop information and positions about how Greenwood should develop.
For example: - What is loved about Greenwood that should be preserved, and what could be improved?
- How can new density and development enhance and promote Greenwood’s livability?
- What city improvements and services are needed to make new development work?
- What can be done to preserve affordability and healthy small businesses?
- What kinds of development are helping or hurting livability in Greenwood?
- TRANSPORTATION. This group will address Greenwood’s transportation needs and priorities.
- What new transit connections are needed, and how can service be improved?
- What’s the best way to accommodate bicycles, and where should greenways be located?
- What should be priority uses for our main streets? How should they operate?
- Should car use be more efficient, or should it be frustrating to spur shifts to transit and bikes?
- What are the transportation projects and improvements that should top our priority list?
- SIDEWALKS. This group will propose practical ways to start building sidewalks north of 85th St.
(Note: Seattle’s change to district elections makes this a timely opportunity – any candidate for the district north of 85th will need a program to address sidewalks, and we can help!) This group will study and consider: - Why are there no sidewalks north of 85th St., and what’s been tried to get them built?
- What is the city’s obligation vs. the home or business owner?
- How will Seattle’s complete streets policy help? How effective are grant processes?
- What are obstacles to building sidewalks and what can be done to overcome them?
- What is a practical program that a new city councilmember could promote?
- NEW MODELS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. This group will aim to broaden community involvement.
- Are meetings still an effective way to involve people in addressing neighborhood issues?
- What are generational differences – how do younger community members engage?
- How can dialogue increase between residents and local business people?
- What are engagement and outreach models that are more participatory?
- How do different constituencies feel the community council could better engage or represent their interests?
(Note: The Greenwood Community Council is also looking for volunteers for our board, and help with our website.)
If you’re interested in any of this, here’s what to do:
- Please click here to send an email with your contact information and what study group(s) you are interested in joining or leading. The study groups will begin meeting in September, but planning will continue over the summer to make sure they will be rewarding and productive. We will also develop a monthly series of presentations and discussions at community council meetings over the next year to complement study group activities and report out and share their findings.
- If you’d like to discuss, help plan or learn more about this activity, attend the June Greenwood Community Council meeting next Tuesday evening, June 17, at 7:00 in the Greenwood Public Library meeting room. The Greenwood Library’s address is 8016 Greenwood Ave. N.
GCC May Meeting is Canceled
The Greenwood Community Council meeting for May is canceled. The program we were hoping to present is not available, so we will postpone for a future meeting. Our meeting this month was scheduled for the day after the Memorial Day holiday, so we’re thinking this is not a bad one to cancel.
We will definitely meet next month on June 17 – hope to see you then.
April Meeting: Greenwood Ave. Transit/Sidewalk Project [Updated]
[This post has been updated to add the meeting agenda]
The Community Council normally meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, but for April and May we will meet on the fourth Tuesday instead.
MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
April Membership Meeting
Tuesday April 22, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N
Greenwood Transit/Sidewalk Project
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is working on a design for transit improvements and new sidewalks on Greenwood Ave. between N. 90th and N. 105th. SDOT representatives will present their plans and answer questions.
This project would bring long-desired sidewalks to Greenwood Ave.! It includes funding to build sidewalks on the east side of the street, and to design sidewalks on the west side that would be well-positioned for funding. Sidewalks design will affect where on-street parking is available.
The transit improvements are intended to remove the need for buses to wait for traffic to clear before they pull back into traffic after stopping for passengers. Instead of pulling out of traffic, the buses would stop in-lane, and cars would wait while passengers get on and off the bus. Bicycles would be routed behind a bus “island” so they could continue without stopping behind the buses, similar to the operation on Dexter Ave. N. This is a somewhat controversial approach worth discussion.
Proposed Agenda:
7:00 Introductions and Agenda Review
7:10 SDOT Presentation (Rob Gorman, Paul Elliot), followed by Q&A and discussion
7:50 Around the Table Updates
– Report from the Neighborhood Summit
– Comprehensive Plan update
– Greenwood Library Park update
– Microhousing and low-rise development regulations update
8:20 Announcements and Next Meeting Topic
8:30 Adjourn
GCC Supports Funding to Develop Greenwood Library Park
The Greenwood Community Council has weighed in with the Seattle City Council in support of including funds in the upcoming parks ballot measure to develop a park on the site pictured here, just north of the Greenwood Library. The Parks Department purchased this property for a future park, and businesses there are relocating.
Once vacant, the building will be demolished. If there is no funding to improve the property into a Greenwood Library Park, it may sit vacant indefinitely. We’ve urged the City Council not to let that happen.
To see the GCC letter to Councilmember Bagshaw, click here.
GCC Attending Mayor Murray’s Neighborhood Summit this Saturday
The Seattle Neighborhood Summit will take place on Saturday, April 5 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Seattle Center’s Exhibition Hall, located on Mercer at 3rd Avenue N. next to McCaw Hall. Mayor Murray is sponsoring a Neighborhood Summit this coming Saturday to set the tone for how his administration will relate to neighborhoods during his term. Many of the Greenwood Community Council board members will participate, and invite anyone interested in neighborhood issues to join us.
At a brainstorm during our March Greenwood Community Council meeting, these were the issues members suggested be raised as priorities for Greenwood. If you attend the summit you might want to raise some of these, along with any other issues that motivate you to attend.
Notes from the GCC March Membership Meeting
Brainstorm on Community Issues
to Raise at the Neighborhood Summit
Provide for Non-Car Transit (Walk, Bike, Bus) – especially Sidewalks!
Improve people’s ability to walk, bike, and use the bus in and around Greenwood.
– Make a strategy for sidewalk development in Greenwood and plan for it in the budget.
– Ensure ample and accessible mass transit service.
– Improve walkability through more sidewalks, safe intersection crossings.
– Create more bike-friendly infrastructure.
– Do greenways “right.”
Plan for the Park @ Greenwood & 81st Street
Create a plan to fund, design, and develop the land planned for a park at 81st & Greenwood Ave.
– The businesses will be moving out and there’s no budget or plan for how to develop the property
– A prominent location on Greenwood Ave. may lie vacant for some time if there are no park improvement.
Support a Vibrant Business District
Find ways to attract and retain businesses to Greenwood’s main corridors.
– There are a lot of empty storefronts in the “downtown” area near 85 & Greenwood.
– The upper part of Aurora continues to have crime and social service issues
– How can the community weigh in on what businesses are established in Greenwood?
– Ensure there’s parking for residents (as more high-density housing is built) and visitors.
Communicate with and Support Community Councils
Provide channels for the city to have a more active dialogue with community councils and support their development.
– Provide venues/staff to learn about community priorities.
– Share how the city is addressing each community’s issues (plan, budget).
– Discuss (not just present) and enable input on challenging topics.
– Provide funding for community council outreach and staffing neighborhood centers.
For more information on the 2014 Seattle Neighborhood Summit, visit http://www.seattle.gov/sns2014. .
March Meeting: Preparing for the Mayor’s Neighborhood Summit [Updated]
March Membership Meeting
Tuesday March 18, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Public Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N
On Saturday April 5, May, Mayor Murray will convene a “Neighborhood Summit” to bring community leaders from around the city together to weigh in on issues of concern to neighborhoods and how the city should involve neighborhoods in during his term. (For more information about the summit, follow this link). At our March membership meeting, we invite all Greenwood residents and businesspeople to discuss the issues we want to see discussed at the summit.
Agenda
7:00 Introductions, Agenda Review , and quick updates on neighborhood issues
7:10 Brief introduction to the neighborhoods summit
7:15 Exercise to identify the most critical neighborhood issues
7:45 Report out and discussion
8:00 What methods have been successful (or not) to engage neighborhoods?
8:20 Summary and follow-up steps
8:30 Adjourn
And while you’re holding the date, also pencil us in for every third Tuesday night of each month. The Greenwood Community Council is moving back to monthly meeting at a consistent time (Third Tuesdays at 7:00) and place (the Library).
No GCC Meeting Tonight (January 21)
For the past couple of years the Greenwood Community Council has generally met on the third Tuesday of odd-numbered months – which is an odd schedule to remember, and today I forgot as well. This would normally be our January meeting night, but if you were planning to go please don’t because we will not meet this month (and my sincere apology for this ridiculously last minute note – now five minutes before the meeting time).
Over the past couple of months we have been regrouping a bit. We’ve had some board turnover. We thought that our reservation for the library meeting space was ongoing, but in fact it expired at the end of the year and other groups have booked the space for January and February. We missed a meeting in November because all of us were too busy.
Personally, I’ve come to the conclusion that we need to go back to a monthly schedule, and have booked the library meeting room for the remainder of the year on third tuesdays of each month beginning in March. The board is in agreement on this. Our original intent in meeting less frequently was to produce more interesting and well planned meetings; instead I think we’ve lost a lot of people who might attend if we met on a predictable monthly basis with a more standard agenda that provides a speaker on a current topic and updates about ongoing neighborhood issues from people following them.
We are trying to arrange a meeting in February at an alternative location, we’re seeking new members for our board, and we’re looking for ideas about how to focus our meetings and activities to be most relevant to you and Greenwood. I will write again with a more complete update soon. Please let me know by replying to this message if you have thoughts, suggestions, or want to get involved.
— Rob Fellows, GCC President
An Emergency Preparedness Opportunity – but needs support and volunteers
Here’s an opportunity to help Greenwood prepare for emergencies…
Proposed Emergency Preparedness Grant: The staff at the Greenwood Boys & Girls Club are preparing an application for a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant for Greenwood preparedness. The grant application seeks $25K to fund establishment of 2 neighborhood hubs in our extended neighborhood — places that could function as communication centers and house supplies during large scale emergencies. Having a hub would also provide focus to power other emergency preparedness activities in the neighborhood.
How you can help: Community participation is crucial to getting these grants, and volunteer time is credited towards the project as our neighborhood’s matching contribution for city funds. We need to demonstrate that volunteers time will be forthcoming. Several workshops and training activities will be needed to plan for the new hubs that you could volunteer to help or participate in – and these would also give you valuable skills, knowledge, and hopefully some fun and new friends.
The grant deadline is next week – Oct. 7 – so your pledge of volunteer time is needed right away to help get the grant funded.
To pledge volunteer hours: Send an email to Joan at the Greenwood Boys and Girls Club by clicking here, or call her at 436-1851. Tell her your name, address and phone, plus the number of hours you would be willing to donate over the coming year. Five hours per 2014 month could equate to $1200 in matching funds from the city, but any amount will help. If the grant is funded, a volunteer will contact you to arrange for a volunteer activity that fits your schedule and interests. Also please pass this message along to others you know who might be interested. If you are willing to write a letter from you or a group/organization you belong to, contact the North Seattle Boys and Girl’s Club at (206) 436-1850.
For more information:
- For information about Neighborhood Matching Fund and other city grants, click here.
- For more about the City’s Seattle! Neighborhoods Actively Prepare (SNAP) program, click here.
- To stay connected with Greenwood neighbors interested in emergency preparedness, join the Greenwood Preparedness yahoo group. Click here to send an email to subscribe. Subscribing will be another way to demonstrate neighborhood support for this effort.
(I’ve sent this to the Greenwood News, Greenwood Preparedness and Greenwood Community Council lists – so apologies if you received it more than once.)
SDOT Meeting Tonight on Proposed Fremont Ave. Improvements
SDOT is having an open house this evening between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. at the Boys and Girl’s Club on proposed improvements to Fremont Ave. N. An announcement for the meeting is here. The Boys and Girls Club is at 8635 Fremont Ave. N.
There is a competing proposal you should know about to continue the Interurban Trail that now connects from 105th up to Lynnwood using the old Interurban/City Light right of way. The right-of-way still exists south of 105th a half block from Fremont, and could be a better option for walking and biking if funding could be found to implement it. The proposal to extend the trail on the Interurban right of way is here.
My apologies for the last minute notice on this – just learned about the meeting today.