tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49123341486633083772024-03-13T20:44:21.849-07:00The Future of 35th Ave NENE Seattle residents proactively planning for change.Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-12580762358594813802019-03-28T12:30:00.000-07:002019-06-09T20:28:20.554-07:00Feelings of both euphoria and disappointment - A status update on the Future of 35th Ave NE planIt's been a little while (nearly 4-years) since we've provided an update on the Future of 35th Ave NE plan and our efforts to implement it. But, March 2019 has proved to be an important month for our plan and we thought an update was appropriate.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Background on 35th Ave NE Neighborhood Planning</h3>
In 2012, residents of Wedgwood, Ravenna, and Bryant neighbors kicked-off what would ultimately culminate in the <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Future%2035th%20Ave%20Plan-FINAL.pdf">Future of 35th Ave NE plan</a>. This was a unique community-led plan created to pursue a pro-active plan for a neighborhood business district that had remained largely untouched since it was incorporated into the city and zoned in 1947 and then again in 1973.<br />
<br />
The process we set out to pursue was intended to maximize community involvement and engagement in the hopes of identifying a shared vision for the 35th Ave NE corridor. There was no prior 'hidden agenda' with our plan. We simply wanted to accomplish two goals:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="https://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/coffee-talks.html">Educate our neighbors</a> about the 35th Ave NE corridor and </li>
<li><a href="https://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/survey-results_30.html">Listen and learn</a> about what they wanted for out 35th Ave NE corridor in the future. </li>
</ol>
However, due to the city's land use and transportation planning policies, there was no clear end-game for a neighborhood or business district like ours.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Our Neighborhood District is "Exceptional" </h3>
Ordinarily, a 'neighborhood plan,' as recognized by the city, is initiated by the city in areas designated Urban Villages. Following the city's formal neighborhood planning process, the plan is adopted by the city council with legislation to amend the comprehensive plan, zoning plan, and other relevant plans and codes for consistency.<br />
<br />
But, this was not a formal neighborhood plan within an Urban Village. Nevertheless, we pursued a plan that would ultimately be a non-binding guidance document which we would have to be advocates for. Over time, the city came to support our planning efforts and awarded us a $25,000 neighborhood matching fund grant through the city's Department of Neighborhoods to contract with a planning firm to formalize the plan, which we are enormously grateful for.<br />
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<h3>
The Upside of Being Exceptional</h3>
Between 2012 and 2015, we were able to <a href="https://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/07/getting-word-out.html">engage and listen</a> to literally thousands of community members. Ultimately, our Future of 35th Ave NE plan was endorsed by both the <a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/">Wedgwood Community Council</a> and the <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/">Ravenna-Bryant Community Association</a>. The Future 35th Ave NE plan describes a shared vision for 35th Ave NE corridor and features recommended zoning changes, streetscape guidelines, and <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35thAveNESuppDesignGuidelinesHandbook.pdf">supplemental design guidelines</a> for the corridor to provide the density and walkability desired to support the business district desired by the community.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Downside of Being Exceptional</h3>
As noted before, due to city policies our plan could not follow city-led 'neighborhood planning' process with a clear outcome. Therefore, to implement our plan, we pursued three different strategies for the rezoning recommendations, streetscape guidelines, and our supplemental design guidelines.<br />
<ol>
<li>First, for the rezone recommendations, our strategy was to advocate to the city council to fund the Department of Plann<span style="background-color: white;">ing and Development (now the Department of Planning & Community Development) to analyze our rezone recommendations and conduct a legislative rezone. <a href="https://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/11/exciting-news-seattle-city-council-is.html">We were successful on this front</a> and the city council included our request in DPD's budget. While our recommendations were not adopted entirely, there is much to be euphoric about on this as described below.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Next, for the streetscape guidelines, we hoped to present our streetscape guidelines to SDOT for inclusion in their Right-of-Way Improvements Manual (ROWIM), which is the document that guides (as the title of the document implies) future improvements within to the right-of-way. Unfortunately, we were not successful at this. More on this below.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Finally, we developed <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35thAveNESuppDesignGuidelinesHandbook.pdf">supplemental design guidelines</a> to give developers early guidance for future development along 35th Ave NE. These guidelines are intended to promote excellent design of future developments within the business district</span><span style="background-color: white;"> to further a safe and walkable community with architectural design elements that soften the impact of adjacent single-family residential properties. For those neighborhood plans that approved by the city, design guidelines are adopted by the city and developers must demonstrate how they have considered the design guidelines to the design review board. In order to help developers learn about our supplemental design guidelines early in the design process, we sent a copy of them to the city's planners in February 2015 with the hopes that the planners would make developers aware of our Future 35th Ave NE plan and supplemental design guidelines during a developer's initial contact with the city. However, educating developers of these supplemental design guidelines is an on-going process. </span></li>
</ol>
<h3>
<span style="background-color: white;">Zoning Recommendations Update</span></h3>
<div>
In July 2015, following their analysis of our proposed zoning changes, <a href="https://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-more-vibrant-35th-ave-ne.html">DPD presented their recommendations</a> to rezone the corridor to the community which was significantly scaled back from what was included in our plan. While initially disappointed at the time, we were at least pleased that the city had formally considered the needs of our neighborhoods and business district and pursued legislation to codify the zoning changes. Unfortunately, the city halted our legislative rezone request when they began considering the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) policy.<br />
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MHA, a form of inclusionary zoning, places an affordable housing requirement on all new residential development (not single-family). To offset this affordability requirement and comply with both state law and avoid a violation of the 'takings' clause under the state and U.S. Constitution, MHA includes an upzone of those parcels which are subject to this affordable housing mandate. Therefore, adopting DPD's legislative rezone requirement for 35th Ave NE would have limited the city's ability to require affordable housing in our community under MHA.<br />
<br />
Along with their unanimous approval of MHA on March 19, 2019, the city council also approved a citywide rezone (again, leaving single-family parcels untouched), which includes our 35th Ave NE business district. We were very pleased - maybe even euphoric! - to see that our recommendations within the Future 35th Ave NE plan were significantly closer to those zoning recommendations included within our plan than DPD's scaled-back proposal was. Our community's zoning plan lives on!<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Streetscape Guidelines Update</h3>
<div>
As noted above, our plan included streetscape guidelines to improve the pedestrian experience and safety along the 35th Ave NE corridor. However, from the outset of our planning, we were explicit that our plan would not discuss the parking or travel lanes given that the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) had identified 35th Ave NE as a planned corridor for a protected bike facility in its Bike Master Plan.<br />
<br />
Knowing that such a proj<span style="font-family: inherit;">ect would be contentious and believing the city would need to complete their own outreach and engagement process and undertake significantly more design and engineering than our $25,000 Neighborhood Matching Fund grant could allow, we intentionally avoided everything from curb-to-curb. We only focused on the pedestrian environment. Unfortunately, when we took our streetscape guidelines to SDOT for inclusion within their ROWIM, we were told that (<i>clarification from the author</i>):</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"...<span style="background-color: white;">The general feeling (<i>of those SDOT staff who attended our presentation</i>) was that we (<i>SDOT</i>) should address the full cross section of the street in a street concept plan, so there was not full support to adopt this one without taking full advantage of the ROW."</span></span></blockquote>
Basically, as we understood it, SDOT chose not to include our streetscape guidelines within their ROWIM because we chose not to use our $25,000 grant from the Department of Neighborhoods to design their separated bike facility. This was, as one can imagine, disappointing to us.<br />
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<h3>
Muddled Process Regarding the 35th Ave NE Bike Facilities</h3>
Unless you've been living under a rock (which I wouldn't blame you, given the tone of the discourse around this topic), SDOT had proposed a restriping design for 35th Ave NE following their outreach and engagement efforts that included such protected bike facility along part of 35th Ave NE. Due to the outcry of some, which included threats to the District 4 councilman, this plan led to a behind-closed-door mediation. A wholly acceptable process for a divorce or a contract dispute, but not as part of transparent community engagement and outreach plan for a public infrastructure project - in our view. This culminated in SDOT's announcement on Tuesday, March 26th, that a protected bike facility is no longer needed to achieve their safety objectives for the corridor. A conclusion that undermines the legitimacy of the city's Bike Master Plan which our neighborhood planning process had believed to be a guiding plan for the city.<br />
<br />
Whether you are for or against separated bike facilities on 35th Ave NE, the city's decision to ignore their Bike Master Plan - a plan developed itself following significant public engagement - leaves us feeling let down. Yes, we already were left disappointed by SDOT not accepting our streetscape guidelines because they did not include a complete street cross-section. But we did not have the capacity nor the budget to address the protected bike facility element included within the city's Bike Master Plan. Had we designed a full cross-section of 35th Ave NE which did not feature a separated bike facility, perhaps our streetscape guidelines may have been adopted into the ROWIM. However, perhaps if the cross-section did not feature a separated bike facility, perhaps it would not have been supported for being out of compliance with the city's Bike Master Plan.<br />
<br />
You may personally celebrate or lament the city's decision to remove separated bike facilities from 35th Ave NE, but from our perspective and our ability to implement our community's shared vision for 35th Ave NE, we feel disappointed and let down by the city. Not necessarily because of the city's decision to remove protected bike facilities from 35th Ave NE, but because of the city's disregard for the Bike Master Plan which had significantly shaped our neighborhood plan proposal and implementation strategy.<br />
<br />
Putting the argument of SDOT's design for 35th Ave NE aside and whether protected bike lanes should be put on 35th Ave NE, the fact was they were in the city's Bike Master Plan and our Future of 35th Ave NE plan was developed with that in mind. Out of deference to city planning, our decision to focus on the pedestrian environment and strategy to implement our streetscape guidelines was hampered by a proposed bike facility we believed SDOT had thought important for our city's transportation system and the safety of its users. Had we known the city would or could ignore their Bike Master Plan following a behind closed doors mediated settlement, our strategy might have been different.<br />
<br />
We believe in the value of planning and community engagement and then pursuing the implementation of that plan out of respect for the community's shared desires despite challenges and dissent by some. As noted earlier, we had only set out to educate, listen, and learn from our community about what their vision for 35th Ave NE was. We believe our community and business survey results along with our numerous public meetings and design charrettes demonstrate that we have discerned the community's shared vision for our corridor. The endorsement of our plan by the Wedgwood Community Council and Ravenna Bryant Community Association only supports this. But that does not mean there is uniformity or consensus in our community. Seattle neighborhoods are well-known for having different opinions about development - our communities are no different and we have been accusing us as being 'shills for developers' by our neighbors. But, after listening to our community, we have advocated for this shared vision in order to implement the plan to the best of our ability. We had thought the city had believed in such principles too and they would, at the very least, follow their own plans that are also based on significant outreach and engagement.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Next Steps</h3>
We will continue to advocate for the Future 35th Ave NE plan, which we believe represents the shared vision for 35th Ave NE. However, to the extent that we can effect change, the zoning recommendations and streetscape guidelines have appeared to reach their natural conclusions with mixed results. We will continue to advocate on behalf of the Future 35th Ave NE plan and its streetscape guidelines and supplemental design guidelines - in partnership with the Wedgwood Community Council and Ravenna-Bryant Community Association - by working collaboratively with developers as change ultimately comes to our community.Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-89090268506303938312015-07-06T11:59:00.000-07:002015-10-26T08:07:07.690-07:00A More Vibrant 35th Ave NE - Understanding the City's Proposed Changes for 35th Ave NE<b>REMINDER:</b> The City is collecting feedback through July 2015 on their proposed changes. <b>We strongly encouarge you to provide feedback </b>(both pro or con), although we also highly recommend you understand what is being proposed rather than commenting on misinformation. For this reason, please read on before providing your comments by mail or email to Ryan Moore, Senior Planner, PO Box 34019, Seattle, WA 98124-4019 or <a href="mailto:ryan.moore@seattle.gov">ryan.moore@seattle.gov</a>. There's also a <i>very brief</i> survey you can fill out <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/?sm=Mp94UtxZwKhmKzMwSD%2ftcu88nyjE0V7dvs2TOYh0444%3d" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<div>
<hr />
By now, you hopefully are aware of the grassroots, proactive 'neighborhood planning' effor that neighbors surrounding 35th Ave NE have been undertaking since the start of 2012. If not, you can find a summary on the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/about.html" target="_blank">About</a> page or find answers to <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/faq.html" target="_blank">frequently asked questions</a> (FAQs) from the linked tabs above. However, here's a very brief history.<br />
<br />
<div>
In January 2015, the 35th Ave Committee published our final report titled the <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Future%2035th%20Ave%20Plan-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">Future of 35th Ave NE Plan</a>. This plan is the culmination of an enormous amount of data and opinions collected from the community over 3 years. All voices and opinions were invited to the process and those who participated had their opinions presented in the Future 35th Ave NE Plan. By no means was there uninaminity, but that was not achievable. However, both the Wedgwood Community Council and the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association endorsed the plan and based on this support and the extensive and forthright community feedback we collected, the City council approved funding at our request for the City's Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to review the zoning recommendations included in the final plan and present their revised proposal. The zoning recommendations were only 1 of 3 important land use elements included in the final report which work together to provide the neighbohrood planning the 35th Ave Committee set out to achieve.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/ravennabryant/status/613876540422537216" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CITtdLOUMAAQolA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
On Wednesday evening, June 24th, DPD unveiled their proposed changes for 35th Ave NE to a packed and sweltering room at Congregation Beth Shalom. More than 100 people attended the meeting which started off with attendees milling around and looking at images of the proposed changes. A brief presentation followed where we provided some background to the planning process with DPD highliting their proposed changes. There was a short amount of time for general questions while the remaining time of the meeting was spent around the images of the proposed changes with DPD staff on hand to ask specific questions.<br />
<br />
Following the meeting, we heard some concerns about the format of the meeting. Undoubtedly in a meeting that well attended, there will be questions that go unanswered. However, we are very grateful for DPD to be undertaking this review and developing this proposal as it represents the first real proactive urban planning for the business district!<br />
<br />
This post explains some of the key features to the City's proposal recommendations. While we have included a link<a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/DPD%2035th%20Ave%20presentation.pdf"> to the City's presentation</a> for those who couldn't attend, we're also providing a summary of what the City proposed which can be broken into 3 main changes.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35th%20Ave%20Potential%20Changes.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FqRT4L3KB_8/VZYg0t7Wr5I/AAAAAAAAJPE/VGfaJJXcgQY/s320/35thAvePlans-City.PNG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35th%20Ave%20Potential%20Changes.pdf" target="_blank">The City's Proposed Plans for 35th Ave NE. <br />(Click to download PDF)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><b>1. Additional Pedestrian Zones <br />(P-zones)</b><br />The City recently adopted new legislation that expanded pedestrian zones to more neighborhood commercial areas throughout the city, including the commercial nodes along 35th Ave NE at NE 75th St and NE 85th St. This legislation requires any new development to include specific design features that prioritizes the safety and comfort of the pedestrian environment. In fact, many of these design recommendations were included in the Future 35th Ave NE Plan so that future developements at the NE 65th St and NE 95th St nodes were more likely to include these pedestrian-focused design elements into their design too.<br /><br />You may recall us writing about this legislation <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/01/are-pedestrian-retail-areas-coming-to.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and us presenting the data showing that nearly <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-results-are-in-respondents-want.html" target="_blank">70% of the respondents to the City's survey</a> thought the NE 75th St and NE 85th St nodes should be designated as pedestrian zones. Got questions on what P-zones are or are not? <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Ped%20Zone%20Handout.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a handy cheat sheet.<br /><br />Under the <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35th%20Ave%20Potential%20Changes.pdf" target="_blank">City's plans (Pages 1 and 4)</a>, parts of the NE 65th St and all of the NE 95th St nodes would be officially designated as P-zones ensuring this prioritization for the pedestrian occurs at these locations too. This strengthen many of the pedestrian-focused designs at these commercial nodes included in the Future 35th Ave NE Plan as it would codify several of the design standards included in the Future 35th Ave NE Plan.</li>
<li><b>2. More Neighborhood Commercial (NC) Zones</b><br />Under the zoning recommendations within the Future 35th Ave NE Plan, the Seattle Audubon property was recommended to be rezoned from lowrise residential (LR2) to neighborhood commercial (NC-30) to better suit their current and future operations. Meanwhile, the remaining LR2 parcels from the USPS property to the Seattle Audubon property was recommended to remain as lowrise residential while allowng for commercial on the groundfloor (LR2-C). <br /><br />As shown on the <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35th%20Ave%20Potential%20Changes.pdf" target="_blank">City's plans (Pages 3)</a>, the City proposes to change all of those parcels between NE 82nd St to NE 80th St to NC-30 while leaving those parcels south of NE 80th St as LR2. Both the LR2 zones and NC-30 are allowed to build up to 30 feet in height, which is the same height allowed for single-family residences. So the allowed height of future development on those parcels would not change, just the potential use of those parcels (e.g., more commercial on ground floor).<br /><br />Additionally, the City is also proposing to change some LR2 parcels between NE 70th St (north of Grafeful Bread) and NE 73rd St (south of Starbucks) to NC30 as shown on <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35th%20Ave%20Potential%20Changes.pdf">Page 2 of the City's plans</a>. Two single-family houses were recently demolished in this area to make way for four townhomes, which is allowed under the exisitng LR2 zone. Under the proposed zoning, these townhomes would not be allowed. It also now appears, <a href="http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/luib/Notice.aspx?id=19984" target="_blank">based on a recent and pending permit application</a>, that another lot may be redeveloped into 3 new townhomes.</li>
<li><b>3. Increased Height at NE 75th St</b><br />The zoning recommendations included in the Future 35th Ave NE plan included height increases to nearly all commercial lots at NE 65th St, NE 75th St, NE 85th St, and NE 95th St nodes. The height increases were recommended based on community feedback and data collected during our public workshops. The proposed height increase for the NE 75th St node was from 30 feet (existing) to 40-65 feet. The 65 foot height recommended in the Future 35th Ave NE Plan was only recommeded on the Safeway parcel to encourage very expensive below-grade parking when/if that lot is ever redeveloped. Otherwise, the allowed height at NE 75th St would only increase to 40 feet, which is the same height allowed currently at NE 85th St.<br /><br />After reviewing the Future 35th Ave NE plan, however, the City scaled back the height increases throughout the Future 35th Ave NE Plan significnatly. Instead of height increases at all nodes, the City is only proposing a 10 foot height increase at NE 75th St, from NC-30 to NC-40 as shown on <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35th%20Ave%20Potential%20Changes.pdf" target="_blank">Page 2 of the City's plans</a>. As mentioned above, the proposed 40 foot height is the same height currently allowed at NE 85th St.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Hopefully, the expanation above and the images linked to this post provide you with a better understanding of what currently exists, what was proposed by the community, and what the City has proposed. With this in mind, we again encourage you to provide your feedback through July 2015 to the City using the methods described above. Don't forget to take the survey!</div>
</div>
</div>
Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-33959923010168083562015-05-28T19:32:00.000-07:002015-06-12T13:37:01.287-07:00Upcoming City Legislative Rezone Public Meeting - Wed, June 24th, 5:30-7:30PM<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">SAVE THE DATE: 35TH AVE NE REZONE PUBLIC MEETING, Wednesday, June 24th, 5:30-7:30PM, Congregation Beth Shalom (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/6800+35th+Ave+NE,+Seattle,+WA+98115/@47.6781378,-122.2900279,17z/data=!4m7!1m4!3m3!1s0x549013869f23682b:0x3b6d37f68a634d09!2s6800+35th+Ave+NE,+Seattle,+WA+98115!3b1!3m1!1s0x549013869f23682b:0x3b6d37f68a634d09" target="_blank">6800 35th Ave NE</a>)</span></b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-1u1Evz6DQ/VKuhHf2ME8I/AAAAAAAAIjo/5-RWCCAEP3s/s1600/Tradewell%2B%2528old%2BQFC%2B-%2B1962%2529-cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-1u1Evz6DQ/VKuhHf2ME8I/AAAAAAAAIjo/5-RWCCAEP3s/s320/Tradewell%2B%2528old%2BQFC%2B-%2B1962%2529-cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the first time the zoning for 35th Ave NE corridor has <br />
been reviewed since the City's original zoning plan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>UPDATE 1:</b> The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has posted on their <a href="http://buildingconnections.seattle.gov/" target="_blank">Building Connections</a> blog a bit more about the public meeting and some general ideas of what their zoning proposal includes. You can read that <a href="http://buildingconnections.seattle.gov/2015/06/03/making-a-vibrant-35th-ave/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Also, postcards from DPD have arrived in the mail today (6/12/15). On them is a link to a survey. You can access and fill it out <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/35th-ave" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<hr />
If you recall in late 2014, the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/11/exciting-news-seattle-city-council-is.html" target="_blank">35th Ave Committee requested</a> the city include funding for a legislative rezone of the 35th Ave Business District following the zoning recommendations that were presented in our final <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Future%2035th%20Ave%20Plan-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">Future 35th Ave NE Plan</a>, which was approved by the <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council </a>and <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/" target="_blank">Ravenna-Bryant Community Association</a>. The zoning recommendations presented in this plan were developed following significant community feedback and engagement.<br />
<br />
As part of our request to the City and the City's legislative rezone process, the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/" target="_blank">Department of Planning and Development </a>was to review o<span style="font-family: inherit;">ur zoning recommendations and revise them based on their technical analyses and zoning standards. Therefore, please note that the City's proposed rezone does differ from the recommendations presented in the Future 35th Ave NE Plan. On June 24th, DPD will present the results of their review and solicit additional feedback on their legislative rezone proposal. We encourage everyone interested to show up and participate in the process.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">DPD has issued the following Save the Date, which will be accompanied by a postcard mailing to many residences within the vicinity of the 35th Ave NE business district. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">Are you interested in a more vibrant 35th Ave NE?</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">Would you like to see more retail at the 65th, 75th, 85th, and 95th Street business districts? </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Come discuss your thoughts with representatives from the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD) on </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_221746922" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">June 24th</span></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> from </span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_221746923" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">5:30-7:30pm</span></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> at Congregation Beth Shalom (6800 35th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115).</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">DPD staff will provide a brief overview of potential zoning changes intended to foster a more eclectic retail environment along 35th Ave and be available to both answer questions and take individual comments.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">To sign up for our (e)mailing list and receive email updates click here: <a href="http://eepurl.com/bn15Af" target="_blank">http://eepurl.com/bn15Af</a>. For more information contact Ryan Moore at <a href="tel:206.233.2537" target="_blank" value="+12062332537">206.233.2537</a> or <a href="mailto:ryan.moore@seattle.gov" target="_blank">ryan.moore@seattle.gov</a>.</span></blockquote>
<b style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Please help get the word out</u></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by letting your neighbors know about this upcoming meeting and opportunity to be involved. No matter how hard we try, we can't notify everyone who might want to know. See you there!</span>Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-58402449948743286202015-03-05T14:29:00.001-08:002015-03-05T14:31:57.042-08:00There's No Mistaking It. Change to 35th Ave NE Has Arrived.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://wedgwoodinseattlehistory.com/2015/02/17/the-big-green-house-thanks-for-the-memories/" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class=" " height="270" src="https://wedgwoodinseattlehistory.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/demolition-shovel-front-wall-removal.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wedgwoodinseattlehistory.com/2015/02/17/the-big-green-house-thanks-for-the-memories/" target="_blank">Goodbye, Green House!</a></td></tr>
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<div>
There's no mistaking it, change is occurring along 35th Ave NE. Two "tear downs," including <a href="http://wedgwoodinseattlehistory.com/2015/02/17/the-big-green-house-thanks-for-the-memories/" target="_blank">the Green House</a>, are currently ongoing along 35th Ave NE to make way for new townhomes. The Theodora is going to be remodeled soon. And the Bryant Heights development on the former Children's Home Society of Washington property will begin construction soon. Technically, all of these projects are occurring in the <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/" target="_blank">Ravenna-Bryant neighborhood</a>, since they occur south of NE 75th Street which is the border of Wedgwood and Ravenna-Bryant.</div>
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<div>
One might look at these recent developments along 35th Ave NE and think it's the result of the community-led planning that occurred in 2014 and which resulted in the Future 35th Ave NE Plan. However, those who share this perspective are mistaken. In fact, the changes we're seeing unfold now were anticipated and is what triggered the the Future 35th Ave NE planning to begin with. It's why this community-led planning was proactive and not reactive. All of the projects that are going on now began their design and permitting process a few years back (or <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/green-house-along-35th-ave-ne-to-be-redeveloped" target="_self">many years ago in the case of the Green House</a>), before the Future 35th Ave NE planning began. In fact, we wrote about all of these projects as reasons justifying the proactive, community-led neighborhood planning process, despite how difficult we knew the conversation might be:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/09/part-1-why-plan-for-35th-ave-ne-change.html" target="_blank">Part 1: Why Plan for 35th Ave NE? Change is Inevitable.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/10/part-2-why-plan-for-35th-ave-ne-missed.html" target="_blank">Part 2: Why Plan for 35th Ave NE? Missed Opportunities.</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
In January, we published the final <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Future%2035th%20Ave%20Plan-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">Future 35th Ave NE Plan</a> and subsequently published the <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35thAveNESuppDesignGuidelinesHandbook.pdf" target="_blank">Supplemental Design Guidelines Handbood</a> for 35th Ave NE thanks to the excellent work of our consultant team (Makers Architecture & Urban Design and SVR Design). The hope for these documents is that they provide early direction to current land owners, future developers, designers, and architects so that future projects help meet the needs for the overall community while still allowing developers to meet their own financial objectives. Each project is unique and different and we are not trying to criticize any of the projects currently proposed or being constructed. But, the hope is that this early direction and hopefully early coordination with the representative community councils will lead to improved projects more generally, provide the developer and neighborhood with greater predictability, and result in an improved business district that better serves the surrounding community.</div>
Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-79516831236804108172015-01-06T12:58:00.003-08:002015-01-14T11:20:21.580-08:00THE FUTURE OF 35TH AVE NE - Final Report<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Future%2035th%20Ave%20Plan-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--lkUJIyYp3c/VKuhDiz7kwI/AAAAAAAAIjc/86kXwiyznl8/s1600/Cover%2BImage.PNG" height="147" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Future%2035th%20Ave%20Plan-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">FINAL REPORT<br />Click to Download (5MB)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In January 2012, the 35th Ave Committee kicked off a proactive community-driven planning effort for the 35th Ave NE Business District. After 3 years of <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html" target="_blank">public meetings</a>, <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2012/08/field-trips-to-see-what-others-are-doing.html" target="_blank">field trips</a>, <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/05/catching-you-up-on-neighborhood.html" target="_blank">data collection</a>, <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/coffee-talks.html" target="_blank">Coffee Talks</a>, <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/survey-results_30.html" target="_blank">surveying</a>, <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-35th-ave-committee-to-develop.html" target="_blank">being awarded a grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods</a>, <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/03/weve-selected-consultant.html" target="_blank">selecting a consultant team</a>, hosting public workshops, <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-our-zoning-recommendations.html" target="_blank">collecting more data</a>, and receiving the endorsements from the Wedgwood Community Council and Ravenna Bryant Community Association, we have finalized the <b><a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Future%2035th%20Ave%20Plan-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">Future of 35th Ave NE Plan</a></b> final report. <br />
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<br />
This Future of 35th Ave NE Plan final report includes the following elements, which together, are intended to provide a foundation and direction for future development of the 35th Ave NE Business District as change occurs. <br />
<ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35thAveNESuppDesignGuidelinesHandbook.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RmlPek9PDL4/VLa-TUNAqxI/AAAAAAAAIkQ/nPpn-Sz1jgM/s1600/SuppDGHandbookCover.JPG" height="154" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35thAveNESuppDesignGuidelinesHandbook.pdf" target="_blank">SUPPLMENETAL DESIGN<br />GUIDELINES - HANDBOOK<br />Click to Download (PDF, 1MB)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li><b>Streetscape Toolkit</b> which describes a Street Concept Plan, similar to those within the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/rowmanual/" target="_blank">Seattle Right-of-Way Improvements Manual</a>, for neighbors and future developers to consider when making improvements to the pedestrian environement. </li>
<li><b><a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35thAveNESuppDesignGuidelinesHandbook.pdf" target="_blank">Supplement Design Guidelines</a></b> that are intended to accompany the citywide <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/p2083771.pdf" target="_blank">Seattle Design Guidelines</a> and provide direction for future architects and designers as new developments are proposed along the 35th Ave NE Business District within Wedgwood, Ravenna, and Bryant and reviewed by city planners and the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/aboutus/whoweare/designreview/boards/default.htm" target="_blank">NE Design Review Board</a>. </li>
<li><b>Zoning Recommendatons</b> to encourage modest redevelopment at existing commercial "nodes" of the scale that supports the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-kind-of-businesses-did-we-hear.html" target="_blank">types of retail desired by the community</a> while minimizing effects to the immediate and surrounding residential community. <i>Please note</i>: The proposed zoning recommendations are just recommendations and do not constitute any changes to the existing zoning. Future changes to the zoning may occur, however, through a Legislative Rezone completed by the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD), which was <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/11/exciting-news-seattle-city-council-is.html" target="_blank">requested by the 35th Ave Committee</a> or future Contract Rezones completed on a parcel-by-parcel basis.</li>
</ul>
<div>
These three elements are intended to work together to shape the future of 35th Ave NE into the type of walkable business district desired by the community, improve the conditions which support the businesses that occur in the district, and provide improved predictibility for landowners and future developers. Therefore, considering only one of these elements in isolation does not provide the context and complete picture intended by this plan. If you have questions or concerns regarding this plan which are not addressed in the final report, <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/faq.html" target="_blank">please review the FAQ</a> prepared.<br />
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There are many who we, the 35th Ave Committee, need to thank for helping to complete this report and playing a critical role in the quality of this document.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iwU_zr_opqY/U9vlDvWAJNI/AAAAAAAAIYY/40ZENwokN9c/s1600/July%2B31%2B2014%2BJohn%2BOwen%2Bleads%2Btable%2Bgroup%2Bdiscussion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iwU_zr_opqY/U9vlDvWAJNI/AAAAAAAAIYY/40ZENwokN9c/s1600/July%2B31%2B2014%2BJohn%2BOwen%2Bleads%2Btable%2Bgroup%2Bdiscussion.JPG" height="200" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engaging discussion between <br />
neighbors during a public workshop.</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>First and foremost, a HUGE thank you to all of our neighbors who provided their feedback and joined us in difficult, but necessary, discussions about the future of our shared business district.</li>
<li>Thank you to the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/" target="_blank">Seattle Department of Neighborhoods</a> for providing the resources, through the excellent <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nmf/" target="_blank">Neighborhood Matching Fund</a> grants, to make it possible for community groups to identify and complete important projects for the betterment of the community as a whole.</li>
<li>Thank you to our excellent consultant team, <a href="http://www.makersarch.com/" target="_blank">Makers Architecture & Urban Design LLP</a> and <a href="http://www.svrdesign.com/" target="_blank">SvR Design Company</a>, for the invaluable experience and professionalism which you brought to this project.</li>
<li>Thank you to the <a href="http://seattle.gov/dpd/" target="_blank">Seattle Department of Planning & Development</a> and <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/" target="_blank">Seattle Department of Transportation</a> for providing us with critical, techincal feedback.</li>
<li>Thank you to the <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council</a> and <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/" target="_blank">Ravenna-Bryant Community Association</a> for endorsing the 35th Ave Committee and this final report.</li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">TO ACCESS THE FUTURE 35TH AVE NE FINAL REPORT,</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Future%2035th%20Ave%20Plan-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">CLICK HERE (PDF, 5MB)</a>. </span></b></div>
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Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-76747322622627955352014-11-24T10:28:00.003-08:002014-11-25T09:27:42.707-08:00EXCITING NEWS! The Seattle City Council is set to approve funding for a Legislative Rezone of 35th Ave NE!<b>UPDATE</b>: As expected, the City Council officially passed the budget. We will provide details on the 35th Ave NE Legislative Rezone when more in known sometime in 2015. <b>PLEASE MAKE SURE TO TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS AND KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR NEWS SO THAT EVERYONE CAN BE HEARD</b>.<br />
<hr />
The City Council is set to vote on a budget for 2015 later today. In the budget package, Council has included budget for the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to implement a Legislative Rezone for the 35th Ave NE Business District, between NE 65th Street to NE 95th Street, following the 35th Ave Committee's request. A "Legislative Rezone" is a corridor or area-wide analysis and rezoning process conducted by the City. The funding ($67,610 in 2015 and 2016) to be approved for DPD's includes budget to review and analyze our final zoning recommendations (the final formal report is to be issued soon!), conduct additional public outreach to the community, and develop legislation to approve any rezones.<br />
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After both the Wedgwood Community Council and Ravenna-Bryant Community Association endorsed the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/09/revised-streetscape-guidelines.html" target="_blank">35th Ave Committee's final plan</a> (the final formal report is to be issued soon!), the 35th Ave Committee met with many councilmembers and request some modest funding to DPD to review our zoning recommendations and implement a formal legislative rezone. Councilmembers Mike O'Brien, Sally Clark, and Jean Godden were gracious enough to sign on to a <a href="http://clerk.seattle.gov/public/meetingrecords/2014/budget/30-1-a-1-2014.pdf" target="_blank">"Green Sheet" (e.g., budget request) on behalf of DPD</a> for this work. This Green Sheet was taken up by the Budget Committee on November 5th for discussion. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=2061449&start=4:04" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wsCxQjmT758/VHOFmJDdxeI/AAAAAAAAIik/M1Z_Q6-uXIg/s1600/budget%2Bmeeting.JPG" height="220" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=2061449&start=4:04" target="_blank">Click Image for Link to Nov. 5th Budget Committee Meeting Video.<br />(We couldn't turn off "autoplay" on embeded video.)</a></td></tr>
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At the November 5th Budget Committee meeting (link to video above), Per Johnson, the Chair of the 35th Ave Committee, provided public testimony to provide some context for the Council regarding the Green Sheet starting at minute 4:04. Tony Provine, current president of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, also spoke on behalf of the Green Sheet starting at minute 9:50 in the video below. (Note: there are 2 speakers in between Per and Tony with some relatively explicit language.) The City Council then held an interesting conversation about the merits of our Green Sheet starting at minute 17:50 and ending at 26:10. Part of their conversation gets at the process the City has set up for their formal neighborhood planning processes and typical legislative zoning for other neighborhoods. Part of the conversation also gets to questions, concerns, posturing by councilmembers as the City is adjusting to new District elections. Without this specific budget request and Council's approval, there is no opportunity for neighborhoods and communities such as ours for any formal legislative rezone assistance from the City given our status within the City's Comprehensive Plan.</div>
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IMPORTANT: We, the 35th Ave Committee, have tried to be clear throughout this grassroots planning process that we have been seeking community concensus, not unanamity. Certainly there are those who disagree with the zoning recommendations developed through the public workshops and our planning process, no matter how modest the changes are. This is inevitable. As the City analyzes our zoning recommendations and listens to the community, they may reach slightly different conclusions on the zoning needs for the business district. These differences are also expected. We trust that the City's planners, along with our great community input and continued involvement by the 35th Ave Committee, Wedgwood Community Council, and Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, will achieve the conditions desired for the business district and our community in the future. </div>
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The 35th Ave Committee is very, very appreciative to the city council for taking up this budget request and approving it. A special thanks goes out to Councilmember Mike O'Brien for formally proposing the Green Sheet (our budget request) as the chair of the City's Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Commitee, and to Councilmembers Sally Clark and Jean Godden for co-signing the Green Sheet.</div>
Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-67267227324506651122014-09-07T23:00:00.001-07:002014-12-01T11:05:27.343-08:00Revised Streetscape Guidelines, Supplemental Design Guidelines, & Zoning Recommendations<b>UPDATE</b>: A BIG THANKS to both the <a href="http://ravennabryant.org/" target="_blank">Ravenna-Bryant Community Association</a> and <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council</a> for endorsing the revised 35th Ave Plan as described below. Please stay tuned as we'll post the next steps for this plan as they become clearer.<br />
<hr />
On July 31st, the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-our-zoning-recommendations.html" target="_blank">35th Ave Committee held its 3rd public workshop and unveiled the draft streetscape guidelines, supplemental design guidelines, and zoning recommendations</a>. The participants at the public workshop were given the ability to float around and look at specific parts of the proposal and discuss the proposal with their neighbors, the consultant team, and the 35th Ave Committee. Participants were then asked to provide their feedback.<br />
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Following the public workshop, the proposal was then posted online for those in the community who couldn't attend the public workshop. The 35th Ave Committee held a public comment period from August 1-15 so that the community could provide their feedback. <br />
<br />
Based on the feedback received from the 3rd public workshop, the public comments, and the data gathered from the previous workshops, the 35th Ave Committee made revisions to the supplemental design guidelines and zoning recommendations. No revisions were made to the streetscape design guidelines.<br />
<br />
In writing the last post and reading through the public comments one thing became clear though, writing about planning concepts and designs that are interrelated as a nonplanner for other nonplanners. Therefore, instead of posting standalone documents for the streetscape design guidelines, supplemental design guidelines, and zoning recommendation, we have prepared the following presentation to help explain the revisions and give context to the overall project.<br />
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The presentation below has been added for convenience, however, it does not include animation that may make it easier understand the revisions. <b><a href="http://1drv.ms/1FHSE6i" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a></b> to see the whole presentation with its intended animation.<br />
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<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="421" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/38956190" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="512"> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/wedgwoodcc/future-of-35th-ave-ne-revised-plan-38956190" target="_blank" title="Future of 35th Ave NE - Revised Plan">Future of 35th Ave NE - Revised Plan</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wedgwoodcc" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council</a></strong> </div>
</center>
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Over the upcoming week, we will be presenting the revised streetscape guidelines, supplemental design guidelines, and zoning recommendations to the boards of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association and the Wedgwood Community Councils. Anyone is welcome to come and listen in.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Ravanna-Bryant Community Association Board Meeting:</b> Tuesday, September 9th, 7-9PM at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center.</li>
<li><b>Wedgwood Community Council Trustees Meeting:</b> Monday, September 15th, 7:30-9PM at the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church Fireside Room.</li>
</ul>
Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-31426399575910115192014-08-01T12:32:00.000-07:002014-08-16T00:50:14.635-07:00Review Our Zoning Recommendations & Streetscape Design Guidelines<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>UPDATE 3</b></span>: Public comments were accepted through Friday, August 15th. Therefore, mentions of the public comment period within the post below have been <strike>crossed out</strike>. The streetscape design guidelines and zoning recommendations described below will now be revised based on the feedback received, which includes:<br />
<ul>
<li>Completed evaluations, comments, suggestions, and concerns raised at the July 31st public workshop. See <a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/1406_Wrkshp3_Evaluations_Raw.pdf" target="_blank">Raw Data (PDF, 6.8MB)</a> and <a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/1406_Wrkshp3_EvaluationSummary.pdf" target="_blank">Summarized Data (PDF, 200KB)</a>.</li>
<li>The 62 public comments received during the public comment period. Read them HERE (<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Future%20of%2035th%20Ave%20NE%20Public%20Comments%20(8-15-14).pdf" target="_blank">PDF, 350KB</a>)</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>UPDATE 2</b>:</span> A FAQ (frequently asked questions) has been put together to dispel some misinformation about this proactive grassroots planning project, which you can <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/faq.html" target="_blank">read here</a>. Alternatively, click on FAQ tab above.<br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">UPDATE 1</span></b>: To make it easier for review, below is an itemized list of documents to both illustrate and understand the proposed streetscape design and zoning recommendations.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Zoning%20Cheat%20Sheet.pdf" target="_blank">Zoning Cheat Sheet (PDF, 1MB)</a> - A summary of what the City's zoning codes mean to help understand the current and proposed zoning.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35thAveSupplementalDesignGuidelines.pdf" target="_blank">Supplemental Design Guidelines (PDF, 1MB)</a> - Guidelines intended to help shape the design of future development beyond what the city-wide design guidelines.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/1406_Wrkshp3_Boards.pdf" target="_blank">Streetscape Design & Zoning Recommendations (PDF, 5.5MB)</a> - Illustrations depicting our proposed streetscape design guidelines and changes to current zoning. Sheets 1-2 summarize our streetscape guidelines between the major commercial areas (e.g., connectors) and at the commercial areas (e.g., nodes). Sheets 3-6 summarize the proposed zoning changes at the commercial "nodes." Please note that the current zoning is shown in the top right for comparison and brief descriptions of the changes are provided along the right edge.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwU_zr_opqY/U9vlDvWAJNI/AAAAAAAAIYU/jYGlG90jJwc/s1600/July+31+2014+John+Owen+leads+table+group+discussion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwU_zr_opqY/U9vlDvWAJNI/AAAAAAAAIYU/jYGlG90jJwc/s1600/July+31+2014+John+Owen+leads+table+group+discussion.JPG" height="200" width="191" /></a></div>
Last night, 70 people attended the 3rd and final public workshop where the 35th Ave Committee unveiled the streetscape guidelines and zoning recommendations developed based on the community feedback from the previous two public workshops. After a presentation summarizing the zoning recommendations and streetscape plan, participants visited workstations where they could review the zoning recommendations at each node (NE 65th St, NE 75th St, NE 85th St, and NE 95th St) or streetscape plans to ask questions and provide feedback. Excellent feedback (for and against) was received which is still being processed. <strike>As noted above, <b>feedback is encouraged from those who couldn't attend last night's public workshop through Friday, August 15th</b>. Comments can be sent to <a href="mailto:35thplan@gmail.com">35thplan@gmail.com</a>. The Questions or Comments box to the right of this post can also be used.</strike><br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/wedgwoodcc/1406-wrkshp3-presentationfinal" target="_blank" title="35th Ave Plan Public Workshop #3">35th Ave Plan Public Workshop #3</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wedgwoodcc" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council</a></strong></div>
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Each person who attended the public workshop was provided <a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/1406_Wrkshp3_Handout.pdf" target="_blank">this handout (PDF, 1.3MB)</a> which included the workshop agenda, an evaluation, and a summary of the zoning recommendations. An illustrated summary of our proposed streetscape plan zoning recommendations is provided <a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/1406_Wrkshp3_Boards.pdf" target="_blank">here (PDF, 5.5MB)</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35thAveSupplementalDesignGuidelines.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7MJIQmeBDBs/U9wKkqrm0HI/AAAAAAAAIY0/FbXoUfrNZYU/s1600/SupplementalDesignGuidelines.JPG" height="200" width="152" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35thAveSupplementalDesignGuidelines.pdf" target="_blank">Click Image to View Our <br />Proposed Supplemental Design <br />Guidelines (PDF, 1MB)</a></td></tr>
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Also included on <a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/1406_Wrkshp3_Handout.pdf" target="_blank">Page 4 of the handout</a> and within the presentation above (starting on Slide 42) are Supplemental Design Guidelines developed to accompany the City's recently updated <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/p2083771.pdf" target="_blank">Citywide Design Guidelines</a>. These supplemental design guidelines will be provided to the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/default.htm" target="_blank">Department of Planning & Development</a> and the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/aboutus/whoweare/designreview/program/default.htm" target="_blank">City's Design Review Board</a>. These supplemental design guidelines will likely not be codified by City Council, but they are intended to be instructive to future developers about what types of design features our community supports in exchange for the increased height and zoning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/1406_Wrkshp3_Boards.pdf" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMGdiM1HINs/U9wI2g2pLpI/AAAAAAAAIYo/ChIIooDdsI4/s1600/35thAveZoningPlan.JPG" height="200" width="148" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/1406_Wrkshp3_Boards.pdf" target="_blank">Click Image to View Our <br />Zoning Recommendations & <br />Streetscape Design <br />Guidelines (PDF 5.5MB) </a></td></tr>
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The streetscape features recommended are intended to provide interest and invitation to pedestrians while creating a greater level of safety for those walking to and along 35th Ave NE. The streetscape design features will ultimately be prepared in the format required by the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/rowmanual/" target="_blank">Seattle Department of Transportation's Right-of-Way Improvements Manual</a> so that future developers are aware of the sidewalk typology, treatments, and features requested by the community. <br />
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Our streetscape design proposal didn't focus on the travel and parking lanes due to a potential separated bike facility along 35th Ave NE as approved in the City's <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaster_materials.htm" target="_blank">Bicycle Master Plan</a>. This decision was made as any separate bike facility constructed in the future would necessitate its own significant design completed by the City. Nevertheless, our plan makes a few specific recommendations to improve the intersection of 35th Ave NE and NE 75th Street while also making it safer to cross 35th Ave NE throughout the corridor. This recommendation is illustrated on Slide 41 in the presentation but can also be summarized as follows:<br />
<ul>
<li>Relocate the Metro bus stop at the SE corner of the 35th/75th intersection to the NE corner of the intersection, in front of the "I Heart Bento" building. This would also require eliminating a load zone in front of the building. </li>
<li>Install pocket left turn lanes for north and south bound traffic, as was done a few years back on NE 75th at that intersection for east and west bound traffic. </li>
<li>Eliminate the peak hour parking restrictions throughout the 35th Ave NE business district corridor which will turn 35th Ave NE into a 2 lane road with permanent parking versus a multi-lane road with temporary parking as it is now. This would allow more crosswalks and potentially curb bulbs or other intersection improvements to reduce the crossing distance and improve pedestrian safety. </li>
</ul>
Our zoning recommendations were focused at the four most prominent "nodes" along the 35th Ave business district: NE 65th St, NE 75th St, NE 85th St, and NE 95th St. The proposed height increases and zoning changes were developed based on the feedback received during the Public Workshop 2. These preferences are illustrated in the presentation. The recommendations are summarized on the <a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/1406_Wrkshp3_Boards.pdf" target="_blank">attached illustrations</a>. Most of the recommended zoning changes are height increases, although some are zoning changes.Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-23714966075091767762014-07-07T11:09:00.001-07:002014-07-07T11:09:39.177-07:00What We Learned from Our Second Public WorkshopOn June 11th, we hosted our 2nd of 3 public workshops to gather information from the community to develop streetscape guidelines and zoning recommendations. Over 80 people attended the public workshop, which began with a brief presentation and overview of the planning process to date and followed by break-out sessions looking at zoning and streetscape options at the key "nodes" along the business district. <br />
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The presentation summarized the result of the 1st public workshop and provided background on how zoning and streetscape design alternatives were developed. To help illustrate the potential extent of zoning changes, the consultant developed box illustrations of potential buildings if the business district was fully developed under different alternatives.<br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/wedgwoodcc/1406-wrkshp2-presentationfinal" target="_blank" title="35th Ave Plan Public Workshop #2">35th Ave Plan Public Workshop #2</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wedgwoodcc" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council</a></strong><br />
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About 80 people have joined us. Betsy w/ Makers Arch is going through the presentation now. <a href="http://t.co/kiEEPbiPzW">pic.twitter.com/kiEEPbiPzW</a><br />
— 35th Ave NE Plan (@35thAvePlan) <a href="https://twitter.com/35thAvePlan/statuses/476913226643296256">June 12, 2014</a></blockquote>
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After the presentation, 4 tables had been set up with posters illustrating potential streetscape design features and zoning alternatives. Everyone was given a score sheet to fill out at each table where they were able to ask the consultants questions and provide feedback (<a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35th%20Ave%20Public%20Workshop%202%20Results%20(RAW).pdf" target="_blank">see completed score sheets</a>). The consultants and members of the 35th Ave Committee were on hand to take notes.<br />
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People beginning to mill around and look at pretty pictures. Come on down and take part at Messiah Lutheran. <a href="http://t.co/dAXH4GY5hk">pic.twitter.com/dAXH4GY5hk</a><br />
— 35th Ave NE Plan (@35thAvePlan) <a href="https://twitter.com/35thAvePlan/statuses/476907173784477696">June 12, 2014</a></blockquote>
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The feedback from this 2nd public workshop will be used to refine the proposed zoning recommendations and streetscape guidelines which will be presented at <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/public-workshops.html" target="_blank">the final July 31st public workshop</a> at Messiah Lutheran Church from 7-9PM. </div>
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Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-46113021623792529952014-07-04T23:31:00.001-07:002014-08-13T13:03:31.267-07:00Getting the Word Out<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qUcE_zN21Y/U-h9UND9FdI/AAAAAAAAIZ4/TD6tgrNAw3k/s1600/IMG_0098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qUcE_zN21Y/U-h9UND9FdI/AAAAAAAAIZ4/TD6tgrNAw3k/s1600/IMG_0098.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every participant at each public workshop <br />was asked to place a pin on the map where <br />they lived. See where people came from.</td></tr>
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<b>UPDATE: </b>On July 31st, 69 people attended the 3rd and final public workshop. This means that 225 people attended and participated in at least 1 of the 3 public workshops. After the public workshop, the proposed zoning recommendations and streetscape plan were posted on this website and a public feedback period opened for 2 weeks (August 1st-15th). A letter was also mailed to every landowner who's property would be affected by the proposed zoning recommendations.<br />
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As we approach our<a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/public-workshops.html" target="_blank"> final public workshop on July 31st</a>, we thought it would be a good idea to describe the public outreach and engagement that the 35th Ave Committee has undertaken to get the word out about this community-driven planning effort. Spreading the word is important to us so as many people, perspectives, and voices as possible are heard. There is only so much that we can do to get the word out, though. Ultimately, we need your help. We need you to tell your friends, family, and neighbors since word of mouth is the best form of outreach.<br />
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As we've written about before, this all grew out of the <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/committees/vision-plan" target="_blank">Wedgwood Vision Plan</a> which occurred in 2010. The vision plan showed that the community was dissatisfied with the 35th Ave NE business district and encouraged the community to undertake a neighborhood plan. <br />
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<b>What Public Outreach/Engagement Have We Completed?</b><br />
<ul>
<li>During January-February 2012 we hosted 2 public meetings to describe the planning process and invite people to join the 35th Ave Committee. One meeting was held in the Wedgwood and the other meeting was held in Ravenna-Bryant. Together,<b> 67 people attended these two meetings</b>.</li>
<li>After these two meetings, the 35th Ave Committee partnered with the American Planning Association - Washington Chapter's, Community Planning Assistance Team to host <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/coffee-talks.html" target="_blank">7 "coffee talks."</a> These coffee talks covered a range of basic and introductory planning principals so that we as a community could become more educated on what is needed to make the business district more successful for both businesses and the community. Together, <b>66 people attended these coffee talks</b>.</li>
<li>We've hosted <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-neighborhood-walk-down-35th-ave-ne.html" target="_blank">2 neighborhood walks</a> down 35th Ave NE to talk about the business district and streetscape. </li>
<li>In 2013, we conducted a <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/survey-results_30.html" target="_blank">community survey</a> of those that use the 35th Ave Business District. The survey was largely completed online through a web-interface that was up for 6 weeks. The <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/guest-post-take-our-35th-ave-ne-business-district-survey" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council</a>, <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/2013/06/take-a-survey-about-the-35th-ave-ne-business-district/" target="_blank">Ravenna-Bryant Community Association</a>, and <a href="http://www.ravennablog.com/35th-avenue-ne-business-district-survey-ends-this-sunday-take-it-now/" target="_blank">Ravenna Blog</a> were all gracious enough to help advertise the survey. Additionally, we had paper copies of the survey available at several businesses along the business district. And finally, several members of the 35th Ave Committee took turns interviewing business district users at key intersections along the district to complete surveys. In the end, <b>1,038 people completed the survey, 124 of which were submitted via paper copies</b>.</li>
<li>In December 2013, we were awarded our grant from the City's Department of Neighborhoods to hire a consultant and assist us with the final steps of our planning process. </li>
<li>In April 2014, we <b>mailed a postcard to every resident within a 5 block radius of 35th Ave NE</b>, between NE 65th St and NE 95th St, and every land owner along 35th Ave NE between these same cross streets. The postcard provided a link to this website and had dates and locations for all three public workshops. </li>
<li>We've posted flyers/posters at businesses along the business district and put up A-boards before every public workshop. </li>
<li>The Wedgwood Community Council, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, and <a href="http://www.wedgwoodview.com/2014/06/09/zoning-streetscape-design-public-workshop-this-wednesday/" target="_blank">Wedgwood View</a> were all gracious enough to post the dates about all 3 public workshops on their websites. Each public workshop has also been posted on the neighborhood social media website, Nextdoor.com. </li>
<li>In March-April 2014, <b>we visited every business along the 35th Ave NE</b>, between NE 95th St and NE 65th St. We notified each business of our planning process and schedule, provided them a merchant survey for them to fill out, and invited them to a 'happy hour' event at the Wedgwood Ale House we called "Business & Beer." We received <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/06/we-surveyed-businesses-and-heres-what.html" target="_blank">20 completed merchant surveys</a> from businesses, which represents approximately 24% of the businesses within the district. </li>
<li>A total of 156 people attended our first 2 public workshops (75 people for public workshop 1 and 81 people for public workshop 2). 136 attendees were unique at 20 of which attended both public workshops. </li>
<li>In July, we mailed out a 2nd postcard to everyone who lives within 5 blocks of 35th Ave NE.</li>
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We've been trying to get the word out for over 2 years about this planning effort. While we've made great progress, we could use your help. Tell your neighbors, friends, and family about this planning process. </div>
Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-54933755532436078712014-06-25T15:04:00.001-07:002014-07-01T10:49:37.795-07:00The Results Are In. Respondents Want Retail Areas on 35th Ave NE Designated as Pedestrian Zones.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/dpds022272.pdf" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9S5l7ChAvGQ/U6snoCLzGbI/AAAAAAAAIXI/JDICTNNuZd4/s1600/35th+Pedestrian+Zones.JPG" height="320" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(19) & (20) are proposed Pedestrian Zones<br />
along 35th Ave NE.</td></tr>
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As <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/01/are-pedestrian-retail-areas-coming-to.html" target="_blank">we wrote about earlier</a>, the City of Seattle is considering designating retail areas within existing commercial areas as "<a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cityplanning/completeprojectslist/mainstreetmapping/whatwhy/" target="_blank">Pedestrian Zones</a>." Earlier this year, 902 respondents completed a survey hosted by the City to collect data on whether or not these areas should be designated as Pedestrian Zones. Of those that responded to the citywide survey for 61 different potential pedestrian zones, 14% of the responses were for the Wedgwood-North area and 6% of the responses were for the Wedgwood-South area. When these respondents were asked, "<b>Should this ("<a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/p2158864.pdf" target="_blank">Wedgwood - North</a>" and "<a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/p2158863.pdf" target="_blank">Wedgwood - South</a>") area be designated as pedestrian zone</b>," the results were:<br />
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<b>Wedgwood - North </b><br />
Yes = 70%<br />
No = 9%<br />
Unsure = 20%<br />
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<b>Wedgwood - South </b><br />
Yes = 69%<br />
No = 17%<br />
Unsure = 15%<br />
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This designation would include adopting rules that would only apply to those parcels within the Pedestrian Zone which would be enforced as those properties redevelop. The City has posted draft rules, intended to create a safer and more inviting pedestrian retail environment within the Pedestrian Zones, which include:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Require buildings to have pedestrian-oriented businesses (e.g., shops and restaurants on the ground floor)</li>
<li>Enhance pedestrian safety with rules on parking and driveway placement</li>
<li>Waive some parking requirements to encourage businesses to move into the area</li>
</ul>
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The City is also considering rules that would:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Require overhead weather protection for new buildings</li>
<li>Limit businesses with drive-in lanes on the edges of pedestrian zones.</li>
<li>Establish a minimum size for new development in areas designated as "Urban Centers, "Urban Villages" or "Station Overlay Districts" (Note: 35th Ave NE is not designated as such.)</li>
</ul>
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No decision has been made by the City as the survey and its results are still only part of the public engagement process. Over next couple of months, the City will be finalizing its analysis and recommendations. But if the majority of those who responded to the Wedgwood - North and Wedgwood - South areas have anything to say, they may be designated in the future.</div>
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Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-30510244087245438312014-06-05T09:55:00.000-07:002014-06-05T09:55:05.972-07:00We Surveyed the Businesses and Here's What They Said!<a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-we-learned-from-our-survey.html">Our data suggests</a> that most people who use the 35th Ave NE business district don't consider it their primary business district and when they do visit the businesses it's for short and specific trips. While our data also suggests that 92% of those surveyed would like more retail than there currently is along 35th Ave NE, we also learned from our <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2012/02/conditions-needed-for-neighborhood.html" target="_blank">very first Coffee Talk</a> that businesses, including retail, need shoppers in order to survive. So in March and April of 2014, we reached out to the businesses by visited every business and asking them to complete a short merchant survey and invited them to an event we hosted for them at the Wedgwood Ale House, which we called "Business and Beer." The intent of this was to listen to our businesses, learn what their needs were, and inform them of our 35th Ave NE planning effort.<br />
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Of the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/05/catching-you-up-on-neighborhood.html" target="_blank">83 businesses</a> we've previously inventoried along our business district, we collected 20 completed surveys which represents about 24% of the business district. Unfortunately, the survey monkey tool that we've used in the past has changed their export formats so they're less reader-friendly on websites. But, here is the data collected (<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Detailed%20Business%20District%20Results.xls" target="_blank">XLS download</a>) and a summary of of the results (<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/35th%20Ave%20Merchant%20Survey%20Results%20Summary.pdf" target="_blank">PDF</a>). (<i>Disclosure: We have removed the name of each business that responded from the survey results for their privacy.</i>)<br />
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Here's what we learned!<br />
<ul>
<li>The average length of time businesses have been along 35th Ave NE is <b>18.3 years</b>!</li>
<li>Business seems to be generally okay, with a slight improvement over the past 2 years. </li>
<li>60% of businesses who responded leased their spaces while 40% own.</li>
<li>Leases are generally 3-5 years.</li>
<li>On average, 72% of customers are from the neighborhood while 42.8% of customers are from outside the neighborhood.</li>
<li>Most customers appear to be white (81.7%) and between the ages of 30-65+. </li>
<li>Business have described the uniqueness of the 35th Ave NE business district with such words as: "friendly community," "hidden," "charming," "quiet," "Mayberry," "neighborhood," "suburban," "restaurant-poor," "spread out," "homey," "lots of families," "close-knit," and more.</li>
<li>Business described the greatest strengths of the business district as: "a good mix of businesses," "everything is close and people are very friendly," "a large amount of independent businesses," "local vendors, friendly people," "prevalence of small locally owned business," and more. </li>
<li>Business described the weaknesses of the business district as: "a lack of a chamber of commerce," "would like more open/green space," "need more updated restaurants in the area, catering to younger crowds," "parking," "no larger space to accommodate other businesses," "spread out patches of businesses," "restaurant 'poor', daytime only business district, just 1 street (no depth)," and more.</li>
<li>In general, businesses would like to see improved pedestrian safety, improved promotions and advertising, and improved storefront appearances/window displays/signage. </li>
<li>According to businesses, the changes needed to improve the business district include: "updated facades, new zoning regulations, a bit more variety," "defend 35th against the cycle track...," "better parking and better signage," "better businesses, pretty outdated," and more.</li>
<li>Things that are preventing changes that could improve the business district include: "zoning and funding," "the City," "getting organized as a business community with agreed upon goals," "not enough land," and more.</li>
<li>According to the businesses surveyed, the biggest needs for our business district include: "integration, coherence," "parking...," "always more customers and encourage them to shop in the business district," "drive new customers...," "more businesses," "higher density," "attracting new customers/patients," "more foot traffic," and more.</li>
<li>The business types most desired by the businesses who responded include: "family oriented retail," "restaurants, deli," "a hardware store...," "restaurants," "all kinds, but especially more retail," "more retail! - restaurants and coffee shops," "small restaurants," and more.</li>
</ul>
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Many of these responses echo what we learned during our<a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2012/02/conditions-needed-for-neighborhood.html" target="_blank"> first Coffee Talk (The Conditions Needed for Neighborhood Businesses)</a>. There also appears to be a lot of overlap between those improvements desired by the businesses, as reflected in the merchant survey results, and the users/shoppers of the business district, as reflected in our <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/survey-results_30.html" target="_blank">35th Ave NE Business District Survey</a>. Both businesses and shoppers would like to see improved retail and restaurants; protecting the prevalence of small, locally owned businesses; and improved pedestrian safety. Businesses and shoppers also appear to be concerned with maintaining or improving convenient and available parking.</div>
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These survey results and the contact information provided were shared with those businesses who responded to help them organize among themselves if they so chose. We have also shared with them information on the Seattle's Office of Economic Development's Only in Seattle Initiative, which is intended to assist business district like the 35th Ave NE business district. </div>
Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-61479408237471887802014-05-23T22:29:00.000-07:002014-05-23T22:29:49.342-07:00What We Learned From You at Our First Public WorkshopOn April 22nd, we held our first public workshop to about 80 people where our consultant team (<a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/03/weve-selected-consultant.html" target="_blank">Makers & SvR</a>) led a short presentation on the planning and data gathering that's already occurred, the goals of our planning effort, and the existing conditions of the 35th Ave Business District. After which, community members spent the rest of the meeting in 8 small groups working together to discuss land use, building types, and streetscape features along the business district.<br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/wedgwoodcc/35th-ave-plan-public-workshop-1" target="_blank" title="35th Ave Plan Public Workshop #1">35th Ave Plan Public Workshop #1</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wedgwoodcc" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council</a></strong> </div>
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The group exercises included marking up a map of the business district with comments on the business district and then reviewing photographs and ranking different building sizes, types, and designs as well as different streetscape design features. After about 45 minutes of group time, each group presented a summary of the group exercises to the rest of the participants. Comments, questions, and conversation grew out of these presentations while the consultants took notes. Here's what we learned.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/35thPlan/Mtg1_Results_FINAL.pdf" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek1aVA4-qiA/U4ArVBLTqgI/AAAAAAAAIVU/_U_pTo97ius/s1600/Overview+Map.JPG" height="320" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click on the image for larger PDF of results</span></span><i style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;">.</i></td></tr>
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Using these results and the data collected from the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/survey-results_30.html" target="_blank">35th Ave Survey Results</a>, the consultant team will develop zoning and streetscape design alternatives for the 35th Ave Business District to present at the upcoming <b><a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/public-workshops.html" target="_blank">Public Workshop 2</a>, on Wednesday, June 11th, 7-9PM, at Messiah Lutheran Church.</b> </div>Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-81629806975089339682014-05-03T10:27:00.000-07:002014-05-03T10:30:00.366-07:00"Life Along the Corridor" - Guest PostThe following post is a summary of the first <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/public-workshops.html" target="_blank">public workshop</a> posted on the <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/life-along-the-corridor" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council's website</a> and written by Valarie Bunn, lauded <a href="http://wedgwoodinseattlehistory.com/" target="_blank">NE Seattle historian</a>, who attended the public workshop.<br />
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<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/April-22-2014-attendees-mark-their-home-location.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-10727" src="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/April-22-2014-attendees-mark-their-home-location-215x300.jpg" title="April 22 2014 attendees mark their home location" /></a></div>
The arterial 35th Ave NE is the main business and commercial corridor of the Ravenna, Bryant, View Ridge and Wedgwood neighborhoods, including the areas from NE 65th to 95th Streets. There are zoned “commercial areas” at the intersections of NE 65th, 70th, 75th, 85th and 95th Streets. For a pedestrian walking along the 35th Ave NE corridor, there are some places to eat and shop, and places to access businesses and services such as churches and the library. There are other stretches of the corridor which don’t have much to offer. Some of the commercial “nodes” are underdeveloped or have aging buildings which may be targeted for redevelopment. When trudging along 35th Ave NE as a pedestrian, how well-designed is the streetscape? Is it safe, convenient and functional? Are there clusters of businesses and services which are accessible on foot?
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Future of 35th Ave NE</span></strong><br />
The <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/">Future of 35th Ave NE</a> project kicked off on April 22, 2014, with an introduction to land use, building character, and streetscape design. Then community work groups gathered around tables to identify key issues. This project is grant-funded and is led by <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/03/weve-selected-consultant.html">consultants</a> from MAKERS Architecture and Urban Design, and SvR Design which includes landscape architects. These same consultants worked with Wedgwoodians on the <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/committees/vision-plan">Vision Plan</a> completed in 2010. The current 35th Ave NE project builds upon the principles established in the Vision Plan.
The evaluation questions of the current project include asking how the form and function of the pedestrian streetscape on 35th Ave NE will help create a safe and vibrant business district. What the 35th Ave NE project is <em><strong>not</strong></em>, is a “City” program which would address the roadway itself and traffic issues. What the project scope is intended to do, is create documentation for concerns for safe-crossing to businesses and services and the kinds of commercial options endorsed by neighborhood residents. With that documentation we can then interact with the City on issues of streetscape design, commercial zoning and the design of business buildings.<br />
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<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/April-22-2014-work-group.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-10729" src="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/April-22-2014-work-group-300x225.jpg" height="225" title="April 22 2014 work group" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>A More Vibrant Commercial District</strong></span><br />
In <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-we-learned-from-our-survey.html">survey results</a> which are posted on the project page, 92% of respondents wanted increased commercial services along the 35th Ave NE corridor. This may require some redevelopment in present “empty spaces” and in older, low-rise buildings. Businesses need to be clustered together for viability, rather than strung out in isolated spots. Pedestrian safety and comfort have direct impacts on local business districts. In a recent project in the University District, businesses enjoyed a 6.18% increase in sales within the first four years after the street improvements. Vacancies of commercial storefronts decreased there, and one business owner said that better street lighting had increased sales by creating a safe nighttime shopping experience for his store.<br />
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<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Corner-street-signs.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-10730" src="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Corner-street-signs-300x225.jpg" height="225" title="Corner street signs" width="300" /></a></div>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Getting Ahead of Development</span></strong><br />
We know that some businesses along 35th Ave NE are in old buildings, and the property owners are beginning to turn over control to the “next generation” of their family. We are likely to see some of the present buildings replaced by new ones. To have a say in what will be built, we must get ahead of the projects by providing a framework of what is wanted by neighborhood residents, supported by zoning regulations and needed improvements to streetscape. <br />
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One of the biggest “wake-up calls” in Wedgwood neighborhood history was the construction of what is now the <a href="http://wedgwoodinseattlehistory.com/2012/03/19/apartments-in-wedgwood-oneida-to-jasper/">Jasper Apartments</a> at 8606 35th Ave NE, completed in 2012. By the time it was learned that a new four-story building was to go in, it was very difficult to have any input with the developers because they had already drawn up plans and applied for permits. It costs money for developers to do all the architectural plans and they resisted changes to the building requested by neighbors, because it would cost more money for re-drawing. One of the purposes of the present 35th Ave NE project is to document streetscape and building-type plans to be presented to and consistently requested from developers, so that future commercial buildings along 35th Ave NE would meet the needs of residents.<br />
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Join In, Let Your Voice be Heard</span></strong><br />
The Future of 35th Ave NE project has been endorsed by the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association and the Wedgwood Community Council. Anyone who lives in the area or uses the 35th Ave NE commercial corridor is invited to participate in the project. It’s not too late for you to join in on the process and let your voice be heard for improvements along the 35th Ave NE corridor. The <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/04/save-dates-public-workshops-scheduled.html">next public workshop</a> will be on <strong>Wednesday, June 11, from 7 to 9 PM</strong> at Messiah Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 7050 35th Ave NE. This workshop will address streetscape design and zoning: effective tools to balance competing interests along the linear and fragmented business district of 35th Ave NE. We need your voice! <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/April-22-2014-Opening-the-meeting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-10732 " src="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/April-22-2014-Opening-the-meeting-1024x419.jpg" height="234" title="April 22 2014 Opening the meeting" width="573" /></a>Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-85156619073408824072014-04-14T14:58:00.006-07:002014-04-14T14:58:59.241-07:00Save The Dates: Public Workshops Scheduled on the Future of 35th Ave NEWe have scheduled <b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/public-workshops.html" target="_blank">3 PUBLIC WORKSHOPS</a></span></b> for <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2014/03/weve-selected-consultant.html" target="_blank">our consultant team</a> to listen and learn from the community about what they hope 35th Ave NE looks like in the future. Each public workshop will be held in the Fellowship Hall at <a href="http://binged.it/1qX8K4z" target="_blank">Messiah Lutheran Church at 7050 35th Ave NE</a> (across the street from Starbucks). <br />
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The information captured at these public workshops, along with the data received through the Wedgwood Vision Plan and Survey and <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/survey-results_30.html" target="_blank">35th Ave NE Business District Survey</a>, will be used to develop <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-35th-ave-committee-to-develop.html" target="_blank">streetscape design guidelines and zoning recommendations</a> to help shape the future of 35th Ave NE as the inevitable change occurs. This planning process is occurring thanks to a grant received by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Please help us spread the word by telling your friends, family and neighbors!</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Add these public workshops to your calendar, here: <a href="https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=n4v3ens4tmsr3ual6ku5af35ug%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Los_Angeles" target="_blank">HTML</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/n4v3ens4tmsr3ual6ku5af35ug%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics" target="_blank">ICAL</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/calendar/feeds/n4v3ens4tmsr3ual6ku5af35ug%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic" target="_blank">XML</a></span>
Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-48614105792351824472014-03-22T23:22:00.000-07:002014-03-23T00:27:35.480-07:00We've Selected A Consultant! Introducing Makers & SvR.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=D3747F011D865A2F!322&authkey=!AMW2BMS_nyQ4wBE&ithint=file%2c.pdf" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TXue9RKI5ek/Uy58-_fmfsI/AAAAAAAAIKY/X3JtUIGqSoY/s1600/Makers+SVR+Cover.JPG" height="320" width="253" /></a></div>
You may recall that the 35th Ave Committee was <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nmf/smallandsimple.htm" target="_blank">awarded a Small & Simple grant</a> by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods to hire a planning and urban design consultant to assist us with<a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-35th-ave-committee-to-develop.html" target="_blank"> developing streetscape guidelines and zoning recommendations</a>. You may also recall that we released a <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/rfq.html" target="_blank">request for qualifications (RFQ)</a> to solicit responses from qualified consultants.<br />
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We were privileged to have had 3 very qualified consultants respond to our RFQ for our review. Ultimately, we selected a consultant team of <a href="http://www.makersarch.com/" target="_blank">Makers Architecture & Urban Design</a> and <a href="http://www.svrdesign.com/" target="_blank">SvR Design</a>. You can review the consultant team's response to our RFQ by clicking on the image at right. Both firms, Makers and SvR, are exceptionally well regarded and have a lot of experience working on similar projects. Makers worked with the Wedgwood Community Council on developing their <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/committees/vision-plan" target="_blank">Vision Plan</a> in 2010. <br />
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Since making our selection, we have met with the consultant team and met with the City with the consultant team to refine scope and expectations. We are currently working to schedule three upcoming community workshops in the coming months. Stay tuned!</div>
Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-74660867939752845212014-01-20T11:26:00.000-08:002014-01-20T11:30:49.390-08:00Are Pedestrian Retail Areas Coming to 35th Ave NE?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/seattlelogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/seattlelogo.jpg" height="198" width="200" /></a></div>
The City's Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has begun a <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cityplanning/completeprojectslist/mainstreetmapping/whatwhy/" target="_blank">Pedestrian Retail Areas evaluation </a>to identify suitable retail areas which warrant greater pedestrian-friendly design requirements. As part of the evaluation, they've mapped existing and potential pedestrian retail areas to define the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/dpds022272.pdf" target="_blank">study area</a> and developed preliminary recommendations for parts of the 35th Ave NE Business District, which include: <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/p2108435.pdf" target="_blank">Wedgwood North</a> and <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/p2108434.pdf" target="_blank">Wedgwood South</a>. The preliminary recommendations for both of these areas is to designate them as a "pedestrian area." <br />
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Along with the mapping and designation of pedestrian retail areas, the City is looking at additional design requirements for these areas to encourage and enhance pedestrian uses, including:<br />
<ul>
<li>Require wider sidewalks, </li>
<li>Require overhead weather protection, </li>
<li>Limit driveways from crossing sidewalks, </li>
<li>Restrict parking facilities from the front or sides of parcels,</li>
<li>Require a minimum floor area ration (FAR) for new development.</li>
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It's important to note that this process is a City-driven planning process that's separate to the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-35th-ave-committee-to-develop.html" target="_blank">streetscape design process</a> that the 35th Ave Committee is just beginning. However, there appears to be a lot of shared goals between both of these planning processes. It's also important to note that the City is just beginning its public outreach and engagement for this planning process and is soliciting input. <b><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RBSRLDS" target="_blank">TAKE THE CITY'S PEDESTRIAN RETAIL AREA SURVEY HERE (it's really quick!).</a></b><br />
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The City's plan is to finalize their recommendations after receiving feedback on their preliminary recommendations between April - July 2014. <br />
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For more information, check out the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cityplanning/completeprojectslist/mainstreetmapping/whatwhy/" target="_blank">City's Pedestrian Retail Areas website</a>.Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-21028131139398654892014-01-14T15:00:00.000-08:002014-01-14T15:06:10.930-08:00Polygon Northwest Unveils Early Design for the Children's Home Society Revelopement on NE 65th StreetThe <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/91713-RBCA-Polygon-NW-Open-House-Invitation.pdf" target="_blank">Polygon Homes Northwest team</a> has unveiled their early design review package for the "Bryant Heights" redevelopment of the Children's Home Society of Washington site, located north of Assumption on NE 65th Street. You can download their design review package <b><a href="http://web6.seattle.gov/dpd/edms/GetDocument.aspx?src=EDMS&id=2005912" target="_blank">here</a></b>. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4C5selXCNc/UtW6-ywYpUI/AAAAAAAAIAU/FZCUR_PNx3k/s1600/WP_20140113_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4C5selXCNc/UtW6-ywYpUI/AAAAAAAAIAU/FZCUR_PNx3k/s320/WP_20140113_001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Polygon NW design team presenting at the<br />
Jan. 13, 2014 the Early Design Guidance Meeting. </td></tr>
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There are three zoning designations on the former CHSW property: NC1-30, LR2, and SF-5000. Due to the commercial zoning on the south side of the site, along NE 65th Street, the developer has to undergo a public design review process for that portion of the redevelopment. They held their first design review meetings for this part of the property last night, at the University Heights building. The City will complete their own internal <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Notice-of-Revised-Streamlined-Design-Review-Parties.pdf" target="_blank">"streamlined" design review </a>for multifamily housing proposed in the middle section of the site, which is zone LR2. The northern limits of the site, which is zoned single family, does not require a design review. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eqTqZyuTfJ0/UtW_ZMHF-dI/AAAAAAAAIAg/1KaDqb8igU8/s1600/Bryant+Heights+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eqTqZyuTfJ0/UtW_ZMHF-dI/AAAAAAAAIAg/1KaDqb8igU8/s320/Bryant+Heights+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preferred "massing" with three buildings along NE 65th ST.</td></tr>
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Last night, however, was the early design review meeting for the project before the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/aboutus/whoweare/designreview/boards/default.htm" target="_blank">Northeast Design Review Board</a> and about 35 members of the public who attended. The team presented three "massings" of the commercial site although focused on their preferred design: three buildings along NE 65th Street with an interior 18-20 foot courtyard, commercial spaces at the corners, live-work units in between, and a setback frontage to activate the NE 65th Street pedestrian environment. In general, the members of the public appeared pleased with the design concept and the thoughtful consideration that the design team conveyed. However, there were some comments from the Northeast Design Review Board and public about preservation of existing trees (the design is configured around preserving a couple exceptional trees in the center of the site), balancing public space along the frontage versus the interior courtyard, considering future bike facilities on the NE 65th Street and 32nd Ave NE, architectural design style, parking, and other items.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5PuJx0LAWsg/UtW_ntkCsHI/AAAAAAAAIAo/xg1SDn_Q72M/s1600/Bryant+Heights+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5PuJx0LAWsg/UtW_ntkCsHI/AAAAAAAAIAo/xg1SDn_Q72M/s320/Bryant+Heights+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concept sketch of the preferred massing from the <br />
southwest (Bryant Cafe at left).</td></tr>
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The <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/" target="_blank">Ravenna Bryant Community Association</a> has been coordinating with the Polygon Homes Northwest team. For future information on the project and additional design review meetings, please make sure to follow the <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/" target="_blank">RBCA's website</a>. The Ravenna Blog also attended the early design review meeting last night and had a live blog of the meeting, which you can<a href="http://www.ravennablog.com/upcoming-design-review-board-meetings-of-note-live-coverage/" target="_blank"> read here</a>.Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-9333514122397252182014-01-14T11:22:00.000-08:002014-01-14T11:22:15.785-08:0035th Ave Committee Releases a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) To Hire a Planning & Urban Design ConsultantWe <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-35th-ave-committee-to-develop.html" target="_blank">shared the news earlier</a> that we were lucky enough to be awarded a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant from the City's Department of Neighborhoods (DoN) to develop a streetscape plan and zoning recommendations in 2014. Over the past few months, we have met with both the Seattle Dept. of Transportation (SDOT) and Dept. of Planning and Development to refine the project scope and schedule as well as finalize contracting with the DoN. Now, we're ready to hire a consultant! <br /><br />We have released an RFQ to solicit responses from interested and qualified consultants to help the 35th Ave Committee complete this exciting new step for the 35th Ave NE business district. The RFQ can be accessed from the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/rfq.html" target="_blank">"RFQ" tab</a> at the top of our website. The deadline for responding to the RFQ is Valentines Day, February 14th. After that point, we intend to have selected a consultant by February 21st.Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-27548648906141180722014-01-10T19:38:00.000-08:002014-02-24T10:30:18.662-08:00SDOT Proposes a Cycle Track on 35th Ave NE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/BMP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/BMP.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
<b>UPDATE: </b>Last week, the City and those along Westlake Ave North who sued to stop the Bike Master Plan update <a href="http://murray.seattle.gov/mayor-murray-applauds-bicycle-master-plan-settlement-allows-seattles-draft-bike-plan-to-move-forward-to-adoption/#sthash.KcVzLWBH.dpbs" target="_blank">reached an agreement</a>. As such, the Bike Master Plan will continue to move forward under Council for review and adoption. <br />
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Over the past couple of years, SDOT has undertaken an update to the <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaster.htm" target="_blank">City's Bicycle Master Plan (BMP)</a>. The BMP is a document with a 20 year planning horizon and is intended to guide policy and budget direction. The City had a huge public engagement process to gather input prior to issuing the Draft BMP in mid-2013. The Draft BMP included a variety of bike facilities, including neighborhood greenways and cycle tracks. Cycle tracks are bike lanes that are separated from vehicle traffic.<br />
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<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/is-a-cycle-track-coming-to-35th-ave-ne" target="_blank">35th Ave NE (from NE 65th St to NE 125th St) was identified for a cycle track in the Draft BMP</a>, as was a NE 65th Street. The Seattle Bike Blog does a nice job of describing the original draft <a href="http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2013/01/31/bike-master-plan-ne-and-se-seattle/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Once the Draft BMP was issued and the extent of bike facilities was identified, there were concerns raised by some business owners and residents near NE 65th Street. SDOT has since revised the Draft BMP, including the <a href="http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2013/10/15/a-closer-look-at-the-proposed-ne-65th-st-options/" target="_blank">configuration of bike facilitates on NE 65th Street</a>. However, it has not pleased everyone. <br />
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Recently, we were made aware of a flyer (<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/35th-Ave-Cycle-Track-Letter.pdf" target="_blank">PDF</a>) passed out to businesses along 35th Ave NE by a person/group identifying himself as the "35th Ave NE Committee." This flyer explains that a cycle track is proposed on 35th Ave NE, describes what this person believes would happen to 35th Ave NE should a cycle track be developed, and advocates for the business owner to contact the City to voice their concerns. The flyer was handed out by one of the people responsible for organizing the opposition along NE 65th Street. <br />
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The 35th Ave Committee has not taken a position on the cycle track on 35th Ave NE. We are not advocating for or against it, but have been aware of SDOT's plan. <b>PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS LETTER IS NOT FROM OUR COMMITTEE AND DOES NOT REPRESENT OUR COMMITTEES GOALS OR OBJECTIVES. </b><br />
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Earlier this week, <a href="http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2014/01/08/people-upset-about-westlake-bikeway-file-appeal-to-delay-entire-bike-master-plan-hire-missing-link-lawyer/" target="_blank">a lawsuit was filed against the City by a group of business owners on Westlake</a> to delay the adoption of the updated BMP. At this point, it's unclear when/if the BMP would be updated given this recent legal wrinkle. Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-40706471286716523552013-12-10T09:55:00.001-08:002013-12-10T09:55:45.657-08:00The Ravenna-Bryant Community Seeks a More Pedestrian Friendly Neighborhood!Earlier this year, the 35th Ave Committee undertook a survey to learn how the 35th Ave NE Business District is used and what its users seek in the future. The results of that survey (see <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-we-learned-from-our-survey.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/08/diving-deeper-into-our-survey-results.html" target="_blank">here</a>) have shaped our planning efforts, including the scope of <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-35th-ave-committee-to-develop.html" target="_blank">the grant we were recently awarded</a>. <br />
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Shortly after we completed our survey though, the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association (who has endorsed our group and planning effort), put out <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/2013/08/what-do-you-think-of-ne-65th-street-in-the-ravenna-bryant-neighborhood/" target="_blank">their own survey</a> for the NE 65th Street Business District. Part of the reason for th The boundaries that they included for their survey extended into the 35th Ave NE Business District planning area. <br />
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Recently, the RBCA summarized the results of their survey which showed some interesting differences and similarities. However, in their summary of the results, <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/2013/12/ravenna-bryant-community-members-agree-our-community-should-be-more-pedestrian-friendly/" target="_blank">the RBCA writes</a> that:<br />
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"More than two-thirds of survey respondents said that development is good if the area becomes more walkable and streetscape is improved."</blockquote>
They also go on to report that 54% of residents plan to walk and 19% plan to bike to the new Roosevelt light rail station once it's open. <br />
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While the complete results were not published (at the time of writing), it appears that many respondents had similar concerns to our survey results as well. Namely, people are concerned with the current and future vehicle traffic and parking availability, safety, and other similar concerns. <br />
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Kudos to the RBCA for taking on such a wonderful survey and doing such a marvelous job in summarizing the results. Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-7284231556041309802013-11-18T12:23:00.000-08:002013-11-18T12:23:26.707-08:00The 35th Ave Committee to Develop a Streetscape Plan and Zoning Recommendations in 2014Over the last several months, the 35th Ave Committee has been discussing how best to build on the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/survey-results_30.html" target="_blank">35th Ave Survey</a>, along with more community feedback, to create the conditions necessary to achieve the future 35th Ave NE that so many hope to see. A business district that is more walkable and supports the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-kind-of-businesses-did-we-hear.html" target="_blank">types of businesses that people want</a>. Through discussion with the <a href="http://seattle.gov/dpd/" target="_blank">Department of Planning and Development</a> (DPD), we determined that the best "next step" is to hire a consultant to assist us in the following:<br />
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<li>Develop a streetscape plan to define the pedestrian environment and frontage experience desired by the residential and business community that use the 35th Ave NE business district. </li>
<li>Prepare zoning recommendations, based on survey results and community feedback, for the 35th Ave NE business district to be given to DPD for consideration. </li>
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This scope was not only approved of by DPD, but has also been endorsed by the <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/" target="_blank">Ravenna-Bryant Community Association</a> and <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council</a>. The 35th Ave NE business district spans across both neighborhoods. </div>
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In October, the 35th Ave Committee submitted a grant application through the Department of Neighborhoods for a Small & Simple Grant to complete this scope. <b>Today, we were notified that our application has been approved and we were awarded the grant! </b> We're all super excited!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444;">What is a Streetscape Plan?</span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6fpP-Exh4E/UopyFoYSYbI/AAAAAAAAH_M/ySiBa3t05D0/s1600/Streetscape+Example.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6fpP-Exh4E/UopyFoYSYbI/AAAAAAAAH_M/ySiBa3t05D0/s320/Streetscape+Example.JPG" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example streetscape profile from the<br />Pike/Pine Streetscape Concept Plan</td></tr>
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These are plans that<a href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/rowmanual/manual/6_1.asp#618" target="_blank"> have been approved by SDOT</a> which define the design and character of the pedestrian environment within the business district. They give the City and developers design guidance when determining what frontage improvements should be made along the business district. </div>
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Some streetscape plans can include changes to travel and parking lanes; however, the intent for our streetscape plan is to only focus from the curb to the building fronts (e.g., pedestrian environment). This decision was made for a very practical reason. SDOT has identified 35th Ave NE as a <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/bmp/2013/NEsector.pdf" target="_blank">corridor suitable for a cycle track bike facility</a> in its draft <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaster_materials.htm" target="_blank">Seattle Bicycle Master Plan</a>. If/when SDOT moves forward with a bike facility on 35th Ave NE, it would require the City to complete a design and conduct a public outreach process prior to constructing this facility. Any such design would likely require some changes to the travel and parking lanes on 35th Ave NE. As a result, we've decided to focus our time and resources on the pedestrian environment.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444;">What are 'Zoning Recommendations'?</span></b></div>
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As part of the scope that we will be seeking from a consultant is the development of zoning recommendations. What these recommendations are yet, we don't know. We will be asking them to review what the community has voiced as their desired vision for a future 35th Ave NE business district through the <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/survey-results_30.html" target="_blank">35th Ave Survey</a>, <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/2013/11/greater-business-diversity-desired-along-ne-65th-street/" target="_blank">NE 65th Street Survey</a>, <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/committees/vision-plan" target="_blank">Wedgwood Vision Plan</a> and <a href="http://www.wedgwoodcc.org/vision/2010results/SurveySummary.html" target="_blank">Survey</a>, and through direct feedback from community meetings to develop zoning recommendations. These recommendations will then be provided to DPD who may implement some or all of them over the subsequent year(s). </div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444;">What's Next?</span></b></div>
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The 35th Ave NE will be preparing an open request for proposals to solicit a consultant around January 2014. We are expecting to co-host several community meetings with the consultant throughout 2014. There will be many opportunities for the community to share feedback throughout 2014 on the process and design. If you have questions or are interested in getting more involved, please <a href="mailto:35thplan@gmail.com" target="_blank">email us</a>.</div>
Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-90385291756774059492013-10-08T11:00:00.000-07:002013-10-08T11:00:10.443-07:00Part 2: Why Plan for 35th Ave NE? Missed Opportunities.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/CIMG6663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/CIMG6663.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
If you follow the Seattle Department of Planning and Development's (DPD's) NE Seattle <a href="http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/luib/Default.aspx?BID=854" target="_blank">Land Use Information Bulletin</a>, you'll occasionally notice bulletins for redevelopments within the 35th Ave Business District. There have been two recent bulletins for redeveloping older homes along 35th Ave NE within our planning boundaries into town homes with or without live-work units on the ground floor. <br />
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One of these projects is the redevelopment of the old "<a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/green-house-along-35th-ave-ne-to-be-redeveloped" target="_blank">Green House</a>," located immediately south of the Sunshine Cleaners and north of the Rxtra Care pharmacy. Another project (<a href="http://web1.seattle.gov/dpd/luib/Notice.aspx?id=15876" target="_blank">DPD Project No. 3014188</a>) is located further south in the business district, north of Grateful Bread. One could make a case that both of these projects are within the center of the business district and are ideal locations for additional retail space, should redevelopment occur as planned. <br />
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This is not intended diminish the merits of these projects individually, but rather to identify these as potentially missed opportunities due to the absence of a well thought out plan for the business district that describes a shared vision for the future of 35th Ave NE. Had we had an appropriate plan and completed a review of the zoning for 35th Ave NE, developers may have selected a different outcome for these two projects that included increased retail space and provide a healthy return on investment for the developer. Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-27146093520983785122013-09-16T22:29:00.001-07:002014-08-11T14:25:05.328-07:0035th Ave Neighborhood Planning Process Endorsed by Community CouncilsThe <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/" target="_blank">Ravenna-Bryant Community Association</a> and <a href="http://wedgwoodcc.org/" target="_blank">Wedgwood Community Council</a> are the two neighborhood community groups that represent the 35th Ave NE Business District, with NE 75th Street serving as the north/south boundary between the two. Over the past few weeks, the board of trustees for both the RBCA and WCC have voted unanimously to endorse the 35th Ave Committee and the neighborhood planning that our group is pursuing. Their support is no doubt due, in part, to the phenomenal response and show of support received through our <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/survey-results_30.html" target="_blank">35th Ave Survey</a>.<br />
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Thank you for the support of these two community councils! </div>
Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4912334148663308377.post-33003023550346521942013-09-02T22:19:00.000-07:002013-09-02T22:19:48.415-07:00Part 1: Why Plan for 35th Ave NE? Change is Inevitable.This is the beginning of a mini series on the reasons for working towards a neighborhood plan.<br />
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A comment we periodically hear from folks or read in our <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/p/survey-results_30.html" target="_blank">survey results</a> goes something like this, <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>"</b><i><b>Don't change a thing. 35th is perfect just as is.</b></i><b>"</b></span> Unfortunately, freezing time is not in our means and <b><u>change is inevitable</u></b>.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O-WL6JhlaCI/UiVwISVqc6I/AAAAAAAAH0k/QyTPskC7ApY/s1600/IMG_4440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O-WL6JhlaCI/UiVwISVqc6I/AAAAAAAAH0k/QyTPskC7ApY/s320/IMG_4440.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Theodora is being sold by the Volunteers of America.</td></tr>
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Recently, this inevitable change became exemplified with the listing of a 3.7 acre property <span style="font-family: inherit;">at <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=3300+Northeast+65th+Street,+Seattle,+WA&hl=en&ll=47.676521,-122.291994&spn=0.002937,0.004823&sll=47.686019,-122.286673&sspn=0.033224,0.077162&oq=3300+NE+65th+Street&t=h&hnear=3300+NE+65th+St,+Seattle,+Washington+98115&z=18" target="_blank">3300 NE 65th Street</a></span> owned by the <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/2013/06/1342/" target="_blank">Children's Home Society of Washington</a>, which isn't on 35th Ave NE b</span>ut is within the limits of our <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200640248886404752392.0004bb7efc97e404967cc&msa=0&ll=47.686019,-122.286673&spn=0.033224,0.077162" target="_blank">draft planning boundary</a>. Change cannot be stopped and it comes when we least expect it. Today, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rbcaseattle" target="_blank">Ravenna-Bryant Community Association</a> shared that <a href="http://www.ravennabryant.org/2013/09/theodora-for-sale/" target="_blank">the Theodora is being sold by the Volunteers of America</a>. The Theodora property is approximately 1.49 acres in size and is located east of the CHSW of property. This means that nearly 5.2 acres of property is for sale and will likely be changing near the 35th/65th intersection.<br />
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According to <a href="http://35thneighborhoodplan.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-we-learned-from-our-survey.html" target="_blank">our survey</a>, 84% of respondents are comfortable with more development, 92% of respondents want more retail diversity, and 88% of respondents think that the business district is "underdeveloped." One way to interpret these particular results is that folks generally would like some type of change to occur to the 35th Ave NE business district. Our hope is that we can provide a community's vision for the 35th Ave NE Business District to help guide future changes for the benefit of both the community as well as business owners and developers.Perhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03126750926037280984noreply@blogger.com0