Laurelhurst Community Club
Minutes for March 10, 2003
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM.
Attending: Mimi Levin, Shawn Whitcomb, Jim Romano, John Clark, Karl Weyrauch, Kate Lloyd, Jean Colley, Heather Newman, John Burge, Barbara Ragee, Maggie Weissman, Jeannie Hale, Stan Sorscher, Shahina Piyarali, Pat Wright, Don Torrie, Bonnie Zinn, Mark Holden, Mark Trumbauer, Jennifer Biely.
Excused: Susan Torrance, Todd Cahill
GUESTS: Matt Preusch, Seattle Sun, Shauna Walgren and Carol Coryell, Departments of Neighborhoods and Transportation, Tom Hinckley, Director, Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH)
Jean Amick reported to the Board on the TransLake Washington Project. The project has considered 4- 6- and 8-lane bridge designs, running about 150 feet north of the current 520 bridge. Freeway interchanges are considered near Hec Ed, and in the Montlake/Hamblin/Shelvy area. An 8-lane bridge would inject too much traffic into Seattle surface streets, and is not a favored design.
Questions for Amick:
Zinn: Are ideas being considered to integrate the Montlake bridge traffic with traffic bound for Magnuson Park, UW, hospitals and other high-volume destinations?
Amick: Ideas considered to date have been more practical, like restricting the times when the bridge deck can be lifted.
Ragee: Who are the main decision-making agencies, particularly regarding exits/entrances and effects on surface streets?
Amick: The state agencies have key roles, with the Mayor and Council representing city interests in the process.
Sorscher: Have you heard any good ideas over the years that we could support or advocate?
Amick: Many suggestions have drawn criticism. At times, an ambitious goal would be to do no harm.
Hinckley updated LCC about plans to rebuild Merrill Hall at CUH. He expressed appreciation for past LCC Board support. The reconstructed Merrill Hall should open in September 2004. He talked about sustainable design and construction features of the new building, such as a cistern, and solar power. Parking arrangements with UW involved budgetary constraints, and private donations will fund some of the parking. The Board discussed expectations regarding overflow parking for large events. Hinkley invited suggestions regarding landscaping, including alternatives to removal of trees near the roadway.
Walgren and Coryell briefed LCC about an alternative proposal to address traffic and pedestrian safety problems at Sand Point Way and 50th by the gas station. The owner of the gas station would not agree to the original plan that called for installation of a traffic light and traffic redirection along Ivanhoe as he thought it would impact access to one of his station’s driveways. The city is looking for consensus or approval from neighbors regarding the raod layout and traffic flow around the intersection.
Trumbauer: What about a light without changing the traffic flow?
Walgren: In that case, they would anticipate confusion over right-of-way, where drivers on 50th would see a green light, and not appreciate the likelihood of cars coming through on Ivanhoe.
Zinn: What about a stop sign on Ivanhoe, and otherwise the same flow pattern?
Walgren: Again, she worries about a false sense of right-of-way. Walgren thinks it is important to restrict flow on Ivanhoe to one-way through the intersection.
Romano: What about a half-signal controlled by pedestrians?
Coryell: The state rules on this type of light have thresholds that are just above the actual traffic at the site. Some experimentation is permitted, and this option is part of the planning process.
The group discussed an on-site meeting with Liz Ogden and Maggie Weissman and other interested neighbors and trustees.
Pros and cons:
The proposed design would create a good pedestrian crossing point. Traffic from 50th would stop and wait for a green light – roughly 2 minutes or less. The design would add a traffic light on Sand Point, which could be coordinated electronically with other lights for morning/afternoon traffic flows.
ADMINISTRATION
Changes to the Agenda: Add batting cage at the playfield and annual meeting.
Minutes: Minutes from the January, 2003 meeting were reviewed. Motion (Ragee, seconded by Piyarali) to approve January minutes. Motion passed unanimously. Wright clarified one item in the February 2003 minutes, and Weyrauch suggested two clerical corrections. Motion to approve the February minutes as corrected (Weyrauch seconded by Biely) Motion passed unanimously.
Dues Statement Update: Dues statements will be mailed in the next week or so.
Treasurer’s Report: Levin reported that we are using the new PO Box. The LCC account has about $53,000. The 2001 taxes were filed late, but the 2002 taxes will be filed soon.
CALLS AND CONCERNS
Synchronization of Lights: David Rohrbach emailed on February 24 to express concern about the lack of synchronization of lights along Sand Point. He was invited to the March 10th LCC meeting as two representatives from the Seattle Department of Transportation will be at the meeting.
Magnuson Park Info: Blythe Hart called on February 13 with questions about who to contact to have a birthday party at Magnuson Park. Information was provided.
Community Center: Pat King emailed on March 9 to inquire about whether someone in the neighborhood could keep a key to the community center on occasions when the center doesn’t open on time and classes are scheduled. Torrie will look into this.
Waterway No. 1 Blockage: Lloyd reported that a dock is blocking the waterway, which is a recurring problem. DCLU will be called.
Sign Hazard: Weyrauch asked about signs hung from the 45th street overpass at the top of the hill, which might create a traffic hazard. Signs with political content may have protected status, and we would want to use that structure for our own signs announcing community meetings.
ANNOUNCEMENTS (See NEDC announcement handout in the member organization packet.)
Absent: Torrance could not attend tonight’s meeting due to a conflict. Cahill is ill.
Thank You! Thanks Don Torrie for coordinating distribution of trustee packets and to Torrance, and Levin for their assistance.
Speed Watch at Children’s: Children’s has set up a speed watch device as you enter their property from Sand Point Way. The device tells visitors and others how fast they are going on a monitor. The speed limit is 10 mph.
Talaris: No news from the Talaris folks about their proposed development. DCLU has assigned a new planner for the project. This will be the fourth DCLU planner. We don’t know of a date for a decision from the December EIS hearing.
REPORTS/ACTION
Crime Prevention: Wright reported on drugs in the U-district, notably cocaine and "ice." Burglaries are up, city-wide, although lower in northeast Seattle. Police budgets are strained because of extra duty to protect mosques and synagogues. Proposed changed in the noise ordinance would address problems with party houses which is a key issue for neighborhoods near UW. Three juveniles were arrested in connection with car prowls.
Clark reported on the Sand Point Housing project. This April or May, the City Council will be looking for funding A two-phase plan calls for about $18 million, with designs available soon for public review.
Annual Meeting: It is time to schedule the Laurelhurst Annual Neighborhood Meeting. David Yim has suggested that the community center would be available on a Thursday evening with advance notice. We would like to hold the annual meeting on the 3rd or 4th Thursday in May.
Batting Cage: Northeast Seattle Little League would like to install a batting cage at the Playfield. The free-standing structure would be constructed of nylon netting hanging from a pie and wire frame. The dimensions would be 80 feet long, 12 feet wide and 14 feet high. The cage would not need to be attached to any existing structures and the only thing remaining after it is taken down would be four stakes in the ground. The top of the stakes are 1 – 2 inches below ground surface and do not pose a problem for tripping or stubbing toes. The batting cage would stay in place from April until no later than August 15. The proposed location for the new batting cage is on the 3rd base side of the north diamond at Laurelhurst Field. The soccer goals are stored at this location and will need to be moved.
Little League would restore the turf inside the batting cage at the end of the season.
Similarly to the cage at View Ridge, a 3-foot high fencing would need to placed around the cage to prevent spectators from getting too close. Little League is hoping that the Parks Department will supply the fencing.
The sense of the Board was to try this for one season, with an understanding that users would exercise consideration for neighbors regarding noise. We would evaluate the batting cage after the season is over.
Bed and Breakfast (B&B) Proposal: A motion at the February LCC meeting to support in principle the proposal to allow B&Bs in single-family zones was tabled to allow further consideration of the motion and possible safeguards to address traffic, parking and other issues. Weyrauch withdrew the motion, after informal discussions since the February meeting. An article that appeared in the Seattle Weekly the week of June 1—16, 1987 is included in the trustee packets. At that time, the City Council passed legislation banning B&Bs in single-family zones. The sense of the Board was to sent a letter to Councilmember Licata expressing concerns about traffic, parking, and effects that B&B’s could have on single-family housing.
Proposed Changes to the Noise Ordinance: Mayor Nickels is proposing changes to put teeth in the noise ordinance. Currently, police can only give warnings for violating the noise ordinance. There is no penalty. Because the current law does not provide any enforcement authority, noise complaints are a low priority for the police. In 1999, LCC supported a proposal to strengthen the noise ordinance. This proposal is similar, except that it only addresses "party houses." The earlier proposal would have also addressed loud noise from ProRobics and the garbage and recycle truck pickups in the middle of the night.
Under the proposal, those involved in a "residential disturbance" would be subject to a $250 civil fine. "Residential disturbance" is defined to mean when more than one person gathers on residential property between 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday) and 7 a.m. and there is frequent, repetitive or continuous noise that is audible from 75 feet of the property. The second violation within 24 hours would be a criminal misdemeanor with a maximum $500 fine and six months in jail. Landlords who know about the problem are also subject to penalties. DCLU would be empowered to pursue abatement procedures of chronic violators where there are three incidents at the same location in a one-year period. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, 2003 at University Heights – NE 50th St and University Way at 6 PM.
UW Lease Lid: As part of the Ave Revitalization Program, Mayor Nickels is proposing eliminating the UW lease lid. The UW is currently limited to leasing up to 550,000 square feet and can only lease within certain boundaries in the University District. The UW has no restrictions on leasing and property acquisition outside what is known as the Primary and Secondary Impact Zones. These are the neighborhoods surrounding the UW and most affected. The restrictions were established years ago to protect the neighborhoods from the adverse impacts of University expansion. If the lease lid is eliminated, the UW can lease property anywhere. The UW would still have to comply with the underlying zoning, but there are many exceptions allowing conditional uses and other deviations from development standards.
For 18 months, Laurelhurst and other neighborhoods negotiated a new City-University Agreement with the UW. The Agreement involved hundreds of compromises, including the lease lid. The communities agreed to allow an increase of square footage and an exemption for patient housing. The community and UW’s agreement on the lease lid became part of the 1998 City University Agreement, a lengthy document adopted by the City Council that governs the UW master planning process and University development. The new lease lid was supposed to apply through the next 10-year master plan, which has recently been completed.
There will be a U-District Neighborhood and Business Public Forum on the lease lid and noise ordinance and an opportunity for public comment on April 8 in the U District (the Noise ordinance and UW Lease lid are on the agenda for the same meeting) and also a public hearing in council chambers on April 10.
Public Disclosure Issues: There is a possibility that LCC could sign on to an amicus brief that the League of Women Voters will be filing relating to the public disclosure laws. The cases involve the City refusing to turn over documents to citizens on the basis of attorney-client privilege. The citizens won in Superior Court. The judge said that as long as documents were not related to litigation, then they had to be disclosed. This issue relates to the LCC growth appeal on the UW master plan because the city refused to turn over some documents on the basis of attorney-client privilege. Motion (Weyrauch seconded by Lloyd): that the LCC Board should sign onto the amicus curiae brief in prepared by the League of Women Voters in the case of public disclosure laws. Motion passed unanimously.
Growth Appeal: LCC attorneys filed LCC’s petition to the Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Board last week on the UW Master Plan. Joined as petitioners are the four groups that were involved in the UW master planning process before the hearing examiner and the City Council. Issues that will be reviewed include: the proposed rezone for the golf driving range, UW property acquisition and leasing issues and issues relating to the process before the city council.
Cottage Housing and Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): The City has had some "demonstration projects" for different kinds of housing in the past few years—what they call cottage housing and also for detached ADUs. Because of the perceived need for more housing and housing affordability, the City would now like to implement the new housing types throughout the city, including in single-family zones.
There is an example of cottage housing in Ravenna at 6218-5th Avenue NE. That complex looks like a U-shaped condominium or apartment complex. It covers about two regular size lots. Three units face three other units and there is either one or two units at the end or perhaps that is where the parking is provided. All of the units face on a central cement courtyard with some greenery. The units are about 1,000 square feet each.
In the past, LCC has opposed loosening of restrictions on ADUs. LCC has supported retention of the owner-occupancy requirement, off-street parking, and other safeguards to protect single-family neighborhoods and to prevent duplexing of neighborhoods. LCC previously opposed provisions that would allow parking waivers with no community notice. Currently, ADUs are allowed outright in single-family zones, but must be added to or within an existing structure.
There is a public forum and open house to address "cottage" housing and detached ADUs on Wednesday, March 26 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the Olympic Room at the Seattle Center.
Discussion on this issue included parking congestion, and duplexing which would weaken the character of single family housing neighborhoods. One element of compromise might be to limit projects to areas with easy access to buses.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:22 PM
Notes by Stan Sorscher, LCC Secretary