Laurelhurst Community Club                                                     

Serving 2800 Households in Seattle’s Laurelhurst Neighborhood

 

Finance, Budget, Business & Labor Committee and the Land Use Committee

Public Hearing on the Mayor’s Proposal to Eliminate the UW Lease Lid

April 10, 2003

Statement of Susan Summers Torrance

 

I would like to comment on the University of Washington lease lid.  At present I sit on the Laurelhurst Community Club Board of Trustees and serve as its representative to CUCAC. 

 

I am a Seattle native and I spent my childhood in the University District.  My grandmother lived in the University District and owned boarding houses that she rented to UW students.  I am very familiar with the evolution of the University District.  Over the years I have seen it prosper and despair.  I have listened to comments by the CUCAC members and heard concerns from our local politicians.  I believe we all want this area to thrive and be a vital part of our great city.

 

The question is will lifting the lease lid be the solution for the U District?  Will this actually be the catalyst for a better U District?  I do not believe so.  I believe it will only compound the problem of a living, thriving community.  The key word here is community.  Where is the community in a population of only daytime University employees?

 

With traffic and congestion already impossible, how will the neighborhood support this?  I believe this is the time to address housing concerns.  With better housing in the District we could create an environment that would support small businesses where people could walk to work.  We could help create a living thriving community of citizens that utilize their area.  We need to think more about saving space for small businesses and zoning for multifamily housing in this area.  Only when we address the full needs of this area are we going to come up with a solution that will be lasting.

 

Although I live in Laurelhurst and the University Village is closer than the District, I continue to frequent The Ave and the District.  I appreciate the diversity, and the intellect that the University Ave supplies.  My memories of a better University Ave still prevail, and I hope your decisions with this matter will benefit the future of the U District.

 

Thank you for your consideration of my comments.

 

Susan Summers Torrance

3004 Webster Point Road NE

Seattle, Washington  98105

206-522-9025

susan@websterpoint.com