Greenwood Streetscapes First Block Study Workshop: NW 87th St

[Kate Martin]

Hi.

 

I’d like to take a moment to remind folks about the first block study workshop, NW 87^th St, scheduled for Thursday October 7^th at the Neighborhood Service Center 6:30PM – 8:30PM.   Please note that if you are organizing a block near these blocks, we may be able to add you into this study so let us know.   Also, even though the first workshop is specifically for the NW 87^th St Block Study, everyone on this Google Group will benefit from reading and commenting on the documents attached and anyone is welcome to come to any of the workshops – Oct 7, 14, 21 & 28.     

 

The NW 87^th Block Study is currently defined as the entire block north of NW 87^th St between 3^rd NW and 6^th NW and the entire block south of NW 87^th St between 3^rd NW and 6^th NW.  The smallest unit of study that seems to make sense so far is a whole block, all the way around the block, including any shared alley.  Alleys seem likely to play a role in streetscape projects and project organization. 

 

So, right now there are 2 whole blocks in this block study region:  one block is bounded by NW 86^th , NW 87^th, 3^rd NW and 6^th NW and the other block bounded by NW 87^th, NW 88^th, 3^rd NW and 6^th NW as shown in the map attached (same one we used for Night Out).  We have them mapped on one sheet together. 

 

I’ve attached draft documents that will eventually get edited and added into our on-line guide to streetscapes.  These are also available at the Google Group by opening that group and clicking on documents at the top of the group page.   They are definitely “draft” form.  From this round of block studies, input from you, and more guidance from SDOT (Seattle Dept of Transportation) and SPU (Seattle Public Utilities) we’ll edit them, but they’re a start.   

 

Please take a little time to read the documents because they will give us all a common basis of information which will help each block to make progress and will allow us to make more progress at the workshop. 

 

·        The map is the tool we’ll use to talk about the NW 87^th St Block Study area.  (The one at the workshop will be big enough to see everything and draw ideas to scale.)

·        The Frequently Asked Questions explain a lot of things about the space between your property line and the street edge, the right-of-way. 

·        The Steps to Follow are a first shot at what blocks can do to make progress on their streetscapes. It’s a work in progress. 

·        The Block Studies & Regions explains how surrounding blocks can join together to get more bang for their buck (and efforts!).

·        The Full Project Description explains what we are charged to do with the money we got from Department of Neighborhoods to create the streetscapes guide and related work of this project.    

 

Please spread the word to folks on both sides of the street and around your blocks & across your alleys.  Let us know how we can help with that.  Once we get some momentum with the block study, it would be great for a few people to host “info boxes” in their yard where neighbors can grab flyers, updates, etc. or learn how they can join in. 

 

The purpose of this first workshop is to share information, provide a forum for discussion, and utilize our professional volunteers as facilitators and scribes in the exchange of information so that blocks can make progress toward whatever streetscape projects they decide to get involved in.   It’s a starting point for developing a block plan that you and your neighbors can implement over time.  New people can add into the group at any time and the closer to full participation you can get on your block the better.  All ideas are welcome as are all points of view.  Hopefully, the Frequently Asked Questions will help us understand each other better.    

 

We’ve learned a fair amount so far and are interested in sharing that with you and your block group(s).  We would love to see a good showing of neighbors from these blocks at the workshop next week.   We also understand that not everyone can be there.  We will provide other opportunities later in October at alternate times so if you can’t make it, please let us know when a good time to meet with you would be. 

 

You can also contact Austin King & Patty O’Hara on the south side of 87^th or Matthew Heilgeist on the north side of 87^th to get connected with the block study or to help them organize and distribute information and ideas around the blocks.  They are all in this Google Group, so if you don’t know them, you can get a hold of them here. 

 

Please shoot me an email (katem...@comcast.net) with an RSVP or any questions about next Thursday.  Your RSVP will help us plan for the right number of neighbors and professional volunteers. 

 

Note other upcoming workshop dates:

Oct 14, focus is centered on N 97^th St Greenwood Ave N to Dayton Ave N  - special emphasis on making a plan for the undeveloped street end that exists on the wooded slope between Greenwood and Phinney

Oct 21, focus is centered on Evanston Ave N, N 90^th to N 92^nd – currently 4 full blocks in this region Fremont Ave N, Evanston Ave N, Dayton Ave N, Phinney Ave N - all between N 90^th and N 92^nd

Oct 28, focus is centered on N 102^nd St Greenwood Ave N to Dayton Ave N  - currently 2 full blocks in this region N 101^st to N 102^nd Greenwood Ave N to Dayton Ave N & N 102^nd to N 103^rd Greenwood Ave N to Dayton Ave N

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Kate Martin, Greenwood Streetscapes Volunteer

K A T E    M A R T I N  
Site Planning     Design     Construction Coordination 
Office (206) 783-6538   Cell (206) 579-3703
katem...@comcast.net

 

[Robert Koch]

I’ve read all the attachments, so thank you for bringing me “up to speed” on the elements of the project.

 

But I don’t see any worth to me participating in the project, for the following reasons. My home is just off 117^th, between 3^rd and 4^th (down one of the many short, developed alleys in that area, so my and others houses front on an alley, not 3^rd)). My interest is in having a safe way to walk from my house to at least Holman Rd, both for exercise and shopping. The main route would be along 3^rd Ave NW. It would be a very long “block” from 117^th to 115^th (there is no 116^th), with very few houses along 3^rd (and none front on 3^rd and my alley and 4^th dead-end at the ravine that would have been 116^th, so I don’t see how this “block” could ever be organized. Furthermore, it would take a lot of similarly long “blocks” to get from 117^th to Holman Rd, so it’s highly unlikely that entire path could ever get organized within my lifetime. Also, there are a lot of absentee landowners along that route; they would have little incentive to get involved in the process (and eventually pay for it). And finally, I doubt many people could afford to pay for the improvements, even if the city lent them money. 

 

Another problem: Even if I could organize my block and somehow get most landowners to agree to pay for improvements, it’s highly unlikely the rest of the blocks down to Holman would ALL agree to it, so the result would be a patchwork of sidewalks. Sure, something is better than nothing, but it still wouldn’t be a safe continual path. Seems to me it’s a lot of work for next to nothing. 

 

Beyond this, I have some questions:

 

1) There already is a very narrow asphalt “sidewalk” along much of the west side of 3^rd. How did that happen? It is very inadequate, but it’s obviously there, so some entity built it. It seems to me that if the city or county built it, they have an on-going responsibility to keep it maintained, including bringing it up to some reasonable standard of usability. Can’t this option be considered for 3^rd by your project? 

 

2) Also, in your attachment you mention the option of, in some cases, starting out with simple partial improvements, rather than going full bore toward paved improvements. Wouldn’t it be more practical, given current economic conditions, to plan for simple improvements, rather than getting people’s hopes up over greater incremental improvements that aren’t likely to happen? I’m thinking, here, just to plan for parallel parking (i.e., signs that say “no perpendicular parking”) AND unpaved pathways (perhaps gravel or compacted sand). It seems to me that these options are more practical than trying to convince all landowners to aim for paved improvements.  

 

Anyway, these are my preliminary thoughts. I hate being so negative, but I know how people and bureaucracies function, and I see this process, as presently designed, going on “forever” and ultimately producing nothing but frustration. I may come to one of the meetings, but I really think the project is “pie in the sky,” given the realities of current finances and the huge need out there.

 

Robert Koch

11546 3^rd Place NW

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[Kate Martin]

Robert-

 

Don’t despair.  We’re looking for some advocates for 3^rd NW.  Capacity for the projects requires advocates for each one. 

 

You could be the north anchor for the effort. 

 

-Kate

 

 

K A T E    M A R T I N  
Site Planning     Design     Construction Coordination 
Office (206) 783-6538   Cell (206) 579-3703
katem...@comcast.net