Fwd: Safety on Aurora / Transportation Levy / Crisis Care Centers / Open House for NE 130th & NE 125th / Thorton Drainage Project / D5 Business Spotlight

[Licton Springs Community Council]

Here are some updates from our District 5 Councilmember Cathy Moore!

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Councilmember Cathy Moore <cathy...@seattle.gov>
Date: Fri, Jun 21, 2024 at 4:46 PM
Subject: Safety on Aurora / Transportation Levy / Crisis Care Centers / Open House for NE 130th & NE 125th / Thorton Drainage Project / D5 Business Spotlight
To: <lictons...@gmail.com>

This week's newsletter contains updates about public safety along Aurora, the transportation levy, crisis care centers, and more.

Trouble seeing the message? View this email in your browser. Update on Public Safety on Aurora Avenue North Transportation Levy Update Crisis Care Levy Implementation NE 130th/125th Update, Virtual Open House June 25th North Thorton Natural Design Drainage Project D5 Business Focus In District 5 Update on Public Safety on Aurora Avenue North Following the shooting on North 101st Street that continued on Linden Avenue North to North 96th Street, I had separate meetings with the Mayor as well as residents at North 96th Street and Linden Avenue North. I conveyed to the Mayor in clear and strong terms the need for the City's attention and law enforcement resources, as well as for expansion of gun violence intervention programs to the north end. They let me know Interim Police Chief Rahr has made changes in procedures that allow for more emphasis patrols and traffic enforcement on Aurora. On Wednesday evening I met with residents at North 96th Street and Linden Avenue North, a block off Aurora and the site of a recent gun battle. Deputy Mayor Burgess, as well as the Mayor's Director of Public Safety, Natalie Walton-Anderson, also attended. We discussed what happened the evening of the gun battle, and increased sex trafficking in the area, and how it is spilling over into neighborhoods beyond Aurora Avenue. We discussed a multilayered approach, including enhanced law enforcement around sex trafficking and gun violence, as well as environmental design including closing alley access, traffic barriers, and additional lighting. Transportation Levy Update The Select Transportation Committee met on Tuesday to hear a first presentation of Councilmember amendments to the proposed transportation levy. My amendments include identifying specific sidewalk projects, as follows: My amendment requires that a minimum of 36% of new sidewalks and sidewalk alternatives will be in D5; 36% of missing sidewalks are in D5. The amendment includes similar requirements for Districts 2 and 1, which also have relatively high missing sidewalks. It also adds the expectation that sidewalks and sidewalk alternatives will be built within the 1-mile walkshed network of any K-12 schools and/or transit stop with service at least every 1/2 hour: My amendment proposes clarifying that the Aurora Avenue North project must include completing sidewalks from North 115th to 145th Streets, as well as safety improvements including lighting and trees. Another amendment includes requiring the creation of a plan for implementing transportation impact fees to complete the sidewalk network and provide for necessary study. The committee will meet on Tuesday, July 2nd for votes on amendments and the levy legislation. Crisis Care Levy Implementation The King County Council has approved an Implementation Plan for the Crisis Care Levy adopted by voters, to create a countywide network of five crisis care centers distributed across the county. There is currently no walk-in behavioral health urgent care facility; the only such facility is in Seattle and requires a referral. The levy will significantly increase the number of residential treatment beds. I serve on the Regional Policy Committee (RPC), composed of King County Councilmembers and elected officials from cities in King County. The RPC considered the Implementation Plan before it went to the King County Council. I proposed two amendments at the RPC that were included in the legislation adopted by the County Council. First of all, requiring the operator to create a Good Neighbor Agreement with community stakeholders to address potential impacts and formalize a positive working relationship with neighbors; secondly, the Seattle City Council will be able to help choose a subject matter expert to serve on the committees for operator and site selection. Here's a 1-page summary of the Crisis Care Centers levy. NE 130th/125th Update, Virtual Open House June 25th SDOT has announced 60% design for the NE 130th Street & NE 125th Street Mobility and Safety Project. This area goes from 1st Avenue NE to 36th Avenue NE and intersects with the future NE 130th Street light rail station. SDOT notes the changes are designed to "make it safer and easier for people walking, biking, rolling, and taking the bus in the area." SDOT will be hosting a virtual open house on Tuesday, June 25th from 6-7 p.m. at this link. In addition, SDOT will host community drop-in sessions on Saturday, June 22nd from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pizza Twist at 12319 Roosevelt Way NE, and Thursday, June 27 from 5-7 p.m. at the Lake City Farmers Market. Changes are on NE 130th St, Roosevelt Way NE, and NE 125th St from 1st Ave NE to east of Lake City Way NE. The updated designs are listed on the website, and on this document. The design is scheduled to be completed in 2025, and construction dates are to be determined during 2025 and 2026. I have heard community concerns about the design for changes to the 5-way intersection at NE 125th, Roosevelt Way NE, and 10th Ave NE. Currently, drivers heading south on 10th Ave NE can turn right, left, or straight; the design for the roundabout would limit traffic to a right turn only. SDOT also released an update on the North 130th Street - Bitter Lake to Haller Lake Mobility Improvements website; the project area from 1st NW to the NE 130th station is shown below. The website update notes that SDOT will be planning in-person events. North Thorton Natural Design Drainage Project Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) shared the following update about the North Thorton Natural Drainage Systems project, which is located within the North Branch Thorton Creek watershed area. SPU is installing natural drainage systems in Lake City neighborhoods to improve water quality in Thornton Creek, enhance pedestrian safety, and reduce local drainage issues. These systems will filter stormwater before it runs into Lake Washington and eventually into Puget Sound. The project will also add more plants and street trees to the area.  We have selected two sites for Natural Drainage System installation after completing our technical analysis in 2023. The chosen locations are:  Little Brook  32nd Ave NE between NE 135th St and NE 137th St  Olympic Hills  25th Ave NE between NE 127th St and NE 130th St  NE 127th St between 25th Ave NE and 27th Ave NE  27th Ave NE between NE 125th St and NE 127th St D5 Business Focus Here's a feature on a D5 business, provided by Build Lake City Together: "Rachel's Bagels and Burritos opened in 2014 as Porkchop & Co. During the first week of the pandemic stay-at-home order, what was a local brunch spot flipped into a bagel and burrito hustle. Within a few months, the new business model had taken root and we've stuck with it ever since. We opened up a new outpost inside of Elliot Bay Brewing in Lake City in April 2024, and we're so excited to be in the neighborhood.    Rachel's serves a small menu of bagels, bagel sandwiches, and burritos made from Washington-grown meats and flours. The bagels are baked on site every morning, and everything is made fresh to order.  We've been lucky to have been written up in the Seattle Times and other local food media.    The restaurant is owned by Paul Osher and Raquel Zamora. When we met in grad school at UCLA, it would have been hard to imagine how life would have carried us to Lake City, but we can't think of anywhere we'd rather be.   Hours:  Wednesday-Sunday 8am-1pm.  Address: 125353 Lake City Way NE  Seattle, WA 98125 Menu: https://www.rachelsbagels.com/menu"   Messaging provided by Build Lake City Together. If you have a small retail business or restaurant in D5 you'd like featured in the newsletter, please reach out to melisa.b...@seattle.gov.  Cathy Moore Seattle City Council // District 5 Copyright © 2024 Seattle City Council, All rights reserved. You are receiving this message because you expressed interest in District 5. Thank you for engaging! 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