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| Shoreline Mayor Shari Winstead |
On the Mayor’s Mind
June 15, 2014
Shoreline is a very busy city. If you had a chance to watch the State of the City address, you heard a lot about what is going on in our wonderful city. As I prepared my notes to speak at the Echo Lake Neighborhood meeting on Tuesday night, it hit me again, just how much is going on in Shoreline.
Our city is really coming into its own - almost 20 years old now! We are starting to see some of our long term goals realized, and at the same time, we are at the beginning of some new, very important, achievable goals. How do we know our goals are achievable? We have a great track record!
I’m talking about the Aurora redevelopment project. It’s a project that has been with us for many, many years - one of our first goals when our City was incorporated in 1995. We’ve suffered through the construction, and while we have unfortunately lost a few businesses, we have seen significant investment - over 1,000 housing units and 180,000 square feet of commercial development. And more is coming.
A Seattle City Councilmember recently told me that Shoreline had “put Seattle to shame” by the wonderful job we have done with Aurora. I just had to smile at that comment, because, I know, as you do, that many things are better in Shoreline.
It’s easy to look at Aurora and see the difference, but what you don’t see is the most important fact - 50% less vehicle and pedestrian accidents than pre-construction. That is a truly significant improvement.
As we finish the last mile of Aurora, from the County line (205th) to 192nd, the pain of the construction feels new. Torn up roads, confusion on how to enter a business - by now it’s familiar to us. The difference is that we have now learned how to navigate this construction. Look for the blue “enter here” sign for a business. That is what my husband and I did last Sunday, when we decided to go grab some lunch at Grinders.
One of the comments we hear most is that Shoreline needs more restaurants. While I don’t completely disagree, I think it’s okay that we don’t have an Applebees or an Olive Garden. Those restaurants are easily accessible in Lynnwood, and there are plenty of “fine dining” restaurants in Edmonds. This is also part of the reason we don’t have these in Shoreline. Often overlooked, however, are the amazing small-business-type restaurants we do have in Shoreline.
Grinders is a great example, on the west side of Aurora at 198th Street. You can’t find a better hot “grinder” sandwich anywhere in the area - and they have live music on Saturday nights! We also have a very culturally diverse selection of restaurants. Not only can you grab a grinder, in that same block you will find delicious Mexican food at Taqueria Guaymas, or a steaming bowl of pho at Pho 99 (east side of Aurora at 198th, and Yelp comments refer to it as “a cut above the rest”.)
As we endure this last and final mile of Aurora construction, which will be finished around the end of next year, I hope you will explore some of the unique restaurants that call Shoreline their home!
A State of the City Address should be more than a back slapping fest. It is a time to admit mistakes as well as celebrate accomplishments, a time to acknowledge challenges, and reveal plans to address them. The event was no more than a self-promotion for the City. For example, the handling of the Aurora Corridor Project was a fiasco that bitterly divided this community for many years. All's well that ends well? The scars of that project as a process will remain in this community for many years to come, irrespective of the arguable improvements attained.
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