The Echo Lake Neighborhood Association will host speakers from Compass Housing, HopeLink, Ronald United Methodist Church, and the City about the new Ronald Commons housing project which broke ground last week.
The meeting is Tuesday, October 20, 7-9pm at City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N, Shoreline 98133, 3rd floor. Parking is free in City Garage behind City Hall.
Echo Lake Neighborhood is bounded by I-5, 205th, Aurora, and 185th.
On a Citizens Mind
ReplyDeleteThe security fence is now up and these old trees will come down to build a 6-story, low-income apartment building. There are 2 issues within that last sentence; preservation vs. progress, and needed housing assistance for families. Ronald Methodist church has combined these two issues but lets separate them for a moment.
HopeLink and Compass want to help the latter issue and so would any decent citizen. The apartment building will be built with taxpayers’ money. This is the kind of thing most people are happy to see their money being used for. As a wealthy nation, we are obligated to help those in need.
Homeowners in the area surrounding this church are also concerned about the former issue. Some councilmembers use the words community and walkability when discussing Shoreline’s future. Currently, my neighbors walk their dogs to use this fenceless green space as a small dog run. It has offered walkability and served the neighborhood wonderfully. Unless we get in our cars, it is the only nearby option.
So what is Shoreline’s future? In this section of Richmond Highlands, it will get a bit more crowded and less green. What makes many neighbors disheartened is that if you hit a golf ball in either direction up or down the Aurora corridor, you will hit an empty or blighted lot. Any of these locations would be welcomed by the community to build something nice upon; instead, the city council granted the church an exemption to divide their property and even changed the building setback rule, building 15 feet from the curb to 0 feet. (Will Hall admitted the setback change was a mistake and the council modified it…but by doing that, the church got grandfathered in to build at 0 feet)
So what’s the point citizen? The damage is done. My answer is that this will be coming to your neighborhood someday and if you are comfortable living amongst buildings as tall as the trees they will replace, then, all is well. If not, then you should stop reading and start doing...oh, and remember to vote. Make your voice heard and fight for what you want this city to become because trust has been lost with the current city council. The council’s motives are being questioned and the fact that one councilmember is now a real estate broker, some motives seem selfishly obvious. http://kmcglashan.withwre.com
Well, it all starts tomorrow in Echo Lake at the ELNA meeting. http://www.echolakeneighborhood.org
To Echo Lake, think of all the buildings the city could put up if we drained the lake. That was a joke. It would be silly to needlessly kill off nature when useable options exist a 3-wood away. Exactly.
Bachety 2017!
ReplyDeleteActually, a council member asked for the easement, not the three parties (Compass, Ronald, Hopelink) and they aren't using that easement. Also, the empty lot was not a dog walk area, it was the church's land that the neighbors took advantage of using because it was not used for a specific purpose. While I love animals, would you rather that property be a place for dogs to walk and pee, or to provide great services to so many in need? Why can't the neighbors walk the dogs on their sidewalks, let them go to the bathroom in their yards, and visit one of the many amazing off leash parks in the Shoreline area to let their dogs play? Finally, because the three parties aren't taking the setback that they didn't ask for, their will be sidewalks, so once it's all done, get out on those sidewalks and meet the new, wonderful people that will be your new neighbors. You can choose to walk the sidewalks that will be on Linden in front of their new affordable homes, or you can choose to sit home and complain about things that you really have no case on.
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