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| 1400 homes in the 185th rezone |
KUOW.org published an article about the density expected for Shoreline with the rezoning for the 185th Transit Station, as well as ideas to redevelop the Shoreline Center for greater density.
Shoreline, just north of Seattle, is a classic suburb facing a very urban challenge.
It is gaining a light rail station at 185th Street and I-5. And that new station is kicking off a vast redevelopment that will change the shape of the city. In all, 1,400 homes have been rezoned for a densified redevelopment that will change this part of the city into something that looks as though it were born in Seattle.
The article covers both sides of the debate.
The imposition of a densified urban vision for the area around the light rail station at 185th is stressful for the people who live there now.
But City Council proceeded, permitting a redevelopment area so vast it could eventually house 50,000 people. The city's current population is around 55,000.
Now the City is working on redevelopment of the 145th Corridor and a rezone around the 145th transit station and mounting a publicity campaign to draw in new business and "millennial" residents.
Read the article here
Upcoming public meetings:
Tuesday, January 19, 2016: 145th St Corridor Project hosted by the Ridgecrest Neighborhood Association, 7pm, Ridgecrest Elementary School, 16516 10th NE.
Thursday, January 21, 2016: Planning Commission Meeting, 7-9pm, Shoreline City Hall Council Chambers, 17500 Midvale Ave N.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016: Light Rail Station and Facility Design Public Meeting, 6-8:30pm, Shorewood High School - Commons and Theatre, 17300 Fremont Ave N.
Thursday, January 28, 2016: 145th Street Station Citizens Committee, 7-8:30pm, Room 301 City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N.
Pffff!!!! The article doesn't even come close to covering both sides of the debate. More "Urbanist Psychobabble" as I overheard someone succinctly describe this candyland fantasy of City Hall's.
ReplyDeleteI guess we know a better timeline now for the redevelopment of the Shoreline Center... around the same time as the station opening. I guess KUOW knows more than us? Bye-bye Senior Center. Bye-bye pool.
Very sad that KUOW has more information about my future than I do. The Shoreline City Council is operating like a dictatorship.They know what is best for us and they disregard our input and pleas for consideration. The original ruse was to get cars off the roads. How does nearly doubling the Shoreline population decrease traffic and congestion? The millenials will need cars when they start families. Preschool, carpools, pediatricians, after school activities, grocery shopping for more than 2 people, library visits, cultural activities - don't be so foolish as to believe they will abandon their cars.
ReplyDeleteA picture of Mirada Redinger.... the Shoreline City Planner....who lives in Seattle!!!! She doesn't even live in b the City of Shoreline.
ReplyDeleteThis is a long-term vision. By the time this looks like the description in this article, we who are now all worked up by this will all be dead. And the alternative is to pave over the farmland at the edges of the suburbs. Do we really need that? To say nothing of what our children and grandchildren will endure from global warming if we don't get more people riding transit. This is about the big picture. If we don't think in those terms, humans will literally be extinct. Do we care more about hanging on to the comfortable little neighborhood niches we've nested ourselves into?
ReplyDeleteDid the reporter or the City of Shoreline even ask the Shoreline Public School District what their plans are for the Shoreline Center? The City of Shoreline doesn't speak for Shoreline Public Schools.
ReplyDeleteSomebody keeps bringing up the Candyland version of the rezone of this area. I, for one, would find that delcious!
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteDensity vs Farmland is a silly dichotomy. It is not an accurate description of the choices we face. Destroying a huge section of Shoreline is not the answer to sprawl. These neighborhoods are perfectly good as they are.
The City Council is in a massive delusion, fed by psychobable and density lingo fed by developers. Tthis is a false choice. We do not need to displace thousands of people for Light Rail or to improve Shoreline.
The Council needs to go back to the drawing board and think "Small is beautiful." Not "boom or bust!"
This is yet another pipe dream of a few of the City Council who have big dreams of becoming "important politicians". The ones who tell us that "growth is inevitable". Yes, it is inevitable. But....
ReplyDeletePeople want to live outside the city because its NOT THE CITY. Once you turn our neighborhoods into what we moved away from, all you will have is "Little Seattle". You will bring in the same problems, the same issues, the same declining values, crime, and poor performing schools. Why not let those council members that want to be like Seattle run for council in Seattle. Leave Shoreline to us.
"Get more people riding transit" TO DO:
ReplyDeleteLocate businesses near density (Town Centers shouldn't be fields)
Eliminate parking in large buildings
Eliminate widening roads (taking transit isn't just for others)
Single Occupant Vehicles are not at the top of a transit foodchain, walk where you can, take a bus where you can't, drive if you absolutely need to.
@anon 8:07 - you are incorrect in your statement that "we worked up" individuals will be dead by the time this comes to fruition. I, and many others in Shoreline who are rightfully upset about the gregarious level of upzoning (reasonable upzoning would have been supported and welcomed) will be here, alive and well, to see this come to fruition if nothing is done to reboot and revise this stupid, stupid "plan" that really isn't a plan.
ReplyDeleteIf we don't move, then Shoreline doesn't get their little density dreamland. What will happen then? They'll have no choice but to use eminent domain, even though they've claimed they “won't”. This will most likely begin with property takings for new roads. Won't more roads just encourage more cars? That sounds bad for the environment.
The City and special interest group's "spin" on "what millennials want" has been manufactured to disarm those who are rightfully concerned and lull people into supporting over-zealous density. There is no proof whatsoever that it's "what millennials want". There is, however, proof right here in Shoreline by many millennials who happen to own homes in the rezone areas which proves the exact opposite. Millennials, Gen-Yers, and Gen-Xers, who are angry, who are staying right where we are to fight this - on principle or maybe even mere spite at this point, who are not "fatigued" at all by discussing the issue, who have unravelled every piece of “plan-speak” that’s gone into weaving the selling points on this disaster of an upzone to keep the discussion going for many, many years.
I sincerely hope there are some ticked off developers out there who are seething over not being able to pick off lots cheaply from uninformed homeowners, maybe even some then elderly and easily taken advantage of folks? It was very gratifying to see a certain councilmember’s face turn red and angry when they ranted about a delay in upzoning causing property prices to become inflated. What a disadvantage for the poor development community.
Densifying Shoreline to the proposed levels is not going to "save the environment", because we're not talking about converting urban or industrial blight to TOD here. More people will start using transit, regardless of what densification occurs, The impacts to the environment in Shoreline, however, will be substantial... old trees gone to make way for 6-story big-box buildings with no trees, our watersheds pounded with more run-off, vegetable gardens not possible to have anymore because tall buildings are blotting out the sun, displaced wildlife, pollution and refuse from tearing down perfectly good, affordable starter homes and building new ones. Sound Transit refused to tunnel North of Northgate, so there’s going to be a huge, long, gaping, bald track of land on the East side of I-5 when the hundreds of old tall trees get wiped out to make way. To me, those seems like pretty obvious things that we should be concerned about preserving for future generations.
Make no mistake, it's about money, land, and who owns it. The pro-development interests of some members of the City Council would rather you be in an apartment giving your money away to someone else or in a condo giving your money away to someone else for HOA’s.
Take a drive through Ballard to se how fast they can ruin your neighborhood...
ReplyDelete