MINUTES

FREMONT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

Jan 27, 2003

          

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:  April Thanos, Alan Younker, Toby Thaler, Chip Nevins, John Ryan, Dic Selin, Jenny Eichwald, Julie DeBroux, Vafa Ghazi, Benjamin Grossman, George Heideman

 

Minutes approved for 12/16/02 as amended (corrected two name spellings).

 

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS - none

TREASURER'S REPORT:  Vafa is taking over as membership chair. Benjamin proposed a budget for 2003, which included regular expenses for mailing the newsletter and other FNC announcements. This budget was approved.  We may be receiving $500 from Cynthia Sullivan's discretionary budget.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

            LAND USE - nothing major

            GUERILLA GARDENING - We need to decide which areas need planting for the spring event       

COMMUNITY CENTER - none

OPEN-SPACE - The next public Fremont Park meeting will be the end of Feb.  There is a fairly complete design, but it is double the budget. They suggested we might want to go for matching funds, otherwise it may end up only half finished. Chip would need assistance for additional funding.

The Fremont Peak Park is also going for additional funding to buy the remaining site next to the park. They are in the process of selecting a landscape architect.  The Ross Neighborhood gave Fred Meyer some ideas of what might be done there with the $40,000 for mitigation.  There is not much being done on planning for the bike path through the area.

COMMUNICATONS - Decided on a deadline 3 weeks from today for the next newsletter. Alan proposed some possible articles. It was decided May 19th would be the FNC Annual Meeting.

BICYCLE ROUTES - There will be a vote on the missing link for the Burke Gilman through Ballard this week. The bike lane on Fremont Ave should be painted this summer.

            TRANSPORTATION - none- we need someone to head this committee

AFFORDABLE HOUSING - April announced that CHHIP has suggested using Walsh Construction (a Fremont company) and Stickney, Murphy & Ronine as the architect for the housing project.  The committee will generally meet the Thursday before the FNC meetings and would like more committee members. The next meeting is Feb 13th at her house at 7pm.  There was some discussion with Sue Cary (CHHIP) about the type of building it might be and that they are surveying the site this week with Walsh and the architects.

PUBLIC SAFETY - Vafa drafted a letter about the problems surrounding the Ballroom. It was moved and passed to basically approve his letter and hope to co-sign it with the Chamber of Commerce and have Dic sign for FNC.  He advised the Seattle Catch may become a pub.

 

Seattle Public Utilities - Henry Friedman (SPU) and Jennifer Howell from Triangle Assoc had a discussion about solid waste problems.  The treatment facility in Wallingford is outdated and they are talking to the public to get their views and suggestions on updating the site. The city is putting together a Facilities Master Plan for the next 30 year. See handouts.

 

QFC Project - There have been meeting (not public) and things are moving along, but there are still major problems with the site.  The project is too big and the traffic on Stone Way is still not resolved. There will be another Design Review after QFC has revised it's design which could be in Feb/March. It may be another six months before the new plans are approved and the neighbors would be able to appeal.  This could take another year.

 

OLD BUSINESS: 

            LUDC - They also had presentation from the Solid Waste people. The next meeting will be on comprehensive drainage.

            Fremont Works - no meeting

 

NEW BUSINESS:

            FNC - Meeting dates set for next six months.

Eco Encore - Jesse is the volunteer head of this project.  They get donations of books/CD/etc from people and the sell them online and direct the proceeds to various recycling projects. The donors get the receipts for taxes.  They will put something on our website and write an article for the newsletter.

 

Fremont Community School - They are a preschool currently in the Fremont Baptist basement. They have to move at the end of the school year and would like to get the site of the University Child Development School, which is just north of the solid waste facility in Wallingford. The building is currently being surplussed by the city and they would like support for using it again as a school as it is a wonderful building inside. They will come to our March meeting with more info.

 

The Ballroom - Some neighbor south of the Ballroom came to discuss the problems they are having, which are quite bad. They were advised to meet with Vafa and join with the other neighbors and businesses which have been complaining to the city.

 

 Meeting adjourned at 9:10 pm.