RAVENNA-BRYANT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
NEWSLETTER
September 1998
* General Meeting *
Monday, September 14, 1998
7:00 P.M.
Ravenna Eckstein Community Center
6535 Ravenna Ave. NE
AGENDA
7:00-7:15 Meet and greet your neighbors
7:15-7:30 Announcements (including perennial plea for dues)
7:30-8:15 How Ravenna-Bryant is zoned. What do SFR, NC-1 and "permitted uses" mean?
8:15-8:35 Library Bond measure
8:35-9:00 Ravenna Creek Daylighting update
9:00-9:15 Any other business
Adjourn
Come Out and Meet Your Neighbors!
DO YOU KNOW HOW YOUR BLOCK IS ZONED?
Life is short--and it's full of carpools, bills, jobs and housebreaking the dog. Most of us don't have time to follow the permutations at City Hall, or to more than wonder what the white notice board announcing a "notice of development" means.
However, big changes are in store for the University District and the Roosevelt neighborhood. Each is now completing what started with the state Growth Management Act, rolled on to become Seattle's Comprehensive plan and is now coming to life as neighborhood plans.
Roosevelt's plan focuses on retaining its small business district and protecting housing from the ravages of traffic. The University District's plan is far more ambitious (see accompanying article). The District is an urban center and is scheduled to absorb several thousand new residents. The University Urban Center, as defined by the city council, includes not just the Ave but also the hillside and small residential neighborhood known as Ravenna Springs, just west of 25th Northeast, and the University Village.
Ravenna-Bryant doesn't have a neighborhood plan. Three years ago the RBCA, under then-president Brian Peyton, joined with the Roosevelt and University districts in a community needs assessment prepared for the Department of Neighborhoods. Ravenna-Bryant residents overwhelmingly liked their neighborhood the way it was and didn't want to change it. The only change people wanted was less traffic.
However, the increasing demand for housing, amplified by the projected population growth in the University Urban Center, is going to be felt in Ravenna-Bryant. To help people understand what could happen in our neighborhood--without any changes in zoning--the RBCA is developing a map which shows how our neighborhood is zoned. The board also has invited Diane Sugimura, from the Department of Construction and Land Use, to explain what that zoning means. How tall, for example, can a single family home be? What are set back requirements? What is meant by mixed use and multi-family housing? We hope you can attend this meeting and hear what she has to say.
TIME FOR COMMENT ON UNIVERSITY URBAN CENTER PLAN
The University Urban Center plan is now available for review and comment. The plan, which covers roughly the University District, University Village and Ravenna Springs, includes a western urban village in the University District itself and an eastern "village" in the Ravenna Springs area of (again roughly) Northeast 45th to Northeast 55th and from 20th Northeast to 30th Northeast.
The U-District section of the plan recommends the purchase and rebuilding of University Heights school as a community center; upzones to heights of 65 feet eight blocks between Roosevelt Way and University Way, and downzones large areas north of Northeast 50th.
The Ravenna Urban Village section of the plan is the result of much hard work by Kit O'Neill and Davidya Kasperzyk and many other Ravenna residents and local businesses. The plan's recommendations include daylighting Ravenna Creek as an amenity to balance increased density, development of 25th Northeast as a "Pedestrian Main Street", safety-related improvements along Northeast Blakeley Street, and the addition of two new pea patches.
The Ravenna Urban Village plan reflects the dogged efforts of neighbors and businesses to have their work included as part of the University Urban Center plan, which initially focused on the U-District. It will take continued comments from neighbors and businesses to make certain all parts of the urban center are represented in the final plan for the area.
Copies of the plan are available at Barnes & Noble in University Village at the information desk by the elevator, at the University branch public library on Roosevelt, and at the University District neighborhood service center at 4534 University Way.
There will be a final public hearing on the plan September 23, 1998 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 1100 Municipal Building, 600 Fourth Avenue. Written comments will be accepted until September 30th and should be directed to the Honorable Richard Conlin, Seattle City Council, at the above address, or to richard.conlin@ci.seattle.wa.us.
For a planning schedule, see Neighborhood Planning Milestones.
THANK YOU TO SENATOR GORTON
The 1999 Interior Appropriations budget, as now proposed, includes $500,000 for the daylighting of Ravenna Creek, thanks to Senator Slade Gorton.
The creek now drains into a sewer pipe. The water is clean enough to drain directly into Lake Washington, which is where Metro would like it to go. Ravenna Creek's clean water takes up space in the sewer system needed for waste water which must be treated. Daylighting the creek would also help with the poor drainage of the Ravenna ball field (familiar to anyone who has slid into third after a rainy day), the Burke-Gilman trail and the Kincaid Ravine on the University of Washington Campus.
King County Councilmember Cynthia Sullivan has secured a three million dollar commitment from King County for daylighting. If Senator Gorton's request survives the budget process, half of the seven million dollar cost of daylighting is guaranteed, thanks to the persistent efforts of volunteers and now the assistance of Senator Gorton.
For more information about daylighting the creek call the Ravenna Creek Alliance at 525-3004.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE FLOATING BRIDGE?
In May the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) appointed a 45-member study committee to consider ways of improving the flow of traffic across or around Lake Washington. The Committee is to make its recommendations by June, 1999. Three projects mentioned most often as a way of achieving this are: (1) widening the 520 Bridge, (2) building a large highway around the north end of the Lake, along the Lake City Way route, and (3) expanding mass transit on the I-90 bridge.
A "translake study workshop" is scheduled from 4:30-8:30 pm on October 1, 1998 at the Museum of History and Industry (actual hours are still tentative--to confirm the time call WSDOT at 464-5878). While this may be yet another meeting conducted at a little table under the supervision of facilitators armed with felt markers, it is probably worth attending and throwing in your opinion.
For more information, see http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/translake/
RECYCLING CHANGES
The Seattle Public Utilities Department is considering several changes to the way in which garbage, recyclables and yard waste are collected. Some of the changes, such as picking up garbage and recycling on the same day, seem like good ideas. One change seems a step backward, however. For reasons not clear in the draft solid waste plan the utility proposes replacing the three-bin recycling system in north Seattle with a 60 or 90 gallon hopper into which all recyclables can be tossed, unsorted.
Board member Al Rasmussen conducted his own informal survey on this issue. He spoke to over 100 people (he is a very dedicated board member) and the vast majority opposed this change. Residents felt it would be difficult to move the large hoppers, and as a result many people would leave them on the street. Even if moved they would be far more difficult to store than the smaller, separate bins. Many also felt that not sorting recyclables was a return to the old "just toss it" days. If you have an opinion on this issue send it to the Utilities Committee of the City Council: Margaret Pageler, Chair (684-8807), Richard Conlin (684-8805), Nick Licata (684-8803) and Jan Drago (684-8801).
SEPTEMBER 17 CANDIDATES AND ISSUES FORUM
The Ravenna-Bryant Community Association is jointly sponsoring a candidates and issues forum with the Laurelhurst Community Club. Laurelhurst and Ravenna-Bryant sponsored such a forum a year ago and it was well attended. This year's forum is in Laurelhurst on Thursday, September 17, from 7-9 pm at the Laurelhurst Community Center, 4554 Northeast 41st Street. Meet the candidates for the 46th District, hear the pros and cons of the library bond measure, the transportation referendum, and other important issues.
The date is regrettably close to our general meeting but this was the only day Laurelhurst's community center was available. For more information contact Eileen Farley at 526-1453.
JOIN THE RAVENNA-BRYANT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION!
RAVENNA-BRYANT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Ravenna Eckstein Community Center
6535 Ravenna Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98115
GENERAL MEETING, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 7:00 p.m.
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