University Community Urban Center
Sounding Board

----------------------

Meeting Notes

U of W Architecture School Design Studio
Thursday, April 24, 1999

----------------------

Present:
Bob Doupe, University Park
Laura Dixon-Dybrad, Ravenna Urban Village
Julian Saucedo, Roosevelt Neighbors Alliance
John Deeter, University District
Clayton Young, Wallingford
Brian Ramey, Friends of Brooklyn
Bridgett Chandler, University Relations
Jordan Bader, Ravenna Bryant
Hans Aschenbach, Roosevelt Neighbors Alliance
Judith Geil, Ravenna Bryant

John Deeter and Bob Doupe Co-chaired the meeting.
Brian Ramey volunteered to take the minutes.

The group decided to set the following issues as the agenda:

  1. Consistent Meeting Location and Time:
    Brian Ramey volunteered to research and report on the availability of meeting space, its cost and location. All agreed that a monthly meeting would be the best frequency for now and that we would schedule it for the third Thursday of every month at 5:30pm. Bob Doupe volunteered to seek assurance that University Heights would be available for the U. Sounding Board on May 20th and on June 17th.
  2. News release and coverage of future meetings to provide for notice to the community of an open forum:
    All present agreed that notice to the community would energize the group and encourage our neighbors to come and discuss public policy, issues and projects. Julian Saucedo volunteered to talk with the editors of the University Herald and the Seattle Press to see what they might be willing to do to report regular meeting of the University Sounding Board in their papers.

    3. Bridgett Chandler volunteered to see what other media might also do to get the word out.

  3. Formulation of Mission Statements:

    4. The following statements were agreed upon:

  4. Fundraising and creation of a Board to generate funds to pay for mailings and meeting space:
    Hans Aschenbach volunteered to look into the small and simple grant process with the Department of Neighborhoods.
  5. Sound Transit Passenger Stations issues
    were the topic of discussion for the remainder of the meeting. The following ideas were discussed.
  1. Bridget Chandler suggested that we ask that all the elected officials on the Sound Transit Board and all the King County Council members to a meeting of the Station Area Planning Committee.
  2. The fact that this rail plan is highest on the lists for priority transportation funding with the federal government
  3. The fact that the south Seattle neighborhoods were awarded $50 million in extras to deal with the rail impacts speaks to the need to get commitments for more money to do more than elevators from the surface to 200 feet below,
  4. The importance of doing everything right the first time since the system will be around long after the elected officials who are responsible have left office.
  5. The need to discuss the requirement for mezzanines at both 45th and at 43rd.
  6. The need to look at the impacts of up to 200 trucks a day coming and leaving neighborhood using our streets during the construction phase.
  7. The need to examine the impacts on the business community from construction activity.
  8. The need to examine the safety of students and pedestrians in general from the activity of heavy equipment,
  9. Should we demand that the dirt they take out of the hole be barged out of the community rather than trucked out? Bridgett Chandler indicates that the University is looking at what can be done to free up enough of its waterfront to allow for the barging of the mined earth.
  10. The need to determine before the Final EIS is written what the costs to the community are for the current alignment and an alignment that would bring the long term economic activity of rail stations to the University Ave.
  11. The need to get information from the University on how much money would be saved if the Physics Lab problem was not a problem anymore because the alignment changed.
  12. The need to examine the idea of the fee for riding the rail as an "honor system" and what the implications are to the University District as a terminus.
  13. What will be the traffic patterns and where will the transit system link with the rail system?
  14. Do we want active mezzanines, e.g. the first floor of the US Post Office facing the mezzanine, small shops and kiosks to keep the area active and safe.
  15. What about the Safco Plaza and the possibility it may move some or all of its operations to it new Redmond Campus?  Could it be connected in some way to the stations?
  16. What about the staging for the continuation of the rail system to Roosevelt and Northgate? Where will the staging be done then?
  17. Should we demand mezzanines at both just below street level and at the boarding level?
  18. Should we demand open space and street vacations to make the Ave more inviting to the pedestrians using the system?

Next meetings:

April 27th (past) U of W Master Plan Forum, Kane Hall

April 28th at 5:30pm, DCLU Design Guidelines, University Heights

May 4th at 5:30pm, Station Area Planning, University Heights

May 20th 5:30 pm, University Sounding Board meeting, University Heights

Comments by Bridgett Chandler

Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 12:29:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bridgett Chandler <bc@u.washington.edu>
Subject: University Sounding Board Minutes (fwd)

[Comments and corrections in italics.]

Item 2. News release and coverage of future meetings ...
Bridgett Chandler volunteered to see what (other) University media might also do to get the word out, including University Week and the Daily.

Item 3. Formulation of Mission Statements:
The following statements were agreed upon:

University Sounding Board is a forum for discussion of ways in which all represented groups can agree on a single position relating to a public policy issues.

This is not my recollection - I thought the group expressly did not want to take positions. Instead the primary purpose is a regular time and place for community members to get information about important projects and issues in the U-District. The group discussed a three part mission:
1) To discuss, review and coordinate individual responses to proposals that affect the University Community (as defined by UCUC).
2) Share information about ideas and initiatives and inform constituent groups primarily through distribution of meeting minutes.
3) Monitor the implementation of the UCUC Plan.

University Sounding Board will (avoid taking) not take positions of its own as a single voice to the City or other decision makers. It may recommend positions to the represented groups and to individuals in the community and therefore help find coalitions for particular points of view. (See above.)

Item 5. Sound Transit Passenger Stations issues ...

(d) The importance of doing everything right the first time since the system will be around long after the staff and elected officials who are responsible have left office.

(o) What about the Safco Plaza and the possibility it may move some or all of its operations to it new Redmond Campus? Could it be connected in some way to the stations? Some expressed their understanding of Safeco's commitment to remain in the U-District.

The group also suggested that the following criteria for Sound Transit operation in the U-District be addressed in the Station Area Planning meetings:
1) Traffic impacts during construction & operation.
2) Alignment and station locations should support the vitality of the Ave and protect research. The group discussed an alignment under the Ave as a better solution than under 15th.
3) Public safety in system and at surface.
4) Barging instead of trucking.

Comments by Hans Aschenbach

From: "H. Aschenbach" <haschen@email.msn.com>
To: "Brian Ramey" <ramey@ghspr.com>, et al.
Subject: Re: University Sounding Board Minutes
Date: Tue, 4 May 1999 15:50:47 -0700

Brian,
The notes seem pretty complete from my recollection. I do recall suggesting that interested members of the Sounding Board get together to work on some Sound Transit station and alignment criteria, once Bridgett, Fred Hart, Patty Whisler and I get a draft on paper. Also I suggested that rather than invite elected officials to our meeting, we should try to get a consolidated position on Sound Transit and send a delegation to Cynthia Sulliavan and other elected officials.

Some technicalities
University Park "Community Club"
Julian and I are members of "Roosevelt Neighbors Alliance". Roosevelt Neighborhood Association is the group north of Ravenna Blvd. Sue Baker, Pres.
my last name is spelled "Aschenbach"

Thanks for your work
Hans