The Montlake Flyer
A newsletter for the entire Montlake community
When: Wednesday, October 11, 2000
7:30 p.m.
Where: Montlake Community Center
1618 Calhoun Street
7:30: Introductory
remarks, approval of minutes, old business.
7:35 University Master
Planning: Theresa Doherty, UW Planning
8:00 MOHAI relocation:
Leonard Garfield, Director
8:40 MCC Library Liaison
Committee Update Proposed Resolution
9:15 Adjournment.
Inside
2 President’s Message;
Board Meeting Minutes
3....................... General
Meeting Minutes
4 Proposed MCC Library
Siting Resolution
5....................... Committee
Reports; Notices
6 CUCAC and NEDC
Reports
7....................... Letters
to the Editor
Neighborhood Grant
Money Available
You know that good-looking troll who hangs out under the Aurora Bridge? He was paid for in part by a grant from the City’s Department of Neighborhoods—as were the refurbished Tot Lot on Lynn Street on the way into the Arboretum, and the lights on the Wilcox Bridge just beyond the Tot Lot. The playscape at Montlake School also had funding from what is called the Neighborhood Matching Fund.
The City has several programs through which it
contributes to financing of projects conceived, planned and/or executed by
neighborhood organizations. The Small and Simple Projects Fund is for projects
requiring $10,000 or less, and needing 6 months or less to complete.
Applications are accepted six times per year. The other part of the
Neighborhood Matching Fund is called the Large Projects NMF and is available for
projects exceeding $10,000. Applications for the Large Projects NMF begin with
submission of a letter of intent to apply, which, for the next round, will be
due early next year. Both types of projects require a match from the neighborhood
organization that is applying for the grant. Often in-kind services are used
for the match.
The Department of
Neighborhoods is ready to assist with applications for these grants. Anyone
with an idea for a neighborhood improvement that requires some funding should
call Karen Ko at the University District Neighborhood Service Center, 864-7542
for more details.
Also, Seattle Department of Transportation (SEATRANS) takes proposals from the neighborhoods on street improvement projects. The Neighborhood Street Fund is part of the SeaTrans budget set aside for this purpose. Karen Ko can also help with this program.
MCC To Consider Resolution on Branch Library Siting
A large turnout
at the September Montlake Community Club general meeting expressed a variety of
opinions on the three sites proposed for Montlake Branch Library. Many members
of the community feel strongly that sites that would displace dwellings should
not be considered. Accordingly, a proposal was made to write a resolution
opposing removal of dwellings, for presentation at the October meeting of the
MCC. Text of the proposed resolution is on page 4 of this issue, following the minutes of the September
general meeting. Letters by several residents who attended the September
meeting are also included in the Letters to the Editor section.
President’s Comments
We trust the
neighborhood benefited significantly from the lively discussion at September's
MCC general meeting. A packed house offered tremendous input on the site
selection process that is underway for the new Montlake Public Library. The MCC
Board is very grateful for your input on this issue. Special thanks go to the
members of the neighborhood-based Library Liaison Committee for organizing
Montlake's analysis and review of potential sites.
Please join us again
at the October 11 general meeting. We will have Leonard Garfield (Director of
MOHAI) as a guest to share their relocation plans. Many attendees at
September's meeting had questions concerning possible reuse of the MOHAI
building. We encourage you to attend in October and help the neighborhood
continue its search for the best site.
Secondly, enclosed
with this issue of the Flyer is a return envelope, with our hopes that
your household will voluntarily contribute "Annual Dues" to the
Montlake Community Club. The recommended annual dues are $30, but a
contribution of any amount is sincerely appreciated. In fact, we gauge
neighborhood support of MCC efforts by the number of contributions we
receive. We realize that many residents are stretched thin by obligations on
their time; please consider a contribution as a valuable way you can
participate in the Montlake Community Club.
—Clarissa
Easton
September 6,
2000 The Board of Trustees of the Montlake Community Club convened at 7:40
p.m. on September 6, 2000, at 1718 26th Ave. E., the home of Paul and Beth
Gibson, with president Clarissa Easton presiding. Members Burgett, DiBurle,
Gibson, Jacobson, Judson, Leed, Kolb, Storie, and Thompson were present.
Scott Burgett introduced the subject of the annual solicitation for
contributions to the club treasury, mentioning that it should be included with
the October newsletter. He added that last year the board decided to have a
community member who was not a board member write an accompanying article, and
also had the printer include an envelope and contribution form as part of the
press run. It was generally agreed that these policies should be duplicated
this year. Mike Storie said it should be made clear in the solicitation or
accompanying newsletter article that a contribution was not required in order
to participate in club activities or to vote. The secretary was asked to see
what was needed in order to have the envelope included in the newsletter again
this year.
President Easton reported that the Transportation Committee, which she
presently chairs, is considering the Trans-Lake Study plus some neighborhood
issues. She said that the Study's Steering Committee, which is composed of
elected officials, is experiencing some pressure to try to shorten the
Environmental Impact Statement process from the anticipated 3 years to something
closer to 18 months. As a result, they would like to schedule presentations
with affected communities this fall, and would like the communities to identify
small groups or committees with which they could communicate directly. They
hope to complete design workshops to flesh out the six design alternatives
identified in the original Trans-Lake Study by the end of the year.
President Easton next asked for opinions on the Family Day event at the
Community Center. Of those who had attended, President Easton and Diane
Thompson thought it had been successful, and Jean Leed felt that there was
insufficient information available to attendees about the program and schedule.
Others on the board wanted more adult-oriented events. It was generally agreed
that the Club should either become more involved in the planning or hold a
separate event earlier in the summer.
Paul Gibson reported on two activities for which a Montlake position
was desired. The first was an anticipated motion at the Northeast District
Council on September 7, registering opposition to proposed changes in the
Seattle Land Use Code that would relax some existing policies on nonconforming
residential structures. While most of the expressed opinion opposed the
changes, the majority voted to have Paul abstain from any vote, citing the lack
of opportunity to gauge the opinion of the general community. It was suggested
that the Club's Land Use Committee be reactivated to deal with issues of this
type. The second issue was a request by the Seattle Community Council Federation
that MCC endorse the designation of Arboretum Creek as salmon habitat at the
coming SCCF meeting, after which the SCCF would consider including that request
as part of its position letter on the scoping of the Trans-Lake Study. The
general opinion of the board was that it had insufficient information to make
such an endorsement. It was suggested that the secretary ask the Fisheries Research
Center if the creek had ever contained salmon.
Jean Leed asked about Neighborhood Grant deadlines, and suggested that
the Club be more aggressive in seeking grants. Paul Gibson said that
"Small and Simple" Grants are awarded every two months, and larger
grants (over $10,000) twice a year. Diane Thompson said that, from her
experience, it was wise to begin with a "Small and Simple" Grant,
possibly for feasibility studies or planning, and go on from there in steps.
The previously considered projects of improving the Club's SE park lot, and
creating a trail joining the Montlake Playfield with West Montlake Park were
mentioned as possible uses of Neighborhood Grant funds. The secretary was asked
to look up the restrictions on improvement to the lot, and to inquire as to
Fisheries' position on the trail.
Jean Leed encouraged participation by board members in the Department
of Neighborhood's Leadership Workshops, and offered to act as a coordinator,
to arrange optimum coverage of the available classes and carpooling, if
practical.
Ellen Judson reported that the Library Liaison Committee will lead the
discussion on Montlake Library site selection at the coming general meeting,
and Project Manager Sue Partridge will be present to field questions, along
with one or two aides.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m
September 13, 2000 The meeting was called
to order by President Easton, and the published minutes were approved by
general consent.
President Easton announced that, as a result of
the level of interest expressed in the library siting issue, she had changed
the agenda by canceling the presentations on the University of Washington
Master Plan and neighborhood-based disaster preparedness. She apologized to
any who had attended specifically for those issues.
Kari Olson announced that the next Montlake
Garden Tour is planned for Sunday, June 24, from 12:30 to 5 p.m. She said that
9 gardens have been offered, but more are needed.
Ellen Judson, chair of the Library Liaison
Committee, introduced the evening's main topic, site selection for the new
Montlake library, by summarizing the history of the process to date. She said
that her committee, composed of seven volunteers from the community, had
compiled a list of 18 possible sites by taking suggestions at club meetings and
ideas communicated outside of the meetings in response to newsletter publicity.
All of these sites were evaluated using criteria developed by the committee as
well as that provided by the Board of Trustees of the Seattle Public Library.
The committee judged six sites to be unfeasible because they either clearly did
not have sufficient space or because the property was not obtainable. The
balance of the list was presented to the Library Board, and, after its public process,
was reduced to eight candidates. The three sites favored by the Board were:
·
The
Museum of History and Industry Building (owned by the Seattle Park
Department, and to be substantially vacated by the museum).
·
The
site of the Montlake Professional Building (east side of 24th Ave. E.
between Lynn and Boston St.).
·
The
northeast corner of 24th Ave. E. and E. McGraw St. (presently occupied by
three single-family residences).
Ms.
Judson then was joined by committee members jonathan Dubman and Lyle Bicknell.
They briefly described all of the sites on the original list and the 16 site
characteristics employed as evaluation criteria. The discussion then moved to
the Library Board's three favorites in more detail.
Regarding
MOHAI, the committee thought it had a number of significant advantages (an
existing building on an attractive site with adequate space and parking, and a
willing owner), and some drawbacks—pedestrian and automobile accessibility, and
security—as a result of its location .
In
the question and comment period on this site, supporters cited as advantages
the use of an existing facility, the collocation of the Museum's archives with
the library, and the parks and natural areas adjacent. One objection voiced was
that walking to the site was inconvenient for most, and unsafe for unaccompanied
children.
At
this point, the Seattle Public Library representatives at the meeting were
introduced. They were Project Manager Sue Partridge, Library Board member Betty
Jane Narver, and Jim Nelson, supervisor of the Montlake Station. They responded
to a series of questions as follows:
·
The
"Libraries for All" bond issue provides for separate fixed total
budgets for site acquisition and for construction. There is some flexibility on
how much is allocated per library.
·
There
should be no requirement from the Parks Department to replace space in MOHAI
with "equivalent park space in the vicinity", as is normally required
when park land is converted to another use.
·
The
ultimate decision on the Montlake Library site will be made by the Library
Board, with public comment certainly considered.
·
The
probable tenant for MOHAI space vacated by the museum would be the arboretum,
should it not be used for the Montlake Library.
The
Montlake Professional Building site was the next considered, and the committee
mentioned that the negatives were a slight undersize relative to the Library
Board's requirement, its previous history as a service station site with the
attendant construction risks, and uncertainty about the willingness of the
owner to sell.
In
the comment and question period, a building tenant who represented the owner at
the meeting stated that the owner was not interested in selling, that the
tenants (many of whom are therapists) would be badly hurt by having to
relocate, and that other business owners in Montlake preferred that the
building continue in its present use.
At
this time the discussion moved to the existing Montlake Station site, and why
it couldn't be made suitable. The response from the Library representatives was
that the building also houses 24 rental residences, which makes Library
ownership impractical; it has no off-street parking; and there is no way to get
a library of sufficient size into the first floor space.
Moving
on to the site at 24th and McGraw, the committee had judged it to be good to
excellent in the accessibility criteria (as were all of the business district
sites) and excellent from a security and visibility standpoint. It received
only a fair rating for structure compatibility and potential for expansion
because it was in a block of single family homes. Other negatives were probable
neighbor opposition and possible unwilling sellers.
During
the comment period, a number of persons spoke to oppose any destruction of
residences for other uses or any expansion of the business
district. There was also opposition to parking lot construction in the
community.
The
discussion then moved from specific sites to more general subjects. Someone
questioned the need for a library with a single floor, and was told the annual
cost of staffing a second floor exceeded $100,000, which came from operating
budget, not the bond issue.
Several
speakers encouraged the Library Board to reduce their requirements: eliminate
the meeting room, get by with less floor space, reduce or eliminate the parking
lot. In response they were told that a 5,000 square-foot library is pretty
minimal—similar in size to the Douglas Truth and Henry branches. Further, they
had been hearing requests for years from users of the Montlake Station for more
library, so it was hard to know what compromise might suit the community.
In
response to another question, Ms. Narver said that the Library Board does have
the option of acquiring a site through condemnation, but the City Council
would make that decision. She said the Library had never sought condemnation of
residential property.
The
committee was asked what their evaluation had been of the Hop-In Market site.
They responded that it had the distinct advantages of an existing building and
parking lot, wouldn't create new traffic patterns, and was in a non-residential
area. The problems were accessibility for children, the traffic congestion on
adjacent streets, and the noise and air pollution from the adjacent arterial
and freeway traffic. It had made the list submitted to the Library Board.
Someone
asked how long a decision on the Montlake site could be delayed without losing
the new library. The answer was that the bond issue ends in 2006, and all
construction must be completed by that date.
The
meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m.
Proposed Resolution on Library Siting
The
following draft resolution will be placed before the membership at the MCC
general meeting Wednesday, October 11:
Resolved:
That the Montlake Community Club demand that the
Seattle Public Library Board remove from consideration any potential Montlake
Library sites that involve the destruction of housing or the displacement of
residents.
Amendments to the wording and content may be
offered as motions from the floor. The final wording of the resolution will be
voted by the Club membership in attendance. Any new resolutions would be voted
in a subsequent meeting, after notice is published in the Flyer.
Committee Reports
Montlake Community Center Advisory Council Update
On
November 7, you will have the opportunity to vote for the Pro Parks 2000
Initiative. If this $198.2 million ballot measure passes, Montlake Community
Center will receive $2,989,900.00 for major improvements. The Montlake Advisory
Council, in conjunction with the Montlake Community Club, has worked hard to
get this proposal on the ballot. For the benefit of the entire Montlake
Community we now need your support to gain passage of this measure that will
authorize long overdue improvements for our heavily used Community Center.
Sam
Greeley has decided to step down as president of the Montlake Advisory Council.
He has held the position for three years. In that time we have seen the
addition of the annex, a new scoreboard for the gym, and significant improvements
in grounds maintenance. Sam is very grateful for the hard work and support of
the current council members and the backing of the community club on facility
improvement issues.
The
Montlake Advisory Council is looking for new members. If you use the community
center, and are interested, please contact Roger Peter at 684-4736. The
advisory council oversees Community Center operations and meets on the first
Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m.
Transportation Committee News
The Committee met
Wednesday, October 4, at 6:00 p.m. until 7:15 pm at Grady's Pub. EnviroIssues
facilitating consultants briefed MCC on the Trans-Lake Washington Project.
Montlake residents are welcome to attend committee meetings.
Living
in Montlake
Rewards of Volunteering at MOHAI
I’m
sure it was fate when Dr. Lorraine McConaghy, Deputy Director of Education
& Programs, called me last November to ask if I’d be interested in becoming
a volunteer weekend tour guide. I was first introduced to MOHAI in 1957 when
my fourth grade class at Montlake School came here on a school outing. I was
hooked and a lifelong love affair with MOHAI and our region’s history began.
But
I digress. Fast forward to the present and I am one of MOHAI’s weekend tour
guides. How could I not accept Lorraine’s offer?
What is it like
being a MOHAI tour guide? For me it has been an extremely enriching experience.
Imagine having the opportunity to work in a fascinating environment with over
four thousand artifacts that chronicle the people, objects, events, and stories
that are our local heritage. Add to that the really interesting people I get to
meet. It has truly created a new dimension of enjoyment of MOHAI for me.
My tour groups
have varied in size from one to thirteen guests and I try to get to know
everyone. I’ve enjoyed every single person I’ve met. Many are local, but quite
a few are from other parts of the Northwest or from other states. What they all
have in common is the desire to learn more about the people and events that
shaped our region. It is our common bond.
I learn a lot
from my guests. My tours aren’t a monologue. Many guests share their own
knowledge and experiences that relate to our exhibits. This happens often at
SEE ALL ABOUT IT! This has given me a depth and breadth of knowledge that I
could never attain on my own.
I look forward
to every tour I give. I never know whom I will meet, but I know I will enjoy
getting to know them. It’s been that way on every tour. I’ve heard it said that
when you volunteer you get back more the that you give, and for me it’s been
considerably more.
MOHAI currently has
openings for volunteers! If you’d like to become involved in your history
museum and reap the benefits of volunteering, please call 206-324-1126 or send
email to volunteer@seattlehistory.org.
Notices
Friends of Interlaken Park
Friends of Interlaken Park is a community group
working to steward the park's urban forest. The friends will host a work party
Saturday, November 18, from 9 to 11 a.m. They need volunteers to help with weed
removal. Meet at 19th E & E Galer. Bring work gloves and
drinking water. The Friends were recently awarded a project grant, which the
MCC strongly supported, to complete restoration work in the upper zone. For
more information contact Cynthia Putnam, 329-9972 or cmputnam@aol.com.
Montlake Toy Closet Hours Extended
The Toy Closet at the Montlake Community Center has extended hours. It will be open exclusively for our children from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Toy Closet is full of toys for kids 6 months to 5 years old. The toys include tricycles, push toys, play station, kitchen, work bench, balls, hula hoops, gym mats and more. There will now be a $2.00 admission charge. This money will support the purchase of new toys and expanded storage for the program. Thank you for your support!
CUCAC Meeting Report
By Ken Fales
The September 18, 2000 meeting covered some University of Washington development projects that should be of concern to the Montlake community. A Determination of Nonsignificance (DNS) related to an addition on the Intramural Activities (IMA) building fronting on Montlake Boulevard, was approved by the Committee. It should appear much more appealing than the present blah IMA structure. I have copies of the preliminary sketches if you wish to see them. The draft environmental statement (DEIS) for a proposed Ambulatory Care Pavilion at the corner of Pacfic and Montlake generated a number of well deserved comments. This winds up the DEIS comment period for this project. University officials formally presented details of the Preliminary Draft Campus Master Plan 2002-2012 and its associated Transportation Management Plan. I will not attempt to discuss the details in this report since we understand that the same presenters will be at the next Montlake Community Club meeting to clue in every one as to University development plans for the next 10 years. Stay tuned!!
NEDC Meeting Report
By Paul Gibson
The principal activities of the September meeting were presentations by the University village and the University of Washington on their respective building intentions. The Village has applied for permits to build a parking facility at the north end of their property where there is now a row of store fronts. Later they want to rebuild and enlarge the space now occupied by Bartells and The Ram. After hearing the presentation the NEDC appointed a committee to prepare a response to the Department of Design, Construction, and Land Use addressing the proposal. The gist of the NEDC reaction was to ask DCLU to require both a master plan for all the known future development of the Village as well as an Environmental Impact Statement for such development. By seeking permits one project at a time, the Village has managed to substantially change itself with no comprehensive look at the effects of the entire redesign.
The University expects to publish the draft of their new 10 year plan, this fall. The approach has been to identify all available locations where the University can accommodate the increase in students, staff and faculty that is expected. (The increase in students has been scaled back from about 6,600 to 3,00 to 4,000, since last Spring.) Specific building sites are not identified. One of the more radical ideas is to put a building on a lid over N E Pacific Street in order to tie the south campus better to the main campus. There might also be substantial alteration of Campus Park Way, closing the street on the north in order to make better use of the open space now between two east/west streets. With regard to traffic management they expect to hold trips to campus at t he 1990 level; i.e., no increase. There will be no increase in parking space and there will be increases in parking costs. A public hearing on the draft plan is tentatively set for November 9.
The NEDC is composed of
representatives from the MCC, Portage Bay/Roanoke C.C. and various
organizations (mostly community councils) north of the canal to NE 95th Street
and between I-5 and Lake Washington. It is one of 12 District Councils that
send representatives to the City Neighborhood Council. Responsibilities of the
CNC include review and recommendations regarding City budget issues, including
especially the Neighborhood Matching Fund and the Neighborhood Street Fund. The
system of district and citywide councils provides a formal structure for
neighborhood organizations to influence City policies. Questions? Call
323-1851.
Letters to the Editor
Library Siting Proposals
Editor, The
Montlake Flyer:
What is
fundamentally at stake in siting a new Montlake Branch Library is comparing
convenience with sanctuary. On the one hand, people go to the library; on the
other, people live in their homes. It can’t be denied that the convenience of
having a library around the corner is wonderful; however, is convenience so
important that we would displace people’s homes and places of business?
One’s
home is a place where one lives. We don’t simply visit on an occasional basis;
it is our sanctuary. It is the place where we house our families, our memories,
our pleasures, or joys, and our sorrows. It is the place from which we begin
and end our days, draw energy, rest, and rejuvenate. It is the place that
provides grounding so that we can explore the rest of the world and still feel
that we belong and have a place in which to go back.
How
can we realistically compare the value of convenience for the few who really
care with that of someone’s home? Although MOHAI would be inconvenient for some
of those that are currently used to walking to the Montlake Library, it would
become convenient for a different group of Montlake residents. Is their
convenience worth less?
If
we are struggling with how to make choices and comparisons regarding a siting
decision, I would like to suggest we look at our values and listen to our
hearts.
Dean
Louis Arnold
Montlake Resident
A
Resolution will be put before the Community Club at its next meeting, opposing
library sites that would take our neighbors' homes. I ask Montlake to support
it.
We must not
sacrifice our neighbors' homes to the library expansion or any other
development pressure. We ought instead to be working to preserve and defend our
neighbors' homes, and to improve the situation of all.
I let another
meeting that conflicted with the June 20 library siting meeting take
precedence, and I regret that. I had confidence in the library, and in the
Community Club's liaison committee, and expected to approve of the site they
selected.
So I was very
surprised to learn that the library would again put homes on the block, considering
the great opposition that arose in other neighborhoods. I was shocked that the
Community Club's own liaison committee had collaborated in identifying
neighbors' homes for demolition.
The community
organizations in Greenwood and Beacon Hill did not stand for it. Here are
quotes from the Seattle Press.
Greenwood:
"...they're hoping to steer the Library Board to a site that doesn't
necessitate demolishing houses....Our group's focus at this point is to help
the library site the new branch in a location that will not require the
demolition of houses."
Beacon Hill:
"Neighborhood planners and the North Beacon Hill community had made it
very clear that the library should not take housing."
Will this
community be the only in one town to sacrifice some of its homes for this? Will
the Montlake Community Club be the only community council in town to actually
select some of its households for removal?
Please support
this resolution. Make it clear to the Library Board that it must be creative
and flexible in siting its Montlake expansion and that, above all, it must not
destroy any of our homes.
Don Argus
Calhoun Street
I am writing to express my opposition to the current proposed site for a new Montlake Library. To my shock I learned a few weeks ago that the top-rated site involves tearing down three of my neighbors houses on E. McGraw St. and 24th Avenue East.
I appreciate the desire to keep the library near its present location. The library's current site reinforces the heart of the neighborhood and promotes walkability. It is for these reasons that I myself prefer to keep the library where it is.
When it comes to creating parking lots for the library, however, that's another matter. Currently, I understand, the city is requiring that the new library have at least 13 parking spaces. Moreover, a close reading of the code suggests that 15 spaces may actually be required. That is 3-4 times the size of the current parking lot at Mont's. This means we are tearing down our neighbors' houses to create parking lots.
A parking lot does not reinforce the neighborhood. It makes a hole in it. As any student of urban planning knows, parking lots are destructive of what's good in a city--they rend both the social and the physical fabric of a neighborhood.
It seems then that we are forced to make a choice. If we want to have a neighborhood library, then we must preserve the neighborhood itself. This means no taking of houses and certainly no taking of houses to create parking lots.
If, however, the aim is to provide parking, then we should site the library where parking already exists. This may decrease the library's walkability, but that is the choice we are being forced to make.
I would also submit a third alternative, and that is to keep the library where it is. The library can double its space merely by signing a lease for two chronically empty storefronts next door. If people want to drive to the library, they can always drive a mile or two down the road to the existing libraries at 23rd and Yesler, at Roosevelt and 50th, or to the new multi-million dollar facility currently being built downtown.
Please do not turn our neighborhood into a parking lot.
Nancy Beadie
Parks for All
Proposition 1, or the “Parks for All” levy, provides critically needed funds for more than 100 projects throughout Seattle to acquire new neighborhood parks, greenspaces, playfields, trails and boulevards, and to develop and maintain existing parks, facilities and the Woodland Park Zoo. It would also fund new programs for seniors and youth, including safe after-school and summer programs for children and teens.
If you want to get involved, or if you want to find out
about playfields, trails, projects in your area, or any of the categories being
funded by this levy, call the campaign office at 206-342-9988, email info@
parksforall.com, or visit the website at www. parksforall.com.
Volunteers are needed for phoning or mailing parties, to assemble yard signs or
to act as part of a Speakers Bureau. Or send your check to Neighbors for
Seattle Parks at PO Box 21485, Seattle, WA 98111.
Didi Anstett