Montlake Community Club

WSDOT TO DEMOLISH MONTLAKE BLVD “HOP-IN” MARKET – SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

by 43 Comments

Montlake Blvd Market - Hop-In Market

Montlake Blvd Market – Hop-In Market

Late breaking development ahead of tonight’s SR 520 west side corridor open house, WSDOT is proposing to acquire and demolish the Montlake Market/Hop-In. The area would be used for staging for the next 12 years. If this is a concern, please let WSDOT know at tonight’s open house and share your feedback on other design elements. If you can’t make the meeting you can make comments on the online version of the open house here  http://sr520.participate.online until July 8. 

  • When: 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 28
  • Where: St. Demetrios Hall – 2100 Boyer Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98112

This will be the last major opportunity for community feedback, please attend the meeting or submit comments online.

Update:

WSDOT released the following information at 6:25pm on June 29, 2016:

The Montlake Market

One frequently raised topic at the open house was the status of the Montlake Boulevard Market. We’re preparing a Q&A on this and other topics discussed during the open house. We’ll post the Q&A and send you a link in an upcoming email update, but meantime, here’s a brief bit of background on the market and SR 520 construction.

The market and adjacent 76 gas station lie directly along the south edge of the SR 520/Montlake Boulevard interchange. Following the Legislature’s 2015 approval of funding for the Rest of the West improvements, WSDOT furthered the project design and preconstruction planning. Through this effort, we determined that we’d need to acquire the property where the market and gas station are located. In early 2018, we’ll begin constructing an improved interchange and landscaped highway lid from Montlake Boulevard to 24th Avenue Northeast.

Why do we need to acquire the property?

  • WSDOT needs the property to build some of the project’s planned improvements, such as retaining walls and fill, sidewalks, connections to shared-use trails, and utility relocations and modifications.  We also will use the property for construction staging and traffic shifts.
  • We determined in the 2011 environmental impact statement that we’d have to close three of the four driveway accesses into the gas station. The gas station and market are business tenants on the property. The change in driveway access will affect the operations of both tenants.
  • We are in discussions with the property owner regarding WSDOT’s purchase of the site and the operations of the businesses.

We know these businesses are important to many people in the Montlake area. We’ll keep the community updated as this process unfolds.

Construction project time line

A number of individuals at the open house wanted to know when we will start constructing our west side improvements, and when we will complete the work. The schedule for big construction projects can shift for a variety of reasons, but here is our current time line for the Rest of the West:

Phase 1

  • Montlake lid, West Approach Bridge South, land bridge over SR 520
  • Construction to begin by 2018
  • Estimated duration: 4-5 years

Phase 2

  • New Portage Bay Bridge with regional bike-pedestrian path, Roanoke lid, improved I-5 interchange, bike-pedestrian I-5 crossing
  • Estimated to begin as early as: 2020
  • Estimated duration: 6 years

Phase 3

  • Second bascule (drawbridge) over Montlake Cut
  • Estimated to begin as early as: 2024
  • Estimated duration: 3 years

 

Comments

  2. There is a better alternative. On the other side of the freeway from the market is an area of lawn on the NW fisheries lot that is larger then both the market and the gas station combined. Why demolish buildings when there is a ready made staging area?

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  4. how is 12 years of heavy trucks and traffic going to improve the life and live ability of this great neighborhood. I have been part of the Montlake area for 46+ years and it took that long for SDOT to make improvements to Boyer Ave E slowing cars and traffic. Now WSDOT wants to create BIG problems by using the Market and gas station as a staging area. Use the staging area which is presently available. Please leave what little business we have in our neighborhood.

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  5. I am an occasional (10-20/year) user of the Montlake Market and familiar with the neighborhood. I am extremely disappointed to hear that the DOT plans to acquire the the properties to use as a staging area for the “rest of the west” phase of the 520 project. Both the market and the gas station are vital and irreplaceable parts of the Montlake community. If the state tears them down they will never be replaced.

    This feels like a heavy handed and unnecessary decision on the part of the construction team. I read in the DOT latest news regarding the June 28th Open House that this plan has been formulated since 2011, yet it came as a surprise to most if not all the neighborhood and to the business owners of the market and gas station. Why?

    While I can’t grasp the complexity of the project it seems that the majority of the work this staging area would support is east of Montlake Blvd, creating a voluminous amount of construction traffic across Montlake every day. That seems inconsiderate and uneconomical, just adding to the frustration of an already difficult traffic corridor.

    It appears to me there is a lot of vacant state and city land east of Montlake Blvd that could be used for construction staging which would inconvenience park goers for a few years but could be rehabilitated with re-sodding, some plants, and trees. I hope the state reconsiders this plan and finds an alternate location for this staging area, we don’t need another national name drug store to replace a fixture since 1937.

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  6. This is the comment I submitted to the “on line open house”:

    We have been informed by the Montlake Community listserve that “WSDOT is proposing to acquire and demolish the Montlake Market/Hop-In. The area would be used for staging for the next 12 years.”

    Your SR520 “on line open house” is deliberately deceptive and a disgrace because the only mention of this proposal is a cryptic sentence describing part of the Montlake Market/Hop-In property as “city owned property under review by the City of Seattle.” The text does not even intimate WHY it is “under review”! This is not transparency, or public notice; you are withholding information, and intentionally deceiving the public. The city would have grounds for legally punishing such behavior by others; for the city to do so is grounds, in my opinion, for dismissing the people in charge of this deceptive “public” notice, and then transparently addressing the issues.

    Just as shamelessly, the city has previously claimed that one purpose of the Montlake lid is to restore and encourage a renewed Montlake business district. The Montlake Market/Hop-In and adjacent gas station are among the most prominent businesses in Montlake, along with Jay’s Cleaners, Cafe Lago, and the Montlake Bike Shop at the intersection of East Lynn and 24th. Yet the city proposes to close down the Hop-In market and gas station? You plan to destroy the very businesses you claim to attract and favor? Absurd.

    Alan Weiner
    2303 22nd Ave East
    sippewissett@gmail.com

    Reply

    • But that would not solve the problems of congestion and noise at that intersection, and the transformation of a residential area to an industrial one.

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  8. WSDOT has already done its best to cut off the Montlake neighborhood from anything north of the Montlake Bridge. If you don’t have a spare 2 hours for the round trip to U Village, you are stuck fighting the traffic on 24th/23rd to go south. Please listen: We WALK or BIKE to the Montlake Boulevard Market. It’s an essential part of the neighborhood. We’ve been through this ridiculous fight with WSDOT before. If it’s true that Bellevue Square owners also own the right to sell the land out from under this neighborhood icon, you can bet I will never shop at Bellevue Square again.

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  9. buying a house right next to a east-west highway, interchange, and north-south thoroughfare/bridge and then complaining about construction/roadwork is pretty short sighted

    Reply

    • People on this thread aren’t complaining about construction or roadwork; we know that’s necessary to build the 520 interchange. We are wondering why WSDOT needs to demolish the most important store in our neighborhood to act as a staging area (not an improved road or interchange – just a staging area) when they already have an existing staging area than a quarter mile away.

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    • And by the way, I bought my house in 2001 when there was no talk of this, AND I am not “right next to” this – but it will have a major impact on my neighborhood and quality of life.

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  10. Can’t understand the sentiment here at all. Montlake is already a gridlocked nightmare, and the only way that’s getting fixed is if we allow WSDOT to do something about it. I can’t even fathom how anyone reasonably expects to GET to the Market from any direction but the West because that intersection is already so bad. (Seriously, I JUST sat in a bus trying to travel the one block in front of the market to get onto 520 for 20 minutes today.)

    If they don’t go through with it, people 10 years down the line will all be complaining about the City of Seattle does nothing to address the horrible traffic and crumbling infrastructure.

    Stop standing in the way of a better city with all this NIMBY. I watched a LINK station go up in my backyard for the greater good, you all can deal with a few percent points on your property value for the next 5 or 10 years. If you’re such locals, you’ll still be here in 15 to reap the civic and financial benefits.

    Plus, none of you even consider that the Market owners probably WANT TO SELL. I bet their property value is off the charts right now, and I seriously doubt their business is doing phenomenally considering the level of access people have to it.

    Reply

    • This will only increase the gridlock for the next 12 years, as well as creating an industrial wasteland in the middle of a residential area. And some of us won’t be around long enough to reap the potential benefits. The issue is that there are a number of other options to creating a staging area.

      Reply

    • They are not demolishing the Market to so they can build a better intersection. They are demolishing it to make a staging area. They can do that somewhere else – like the staging area they already have down the road.

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    • The market owners do not own the land, they lease/rent. I believe the owner of the land is a huge landowner in Bellevue (Bellevue Square, etc.). They have been making plenty of money off the busenesses on this land, including the cell tower.
      I suspect the owners of the market do NOT want this, as that is the end of their business. And neither do we. This not NIMBY, we are not saying NO to traffic improvements or 520 revamp, we are saying no to the loss of the biggest (small) business in our neighborhood. When you do things, you do them right, and this is not the right way.

      Reply

  11. WSDOT already owns a staging area, the WSDOT Peninsula where the former Bridges to Nowhere were located. This staging area is currently in use by the WSDOT and should be continued to be used throughout the SR520 project buildout.

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  12. I depend on the Montlake Blvd Market for my shopping because I do not have a car. It is not only within walking distance of my house but its management has reached out to our neighborhood to offer goods that attract a strong local customer base. It has become our neighborhood grocery store.

    If maintaining strong urban neighborhoods and community is more than just a slogan to the City of Seattle, it will join the Montlake neighborhood in squashing this very anti-neighborhood proposal.
    SOMBM–SAVE OUR MONTLAKE BLVD MARKET!

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  14. The plan to use the gas station and the Montlake Market for staging would result in the loss of key services for the neighborhood and anyone passing by. There would be trucks coming in and out, lights, dust, vibrations, noise, additional truck traffic at a critical city intersection, and it would cause larger backups than those we can expect at commute hours. Cars, buses, bicyclists and pedestrians on their way to the University or the Light Rail Station would all be impacted. The 22nd ave E Central Neighborhood Greenway would lead straight into this mess. The Roanoke greenway would also be effected.

    It would be a massive disservice to the neighborhood, and to the city. It would impact access to 520 from Roanoke/North Capitol Hill, the 23rd ave corridor and Madison park.

    The construction of the lid will require taking down the overpass in phases and routing traffic around it on the newly built lid. WSDOT should not add to this congestion by adding at the last minute and without consultation of the neighborhood or the city an additional cause of havoc dead in the middle of this project.

    In fact, the hauling of materials and equipment should not be done on city streets at all. This site is served by the ship canal which leads straight into the massive 31 acres staging area at the “WSDOT Peninsula”. Using the waterway seems a natural move which would allow remote staging far away from Seattle, in suitable sites, and the removal of debris to sites better served by the adequate roads.

    The MCC, Portage Bay, Roanoke and the Arboretum neighborhood have been asking for a comprehensive traffic plan that will effectively protect the residential areas by organizing traffic in a way that allow the best possible flow under the circumstances and will not just mitigate the effect of the construction but actually allow the business district to prosper, and the quality of life of our area to increase. It should include improved crossings, better sidewalks and parking and slower traffic than has been historically the case.

    This reckless WSDOT initiative slipped under the rug at the last minute is not acceptable.

    Reply

  15. I just posted to the WSDOT site, I encourage others to do the same. Feel free to crib:

    “Please reconsider your move to demolish the Montlake Market. It is a crucial part of the neighborhood, serving those of us who live here as well as the many people who pass through the area each day.

    One thing I’ve always appreciated about the Montlake Market (aka the Hop-In) is the huge variety of people who shop there. Because of its location, people from all backgrounds shop there and mingle while waiting for their sandwich or coffee. It’s the type of place Seattle needs more of, not less.

    Commandeer its parking lot if you must, or stage items at the parking lot at the east end of East Miller Street (on what Google Maps is calling the “WSDOT Peninsula”), but please don’t destroy a business that is a critical part of the area. Businesses cannot just bounce back after something like this, and the fabric of the neighborhood will be permanently harmed for residents, commuters, and all of the thousands who come to the Montlake Market each week.”

    Reply

    • I’ve read some very intelligent and well-reasoned comments here. I hope everybody is also sharing these thoughts at http://sr520.participate.online/feedback, so the people involved in the project can see what you have to say as well.

      In the spirit of the feedback sharing I’ve been seeing, here’s a snippet of what I sent via the 520 feedback page:

      I grew up in Montlake, and I have a background in sustainable development. I am appalled by the glaring lack of sustainability regarding the majority of the so-called development that has been going on in this city lately (not entirely WSDOT’s fault, I’m speaking of apodments and luxury condos, too). WSDOT’s lack of transparency, barely articulating its intentions to take over this space on the day of a public meeting on June 28th, is absolutely shameful and ought to delegitimize this proposal. You have certainly short-circuited and delegitimized the democratic process, showing little to no regard for the wishes and input of the people who will in fact be affected by this project.

      Development does not have to arrive at the detriment of those who should be benefiting from it most. We need to improve 520, yes, but at the cost of destroying the few community spaces and local businesses we have in this neighborhood?
      The Hop-In (along with Mont’s Market) is one of the only options we have in this area when we want to quickly grab a few items without having to brave an hour’s worth of traffic to get to the nearest QFC, Trader Joe’s, etc. It is also a longtime spot for high school car wash fundraisers (my own alma mater, GHS, being a prime example), a spot for Husky tailgaters, a fill-up station for people getting on and off 520 and I-5, a convenient pitstop for commuters needing a sandwich or a coffee, a neighborhood meet and greet spot, and a favorite summer locale for local kids to blow their allowance on candy, jo jos and popsicles (I still remember stretching out a dollar or two there on a summer afternoon quite fondly). In other words, these business serve important practical functions while also playing a role in being some of the glue that hold this neighborhood together as a community.

      This is a quality of life issue. It is a matter of principle, and of respect. Our city and state government do not have the right to run roughshot over us without transparency, consultation, and more importantly, without respect or regard for the things we have to say. Please reconsider this plan.

      Reply

  16. Wow- I left a comment earlier and it somehow disappeared. Isthis how WSDOT operates? As I said earlier, this is the FIRST I have heard of this – on the last day we can comment! How is that? This will be another nail in the coffin of what has been an amazing neighborhood. The city and WSDOT are turning it into an industrial area. It will also make traffic much worse, since we will have to fight traffic to University Village or Capitol Hill to shop. Also, it will make traffic much worse getting to and from 520. This is a HORRIFYING situation. We must fight it!

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  17. Montlake Market is an important community landmark. Please come to the open house tonight or fill out the comment form!

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  18. A local neighborhood market is essential. The Montlake Market serves our community and is invaluable. For our local government officials to arbitrarily make a decision that the community has no say in is irresponsible. SAVE THE MONTLAKE MARKET!

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  19. Montlake Market is part of our community. It should not be torn down and used for 12 years as a staging area.

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  20. This will destroy the neighborhood. This is yet another example of arrogant government bureaucrats running roughshod over peoples’ lives. We should fight this with every lawful means at our disposal!

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  21. I just spent 30 or more minutes carefully writing my reply on the “other” form or “page” that appears to be part of this site. It is now 2 a.m. and I am NOT staying up any later to try to figure out just what it takes to get this site to accept my writings. LF

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. […] Our family business is being seized by the Department of Transportation to expand 520. Three branches of our family absolutely depend on it for income and a few more have this as central to our retirement plan. DoT will pay for the land which we lease, but not for the business nor structure which we maintained as part of the lease (renovations, underground tanks, etc.). What that means is that we will lose the entire business and solely be provided with help to move the contents. There will be a rally this weekend at the store before the Husky Game. If the Montlake “Hop-In” is part of your life’s story consider joining us. […]

    Reply

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