You may have seen Monday’s post by a neighbor about Seattle Department of Transportation’s upcoming meeting about changes to 23^rd/24^th Ave E. The Montlake Community Club also urges you to attend this meeting:

23^rd Ave E Vision Zero Project – Drop-In Session

Thursday, October 19, 2017
5:30 to 7 pm (drop in any time)
Montlake Community Center
1618 E Calhoun St.

You might remember a community meeting last year when the Montlake Community Club proposed its own changes to the 23^rd/24^th Ave E through Montlake as part of our business district improvement grant, and asked for feedback from neighbors.

Now, for the first time, SDOT is asking for our feedback on their Vision Zero plan, the goal of which is to reduce traffic mortalities. The MCC will have board members at the meeting and we urge neighbors to attend as well – this is your chance to be heard.

See what SDOT is proposing to do in our neighborhood: http://www.seattle.gov/Transportation/23rdVisionZero.htm

Some of the concerns the MCC has are:

• No changes to 24^th Ave E north of Boyer Ave (no road diet and limited crosswalk/pedestrian improvements along 24^th Ave from Boyer to Lynn).
  • SDOT’s traffic studies show that the road diet will not work at this time
• Possible roadway and sidewalk improvements to 24^th Ave E north of Boyer
  • We need your active voice on this one.
• Possible traffic light at 24^th and Lynn that will be designed to help pedestrian crossing, slow traffic along 24^th and reduce cut through traffic.
  • We need your active voice on this one
• Possible Off-Peak parking along 24^th through the business corridor to slow traffic speeds
  • Historically, this design change works and will help the businesses in this area
• SDOT is reviewing crosswalk/pedestrian improvements at 24^th Ave E and Interlake Blvd (despite the City Councils unfunded mandate for a pedestrian activated signal)
• No reduction in speed limit on 24^th

We hope that SDOT will show other planned projects during this meeting.

SDOT plans to start constructing the near-term improvements in 2018.

If you can’t make it to the in-person event, you can share feedback by emailing 23rdAveCorridor3@seattle.gov or by calling (206) 684-5189.

Please share this information with your friends, family, neighbors, and networks in this community.

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Montlake Yard Sale #5, organized by the Montlake Community Club, occurred September 23. We had perfect Fall weather for the 90+ registered yard sale sites. Shoppers came from near and far, navigating with their smart phones or downloaded lists and map.

Neighbors were seen interacting with other neighbors, buying and selling goods, having fun and making some money along the way. One neighbor was able to send $300 to the Red Cross. Our household sent $300 to Charlie’s Fund (for muscular dystrophy research). Don’t forget, you can still make tax deductible donations to the Montlake Community Club, to cover the costs to the sale.

This is the first year we held the yard sale during the Greek Festival weekend, avoiding Husky football home games and Yom Kippur. I spoke to approximately 10 sites within close proximity to the Festival. Eight of these sites reported no negative impact, a couple sites reported improved yard sale traffic. Two other sites reported decreased shopper traffic and parking difficulties. A Greek Festival organizer stated no negative impact from the yard sale. The take home message – we may OR may not schedule the sale on Greek Festival Weekend again.

If you want the yard sale to continue, the Montlake Community Club will need your help. Stay tuned.

-Lori Sabado

MCC Trustee & Yard Sale Organizer

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The Montlake Yard Sale interactive map and PDF of sale sites are now live. Check them out and get ready to shop the 90 homes participating. The interactive map and PDF list the types of items for sale at homes, and the interactive map includes photos for some sites.

Click here to access the map and PDF.

Last month the City of Seattle conditionally granted WSDOT’s noise variance for the Montlake Phase of SR 520 Construction. The Montlake Community Club has chosen not to appeal. The costs to mount a serious objection would be very high and it is unlikely that a serious challenge could be made within the 10 days we were allowed to appeal.

There are certain aspects of the Variance that are well done, among them:

1. The Variance is based on a conditional approval with annual reviews
2. The contractor will be required to update the Noise Management and Mitigation Plan upon award of the contract
3. WSDOT, the contractor and the subcontractor will be responsible to implement and adhere to the Mitigation Plan
4. The Administrator may modify the terms and conditions of the Variance or Mitigation Plan if needed to protect public health and safety
5. The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspects will provide oversight of the night time work
6. Independent noise monitoring outside the control of WSDOT
7. Establishes the requirement of a complaint hotline

Other requirements get us back to part of the original intent of the Final Environmental Impact Statement.

There are a couple of things are less than perfect.

1. WSDOT and the City of Seattle have failed to comply with federal requirements to provide a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
2. WSDOT has not adequately reviewed construction techniques that would mitigate the noise associated with the project.
3. The cost/benefit analysis has not been adequately presented – health and real estate values costs versus construction costs should have had a more thorough review.

But at the end of the day, your emails, letters and phone calls made a difference.  We do not believe the Variance would be as good without them.  If you contacted Senator Jamie Pedersen, please thank him for his efforts.  Without his (and others’) energy to obtain over 20 signatures of our Legislators to support our concerns, we don’t think our voices would be heard.

Join the 40+ Montlake residents (and counting) who are hosting yard sales at the All Montlake Yard Sale on Saturday, September 23 from 9 am to 3 pm, organized by the Montlake Community Club. You must sign up by September 19 to be included on an interactive map and PDF of sale sites. Click here to sign up online. Declutter and join the fun!

The City of Seattle conditionally granted the WSDOT Noise Variance for the Montlake Phase of SR 520 Construction. Appeals are due in writing by August 31, 2017 at 5 pm. Detailed information about how to appeal is available on the city’s web site. The Noise Variance Analysis and Decision can be read online. Please use this web page to comment and share your feedback on the decision.

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