Development plans outline design proposals
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Development plans outline design proposals
CleanScapes Community Awards – Status Update #1
As previously announced, the Thursday Collection Neighborhoods will receive $50,000 towards a community improvement project. The Thursday collection area includes portions of the following neighborhoods: Montlake, Capitol Hill, Madison Park, Madrona, Madison Valley, and First Hill. For Montlake the area is restricted to the East side of 24th Avenue East. Award money must be spent on capital improvements, not maintenance materials or labor.
The last date for project submission is July 31, 2010. In August CleanScapes will begin the cost estimating process for all of the project proposals and in early Fall the Project Selection Committee will review the eligible projects. The winning project(s) will be announced in October.
The Montlake Community Club has submitted a project to improve the South-East Montlake Gateway Park. The Montlake representative on the Project Selection Committee is Patricia Shannon-Garvey with Janice Rabkin as an alternate. For further information contact GatewayParks@Montlake.net
The proposal is as follows:
Name: Montlake SE Gateway Park
Location: The SE corner of 24th Ave E and Boyer Ave E marks one entrance to
Montlake, recently designated a “Historic District”.
Description: (size, purpose, use): The Montlake Community Club owns the property that was deeded to it for public/community use. It anchors access to the Arboretum, SR 520, Lake Washington communities, northbound buses and the University of Washington.
Install:
1) A gravel path with steps connecting Boyer Ave E. to the bus shelter on 24th Ave E. – northbound. This would take pedestrians off the busy streets and bypass the
corner where a fatality occurred;
2) A kiosk with illustrations of native plants, birds that use this as a corridor from the Arboretum to Interlaken Park ravine, the sponsor, CleanScapes, reason for the award (recycling), and that we compost all yard waste right on the property and mulch several times a year to reduce water usage. We might add a history of Montlake and photos describing its use overtime – from private, to deeded community/public use, to aesthetic urban green space.
Added value:
Aesthetics-The Montlake Community Club is already working to beautify the site. Volunteers have cleared dead trees and brush, added native plants and mulch, watered plants and weeded the area.
Traffic calming – Improved landscaping and aesthetics is likely to promote traffic calming. Research suggests a correlation between the appearance of a neighborhood and the behavior of drivers.
Safety – On this corner in 2008, there was a pedestrian fatality. There have been numerous bicycle accidents, automobile accidents and pedestrian injuries. A walking path and improved visibility may increase safety and reduce pedestrian injuries.
Access – Street scale improvements promote walking.
Materials Needed: Gravel for path, appropriate material for steps, and wood and
shingles for kiosk.
Estimated Material Cost: approximately $6,000.
Montlake Neighborhood / 520 Meeting
Neighborhood meetings were held on December 14, 15, 16, and 17, to discuss the 520 Project’s impact to the Montlake Community based upon the haul routes proposed by WSDOT for the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV program. The haul routes will mainly affect four areas within the community: Boyer Avenue residents, residents along 24th Avenue, residents on East Hamlin/Shelby Streets and business owners along 24th Avenue.
The meeting included a brief introduction and discussion of the federal regulations that provide a strong basis for the Montlake Historic District to negotiate with WSDOT regarding all potential impacts. Impacts would include damage to historic properties; natural / cultural resources including the Waterfront Park, the Bill Dawson and McCurdy Trails, The Greek Annual Festival and Opening Day; and community assets such as the Boyer Children’s Clinic. Air and water quality and noise level standards, required by the National Environmental Protection Act (EIS), will also be included in the negotiations.
Following the introduction, attendees discussed their assessment of the potential impacts on their homes and businesses. We distributed haul route traffic questionnaire and discussed the Community’s Action Plan as the 520 project progresses. The main effort at this time is to assemble the questionnaire responses as a basis for a Memorandum of Agreement to minimize the impact of the construction process on the community.
For copies of all the referenced information, contact Jon Decker at jdecker@… or 2311 16th Ave. E, Seattle, WA 98112.
