Minutes of Board Meeting
March 19 2008
NSCC Northstar Dining Room

Directors Present:
Liz Kearns, Jerry Owens, Debra Willendorf, Tom Meyer, Kay Mesirow, and Ellen Beck.

Board Representatives Present:
Board Representatives Present: Ken Thompson (North Precinct Representative).

Visitors: 
Bruce Kieser (North Seattle Community College), Barbara Maxwell and David Miller (Maple Leaf Community), Rick Barrett (Haller Lake Community), Kelly Lichtenwaldt, Jean Wirch, Mary Engley, Mike Cuadra, and Alex Walkup.

Board member Liz Kearns called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

Introductions were made around the tables.

Minutes:
The February 20, 2008 minutes were approved as presented.

Next Month’s Meeting:
Ellen Beck announced that she would be unable to attend the upcoming April meeting. Liz said that she would take the minutes, and Jerry Owens agreed to chair the meeting.

Treasurer’s Report:
Debra presented the Treasurer’s Report for the period January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007. She noted that donations have been trending downward in the last year. She asked for the approval of reimbursement for monies she spent paying for LSCC domain name through March 20, 2017 and making copies of the Aurora Taskforce materials. The reimbursements were approved, as was the 2007 Financial Report.

NEW BUSINESS:

Report from Bruce Kieser
Bruce Kieser reported that he had made his Power Point presentation to the Maple Leaf Community Council and would be giving the presentation to Haller Lake on April 3, 2008.

Bruce told us that the funding for construction of NSCC’s first project was not passed in the just completed session of the State Legislature. If NSCC receives funding in the January 2009 session, those funds would be received in June 2009. Completion of the project would therefore be delayed two months. If the project is not funded in January 2009, then construction will be delayed two years and costs will surely increase. At this time they are continuing with detailed project design.

May 1, 2008 is the date that Work Source is moving into their new space. NSCC hopes to take out an area with 35-year old vegetation to create a parking area for Work Source. The aging vegetation is under stress and would have to be removed in any event. New vegetation will be added in a different location, with an eye towards native plants and sustainability.

Locating a P-Patch at NSCC is still a possibility, but the legalities are being investigated. The College sits on State property, so there is a question whether it is legal to have a P Patch there that would benefit private individuals. There is also a problem because water is not separately metered on the site.

Going back to Work Source, DSHS topic, Tom Meyer addressed a question to Bruce: Is it possible to get a line item added for community mitigation. This would be a nominal amount per year.

Bruce said this could be talked about, with a focus on the nature of the mitigation.

Pinehurst Safeway/Zoning Change
Barbara Maxell gave a history of the Pinehurst Safeway Store located at 15th North and North 123rd. Safeway had long sought to rebuild its store at that location. They bought property in the block the store occupies, property that included a hardware store and three single-family homes. Then Safeway tried repeatedly to have the single-family lots rezoned to commercial. They were never successful because across the street from the Safeway Store are single-family homes.

Safeway then gained the political support of the Mayor and others for a change in the Code, but through legislative action instead of the normal procedure. Done in this way, the zoning change could not refer to a specific project. Therefore the code change created a special code section applicable only to the Northgate Overlay District! That District is from Northeast 85th on the south to North 130th Street on the north, Ashworth Avenue North on the west, and west side of Lake City Way Northeast.

The change in the zoning code means that when rezones are looked at, in the Northgate Overlay District, only the block the property sits on is looked at – not the property across the street! If 80 percent of the block is already designated neighborhood commercial, then the remainder of the block may be rezoned to any commercial zone. This change is very distressing to those of us living within the Northgate Overlay District.

Discussion followed and Barbara and David Miller answered questions. They also had the following handouts: Attorney Richard Aramburu’s November 27, 2007 letter to Peter Steinbrueck (before the passage of the zoning change), a March 17, 2008 e-mail regarding “ Pinehurst Safeway Legislation-Appeal” from Barbara to Debra Willendorf, Director’s Report and Recommendation: Amendment to Single Family Rezone Criteria in the Northgate Overlay District , and City of Seattle, Analysis and Decision of the Director of the Department of Planning and Development.

The code change could be appealable to the Growth Management Board. There, though, chances would not be good because of having to go against Safeway’s attorneys. Safeway has applied for design review.

Seattle Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck took the zoning change forward and briefed the Northgate Stakeholder Group. However, it is documented that there was no mention of the zoning change to the Northgate Overlay District.

The Haller Lake Council will be drafting a letter to the Mayor, DPD, and the Seattle City Council. There was unanimous consent for LSCC to sign on the letter.

Barbara and David Miller also showed us a large map of the Northgate Overlay District, showing all properties. LSCC will be able to obtain a copy of this map.

Barbara provided a handout from Seattle Parks and Recreation regarding Northgate Urban Center Park Development. This is the new park that will take over the space occupied by the Northgate Park-and-Ride Lot.

Livable Seattle Movement
David also told us about the Livable Seattle Movement. A “Four Point Council Work Plan” from Livable Seattle was passed out. The website for the group is http://livableseattlemovement.org. More information is on the website. There is information on the multifamily update relating to L-1 to L-4 zones and showing the differences in these zones. L-1 allows for higher density. Buildings can have a bigger footprint, narrower setback, with minimum greenery or plantings. The group is not fighting increased density, but wants a livable Seattle. They are trying to create fact-based answers to questions such as: Is density green or more affordable? They want to find out what was paid for properties, what the cost was of teardown, etc. They are asking people to join up and share ideas and data.

Discussion followed about getting zoning permits, mother-in-law units, design review, etc.

There was discussion about the division of the City into six sectors, which encompass the neighborhood plans. Incorporating 39 plans into six sectors is bound to create difficulties. There is no opportunity at this time to do a new plan.

Councilmember Richard Conlin is looking at ways to scale down mega house heights/lot coverage. The City Council’s Planning, Land Use & Neighborhoods Committee (“PLUNC”) deliberates and makes “recommendations on legislative matters relating to growth and the urban environment, including comprehensive planning, zoning, design and land use regulations; to neighborhoods, including neighborhood plan updates and implementation, outreach and citizen involvement . . . Of the members of the City Council, those most likely in the “Livable” camp include Sally Clark, Tim Burgess, Tom Rasmussen, and Richard Conlin.

The Pinehurst neighborhood is apparently happy with the development of the Safeway Store and not concerned about zoning changes. No other neighborhood wants to interfere with the Pinehurst Safeway, but Maple Leaf and Haller Lake (as well as Licton Springs) oppose a corporate entity buying up single family lots and then through political means getting a rezone that then affects the whole Northgate Overlay District.

Rick Barrett was asked if he had anything to add, and he replied that everything had been covered and anything he might have said had already been stated!

Comprehensive Plan Amendment Application – Licton Springs Neighborhood
Tom Meyer provided us with copies of the application of Richard Min to redevelop the property at “8842 Nesbit Avenue North, 8838 Nesbit Avenue North. Which is one block east from Aurora Avenue.” Discussion followed. This is the Green Lake Motel property and encompasses approximately 25,000 square feet.

Tom also provided copies of Zoning Classifications (which included a brief description of each of Seattle’s zoning classifications).

Aurora Avenue Action Task Force
Debra Willendorf updated us on the Aurora Task Force. She provided sign-up sheets so that people desiring to could get e-mail updates and/or learn about opportunities to participate. She provided copies of the “Aurora Avenue Action Agenda” and a flyer announcing a community meeting in our area on Tuesday, March 25, 2008. She urged everyone to attend this meeting.

Bike Trail. Mary Engley inquired about expansion of the bike trail, wondering if we had any information. Discussion followed.

Our next meeting is Wednesday, April 16, 2008.

The meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Ellen M. Beck, Secretary