By valarie, on December 13th, 2012
 UPDATE: This post has been revised to reflect the new name of the project that will be seeking funding. WE CAN Safety Project was the original project that was funded through design. The Complete the Street Project is the new project seeking funding to construct the design. Additionally, the 60% design drawings have been linked to for your viewing.
Wedgwood Elementary School at 2720 NE 85th Street (corner of 30th Ave NE) is located in a single-family neighborhood with few pedestrian amenities and a pattern of speeding, according to a study by Seattle Dept. of Transportation (SDOT). As part of the Wedgwood Vision Plan completed in 2010, a survey showed that a high percentage of residents are concerned about pedestrian safety, traffic and speed control. Since that time the WCC and the PTA of Wedgwood Elementary School have been engaged in the arduous process of applying for grant funding to improve safety.
The “Wedgwood Elementary Children and Neighbors (WE CAN) Safety Project” received funding in 2011 for a project design for sidewalks on some adjacent streets, so that children can safely walk and bike to school. The project design connects sidewalks at the front of Wedgwood School along NE 85th Street, south on 28th Avenue NE and along NE 83rd Street continuously to Ravenna Ave NE where new sidewalks and bike lanes were recently completed (thanks to WCC Trustee, Gretchen Bear). The project design also includes new sidewalks, curbs, gutters, planter strips, drainage, educational materials and events, speed feedback signs and emphasis patrols. You can view the 60% design drawings prepared by SDOT here.
WCC trustee and Wedgwood School PTA President Katie Traverse will submit the project this month to Seattle’s Neighborhood Street Fund (NSF) for the “Complete the Street Project,” which is seeking funds to construct the project. The WCC President has written a letter of support on behalf of WCC recommending the project to SDOT and to the NSF Oversight Committee. The Washington State Dept. of Transportation (WSDOT) has already recommended $439,000 for the project be approved by the State Legislature under the Safe Routes to School Program.
 Wedgwood School opened in September 1953 with all-portables because there were so many children that the school district couldn’t wait for the permanent building to be completed. In a case of deja vu all over again, this year the schools of northeast Seattle are once again overflowing and are adding portable classrooms. As Wedgwood School approaches its sixtieth year, there still are no sidewalks on some adjacent streets for children to safely walk or bike to school! We thank Katie Traverse and her grant-writing team for their efforts, and we’ll let you know the progress on the grant application.
By Johnson, on October 1st, 2012
(This originally was posted on the The Future of 35th website.)
35th Ave NE Neighborhood Walk
Saturday, October 6th, 9-11AM
Back in August, the 35th Ave NE Committee toured six neighborhoods throughout Seattle and Kirkland to see what we thought worked well and not so well. We took with us the knowledge gleaned from the 7-part Coffee Talk series and looked at what makes other neighborhoods great. This Saturday, October 6th, from 9AM-11AM, we’ll walk down 35th Ave NE to inventory business-types, discuss what works, what doesn’t work as well, and where we think are high priority locations.
All are welcome to join us during this walk. We may also have to stop in some of our local purveyors of edible goodness as part of our business-type inventory. If you plan on joining us, please come dressed appropriately for a 1 mile-ish walk, bring a camera and note pad to document your thoughts, and come a willingness to discuss your thoughts respectfully with others.
See you Saturday!
By Johnson, on October 1st, 2012
(This originally was posted on the The Future of 35th website.)
Over the past 7 months, we have been super lucky to have had presentations on a variety of land use planning concepts by a host of brilliant and local planning professionals as part of the Coffee Talk series. The Coffee Talks were sponsored by the Community Planning Assistance Team (CPAT), which is part of the Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association.
The final (seventh) of these Coffee Talks was presented on August 23rd by Bill LaPatra with Mithun. Bill’s presentation neatly wrapped a bow around the previous six Coffee Talks and brought many of the concepts together. His presentation touched on the benefits to businesses, walkability, transportation, and livability from land use planning. He also touched on how increased density and how it can be done well so it complements, as opposed to competes, with local character and desired outcomes. There are trade-offs though that come along with these benefits.
If you missed, the last Coffee Talk, a video is below along with a PDF version of Bill LaPatra’s presentation for your viewing pleasure. If you missed any of the previous Coffee Talks, you can link to and watch them all HERE. As always, the video is of terrible quality…my apologies.
Coffee Talk 7: The Trade Offs of Land Use Planning from Wedgwood Community Council on Vimeo.
By wedgwoodparks, on August 22nd, 2012
UPDATE 2: Feet First, a phenomenal Seattle-based nonprofit working to improve walkability of neighborhoods across Washington State, endorsed the WCC’s proposed Inverness Ravine Park proposal. If you haven’t already, check out their amazing walking map of NE Seattle. You’ll notice there are very few walkable routes between the Wedgwood and Inverness neighborhoods.
UPDATE 1: On Thursday, September 6th, the Northeast District Council, which represents 16 neighborhood community organizations in NE Seattle, endorsed the WCC’s proposed Inverness Ravine Park proposal.
 Creek and dense vegetation within Inverness Ravine. As part of the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund, Seattle Parks will be spending $8 million in 2012/13 on park acquisition and/or development projects that are nominated by community groups. Wedgwood’s adopted Vision Plan calls for development of park space in a natural settings and for creek-side trails, so the WCC is taking this opportunity to propose a trail in Inverness Ravine Park (see our earlier post here). Seattle Parks and Seattle Department of Transportation both own land in the ravine, making it a prime candidate for a trail project. The ravine is on Critical Area lists for steep terrain and landslides, which precludes most kinds of development, but permits trails.
A potential trail alignment has been identified that features four access points and approximately 2,000 feet of trail (see diagram below). Based on this conceptual trail alignment, the WCC submitted a preliminary proposal to Parks in June. We have now been asked to submit a more detailed proposal in September. Parks will take WCC’s detailed proposal, along with others, develop a short-list of candidate projects, and ask those teams to present to a selection committee in early 2013. At that point funds will be awarded to the selected projects and design and construction will commence.
 Preliminary trail alignment with 4 access points. The WCC is competing with over 100 other projects for funding, but are hopeful that our trail project proposes the right combination of opportunities for exercise, education, and restoration to make it a winner. Feedback from our community has been overwhelmingly positive. Some concerns raised though include impacts to habitat, impacts to privacy, and safety. These concerns will need to be addressed should we advance to the design stage of the process. We will be presenting this trail proposal to the Northeast District Council in the coming weeks and are coordinating with the Inverness Community Council as well.
If you have any questions about the proposal, please email » Dave Grant, Chair of the Wedgwood Parks Committee.
By Johnson, on July 23rd, 2012
(This originally was posted on the The Future of 35th website.)
Coffee Talk 6: Financial Realities of Development. Incentivizing Successful Development – Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, Thursday, July 26th, 7-8:30PM (free doughnuts!)
Density. It’s a four letter word to some and can strike fear in predominantly single-family neighbors like ours along 35th Ave NE despite its many different forms and means of measurement. While at the Seattle City Light’s formal hearing last week on their plans to dispose of (sell) their 5 surplussed substations throughout NE Seattle, a frequent comment was something like this, “Whatever you do, I don’t want more density.”
Yet there are many benefits that density can bring to residential communities like ours, most of which were articulated in the Wedgwood neighborhood’s Vision Plan. Catherine Benotto, with the architecture and planning firm Weber Thompson, shared some of the benefits from increased density during our last Coffee Talk, which include increased neighborhood services, increased availability to transit (less driving!), increased walkability, more diverse retail, and more.
The fact is increased density is going to occur along 35th Ave NE based on the current zoning. The question is how to encourage the types of development that support a more walkable neighborhood with the strong retail corridor that includes more restaurants, hardware store, and book shop like the community has said it wants?
Our upcoming Coffee Talk on Thursday, July 26th at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church from 7-8:30PM, will feature just this. Ellen Miller-Wolfe, the Kirkland Director of Economic Development, will speak on the “Financial Realities of Development. Incentivizing Successful Development.” As always, the Coffee Talk is sponsored by our phenomenal neighbor, Top Pot Doughnuts.
Here is a terrible quality video of Coffee Talk 5: The Benefits of Density, featuring Catherine Benotto, for your viewing pleasure.
Coffee Talk 5: ”Density and its Benefits” from Wedgwood Community Council on Vimeo.
By Johnson, on June 17th, 2012
(This originally was posted on the The Future of 35th website.)
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The old JCC Building at
35th and 86th. |
Coffee Talk 5: Density and its Benefits
Thursday, June 21st, 7-8:30PM
Temple Beth Shalom (6800 35th Ave NE)
For some along 35th Ave NE, the thought of a 4-story, mixed-use building at the intersection of NE 86th Street, created anxiety. This isn’t uncommon for predominantly residential neighborhoods, like those along 35th Ave NE. In fact, some came together to oppose the project despite the property’s Neighborhood Commercial-40 (NC40) zoning which allows this scale of development. Years on, the Jasper Apartment building is nearly complete (certificate of occupancy expected in July) and the first mixed-use residential building along 35th Ave NE (in Ravenna/Bryant or Wedgwood) is now a part of the landscape.
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New Jasper Apartments at
35th and 86th. |
On Thursday, June 21st, Catherine Benotto with Weber Thompson Architects will discuss the benefits to communities that comes from increased density. Increased residents by way of greater density provides tangible benefits that the community has identified as important values. Its important for us as a community to recognize these benefits and their roots if we are to take the fear of the “D word” away. This isn’t to say that there aren’t real trade offs that come along with land use planning and increased density, which will be discussed during Coffee Talk 7, but there are many benefits as well.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the final two Coffee Talks after this:
By Johnson, on June 15th, 2012
 In 2008, Seattle voters approved the Parks and Green Spaces Levy to improve the City’s parks and green spaces as well as acquire new parks for those communities identified as deficient in such places. North Wedgwood was one of those communities identified as in need of additional park space. Thanks to the overwhelming support of the community, the Parks Department is moving forward with the acquisition of Seattle City Light’s surplussed Morningside Substation at 35th Ave NE and NE 86th Street (where CC and Company is currently located).
However, within the Parks and Green Spaces Levy is the Opportunity Fund. This fund provides the opportunity for community groups to propose specific park development projects to be selected by an oversight group and the City Council to be completed. This round of funding allocates $15 million for such projects. With this in mind, the Wedgwood Parks Committee reflected back on the Vision Plan and has proposed the planning and design of a trail through Inverness Ravine.
Within Section “Open Spaces and Community Amenities” of the Vision Plan, it was stated that the community desired trails connecting a variety of park types. Of the different park types considered, 54.4% of the nearly 840 respondents to the Vision Plan survey said that a “natural park setting” was “very important” to them.
The Parks Department already owns several parcels along Inverness Ravine, although due in part to the property’s steep slopes, mature vegetation, and other complications, this property is very inaccessible. The proposed trail would be approximately 2,000 feet long, have 4 access points, and have passive recreation features (e.g., benches and signage). Benefits of this trail, apart from creating more usable park space in an area of the City identified as deficient in park space, include the following:
- Connect the Wedgwood and Inverness neighborhoods.
- Provide a more accessible pedestrian access from Wedgwood to the Burke-Gilman Trail and Matthews Beach.
- Provide the opportunity for walkable, day-time expeditions to a tributary of Thornton Creek for students at nearby schools.
- And promotes environmental awareness of Thornton Creek and its ecosystem.
Proposals to the Opportunity Fund were due last week. The Wedgwood Parks Committee has already learned that our proposal has made it past their initial screening. Further development of this proposal is necessary before it could be reviewed by the Parks Department, oversight committee, and Seattle City Council. However, its important for us to let our community know about this proposal and our continued effort to carry out what the community has identified as important by way of the Vision Plan.
If you have any questions about the proposal, please email » Dave Grant, Chair of the Wedgwood Parks Committee.
By valarie, on May 25th, 2012
 What features create “a sense of place?” At the Coffee Talk on Thursday evening, May 24, we considered why some places attract people more than others. As we looked at pictures of places which we recognized, we considered why, for example, the fountain at Seattle Center is such a magnet and always has crowds of people around it. The fountain appeals to the senses (the sight and sound of the water, the feel of the spray on your face), it has movement, and it is accessible – in fact, you can get right into the water if you wish. In contrast, city streets which have too much pavement, buildings with blank walls and no color are lifeless, boring and oppressive.
We want Wedgwood’s commercial corridor to be attractive and walkable, with interesting storefronts. As more development takes place along 35th Ave NE, what influence can we have to bring about thoughtful, beautiful, interactive, and sustainable design in streetscapes and buildings?
Continue reading Coffee Talk recap: successful place-making
By Johnson, on May 21st, 2012
 UPDATE 1: HERE is the link to the presentation materials used during the District’s 3 community meetings in April 2012 regarding the BEX IV Capital Levy. Of particular note, slides 7 and 8 show a projected increase of over 800 seats in elementary and almost 900 seats in middle school by 2020. The presentation materials also project an increase of $4 – $225 additional cost per year, per home owner depending upon which action alternative the District chooses.
The public elementary and middle schools in NE Seattle and around Wedgwood are packed and enrollment continues to grow. This isn’t news (see HERE, HERE, and HERE). The Seattle Public School District (District) has been working on capacity management planning for some time now with periodic public meetings with each new iteration of their plan. K-5 enrollment projections for the Eckstein Service Area, shown on Page 3 HERE, estimate 570 more students by the 2015-2016 school year (4,029 students in 2011/2012 to 4,599 students in 2015/2016). As a result of this surging enrollment, the District feels as though portables alone cannot solve the demand and a new school is necessary. So, in February 2013, the District is planning on including construction of a new K-8 school on the Thornton Creek Elementary School site as part of the Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy.
This past Saturday, I spoke with Harium Martin-Morris, the School Board Member for District III (Wedgwood’s district). Mr. Martin-Morris emphasized the need for this new school at this particular site. The specific details for the new school are not yet known, but it is proposed to be a K-8 school for 650 to 800 students (per conversation with Mr. Martin-Morris). The new school would be an Attendance Area school while the existing Thornton Creek School would continue as an Alternative School. While we have not seen any site plans for the new K-8 school, Mr. Martin-Morris explained that the school would generally be located where the current ball fields are located.
The District has begun the environmental review for three different action alternatives along with a No Action alternative within its Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. Under each action alternative, the new K-8 school is included. The Wedgwood Community Council is still collecting information on this proposal and has decided to refrain from endorsing or opposing this proposal. Instead, the WCC will only attempt to provide accurate information to the community from both sides so parents and neighbors can make their own decisions.
As part of the project’s environmental review, the public comment period ends this Friday, May 25th.
Written comments in regards to the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement can be sent to the following address:
Noel Treat, SEPA Responsible Official
John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence
2445 3rd Ave. South
Seattle, WA 98134
or by email to: jawolf@seattleschools.org
We will provide more details and updates as we get them. In the mean time, let us know what you think about a new school on the Thornton Creek Elementary site.
By Johnson, on April 15th, 2012
(This originally was posted on the The Future of 35th website.)
Coffee Talk: “Design at a Human Scale. A Primer on Urban Design Concepts and City of Seattle Design Review Guidelines” - Thursday, April 26th, from 7-8:30PM at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church (8008 35th Ave NE).
What makes a great building design? We’ve all seen buildings that we like and don’t like, yet we’re not all architects. As 35th Ave NE is inevitably redeveloped in the future, the question is how can we collectively articulate what types of building forms and design our community wants to see. The purpose of this Coffee Talk is to improve our understanding of design and the design review process. This is the 3rd of a 7-part series of Coffee Talks sponsored by the American Planning Association’s Washington Chapter’s Community Planning Assistance Team (CPAT).
John Owen will be presenting a primer on important design principals that our community can use as we plan for the future of 35th Ave NE. Not only is Mr. Owen a partner with MAKERS Architecture + Urban Design, he also led the Wedgwood Vision Plan. Cheryl Sizov is a Senior Urban Planner with the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development who managed the drafting of the City’s most recent Seattle Design Guidelines. Ms. Sizov will present the City’s design guidelines and describe the City’s design review process. A process that some on the Wedgwood Action Group became familiar with during the design of the Jasper Apartment Building.
Thanks again to Top Pot Doughnuts for their support and providing delicious coffee and baked goodness for the Coffee Talks. Make sure to put the remaining Coffee Talks on your schedule:
- Coffee Talk 7: ”The Trade Offs of Land Use Planning” – Thursday, Aug 23rd, at Messiah Lutheran Church (Fellowship Hall – Downstairs) from 7-8:30PM – Speaker: Erin Christensen, AIA, LEED AP ND, Mithun
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Wedgwood School opened in September 1953 with all-portables because there were so many children that the school district couldn’t wait for the permanent building to be completed. In a case of deja vu all over again, this year the schools of northeast Seattle are once again overflowing and are adding portable classrooms. As Wedgwood School approaches its sixtieth year, there still are no sidewalks on some adjacent streets for children to safely walk or bike to school! We thank Katie Traverse and her grant-writing team for their efforts, and we’ll let you know the progress on the grant application.
