Council hears concerns of Meadowdale-area residents

  • Jim Hills<br>Edmonds Enterprise editor
  • Monday, March 3, 2008 6:47am

By Jim Hills

Edmonds Enterprise editor

Transportation issues, from airplanes to sidewalks were the top issues of the evening Tuesday March 29, as the Edmonds City Council convened an informal community outreach meeting at the Meadowdale Community Club.

The outreach meetings occur whenever there is a fifth week in a month and move to various locations around the city. Six out of seven council members attended, with only Jeff Wilson absent.

While sidewalk safety and Paine Field received the most attention, the first topic of the night was communication, about the meeting itself.

“I found out about this in one small notice in the newspaper,” Dorothy Sachs said. “There was nothing anywhere else.”

Sachs, a retired media relations professional, advised the council to utilize the public access TV channel and other methods to boost attendance. About three dozen people came to the Meadowdale meeting.

Council member Mauri Moore, who has a background in television news, said the city can do a better job.

“I’m chair of the outreach committee and this is the first year for this,” Moore said. “For next year, we’ll know the whole schedule for the year and we can publish that.”

Lin Hillman said she came to ask for an update on the slide study that was being done for the Meadowdale area.

“The last we heard, it was tabled for aerial mapping,” Hillman said. “Where are we at?”

It was a question council members said they didn’t have a ready answer for but would find out and get back to Hillman.

John Quast raised concerns about the potential for commercial flights coming to Paine Field and urged the council to take a strong stand against the flights. He said information about average noise levels being presented at a series of public meetings by Paine Field director Dave Waggoner is misleading.

“If you have one foot in boiling water and the other on a block of ice, on the average, are you comfortable?” Quast asked. He said noise level average may work for freeway-type noises but not for airports, that have periods of quiet followed by periods of intense noise.

Quast noted that the Highline School District, near Sea-Tac Airport, is spending $200 million to insulate school buildings. “They’re not spending $200 million on something that doesn’t matter.”

Council member Michael Plunkett thanked Quast and reminded the audience that the council has taken several strong stands against expansion of air service at Paine Field.

Council member Richard Marin said Snohomish County council member Dave Gossett, a Mountlake Terrace resident, told him that the county council supports the existing agreement for Paine Field that would restrict commercial flights.

A number of people raised concerns about the lack of sidewalks and the dangers of walking in the area.

“We like to walk along 76th (Avenue W.) and there’s (little) space,” Gail Hankinson said. “I understand there isn’t money but perhaps you could at least find a way the shoulder could be widened.”

Plunkett said areas such as the north end of 76th Avenue W. and Meadowdale Beach Road are on the top of the priority list. “Unfortunately, that’s a list of unfunded projects,” he said.

Sherle Bird noted the city money spent on the landslide issue and compared it to the sidewalks.

“It seems we’re talking about two different hazards here,” Bird said. “We’re spending all this money on hazards when we’ve hazards for school children and people walking.

“I wonder where the priorities are.”

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