Residents spoke about the significance of a local business and a deteriorating red brick road during a public hearing April 9 at the Shoreline Fire Department headquarters.
Hearing examiner Anne Watanabe led the public hearing after receiving comments from city staff and owner of Aurora Rents. Larry Steele who, along with Top Food &Drug, petitioned to vacate a 12,822 square foot portion of Ronald Place North, which lies south of North 175th Street and extends to the western entrance of Top Food.
“We’re losing about 13,000 square feet of our property to the Aurora Corridor project,” Steele said. “By being able to get this — the red brick road — it will allow us to keep our same size property.”
A portion of his property abutting Aurora Avenue North will be used to construct a transit and right turn lane to North 175th Street.
The property behind his business, on Ronald Place North, would be used as a parking lot, he said. The red bricks that are part of the original early 1900s Pacific Highway would be retained in their original condition, he added, so long as their deterioration does not cause a safety hazard.
A final decision to grant or deny the proposal to close the section of Ronald Place North will be up to the Shoreline City Council, Watanabe said. She will issue a recommendation concerning the proposal to the council in two weeks.
Testimony during the hearing centered on whether or not a covenant should prohibit the alteration or destruction of the red brick road along Ronald Place North.
“The brick road, while I respect its history, is deteriorating badly,” resident Robert Allen said. “It’s not what it used to be physically and practically. It’s outlived its usefulness and its property can be dedicated to a much better use.”
Steele and Aurora Rents have been “solid neighbors” in the community, Ted Terrialt said.
Others spoke in favor of the covenant protecting the bricks.
“Bricks don’t make our history, they are our history,” Bob Phelps, a member of the Shoreline Historical Museum Board of Trustees said. “I’m thinking 100 years from now perhaps Aurora Rents won’t be in existence but it would be very nice if the kids could be shown this was the road that was here originally.”
A chance to purchase the property was not offered fairly to merchants north of North 175th Street, resident Dale Horton said.
“If the property does come up and is approved I would like the chance to buy it and give it to the city of Shoreline for free,” he said.
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