Residents mull over future of Shoreline

Ask for input about the future of Shoreline and residents respond, City Council members, planning commissioners and city staff learned throughout a month-long visioning process.

A string of community meetings and pages of comments later, residents filled the Shoreline Room at the Shoreline Center once again on Nov. 19 to hear a summary of the comments and continue constructing a future vision for Shoreline.

Approximately 400 people attended at least one of the meetings in October and November, according to vice-chair of the Planning Commission Will Hall.

“We heard from many community leaders and in addition to those, we heard from hundreds of people we’ve never heard from before,” Hall said. “Some people remain a little skeptical about the process but the overall feedback has been positive.”

The staff-proposed visioning process was initially reviewed with the council in July as a way for the city to begin updating the Comprehensive Plan. The council directed staff to prepare a script for a DVD to use at the community visioning meetings that were hosted by community groups and organizations.

During meetings participants were asked to discuss what they like and dislike about the city as well as imagine what they would like Shoreline to become in the next twenty years. Residents participated from throughout the city, Hall said, and the city staff plans to do more outreach to areas that were not represented.

Overall, demographic data collected at the meetings showed the majority of participants were 45-years and older. More females than males came to the meetings and the majority are living in households of two people or less. Most of the participants said they have lived in Shoreline for 11 or more years.

But regardless of the demographic or area within the city residents called home, comments were abundant, according to planning commissioners who summarized thoughts on the city’s park and open space, gathering spaces, walkability, economic development, and housing options.

“I was very impressed with how thoughtful the people were who attended and I don’t think I was bored for one minute,” commissioner John Behrens, who attended seven meetings, said.

Commissioner David Pyle said it was impossible for him to summarize all of the comments he heard but he said residents largely feel the social networks within their neighborhoods are intact but it’s also clear residents are interested in supporting new businesses. The Fircrest campus also came up during community meetings, he added.

“I think for many Fircrest represents what the vision could be,” Pyle said. “It is one of the only areas in Shoreline that is a large undeveloped tract of land and people have a vision of what could happen there.”

A variety of concerns related to housing were discussed in the meetings as well, according to commissioner Michelle Wagner. Residents are concerned about protecting single family residences throughout the city but also like the diversity within neighborhoods. Some mentioned the possibility of cottage housing within Shoreline.

“Twelve people wanted smaller houses on smaller lots and seven people said bring back cottages,” Wagner said. “But what they said though was let’s do it right, put it in the right location.”

A crowd of almost 100 residents were given approximately one hour to continue the conversation and bring up themes that were not included in commissioners’ opening remarks through roundtable discussions with representatives from the city council, planning commission and staff. At the end of the discussions, several residents addressed the room.

“I am so excited by tonight,” Elaine Phelps said. “We will have disagreements –we’re human beings, that’s OK. It’s how you disagree. This is a beautiful way to begin together.”

Shorewood High School senior Michelle Schaeffer was one of the last residents to speak.

“We’re all here so that Shoreline can be the best place possible, so it’s a place for all generations to celebrate,” she said. “I have a vision of the process and what I would like to see is us working together … I would like to see more meetings like this.”

The next steps in the city’s visioning process will begin in January 2009, according to Shoreline Mayor Cindy Ryu. Work to form a draft statement based on the comments is expected to culminate in a public hearing by the city council in March.

For more information or to be added to a mailing list and be notified of the specific date and time of the public hearing, contact associate planner David Levitan at 206-801-2554 or dlevitan@shorelinewa.gov. Additional information about the visioning process, including citizen comments is available online at http://www.cityofshoreline.com/index.aspx?page=409.