The sixth meeting concerning a proposal to create a new business zoning category in the Ridgecrest neighborhood ended in a unanimous vote on Jan. 3 by the Shoreline Planning Commission.
“I am much more impressed with what’s been presented since last time,” chairman Rocky Piro said. “We went from unclear, ambiguous language to something that makes a much stronger commitment.”
The proposal is focused on an area of land located on the southeast corner of Northeast 165th Street where the former Cascade Bingo Hall used to be located. The Shoreline City Council will review the proposal during the Jan. 14 council meeting at the Shoreline Center.
Planning staff presented key items in their revised proposal including incentives for building height to the Planning Commission.
According to the proposal, the sites existing zoning would allow a 50-foot tall mixed-use building. A zoning change could allow for a 65-foot mixed-use building if requirements established in the proposal are met by the developer. If a developer is interested in obtaining five stories, the development must include requirements such as a public plaza, public art and a built green rating. In order to achieve a six-story or a 65-foot building height, a developer must include 20 percent affordable housing units in the development.
Resident Mont Francisco said he did not feel the incentives were enough to justify a 65-foot building in his neighborhood.
“This is a behemoth development that is grossly oversized for an area of single family homes,” he said. “This proposal is completely out of scale.”
Resident Les Nelson told the commission parking should be provided if retail is included in a development.
“Everybody wants to see shops,” Nelson said. “If you don’t have parking around a unit no one is going to be able to get to these shops. Unless we change our standards we better provide parking.”
The proposal mandates that a new development must include a parking management plan and car sharing component to compensate for parking requirements that are less than what is required in other similar areas in the city.
Commissioner Will Hall said he would appreciate a much more ambitious city-wide plan to address affordable housing issues but that the staff and Planning Commission need to “walk before they can run.”
“Up until a month ago I was going to vote against this,” he said. “Fundamentally what this proposal does is provide incentive….We have to step out at some time and do this.”
Before voting to approve the revised proposal, commissioner Robin McClelland said she is counting on everything working right for Ridgecrest.
“I just have to take a deep breath and go for it,” she said.
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