Sometimes it seems a miracle when the Shoreline City Council takes any action. At least two of the council members like to hear the sound of their own voice. They ramble on about seemingly nothing and when they finish you wonder if they had a point. Add to this the tendency to micro-manage issues and it easy to see how council meetings last four hours and accomplish little.
Regarding the Ridgecrest re-zone: It took months longer than necessary to accomplish essentially what had been recommended by the Planning Commission with only minor alterations. The most significant change being the addition of bicycle racks. Consideration of the re-zone had been delayed three weeks to allow a consultant to determine the economic viability of different height alternatives. When the consultant issued their report, they had based it upon an assumption that the property was valued at approximately $50 per square foot. Mayor Cindy Ryu wanted them to go back and re-evaluate if the property could be bought for $40 or $45 per square foot. At the final meeting they discussed adding a requirement that a minimum number of apartments include two bedrooms in order to allow for more families and help increase enrollment in the school district.
Other issues have been sent back to the Planning Commission for reconsideration or referred to staff for scheduling more public hearings. Already there have been numerous public hearings. Some council members are unhappy with the results of public process and try to change the outcome.
Stan Terry
Shoreline
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