How will we remember 2008? From crowded caucuses to visioning processes, the year was a busy one. Here’s a look back on the past 12 months as we prepare to launch into 2009.
January
A sleepless night in Shoreline
As residents throughout King County slept Jan. 25, volunteers walked the dark city streets looking for and counting those who were surviving without shelter.
From 2:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. temperatures dipped into the mid 20s and teams of people scoured Shoreline neighborhoods for signs of those without shelter. The number of volunteers outnumbered the total 34 people seen in the city of Shoreline. But the 2,631 people witnessed throughout King County in the outside count represented a 15 percent increase over the number of people that were counted in the 2007 outside count.
Driver crashes into Shoreline family’s yard
Wet boots on Greg and Kathleen Font’s front doorstep Jan. 28 were indicative of a snow day for their two children. But snow soaked black sneakers left perched on the edge of a flower bed belong to a man who crashed his SUV into the Font’s yard at the intersection of Wallingford Avenue North and North 192nd Street on Jan. 23.
The man’s blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit when he plowed through the Font’s fence, according to an accident report by Shoreline police. His shoes fell off when police pulled him from his vehicle, Greg said.
The family of four awoke suddenly at 2 a.m. on Jan. 23 when the 29-year-old man drove his SUV into a gas meter, causing a gas leak. According to police, the driver was eluding police and traveling along the residential street at 60 mph when he swerved to maneuver a median at the intersection.
The driver was then taken to King County Jail.
New members take their seats on City Councils
Shoreline’s newest mayor and deputy mayor were chosen by members of the City Council Jan. 7 at the Shoreline Center before a room full of family and community members.
Councilwoman Cindy Ryu received the gavel from city clerk Scott Passey after a council vote of 5-2 placed her in the mayor’s seat.
Minutes after being sworn in as a councilman, Terry Scott accepted the position as the city’s deputy mayor.
Council members Chris Eggen and Councilwoman Doris McConnell also vowed to carry out the duties of their elected positions.
Lake Forest park residents and city staff filled the Lake Forest Park Civic Club Jan. 21 to witness the inaugural vows of Mayor Dave Hutchinson and three council members.
Councilwoman Catherine Stanford said she is looking forward to her first term after being sworn into her council position by Lake Forest Park Municipal Court Judge Linda Portnoy.
Councilman Dwight Thompson returned home from military deployment in Afghanistan only days before beginning his fourth term as councilman. City councilman Ed Sterner began his third term.
February
Crowded caucuses
The state’s Democratic and Republican caucuses were crowded on Feb. 9 when residents in the 32nd District met in schools, churches and private homes to pick a presidential preference.
The largest number of precincts within the 32nd District during the Democratic caucus convened at Meridian Park Elementary School in Shoreline. Precinct committee officer Darlene Dugger waited while her neighbors signed in and found their way to their precinct in the school’s cafeteria.
Dugger was one of 8,447 attendees at the District’s Democratic caucuses. The total was nearly three times the 2004 Democratic caucus at 2,988 attendees. Results of the day showed Barack Obama with 68.98 percent and Hillary Clinton with 28.92 percent. Reports came from 183 precincts.
Across 175th Street at the Aurora Church of the Nazarene, Republicans within the District caucused.
About 400 people caucused at the Church of the Nazarene, where more than 150 precincts were represented, said caucus chair Joe Ripley.
“It’s a good turnout for Shoreline Republicans,” Ripley said.
Family gathers to mourn accident victim
Shoreline resident Ruby Blood liked to take walks around her neighborhood. But while out walking on Feb. 6, the 94-year-old was killed when she was hit by a car at the intersection of Northeast 145th Street and 15th Avenue Northeast.
According to Washington State Patrol trooper Jeff Merrill, the light at the intersection turned green while Blood and a friend were still in the middle of the intersection. A 77-year-old Bothell woman did not see the two women, attempted to make a left turn onto 15th Northeast and pinned Blood under her vehicle. The other woman, Valentyna Shor, was taken to Harborview Medical Center and treated for minor injuries.
Farewell to the ‘Maverick Man’
Jack Bradley was a neighbor to many in Shoreline.
People wondered who he was, what caused him to have to live in his car and why he was always working under the hood. Known to many as ‘Maverick Man’, Bradley was a fixture around Fred Meyer and Jack in the Box on Aurora Avenue North. His unmistakable blue, dented car with a rusted hood was rotated throughout the Sears and Highland Ice Arena parking lots over the past 20 years.
But Bradley can’t be found near his Maverick anymore. He died Feb. 19 at Northwest Hospital after suffering a stroke at the age of 58. A note announcing his death was taped to the car the same day. Shortly after that, the car became topped with bouquets of flowers and notes that continued to be placed and taped on the vehicle more than a week later.
On Feb. 26, Terry Green of the Highland Ice Arena finalized arrangements for Bradley’s memorial service
“You put a face on homelessness in Shoreline,” a typed note taped to the car read. “You were accepted and respected for who you were, not for where or how you lived. You touched our lives in a way you do not even realize.”
“He wasn’t just any homeless guy; he was our homeless guy,” Green said.
Garbage goes green
Shoreline Recycling and Transfer Station officially reopened on Feb. 16, more than 20 months, $24 million in renovations and several built green steps later.
The new facility on North 165th Street was known formerly as the First Northeast Station.
On Feb. 13, Shoreline Mayor Cindy Ryu, Lake Forest Park Mayor Dave Hutchinson, King County Councilman Bob Ferguson and other council members and officials toured the facility.
“It’s a state of the art facility,” Hutchinson said after the tour.
The Shoreline station is the first transfer station in the country that is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council.
Outside solar panels on the building are designed to help provide roughly five percent of the building’s energy needs. Translucent windows and skylights allow natural light to filter into the building and sensors help regulate how much electrical light is needed. A 3,750-gallon tank holds rainwater that is collected off of the acre rooftop and used for cleaning floors and flushing toilets.
March
A walk for world hunger
An opportunity to learn about world hunger came in the form of 600 paper lunch sacks at the Calvin Presbyterian Church in Shoreline on March 15. As members of the church’s youth ministry finished placing the luminaries around the church property, members of the congregation and neighbors stooped to read information and prayer ideas attached to each bag.
The church’s World Hunger Luminary Prayer Walk was organized to bring awareness to the community during a 30 hour famine by youth members of the congregation. The 600 bags were representative of the number of children, according to the organization World Vision, who die every 30 minutes from starvation or water related diseases throughout the world.
Participants of the 30 hour famine and the Prayer Walk made donations during the event to directly benefit World Vision.
Community gathers to remember the Maverick Man
Although Shoreline’s Maverick Man is gone, friends, family and those who occasionally spoke with him shared stories and cookies March 1 during a memorial at the Ronald United Methodist Church.
More than 100 people attended the memorial for Jack Bradley, a 58-year-old man who died at Northwest Hospital on Feb. 19 after suffering a stroke. Many in the community were aware of Bradley because he lived in his blue 1970s Ford Maverick in parking lots near Aurora Avenue North over the past twenty years. But few knew who he was or why he chose to live in his car.
“I always wanted to know more about Jack, where he came from, why he was there and what he was about,” Larry Smith who works at Fred Meyer on Aurora Avenue North and 185th Street said. “But we never had a discussion about it.”
Smith said meeting Bradley’s family was wonderful. Bradley’s son, Jack Bradley III of Duvall and his ex-wife Judy Thompson of Kenmore attended the ceremony. Neither knew where Bradley was or had any recent contact with him. Bradley’s daughter-in-law and two nieces were also in attendance.
Council adds to, passes Ridgecrest zoning change
It may be too early to predict just what Ridgecrest’s commercial area will become. But Shoreline City Council members continued to discuss ideas for a legislative rezone before unanimously adopting an ordinance on March 31 that would dictate how the neighborhood is to be developed.
One detail council members worked to include in the ordinance put a limit of 110 units per acre on a parcel of land located on the southwest corner of Northeast 165th Street and Fifth Avenue Northeast. The designation adds a maximum of 286 units on the site.
“We expect the average unit to be about 700 square feet,” senior planner Steve Cohn said. “The kinds of people who would live in a development like this would be single, single parent, seniors and starters.”
In addition to approving the rezone for the Ridgecrest commercial area, the council also approved an ordinance to expand a property tax exemption program for the Ridgecrest neighborhood. A similar program was adopted for the North City neighborhood on March 3 to bring the program into compliance with state law.
April
A Peruvian celebration
When a major earthquake devastated southern Peru last August, Shoreline and Lake Forest Park Rotary clubs and local residents helped the Consulate of Peru ship a container of supplies to Peru. The collection process of non-perishable food, blankets, and tents among other items took priority over the Consulate’s centennial anniversary.
The cause for celebration was far from forgotten however, and a weeklong celebration cumulated on April 5 in a neighborhood parade and musical performance.
The Consulate of Peru has been located in Washington since 1907, according to Velásquez. At that time, he said, the office was in Port Townsend to facilitate imports and exports sent by ship to and from Peru. From the Consulate’s current location on Northeast 157th Street in Lake Forest Park, the office mainly functions to help Peruvians who live within the state and to promote relationships with Peru.
Forward Shoreline begins community process
A discussion titled “Building Community Cooperation” in the Schirmer Auditorium on the CRISTA campus on April 16 was the first in a series of meetings sponsored by Forward Shoreline to plan for the city’s future. King County councilman Bob Ferguson and state Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, led a discussion to address ways to build rules for civil discourse and avoid contentiousness.
The Shoreline 2035 Program is open to and dependent upon the participation of all community members. Working with an established set of guidelines, groups of residents focus on an array of topics such as housing, transportation, economic opportunity, environmental enhancement, education, safety, and recreation. Groups of up to 20 people will hold working sessions on the topics and coordinate to bring professionals from other cities to Shoreline to be the focus of community meetings surrounding the individual topics.
County will pay $2 million to water district
A dispute over a water supply replacement program between King County and the Lake Forest Park Water District ended in a settlement April 17.
Under the terms of the settlement, King County will pay the district $2 million so the district can develop a new deep well water source that will serve to protect and ensure the district’s water supply from any potential adverse impacts during construction of the county’s Brightwater Treatment System.
The district will have until 2012 to develop and connect a new deep well water, according to the agreement. The county will be required to purchase and provide water for the district if any Brightwater tunneling adversely affects the district’s water supply.
The probability of impacting the district’s supply during construction is very low, according to Kolb-Nelson. Still, both parties agree that the settlement is in the best interest of the county, the district and their ratepayers.
Boy, 7, finds gun in Ronald Bog
While searching for a mother duck and her ducklings at Ronald Bog Park on April 26 7-year-old Jordan Swain made a surprise discovery.
Sticking out of mud and surrounded by water was something black. Curious about what the object was, Swain pulled it out of the water. The object was a .22 caliber black pistol.
“At first I thought it was a squirt gun but I handed it to my mom without pulling the trigger,” Swain said from his home in Shoreline.
Finding a gun is unusual, according to officer Rob Bardsley.
“It was probably sitting in the bog so long it probably wouldn’t have gone bang anyway because the water seeped in,” he said.
Police did not know at the time how long the gun was in the bog or if it is related to a crime, according to Bardsley.
May
Volunteers help clean up district’s grounds
A lot of weeding, barking, planting and some dirty hands, knees and faces, more than 400 volunteers learned May 3 at a district wide work party known as Embrace Shoreline.
Despite a rain-filled morning, members of local churches, schools and neighborhoods met at twelve school sites to help clean-up the Shoreline School District’s grounds during a three-hour span.
About half of the 40 volunteers at Echo Lake Elementary were connected to the school through the PTA, according to PTA liaison, Dan Royal. Parents and teachers at Echo Lake began organizing their own work program or “Weed and Feed” two years ago, he said, and when they heard about Embrace Shoreline, the two work parties were combined to increase volunteer turnout.
Parent and Brookside Elementary PTA member Shawn Carpenter appreciated the show of support from church members and other volunteers.
“I would love (Embrace Shoreline) to be a continual thing,” she said.
Council votes down unlimited density
Plan for population growth in the areas that can support higher densities, speakers told members of the Shoreline City Council on May 12. But despite citizen support for increased density in commercial areas along Aurora Avenue North and Ballinger Way, an ordinance that could have allowed increased density failed 4-3 when put to a vote.
The ordinance sought to change a density requirement in certain commercial zones from a maximum of 48 units an acre to a “no maximum” limit.
Mayor Cindy Ryu and councilmembers Chris Eggen, Terry Scott and Janet Way shared their reservations about the ordinance before voting it down.
Before the meeting was adjourned, Mayor Ryu and councilmembers Eggen, Scott, and Way also voted in favor of an emergency ordinance to place a limitation of 110 units per acre in regional business (RB) zones. The ordinance replaces the original “no maximum” standard in the zones.
The approval of the ordinance directed city staff to work on proposed permanent density regulations for the city’s RB zones for future council adoption.
LFP Farmers Market opens for another season
Opening day of the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market meant a variety of fresh produce and flowers just in time for Mother’s Day on May 11.
New to this year’s market was the Market Buck program by Friends of Third Place Commons. The program aspired to increase the availability of Market fresh items for those in the community who may not otherwise be able to afford them. Market bucks are used in lieu of cash and distributed through various local organizations such as food banks, senior centers, health centers, and elementary schools, said Constance Perenyi, the director of Friends of Third Place Commons.
Market Bucks are worth two dollars apiece. Farmers were reimbursed by Friends of Third Place Commons for accepting the Market Bucks as a form of payment throughout the Farmers Market season, every Sunday through Oct. 5.
June
Feds, police raid four strip clubs
Seattle police and federal agents June 2 searched four strip clubs, a Seattle talent agency and the Lake Forest Park home of Frank Colacurcio, Sr. in conjunction with a temporary restraining order filed by federal prosecutors alleging mail fraud, money laundering and prostitution activities.
According to court documents, Colacurcio, 90, his son, Frank Colacurcio, Jr., and their associates are involved in an ongoing investigation for Racketeering Influence Corrupt Organization (RICO) violations at properties owned and operated by the Colacurcio organization. The properties include Rick’s in Seattle, Sugar’s in Shoreline, Honey’s in Everett and Fox’s in Tacoma.
During a news conference at the Federal Court House in Seattle on June 2, Seattle Police chief Gil Kerlikowskie and U.S. Attorney Jeff Sullivan said the restraining order is the first step to ensure Colacurcio’s assets will be available to be taken by the government if an investigation proves that crimes were committed.
“This is the most significant crime operation that we have ever undertaken,” Kerlikowskie said during the conference.
Charges have not been made in connection with the case and the strip clubs remain open.
Legacy Task Force presents 100-year vision
The Lake Forest Park Legacy is an action plan for preserving and enhancing resources for current and future residents, Carol Dahl, Legacy co-chair told council members at a council study session on June 12.
“It is a working document that will help guide the evolvement of both the natural environment and the built development,” she said. Parts of green infrastructure are outlined in the final report and include parks and open spaces, green streets that use vegetation to manage stormwater runoff, trails that connect to other cities and neighborhoods, and hubs and gateways that serve as gathering areas.
Potential project ideas such as adding green features to or “greening” city streets were brought up and discussed among other topics in the report by residents who attended public events, planning meetings and submitted comments to the Task Force over the past year.
July
Jury finds pediatrician violated boundaries
A jury ordered former Shoreline pediatrician Dr. Bill Schnall to pay nearly $630,000 to three of four former patients and their families on July 16 for violating patient-doctor boundaries.
The decision ended a six-week civil trial at King County Superior Court in Seattle.
In closing arguments July 10 the plaintiffs’ attorney Anne Bremner said the male patients, who are now between the ages of 18 and 25, started to be sexually groomed by Schnall when they were 12 or 13 years old. Schnall subjected the boys to unnecessary physical exams, sent explicit e-mails, asked if he could contact them without their parents’ knowledge and would refer to himself as ‘Dad’, ‘Dr. Bill’, or ‘Uncle Bill’, Bremner said.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys originally asked for more than $20 million in economic and emotional damages.
The jury did not find that Schnall communicated with the plaintiffs for an immoral purpose, he added, and in their decision on Thursday, July 17, announced that Schnall would not be responsible for paying $1.8 million in plaintiffs’ attorney fees.
Schnall’s time in a courtroom may not be over, John Gagliardi acknowledged July 21.
“The plaintiffs have indicated they will be filing a bunch of post trial motions,” he said.
Juveniles arrested in burglary spree
Three juveniles were arrested July 3 in connection with five burglaries in Shoreline.
The juveniles, one female and two males, were seen running from a house shortly after noon in the 17200 block of 14th Ave. NW when an alarm sounded. A neighbor copied the license plate of the vehicle the suspects left in and notified Shoreline police.
The vehicle was listed as having been stolen the previous night from the Shoreline Center, according to Sgt. Katie Larson. Police were unable to locate the suspect during an initial search of the neighborhood but did discover a second burglary only a few houses away from the first.
The suspects were apprehended when a Shoreline detective spotted the stolen car and gave chase later that afternoon. The suspects admitted to three additional burglaries in the Richmond Beach and Innis Arden area.
LFP new Legacy Plan helps to guide change
The 100-year vision created to plan for the future green infrastructure in Lake Forest Park will be the principle guide for the city’s parks and open space planning City Council decided in a 5-2 vote on July 10.
“It’s an excellent document and it gives us more than we were looking for,” councilman Don Fiene said.
The Legacy outlines potential projects in the areas of establishing and strengthening multimodal networks throughout the city, improving natural drainage from streams and lakes, creating habitat for wildlife and developing gathering places.
“Legacy provides a framework to guide you in your decision making process,” David Cline, city administrator, told councilmembers at the meeting.
Make way for the new City Hall
The dirt piled on the site of Shoreline’s future city hall July 22 did not come from Shoreline but a group of 50 city officials, employees and residents didn’t let that fact alter their excitement at the City Hall groundbreaking ceremony.
The four-story, approximately 67,000-square-foot building on the corner of Midvale Avenue North and North 175th Street won’t be complete until August 2009 .
“(The development team) will develop a project we can all be proud of and that will stay on budget,” city manager Bob Olander said. “I think we can all agree that when the project is finished it will be a focal point for our community.”
Opus Northwest L.L.C. was selected as the third-party developer of the $30.5 million project based on the company’s past successes on similar projects.
Road toward red-light cameras paved in LFP
When or even if red light cameras will come to Lake Forest Park is uncertain but a 5-2 vote by the City Council June 26 authorized their use within city limits.
The ordinance added a section to the city’s municipal code allowing red light cameras to record stoplight violations at intersections of arterials such as Ballinger and Bothell Way. Pictures of a vehicle and a vehicle license plate are recorded only when an infraction occurs. Once a vehicle is photographed, a notice is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle within 14 days of the violation and violators are asked to pay a base monetary penalty of $124, according to the ordinance.
The exact locations of red light cameras within Lake Forest Park have not been chosen and will require collaboration with the state Department of Transportation.
August
Jazz Walk kicks off Shoreline festival
Business owners, City Council members, residents and jazz enthusiasts donned hot pink wrist bands and walked between seven venues on Aug. 12 during the second annual North City Jazz Walk. Most people moved from venue to venue between musical sets while others patiently waited outside to secure a spot at their favorite venue.
The event kicked off the 13th annual Celebrate Shoreline which included a parade along 15th Avenue Northeast and a festival at Ridgecrest Elementary on Saturday, Aug. 16.
“People appear to be more relaxed this year,” Chris Merklin, manager at Hot Wire On-Line Coffee House, said during the event.
In front of Merklin a line of people waited to purchase beer, wine, coffee, and even gelato.
Other busy venues throughout the three-hour event were North City Bistro and Wine Shop, the Vineyard Community Church, USA Karate, The Do North Theatre. Performances by the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council Jazz Camp took place on the city’s Showmobile stage and included fifty-seven jazz students between 11 and 19 years old.
King County Sheriff Office gets new eye in the sky
Neighbors who assembled for the annual Ridgecrest Ice Cream Social on Aug. 14 may have been a little surprised to see a new police helicopter land on Paramount Park’s field.
No, it wasn’t a training exercise, a rescue or a stop for ice cream. The “Guardian One” was simply on display for an hour for children and adults alike to get up close to the aircraft and take a look.
The new Bell 407 was officially introduced July 31 by the King County Sheriff’s Office. A federal Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant from the Department of Homeland Security paid for the $3.4 million helicopter, said Ken O’Neal, Air Support Unit with the King County Sheriff’s Office.
“I think this is probably it for the foreseeable future,” O’Neal said, responding to a question about whether the Sheriff’s Office will add another helicopter to the skies over King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
September
Future of Fircrest reviewed
Approximately 60 residents attended an open house on Sept. 24 at Fircrest gymnasium to learn about the second part of a two-phase process to construct a plan for property on the campus that is not currently used by Fircrest School or by the Washington State Public Health Laboratory.
The master plan will only change the zoning of the excess property, Ed Valbert with DSHS told residents. He also said Fircrest would continue to operate as it now does. He discussed the future of a group of six buildings in the northwestern corner of the campus, commonly referred to as the Y Buildings.
What the master plan does account for is a ten percent growth from 450,000 square feet to 500,000 square feet of building at Fircrest School and a potential for a maximum 862 residential units throughout the excess acreage.
New economic development director has ideas for Shoreline
Handling economic development often means juggling many different tasks, said the city’s new economic development program manager Mark Mayuga, who began work with the city Sept. 2. While the city’s population is only a quarter of the Fontana, Calif. community he left behind, issues relating to economic development are the same almost anywhere, he said.
“There’s no real difference,” Mayuga said. “When it comes to economic development the issues are still the same: location, location, location; finding value for your dollar and promoting and supporting businesses.”
Mayuga was the owner and president of DesGra, an advertising and marketing agency in Long Beach, Calif., for 20 years. He served as the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce in Fontana, Calif. and worked as the redevelopment and special projects manager in Fontana since 2002.
First Brightwater pipe towed to outfall location
A group of King County Brightwater staff members and curious onlookers waited at 10th Street Marina in Everett Sept. 8 for a mile-long pipe to make a scheduled appearance.
The 63-inch-diameter polyethylene pipe was part of the Brightwater outfall location at Point Wells near Shoreline. When the Brightwater sewer treatment plant begins operation in 2011, highly treated wastewater will be discharged through the outfall, which will be 600 feet deep and a mile offshore.
High winds caused the pipe transport to occur a day later than what was originally planned, according to Gunars Sreibers, Brightwater project manager. A second mile-long pipe was scheduled to make the 14-mile journey to Point Wells on Sept. 9.
At Point Wells, the floating pipes was attached to an on-shore connector and lowered into Puget Sound. The outfall location was selected through an environmental review and permitting process. Brightwater construction is scheduled to continue until late 2010.
October
Public gets the grand tour of the new Dale Turner YMCA
A study stream of almost 3,000 people visited the YMCA during the grand opening celebration on Oct. 4 as cooking and dancing demonstrations, face painting, family yoga and group activities in the pool and gymnasium were carried out throughout the day.
The new YMCA is named after the Rev. Dale Turner, the late senior minister at University Congregational Church and a columnist for The Seattle Times. A Lake Forest Park resident, Turner was also elected to the Life Board of the YMCA of Greater Seattle in recognition of his service to the Y.
Members of the Turner family attended a dedication ceremony at the facility on Oct. 2.
Off-leash dog park pilot sites in the works
Members of an Off-Leash Dog Area (OLDA) study group introduced two recommended pilot sites in a public meeting Oct. 29 at the Shoreline Historical Museum.
Following final approval by the City Council dogs could be unleashed in specific areas of Shoreview Park and Richmond Beach Saltwater Park in 2009.
The OLDA group’s recommendation is to establish pilot programs at both locations for a period of one year. The areas were chosen based on how well each met specific site evaluation criteria set by the group that included proximity to parking, buffer zones for existing recreational uses and a potential to manage storm water runoff onsite among other criteria.
King County criminal justice budget cut
The King County criminal justice budget will be cut more than 11 percent in 2009 as a result of the county’s $93 million budget shortfall, those attending a Town Hall learned Oct. 20.
In 2009, the Sheriff’s Office budget cuts will include $8.8 million and a loss of 79 positions, according to King County Sheriff Sue Rahr.
The impact of planned cuts also include the dismissal of two dispatchers for Animal Control, changes to the hours someone can apply for a weapons permit and the loss of a warrants detective despite a backlog of 30,000 unserved warrants.
“This is not going to be one year tighten up our belts and move on,” Rahr said. “We’re looking at cuts again in 2010 and 2011.”
Transportation benefit district to fund improvements
The Lake Forest Park City Council voted Oct. 23 to establish a funding mechanism for the city’s transportation infrastructure.
The 6-1 council decision established a transportation benefit district (TBD) to fund improvements to city streets through fees and revenue sources decided on by the City Council. The independent taxing district can decide to impose an annual fee of up to $20 per vehicle at the time of vehicle renewal or impose a transportation impact fee on commercial and industrial buildings without voter approval. Revenue options including single year excess levies, vehicle tolls, up to a 0.2 percent sales tax and up to a $100 annual vehicle fee must be approved by voters.
November
Food banks face hard times
Shoreline’s Food Lifeline agency, which provides 22 million pounds of food to the hungry and the poor through food banks each year, faced an unusual dilemma: record numbers of volunteers.
It is a strange problem, but a real one, because the organization didn’t have enough food to give away, officials said.
A record number of volunteers donated their time at Food Lifeline in November and the trend shows no signs of slowing down, Karen Chernotsky, the volunteer manager at Food Lifeline.
But the story is different with food donations.
“Volunteerism is increasing and it’s very popular, but the food is not keeping up with interested people,” Chernotsky said. “We might have to consider the real possibility of either having to slow people down or say thanks for your availability but we don’t have enough food for you to work right now.”
Residents mull over future of Shoreline
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.
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 held throughout October, approximately 400 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.
Possible jail rankles school officials
The city of Shoreline could be the future site of a new regional misdemeanant jail, city officials who are a part of the North/East Cities (NEC) municipal jail planning group announced on Nov. 20.
When built, the jail will house people convicted of misdemeanor crimes for short periods of time.
The Aldercrest Annex located at 2545 NE 200th St., is one of six potential sites undergoing environmental study for a single 640-bed municipal jail facility. Three potential sites are located in Seattle while one is located in Bellevue and another is located in unincorporated King County near the borders of Kirkland and Redmond.
The possibility of a new jail on land currently owned by the Shoreline School District is upsetting, district officials said.
The Aldercrest Annex property, also known as the old Kellogg property and Grace Cole Education complex was recently surplused by the Shoreline School District. It is not yet for sale.
Its consideration as a home for a jail came as a surprise to school officials, said district public information officer Craig Degginger on Nov. 21.
“We don’t want people to think we were a party to this proposed citing,” he said.
The district sent an e-mail to parents Thursday afternoon stating the announcement “causes serious concerns for the Shoreline School District.”
Eminent domain given to Shoreline as tool in construction of Aurora Avenue North
The power of eminent domain should be a tool for City of Shoreline officials in the construction of Aurora Avenue from North 165th Street to North 185th Street, members of the City Council decided on Nov. 17.
Eminent domain may be used in the acquisition of property for the second mile of the Aurora Corridor improvement project but only after certain steps are taken to negotiate with property owners, city staff explained at the meeting.
The power of eminent domain is allowed under state law and serves to acquire private property for public use. The law requires that an ordinance declaring a project to be in the public interest must be adopted prior to the use of eminent domain. Acquisition of 60 permanent and 17 temporary properties are necessary for improvements to the second mile of the Aurora Corridor, but eminent domain would only be put to use as a last resort, city manager Bob Olander told council members.
Risk Assessment brings recommendations for Health Lab
Work associated with the Risk and Safety Assessment for the state’s Public Health Laboratory resulted in some recommendations despite the lab’s adherence to state and federal regulations, attendees of a public meeting were told on Nov. 6.
The Risk and Safety Assessment began in May following legislative concern over how the lab affects the surrounding community. A stakeholder group met roughly once a month to help guide and critique work by the Kleinfelder consulting team.
A final report will be issued by early December and forwarded to the state Legislature in January.
The 100-page draft report includes information and recommendations associated with potential biological, chemical, and radiological hazards to the community from the lab as well as a safety assessment of the lab itself. A final report will be forwarded to the state Legislature in January 2009.
December
Residents fight against jail proposal
Siting a municipal jail in Shoreline would be appalling and ridiculous, residents told officials Dec. 11 during a public forum at Shoreline Community College.
The disapproval continued throughout the three hour meeting attended by approximately 100 Shoreline and Lake Forest Park residents. Many wanted to know why the Aldercrest Annex property at 2545 NE 200th St. is one of six potential sites for a single 640-bed municipal jail facility, despite the fact the surplused School District property is not yet for sale.
Although the site of the new jail is up for discussion, the need to build a new facility is not, according to Catherine Cornwall, senior policy advisor for the city of Seattle.
Twenty-three cities, including Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Seattle and Shoreline, must replace jail beds that will be lost once a contract with King County ends in 2012.
City readies for ‘green’ road
Shoreline’s first green street will be designed and constructed in 2009, city staff told City Council members at the Dec. 1 council meeting.
The intent of the city’s Green Street Demonstration project is to develop a street that improves the community and has a minimal impact on the surrounding environment. Improvements can include bioswales, pervious surfaces, traffic calming devices and walkways, according to city program manager Kirk McKinley.
He met with residents along 17th Avenue Northeast between Northeast 145th and 150th Streets on Nov. 13 to explain the project to those who will have a front-yard view as the project progresses.
“It will be a very inclusive process,” McKinley said. “We need to at least touch base with everybody involved in the process.”
The staff looked for a simple street, with few challenges, city manager Bob Olander told council members.
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