CITY
OF
SHORELINE
CITY COUNCIL
PRESENT: Mayor Hansen, Deputy Mayor Jepsen, Councilmembers Chang,
Fimia, Grace, and Ransom
ABSENT: Councilmember Gustafson
1.
CALL TO ORDER
The
meeting was called to order at
2. FLAG SALUTE/ROLL CALL
Mayor
Hansen led the flag salute. Upon roll
call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present, with the exception of Councilmember
Gustafson.
Upon motion by Deputy Mayor
Jepsen, seconded by Councilmember Grace and unanimously carried, Councilmember
Gustafson was excused.
(a) Shoreline
Star – Patty Hale
Mayor Hansen presented the sixth Shoreline Star to Patty
Hale and outlined her many contributions to Shoreline through her involvement
with Vision Shoreline, Celebrate Shoreline (she was the Grand Marshall of the
parade in 2003), the Ridgecrest Neighborhood Association, the Parks, Recreation
and Cultural Services Board, and the
3. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
City Manager Steve Burkett noted the ribbon cutting the
Councilmember Fimia requested that her e-mail dated
May 20 and titled “Document and Information Requests” be entered into the
record of tonight’s meeting.
4. REPORTS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: none
5. PUBLIC COMMENT
(a) Barbara
Herrmann, Shoreline, explained that the traffic circle located at 12th
NE and NE 152nd prevents her and other motorists from adequately
navigating the intersection because of the tight tolerances. She also noted the asphalt on the edge of the
road has begun to deteriorate, and although she reported this to the City in
April, nothing has been done. She said
although the traffic circle has slowed the traffic somewhat, it is particularly
inconvenient because many drivers must use alternate routes to avoid this
intersection. She commented on what she
felt was an unwarranted traffic ticket she received due to her use of the
traffic circle and urged the City to replace the traffic circle with stop signs.
(b) Bronston Kenney, Shoreline, commented on the lack of
progress by the City since it passed the cottage housing moratorium. He questioned the necessity of cottage
housing in Shoreline and felt it should be eliminated based on the overwhelming
opposition from home owners. He said the
cottage housing meeting on May 11 belied staff assertions that nothing was
being done on cottage housing. He
questioned staff’s trustworthiness and said they are controlling the outcome by
controlling the process. He said the
discovery of documents withheld from the Council (related to the
(c) Charlotte
Haines, Shoreline, thanked the City Council and staff for all their efforts
that led to the groundbreaking for the North City Project.
(d)
Virginia Paulsen, Shoreline, noted that the public rated parks and open
space maintenance as high priorities in various surveys and forums, but a
majority of parks master plan items remain unfunded. She called attention to the fact that the
priorities tend to favor west side parks over east side parks. She said citizens expect the City to provide
parks using operating and general funds, not bond issues. She asked why park items remain unfunded and
what funding sources would be used for priorities to be funded in the future.
(e)
Donna Eggen, Shoreline, said the City
promised verbally and in writing that drivers could make a turn left in front
of the traffic circle at 12th NE and
(f)
Patty Crawford, Shoreline, felt the Council should give more
consideration to east side residents, noting that no member of the Council
lives east of
(g)
Tim Crawford, Shoreline, said he was found guilty of trespassing on
City property and was sentenced to 50 hours of community service at the same
time the Mayor was losing his accounting license. He pointed out that he served 102 hours of
community service and asked if any of the Mayor’s sanctions had been completed.
(h)
Peter Henry, Shoreline, thanked the Council for making the South Woods
property a higher priority in the Parks and Open Space plan. Pointing out that there are few opportunities
for acquiring park property in Shoreline, he hoped that enough funding will be
available in time to save this property for public use. He thanked Councilmember Chang in particular
and the Council collectively for its unity on this issue.
Mr.
Burkett noted that the traffic circle at
Responding
to public comments, Bob Olander, Deputy City Manager, noted that the City does
test traffic circles to ensure there is adequate room to maneuver large
vehicles such as buses and fire trucks.
He said staff would follow up on the complaint about the deteriorating
asphalt. He pointed out that NTSP
improvements can be eliminated or altered through the same process that
acquired the improvement in the first place – a neighborhood petition. Responding to Ms. Paulsen’s comment, he said
the City does not plan to fund any park maintenance with bond issues, although
there is a proposed increase in the Capital Improvement Plan to meet the goals
of the Parks Master Plan.
Councilmember
Ransom clarified that he lives east of
Responding
to Councilmember Fimia, Mr. Burkett said staff would follow up on Mr. Kenney’s
concern about the availability of cottage housing information.
Councilmember
Chang stated that he and Councilmember Ransom toured Peverly
Pond on Saturday and noticed a significant decrease in the amount of water in
the pond. He asked staff to look into
this issue.
6. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Deputy Mayor Jepsen moved
approval of the agenda. Councilmember Grace
seconded the motion, which carried unanimously and the agenda was approved.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Councilmember Grace moved approval of the
consent calendar. Deputy Mayor Jepsen
seconded the motion and the following consent calendar items were approved:
Minutes of Regular
Meeting of
Minutes of Workshop Meeting
of
Minutes of Regular
Meeting of
Motion to authorize
the City Manager to execute a
Notice to Comcast of
Washington, LLC and Comcast
of
Washington IV, Inc. extending the current franchise
(Ordinance No. 158)
for a three-year extension set
forth
in Section 4v of the franchise, thereby creating a
new
expiration date of
Motion to authorize
the City Manager to execute a
contract
supplement with Otak, Inc. for professional
services
in an amount not to exceed $175,000 to 1)
develop
a conceptual site plan for mitigation
improvements
in Boeing Creek Park; and 2) complete
design
of the Pond Phase and Pump Phase of the 3rd
Avenue NW Drainage
Improvement Project
Motion to authorize
the City Manager to execute a
Discretionary Work
Request with
the
2005 Overlay Program and the overlay associated
with
the
8. NEW BUSINESS
(a) North
Central Segment of the Interurban Trail – Design Amenities
Kirk McKinley, Aurora and Interurban
Trail Project Manager, Dave Buchan, Capital Project Manager, and Connie Reckord, Design Consultant with MacLeod Reckord,
presented the 60% design schematics for the north central segment of the Interurban
Trail. They provided the background on
the project and reported that since the 30% design presentation, the design
team has been refining the alignment of the trail, working on details of the
grading plan, edge conditions for both
Mr. Buchan commented that the
north central segment will provide a great opportunity to create significant
“gathering places” as well as create a sense of place in Shoreline. The plan includes retaining the remaining
section of
Councilmember Ransom had
several questions and concerns related to the types of trees proposed for the
planting beds, the “meandering” nature of the trail, trail alignment from N 175th
Street to N 178th Street, Walgreens and Key
Bank parking, access to Ronald Place, bricks to be salvaged from Ronald Place, development
of a “heritage plaza” at Ronald Place, and the narrowness of the trail segment
on N 185th Street from Aurora to Midvale. He speculated that the narrow, 10-foot width
of the trail in this segment might create congestion and safety problems for
pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.
Staff explained that dogwood
and other ornamental trees are being considered because of the opportunity to
create seasonal color. They explained
that the trail will parallel
Staff commented on the
adequacy of the trail segment on
Councilmember Grace was
pleased that a significant portion of the red brick road is planned for
preservation. He inquired about the
potential configuration of SCL property north of Sky Nursery and parking
opportunities for trail users in this area.
Mr. Buchan said there have
been general discussions among staff, but there are no specific plans for this
area. He noted this area presents an
opportunity for some potential use, including parking.
Councilmember Chang wondered
if a crosswalk at
Ms. Reckord
noted that a mid-block crossing (an intersection one to two
car lengths away from the corner) actually presents a more dangerous situation
to trail users. Mr. McKinley pointed out
that the Aurora Corridor Phase II plan ultimately envisions this intersection as
a four-way signalized crossing.
Recalling the beauty of the cherry
trees on the
Mr. McKinley concurred,
noting that the suggestion for dogwood trees came from Councilmember
Chang. He said the trail is creating
economic incentives, as future developments are talking about orienting
themselves toward the trail.
Deputy Mayor Jepsen concurred
with many of the previous comments, including the suggestion of a more
urbanized trail in the north central section.
He expressed concern about having two driveway crossings serving Key
Bank and the proposed Walgreens and suggested that a
line of trees also separate the trail from the parking lot at Walgreens. He
expressed support for a “heritage plaza” but was concerned that this amenity is
not being considered as part of the proposed project. He suggested that the City incorporate it in
the design now rather than deferring it. He also suggested street trees between
Mr. McKinley said as the
design has been refined, staff has learned that the Walgreens
parking lot will actually be several feet above the trail, so the design in
this section will likely incorporate some kind of wall.
Noting the emphasis on
attracting new businesses to the area, Councilmember Fimia asked if the City is
also working to relocate businesses that will be displaced by the project. She also wondered if the City ever hires a risk
management firm to review its designs.
Mr. Burkett explained that
the City acquired the services of a realtor to search for potential sites in
Shoreline. He said the Economic
Development Manager has also come up with some other ideas to work directly
with the businesses to try and find sites within Shoreline. Designs are reviewed by the City’s traffic
engineer and City Engineer, rather than a separate risk management firm.
Councilmember Fimia felt that
a risk management professional might be able to provide another valuable
viewpoint. She stressed the need for
additional access to the trail, noting that access points are needed if the
City wants to encourage more pedestrian and bicycle trips. She suggested that additional funding be
added to the Parks Master plan to provide access to completed portions of the
trail. She also asked for a cost
comparison with other jurisdictions that have completed similar projects,
noting her preference that the cost be
“within the ballpark of other cities” before committing to a final design. She noted that private funding of some
amenities might help offset the $500,000 City contribution in the Capital Improvement
Plan. Responding to Councilmember Fimia,
staff confirmed that 12-foot trees would provide adequate sight distance. She suggested that the City explore the
possibility of securing use rights to the Walgreens
parking lot if the City is planning this area as a major gathering place.
Councilmember Ransom
commented that
Mr. Buchan said the crosswalk
will be raised a few inches above the road grade and have a different pattern so
that motorists will drive more cautiously.
Responding to Councilmember Ransom’s
question about which sections of the trail would be built with concrete or
brick, Mr. McKinley said the goal is to have concrete from N 175th
to N 185th and asphalt from N 185th to N 192nd,
but staff needs to further refine the design and costs.
Mr. Burkett clarified that a
full traffic signal is planned for
Mr. Buchan clarified that the
green space north of Sky Nursery remains in private ownership.
Mayor Hansen asked if the
intention is to open
Mr. Buchan said it is not
envisioned in the near-term, but at some point it would make good sense in
terms of traffic circulation in the neighborhood.
Mr. McKinley said the City
did not invest a lot in the north side of
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
(a)
Continued deliberations on the 2004 Update of the Comprehensive Plan
and master plans for Parks, Recreation and Open Space
The
City Clerk noted that the motion on the floor postponed from past week was “to accept the park and general capital
facilities components of the draft Capital Facilities Element dated
Councilmember
Grace suggested that a feasibility analysis for an eastside recreation center
should be made a higher priority. Mr.
Deal noted that it could be moved up to Priority Level 1B, which would make it
a more near-term item.
Councilmember
Ransom suggested that the
Mr.
Burkett assured him that the city hall issue will be settled before doing the
master plan for
Mr.
Deal felt the
Councilmember
Ransom expressed concerns about several aspects of the Parks plan. He asked about the $700,000 expenditure for
the Boeing Creek conceptual plan, and questioned the necessity of the Innis
Arden master plan as a Level 1 priority.
He pointed out that Boeing Creek Park had always been envisioned as a
nature park. He noted the extensive,
year-long study with the school district that considered converting the old
Kellogg school into a recreation center for the east side. He felt that part of the
Mr.
Burkett clarified that the $700,000 listed for Boeing Creek Park includes the
actual improvements that would be constructed, not just the planning.
Mr.
Deal outlined the elements of the Boeing Creek mitigation funding, noting that
any improvements would be totally funded by
Councilmember
Chang suggested that the City consider the feasibility of partnering with northend cities to hire a parks master planner in an effort
to reduce costs.
Mr.
Deal noted that the Public Works department is a resource the City uses on a
regular basis for landscape architecture.
He did not feel one individual would be able to address all of the
City’s site planning and park needs.
Deputy
Mayor Jepsen supported moving ahead with the plan as amended, noting all the
time and effort that the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Service Committee and the
public put into developing it.
Responding
to Councilmember Fimia, Mr. Deal said that the master plan for the Innis Arden
Reserve is currently in the unfunded category.
Councilmember Fimia moved to
remove this from Priority 1B status to level 3.
Councilmember Ransom seconded the motion, which failed 3-3, with Mayor
Hansen, Deputy Mayor Jepsen and Councilmember Grace dissenting.
Councilmember
Fimia moved to make the Twin Ponds playground a Priority 2 instead of 1B. Mr. Deal assured her that these items will be
addressed in much greater detail in the future, so she withdrew her
motion. She wondered how much public process would be
included in the development of the master plans. Mr. Deal expressed his commitment to a
substantial public input process in the development of the plans. Councilmember Fimia advised that the
allocations for master plans can be greatly reduced if the public process is
handled in-house.
Councilmember Fimia moved
that the
Councilmember
Fimia noted the absence of a project connecting the Interurban Trail with the
Burke-Gilman Trail. Mr. Deal clarified
that the non-motorized transportation elements would be part of the
transportation plan.
Mr.
Deal noted that a new item, purchase of the
Councilmember Ransom moved
to make the Kruckeburg Gardens purchase a Priority
1B, with an allocation of $950,000.
Councilmember Fimia seconded the motion, which carried 6-0.
Councilmember Fimia moved to
divide the question on the main motion.
Councilmember Ransom, seconded the motion, which carried 5-1, with
Deputy Mayor Jepsen dissenting.
A vote was taken on the
motion to accept the parks components of the draft Capital Facilities Element
dated
A vote was taken on the
motion to accept the general capital facilities components of the draft Capital
Facilities Element dated
MEETING
EXTENSION
At
Resolution No. 231 adopting the
Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan
Deputy Mayor Jepsen moved to
adopt Resolution No. 231. Councilmember
Grace seconded the motion.
Councilmember
Ransom moved to change the mission statement (as found on page 7-7 and elsewhere)
to add a third element: “cultural services – to bring our culture to life and
transfer it to the next generation.” Councilmember
Fimia seconded the motion.
The
Council discussed the merits of this change.
Councilmember Grace supported the change but felt it should come as a
recommendation from the PRCS Board.
Councilmember
Fimia disagreed, noting that the Council has the right to make this minor change
without the approval of the PRCS Board.
Councilmember
Ransom spoke in favor of the motion, noting that the cultural services component
is a significant element and not a subsidiary item in the Parks’ mission. He urged Council’s approval of this
change.
A vote was taken on the
motion, which carried 6-0.
Councilmember Fimia moved to
add “Adopt-a-Park” to the list of funding sources in Appendix L. Councilmember Ransom seconded the motion,
which carried 6-0.
A vote was taken on the
motion to adopt Resolution No. 231 and the amended Parks, Recreation and Open
Space Plan drafted in the fall of 2004, which carried 6-0.
10. ADJOURNMENT
At
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