Shoreline council to discuss placemaking, alleys, density, and bikes

By Oliver J. Moffat

At risk federal grants, traffic safety projects, affordable housing tax breaks, and urban forestry are also on the May 12, Shoreline city council agenda.

A map from the Shoreline Comprehensive Plan shows the location of the four Candidate Countywide Growth Centers

At the May 12 meeting, the Shoreline city council will discuss proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan including: 

• One would remove duplicated technical bike safety details from the Transportation Element, referring instead to the Engineering Development Manual. 
• Another would shrink the 148th, 185th, Shoreline Place, and Town Center proposed Countywide Centers, per King County feedback, to further focus investments and stimulate growth. 
• A third would refresh the 2011 Town Center Plan for the 392-acre area near Aurora from 165th-190th to improve transportation, placemaking, and include walking and biking improvements for Firlands Way N from 190th-192nd. 
• And two amendments would create more through-block connections (alleys, shared paths) in the 145th and 185th station areas to improve pedestrian/bike access and services hindered by existing long blocks and dead ends.

A graphic from the Shoreline Transportation Element illustrates the Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) categories

Other agenda items include:

Adopting the Transportation Improvement Plan for road, walking, and biking projects. 

Eight of those projects depend on over $41 million in at-risk federal grants, and nine projects face cost hikes over $94 million, impacting safety projects like those on 175th and Meridian.
 
Approve a contract to develop a Safe Streets Action Plan to address record-high pedestrian collisions and fatal/serious crashes. 

It will use data and community input to design safety projects (like improved crosswalks and bike lanes) and help secure future grants.

Adding a new fee for developers seeking 12-year extensions to existing affordable housing tax breaks (MFTE). Shoreline's program has 20 buildings providing 731 rent-restricted units and two may soon apply for extensions.

Approval to spend $189,700 from a $1 million federal grant to count public trees and create an urban forest care plan. That grant is at risk (it was temporarily frozen and only guaranteed through September), so the city wants to use the available funds now.