Showing posts with label city council. Show all posts
Showing posts with label city council. Show all posts

Legislators meet with Kenmore council

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Kenmore City Council, 1st LD legislators, County Councilmember Rod Dembowski

County Councilmember Rod Dembowski and legislators from the 1st District met with the Kenmore City Council at their dinner meeting on September 11, 2024.

Dembowski said the meeting was an opportunity "to dialogue about our successes and opportunities for our shared constituents.
"Excited about our recent big wins to preserve Lakepoint waterfront, our new senior women’s shelter, new transit service, and work to restore salmon habitat and invest in public safety, including our amazing crisis response system."


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Bothell council votes to donate downtown lot for affordable housing

Friday, July 19, 2024

By Oliver Moffat

At the July 16 meeting, the Bothell City Council voted 5 to 2 in favor of donating a downtown lot to Bothell United Methodist Church for affordable housing.



Bothell spent roughly $20.6 million starting in 2009 to buy 18 acres in downtown from the Northshore School District. Since then, the city has sold eight properties for more than $28.8 million. The city still owns a number of lots downtown including the 1.67 acre lot known as P-South a block from Pop Keeney Stadium.

As previously reported, instead of selling P-South for a profit, the city intends to donate the land to Bothell United Methodist Church (BUMC) to be developed into affordable housing.

According to the plan, BUMC will lease the land to BRIDGE Housing (the developers building affordable housing at the Northgate Transit Station). The building will have 200 units of affordable housing, human services, job training, and community space.

Mayor Mason Thompson spoke in support of the project. 

“Over 99 years, 200 units: this will help thousands of people with one of the biggest needs we have in our community… And it will make Bothell a more welcoming city, a more vibrant city,” he said. 
“I’m really excited to see this project in the ground because I think this is the kind of impact that's worth us investing in. Especially when it's with a local partner that has been around since before Bothell was Bothell,” said Thompson.

Council member Jeanne Zornes opposed the donation. “We've been told that there is interest in buying this property for $10 million. This is a generous give from the city and I have heard no gratitude, no ‘thank yous,’” she said.

Council member Benjamin Mahnkey also voted against the proposal over concerns the project would take too long or fail. “A five year timeline for shovels to hit the ground does concern me a lot. It's going to be an empty vacant property in its current state during this time. There's no guarantee that funding will be obtained.”



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Shoreline City Councilmember Eben Pobee awarded Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership

Friday, June 21, 2024

Eben Pobee
Shoreline City Councilmember Eben Pobee recently earned a Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC).

AWC’s Certificate of Municipal Leadership program recognizes city and town elected officials for accomplishing training in five core areas:
  1. Roles, responsibilities, and legal requirements
  2. Public sector resource management
  3. Community planning and development
  4. Effective local leadership
  5. Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Those who earn the advanced certificate have continued to strive for excellence by attending conferences and trainings, serving their community, and further developing leadership skills.

To earn the Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership, Pobee completed more than 60 hours of training and demonstrated local community service.

Born in Ghana, in West Africa, Pobee was one of eight children of farmers. At an early age, Pobee chose schooling over farming and went on to earn a degree at the University of Ghana and a scholarship to the London School of Business. 

Rather than moving to London, Pobee chose to get his Master of Business Administration degree from Concordia University in Portland, Oregon where he met his wife, Harriet. After graduating, he moved to Shoreline with his wife and their three daughters, Emily, Olivia, and Lydia.

Pobee works as a finance manager with EPOBS Suite, a cloud-based Financial Management Software company. He is also co-founder and Artistic Director of JHP Legacy which provides a variety of cultural and arts programs.

In 2019, Governor Jay Inslee appointed Pobee to the Board of Trustees of Shoreline Community College, where he currently serves as Vice Chair. Pobee was involved in the first CityWise Project organized by the City of Shoreline and has been active in PTAs at his kids’ schools. He currently serves as the Chair of King County’s 4Culture Arts Advisory Committee.

Pobee was elected to City Council in 2021. His external committee assignments include AWC’s Education Training Advisory Committee and the Seashore Transportation Forum.

AWC serves its members through advocacy, education, and services. Founded in 1933, AWC is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation that represents Washington's 281 cities and towns before the state legislature, the state executive branch, and with regulatory agencies. 

AWC also provides training, data and publications, and programs such as the AWC Employee Benefit Trust, AWC Risk Management Service Agency, AWC Workers’ Comp Retro, AWC Drug and Alcohol Consortium, and AWC GIS Consortium.


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Shoreline council discusses sister cities, urban forestry, land conservation

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

By Oliver Moffat

At the June 17, 2024 meeting the Shoreline city council discussed sister cities, a million dollar urban forestry grant, and conservation of forest and farm land.


Sister City relationship with Akropong, Ghana

Earlier this year the city ended its twenty-year sister city relationship with Boryeong City, South Korea. Councilmember Eben Pobee has proposed forming a new sister city relationship with Akropong, Ghana. 

Pobee said, “Why start with Ghana? Well, the history is rich and it’s going to help a lot of people.” He added that the association would be sustainable and flexible, “the association is going to be setup in such a way that we can propose any other city under the umbrella,” Pobee said.

A map shows Shoreline parks and Disadvantaged Communities where a $1,000,000 grant would be spent for urban forestry

Forest Service Urban Forestry Grant

Shoreline received a million dollar grant from the Forest Service to benefit tree planting and urban forestry work in nine disadvantaged census blocks. Parks that will receive tree funds include Echo Lake Park, West Echo Lake Park, Edwin Pratt Park, Hamlin Park, South Woods Park, Ballinger Open Space Park, and Brugger’s Bog Park.

One of the census blocks designated as “disadvantaged” raised a question from Councilmember Keith Scully who asked “how on earth did Richmond Beach end up a disadvantaged area?” 

A map included in the staff report shows the census blocks nearest Point Wells in Richmond Beach have elevated “air toxics cancer risks” as designated by the EPA while a map from the Washington State Department of Ecology shows multiple sites across Shoreline awaiting toxic clean.

A map from the city’s Transfer of Development Rights proposal shows the neighborhoods that could receive increased urban density 

Transfer of Development Rights Conservation Revenue Sharing Program

The council reviewed a proposal intended to conserve farm and forest land elsewhere in King County while increasing urban density within Shoreline. The city has been discussing the program called Transfer of Development Rights (TDR), since at least 2005 but, according to Mayor Chris Roberts, “looks like next week will be the end of the TDR saga.”

Since 1998, the King County TDR market has allowed rural land owners to sell conservation rights to developers who then get to build bigger and denser buildings in urban areas. So far, only five of the thirty nine cities in King County have agreed to be receiving urban areas under the program (Seattle, Bellevue, Issaquah, Normandy Park and Sammamish).

To get more cities to participate, the state offers a complex revenue sharing model that (according to city staff) could generate as much as $12.8 million for the city. But the council criticized the tax scheme as overly complicated and city staff is concerned the program is too restrictive. Now King County is offering a simplified Revenue Sharing program that might pay Shoreline $2-$3 million to allow taller buildings with less parking.


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Shoreline council debates Traffic Cameras after reviewing crash reports

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

By Oliver Moffat

At the June 10 meeting, the Shoreline council debated Traffic Cameras after reviewing the latest Traffic Report which showed record high pedestrian, fatal and serious injury crashes. Shoreline’s rise in injury collisions is consistent with state-wide trends, but unlike neighboring cities, Shoreline has resisted adoption of traffic cameras.


A traffic jam at the Meridian Park crosswalk is shown in a photo by Mike Remarcke

Council members Betsy Robertson and Eben Pobee brought traffic cameras up for discussion again after a new state law took effect that expands where cameras can be used and changes how revenue from tickets can be spent. Before adopting traffic cameras, the city must complete a study which includes equity considerations.

Parents brought a petition with 180 signatures from neighbors asking the city to install traffic cameras in front of Meridian Park elementary and told the council about the daily horror they face crossing 175th street with children.

Urging the rest of the council to support the traffic camera study, Robertson said, “My focus is on schools… We’ve got young people, crossing streets, walking down sidewalks every day and they’re just not as safe as they should be.”

A screenshot from photoenforced.com shows the location of traffic cameras
 in Seattle, Lake Forest Park, and Lynnwood. 

Addressing criticism that the city is seeking to use traffic cameras as a money making scheme, Pobee said, 
 “It has nothing to do with revenue. As a matter fact I don’t think we have ever thought about increasing revenue or generating revenue as a result of this. We are thinking about safety. We are thinking about people. We are thinking about community.”

Councilmember Keith Scully blasted the staff report for being one sided, 

“There is nothing at all in there other than cheerleading for why school zone enforcement cameras are good. There is another side to this and it’s profound. They are inequitable in that they harm the poor folks who get a $180 ticket far more than the rich folks who do.”

Scully argued for bring back Shoreline’s traffic unit instead of automated cameras, “So there’s an easy solution to this: it’s traffic cops.”

Graphs from the Traffic Report show the drop in traffic citations after the Shoreline police department ended the traffic unit

The Shoreline police department suspended its traffic unit because of staffing shortages.

In response to a request to bring the traffic unit back, Chief of Police Kelly Park said, ”if we expedited that now, that means we are pulling bodies that are answering 911 calls and priority calls.“ She said the goal was to have a traffic unit again by the end of the year.

Scully questioned the effectiveness of speed cameras. “I want to see the data on that. I want to see how effective they are at actually reducing speeds in these areas.”

According to the Federal Highway Administration, speed cameras slow drivers and prevent injuries and red light cameras reduce crashes and deaths at intersections according to studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The new traffic camera law adds protections for the poor and historically over-policed. Cities must conduct an equity analysis before they put up traffic cameras, public assistance recipients have their fines reduced by fifty percent, fines may not exceed $145, and revenue must be spent on traffic safety to benefit communities overburdened by dangerous roads.


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Shoreline council micromanages 175th pedestrian project

Thursday, June 6, 2024

A sign warns pedestrians to stay off 175th street. photo by Oliver Moffat
By Oliver Moffat

On Monday, June 3, council members Keith Scully and Annette Ademasu called the city’s traffic engineers back to the council chambers to listen to input from residents concerned about trees that will be removed to make way for sidewalks and bike lanes along the 175th corridor.

“I think a check-in at this point when it’s not too late to make some changes seemed to make a lot of sense,” said council member Keith Scully about why he called for the study session while also acknowledging, “this is more council micromanagement then I usually support.”

The Shoreline city council has approved the 175th corridor project seven times since 2018; not to mention the times when the council reviewed the plan in the Transportation Improvement Plan and the Capital Improvement Plan

The city reviewed input from over 1,500 residents and incorporated the council-approved Climate Action Plan, Transportation Master Plan, Transportation Element, Complete Streets Ordinance, ADA Transition Plan, and the Sidewalk Prioritization Plan.

Although the project is complicated, there was little debate about the intersection of 175th and Meridian.

In 2003, a city risk assessment, warned it was built on pilings driven into soil that “has the potential for liquefaction” - now (twenty years later) an earthquake could still send the road “slipping and sliding” into nearby Ronald Bog along with sewage from neighborhood residents.

“While we can’t replace a mature tree, we can’t replace a life. And the safety aspects have been enumerated several times by people in the audience,” said Deputy Mayor Laura Mork. “I think it’s imperative we get phase one done to be safe as soon as possible,” she said about the Meridian intersection.

A screen shot from the city staff report shows the 51 foot bottleneck from Densmore to Wallingford where 175th squeezes four traffic lanes through rock retaining walls topped by mature conifer trees.

There was less unanimity about subsequent phases of the project - especially the 51 foot bottleneck from Densmore to Wallingford where 175th squeezes four traffic lanes through rock retaining walls topped by mature conifer trees.

Council member Annette Ademasu asked city staff to consider a proposal from Save Shoreline Trees that would shrink the sidewalks to five feet and detour bike lanes up 178th street. “That would be just a couple minutes out of the way,” she said about the 178th street bike route.

In written comments, city staff said, “eliminating bike facilities from any portion of the 175th Corridor Project is not in alignment with the City’s Complete Streets ordinance, Bike Plan (TE), and would make the pursuit of future construction funding difficult.“ 

Grant applications for bike lanes and sidewalks that meet route directness and level of traffic stress standards are more competitive.

Although Representative Pramila Jayapal recently announced she requested $3 million for 175th, the city doesn’t have the estimated $88 million needed for the project.

“What I’m concerned about is the cost,” said Council member Eben Pobee. “I don’t entirely agree with redesigning everything. That would not be a good decision financially,” he said. But he said he supported incorporating additional discreet modifications to save more trees.

Citing data from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, council member John Ramsdell said, “the most important thing we have to do is reduce the amount of CO2 and greenhouse gasses we are emitting and that is going to be the most effective way we can save our planet. And so when I look at this report, the 175th street project, the way it is currently designed, does just that.“

“I didn’t hear one person here say we needed four lanes between Meridian and Midvale,” said Mayor Chris Roberts. “I looked and saw we have traffic volumes of about 21,000 vehicles per day in this segment… if we were to get to one lane in each direction, not only would we have reduced traffic speeds, we would make it easier for pedestrians to cross two lanes of traffic instead of four lanes of traffic west of Meridian Park elementary. We might be able to get protected bike lanes, sidewalks and buffers in the existing right of way,” he said.

An architectural rendering from the city shows the what 175th might look like with bike lanes and sidewalks

If the city meets its Climate Action Plan goal to reduce per capita driving 50% by 2050, 175th would be a good candidate for a road diet, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

The conversation about 175th is not over. “I know we are going to have a discussion coming up about speed zone cameras and red light cameras. With most of that focused on this intersection. Most of that focused on this segment,” said Roberts.

At the June 10 meeting, the city council will discuss Traffic Cameras after reviewing the annual Traffic Report and  residents are encouraged to attend and make public comments.


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Transportation and Middle Housing discussed at the May 20 Shoreline Council meeting

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

The locations of three new projects added to the Transportation Improvement Plan are marked on a map

By Oliver Moffat

At the May 20 meeting, the city council approved a new Transportation Improvement Plan with some amendments, discussed Electric Scooter and Bike Sharing, and provided feedback on the Comprehensive Plan.

Every year, the city council is required to approve a list of transportation projects for the subsequent six-years. The city council made three amendments to the Transportation Improvement Plan before approval: an unfunded bike bridge to Edmonds over SR 104, proposed improvements to Firlands Way, and splitting the 185th project into separate east and west projects.

Regional bike advocates lobbied the city council to build a non-motorized bridge over SR 104 where a one mile gap in the Interurban Trail between Shoreline and Edmonds drives cyclists onto busy streets. The city council agreed to pitch in $40,000 to study the project but (given staffing shortages) the city did not sound eager to commit to yet another big bike bridge project.

One block to the east of the CRISTA retirement community and one block west of the new Canopy apartment complex is Firlands Way N. A citizen-initiated proposal could convert the road with 90 feet of city-owned right of way into a six acre, tree-lined pedestrian friendly public space. 

The proposal could be both a transportation project and a park project and bring badly needed open space to the rapidly urbanizing neighborhood near Aurora. The city council added a plan to study the Firlands Way proposal to the transportation plan.

After hearing safety concerns about 180th Street from residents in North City, council member Eben Pobee sponsored an amendment to separate the 180th and 10th Ave segments of the 185th corridor project into a distinct project called the “North City Light Rail Connector”. 

Largely symbolic, the name change doesn’t increase the priority or funding for the project, but raises the visibility of a smaller project that was previously buried inside a larger project.

 A screenshot shows council member Betsy Robertson saying “All those folks who don’t want to see the additional housing, they are all comfortably housed.”

Although it wasn’t on the agenda, the topic of what kinds of Middle Housing the city should allow came up while discussing the Comprehensive Plan.

Mayor Chris Roberts said he wants to “double down” and “embrace middle housing of all types” not just meet the minimum density rules required by state law. “I hope the planning commission brings back policies that give us the big version of what middle housing could look like in Shoreline. And then we can work with our affordable housing developers to say ‘okay, what do you need’ and how do we get really truly affordable housing in our city,” said Roberts.

Council member Annette Ademasu disagreed with the push for more middle housing. “I’m hearing from people out there… they don’t want to see corner to corner… townhomes. They would rather see more green space interspersed when we are looking at middle housing,“ said Ademasu.

“All those folks who don’t want to see the additional housing, they are all comfortably housed,” council member Betsy Robertson said in response. “And we have a housing crisis and we need to add more units. And Shoreline is committed to doing that,” said Robertson.


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Upcoming Shoreline city council agenda items to keep an eye on

Sunday, May 12, 2024

Back row L-R: Councilmembers John Ramsdell, Betsy Robertson, Annette Ademasu,
Eben Pobee, Keith Scully. Front row from left: Mayor Chris Roberts, Deputy Mayor Laura Mork

By Oliver Moffat

Admittedly, not everyone looks forward with anticipation for Monday nights at Shoreline city hall but for those who do, the council has a thrilling list of upcoming agenda topics buried within the usual laundry list of snoozers.

  1. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, should Shoreline build sidewalks and bike lanes to undo a century of building roads for cars and trucks ?
  2. Or is it better to preserve significant trees to reduce urban heat islands and sequester CO2?
  3. Should the city’s major streets be welcoming and safe for transit riders, children walking to school, pedestrians and bicyclists?
Answering these questions (and more) is the job of Shoreline’s city council over the next five weeks.

On May 13, 2024 the council will review progress on Shoreline’s Climate Action Plan which calls for reducing emissions, enhancing ecosystem health and sequestration, and increasing community resilience and preparedness. How much progress has been made and what tangible steps will the city make in the coming years?

On May 20, the council will vote on adoption of the Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan which will impact everyone in the growing region. The city wants to roll out Scooter and Bike Sharing and the council will review that plan. The Natural Environment, Shoreline Master Program and Transportation sections of the Comprehensive Plan are also on the agenda.

On June 3, the 175th street project will be back on the agenda for discussion and council members Eben Pobee and Annette Ademasu are hosting a presentation from Save Shoreline Trees. A report from the King County Regional Homelessness Authority will also be reviewed.

On June 10, the much anticipated (and overdue) Annual Traffic Report will be reviewed and Traffic Enforcement Cameras will be discussed. In the past, the council has chosen to not install speed cameras but will the new traffic safety data change their minds? The council will vote on whether our roads should also have Scooters and Bicycle Shares?

On June 24 before the council adjourns for their summer vacation, the Commute Trip Reduction Plan will be reviewed.

The Shoreline city council meets at 7pm on Mondays at city hall and online and the council welcomes public comments via email, online or in person.

Mark your calendars and write those emails!


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Shoreline council discussed parks, storm water, and property acquisition at April 22 meeting

Thursday, April 25, 2024

By Oliver Moffat

At the April 22nd meeting, the Shoreline city council discussed parks, storm water fees and property acquisition.


Shoreline council discussed parks, storm water, and property acquisition at April 22 meeting

Parks, Recreation Open Space and Arts (PROSA) Plan


After a public hearing, the council discussed the proposed 2024-2030 Parks, Recreation Open Space and Arts (PROSA) Plan.

New in this year’s plan is a goal to make park land acquisition more equitable and transparent. As Shoreline’s population grows, the need for more open space and park land has become a strategic goal for the city.

Currently, the city acquires park property when funds are available and the property is for sale and maintains an internal list of properties it would like to acquire in the future.

To make this process more equitable and transparent, the proposed plan says the parks department will create a framework to guide which properties the city will buy and where money should be spent to develop existing park land.

The proposed plan includes maps that rank neighborhoods by demographic features (income, age, race, language, and disability) along with maps showing walking distance to parks. Those maps may be used to inform future park acquisitions but the details of the framework have yet to be defined.

The council is scheduled to vote on whether to adopt the PROSA at the May 6 meeting.

A map shows the location of the city-owned storage court and the office building adjacent to Shoreline city hall the city wants to buy

City Hall Expansion


The council discussed a plan to expand the city hall campus by purchasing the office building immediately to the north at 17544 Midvale Ave N.

The owners want to sell the property to the city and (according to city staff) the income the city will earn from renting the office space will cover the cost of the acquisition.

Council member Keith Scully had previously been the lone dissenting voice against the acquisition of the office building over concerns that the city did not have clear plans for what to do with the property.

The property will be added to a portfolio of properties the city has purchased near city hall including four properties on 175th the city acquired as part of the 175th corridor project and the storage court the city purchased in hopes of building an aquatic center at the site.

A bond measure in 2019 to pay for the pool failed to pass because it required 60% approval and only received 54% of the votes. The proposed PROSA plan says the city will “continue to pursue opportunities” to build an aquatics center.

The council will vote on whether to acquire the office building at the April 29 meeting.

Back row (L+R): Councilmembers John Ramsdell, Betsy Robertson,
Annette Ademasu, Eben Pobee, Keith Scully
Front row from left: Mayor Chris Roberts, Deputy Mayor Laura Mork

Surface Water Plan


The city council reviewed an update to its Surface Water Master Plan (SWMP) which considered whether to charge higher fees for properties with more hard surfaces.

Shoreline gets more than 38 inches of rain each year with five inches in January alone. All that water needs to go somewhere - ideally, the city would like the water to soak into the ground near where it falls.

Impervious surfaces like roofs and pavement shed the water into ditches and drains that can lead to flooding and pollution.

The city considered charging property owners more if they have more pavement and other hard surfaces. In survey results, residents supported the change because it would be fairer and council members supported the plan because it could encourage property owners to remove hard surfaces.

City staff raised concerns that administering the fees would require maintaining a database of all hard-surfaces on all properties in the city which would be expensive.

After discussion, the council agreed to stick with the current flat rate fee structure while expanding the Soak It Up Rebate Program which incentivizes owners to build rain gardens.


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185th project scope questioned at Shoreline transportation hearing

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

A map shows the five segments of the 185th project with estimated costs;
North City residents have raised safety concerns about 180th 

By Oliver Moffat

This is the fourth (and final) article covering comments from the city council about Shoreline’s proposed Transportation Improvement Plan at last week’s public hearing.

North City has long been home to affordable housing with condo complexes and subsidized apartments. Recent construction has brought new apartments and new neighbors living in walking distance of the soon-to-open light rail station at 185th street.

To support increased vehicle, bike and pedestrian traffic in the neighborhoods near Shoreline’s south station, the city will spend $157 million on infrastructure improvement along 145th street.

A map from a North City resident shows the location of apartments and condos (yellow), the light rail station (red), recently completed sidewalks (green), and unfunded sidewalk projects (blue)

Out of the nineteen projects listed in Shoreline’s proposed Transportation Improvement Plan, the three running through the North City neighborhood are all unfunded.

On Monday, April 15, 2024 the council heard comments from North City residents concerned about 180th street, the primary cross street connecting the North City business district to Shoreline’s north light rail station on 185th.

In reference to concerns about the plan, council member Keith Scully said, “North City folks, we are $80 million short on that one. So it’s gonna be awhile and I appreciate the desire and believe me it’s not prioritizing part of the city. 
"These projects are unbelievably expensive and it takes a long time to get them in progress, so. My apologies but it’s gonna be a bit for North City.”


Of the $80 million worth of projects in the 185th Street Multimodal Corridor Strategy, $63 million would be spent to widen 185th street on the west side of I-5 from three lanes to four.

On the east side of I-5, $12 million would be spent to add on-street parking, sidewalks and bike lanes on 10th Ave between 185th and 180th.

Another $5 million would be spent to fill sidewalk gaps on 180th, where pedestrians must currently walk in the road; the city says the sidewalks won’t be built until sometime after 2035 (more than ten years from now).

A screen shot shows councilmember Keith Scully (left) listening as Mayor Chris Roberts questions the scope of the 185th project

In comments at the public hearing, Mayor Chris Roberts indicated he would like to revisit the plan and questioned the size and scope of the 185th project.

“We haven’t revisited this project in a while. Has there been any thought on refining the scope or separating out … that 185th project into more distinct projects? Maybe focusing on those east side projects”, said Roberts.

Whether walking, biking, driving or taking the bus, 180th is the primary road eastside residents will take to reach the 185th street station.

That segment of 180th is also the location of the of a school bus stop, the fire station, and later this year Metro’s 348 will add frequent all-day and all-night service to the street.


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Bridge to Edmonds and other bike projects considered by Shoreline city council

Monday, April 22, 2024

By Oliver Moffat

The Shoreline city council heard public comments on the city’s proposed Transportation Improvement Plan at a public hearing on April 15, 2024.

This is the third article of four covering comments from the council about this year’s proposed plan for the next six-years of transportation projects.


An aerial map prepared by advocates from interurbangap.org shows possible locations of a bike bridge connecting the Interurban Trail between Shoreline and Edmonds

The council heard comments from bicycle advocates in support of a bike bridge over NE 205th St (SR 104) connecting the Interurban Trail from Shoreline to Edmonds.

Council member John Ramsdell spoke in favor of adding the bike bridge project to the city’s transportation plan and said, “I’m a cyclist myself, crossing SR 104 is scary as a cyclist”.

A screenshot shows council member John Ramsdell expressing support for adding a bike bridge to Edmonds to the city’s list of transportation projects 

According to data received from WSDOT, the intersection where the Interurban Trail crosses SR 104 has been the site of two recent serious injury collisions involving bicyclists.

If the council chooses to include the Edmonds bike bridge to the Transportation Improvement Plan, it would be added to a long list of other bike and pedestrian projects already on the plan.

In comments about the plan, councilmember Keith Scully said, “I want to say how delighted I am that we have a list of projects and not a single one of them is solely motor vehicle…”, he said.

Ten of the nineteen projects listed in the Transportation Improvement Plan will primarily benefit vehicle traffic - such as the Road Surface Maintenance Program (#4), the roundabouts on 145th (#7), and the 145th (#6) and 175th (#11) corridor projects.

Voters approved a sales tax in 2018 to pay for new sidewalks (#2) which will pay for nine new sidewalks across the city.

The sidewalk rehabilitation program (#1) is paid for with vehicle license fees and will improve existing sidewalks.

A map of projects included in the Transportation Improvement Plan shows locations of additional pedestrian and bicycle projects that might be included

New sidewalks are planned on Ballinger Way (#15) and 200th (#14) and new bike lanes are planned on Meridian between 175th and 200th (#13).

Two projects funded by Sound Transit will likely be included in future versions of the Transportation Improvement Plan.

Sound Transit will pay for a new sidewalk on 30th Ave NE between NE 145th St to NE 147th St.

Sound Transit also will pay for a project the city is calling the “28th Ave NE Bikeway” to paint sharrows on 28th between 145th and 150th.

The city is calling a network of sharrows on streets running parallel to 145th the “Westside Street Off-Corridor Bike Network” which will connect to the 148th Street Non-Motorized Bridge (#8).

An Eastside Off-Corridor Bike Network (#12) is in early stages of planning.

Studies on the safety of sharrows have been inconclusive with some studies finding them to be ineffective at improving safety for bicyclists.

The city envisions a Trail Along the Rail (#9), a shared-use path running parallel to the light rail line, but has not allocated funding to purchase property to fill gaps.

Some gaps north of the 148th bike bridge could be filled by the 3rd Ave NE Connectors project (#19) but other gaps will be send bicyclists and pedestrians onto nearby streets.

The council will vote on whether to adopt the Transportation Improvement Plan on May 13.


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175th tests Shoreline’s commitment to bike lanes and tree preservation

Saturday, April 20, 2024

By Oliver Moffat

This is the second article of four covering comments from the city council about Shoreline’s proposed Transportation Improvement Plan that was reviewed on April 15.


A map from the WSDOT crash data portal shows ten years
of fatal and serious injury collisions along 175th 

According to data from WSDOT, in the past ten years, there have been eleven serious injury crashes and one fatal crash along 175th street, making it one of Shoreline’s most dangerous roads.

The transportation improvement plan lists two very different projects for 175th street - one on the east side of I-5 and one on the west.

The proposed safety changes on the east side would put 175th between 5th and 15th on a road diet - narrowing the four-lane road to three while adding bike lanes without widening the road (or removing trees). The east side project is unfunded and could cost an estimated $2.3 million.

The west side projects would widen the road to add more capacity for vehicles, mitigate earthquake risks and make room for shared use paths for pedestrians and bicyclists. The west side portion is partially funded, has a projected cost of over $88 million and will require the removal of 274 trees.

A screen shot shows Council member Annette Ademasu saying, “I would like to see options where we can see reduced width sidewalks”

Councilmember Annette Ademasu told city engineers to provide options with narrower sidewalks. “I would like to see options where we can see reduced width sidewalks and have less impervious surfaces and be able to save more trees and go around trees,“ she said.

Ademasu also indicated she prefers continuing to keep 175th bike-free. “I really like how you’re doing the bike corridors on the slower paced roads because that will help with bike safety,” she said.

Bike lanes on 175th have been part of Shoreline’s Bike Plan since at least 2011 and the new Transportation Element of Shoreline’s Comprehensive Plan envisions protected biked lanes that would be safe enough for children to ride on.

A screen shot shows Council member Keith Scully saying, “what compromises can we make in order to save trees? And the test for me is 175th.”

Councilmember Keith Scully told city staff, “so instead of saying: ‘how wide do we need it to move pedestrians most efficiently? How protected does the bike lane need to be for maximum safety?’… Let’s start by saying what sacrifices can we make, what compromises can we make in order to save trees. And the test for me is 175th.“
An aerial view shows the 175th and Meridian intersection, the location of phase-one of the 175th corridor project and the site where a collapse could be caused by an earthquake 

The 175th project will be completed in phases starting with phase one which includes seismic mitigations and improvements to the intersection of 175th and Meridian Ave.

The city says an earthquake could cause portions of 175th street adjacent to Ronald Bog to collapse and has applied for grants to pay for the mitigations.

Scully and Ademasu worked together to bring the 175th street project back for discussion again at the June 3rd city council meeting.


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Staff shortages and cooling real estate revenue slowing Shoreline’s transportation plans

Friday, April 19, 2024

By Oliver Moffat

The Shoreline city council heard public comments on the city’s proposed Transportation Improvement Plan at a public hearing on April 15, 2024.

This is the first article of four covering comments from the council about that plan.

A chart from the last page of the Transportation Improvement Plan shows funded and unfunded projects 

The six-year transportation plan and the public hearing are both mandated by state law. The plan must be updated every year by the city to give residents visibility into which transportation projects will be funded (and not funded) between 2025-2030.

The estimated total cost for all the projects listed in the plan could come to $360 million but $163 million of that is currently unfunded.

A screenshot shows Mayor Chris Roberts saying,
“Shoreline is the little city that could”
Mayor Chris Roberts expressed optimism about the city’s ability to find ways to get projects funded. 

“I like to say Shoreline is the little city that could. 

"I mean, look at some of the projects that we have accomplished over the last 20 years,” Roberts said in reference to the $140 million Aurora corridor project completed in 2017 and the recently funded 145th corridor, I5 interchange and 148th non-motorized bridge projects which together will cost $157 million.

The city is asking the council to provide more money from its general fund for transportation projects because it has already spent most of its funds to match federal grants for large transportation projects.

These matching funds come from Real Estate Excise Taxes (REET) which are declining with the cooling of the real estate market. 

A screenshot shows Councilmember Eben Pobee
questioning the city’s strategy for funding
transportation projects with declining REET revenues 
Councilmember Eben Pobee questioned the city’s request to draw money from the general fund. 

“In the last quarter of 2023 when we looked at our projections… what we saw was that there was a huge reduction in the cash inflow specifically for that” Pobee said, 

“I’m wondering how strategically it’s going to be, for our general fund to continue to match these grants… “

Without money from the general funds, the city will be unable to take on smaller traffic safety projects according to city staff. 

But even with money, the city’s transportation plans are slowed down by staff shortages. 

In response to questions from Roberts, city staff said that in addition to budgetary constraints, the city is understaffed and does not have sufficient engineers and project managers to drive all its transportation projects.

The city has five vacant engineering positions and is trying to fill a term limited position to complete a sidewalk on NE 200th to serve nearby Cascade K-8 school. 


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Shoreline city council to discuss goals and transportation plan

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Back row from left: Councilmembers John Ramsdell, Betsy Robertson, Annette Ademasu, Eben Pobee, Keith Scully Front row from left: Mayor Chris Roberts, Deputy Mayor Laura Mork

By Oliver Moffat

On Monday, April 15, 2024 at 7pm the Shoreline city council will be discussing the City Council Goals and Work Plan and holding a Public Hearing and Discussion of the Transportation Improvement Plan. The public can attend in person at Shoreline City Hall or virtually online. Details on attending and providing public comment are available on the city’s website.

A map from the 2025-2030 Transportation Improvement Plan shows
funded and unfunded projects across the city.

What’s new in the city’s Transportation Improvement Plan?


The city’s transportation improvement plan is updated every year and serves as a six-year roadmap for which transportation projects will be funded and which projects will not be funded.

Here’s a brief summary of what is new in this year’s transportation improvement plan compared to last year’s.

All five unfunded projects in the plan are on the east-side of town (NE 175th, NE 185th, Ballinger Way, 15th NE and 3rd NE).

A map from the city’s Transportation Impact Fee Rate Study shows
High Activity Areas to receive focused planning

What’s new in the city’s Goals and Work Plan?


Each year the council sets goals to direct the work the city does. Here are some highlights from this year’s goals that are new compared to last year’s goals.

  • The city says they will amend the tree code to “streamline administration and improve outcomes”.
  • The city will conduct focused planning on its high activity areas and neighborhood commercial centers and corridors.
  • In 2025, the city plans to build sidewalks along 8th Ave NW from Richmond Beach Road to Sunset Park and along 19th Ave NE between 196th and 205th streets in the Ballinger neighborhood.
  • The city plans to design and consider construction of new parks including Westminster Park, Rotary, West Echo Lake, 192nd/Hemlock, Edwin Pratt, South Ronald Bog and South Twin Ponds.
  • A new action was added to develop a city asset management program.
  • New parking enforcement is planned across the city.
  • The city plans to develop an “equity needs map” for analysis and to inform decision making.
  • The city will implement the recently approved Human Services Strategic Plan.
  • And new this year is a goal to enhance the city’s emergency management plans.

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Shoreline’s homelessness plan: “Maintain Current Level of Service” while city comes up with a plan

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Back row from left: Councilmembers John Ramsdell, Betsy Robertson, Annette Ademasu, Eben Pobee, Keith Scully Front row from left: Mayor Chris Roberts, Deputy Mayor Laura Mork

At the Monday, April 8 meeting, the Shoreline city council approved a housing and human services plan that recommends continuing to “Maintain Current Level of Service”. 

City staff will study the problem, clarify metrics, and “explore or pilot innovative human service programs” potentially paid for with a property tax levy.

A chart from the 2022 Resident Satisfaction Survey shows that residents want the city to do more about homelessness
As previously reported, in survey results, Shoreline residents want the city to prioritize homelessness and earlier drafts of the plan faced criticism.

The final draft approved by the council on Monday still faced questions from Council members.

The fifty-four page study found that residents want the city to do something about homelessness and the housing affordability crisis.

The plan recommends the city “Maintain Current Level of Service” while continuing to study the problem and said “affordable housing and homelessness solutions require more resources”.

Mayor Chris Roberts questioned why the plan lacked details on specific housing types needed. “But what we don’t have right now… what I’m hearing… we don’t know how many three bedroom units… we don’t know how many ADA accessible units… the city needs,” he said.

A picture of “three circles and a triangle” approved by the city council will direct staff on housing and human services priorities
Deputy Mayor Laura Mork questioned what metrics the city would use to measure outcomes. In reference to a graphic showing three circles and a triangle, she asked, “would the funding on the next slide allow you to make that more concrete?”

City staff told the council they will identify target outcome metrics and continue to study what can be done.

Council member John Ramsdell questioned why the city hasn’t done more. “there are cities in Washington State that have less than a quarter of our population that have housing authorities,” he said.

One recommendation in the plan was for Shoreline to “explore or pilot innovative human service programs” potentially paid for with an affordable housing tax levy.

In the 2020 resident satisfaction survey and again in 2022, residents told the city that addressing homelessness should be its top priority. And residents rated the city’s response to homelessness as the service they were most dissatisfied with. In the 2022 survey, 55% of residents said homelessness should receive the most emphasis by the city while 50.3% of residents said they don’t want property taxes to increase.

Voters in some cities in Washington State have approved property tax levies to fund affordable housing. Since 1986, Seattle has had a housing levy and in 2023 the levy was renewed by voters. Vancouver voters approved an affordable housing property tax levy in 2016 and voters renewed the levy again in 2023. First approved by voters in 2012 and expanded in 2018, Bellingham has an affordable housing levy.

Some affordable housing levies have not been approved. A housing levy campaign in 2017 failed in Jefferson County. Tacoma has attempted to institute a property-tax levy for affordable housing in 2001 and 2005 but has failed in both cases.


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