Showing posts with label city of lake forest park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label city of lake forest park. Show all posts

Call for Artists for new public art at Horizon View Park

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Horizon View Park in Lake Forest Park

The LFP Garden Tour and City of LFP have put out a call for Artists (RFQ) for new public art at Horizon View Park.

The selected artist(s) will create a free-standing artwork to be located in an outdoor area visible to motorists, pedestrians and park users. 

The piece will reference the history and location of the area and be in harmony with its surroundings. It may be abstract or traditional, and possibly functional. It will be composed of materials suitable for long-term outdoor display/use and easy to maintain. The artwork must be new work created for this site.

The sculpture will most likely be located in an area near the entrance and/or play ground at Horizon View Park which is located at the highest point in Lake Forest Park. 

This area has mounding terrain and would be enhanced by a creative bench or other interactive element. 

The park provides an opportunity to contemplate the night sky, surrounding mountains and territorial landscape. Amenities for active use of Horizon View Park include a soccer field, tennis court, half-court basketball, walking paths around a reservoir and through a wooded area, picnic tables, and a playground. 

Horizon View Park is located in a residential neighborhood and is enjoyed by all ages and abilities. While there are several pieces of public art in the Town Center/City Hall area of LFP, this will be the first public art installation in the Horizon View Park neighborhood.

The full RFQ can be seen here 

 Questions can be directed to publicartlfpgardentour@gmail.com


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Sign up for the first-ever Lake Forest Park yard sale day

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Calling all LFP'ers who need an excuse to clean out the garage (or house!). Want to buy used instead of new? 

Love a good bargain or just want to get out and explore the neighborhood? Join your neighbors for LAKE FOREST PARK YARD SALE DAY!

To get on the map that will be sent out, be sure to sign up before September 1st!  

Volunteers of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board are organizing Lake Forest Park’s first-ever city-wide yard sale.

WHEN: Saturday, September 14, 2024 - 9:00am to 3:00pm
WHERE: All over Lake Forest Park!

Maps with yard sale locations will be available the week leading up to Yard Sale Day, around 50 homes have already signed up, get ready to shop!


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Public Hearing - 2024 Periodic Update Draft of the Comprehensive Plan in Lake Forest Park

Sunday, August 11, 2024

Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 7pm Public Hearing - 2024 Periodic Update Draft of the Comprehensive Plan

The City of Lake Forest Park’s decennial Comprehensive Plan periodic update is well under way, now halfway through its second year. 

The active update effort is required by state law to address recent legislative changes, new King County Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs), and the Puget Sound Regional Council's (PSRC) VISION 2050. 

Collectively, there are new requirements and policies that change the ways we plan for housing and land use, transportation, address the needs of vulnerable residents, and incorporate climate planning. 

As a member of the Lake Forest Park community, we value your insight and ideas about the city.

The City's Planning Commission is holding a public hearing for the community on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at 7pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall. 

The public hearing is an opportunity to formally provide public comment and feedback to the Commissioners on draft amendments to the Comprehensive Plan prior to their required recommendation to City Council. 

The Commission has reviewed the existing goals and policies in the adopted 2015 Comprehensive Plan and included draft amendments to each element in the Plan. 

This Fall, the City Council will receive the Commission's recommendation, review and consider the draft amendments, hold an additional public hearing, and take action to adopt an updated Plan.


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Brookside traffic cameras an “enormous success” says Lake Forest Park mayor despite “messy” bill and mistakes

Saturday, August 10, 2024


After Lake Forest Park turned on the traffic cameras on 178th near Brookside elementary all day in June, average speeds are down from over 30 miles an hour to less than 25 miles per hour. 
But the “no racing zone” law the city used to keep the cameras on was repealed in June. To comply with the new law, the city will now designate them “school walk zone” cameras instead. 
The city blamed “inaccurate” information and a “messy” bill for the mistake. Traffic fines generate $3.84 million per biennium in the city that is facing a budget deficit after repeated failed property tax ballot measures. 
The city’s Judge warned the council about the high workload caused by the tickets.


In June, the city of Lake Forest Park turned on the 178th traffic cameras by Brookside elementary 24 hours a day even when school is not in session.

At an August 5 city council meeting, Lake Forest Park Mayor Tom French said, “the average speed in the 178th zone prior to the installation of the 24/7 traffic cameras was over 30 miles an hour.” After 60 days, “it is down now to 24.3 miles an hour. It's below 25 miles an hour, so by any metric it has been an enormous success,” he said.

Currently, the city is only issuing warnings. But with the light rail station at 185th street opening soon, the city is worried 178th will see increased cut-through traffic and speeding.

“The reality is, we have people that are continually speeding through our community and putting lives at risk. And this is a an absolutely proven method to slow people down,” said Mayor French.

In December of 2023, Lake Forest Park added 178th to its list of designated no-racing zones and earlier this year, the city posted “no racing zone” signs along 178th, causing confusion for some residents.

A previous state law allowed cities to deploy traffic cameras in no-racing zones, and in April, the city council voted to leave the traffic cameras on all-day throughout the year whereas before they could only be active during school hours when Brookside elementary was in session.

A map from the city shows the locations of automated speed cameras
near Brookside Elementary on 178th street

Data on the street racing problem in Lake Forest Park is sparse. A public records request filed with WSDOT returned a total of ten crashes attributed to street racing in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore since 2010 and a search on the Washington State Patrol’s website found only six street racing crashes in Shoreline and Lake Forest Park in the past ten years. In comparison, there were 1,785 crashes in Lake Forest Park alone over the last ten years according to the Washington State Patrol’s website.

The state law that previously allowed cities to use automated traffic cameras in “restricted racing zones” was repealed in June at the same time Lake Forest Park switched the traffic cameras to no-racing zone cameras. In public comments at an August 5 city council meeting, city attorney Kim Pratt, blamed “inaccurate” information received from Westlaw for the mistake.

“I have to admit I'm a little annoyed with the fact that they gave you poor information about this,” said council member Tracy Furutani.

“The legislature handed us… a very messy, messy bill,” said Mayor Tom French about the new state law that took effect in June. “It is sausage making. There's just no question about it,” he said.

The new law allows cities to deploy automated traffic enforcement cameras in school walk zones within a one-mile radius of a school. To comply with the law, Lake Forest Park will designate 178th near Brookside elementary a “school walk zone” instead of a “no racing zone.” The “no racing zone” signs will be replaced.

“Ultimately the problem we're looking to address is pedestrian safety. Especially for children but really for the community as a whole,” said council member Larry Goldman at the August 8th meeting. 
“I still think it's a bit of a weird shaped tool that the legislature has given us but ultimately, the school walk zone is the best tool for the job to address pedestrian safety,” he said.

“The spirit of in which we have been approaching this is, of course, is pedestrian multimodal safety. Full stop,” said Mayor Tom French. “100% of the net revenues that come from these traffic camera installations go right back into pedestrian and multimodal safety by state statute.”

The new state law requires cities who install new traffic cameras to spend revenue on traffic safety improvements and at least part of the money must be spent in low income neighborhoods. But that law doesn’t apply to cities like Lake Forest Park who had already deployed traffic cameras prior to the law’s passage. Lake Forest Park is allowed to direct revenue from the traffic cameras into their general fund.

“We need to make sure that we have additional sidewalks. We all know we need additional crosswalks,” said Mayor French. But a levy to pay for parks and sidewalks on the 2021 ballot was rejected by over 65% of Lake Forest Park voters and a property tax levy was rejected by 77.97% of Lake Forest Park voters in 2010. Now, the city is facing a “structural financial deficit” and is considering placing a levy on the 2025 ballot.

 A graph from the 2023 State of the Court presentation shows the number of traffic camera infractions issued in recent years in Lake Forest Park

According to the city’s budget, traffic fines will generate $3.84 million this biennium for the general fund and the city will spend $11 million (30% of the budget) on the city’s largest, single expense: the police department. Recently the city increased fines to $145 - the maximum allowed under the law.

Only 8.5% of the traffic camera fines were issued to residents of Lake Forest Park - the majority of ticket recipients were from out of town. According to the police department, although less than 4% of Lake Forest Park residents are Black, 12% of people who received a traffic ticket in the city were Black. And an equity analysis said the traffic cameras on 178th have the potential to disproportionately impact Hispanic and lower-income commuters.

A study commissioned by the city estimated between 350 to 470 vehicles per day will receive citations now that the cameras are always on - an increase from 44 per day last year when they were only on during school hours.

Drivers who receive a traffic camera infraction can attempt to dispute the ticket in the Lake Forest Park municipal court.

At the August 8th meeting, Municipal Court Judge Jennifer Grant presented the council with the annual State of the Court. She cautioned the city about the workload caused by more than 23,000 traffic camera tickets last year. “Each and every one of those tickets does amount to a significant amount of work,” said Judge Grant.

Council member Tracy Furutani told her, “we may be potentially adding another 10,000 infractions per year.”

When asked by council member Larry Goldman to name a particular challenge the court faces, Judge Grant said, “Staffing. I think is critical just to keep up with what we need to do to make things continue to run smoothly.”


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LFP Salary Commission Public Hearing 5-6-2024 - Proposed Increases for Councilmembers’ Salaries

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

City of Lake Forest Park
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

MONDAY, MAY 6, 2024 – 7:00 P.M.
Proposed increases for Councilmembers’ salaries

The City of Lake Forest Park Salary Commission has been reviewing the compensation of the Mayor and City Councilmembers. The Salary Commission is proposing no change to the Mayor’s compensation or benefits. The Commission is proposing an increase to the Councilmembers’ salaries from $600 per month to $700 per month for the remainder of 2024, with another increase January 1, 2025 to $800 per month. 

A public hearing will be held to accept comments on the proposed increases, and the Commission’s draft determination will be available for review on the city’s website, www.cityoflfp.gov.

The Commission’s final determination is filed with the City Clerk. An increase in salary is effective on the next payday of City employees. A decrease in salary is effective for incumbent elected officials at the commencement of their next subsequent term of office.

The public hearing will be held during the Salary Commission’s May 6, 2024 meeting. The meeting will begin at 7:00pm, and the public hearing will commence thereafter. The public hearing will be held virtually and in person at the City Council Chambers. Instructions for how to participate in the virtual public hearing may be found on the agenda for the meeting. Written testimony will be accepted before the meeting and distributed to the Salary Commission, and verbal testimony will be accepted during the public hearing.

Written comments should be submitted to City Clerk Matt McLean at mmclean@cityoflfp.gov no later than 5:00pm local time on the date of the hearing. Any person wishing to provide oral testimony at the hearing is encouraged to register via the Remote Public Comment Sign-in Form on the City’s Hybrid City Council Meetings webpage by 5:00pm on the date of the meeting. Persons who have not signed up on the online public hearing sign-in sheet will be called upon to raise their hand through the Zoom meeting webinar feature and will be added to the speakers’ queue by the City Clerk, to be called upon by the Meeting Chair or designee. A request to speak can also be made by phone directly to the City Clerk at 206-368-5540 prior to 5:00pm on the date of the meeting.

Matt McLean
City Clerk
April 25, 2024

Salary Commission's Preliminary Decision Document - April 25, 2024


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LFP residents: Take the community survey for the Comprehensive Plan periodic update

Monday, April 8, 2024

The City of Lake Forest Park’s decennial Comprehensive Plan periodic update is under way. 

The active update effort is required by state law to address recent legislative changes, new King County Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs), and the Puget Sound Regional Council's (PSRC) VISION 2050

Collectively, there are new requirements and policies that change the ways we plan for housing, address the needs of vulnerable residents, and incorporate climate planning. 

As a member of the Lake Forest Park community, we value your insight and ideas about the city. The city is conducting a community survey and your responses to the short series of questions will help guide planning efforts. 

Please participate in this survey and indicate what does or does not reflect your impressions of Lake Forest Park and your hopes for the city's future.

Click here to take the survey until April 17.

Sign up here to receive Comprehensive Plan Updates by email or text.

Here is the link to view Planning Commission agendas.


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Openings for volunteers on LFP board, commission, and committee

Sunday, March 17, 2024

The City of Lake Forest Park has openings for adult and youth on several citizen groups. 

Civil Service Commission – one full-term vacancy, six-year term, generally meets in the morning, as needed.

Climate Action Committee - there are two college/ high school student positions available on the Climate Action Committee. Both are partial terms that expire on February 28, 2025.

Tree Board - terms are for three years and there are two partial term vacancies; one expires February 28, 2025 and the other expires February 28, 2026.

If you would like to apply, complete the online application.

More information about these advisory bodies is available here. If you have additional questions about any of the positions, please call City Hall, 206-368-5440.


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City of Lake Forest Park awaits response from Sound Transit about alternatives to plans to widen Bothell Way

Sunday, March 10, 2024

LFP Community Meeting with Sound Transit CEO (2023)
Photo by Mke Remarcke

Last year, 500 members of our community met with Sound Transit (ST) leadership and requested changes in its current plans for massive road widening on Bothell Way for a new northbound bus lane. 

The City Council followed up with a formal request in late October.

We support efficient, cost-effective transit improvements, but the current design through LFP will cost hundreds of millions of dollars for two minutes of travel time savings, and only at rush hour. 

In contrast, impacts would be huge:
  • property takings from 110 homes or small businesses, 
  • removal of over 400 trees along the roadway, 
  • 1.3 acres of new impervious surfaces affecting streams, and 
  • removal of 95,000 tons of debris – all increasing noise and heat island effects.

Our city and community are trying to help ST – by requesting less damaging and less costly alternatives that can provide similar benefits for bus riders. 

Our letter urged ST to collaborate with us and explore queue jumps and signalized traffic lights, rather than a mile long bus lane. 

We requested a side-by- side cost-benefit and impact analysis comparing the full bus lane with the queue jump approach. We will post ST’s response on the City website as soon as we receive it.

– Deputy Mayor Lorri Bodi, Council Corner - Update on Sound Transit Plans in LFP


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Volunteers needed for LFP Tree Board and Climate Action committee

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Would you like to help shape the future of the City of Lake Forest Park? 

If so, consider applying for a position on one of our advisory bodies. 

In addition to partial-term vacancies on the Tree Board and Climate Action Committee, there are also two alternate member positions available on the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and Tree Board.

Tree Board - terms are for three years and there are two partial term vacancies; one expires February 28, 2025 and the other expires February 28, 2026.

Please email Assistant Planner Elizabeth Talavera with questions.

Climate Action Committee - there are two college / high school student positions available on the Climate Action Committee. Both are partial terms that expire on February 28, 2025.

Please email Environmental and Sustainability Specialist Cory Roche with questions.

If you would like to apply, please complete the online application. More information about our advisory bodies is available here.

If you are interested and would like to watch meeting videos for the advisory bodies, they are available here.


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Volunteers needed for LFP boards, commissions, and committees

Friday, January 26, 2024

unsplash.com
Help the LFP community by volunteering. There are currently several vacancies on the City’s advisory bodies.

If you would like to apply for any of these openings, please complete the online application.


Civil Service Commission

Duties of the Civil Service Commission include establishing eligibility lists for hiring, reviewing candidate applications, and making hiring recommendations for the police department.

Qualifications to serve as a commissioner: 
  • must be a resident of the city for at least three years immediately preceding appointment and 
  • be at least 25 years old.
The commission meets as needed, usually in the morning.

Terms are for six years and there is one full-term vacancy that expires February 28, 2030.

Email Human Resources Director Shannon Moore with questions.


Climate Action Committee

The purpose of the Climate Action Committee is to gather and analyze climate information and draft a Climate Action Plan for recommendation to the City Council. Regular meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm and are held in a hybrid format with virtual attendance via Zoom and in-person attendance at City Hall.

There are two college / high school student positions available on the Climate Action Committee. Both are partial terms that expire on February 28, 2025.

Email Environmental and Sustainability Specialist Cory Roche with questions.


Library Advisory Committee

The Lake Forest Park Library Advisory Committee serves as a liaison between the Lake Forest Park Library, City Council, Mayor, the LFP community, and the King County Library System.

Meetings are held quarterly in March, June, and September on the fourth Wednesday of the month and in December on the first Wednesday. Meetings begin at 7:00pm and are held at the Lake Forest Park Library.

Terms are for three years and there is one full-term vacancy that expires on February 28, 2027.

Email Deputy City Clerk JoAnne Trudel with questions.


Tree Board

The Tree Board provides advice to the City Council on policy and regulatory issues involving trees, provides outreach and education to the community on tree-related issues, and organizes and facilitates public events involving trees.

The Tree Board meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm. Meetings are hybrid—on Zoom and in-person at City Hall. Board members must live within or own property within the city limits of Lake Forest Park.

Terms are for three years and there is one partial term vacancy that expires February 28, 2026.

Email Assistant Planner Elizabeth Talavera with questions.


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LFP City Council sends letters to Sound Transit re plans for bus rapid transit through the city

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Residents expressed their concerns at August meeting with Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm
Photo by Mike Remarcke

At its meeting on October 26, 2023, the Lake Forest Park City Council took action to approve two letters from the City Council to Sound Transit. 

The letters have been transmitted to Sound Transit and are now available on the City’s Sound Transit BRT webpage.

  • The second letter is to the Sound Transit Board, urging Sound Transit to reconsider the BAT proposal and work with the city to develop a LFP transit solution based on queue jumps and signalized lights.

Watch video of the October 26, 2023 City Council meeting here.

Sound Transit previously released a detailed report, which responded to the concerns and ideas put forward by citizens during a public meeting with new CEO Julie Timm. (See report from August meeting)



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Student and adult volunteers needed for LFP Advisory Boards and Committees

Friday, October 6, 2023

Be involved in your community by serving on an Advisory Board or Committee. 

The City of Lake Forest Park has openings for members and alternates on a variety of committees and boards.

Climate Action Committee
There are two vacant student representative positions on the Climate Action Committee. The terms expire February 28, 2025. Student representatives must be residents of Lake Forest Park and high school or college students. If you are interested, please complete the online application.

Library Advisory Committee
Do you like to read and want to contribute as a volunteer with the Library Advisory Committee? If so, please complete the online application. Full terms on the Committee are for three years, and there is currently one vacant position, with a partial term that expires February 28, 2024.

Planning Commission
There is currently one vacancy on the Planning Commission. Terms are for three years, and the term of the vacant position expires February 28, 2025. If you are interested, please complete the online application.

Tree Board
There are currently three vacancies on the Tree Board. Terms are for three years, and the terms for all three vacant positions expire February 28, 2025. Please complete the online application if you are interested.

Alternates Needed for Planning Commission, Climate Action Committee, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and Tree Board
The City Council recently adopted an ordinance amending the city’s Municipal Code to allow alternate members to be placed on Boards and Commissions to serve as voting members when an alternate is needed to fill a quorum and to become permanent members when vacancies occur.

The amendment to the Volunteer Commission System allows the Mayor to appoint up to two alternates, with confirmation from the Council, who may fill in on a board, commission, or committee if a regular member is absent. Should there be a vacancy on the board, commission, or committee, the senior alternate would fill the remainder of the vacant member’s term.

Alternates would be used as voting members when there would not be a quorum present for a meeting. Otherwise, they would not be a voting member but would be expected to attend the meetings to stay informed and provide feedback during meetings.

If you are interested in being an alternate on the Planning Commission, Climate Action Committee, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, or Tree Board, please complete the online application.


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Public Hearing Sept. 14, 2023 for Emergency, Transitional, and Permanent Supportive Housing City of Lake Forest Park

Sunday, September 3, 2023

City of Lake Forest Park
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 – 7:00 P.M.
Renewal of Interim Regulations related to Indoor Emergency Shelters, Emergency Housing, Transitional Housing, and Permanent Supportive Housing
__________________________________________________________
The City of Lake Forest Park City Council passed Ordinance Number 1227 on September 9, 2021, adopting interim regulations for indoor emergency shelters, emergency housing, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. 

The interim regulations were renewed in Ordinance Number 23-1264 on March 9, 2023, and are set to expire on September 19, 2023. 

The City Council will consider renewing the interim regulations in Ordinance Number 1227 for another six months. The public hearing is intended to provide an opportunity for public testimony regarding the proposed renewal. The terms of the interim regulations can be found in the agenda packet for the hearing and in Ordinance Number 1227.

The public hearing will be conducted during the City Council’s regular meeting on September 14, 2023. The meeting will begin at 7:00pm, and the public hearing will commence thereafter. The public hearing will be held virtually and in person. *Instructions for how to participate in the virtual public hearing may be found on the agenda for the meeting. Written testimony will be accepted prior to the meeting and distributed to the City Council, and verbal testimony will be accepted during the public hearing.

  • Written comments should be submitted to City Clerk Matt McLean at mmclean@cityoflfp.gov no later than 5:00pm local time on the date of the hearing. 
  • Any person wishing to provide oral testimony at the hearing is encouraged to register via the Remote Public Comment Sign-in Form on the  City’s Hybrid Meetings webpage by 5:00pm on the date of the meeting. 
  • Persons who have not signed up on the online public hearing sign-in sheet will be called upon to raise their hand through the Zoom meeting webinar feature, or the sign-in form at the meeting, and will be added to the speakers’ queue by the City Clerk, to be called upon by the Meeting Chair or designee. 
  • A request to speak can also be made by phone directly to the City Clerk at 206-368-5540 prior to 5:00pm on the date of the meeting.
Matt McLean
City Clerk
September 1, 2023
*The agenda will be available here by end of business on Monday, September 11.


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Campaign season reminder – Rules for political signs in Lake Forest Park

Saturday, August 26, 2023

During this campaign season, the City of Lake Forest Park would like to remind the community about the rules for political signs:

Political signs may be placed on public rights-of-way or on private property with permission of the owner. 

However, they must be situated in such a way as to not create a traffic or safety hazard. 
All political signs must be removed within five days following the election.

According to RCW 29A.84.040

“A person who removes or defaces lawfully placed political advertising including yard signs or billboards without authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable to the same extent as a misdemeanor that is punishable under RCW 9A.20.021. The defacement or removal of each item constitutes a separate violation.”

The LFP Police Department patrol officers are aware of these regulations and are keeping an eye out for violators.


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Picnic in the Park Saturday, September 9, 2023 in Lake Forest Park

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Bean bag toss 2019
Photo by Jerry Pickard

Picnic in the Park is back! 

Help the City in celebrating our LFP community on Saturday, September 9, 2023 from 10:00am to 3:00pm at Pfingst Animal Acres Park 17435 Brookside Blvd NE, Lake Forest Park WA 98155

Join with family and friends with music, community and educational booths, a petting zoo, kids attractions and activities, food trucks, Public Works Big Rigs, and more!


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LFP webpage down Monday, August 14 from 6 - 9am for upgrading; now includes a page for the Sound Transit BRT plans

Sunday, August 13, 2023

The City of Lake Forest Park website will be undergoing maintenance on Monday, August 14, 2023, from 6:00 to 9:00am. During this time, the site will not be accessible to end users.

Full route of the BRT from Woodinville to Shoreline 148th Station

The new design includes a page for project information on the Sound Transit Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) 

On the page, you will find links to related documents such as letters to the Sound Transit Board of Directors, permits filed with the City, plans and comments, and tech memos.

A helpful table is provided which links users with city council agenda documents and videos for meetings where the Stride BRT line has been a topic on the agenda.

Updates to the Sound Transit Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) page will be made as new information becomes available.


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City of Lake Forest Park to recognize former resident and award-winning science fiction author Octavia E. Butler

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Octavia Butler being honored in Lake Forest Park
Lake Forest Park, Wash. – 
The City of Lake Forest Park will recognize the many contributions of science fiction author Octavia E. Butler with an honorary street dedication on July 29, 2023.

Ms. Butler was a visionary and influential African American author whose groundbreaking work greatly contributed to the science fiction and speculative fiction genres. 

She was the first science fiction author to receive a MacArthur “Genius” Grant and was later awarded the PEN West Lifetime Achievement Award for her body of work.

Octavia Butler's novels, including Kindred, Parable of the Sower, and Lilith's Brood, have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Awards for Best Novelette in 1985 and the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1999. Ms. Butler spent the last years of her life living on 37th Avenue in Lake Forest Park, where she wrote her final novel, Fledgling, in 2005.

“The City of Lake Forest Park is fortunate to benefit from the wide array of notable and talented people, like Ms. Butler, who found a home in our city, and added to its rich history,” said Mayor Jeff Johnson.

Since her death in 2006, Ms. Butler’s reputation has soared as readers recognize the relevance of her exploration of important themes such as race, gender, power dynamics, and social justice, challenging them to critically examine the world we live in. Her work is now taught in over 200 colleges and universities nationwide and at least two of her novels are currently being adapted for television.

The dedication will be held on Saturday July 29, 2023, at 10:00am at the Intersection of NE 165th Street and 37th Avenue NE.




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Classifieds: City of LFP Notice of Public Hearing on June 22 for Proposed Code Amendments regarding Retaining Walls

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Notice of Public Hearing on June 22 for Proposed Code Amendments regarding Retaining Walls

City of Lake Forest Park PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023 – 7:00 P.M.

Proposed Code Amendments regarding Retaining Walls

More information here


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Phillippa Kassover announces retirement from Lake Forest Park City Council

Friday, March 31, 2023

LFP Councilmember Phillippa Kassover
Photo courtesy City of Lake Forest Park
Dear friends and neighbors,

I am very grateful for the ongoing support and encouragement of so many Lake Forest Park residents, local elected leaders, and regional organizations since I first announced my candidacy for the Lake Forest Park City Council eight years ago. 

Thank you for your support and valuable input!

It has been my honor to serve and one of the most stimulating, fascinating, and worthwhile experiences of my life. 

I have met so many talented public servants and passionate, engaged citizens who believe deeply in our democratic way of life, work every day to help make this a better place to live for all of us, and help care for our precious Northwest ecosystem. 

It has truly been my privilege to work alongside them in these endeavors as we tackle the challenges before us.
 
It has been my special privilege to serve with a remarkable group of other LFP council members during the past eight years, all of whom have been generous with their time and talents, resolute and focused on the best interests of our city, and have served with exceptional civility and grace. No-one could ask for better colleagues!

However, it is now time for me to pass the torch and retire from public office to spend more time with my family who live close, and those who live far away. 

I am making this as public an announcement as possible so that those in our community who have thought about how they might contribute or serve have the time to consult with family and friends to determine if local government might be their next step in life.
 
Filing week here in King County takes place May 15-19, followed by the primary election on August 1st, and the general election on November 7th. My term will end on December 31, 2023, and a new council member will begin on January 1, 2024.
 
The city of Lake Forest Park is blessed with a wealth of talented residents, and I am confident that our community will continue to be served by an exceptionally collegial and thoughtful council.

Sincerely,

Phillippa Kassover
Councilmember


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Op-Ed: Sound Transit bus lane through LFP would deforest Bothell Way and shift the road west into 110 properties

Saturday, March 4, 2023

CORE is a group of concerned neighbors who live in LFP, sharing information about ST3 and its impacts on our community. Contact: info@lfpcore.org or see www.lfpcore.org
----


Lake Forest Park prides itself on its mature trees and green entry along Bothell Way, SR 522, its central transit corridor. This contributes to the city’s character as a green village. 

These trees and our environment, the very identity of Lake Forest Park, are at threat. 


Sound Transit plans to construct a 1.2-mile, dedicated eastbound bus lane through Lake Forest Park as part of their SR522/145th BRT (bus rapid transit) project. 

This will remove 490 trees, deforesting Bothell Way in the city. Also, it will widen the road, shifting it west, cutting into the properties of 110 residents. 

Tall concrete retaining walls, requiring extensive road construction, will be built to support the new steep cuts. This will destroy the character of Lake Forest Park, turning our city entry into a concrete corridor. 

NE 165th Before - A green village
NE 165th After - A concrete corridor

Luckily, there is a better way and it is not too late to spare our city’s trees and environment while still achieving important regional transit goals.

We are a small community of nearly 14,000 residents. Many of us live here because we value a close relationship with nature. 

Sound Transit has avoided providing community transparency, meaningful analysis, and meaningful community outreach during their design process for the SR522/145th BRT project in Lake Forest Park. 
This project, currently at the 60% design stage, could have serious negative consequences on our community. We ask Sound Transit to modify the design, reducing impacts and costs.

Between 2019 and June 2020, Sound Transit dramatically changed the alignment, shifting Bothell Way to the west, implementing the “West Shift.” This shift impacts 110 property owners and the greater Lake Forest Park Community. 

Sound Transit never informed us of the magnitude of this shift or the impacts created by this “West Shift.” The “West Shift” changes the character of our community, affecting residential housing disproportionately.

Sound Transit has focused solely on creating a Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane, disregarding all other factors. Their plan does not address the concerns of our community. 

Nor does it consider the most likely alternative to the BAT lane: Queue Jumps. Queue Jumps are dedicated lanes and signal priority at busy intersections that allow transit to get a head start on traffic. Sound Transit designed Queue Jumps for NE 145th Street, where Seattle prohibited BAT lanes. 


We ask Sound Transit to modify the design and compare the cost and efficiency of Queue Jumps to the dedicated BAT lane. This will substantially reduce the amount of tree removals, the need for walls, property acquisitions, and overall cost. Queue jumps would achieve nearly the same transit time savings, which with the BAT build, is only 2.3 minutes during the three-hour, eastbound, afternoon rush hour.

The current plan removes 490 trees along the alignment, deforesting Bothell Way. With this expansion, the highway moves approximately 10’-12’ closer to the west side homes, removing the landscaping from 60,000 square feet of our neighbors’ backyards. 

There is no plan for noise mitigation. Instead, on the west side of Bothell Way, there are concrete retaining walls, up to 16’ tall, along nearly the length of the alignment. These retaining walls create a concrete corridor that will send sound up these faces and also eastward, across the highway. On the new sidewalk next to the highway, the sound will exceed 80 decibels.

Buses will run every 10 minutes, up and down both sides of Bothell Way, totaling 220 trips daily. 


Sound Transit’s SR522 Noise and Vibration Study did not sample sound along the alignment at the most impacted residential areas. In fact, the report was completed before the “West Shift.” Also, an outside agency never completed an Environmental Impact Statement, as typically required by Washington State.

Sound Transit’s plan for widening the highway on the east side of Bothell Way shows that at Bsche’tla creek, the steep banks of the creek and the buffer zones are “cleared and grubbed,” removing over 28 trees, clearing the understory, making this slide-prone area more unstable. 

This construction impacts habitat and nearby businesses, requiring even more property acquisitions on the east side of Bothell Way, south of 155th Street NE.

Regarding budget, this project has the most expensive cost per mile in ST3. The price tag for ST3 ranges from $626 million to $651 million. Of the 205 total property acquisitions, 110 are in Lake Forest Park. 

Sound Transit budgeted $83 million for the property acquisition costs in LFP. The overall cost for SR522 / NE 145 BRT is over $250 million, or 40% of the total ST3 budget.

We support transit. 

We request a more equitable, environmentally healthy, sustainable, and contextual design that we can all be proud of when this Project is completed and it becomes our legacy for the next 100 years. The best way to achieve these goals is to modify Sound Transit’s current plan utilizing queue jumps instead of a dedicated eastbound BAT lane.

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