Masks are optional in most Shoreline schools

Saturday, March 12, 2022


Masks are no longer required in K-12 schools, effective Saturday, March 12, 2022. Masks are no longer required on campus, on buses, or in district facilities.

Exceptions where masks are still required: self-contained classrooms with medically fragile students, isolation and health rooms, and Edwin Pratt Early Learning Center and on preschool buses due to Head Start federal requirements)

Superintendent Susana Reyes says that,

All students, staff, and visitors, however, have the right to continue to wear a mask
Big changes can bring big feelings in all of us, and we ask everyone to enter next week with the spirit of mutual respect, concern, and kindness that makes our schools welcoming to all.

The Shoreline Center Administrative Offices will be open to the public during business hours.

Staff will still maintain, as much as possible, the six-foot physical distancing, and frequent hand washing.



Read more...

Masks required at LFP City Hall through March 31

The Lake Forest Park City Administration has decided the mask rules at City Hall will remain in effect through March 31, 2022 requiring all visitors to City Hall to wear masks. 

Employees moving through the halls and in public spaces will also be required to wear a mask. 

Effective April 1, neither masks nor social distancing will be required at City Hall. Visitors and employees may, of course, continue to wear masks if they wish to after April 1.


Read more...

Book Review by Aarene Storms: This Old Dog

This Old Dog 
by Martha Brockenbrough, 
illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo

The old dog's hips ache. His old knees yips. His old back whines. His heart thumps, but his tail does not. He longs to go for long, slow walks where he can take the time to sniff each blade of grass and hear the leaves in the trees. 

But his house contains a baby, and everything around the baby girl is fast-fast-fast ... until the small girl's feet touch the ground and she takes her first steps all the way to him.

This sweet picture book is a must-read for those who love dogs or children or both. If you have the same worries that I do about a book called This Old Dog, 

I will give a happy spoiler: the dog doesn't die at the end. Indeed, the end of the book shows exactly the life I wish for all old dogs and all small girls.

Recommended for everyone, with love.

Aarene Storms is a librarian who reads and reviews books for all ages.  She can be reached at aarenex@haikufarm.net



Read more...

Five RADAR cities inform Gov. Inslee about need for Crisis Triage facility in North King county

The five RADAR cities: Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, Kirkland, Bothell, Kenmore

On Wednesday, March 1, 2022, Governor Jay Inslee convened the Mayors and City Managers of the Five RADAR Cities (Shoreline, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Bothell and Kirkland), as well as the RADAR Navigator Program Manager and key staff from the King County Department of Behavioral Health and Recovery. 

Governor Inslee reached out to the City of Kirkland, because he had heard that the RADAR Cities had been working diligently to create and site a Crisis Triage facility in North King County. The governor expressed support for the endeavor, and work is ongoing to bring this critical resource to our community.

Mayor Mason Thompson, City of Bothell, spoke about the success of the RADAR Navigator Program thus far and the future vision of a comprehensive crisis response system for North King County.

Mayor Mason Thompson of Bothell addressing Gov Inslee.
Photo courtesy Alison Sborov of the Governor’s Office

Mayor Thompson’s comments to the Governor


Governor, we believe we’re on the cusp of something special. The combination of what RADAR (Response Awareness, De-escalation, and Referral) and its mental health professional navigators do are unique in the world of mental health response.
  • RADAR has response plans that allow Navigators to share notes with police in all five cities so that in the future officers can have context around who they’re responding to before they arrive on scene.
  • Rather than a co-responder model where everything is under the police department, or a community-responder model where everything is apart from it, RADAR is moving toward a model where Navigators can respond with or without the police, and share information rather than silo it – so we can have the maximum impact
  • RADAR is ripe to be copied. Partnership with multiple jurisdictions keeps costs low, and we all know this problem doesn’t care about city borders. We’d love to help franchise this across the state.
  • We started this in 2018. We’re not trying to create something, we want to take what’s already here, already working well, and leverage it to have even more impact.
To do that there are big-picture needs that are beyond the scope of even five cities
  • Crisis care – what we’re here to talk about today. The most well-known community responder examples like Cahoots in Eugene and STAR in Denver are run out of mental health institutions. They can do more than deescalate. They can help with the real problem, not just the symptom.
Our navigators usually have two options. To take people to jail or the hospital, because there are 12 crisis care beds in King County, and the closest to us is Kent.
  • Training/employee pipeline. These positions pay very well for mental health but it is hard to fill them because it’s a unique role. A state-level program similar to the police corps would be very helpful
  • Response plans being shared – An officer knowing people’s triggers and having context before they engage reduces the chance of a first response worst-case scenario. If response plans were uploaded into WSCIC, law enforcement the state over would have the information that Navigators upload.
Kirkland Mayor Penny Sweet welcomes the governor.
Photo courtesy Alison Sborov of the Governor’s Office

All three of these not only make the program more effective, they also make it easier for other cities to adopt. And as other cities adopt this, they start helping even more people, their response plans help our departments, and that’s a really exciting virtuous circle that could help a lot of people. 

I hope you leave here today not just excited about what’s happening in North King County, but excited about the possibility of what could happen in the whole state.

Because with state help, we see a not-distant future in which Washington has a program that can be considered the example in the country. We have political will, supportive police departments, and we’ve learned a lot over the years we’ve already been doing this.

We know that you care about helping to advance necessary conversations – we've seen you lead on the national level. Through RADAR with state help, Washington can lead here too.



Read more...

Secretary of State offers tips on how to donate to Ukraine without getting scammed

OLYMPIA — Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs encourages Washingtonians to do their due diligence and conduct research on the charities or nonprofits to which they donate to support relief efforts in Ukraine.
“Americans are a generous people. Whenever a tragedy or crisis occurs around the world, we express our compassion by donating to any number of honest, legitimate charities,” said Secretary Hobbs. “These charities have the resources and infrastructure to ensure the money we contribute directly supports their designated causes.” 

Valeriy V. Goloborodko, Honorary
Consul of Ukraine in Seattle. 
“On behalf of the government of Ukraine and its people, we are grateful for the compassion and generosity of Washingtonians and so many millions around the world,” said Valeriy V. Goloborodko, Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Seattle. 

“I am thankful for Secretary Hobbs’ commitment to helping people protect themselves against fake charities that are undermining genuine, legitimate efforts to support the people of Ukraine. Thank you for both your spirit and support in driving strong efforts to provide relief where Ukrainians need them today.”

“Unfortunately, malign actors and scam organizations try to profit from these crises and take advantage of people’s generosity,” Secretary Hobbs added. “As the state agency responsible for registering corporations and charities, we encourage people to research any nonprofits and charities they choose to support before donating.”

The Office of the Secretary of State’s Charities Division offers the following tips for anyone considering donating to a charity, nonprofit, or relief organization:

  • Check the charity’s registration status. Charities operating in Washington state may need to register and submit reports to the Charities Division. To determine whether a charity is properly registered and in good standing, search for the charity on the Corporations and Charities Filing System at ccfs.sos.wa.gov
  • Check the charity’s experience and if Ukraine crisis relief matches its purpose. Charities that are formed or that shift their direction overnight to respond to a crisis may lack the experience, contacts, or staff to address the issue. Look for charities that have a track record in the region and a good reputation. Consult watchdog organizations like Charity Watch or Charity Navigator that evaluate thousands of charities across the country.
  • Be cautious of online fundraising. Before donating online through charity websites or online giving portals, review the Charities Division’s Guide for Online Giving. Avoid donating to any charities or individuals online unless you know them.
  • Do not share personal financial information over the phone. Do not share your credit/debit card or bank account information over the phone, and don’t feel pressured to do so. Send donations directly to the charity. A legitimate charity will not pressure you to make a donation immediately.
For more tips and resources, visit the Charities Division’s GIVESMART! webpage at 
www.sos.wa.gov/charities/givesmart.

In addition, the Washington State Combined Fund Drive (CFD) offers a list of several reputable and reliable charities — including Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF USA, and American Red Cross International Services — to which Washingtonians can donate.

Administered by the Office of the Secretary of State, the CFD is the charitable-giving program for state and higher-education employees and retirees.


Read more...

LFP Police Calls March 4 - 11, 2022

A weekly roundup of Police calls for 03/04 - 03/11
Lake Forest Park police

Your officers responded to 209 calls for service or self initiated investigations. This includes the following:

17 - Suspicious Circumstances
2 - Domestic Violence
5 - Welfare Checks
2 - Fraud incidents, 1 with over 200k loss to victim
10 - Thefts - Shoplifts, mail, packages, alcohol, etc.
2 - Suicidal Subjects
5 - Vehicle collisions
7 - Alarms


Read more...

Local COVID-19 case updates for Friday, March 11, 2022

 COVID-19 Case Numbers as of Friday, March 11, 2022

The numbers reported in this article are still being verified as the reporting agencies strive to confirm cause of death, remove duplicates, verify residence, and catch up to a huge backlog from January's surge.

King county

King county cases
King county cases

Total confirmed cases - 346,746
Cases in past 7 days - 1,511

King county hospitalizations
King county hospitalizations

Total hospitalizations - 11,201
Hospitalizations in past 7 days - 41

King county deaths
Death in King county

Total deaths - 2,629
Deaths in past 14 days - 50


Cases in Seattle
Cases in Seattle

Seattle

Total confirmed cases - 95,498
Cases in past 7 days - 641

Total hospitalizations - 2,367
Hospitalizations in past 7 days - 5

Total deaths - 625
Deaths in 14 days - 10

Shoreline

Cases in Shoreline

Total confirmed cases - 8,142
Cases in past 7 days - 48

Total hospitalizations - 289
Hospitalizations in past 7 days - 1

Total deaths - 126
Deaths in 14 days - 0


Lake Forest Park

Cases in Lake Forest Park

Total confirmed cases - 1,453
Cases in past 7 days - 10

Total hospitalizations - 32
Hospitalizations in past 7 days - 1

Total deaths  - 6
Deaths in 14 days - 0



Read more...

Notes from Shoreline Council meeting March 7, 2022

Friday, March 11, 2022

Pam Cross, reporter
Shoreline City Council Meeting
March 7, 2022

Notes by Pam Cross

The remote meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Mayor Scully.
All Councilmembers were present.

Approval of the Agenda
The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.

Report of the City Manager, presented by John Norris, Assistant City Manager

FINAL REGULAR COVID-19 UPDATE

This does not mean COVID is over. Future updates will follow only as needed.

In addition to thanking the community for keeping one another safe, we would like to recognize the 125 Shoreline residents who we lost to COVID over the last 2 years.


As you know King County vaccination requirements ended on March 1, which also applies to City recreation facilities. We are no longer requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test in order to enter Spartan or Richmond Highland Recreation centers.

The mask mandate will lift on March 12. Masks will not be required in City facilities, but we still recommend their use in our public spaces.

TAKE THE SURVEY:


PROVIDE YOUR IDEAS:


Public Reminders
NONE

NOTE: The Council Meeting for March 14 has been cancelled. The next meeting will be held remotely on Monday, March 21, 2022 at 7:00pm.

Council Reports

CM Pobee
attended the SeaShore Transportation meeting.
There were a lot of presentations made, including one by the City of Shoreline. There was a presentation by King County about the corridor. In the past we have talked about growth policy in a general way, but now we are looking at things separately. For example, air quality, safety, and equity are all now separate items. The good news is that there is about $5M in grants to do the feasibility and architectural studies and, later on, there is funding available to begin construction or to make changes to this corridor.

CM Mork attended the Regional Water Quality Conference.
There was an orientation to get everyone focused on water quality issues, followed by the regular meeting. The goals we’re working on are the Work Plan, and talking about upcoming rate increases earlier rather than later. Previously the County has preferred a large increase one year and a smaller one the next. We would like to make it more predictable with year to year smaller increases.

Mayor Scully and the City Manager kicked off the current CityWise Program.
I also talked to some 5th graders from St. Luke’s school who were interested in what the City is doing for water conservation.

Public Comment (2 minutes, amended to 3)
There were 11 speakers, one of which could speak now or following item 8(a).

Jackie Kurle, Shoreline
I appreciate the City keeping an eye on the operations of The Oaks Shelter. I see no reason it won’t be a success but want regular updates for the safety of the community and the occupants of the shelter.

Jack Malek, Shoreline
Re item 8(a)

NOTE: This comment has been moved to follow 8(a) for continuity of the narrative

The following speakers provided comprehensive and detailed comments about the amendments to tree regulations (refer to study item 9b of the Feb 28, 2022 Council meeting).

Melody Fosmore, Shoreline, speaking on behalf of the Tree Code Preservation Team
Kathleen Russell, Shoreline
Wally Fosmore, Shoreline
Rebecca Jones, Seattle
Bill Turner, Shoreline
Nancy Morris, Shoreline
Susanne Tsoming, Shoreline
Gayle Janzen, North Seattle
Ann Bates, Shoreline

Approval of the Consent Calendar
The Consent Calendar was approved unanimously 7-0.

Action Item 8(a) Action on Ordinance No. 958 – Waiving Council Rule of Procedure 3.6 and Amending Shoreline Municipal Code Section 13.20.040 to Except Temporary Construction Power from the City’s Undergrounding Requirement

Presentation by John Norris, Assistant City Manager

Although this was discussed last week, it is before Council tonight for the first time as an Action item. As a result, public comment will follow the staff report.

On February 28th, the City Council discussed the issue of required electrical utility undergrounding in the 145th Street Station Subarea and the impact on the Sound Transit Lynnwood Link Extension Project and development in the Subarea. This discussion was prompted by Seattle City Light’s (SCL’s) announcement that it was delaying its critical underground infrastructure project that is necessary to serve the Sound Transit light rail project at 145th street. The City’s current Municipal Code regulations prohibit new electrical facilities or extensions, additions, duplications, or rebuilds of existing electrical facilities being constructed on overhead poles.

Last week’s discussion covered both temporary power for construction and interim power for operations. Tonight’s discussion is about the allowance of overhead temporary construction power.

Ordinance 958 adds new Subsection E to SMC 13.20.040 that allows overhead temporary electrical service for construction. This will apply citywide and to all development projects.
The proposed Code language also states that “overhead temporary electrical service must be disconnected and removed when the project is connected to permanent electrical service or prior to Certificate of Occupancy, whichever occurs sooner.” This will ensure that temporary construction power will truly remain temporary, and that these temporary facilities will be removed from the City once no longer being utilized.

Alternative wordings are provided at Council’s request to make this a narrow allowance for overhead temporary construction power to specific areas of the City:
145th and 185th light rail station subarea's MR-70’ Zone


Reopen Public Comment

Jack Malek, Shoreline
I’m a planning commissioner and realtor. Thanks for advancing this to an Action so quickly. Want to speak to this because I think the recommendation is a little light. I could be wrong, but thought I read it’s just for construction instead of when occupied. They could not use existing power (it would not operate an elevator for example) to begin operation.

This could affect closing loans. Need to interim overhead lines for operation as well as construction. Developers are delivering affordable housing and transit-oriented housing, so they deserve a relationship with the City and certainty they can operate the building once it is constructed. .

No additional public comment.

DISCUSSION

Motion and second to approve Ordinance 958.

I think the discussion we had last week showed the importance of moving this forward. We’ve already made an exception for Sound Transit and I think we need to make an exception for other developers working in the same area.

Motion and second to amend Ordinance 958 to limit it to MUR-70’ Zone.

I think we should be very careful moving forward with this. As a City we want to make sure that our electrical wires are underground. Future projects could be addressed by amending this as the need arises. But I hope there are not other projects in this situation.

I agree. This is something we wish we weren’t having to do at all. So we have to write something narrowly.

Why did staff propose to make it citywide in the first place?
  • Reply: Our understanding from our staff engineers is that this is in a number of municipal codes (not in all). We tried to do as much research as we could, reviewing about 16 other jurisdictions. Some don’t have undergrounding code language at all. For those that do, this is a common exception. We already have codes requiring undergrounding. This ordinance is intended to just streamline that process and get construction started and not have utility work undergrounding be required up front.
Will having this in the MUR-70’ zone be helpful or harmful. Should it be broader?
  • Reply: From the current developers’ standpoint, making specific to MUR-70 will address their concerns. The broader question is, are there future projects that aren’t in front of us right now that may require it? Council could amend the Ordinance in the future. Staff had recommended broader code language and not just MUR-70’ so that we don’t have to amend the code again or bring Council another emergency issue if a developer in another area outside of MUR-70’ needs this exception. Also, from staff’s perspective, Council is supportive of our undergrounding code. This still will ultimately allow for undergrounding . A construction project will generally be in the one to two year range, depending on what’s being built, how complex etc. so that may mean that there are temporary overhead wires for 1-2 years, but ultimately underground as required by current code. Temporary power is quicker to install.
I agree with the amended motion. The City has been forced to be nimble because we don’t have underground 3-phase power and the undergrounding is not going to be completed in time for current projects. We can address other projects later.

In my experience, it is typical to allow temporary construction power and this Ordinance will provide one less bureaucratic area to slow things down. We have enough of those already. I do not support the amendment.

I support the amended motion. I don’t want to do business by addressing emergency motions. If we have a code change, we can do that in the usual course of business. When we have a specific crisis with a specific set of facts, then we should address that specific crisis and that specific set of facts. That way we can get adequate public comment because we’ve publicized it. I don’t like shooting from the hip. For that reason we also need to address operation interim power as soon as staff is able to bring that back to us.

Will ongoing power use (for operations) come back to Council for consideration?
  • Reply: Staff is still working on putting that together and it will come back as a follow up ordinance in the coming weeks. We did not want to hold up the temporary ordinance.
VOTE on the Amended Motion MUR-70’ Zone
The Amendment passes 5-2

CM Mork and McConnell dissenting.

VOTE on Main Motion
Passes unanimously 7-0.

Study Item 9(a) Discussion of the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) Update: Draft Auto Level of Service Approach

Presentation by Nora Daley-Peng, Senior Transportation Planner and
Kendra Dedinsky, City Traffic Engineer

What is the TMP?
The City’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP) is the long-range blueprint for multimodal travel and mobility within Shoreline. The last update to the TMP was in November 2011. For this discussion, staff will provide the Council with a briefing on auto level of service (LOS) policy options that define adequacy of auto capacity and flow on city arterials. The TMP update will provide a framework to guide investments in existing and new transportation infrastructure and programs over the next 20 years in accordance with the community’s transportation priorities.


The team is now working on multimodal LOS policies, draft modal plans, a process for prioritizing projects, and is preparing to launch Outreach Series 3 in April. Over the winter 2022, the project team will develop a draft layered transportation network of modal plans for pedestrian, bicycle, transit, shared-use mobility, and auto/freight modes.

NOTE: The detailed discussion includes several exhibits available in the staff report, beginning on page 9a-3 and continuing to 9a-10.

Auto Policy Approach

LOS - Level of Service


This doesn’t mean A is good and F is bad like in school grades. The City’s current LOS policy requires LOS D at signalized intersections on arterials and most unsignalized intersecting arterials. It is worth noting that while LOS A represents the lowest traffic delay, it is not necessarily the ideal standard to strive for as it is largely unattainable in more urban environments and significantly limits desired redevelopment.

V/C Ratio - Volume to Capacity Supplemental Standard

Simply put, this takes the peak volume of the roadway and divides it by the theoretical capacity which is established by regional models. Shoreline’s current standard is a V/C of .90 or lower on principal and minor arterials. This is not a standard engineering metric.

Growth Projects and Transportation Impact Fees (TIF)

We won’t talk about this today, but I want to point out that the level of service standard directly correlates to TIF paid by development (or by the City in cases where we have exempted development).

Modeling Analysis and Technical Findings


The preferred option for Shoreline is #2 because it anticipates the most growth and balances needs citywide. In the analysis, 2019 numbers were used as a basis in order to avoid the pandemic’s skewing of numbers.

When looking at 2044 Intersection Impacts, preferred option #2 would result in 5 intersections (out of 42) needing improvements. Option #1 would result in 6 and #3 would result in 3. We did not analyze every intersection in the City - these are just representative numbers.


The preferred option for Shoreline is #2 because it anticipates the most growth and balances needs citywide, consistent with the intersection LOS standard.

When looking at 2044 projections, there are number of corridors exceeding the .90 standard. Option #1 results in 9 corridor improvements or exemptions; #2 (preferred) results in 4.

This will return to Council in late March and early April.

DISCUSSION

Clarify what edge issues mean? How will it be identified and then mitigated?
  • Reply Kendra Dedinsky: If you allow for increased delay for particular intersections that butt up against residential areas, for example, we want to make sure that the adjacent intersections are actually performing at their lower LOS and that we’re not inherently producing a lot of cut-through traffic. This is something we need to work through with our consultant because it is something they have identified for us. We haven’t fully flushed this out yet.
When you move from .9 to 1.1, are you increasing or slowing the flow?
  • Reply: Slowing it down. You are increasing congestion, the higher the higher you go on that ratio.
Why are Dayton and 15th exempted?
  • Reply: That was set in our last TMP process in 2011. What they found was that future modeling would result in a V/C greater that .9 so we had to decide how to expand those roadways or exempt them. These are relatively narrow roads with little room to widen.
Regarding the idea of the grouping of intersections. It’s very frustrating as a driver to be stopped at an intersection, go through it, and then have to stop at the next one in one or two blocks. I know we’re not going for free flow, but it should be considered. We’re trying to intentionally make travel by cars a little less comfortable, in favor of walking and biking. Bu some residents are going to say “Thanks, Shoreline! You brought in all this density and now the roads can’t handle it.”
  • Reply: Thanks for that feedback. Travel-time metrics are important and we need to address that as we move along. It’s not something we can use as a forecasting tool.
What is Outreach 3?
  • Reply Nora Daley-Peng: I will be returning to Council on Mar 28 to go over our approach.
How has feedback from the community in the first two outreach events affected what we are discussing today?
  • Reply Kendra Dedinsky: We have feed-back about particular intersections and respect and recognize different issues and adjust our approach. We have heard from pedestrians and bikers as well as drivers.
How does funding work?
  • Reply Nora Daley-Peng: We will update our financial plan to address this but we need to know what our priorities are first.
Is 5th NE and 165th NE included in preferred option? It’s a pretty important intersection. You can get back to on this. I appreciate what you have done and recognize that these metrics are the best that we have at this time.
  • Reply: We can look into this intersection more closely as we move forward.
8(b) Discussing Ordinance No. 955 – 2021 Batch #2 – Miscellaneous and (State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Related Amendments Amending Development Code Sections 20.20, 20.30, 20.40 and 20.50

Due to limited time, the staff is asked to make a very brief summary and trust that Council has read the reports.

Presentation by Steve Szafran, Senior Planner


The amendments have been split into three topics: (1) “miscellaneous” will provide updates, clarifications, and policy changes to parking, residential setbacks, and adaptive reuse of commercial buildings that have been difficult to lease, (2) updates to the procedures and administration of SEPA and (3) modifications to regulations affecting the protection and preservation of trees.

DISCUSSION

Amendment 1 (#A1) Definition of “family”
Staff report states effective July 25, Senate Bill (SB) 5235 a city may not limit the number of unrelated persons occupying a dwelling, yet we still appear to have a limit of 8. You can get back to me on this.

Why do we have to still have to define a family as related by blood or marriage. I think this is something to consider striking. (There was general agreement with this.)

#A11 Re-use of commercial buildings
No new signs facing abutting residential uses. Could it be an upgrade of old sign? Broken sign? Trivial but I’m curious because I wouldn’t want this to stand in the way of repurposing the building.
  • Reply: Old signs can be repaired and upgraded. We just don’t want new signs facing residences.
I’m not fond of this amendment. These are non-conforming uses, holdovers of things that don’t meet our current standards. It’s a bad idea. While I’m sympathetic to the difficulty of leasing these buildings, I don’t know why we would want to encourage non-conforming uses.

Any idea how many lots we are talking about? What it looks like in your examples is that there is a lot of parking all around and I don’t see the parking disappearing in the foreseeable future. And some of these properties will be walked to by the neighborhood residents. I’d like to see these buildings used instead of vacant and boarded up.
  • Reply: These are parcels that have existed for a long time and are now non-conforming. The amount of money to make these buildings useable will trigger compliance with our existing code. That’s not going to happen. They will sit vacant until they are demolished and most likely be rebuilt as multi-family housing. This amendment was kind of a stop gap to allow a use until it is knocked down and something new is built that won’t be affordable and probably won’t attract local tenants. I don’t know how many lots there are totally.
  • Reply Nathan Daum, Economic Dev. Program Manager: It’s our expectation that there is a limited set of locations. And sometimes we are talking about changing from one commercial use to another. The buildings are there so we are looking for ways to bring them back into use to assist local development at a more affordable price. New construction is almost the domain of the national chains and the larger entities.
#A8 Front yard setbacks
I know the code will still require no more than 50% impervious. You were talking about potential ADUs and some other things. I can’t figure out why this amendment was proposed.
  • Reply: Just to provide more flexibility. I think a picture would help.
Yes, we need to see pictures of actual projects because the diagram in the staff report didn’t really help, and this would be a significant citywide change.

#A13 not including parking fees as part of rent
There’s a backstory to this. There a particular building that separated the parking fee from the rental fee. It was a low income building with many occupants using Section 8 funding. Section 8 will not pay for parking, but if it’s part of the rent charged, then they will pay for it. The local neighborhood of single family residences was flooded by people choosing to park on the streets rather than pay for parking. And then it became an equality issue. People who received the government funding no longer had their parking included in the rent. Many worked odd hours and needed a car to get to their jobs but now couldn’t afford parking. The building owner could make more money by renting out their parking spaces. So unless the government has changes its position, I don’t want to support this.

SEPA Amendments
These are necessary and I don’t see any big changes there. I think we can just move ahead with these.

8(c) Discussion of the 2022 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Docket

Presentation by Steve Szafran, Senior Planner

This year’s Preliminary 2022 Docket was presented to the Planning Commission on February 3, 2022, and contained two privately-initiated amendments and three city-initiated amendments.

Amendment #1 – Amend the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) and Transportation Element which includes updated goals and policies.
This amendment will replace the current TMP with a new TMP.

Amendment #2 – 2024 Comprehensive Plan Major Update
The State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires counties and cities to periodically conduct a thorough review of their Comprehensive Plan and regulations. Shoreline last completed a major update of the Comprehensive Plan in 2012. The deadline for adoption of this periodic update is June 2024.

Amendment #3 – Amend the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map Designation from Public Facility to Mixed-Use 1 and change the Zoning from Residential, 18 units/acre (R-18) and Mixed-Business (MB) to Mixed-Business (MB) at the King County Metro Park & Ride Facility at 19000 Aurora Avenue N.

Amendment #4 – Amend the Land Use Element to add a new policy “Housing development and preservation of significant trees can co-exist with the goal of maintaining and increasing Shoreline’s urban tree canopy”.

Amendment #5 – Add Short Term Rental definition, licensing requirements, and location. The Planning Commission recommends this request not be added to the docket, as the the proposed addition of a short-term rental use is already supported by Comprehensive Plan Housing Goals II, Housing Goal III, and Economic Development Goal I.

Potential Amendments proposed by Council:



Change this area on the land use map from public facility to public open space.

This will come back on Mar 21st to establish the Docket, which identifies the items that staff will work on.

DISCUSSION

Regarding Amendment 5 that was not recommended. We just don’t know the impact of short-term rentals (VRBO or Airbnb) on housing availability. Is more studying planned to address this at a later time?
  • Reply: Yes, there is guidance for this in the Comprehensive Plan. If we’re talking about regulating them, that is a separate issue that would happen outside of the Comprehensive Plan process.
Any definition in the Comprehensive Plan really has an impact on the development code, and it is much harder to change any kind of specific code or policy in the Comprehensive Plan because of the process we are currently going through. That is the reason we have presented Proposed Amendments 1&2 above.

Meeting Adjourned



Read more...

Obituary: Arthur H. Waller 1932 - 2022

Art Waller
Arthur H. Waller died of multiple causes on January 18, 2022. He is survived by former wife Sally, his two sons, Colin and Gavin, daughter-in-law Sonja Groset, granddaughter Alexa Glore, three great grandchildren, and his significant other of 25 years Vicki Westberg. 

He was 89. Arthur was an only child, born August 11, 1932 in Boise, Idaho, to Arthur C. Waller and Ida Fern Williams. In 1938 the family relocated to Seattle. 

Car racing was a passion throughout his lifetime. At age 14 he spent 5 months one summer lying on the living room couch recovering from rheumatic fever, the remedy in those days. 

He could hear sounds of the Aurora Speedway through the open window and, as soon as he was able, his best neighborhood friend began taking him to see the races on Friday nights. Just watching was not enough so he became a track sweeper and later a member of the pit crew for one of the cars. 

His parents didn’t approve of the direction his life was taking, they had plans for him to go to Harvard, but at age 17 they finally relented and signed papers that allowed him to work at the Speedway and drive a race car. At age 18 being a brash high school senior he wasn’t afraid to tell a car owner twice his age that his car was badly constructed and was subsequently asked to leave the team, which he did. Being a 6 foot tall skinny kid he couldn’t fit into the midgets so he built a sprint car and drove it on the track with appreciable success.

He believed in being an active member of any group he belonged to and accepted the job of referee and later secretary of the Roadster Racing Assn. of Washington. That organization only lasted nine years, but it was the beginning of life long friendships.

Golden Wheels Racing Fraternity
He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1951 and later attended the University of Washington with the intention of becoming an art teacher. 

He discovered, however, in his junior year that drafting was much more to his liking, so he quit and signed up for the Boeing course in draftsmanship. 

He left Boeing when they started expecting overtime and he wanted to build a car. To that end he joined the RRAW and was a member from 1949 to 1955. 

His dream was again interrupted when he gave two years to active duty in the United States Navy as the Korean War was winding down.

Returning to Seattle, he became a draftsman in earnest. During the course of his career he worked for the following firms: Boeing Airplane Co., Renton; Marshall, Barr and Pacquer; Worthington, Skilling, Helle and Jackson (who provided the structural engineers for the World Trade Center); Victor O. Gray and Co.; McGrath Corporation; and Jack Woodman and Associates. 

He worked on the World Trade Center plans and could have followed the project to New York, but he didn’t want to relocate. At one point he worked with Turner Exhibits on a display at the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field.

Another of his passions was buffaloes. When computers came into use and replaced hand drawn drafting, Art decided to start his own consulting service which he called The Buffalo Works. This eventually grew into home repair which made use of all his skills, and referrals from happy customers meant he never had to advertise. After he retired he turned one room in his home into a mini museum of “Buffalobelia” collected over a lifetime.

Buffalo show and tell at Richmond Beach Library
He and his second wife, Sally, married in 1965 and raised two sons. Ten years after their divorce, he met Vicki Westberg who became his SO. 

She did her best to be his partner and keep up with his racing activity with admittedly a steep learning curve. Their relationship lasted 25 years by being together on weekends and in their respective homes during the week.

He joined Golden Wheels, a vintage racing fraternity in 2003 when he learned that the Shoreline Historical Museum was having a vintage car show in their parking lot. 

This, as it turned out, was the connection with racing that he had been looking for. Within a couple of years he had assumed the role of Project Coordinator for a rebuild of a midget, no longer deemed safe to drive on the track and to be used for display only. 

As such he replaced the engine with a wooden mock up which allowed the club to sell the real engine and made the car much lighter. He absorbed a lot of kidding about the “wooden wonder,” but when most all parts had been replaced with look-alikes from unexpected sources or made from molded plastic, it fooled even the experts. The car made it to all shows after that which helped the “car count” and added interest for the public. About 20 members contributed in some way on this project.

A great day for a race or a show
He became Golden Wheels Pit Steward for one year at racing events they traveled to and was awarded Man of the Year twice before deciding to build his dream car, a 1950’s exact roadster replica with partner Warren Kindle, owner of Sandblasters, Inc., supplying materials. 

Perfectionist that he was, he documented with copious photographs and specs, every part and phase of the work. 

When either of his cars was on display he dressed the part and talked to people with signage boards and three-ring binders. Documented were the people who contributed work and parts to the project and the importance of the Roadster Era.

He had an eclectic taste in music from classical to early jazz and a sense of humor which included Monty Python, cartoonist Callahan, and anyone with a good joke to tell. Colleagues valued him for his work ethic, knowledge and dedication. 

Lastly, he felt there should be an award reserved on the Golden Wheels Hall of Fame membership roster for the “Markers” or “Also Rans” who had no chance of winning, but kept coming and competing anyway and without whom there would be no race.

He strongly supported The Seattle Times and the free press. Although he became blind in his last years, he continued to subscribe, and Vicki would read it to him from her own copy over the phone, a routine she looked forward to each morning. He will be missed by many.

No memorial service is planned at this time at his request. Donations in his name may be made to a charity of your choice. This obituary will also appear in the Seattle Times Sunday. For more photos and to add comments, go to the Co-op Funeral Home of People’s Memorial website, obituaries.




Read more...

CORRECTION: SPRING AHEAD this weekend into Daylight Saving Time

 

Spring FORWARD

Fall BACK

2am Sunday, March 13, 2022 or before you go to bed Saturday set your clocks and non-wifi devices an hour ahead. 

Phone, computer, TV will be ok but the coffee pot is always a surprise.

Oh, and ignore what I said yesterday. I'm a little dyslexic with time changes.

--Diane Hettrick


Read more...

Gloria's Insects: Buccaneers of Buzz!

 
Photo copyright Gloria Z Nagler


Bees are Black, with Gilt Surcingles --
Buccaneers of Buzz.
Ride abroad in ostentation
And subsist on Fuzz.

-- Emily Dickinson, lover of bees



Read more...

Home sales in Shoreline during February 2022

The following are properties that sold in Shoreline during the month of February 2022. Data compiled for the Shoreline Area News by the Shoreline Windermere office.





Read more...

Jazz Vespers Sunday - online and in person

 

Jazz Vespers is happening this Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 5pm! 

Our theme "Thin Air" will have some folk inspirations featuring brilliant vocalist Kelley Johnson, and a reflection by Andrea Chaumont. 

From Kelley's website: Kelley Johnson is an international award-winning jazz vocalist who is known and respected as an arranger, poet, and lyricist with a personal body of recordings. Kelley’s lithe velvety voice mixes with a dynamic delivery and tricky colorful arrangements to showcase her interpretive finesse and inspired soloists. An organic groovy singer with a direct approach, Kelley reaches her audience with storytelling, subtlety, soulfulness, and swing.

It will be live here on Facebook but nothing beats in person, don't miss it!


Started in July 2019, Jazz Vespers is a monthly program, a free event open to the whole community.



Read more...

Lieutenant Brian Ford promoted at Northshore Fire

Lieutenant Brian Ford, Northshore Fire
Lieutenant Brian Ford has been promoted to the Northshore Fire Departments Training Captain position. 

A-shift won't be the same without you - but now everyone will be able to share in your leadership, wit and wisdom.


Read more...

Special Needs PTSA hosts Q /A panel with middle school principals for parents of 5th graders

Parents of 5th Graders! On March 15, 2022 at 7pm the Shoreline Special Needs PTSA will be hosting their first transition meeting with both Middle School principals and parents of students.

Register today 

Bring your questions and concerns or email your questions to SSNPTA@gmail.com



Read more...

Metro Transit open house - discussion of Lynnwood Link and upcoming transit restructure


By 2025, Sound Transit will open five new light rail stations connecting Northgate to Lynnwood, with stations in Shoreline and Mountlake Terrace.

Come to a virtual Open House for a discussion on the project and upcoming transit restructure. There are two sessions to choose from, please register in advance.
 
Thursday, March 17 from 7-8pm
Zoom registration: https://kingcounty.zoom.us/.../WN_nhxfRk3CSFKbqPtBNCzxoA

Saturday, March 19 from 10-11am
Zoom registration: https://kingcounty.zoom.us/.../WN_zIWZxSW0Qk6_2E5uI7RDUg

Visit the project page to learn more. https://kingcounty.gov/.../lynnwood-link-connections.aspx



Read more...

View from the Richmond Beach Trail

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Looking north
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Looking south
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

There is a trail that runs along the top of the ridge above Richmond Beach Saltwater Park. It provides expansive views of Puget Sound.


Read more...

New social worker at Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Senior Center available for consultations

Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Senior Center announces new Social Worker

Jill Bieler is a licensed Social Worker who has a Master of Social Work degree and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Aging Studies.

Jill is available for free, confidential consultations to:
  • Provide advocacy and referrals for seniors to community resources for concerns related to housing, food assistance, transportation, financial, legal and mental health issues.
  • Offer emotional support and short-term counseling to seniors and their families for issues related to aging, grief and loss, adjustment to illness and caregiving.
  • Assist with applications to community agencies for services, including senior housing, utility discount programs and public benefits.

Jill is available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays by phone and in-person by appointment. 

Schedule appointments with the reception desk or by calling 206-365-1536.

The Senior Center is located in the southernmost building on the Shoreline Center campus, facing NE 185th. The address is 18560 1st Ave NE #1.



Read more...

Sen. Frockt: Supplemental budget takes on the most pressing issues facing our state

Sen. David Frockt D-46 is the state's
lead capital budget writer
OLYMPIA — The Senate unanimously passed a supplemental capital construction budget (SB 5651) that invests $1.5 billion in priority infrastructure across the state, including landmark funding for housing to address the state’s homelessness crisis.

“This budget takes on the most pressing issues facing our state,” said Sen. David Frockt (D-Seattle), vice chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and the Senate’s lead capital budget writer. 
“More than one third of this 1.5 billion budget goes toward building facilities to address the homelessness and mental health and substance abuse crises affecting us in Seattle and around the state. 
"Over the two-year budget cycle, we will have invested more than a billion dollars in these areas, which has to be a record.

“These are the tools that the City of Seattle and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority need to show our constituents progress on the homelessness crisis, and they should work with partners to apply for and take advantage of these grants.”

A historic $440 million funds grants and loans to invest in affordable housing, including $300 million for rapid housing. The budget also includes $98 million for behavioral health and crisis stabilization.

Established in 2021, the Rapid Housing Acquisition program helps local governments around the state bring unsheltered people into housing as quickly as possible. It has already provided grants for rapid housing projects in the Seattle and Vancouver areas that are anticipated to generate hundreds of units quickly in the coming months.

Hundreds of schools across Washington face a high risk of serious damage from an earthquake or tsunami, according to a 2021 report by the Department of Natural Resources. The capital budget contributes $100 million toward the cost of replacing or seismically retrofitting school buildings in high seismic areas or tsunami zones. A new seismic safety grant program was established by Frockt’s SB 5933, which both chambers of the Legislature passed unanimously.

“Providing safe places for children to learn is one of the state’s most serious responsibilities,” Frockt said. “The risk of an earthquake or tsunami may seem small at any particular place and time, but multiplied by all the communities in potentially geologically active areas across our state, this problem is urgent.”

A further $251 million goes to improve the state’s environmental health, including water quality, recreation and conservation. Local and community projects supported by members of both parties across the state are also included in the budget.

The budget demonstrates Senate Democrats’ commitment to equity by investing significantly in underserved communities through broadband expansion, affordable housing and community projects.

Priority projects in communities that have historically been underserved, including communities of color, receive significant funding. In Seattle, that includes $4.5 million for the Tubman Health Clinic, a Black community-owned and -led health institution for all people. The flagship Tubman health center is slated to open in 2025. Another $4 million goes to the Rainier Valley Early Learning Center.

Expanding broadband internet access to rural and underserved areas across the state was one of the key recommendations identified in last year’s report of the Special Committee on Economic Recovery, which Frockt chaired. This budget provides $100 million toward that goal through funding from last year’s federal infrastructure law.

Community behavioral health is also a priority. The budget contributes $6 million for Cascade Hall Community Psychiatric Clinic in King County to make sure the important inpatient beds it offers are not eliminated. Another $10 million goes toward a new King County crisis stabilization facility.

I am also pleased that this budget passed on a unanimous bipartisan vote, which is what we have had with virtually every budget in this space in recent years during my tenure in this role,” said Frockt. 
“This shows that the parties can work together, in good faith, when they come together and listen to one another and respect the needs that different communities have. Every Washingtonian in every district has a stake in preserving our natural resources, making schools safer from earthquakes and tsunamis, expanding broadband internet access, and investing in our state parks.”

A list of the budget’s capital investments in Seattle is available here.

Having been passed by both chambers of the Legislature, SB 5651 now goes to the governor for his signature.

Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, represents the 46th Legislative District, which includes Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Lake City, Pinehurst, Northgate, Wedgwood, Windermere, and Laurelhurst.


Read more...
ShorelineAreaNews.com
Facebook: Shoreline Area News
Twitter: @ShorelineArea
Daily Email edition (don't forget to respond to the Follow.it email)

  © Blogger template The Professional Template II by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP