Who will really decide on Town Center design
Why is the Town Center Liaison Group (TCLG) pursuing an agenda for the Town Center that will result in a cookie cutter transit oriented development (TOD) without character or individuality?
The TCLG through its transit oriented development consultant, Seth Harry, is pushing for a code which mandates not only building height but building shape and choice of building materials. The TCLG also plans to require retail on all ground level buildings in the Town Center and dictate which type of retail a property owner must provide, in addition to the lease rate and terms, regardless of market demand.
A quick comparison of the consultant’s January 2015 drawings (before the stakeholder group was formed) to the present May 2015 drawings reveals little if any change. It gives the impression that the public outreach campaign was done only to fulfill legal requirements rather than to truly gather and implement community ideas. Our TCLG “leaders” are facilitating the stakeholder group to a predetermined result where property owners and the community cede control of private property to the City.
Instead of paint by numbers it will be “town center design” by numbers – City fiat. The City will provide a pre-approved list of acceptable shapes, designs, materials, tenants, rental rates, etc. It is a slippery slope, first the Town Center then heavy-handed regulations in your residential neighborhood. Is this “substantial progress” from community input or an oligarchic manifesto hidden in sheep’s clothing?
Traci Granbois
Convince me to stay! A plea from a Mercer Island teacher
To Senators Litzow and Pedersen,
I am a 6th year teacher at Mercer Island High School, an alumni of MIHS, UW and WWU; a lover of the Northwest and a life-long resident of the Puget Sound, living in the 43rd District.
Lately, however, I have been reconsidering my options, as my income has basically been flat over this time. Educators do receive yearly step movements that bring in a few more dollars a month, but that has been offset by increased payments towards health care.
When I compared my options between Seattle and our rival city to the south, I was stunned. If I were working in Portland Public Schools this year, I would be making $4,682 more, about an 8.2 percent increase. If I were to add my fiancé to my health care costs, on Mercer Island, the monthly bill would be roughly $600. In Portland, the max out of pocket is $122. What does this get to? The bottom line is that I would make more dollars in Oregon.
King County’s current median home cost is about $420,000, while Portland’s is $310,000. Looking at several indicators, the overall cost of living comparison is that King County is about 20 percent more expensive than our Southern neighbors.
Most people that see these numbers just say, “Wow! Why don’t you move now?”
There is a part of me that wants to move. A move out of Washington State would give me the ability to achieve much greater financial security as a classroom teacher. But this is home. I really want to be able to stay near friends and family. I want to live near the mountains and waters that I know. I want to root for the Sounders, not the Timbers!
From what I have seen, the funding increase for educator’s salaries isn’t very convincing. A 4.8 percent COLA proposed by the House and a 3 percent COLA proposed by the Senate are barely enough to keep up with inflation. These figures definitely fall short of meeting the needs of young families trying to establish themselves in this rapidly changing economy.
At this point, I need you to convince me to stay. Convince me that the Puget Sound cares about educators. Convince me that you want a vibrant, diverse community with all sorts of workers and economic sectors. Convince me that you believe in investing in our community and our communities’ futures. Convince me to stay.
Patrick Rigby
Bus intercept on MI — unneeded, expensive
At the last City Council meeting, there was talk about “mobility mitigation.” We are still waiting for the mitigation for the loss of the HOV lanes. Mitigation is like selling your soul to the devil. Is it worth it? The City Council needs to push for South Bellevue, and not mitigation.
Rather than spending the money here, it would be better to look for alternatives that would make more sense for Sound Transit and Metro. Expanding the proposed Parking and Bus Terminal in South Bellevue does that and does not disrupt a City Center.
Sound Transit claims that there will be no more buses on the Island than currently come here. They do not say that during peak hours there will be a bus every 2.5 minutes. They want to provide space for up to 14 buses to park on the Island with three bus lanes on 80th Avenue S.E. over I-90. The City’s traffic study already identifies that area as a problem site even before the bus terminal.
They claim that the terminal is needed to allow the buses from the eastside (Issaquah and North Bend) to “intercept” with light rail. They say that it is a “straight shot.” and “They do not have to cross lanes from the HOV lane.” But the fact is that, it would be faster, a shorter distance and avoid the I-90 back-up at the East Channel bridge, if the buses went to South Bellevue. The buses cross two or three lanes to get to the HOV lanes when they get onto I-90, why can’t they when getting off I-90? Why is Sound Transit pushing so hard on this issue?
They need to widen Bellevue Way for light rail, so why not add a less than half mile lane for the buses at the same time. With the completion of the light rail through Bellevue the need for buses using the South Bellevue Terminal will be greatly reduced.
We need hard answer from Sound Transit and less sophistry.
Let the City Council know your opinion, send a letter, attend a meeting. If the buses do not come here, there is a possibility more people will park in South Bellevue to avoid the I-90 back-up and allow more Island residents to have access to the Mercer Island Park and Ride.
Just say no to the bus terminal.
John Scherzo
