The public process to help shape the framework to guide Sound Transit’s development of the land it owns around the coming Broadway station is wrapping up and community leaders are asking for one final push of feedback to help support their efforts working with the transit agency. We don’t do a lot of straight-up advocacy journalism but here we go — Your feedback can be this: “I support the Urban Design Framework. Love, <Your Name Here>”
Here’s a note from the Capitol Hill Champion group’s Cathy Hillenbrand:
The comment period closes today, TUESDAY JUNE 7. Send feedback to Vanessa Murdock ([email protected]). The City needs to hear what you like, don’t like about the draft, and any great ideas that you feel are missing – all feedback is appreciated and can be as simple or complex as you wish.
A few of the great ideas in the framework include:
- A permanent home for the Capitol Hill Farmer’s Market in new Plaza facing E. Denny Way (p. 7)
- E. Denny Way between Broadway and Nagle Place as a Festival Street with limited traffic, paving integrated into the new Plaza, and ability to be easily closed for events (p. 27)
- 50% of all housing units should be affordable at 80% area medium income (AMI), with half (25% of whole) affordable at less than 50% AMI (pp. 9/10)
- Potential to push and pull height and mass around the main sites (inside the red wall) in order to maximize design of the new Plaza, solar access (pp. 22/23)
- A station plaza that becomes the civic heart of Capitol Hill
- Include a Cultural Center and community space – this could be an LGBT civic center, or dedicated arts space (pp. 8,30)
- Collaborative development and design of the highest quality (p.4)
Here’s how things will move forward:
- The document will be finalized in July and will represent the community vision for the sites going forward: uses, programming, design guidance
- Implementation of UDF is critical – Champion wants it appended to Sound Transit’s RFQ/RFP for development of the sites
- Going forward, what matters is the framing of Sound Transit’s RFQ/RFP, and the selection of the developer(s) for the sites
Get involved in realizing the vision – [email protected]
Also, don’t forget about this Saturday’s event marking the start of tunnel boring on Capitol Hill.
Look behind the red wall
June 11, 2011
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Cal Anderson Park
10th Avenue between John Street and Denny Way
Capitol Hill neighborhood
Seattle, WACapitol Hill community event and Link light rail construction site tours
I reviewed the draft of the UDF, and the city did a commendable job. It is well written, with clear graphics, and accurately portrays the input received from the community. It is not a quick read, but worth the effort. Nice work Vanessa et al!
On behalf of the Champion, THANK YOU Justin for a great job of reporting on the Draft Framework. The Framework is the result of much input and time on the part of this Community, City Staff and Sound Transit Staff. Once the Final Draft is completed, the key question is implementation going forward. There will be multiple great solutions to TOD on top of the station – it is up to this Community to shepherd this process through Developer Selection and completion! [email protected]
I read some of the community suggestions of a new home for the local Farmers’ Market, a Festival Street, affordable housing set asides, a station plaza and a cultural center. I think all of those would be welcome to help create and maintain a center to Capitol Hill. There are very few public spaces for the residents of the neighborhood to meet, greet, socialize, showcase our best features to friends and/or visitors, etc. Many of the residents are either lower income or on limited budgets as college students who nevertheless contribute economically in rents, tuitions, eating out and shopping locally quite often, etc. So more public space for the above mentioned demographic portions of the resident population would be welcomed enhancements to our already pleasant quality of life on Capitol Hill.
It’s impossible to park anywhere and the parking rates went up.
Do you understand the concept of a transit station?
Good job! I like the proposals – especially an LGBT Civic Center.