(Ed. Note: For background, the city has been planning for some time to rebuild the “transfer station” (aka “dump”) at 34th and Stone Way for some time. The most recent Wallyhood article on this was our Transfer Station Update in August 2009.)
Now that planning for the dump rebuild is about to begin in earnest, the stakeholder group is spinning back up for the first time in 9 months. The next meeting is this Thursday, from 6-8 PM at Nalanda West Center, 3902 Woodland Park Avenue N. It is open to the public.
This meeting should be a good one to familiarize yourself with what’s going on with the dump rebuild. Goals include stuff like this (pictures for illustration from SPU, not designs):
We had a few meetings covering this at the Wallingford Community Council over the last few years. Here’s my somewhat hazy recap that will hopefully avoid offending anyone…
Seattle Public Utilities and our community both wanted the dump moved to a lower density, more industrial, better configured area (e.g. near the rail line). Interlake was targeted as a preferred site but through some combination of political machinations the move was nixed and it was decided the dump would stay put. This issue still has a lot of people angry.
Next there was a big kerfuffle about whether an Environment Impact Statement was required before the rebuild. Through some combination of political machinations it was determined by the powers that be that the rebuild didn’t require one. Then things went to the courts and slowed stuff up for a couple years, and as far as I know Fremont is still appealing the decision. The Wallingford Community Council disengaged from the lawsuit after losing in the initial judgment. If you want to see the status of the neighborhood push for an EIS a good info site is here.
The goal of the working group is to have SPU and residents work together on mitigation. For both parties this is very much an arranged marriage, but if it’s to happen then it’s best that the community approaches these talks constructively and helps to define mitigations. You can see the working group info here. To familiarize yourself with the project overall, see the fact sheet. And if you’re interested in joining in with the overall kerfuffle, we’ll see you on Thursday!
On the mitigation front, I wonder if it would be possible to suggest that 5th Avenue, south of 45th be made a one way street going North? The issue for me is that there is a lot of traffic that gets off of I-5 to go to the dump site, often without being covered, and by necessity or convenience, continues on past John Stanford Elementary. There are usually cars parked on this street in both directions meaning that only one car from one direction can pass at one time. Add people on bicycles and it is really nuts. And during the time that school is about to start and just finish, with parents dropping off/picking up children, it is extremely congested and unsafe.
Should be moved, as was proposed some time back. Interbay, which is on the rail line, was proposed then, and is still the best solution.
Is McGinn as tone-deaf on this as Nickels people were (couldn’t tell those folks anything)?
Given the money that will be spent, makes no sense not to do it right and put it on the rail line.
What a waste of valuable land. Seriously, the best we can come up with for property steps away from the waterfront is a dump? Gimme a break. Dumps belong in places with low property value, not places like Wallingford where the home prices are the highest on average in Seattle.