We’re looking to create an updated Wallyhood candidate Q&A for the general election, with these goals:
- Surface differences between the candidates
- Where possible, cover Wallingford specific (District 4) or Tangletown / Fremont specific (District 6) issues
- Cover the key areas of revenue reform, transportation, low income housing, neighborhood planning, and priorities
For District 4 (Wallingford) our primary Q&A favored Tony Provine in online votes. Unfortunately, Wallyhood doesn’t have the pull of the simple minded socialists at The Stranger, who we wish would move to their Venezuelan utopia. We also don’t have the pull of the entitled east side old-money elites at The Times, who we wish would move to their Honduran utopia. The result is that we’re left to choose between Michael Maddux (Stranger endorsed) and Rob Johnson (Times endorsed) in the general election.
Here are the Wallingford priorities for those two candidates, from our primary Q&A:
Michael Maddux’s Priorities for Wallingford: My priorities as a city council member, beyond revenue reform, include identifying and funding meaningful investments in east-west connectivity through Wallingford, connecting Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford, and U-District. In addition, I would work with the Wallingford Chamber and Community Council to come up with what the next neighborhood plan looks like, how we are going to absorb and welcome incoming residents to the area, while preserving the affordability for small businesses along and around 45th (as well as the commercial cores of all neighborhoods). Folks can learn more about where I stand, and my policy proposals, at www.michaelmaddux.com
Rob Johnson’s Priorities for Wallingford: Better Parking Management! I’ve knocked on just about every door in Wallingford and the number 1 issue I heard about was how difficult parking is in Wallingford. To help reduce the squeeze on parking in the neighborhood I’d like to work with developers to provide transit passes, bike share memberships, and other incentives to encourage more car-light or car-free residents to move to Wallingford. I think the city should do a more thorough analysis of the availability and use of public and private parking in the neighborhood to make sure we’re not building more parking than we need and to better utilize the available parking that currently exists. The squeeze is only going to get tighter as light rail opens so we need to be working on solutions now that can be in place over the next few years as we get close to light rail opening. I’m also a parent of kids that will be in Seattle Public Schools and I’ll advocate for the city be more intentional about using our city resources to support the public school system through intentional programming with our parks and libraries to providing more safe walking and biking routes to schools.
For District 6 (Fremont / Tangletown) Mike O’Brien got 58% of the primary vote so he looks to be the winner already. He was given a big, wet kiss by the Seattle Times when they refused to endorse anyone else in primary, instead just accusing Mike of being “too liberal” (I can just hear Mike screaming in the endorsement interview, “oh no, not the briar patch!”).
Still, it’s worth noting that Mike heads up HALA for Seattle City Council and endorsed single family rezoning for more density, plus he’s endorsed putting cycle tracks in on N 50th and Green Lake Way N. I think he thrived while McGinn didn’t because he’s got the amazing political gift to always be smiling, kind of like Dick Cheney manages to convey authority by always sneering. Maybe because O’Brien bikes so much while Cheney has a broken heart.
Anyhow, here are the District 6 Tangletown priorities for Catherine and Mike from our primary Q&A:
Catherine Weatbrook‘s Tangletown Priorities: Each neighborhood in our city has unique characteristics, and we should celebrate that. With authentic and meaningful community engagement, we can enhance the character of our neighborhoods, improve transportation, welcome new residents, and not loose diversity. That cannot be done with centralized, one-size-fits-all zoning that ignores the community and livability. Neighborhood plans were a way to do this, and we need to move back in that direction. As a city council member I will find funding to reinstate a neighborhood planning process that is community led, creates complete plans that include all things that make a neighborhood livable. As a city council member I will make a master maintenance plan for Green Lake and its park a priority for the area. We should never again let the toxic algae become as big a public health threat as it’s been allowed to do in the current “business as usual model.” We know Alum treatments work, and they need to be a regular part of that maintenance plan. Another priority for the area are walking and bike routes that connect Green Lake and Tangle Town to the rest of the transportation network including the U-District light rail station.
Mike O’Brien‘s Tangletown Priorities: A top priority for this neighborhood is developing a permanent solution to address the periodic closure of Green Lake to swimming. It is unacceptable that this summer we will likely face a closure due to a toxic algae bloom. Last fall I led the budget effort to provide funding for the Parks Department to permit and fund a treatment in the lake to reduce the algae blooms to a manageable level. But we need to go further. I will push parks to do ongoing testing and monitoring so that we can manage the lake in a proactive way to prevent having to face prolonged closures in the future. I will also continue to work with Seattle Public Utilities to manage the storm water runoff that goes into the lake and is partially responsible for the nutrients that create the favorable environment for the algae to bloom.
Green Lake and Tangletown need more transit service. The increase in bus service that begins this weekend is a great start and in September we will see another significant increase, but our transit needs will continue to grow and I will continue to fight for more transit investments in this and all communities in Seattle. When light rail opens in Roosevelt and the U-District in 2021 it will provide more transit options for these communities. Sound Transit is also studying for possible inclusion in a Sound Transit 3 package a light rail extension from the University District to Ballard which would likely have stations in Wallingford, further increasing options for these neighborhoods.
I look forward to the opportunity to work with the people of Tangletown and Green Lake on these and any issues you face so that together we can ensure that Seattle is a city that works for everyone.
What are your questions that would help you choose the best candidate for the general election? When we did the primary Q&A we got a few off the cuff questions after we started running answers, but those were too late, as we’d already gotten responses from the candidates. Now is the time for your cunning question!
I appreciate the local focus the blog is providing for the election, I have to say that the editorializing in the introduction referring to “simple minded socialists at the Stranger, “and further references to a “Venezuelan socialist state “or a right wing “Honduran utopia,” was unnecessary and detracts from a rational debate of the issues affecting our community.
It’s not necessary to belittle the winners in the primary because you don’t like the outcome. If that wasn’t your intent, then perhaps in the future you could make that clear.
Thanks Leonard. I believe the same thing re the slam at the Stranger. By making such a slam including “we all” the the author losesc redibility in all the other topics.
I agree too. I prefer a more objective view in a neighborhood blog and less snark. Please pick a direction for the blog. Is it very local news, events and general going on like neighbors might discuss at a cafe or park, or your personal soap box with a side of griping?
See a more balanced version of that paragraph below.
For District 4 (Wallingford) our primary Q&A favored Tony Provine* in online votes, but the results were quite different and mirrored the endorsements by the two local papers. The candidates in the general election are Michael Maddux (Stranger endorsed) and Rob Johnson (Times endorsed).
*Personally, I liked Tony Provine and I am disappointed both that he lost and that many appear to be voting straight from newspaper endorsements.
Personally, I thought the remarks about The Stranger were right on, hahahaha!
I used to read The Stranger back when I thought they were edgy and alternative. Now I see that they are just petulant, bitchy, smug, and self indulgent.
Parks and everyone’s access to them for legal activities is a major issue both in Wallingford (where we are blessed with a number of parks which could be outstanding) and city-wide. The situation which most affects me personally is that I have found that it is literally impossible for me to take my leashed dog for a walk in any Wallingford or Seattle park without having to deal with off-leash dogs in the park. I would would like to ask the candidates about their position on unleashed dogs. Are loose dogs in our parks a problem or not? Do we need more off-leash areas, or not? More generally, what are the candidates’ positions on (or at least comments on) such park issues as availability of unlocked public rest rooms, camping, and general maintenance.
In an election year, I doubt any candidate is going to be willing to risk the wrath of the dog-owners-should-be-able-to-do-anything-they-want-to folks. Still, some carefully-worded questions might at least draw candidates out to some kind of commitment to improving our parks for everybody.
It’s way easy to declare “We need more off-leash areas!” That’s vague, ducks the underlying issues of privilege and entitlement, and is basically meaningless. How about: “If elected, I would work to create more off-leash areas, but only in financial partnership with the private sector (like those companies that permit employees to bring their dogs to work) so we could make our public capital dollars go further. I would pay attention to Parks operating costs, and would propose new mechanisms to fund them. Lastly, I would emphasize compliance in our community: I want to see improvements in the percentage of dogs that are licensed, and I want to address unlawful behavior on the part of dog owners so that our parks can be for everybody.”
As a voter, this issue isn’t at the top of my list, but I’d still be drawn to a candidate that isn’t afraid of a special interest group, is willing to work toward equity, and can articulate a clear plan for action. Those attributes would be welcomed for dealing with high-priority issues, and a candidate like that would get my vote for sure.
It seems there are really only 2 issues between the two Districts – parks and transportation. Each candidate has specific views on our local situation. This is the beauty of having locality based City Council members. Before, candidates and members could get away with making broad, vague, general statements/promises on city wide issues, but we could hold nobody’s feet to the fire on issues like toxic algae in Green Lake or east/west access to the University light rail. Now, however, if there are local issues, we will know who to call.
Erik, your negative name calling in today’s article was a surprise . Your writing is usually well considered and thoughtful .
We’ve had comments in Wallyhood forums about name calling, labeling and writing negative jibes . The majority of writers have said they detract from the points the commenter is making.
I think the commentary is what makes this a blog and not a newspaper. It can be jarring for people because you’re not used to it, but even if I disagree with what is said I appreciate the casual voice.
Wallyhood is a purely objective news source, so when we point out that neighborhoods that are not Wallingford are inferior or publications that are not Wallyhood are lesser, we are only performing our solemn duty to inform the general public of these facts.
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As were L. Smith and cco I was taken aback by your comments about The Stranger (“move to Venezuela”) and “east side old money elites” (“move to Honduras”). It’s not “objective” Eric, it’s your subjective (and political) opinion, and Wallyhood is not your personal political platform. Publish your own newspaper, ferchrissake!
I look to Wallyhood for info about “Wallylife,” not self-satisfying, socio-political comment that divides us over here from them over there, including other ‘hoods that share what is Seattle . Find another forum to express that (stuff).
I’m not a reader of The Stranger, and would never live on the east side, but appreciate that others have their perspective.
Try to be less cute, eh?
This cute response I presume means that we should not take seriously much of what Eric writes.
It’s your blog your politics, being new here I’ve enjoyed reading lost cats/dogs/bikes, info about density/transportation. I have not a clue to whom you address your rants. Thanks, I’ll subscribe .
I have 2 questions fro the candidates —
1) What is your position on a potential rezone of any property currently zoned single family in Wallingford?
2) With the explosion of multi-story, block long apartment complexes; is it possible to have some type of moratorium or breathing space for the neighborhood’s infrastructure to catch up with the thousands of new residents?
Ditto — these are the 2 questions I would most like to see presented to the candidates. (Along with to what extent they believe the HALA zoning changes should be used in Wallingford.)
Thanks for suggesting these (and the HALA question below), donn.
Yes, add me to the list of folks curious about the answers to these questions.
Not to make light of the algae and parking issues, but when they get top billing like this, it could be seen as a down side of district elections.
We’re looking at what may be just the beginning of a massive influx of people into the area. Or maybe it’s a bubble, which would bring its own challenges. Do these people think we can build our way out? Where does the money come from, to do that – is it my responsibility to fund the infrastructure development that will be required by my new neighbors? Is there an alternative to precipitous growth, do we actually have some say in this? Maybe what we need are some questions with answers.
Permanent goat fence on NE 40th Street: Yay or Nay?
Candidates: How would you explain to the current home-owners in an area targeted to be upzoned for East-West transit that having near-historic homes around them torn down and rebuilt with unattractive, overpriced condos built to the edge of the lots looming over them with no porches to encourage community and no on-site parking is a good thing for their neighborhood?
Hear, hear!
OK I just have to ask: to me, Wallingford’s “neighborhood infrastructure” (as I interpret the phrase) works as well or better (e.g., awesome park access) anywhere else I’ve lived–what is the infrastructure problem?
For many years both 45th and 50th have been overwhelmed with Ballard/Fremont/Wallingford traffic getting to and from I-5. With only two access points (the 65th St. accesses are a bit far up the road), I do not see what can be done. If the Council are stupid (and I do not hold them so highly) they might try to make 45th and 50th one way streets. If they are really stupid, they will make 45th one way east so that the only way to get to the businesses along the street from I-5 will be to go way west and come back, a business killer for sure. Another infrastructure issue, though, is water and sewerage. The old pipes that carried a few thousand person’s-worth of stuff must now carry tens of thousands of person’s-worth.
Is that the Council’s call? Re-engineering arterials and upgrading the sewer system sound more like the mayor’s job to me.
Speaking of city departments that affect us, I’ve seen some discussion of a DPD reorganization in the current mayor’s term. I don’t have any reason to think the council will have any input into that, but I’d be curious to know whether the candidates feel in general that the current DPD serves the interests of Seattle citizens.
Perhaps it is more of Hizzoner’s bailiwick, and I do not hold his smarts in high regard, though some goof on the Council might certainly suggest it. Would the Council need to sign off on it?
I know it was a question in the first round, but I don’t think we got down to the nitty-gritty re: the issue of car camping. Northlake, as most readers know, had a growing problem for the past 6 years, got a brief respite last month and now the cycle has started again – to give an example, one camper/car caravan has parked parallel across from Westward in back-in angle only, no parking 2-5 a.m. spots. It’s taking up at least 5 parking spaces and it’s been there for well over a week. This is a problem that will increase as the city accommodates for added density. It’s also a huge issue in Ballard and city-wide, for that matter. So, the question is, how can parking enforcement, law enforcement and social services work together effectively so that there is a safe, legal place for people who live in their cars to park and/or a path for them to transition out of vehicles and into housing? I would like to hear our candidates lay out a detailed plan of action.
It’s interesting that Mike O’Brien completely avoided talking about zoning since he is in the pocket of developers AND he supported the HALA recommendation to get rid of single family zoning in all neighborhoods. Although since the media got wind of that and reported on it, he and the Mayor have become quiet, the truth is while the backed off on removing single family zoning for all neighborhoods, they are still planning to do it for all urban villages/anywhere near high capacity public transit, which most definitely includes most of Ballard and much of Ballard. So beware anyone who lives in a SFH that when your neighbors sell and move (or pass away) a multi-story complex will be built next to you a la Edith Macefield. He got reamed by us Ballardites for that, and for the homeless encampment fiasco. He ‘claimed’ in a public meeting in July that he didn’t know how sites, such as the toxic waste site in Ballard, were chosen, yet we had a memo addressed to him in MARCH by other city officials talking about the sites that proved he is a liar. People in Ballard have changed their mind about him for the worse in the last few months based on his deflecting questions in numerous meetings here, whereas Catherine Wheatbrook had not tried to duck the hard questions.
The HALA report was a fiasco and O’Brien should have seen that coming, but his thing was mainly the linkage fee. He got half a loaf there, inasmuch as he made a deal to drop it for residential and apply only to commercial development, and then he got HALA all over him for his trouble. I’m not sure I trust him, but watching committee proceedings, it seems that he’s at least competent, which is something. I hope SF advocates can be the kind of reasonable people who can work with whoever gets elected and not make enemies where they don’t have to.
This blog had a map earlier of proposed upzones, and it didn’t show a wholesale loss of SF in Wallingford. Main victim is the area between 45th & Stone and 40th & Wallingford.
Apparently Wallingford doesn’t have questions about police reform. I realize it’s not “Wallingford-specific,” but it’s an important issue for the city to address, and I would like to hear the candidates’ views.
Oh, and here’s a Wallingford-esque question: Parklets, yes or no?
Oh, god, please no parklets. No apodments. Yes off-leash areas. No RV/car camps in neighborhoods. Yes, neighborhood blog with some “bite”, hahaha! Yes, move the damn Alcohol Impact Area border away from Wallingford. Yes, keep Green Lake clean.
Actually, if you have concerns about homeless encampments, you might want to look into DPD’s proposed code changes to “permit transitional encampments for homeless individuals as an interim use on publicly owned or private property within the City of Seattle for a period of up to one year, within all zones.”
I haven’t had the chance to study the proposed code changes, but they may have more of an impact on Seattle neighborhoods than one or two new Councilmembers.
And for parks, I would likely say no to parklets and might favor the acquisition of new land for creating new off-leash areas, provided the private sector is a major financial partner, and Parks and Animal Control come up with a better plan for operations.
I agree that the HALA zoning change of much of Wallingford from single family to multiple dwellings is the biggest question for the candidates. It will have a huge long term impact on our neighborhood. The scale of the re-zoning in Wallingford isn’t clear, the maps and documentation in HALA are unclear and the concept of up-zoning within a ten minute walkshed from transit is very vague.
While Murray backed off of some zoning changes on the HALA map, that isn’t the case in Wallingford. The up-zoning in Wallingford goes beyond the borders of our old boundaries as a “residential urban village.” Here is a link to the map that was included in the HALA proposal: http://murray.seattle.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/HALA_ZoningAreas_1.pdf
There is much more up-zoning on the HALA map (and much less detail) than on this map from last year’s comprehensive plan: http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/p2316207.pdf.
Details will be up to the next council, so it would be interesting to know where the candidates stand on the upzone plan.
As a lower Wallingford resident and owner of a SFH, I am very concerned about the apparent lack of coherent, comprehensive strategy regarding density. I want to know what the candidates plan to do about zoning, parking, sewage capacity, green space and the need for more storefront businesses along 35th/Pacific to serve all these new residents in developments like AvTech. I have two elderly neighbors who are barraged by developers looking to buy their homes (and tear them down for new development.) What is the plan moving forward for my neighborhood?
Ooops. Not to mention sufficient transportation. It’s a pipe-dream that everyone who moves into the neighborhood will simply bike everywhere. We already have lots of folks parking on our block to work on construction sites and to hop on the 26 bus. What are the plans to make light rail accessible to Wallingford?
So Wallingford has become a Park & Ride? If that’s true, it would be interesting to know why – real P&Rs full, or buses serving them full? They make better time driving as close as they can park? Anyway, restricted parking zones are marching eastward from Stone.
Some parts sure have. Various van pools pick up at the Wine World lot at 4th and 45th, for example. Our neighborhood gets filled up by commuters from other areas parking to catch the vans.
I live in District 4 and was happy to see Maddux and Johnson win the primary. I had a really difficult time choosing between the two, and I’m glad I get another chance to learn more about their positions. Provine’s rhetoric turned me off from the start and receiving his inflammatory flier with the bulldozer* put the last nail in the coffin.
*http://www.theurbanist.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/11791799_10101400399076080_1526034606_n-1-e1438233254383.jpg
I’ll probably be walking to the U District station once that opens and I’d like to see a better pedestrian connection between Wallingford and the station. The part from 4th NE to Brooklyn can be pretty grim – a lot of parking lots and bad drainage. I’d be interested to hear what the candidates are planning.
Oh, yes, parts of Wallingford have definitely become Park & Rides! The lure of #26 has them parking in my ‘hood between 45th and 50th on Latona, Thackeray and 2nd. Sounds like some other parts of Wallingford are getting it, too.
I’m there catching the 26X every morning and most evenings (sometimes I’m on the 16) and I can’t recall ever seeing someone park and then get the bus. Further, I recognize most of the folks I see at the stop from the immediate neighborhood.
To what extent is this actually a thing – for example how frequently do you see this, when, and where specifically?
Question for candidates:
What are your plans to assist people experiencing homelessness with mental illnesses? I’ve encountered people in the neighborhood and elsewhere in Seattle who are obviously experiencing mental health issues but feel helpless to do anything. Some cities have developed “mental health cops” to try and help people with mental health problems and keep them out of jail. What are Seattle’s plans to deal with this important human services issue?
NPR story about San Antonio’s mental health service reform: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/08/19/338895262/mental-health-cops-help-reweave-social-safety-net-in-san-antonio
I have two questions for the candidates (District 6):
1. What specific measures will you take to ensure whatever density-development may occur in Wallingford and the rest of the district is done is a sustainable way? For example, requiring every new development be LEED Platinum or better, requiring affordable housing be included in every new development, increasing access to public transportation, and requiring a slower pace of development such that the neighborhood can adjust to the increased density?
2. How will you, as a district council member, collaborate with the other district council members to avoid insularity on the council? For example, would you vote against a great but expensive plan for Rainier Beach because it doesn’t do anything for your district?
Thanks for all the great questions! I am now compiling them, with answers to be published in a week or two…