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NORTHGATE BRANCH COMMUNITY MEETING RECAP
Jan. 31, 2000 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Olympic View Elementary School

Approximately 90 people attended the first meeting to begin the siting process for the new Northgate Library. City Librarian Deborah L. Jacobs opened the meeting with introductions of Maureen O’Neill, North Division Recreation Manager, Parks Department, Library Board members Linda Larson (Board Vice President), Gil Anderson, Gordon McHenry Jr. (Board President) and Betty Jane Narver, and Capital Program Director Alexandra Harris, Ray Serebrin, Seattle Public Library Director of Neighborhood Libraries, and David Kunselman, Seattle Public Library Capital Projects Manager overseeing Northgate Branch. Also present were Beth de la Fuente, Branch Team Leader for Lake City Library and future Northgate Branch, Francesca Wainwright, Branch Team Leader Greenwood Library, Bob Hageman, Branch Team Leader Broadview Library, Sue Partridge, Senior Capital Projects Manager, Stacy Carter, Seattle Public Library Assistant to the Capital Program Director, Annette Giarde, Seattle Public Library Administrative Secretary for Library and Community Partnerships, Ingrid Jones, Seattle Public Library Capital Program Administrative Assistant, Jan Ames, Seattle Public Library Special Services Director, and City Councilman and Maple Leaf resident Peter Steinbrueck.

Next, community opinion was requested on each of the six sites previously identified by Capital Program staff and the neighborhood planning process as site possibilities. That discussion yielded the following:

OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FOR EACH SITE

SITE 1: MERIDIAN AVENUE NORTH and NORTHGATE WAY (BARNABY’S RESTAURANT)

OPPORTUNITIES
  • None offered
CONSTRAINTS
  • Difficult car access
  • Already several other libraries on west side of I-5
  • Not a pedestrian-friendly area
  • Traffic backs up at lights making area congested
  • Poor transit access (only the No. 317 bus)
  • No on-street parking
  • Doubt there would be room for neighborhood service center
  • On periphery of dense housing area
  • Condemnation required?
  • Farther from new transit plans

SITE 2: COLLEGE WAY NORTH and NORTH 92ND (NORTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS)

OPPORTUNITIES
  • Great parking, transit access
  • Environmental areas would be protected and master plan for the college guarantees no loss of recreational areas say North Seattle Community College folks
 CONSTRAINTS
  • Student parking problems, use of designated Library parking
  • Confusion of service, Library mission
  • College already has a library
  • Limited transit lines
  • Poor pedestrian access
  • Displacement of recreational & open space
  • Too close to new 15,000-square-foot Greenwood Branch Library, while east side is under-served
  • West side of I-5 more difficult access
  • Should be sited near underpass

SITE 3: 5TH AVENUE NORTH EAST AND NORTH EAST 113TH STREET (PARK AND RIDE LOT)

OPPORTUNITIES
  • Five retirement homes in vicinity makes site convenient for elderly
  • Could combine library, park, civic center and parking at this site, and still have open space
 CONSTRAINTS
  • Usurps open space that should be preserved as a park
  • Northgate aleady lacking open space areas
  • Concern over loss of park and ride (Metro is moving it)
  • Heavy traffic in this area

SITE 4: FIFTH AVENUE NORTH EAST AND NORTHEAST 103RD STREET (PARKING LOT)

OPPORTUNITIES
  • Library and pond collocation positive
  • Proximity to Thornton Creek offers teaching possibilities for children visiting library
CONSTRAINTS
  • Drainage pond displaced
  • Displacement of required parking
  • Challenging property acquisition

SITES 5&6: (5): FIFTH AVENUE NORTH EAST AND NORTHEAST 106TH STREET (COMMERCIAL BLDG) and, (6): FIFTH AVENUE NORTHEAST AND NORTHEAST 105TH STREET (BON TIRE CENTER)

OPPORTUNITIES
  • #6 is close to many schools
  • #6 could work as a cultural campus, paid for by multiple services
  • Enhanced pedestrian access adjacent to residential areas makes for good neighborhood planning
  • 13 bus routes through here
  • Near senior centers
  • Space for a civic center and library
  • Sites are well located in relation to other branch libraries; spacing
  • Transportation accessibility
  • Close to Thornton Creek (across 105th)
 CONSTRAINTS
  • Work with day lighting Thornton Creek
  • Pedestrian amenities might be more costly here
  • Not as close to planned light rail transit station

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At this time, the library solicited ideas and suggestions from the community of other site possibilities that folks felt warranted investigations. That discussion yielded the following site possibilities:

  • North 90th and Wallingford (former Wilson Pacific Middle School site)
  • South parking lot of Northgate Mall

PROS: Close to transit/central to all/close to Thornton Creek/opportunity to create pedestrian walkway
CONS: Displaces parking/difficult co-location/difficult acquisition/conflict with plans for housing

  • AT&T Building at Roosevelt & 89th
  • Tire store at Northgate Way and 8th Avenue

              CON: too much traffic on Northgate Way; poor traffic flow at that intersection

  • Northgate Way and 5th Avenue (Seafirst Bank site)

             CON: very busy intersection, traffic congestion

  • Build over I-5 like the Convention Center

OTHER COMMENTS:

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Content Modified: Content Modified:7 February 2000

12/30/2005

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