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NORTHGATE BRANCH COMMUNITY MEETING RECAP
March 2, 2000 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
North Seattle Community College, Baxter Student Activities Center

About 95 people attended this second meeting to site the new Northgate Library. City Librarian Deborah Jacobs opened the meeting with introductions of Library Board members Linda Larson (board vice president), Gil Anderson, Gordon McHenry (board president) and Betty Jane Narver; Capital Program Director Alexandra Harris; Ray Serebrin, SPL director of Neighborhood Libraries; and David Kunselman, SPL capital projects manager overseeing the Northgate branch. Also present were Beth de la Fuente, branch team leader Lake City Library, and for the future Northgate branch; Bob Hageman, branch team leader Broadview Library; Toni Myers, branch team leader Green Lake Library; Michael Delury, branch team leader Wallingford Library; Sue Partridge, senior capital projects manager; Stacy Carter, SPL assistant to the Capital Program director; Gloria Leonard, SPL director of Library/Community Partnerships; Beth Castleberry, SPL major gifts officer, and City Councilman Nick Licata.

Capital Program Director Alex Harris described what makes a good library site, referring to a handout titled "Site Selection Criteria for Branch Libraries", and detailing what the board looks for in making a siting decision. She then introduced Kathleen Noble, president of North Seattle Community College, who spoke of her desire to site the library on the campus.

Alex & Capital Projects Manager David Kunselman reviewed the six sites discussed at the first siting meeting on 1/31/00 (sites 1-6), as well as sites that community members suggested at that meeting (sites A-F), which Library staff has begun to study. Alex asked for community opinion on all 12 sites and invited people to point out any issues about the sites the library may have overlooked. She also asked for any additional sites the Library Board should consider not currently listed among the 12. That discussion yielded the following:

OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS FOR EACH SITE

SITES 1: MERIDIAN AVENUE NORTH and NORTHGATE WAY (BARNABY'S RESTAURANT)

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

SITE 3: 5TH AVENUE NE and NE 113TH STREET (PARK AND RIDE LOT)

SITE 4: FIFTH AVENUE NE & NE 103RD STREET (PARKING LOT) & SITE "C" (MALL SOUTH PARKING LOT)

SITE 5 & 6: (5): FIFTH AVENUE NE & NE 106TH STREET (COMMERCIAL BLDG) and, (6): FIFTH AVENUE NE & NE 105TH ST. (BON TIRE CENTER)

SITE A & B: (A) FIFTH AVENUE NE & NORTHGATE WAY (Bank ATM) and, (B) EIGHTH AVE NE & NORTHGATE WAY (Discount Tire Co. & Parking Lot)

SITE D, E, F: (WILSON PACIFIC PLAYFIELD @ Wallingford Avenue North & North 90th), (LID OVER I-5 @ NE 92ND), (AT&T BUILDING AND HOUSES @ Roosevelt Way NE & NE 89th Street) respectively

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At this time, the library solicited ideas & suggestions from the community on other site possibilities that folks felt warranted investigations. No additional sites were brought up. Next, Marty Curry, Seattle Planning Commission director, spoke briefly about a workshop her office was planning to be held in the Northgate community. She indicated the workshop would provide an opportunity to pull together the pieces of neighborhood planning scheduled for the Northgate community, to share information about neighborhood planning for Northgate, including the new library and community center, and to hear from the community. She said the workshop would be an opportunity to explore options, and promised to get word out once the workshop was scheduled. Next, Alex Harris introduced Woody Wilkinson & Maureen O'Neill with the City's Department of Parks and Recreation, who each spoke briefly about the community center and possible co-location opportunities with Library siting.

NEXT STEPS

• Updated siting comment cards (12 site options) are available at Broadview, Greenlake, Lake City & North East Libraries or by calling the Capital Program Office at 386-4624.
• Siting comments may be faxed to the Capital Program office at 386-4108, turned in at your local branch library, e-mailed to capital.program@spl.org or mailed to the Central Library, 1000 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104.
• Board will hear public comments and narrow the list of alternatives at its meeting at 4:30 p.m. March 28, Central Library, 3rd floor Lee Auditorium
• Board will hear public comments and make siting recommendations at its meeting at 4:30 p.m. April 25, Central Library, 3rd floor Lee Auditorium
• SPL Capital Program staff would then begin property negotiations

 

Content Modified: Content Modified:20 March 2000

12/30/2005

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