After much review and discussion, we voted to endorse Gene Burrus. Gene Burrus most closely aligns with our values and understands and supports without equivocation our Downtown Residents Alliance positions on the critical issues for downtown livability.
A recent study by bankrate.com found Washington is the fifth worst state in the country to spend your retirement years, based on factors including affordability, crime, culture, weather, and wellness, among others. Only Illinois, Alaska, New York, and Maryland fared worse.
Three new condo projects in varying stages of development in downtown Seattle: Emerald, First Light, and Spire all recognize the importance of natural light to the health and enjoyment of life of homebuyers, and each promotes natural light as a selling point to potential buyers.
After researching all of candidates in the District 7 Seattle City Council race, attending a number of Candidate Forums, and talking with the five we thought were best aligned with our values and downtown livability, we emailed each of them a list of five key questions and asked for short, succinct answers. Below are the answers we received, in alphabetical order, without edits:
When you are pointing a finger at someone, you are pointing three fingers back at yourself. Some serious introspection is needed here…and stop making excuses! If the problem with the City’s criminal justice system is a lack of money, a good administrator will have in his pocket at all times a list of steps and associated costs to fix the problem. If the problem is a philosophical one, own up to it, and defend it vigorously.
The Developer of the Silver Cloud continues to disregard Code [SMC] and repeated direction from the Design Review Board (DRB) and SDOT as it proceeds through the Recommendation phase. And the DRB has not held them accountable. Unless modified Silver Cloud will have a devastating environmental impact on surrounding streets and right-of-ways.
Open letter to Nathan Torgelson, Director SDCI:
When you read the Mission Statement of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI), “As stewards and regulators of land and buildings, we preserve and enhance the equity, livability, safety, and health in our communities”, it is easy to see how far from your mission you have strayed. We request a meeting with you and any other decision maker with the authority to require the Design Review process be structured to represent and protect all parties’ interests.
Skyscrapers in cities rob people of sunlight and put human health, well-being and sustainability at risk
These charges would do little to curb automobile usage in the Seattle area. But they would make Seattle less accessible, more inequitable and a less appealing place to live, work, shop, visit, and be entertained. It’s just another example of our City leaders chasing new revenue sources without considering the damage it would cause to our vibrant downtown.
Governor Inslee please veto HB1923 and say no to developer special interests. The bill weakens SEPA and takes away the public's right to comment. "It would be especially disappointing to see the most pro-environment presidential candidate sign a bill prioritizing special interests over the public’s ability to seek redress under his state’s signature environmental policy."
Finally, SDCI is requesting the First Light Applicant [2000 3rd Ave.] to address most of what we’ve been asking for years. The Correction Notice states in part “Please also indicate the expected frequency of commercial deliveries and of residential move-ins/move-outs. As the project will provide three loading bays, please provide turning movement diagrams demonstrating that each bay can be accessed when other bays are occupied. Please also indicate whether and to what extent trucks using the loading bays will extend into the alley when ramps or lift gates are deployed….
I went over to the alley behind Escala to take a look at a big truck sticking out of their loading dock and blocking all alley traffic. And sure enough, a picture of this truck belongs right at the top of any list showing why a downtown alley code amendment is absolutely necessary here in Seattle; and why none of these new pending high-rise projects downtown should be approved without demonstrating that large trucks such as this one will fit completely in their loading berth(s) and not extend out into the alley right-of-way.
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is calling for public input on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) statement for Vision 2050. Deadline is next Monday, April 29. We've embraced density by choosing to live downtown. We've had the opportunity to see where current transportation, infrastructure and development policies are failing to deliver a healthy and livable quality of life. These issues need to be addressed in the new EIS.
“By my grading [2016], Seattle scores six out of 11, at best”, said Westneat. "At my kid’s middle school, this would prompt an after-school retake.” So how has this changed since 2016, for the better, or for the worse? We went through the same list again this week, and we could only give Seattle a four out of 11, at best. "Whether it’s poor leadership, misplaced priorities or just a temporary struggle with too much runaway success, something’s not quite right.”
Wake up Jenny! You need to quit running from one carefully orchestrated photo-op to the next playing City Cheerleader and proclaiming Seattle is thriving, when Bartells says “No more stores downtown. It’s too dangerous.” What we need is a tough problem-solving Mayor, one who is serious about dealing with the life-threatening, livelihood-threatening, and livability-threatening issues we have in Downtown and elsewhere.
You would think that with all the missteps they have made and continue to make; and with this year being a local election year, that they would at least be feigning interest in what their constituents have to say. Evidently not!
I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but you really blew it on Tuesday when you were asked about your response to the KOMO News feature, “Seattle Is Dying”; and you said that the show was not representative of Seattle, that most of the city is thriving. How can you be so out of touch with reality? And show no compassion for the people suffering and dying on the streets?
![Downtown Congestion Pricing [Tolls] Not Good Idea For Seattle](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56d60bd9356fb05884bf3653/56d60cdec2ea512ffe9ebe55/5cc08e6ec8302593226e6878/1558024043911/seattle_congestion.jpg)
