Community Post

Big Ass Buildings – My Wish List

Do we want big commercial development is the CD?  I suppose at least some of us want more commercial and residential development on our major thoroughfares.  To get more people on the street, more activity, etc.  For example, I would LOVE to be able to WALK to do my errands on Union and not drive to Madison Park.

But I have a BIG complaint about the codes.  I WANT WIDER SIDEWALKS, or bigger setbacks with sidewalk and planting strips..  If we have to go to 6-7-8 stories then please set the buildings back. I cannot feature Union at 6 stories up to the sidewalk, or 23rd that way.  And while they are at it, put a streetcar in.

In Seattle, that takes a change in the Land Use code……

There is another change needed in Land Use codes, to provide for a duplex on a Single Family lot. In the SF zones, the owner who wants to rebuild on the same footprint to support two families with a nice yard has to go thru years of review to get  city council permission to build what WAS THERE BEFORE.  Zoning codes jump from Single Family 5000 to Multi Family (4 and 6 pack), and we have lost the old style CD duplexes,,,,,yet don’t we want families and affordable densities??

And the water management issue is something that we could deal with the way Portland does, or else some of us will just ‘live’ downstream and the city (all you all taxpayers) can pay claims.  Don’t be complacent by the plan for storm water for Madison Valley.  I live a block below a documented landslide and there is a big hill of earth in the CITY’S right of way.  I think that landslide should be moved and there should be a cistern there.  I cross my fingers that the mud will hit the house behind me and not me.

I want competence in city government.  I care about the idea that the people of the city should get value out of what we pay for (like light rail), but I started to look at how much the electeds dealt with things like sewers and other infrastructure when deciding who to vote for..and I especially take any opinion by any group that gets any city funding at this point with a BIG grain of salt.  Note that this Mayor claimed he would not spend millions on replacing sewers.  Well, sorry that IS the sort of thing we hire him for. And, if he has that attitude about sewers, one wonders what his attitude us about gangs and crime — or is his proposal just another boondoggle for a few groups that he patronizes?

Watch carefully, folks.

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