The Ravenna-Bryant Community Association shares its concern about the lack of transit-oriented development at the Roosevelt Light Rail Station with Sound Transit and the city’s Department of Planning and Development.
What follows is the letter, being sent out today.
June 12, 2011
Mr. Ron Endlich, North Corridor Manager
and
Ms. Kirsten Hoffman, Roosevelt Station Project Manager
Sound Transit
401 S. Jackson Street
Seattle, WA 98104Ms. Diane Sugimura
Director, Department of Planning and Development
City of Seattle
Seattle, WA 98124-4019RE: Roosevelt Light Rail Station Design
The Ravenna Bryant Community Association would like Sound Transit and the City of Seattle to reconsider the direction of the Roosevelt Station design specifically because it wastes prime real estate in an area designated to receive future residential density increases through mixed-use urban mid-rises in an established commercial core.
The Roosevelt Neighborhood Association (RNA) is currently in the middle of a Legislative Rezone that formally upzones property in and around the station area. Their 5+-year effort matches increased residential density with well established neighborhood patterns. To that end, the frontage along 12th Avenue NE between 65th and 67th is important to achieving the future growth. However, as presented, the station design dominates the street frontage of two full blocks of the Roosevelt commercial core preventing implementation of that vision.
The Ravenna Bryant Community Association shares several of the same concerns as our neighbors in Roosevelt. It is not the station’s grand design that is of issue: instead, it would be appropriate for the station design to include mixed-use buildings with commercial/retail at the base and residential units above. If allowed to work with the station, this type of design would not only increase residential densities, but would also enliven the neighborhood and improve the pedestrian experience. The station entrances should enhance the neighborhood goals by becoming a set of smaller, complimentary elements.
Sincerely,
Ravenna Bryant Community AssociationSarah Swanberg
President