Thank you for continued interest in bringing positive change to the Aurora Ave Corridor, specifically from N. 84th to N. 110th. As we continue our efforts to increase public safety via “eyes on the street” our biggest obstacle is the commercial zoning designation. This zoning has recently allowed for two public storage facilities to be built that provide no housing or walkable amenities to our Residential Urban Village as designated by the city in 1999.
Please email your support for the proposed zoning changes from Commercial (C) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC) to the Seattle City Council council@seattle.gov prior to FEBRUARY 20th. Below is a sample email template for your use. Please blind-copy auroralictonuv@gmail.com so we can track our advocacy efforts.
We are also pleased to announce three Neighborhood Street Fund projects that help improve our community. Please take the time to score all projects as “High Priority”. The highest-scored projects will proceed to the voting phase in Spring with only 5-10 projects funded per district. You can score all projects until February 22nd.
Email Template:
SUBJECT: Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) – Aurora Avenue Rezoning for Residential Mixed-Use Development
Councilmembers,
My name is [INSERT NAME] and live [in] OR [near] the Aurora Licton Springs Urban Village.
Please support the proposed Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) rezones of all Commercial 1 (C1) and Commercial 2 (C2) zoned property in the Aurora Licton Urban Village to Neighborhood Commercial (NC).
My reasons for support these rezones include, but are not limited to:
- NC zoning directly supports the Residential Urban Village concept. NC zoning promotes mixed use development with residential uses above much needed day to day neighborhood serving businesses.
- Housing for people, not stuff. Recent permitted development allowed by the current C1 and C2 zoning include two (2) multi-level storage facilities and an equipment rental/truck rental/concrete business with outdoor storage. These and other auto-oriented uses permitted by the C1 and C2 zones are inconsistent with the intent of a pedestrianized Residential Urban Village.
- Frequent Transit . Aurora Avenue is served by the Rapid Ride E line. This popular route has the highest ridership level of any route in the Metro system. Housing along transit corridors will discourage automobile use.
- Rezoning of Aurora Avenue to NC brings with it capacity for thousands of new residential units, businesses, and retail to the 53-acre, 1.25 mile stretch.
- Public Safety. The pedestrian oriented design, character and scale of NC zoned buildings and sites will offer more “eyes on the street” to deter crime and promote public safety.
Please approve the proposed NC zoning along the entire Aurora Avenue corridor within the Aurora Licton Urban Village. No exceptions should be allowed. Residents of this urban village have absorbed upzones in the past and will absorb more upzones in the latest proposal. We are committed to the city’s plan to build more housing within our neighborhood and request that the neighborhood’s merchants accept this urban village model along our commercial corridor. The urban village cannot adequately function without a unilateral commitment to the strategy Seattle began twenty years ago.
Commit to Aurora Avenue Revitalization
While not principally part of the MHA program, the City should focus on opportunities to create an Aurora Avenue Residential Urban Village of the future rather than remain ingrained in an Aurora Avenue of the past. Recently, Aurora Avenue revitalization has been discussed by National Public Radio (NPR) station KUOW. The Daily Journal of Commerce also wrote an article on the opportunity that exists along Aurora Avenue.
The City needs to initiate a public planning process to enhance Aurora Avenue for the pedestrians, current and future residents and businesses that the MHA rezoning will support.
Thank you,
_____________ (name)