• Saturday, November 17, 2018: 10:00am-4:00pm: Ground Preparation
• Sunday, November 18, 2018: 10:00am-4:00pm: Plant 3700 Daffodil bulbs

Neighbors and friends we need your continued support!

On Wednesday, Sept. 5th at 9:30AM the Seattle City Council Planning, Land Use and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee will hold a public hearing on the renewal of the Interim Zoning Controls for the Aurora Licton Residential Urban Village.  The interim controls were originally passed October 2017.

If extended, the Interim Zoning Controls will continue to limit the development of certain heavy commercial auto oriented land uses such as public storage facilities and unsightly outdoor storage yards. These type of uses are incompatible with the City of Seattle Comprehensive Plan and Aurora Licton Springs Neighborhood Plan goals and policies for a residential urban village.

This limitation would be in effect until the City adopts permanent zoning regulations for the residential urban village, likely in early 2019.  The permanent regulation is expected to limit these incompatible land uses as well.

A public hearing is required to extend the interim controls for an additional six months until the permanent zoning changes are enacted.    After its September 5, 2018 public hearing, the process currently is to for PLUZ Committee to the vote the legislation out of committee, sending it to full City Council for a vote on September 10^th.

We expect opposition to the interim controls extension.  Your comments, as well as others, in support of the extension are vitally important! Please share with your neighbors!

Meeting details and background for the legislation can be found here http://www.seattle.gov/council/committees/planning

If you are unable to attend the public hearing, please email your support for the extension of the Interim Controls to Seattle City Council council@seattle.gov and noah.an@seattle.gov prior to SEPTEMBER 5th.  Below is a sample email template for your use.   Please blind-copy auroralictonuv@gmail.com so we can track our advocacy efforts.

Email Template:

SUBJECT:  September 5, 2018 Public Hearing – Interim Controls Extension (Ordinance #125425)

Councilmembers,

My name is [INSERT NAME] and [live] or [run a business] [in] OR [near] the Aurora Licton Springs Urban Village.

I am writing to express my unconditional support for the extension of the Interim Controls passed last year (Ordinance #125425) for the Aurora Licton Residential Urban Village.

This legislation is a much-needed step towards achieving the vision for the Aurora Licton Springs Residential Urban Village. The City’s adopted plans identify this area as a Residential Urban Village.   The interim controls will allow for greater diversification of business types; specifically, it will afford greater opportunities for land to be developed for residential neighborhood serving goods and services as envisioned in the Aurora Licton Neighborhood Plan (adopted in 1999) and City of Seattle Comprehensive Plan.  Losing valuable land in the Residential Urban Village to traffic generating, regional serving heavy commercial land uses will be avoided.

Public safety is the great concern for residents and business alike. By passing these interim controls, we can be assured that public storage facilities/warehouses, open storage yards and other uses that do not activate the streetscape with pedestrians and do not provide “eyes on the street” (which are deterrents of unsavory activities) will not be allowed until the City Council votes on the MHA/HALA land use changes.

MHA/HALA has been a long multi-year process with considerable public notice and opportunities for the public to be engaged.  These interim controls will serve as a bridge between now and the time the final vote on the MHA/HALA zoning changes that will increase affordable housing opportunities in the Residential Urban Village and citywide.

Thank you very much for your support of our efforts to work with the City to implement the City’s Vision for a vibrant Residential Urban Village.

_____________ (name)

Live in D5 will feature:

• Live music
• Free salmon and fry bread, sponsored by United Indians
• Petting zoo with baby goats!
• Beer garden, hosted by Elliott Bay Brewing
• Activities for kids
• Nearly 40 organizations and city departments
• And you!

WHEN: Saturday, June 30^th at 1-4 PM
WHERE: Hubbard Homestead Park (next to the Target @ Northgate)
11203 5^th Ave NE, Seattle 98125

As we continue our efforts to increase public safety via “eyes on the street” our biggest obstacle is the commercial zoning designation specifically on Aurora Avenue from N. 84th to N. 110th .  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.

In effort to continue the positive changes to the Aurora Ave Corridor, 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 JUNE 5th.  Below is a sample email template for your use.   Please blind-copy auroralictonuv@gmail.com so we can track our advocacy efforts.

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.

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 a 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.   Link to Article

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)

2017 was yet another productive year for ALUV, and 2018 has already shaped up to be busier than before as media and other attention to our “little group that could” increases!

Follow ALUV on Facebook and join our website email list for ALUV updates.   We also welcome and encourage everyone’s attendance at our monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month (7:00pm).  Our new meeting location is the Epic Life Church (10510 Stone Ave N.).   Stop by to learn more about us and how you can support advancing the needs of residents and businesses in our neighborhood.

2017 Achievements

• January/February – Two ALUV members continued representing the urban village on the City’s HALA focus group.
• February/March  – ALUV members spent two days on the Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) to review all submissions, interview finalists and select the artist for the Neighborhood Street Fund (NSF) grant.
• June – ALUV hosted a public meeting with artist Vicki Scuri who was commissioned by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) for a series of site-specific artworks for the Aurora-Licton Corridor NSF Project.
• July thru October – Implemented our  “Only in Seattle” grant from the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) to help organize the business district. Online surveys, in-person interviews and focus group meetings were held. Final Report
• July – Hosted public outreach booths at the Seattle Police Department North Precinct Community Picnic and Councilmember Juarez’s Live in D5 Event.
• October – Mayor’s “Find It Fix it” grant implemented with murals installed on the Licton Springs Village Homeless Encampment fence along Aurora Avenue.
• October – City Council passed moratorium advocated by ALUV on certain regional serving and auto-oriented uses in the Urban Village.  ALUV also submitted a grant application to the Seattle Office of Economic Development to continue business outreach in 2018.
• November – Hosted a Community Open House to update and engage community members on current initiatives and present the final design for our art installation at the N. 102nd pedestrian overpass. (see concept rendering below)

Throughout 2017 ALUV:

• Had a member appointed to the Licton Springs Village Homeless Encampment Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and attended monthly meetings.
• Submitted comments on the HALA Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
• Held monthly meetings featuring guests from the Seattle Police Department, Councilmember Rob Johnson’s staff, and others.
• Became a member of the new District 5 (“D5”) Community Network.
• Became a member of Councilmember Juarez’s District 5 Business Coalition.
• Became a member of the Seattle Police Department North Precinct Advisory Council (NPAC).
• Continued drafting Urban Village neighborhood design guidelines.
• Testified at various City of Seattle Design Review Meetings.