As we reported in the earlier article, the Seattle Planning Commission wants your input on how our neighborhood is doing. They are prioritizing the next round of neighborhood plans to be revised. A meeting was held on July 23rd at the Phinney Center where the Crown Hill-Ballard Neighborhood plan status report was considered. Approximately 15 Crown Hill and Ballard residents attended and provided their input. Your input is still needed to let the commission know whether the current plan has been successfully executed and whether the plan addresses current conditions and expected future growth. The commission has developed a simple online questionnaire at: http://www.cityofseattle.net/planningcommission/
Some of the original plan elements were accomplished, while others were not. Additionally Ballard and Crown Hill have an increased population with different characteristics from that when the 1999 plan was developed.
Below is a graph showing by neighborhood the number of completed electronic survey responses received as of August 10th. Although it appears that Crown Hill & Ballard “lead” the city, it is still vitally important that you take the survey as well.
I have summarized/quoted a number of key points from the 1999 plan below:
Ballard Municipal Center
- New Ballard Branch Library
- Neighborhood Service Center
Ballard Arts and Culture
- Community Kiosks
- Central Ballard
- Locks
- Crown Hill
- Public Art Installations
- Gateways to Crown Hill and Ballard
- Throughout Crown Hill and Ballard
- Some of the art proposed for Crown Hill includes a median sculpture on 15th Avenue, a redesigned bus shelter at 15th and 85th to express a Crown Hill identity, and transformation of existing pedestrian overpass at the top of Holman Road into a dynamic gateway to Crown Hill.
- Redevelopment of Bergen Place
- Continuation of Arts Ballard
Strengthening Human Services in Northwest Seattle Planning for the Future
- Ballard Family Center opened 1998, now closed.
Crown Hill/Ballard Open Space & Recreation
- Completion of the Burke-Gilman Trail
- Developing PlayfieIds at Crown Hill School Site Anofher Top Priority
- Crown Hill/Balard in immediate Need of Green Space and Recreation Facilities
- A Variety of “Green Links†are Proposed. “Greening†the Crown Hill/Ballard district will require utilization of existing public rights of way. A network of parkways could provide the community with a connective green framework of tree-lined arterials.
- Boulevards: arterials with planted medians
- Green Streets to increase open space
- Green Links: Establishing green links includes increasing street trees and landscaping within the public right-of-way and within adjacent private property.
- Street Trees: Increase
- Gateways: Both Crown Hill and Ballard are deficient in identifying entry into the district. Gateways are needed on all the main routes leading into the district.
- Sidewalks: Sidewalks make streets more pedestrian friendly. The City should be urged to make completion of sidewalks a priority-on the streets that don’t currently have them
- Street ends: Street ends are valued for their views and access to waterways and are essential to linking the Crown Hill/Ballard District to Salmon Bay. It is imperative that street ends remain in public hands and be preserved for public access
Establishment of Urban Villages
- Ballard Hub Urban Village
- Crown Hill Residential Urban Village
1999 Crown Hill/Ballard Plan documents: