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Natalie Quick has sent me Safeway's transcript of our January meeting with them. Many of the answers to our questions are still 'pending,' meaning their legal team needs to provide answers. I am still waiting on those.
Because of the length of the transcript, I've included in the extended entry below. Please click "MORE..." to read. And comments are open -- please chime in.
Whittier Heights Community Council: Meeting Q & A
Below are initial answers to questions posed by WHCC members to Safeway regarding a possible updated fuel center proposal for its Crown Hill store. The questions were raised at the Council’s Jan.10, 2005 meeting.
Please note that several answers to transportation questions indicate that answers will be known once further study is completed. At the Jan. WHCC meeting, the community raised good questions about how traffic has changed since the initial fuel center proposal and traffic study from late 2000. The team felt that to best answer these questions, further traffic analysis should be done on the site and is now underway.
Responses from legal are still pending and we will send them to you as soon as we have them.
We will also keep you posted as information from the new traffic analysis is developed.
TRAFFIC
Q. Existing traffic conditions are a problem and there is substantial concern that the proposed gas station would make it worse. Concern was that expressed that due to the "c" curb installation along 15th Ave. NW and NW 85th St., patrons would be forced to increasingly use neighborhood streets for ingress and egress to and from the new fuel center site. Of specific concern was those patrons traveling south on 15th Ave. NW and west on NW 85th St.
A. This is a good question and what we heard from the community was that new traffic studies are necessary on 15th Ave. NW to consider how traffic patterns changed after the installation of the “c” curbs and what that would look like with a fuel center in mind.
We agree and to that end, we are working with our traffic consultant to gather new peak hour traffic count data to show existing traffic volumes on 15th Ave. NW, Mary Ave. NW, NW 85th St., NW 83rd St. and at all Safeway driveways. This information will show the existing travel patterns on these roadways since the c-curb has been installed on 15th Avenue NW. The existing patterns will help us understand how fuel station patrons would likely access the site.
Q. How will the station impact existing or future south bound traffic into the station (ingress and egress)?
A. This was a good question and we’ll study internal circulation on the fuel station site as part of the new transportation analysis.
Q. Installation of "c" curb along 15th Ave. NW merely moved the accident problem to the intersection of 15th Ave. NW and NW 83rd St. How can this be fixed?
A. Safety is a top priority for us and we have requested recent accident data from the City of Seattle that documents the number and location of current accidents surrounding the site. This information will help us determine if the number of accidents is reducing or if the problem is simply being shifted. Once we have more information, we will be sure to share it with the community.
Q. Is it possible to broaden and landscape the c-curb? Could Safeway maintain it?
A. We’re happy to talk with Seattle Dept. of Transportation about this, but typically a landscape island needs to be at least five feet wide to incorporate landscaping. At this point, it seems problematic to accomplish that on 15th Ave NW.
Q. Have you considered a signal at NW 83rd St.?
A. At this point, we need to more information on new traffic patterns to determine if a traffic signal analysis is helpful. Once we have compiled new traffic volume and accident information, we’ll be able to take the next step and better answer this question.
Q. Won’t cars line up outside of the fuel center and down NW 83rd St.?
A. We don’t ancticpate this will be an issue, but we understand this is a neighborhood concern. In our new traffic study, we’ll take new traffic patterns and look at how cars will likely move on the site as well as on NW 83rd St. at its intersection with 15th Ave. NW to determine how NW 83rd St. might be affected by the fuel station.
Q. How would this impact existing cut-through traffic heading west through Whittier Heights?
A. We know that existing traffic is a top neighborhood concern. As part of our new study, we’ll estimate the daily and peak hour trip generation for the fuel center based on recent traffic volumes passing the site. We will also include any net increase in trips once the on-site bank is removed. We will then use existing travel patterns (with the c-curb in place) to estimate travel patterns for the fuel station trips,and will identify whether or not traffic though Whittier Heights is expected to increase with the fuel station.
Q. Would you consider installing traffic-calming circles on NW 80th St. or 13th Ave. NW?
A. Since we’re still studying many new elements involving traffic patterns, we don’t yet know if this type of traffic calming device would help traffic. But it is something we’ll consider in our final analysis, once all new information is known.
Q. Didn’t you have an earlier traffic study commissioned?
A. This area along 15th Ave. NW has been the subject of many interim traffic studies
over the past several years. We believe the document you’re addressing is the Crown Hill Safeway Fueling Facility Trip Generation and On-Site Queuing Analyses, completed by Heffron Transportation, Inc. and submitted to the City on Jan. 29, 2001.
Since the fuel center project has changed substantially since this analysis was completed, the analysis no longer accurately reflects the current fuel center proposal. The forthcoming traffic study will include updated transportation information that reflects the current proposal.
Q. There is concern over added traffic and the impacts this may have on the pedestrians, specifically children who must walk the streets to attend schools and other functions. Existing conditions are difficult but there is a concern that this will only worsen the matters.
A. We’ve heard from your concerns about carefully integrating varying uses into the Whittier Heights neighborhood – whether it’s a restaurant, fuel center or Monorail.
We will be able to better answer this question for you once the new net increase in site trips due to the fuel station is determined and the expected travel patterns for those trips are identified.
LAND USE (Answers are pending. Will communicate answers as soon as they are complete.)
Q. Is the station consistent with strategies outlined in the Residential Hub Urban Village concept proposed at NW 85th St. and 15th Ave. NW?
A. Answer pending.
Q. Would Safeway consider a mixed-use project on the site instead of the fuel center?
A. Answer pending.
Q. What would it take for Safeway to look at different, higher-density uses for the site? Can’t it be mixed-use like Tribeca or 23rd and Madison?
A. Answer pending.
Q. Is the new plan consistent with existing zoning?
A. Yes. Further answer pending.
Q. This is designated a "Pedestrian Friendly Zone". As such, it seems foreign to bring a gas station into the Safeway property. Why is Safeway building a gas station in a pedestrian friendly zone?
A. Answer pending.
DESIGN
Q. Will Safeway actually maintain the proposed buffer along Mary Ave. NW and NW 83rd St.?
A. We understand this has been an issue in the past and we regret that past commitments in your Whittier Heights neighborhood were not honored. However, we fully intend to honor our commitment to the neighborhood with this new fuel center site plan and will fully maintain any buffer proposed.
We are willing to look into ways we can incorporate this agreement in a way that will help satisfy existing neighborhood concern regarding this topic.
Q. How many pumps will the fuel center have?
A. The current fuel pad shows six multi-product dispensers, which allows 12 fueling stations, (a car on each side). One dispenser was added from the previous design to address neighborhood concern that too few pumps would negatively impact NW 83rd St.
Q. Would Safeway consider bio-diesel fuel at the station?
A. A bio-diesel fuel pump is an interesting recommendation and one that we would have to further look into it.
Q. What are the hours of operation for the fuel center?
A. The station would be open for pay-at-the-pump-service 24 hours daily. The small on-site kiosk would be open for approximately 12-18 hours daily.
Q. If additional landscape screening is to be installed, what assurances can you make the community that this landscaping will be maintained? Past landscaping on the Safeway property has not been maintained.
A. This is a good question and one Safeway is happy to look into. There are a few different methods we can use if needed to set aside funds specifically for landscaping.
Q. The removal of the buildings that were on the current site, coupled with the
increased traffic flow that exists along 15th Ave. NW, has created a sound transmission problem for homes along NW Mary St.. How will the gas station not make this problem worse?
A. Many neighbors raised good suggestions surrounding this topic and we’re still looking into many possible ideas. Currently, our studies show that vehicular activity on the fuel pad will not generate much new noise at all; cars moving slow and stopping to fuel are typically relatively quiet. It seems there are broader issues with traffic heard from 15th Ave. NW. The fueling equipment doesn’t generate noise like the “old days”, (dinging, pump noise, etc). The buffer of the fuel center kiosk, canopy, parked cars and proposed landscaping will only help to buffer existing noise from 15th Ave. NW.
NEIGHBORHOOD
Q. Is a fuel center consistent with our neighborhood plan and the Envision 15th Ave. NW plan, which calls for increased pedestrian-oriented activity along 15th Ave. NW?
A. We are working hard to ensure that this fuel center proposal support the visions laid out by the Crown Hill / Ballard Neighborhood Plan and the Envision 15th Ave. NW plan as best we can. For example, we want the neighborhood’s input as to how we can make the walkway in front of the fuel center, buffers along 15th Ave. NW, NW 83rd Ave. and NW Mary St. as pedestrian-friendly as we can. We hope we can work with the neighborhood to help meet these goals.
MONORAIL
Q. How will the monorail impact this fuel center proposal?
A. Safeway will be as impacted by the Monorail design as any other business along 15th Ave. NW. We are working with the Monorail to ensure that our design works concurrently with their plans.
Q. Monorail project that was recently approved will provide further traffic congestion as NW 85th St. and 15th Ave. NW is end of the line. Also noted is that there is a switch at the NW 83rd St. and 15th Ave. NW intersection, which will further restrict access across front of Safeway store. Has this been considered in the development of a gas station at this location?
A. When the fuel project originally started, the monorail design and scope was unknown. We will conduct new traffic studies to address some of these new concerns.
As the monorail design progresses and becomes more defined, Safeway will address concerns as they arise for the potential fuel center, for the store and its parking.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Q. What do customers at your store think about the fuel center? Have you asked them?
A. That’s a good question. Through informal discussions with our customers, we’ve
found that they do support adding a fuel center to this store, as it adds convenience and service to their shopping trip to their Crown Hill store.
Q. What is your timeline for this project?
A. Right now, our primary focus is working with the community on this new design.
We do not have permits into Seattle’s Department of Planning and Design (DPD) for this new fuel center design. We will be sure to let the community know as soon as we have a more definitive timeline.
Q. Why not build this fuel center at the Market St. store? Are you considering that?
A. We may consider it at some point, but right now we’re focused on working with
the community on the Crown Hill fuel center.
Q. Will you let us know when you plan to go to DPD with this plan?
A. Absolutely. As we stated earlier, our primary focus now is working with the neighborhood to ensure we have the best possible plan if we move forward.