Thursday, March 14, 2024

Founder of Xplore, Brands Redmond "Space District"


Hosted by John Oftebro, President of the Redmond Historical Society, Saturday Speaker Series. Advance to 9:20 m

Lisa Rich discusses her commercial space company Xplore, designed to collect infinite streams of proprietary data from the XCRAFT®, its next-generation satellite. Speaker bio: Lisa Rich is a successful serial entrepreneur, investor and thought-leader who entered the space industry in 2014 to accelerate sustainable business that positively impact the environment, education, national security, and advance the $1T space economy.

She is Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Xplore, a commercial space services company using its multi-sensor platform to store and transmit data, achieve data fusion, on orbit processing.

Ms. Rich is also Founder of Hemisphere Ventures, a top space sector VC that has invested in 37 outstanding commercial space companies including Axiom Space, Umbra and Lynk. She presents at conferences, engages Fortune 500 think tanks to discuss space strategy and the landscape for space investment.

Ms. Rich was nominated to the National Space Council User Advisory Group led by Vice President Kamala Harris; she played a pivotal role in establishing the Redmond Space District in Washington State. Media appearances include Bloomberg and CNBC.

-- Posted by Yoder, 3/14/2024

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Mayor Birney Honors Women's History Month


In honor of Women's History Month, Mayor Birney recently met with the Redmond Historical Society to learn more about the incredible women who helped make our community what it is today. The Mayor and Laura Lee are speaking from the Society's museum; jam-packed with artifacts and exhibits!

Do you know the Historical Society has a monthly Saturday Speaker's Series? The next one is April 13th at 10:30 a.m. It's all about bicycles in Redmond! Location: Old Redmond School House.

Check out the historical society's website for details and the Series line up at: https://www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org/rhs-events

Posted by Yoder, 3/13/2024

Monday, March 11, 2024

UPDATED: 3/14/2024: "SafeEastside" Activists Demand "A Say" On Downtown Homeless Housing

 

 

Blue signs objecting to downtown homeless housing suddenly appeared all over Redmond's downtown today (3/12) including this one at Anderson Park.   

Council did not engage with the public before their Plymouth decision to house100 homeless and low income people in Redmond's downtown.  According to Planning Director Helland, a public Hearing wasn't required; and "comment periods" were tabled in the rush to qualify for funding. Thus, SafeEastside activists are demanding "a Say." 

Various ways to engage: 

  • Phone or email Council President Vanessa Kritzer (and other councilmembers.)  Request an appointment with her. Councilmember Kritzer holds office hours. 425-305-9892.
  • Phone or email Councilmember Melissa Stewart. 425-305-9892. She holds walk-in office hours at the library, 3 - 5 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month.   
  • Every other week on Tuesday's at 7:00 p.m. the public has a 3-minute opportunity to address the Council, Mayor and Staff and at City Hall.   
  • Email: the Mayor, Council or Carol Helland, Director of Planning & Community Development at MayorCouncil@Redmond.gov.  
  • Contact Councilmember Steve Fields, the senior member of Council.  He owns a coffee shop in Redmond and might meet you there. 425-403-9476.
  • Reach out to Mayor Birney.  

-- Posted by Bob Yoder, 3/12/2024, Updated 3/13  Photo: Yoder

A controversial low-barrier homeless hotel will open in the Overlake neighborhood by late Spring.  What kind of human services will be offered and well received?

Friday, March 8, 2024

Letter To The Editor: Disabled Residents Shouldn't Be Left Homeless On Our Streets

Councilmember Osman Salahuddin

From the desk of Redmond Councilmember Osman Salahuddin...

Bob, I believe that you and I fundamentally agree that we don’t want our seniors, veterans, and residents with disabilities to be homeless and living on the streets. They deserve to be able to live in their community and have the help that they need to get by. 

Because of this agreement, our Council has spent a great deal of time addressing this decision. Because I take my responsibility to you as your Councilmember very seriously, I have personally been looking directly into the data about our city in guiding my decision. I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned with you to further our discussion about this important issue.

 

What I’ve learned about our City of Redmond (see data links below for verification):

  • 3,916 of our neighbors are earning less than $15,000 annually (at or below Federal poverty line);
  • 6,401 of our neighbors are living with a disability, some of which impacts their earning ability;
  • 7,502 of our neighbors are seniors ages 65+, some of whom cannot afford the rising cost of living;
  • 1,913 of our neighbors are veterans, many of whom are part of those earning less than $15,000;
  • These are Our community members, who need Our help to stay housed and safe.

 

The intention of the 100 units of permanent supportive housing that Plymouth is offering our community is to house (in the downtown) our seniors, our veterans, and our residents living with disabilities. To add to this, we have an incredible shortage of housing at all levels, so to meet the needs of our own residents – specifically – for safe and healthy places to live, we need to provide housing opportunities for people at or below the adjusted median income of $30,000 annually. The location will be ideal for folks who are experiencing disabilities with its proximity to the Light Rail station. 

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Light Rail Service, Bellevue To Redmond Begins April 27


In August 2023, the Sound Transit Board voted for a phased approach to opening the East Link Extension, beginning with service between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology stations on April 27, 2024.  Ribbon cutting date unknown at this time.  

The 2 Line, which is not affected by quality issues related to construction, will open ahead of the I-90 segment.

The remainder of East Link, that crosses I-90 and includes Judkins Park and Mercer Island Stations is expected to open in 2025.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Redmond Satellite Space COO To Present -- Redmond Historical Society's Speaker Series

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how Xplore—a key member of Redmond's "Space District”—is contributing to our local history!" J.O.


"DATA FROM SPACE"

Saturday, March 9th at 10:30 AM

In the Old Redmond Schoolhouse
16600 NE 80TH ST, Redmond, WA 98052


John Oftebro, President of the Redmond Historical Society says....

Founder and COO Lisa Rich will discuss her commercial space company Xplore, designed to collect infinite streams of proprietary data from the XCRAFT®, its next generation satellite. Her company’s ability to proliferate—and provide access to many types of Earth Observation data—will help solve many global challenges across the commercial sector, national security, environment, nonprofit sector, education, research, the media industry, and more.

- posted by Yoder, 3/8/24

Monday, March 4, 2024

"Beat the Bunny" Event, AND MORE!


The city says...

(Ages 6+) Join us on March 30th for our annual Beat the Bunny 5K race, a fun, family-friendly event! Whether you run, walk, stroll, hop, or beat the bunny, everyone wins a prize. The race also includes a FREE kids' dash at 9:30 a.m., prior to the start of the 5K race at 10 a.m.

The race starts from the Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village located at 6505 176th Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052. Parking is available at the community center parking lot and surrounding side streets. The start/finish line will be directly behind the community center with an out and back route running thru the scenic Marymoor Park.

Scroll down to register .....and to find important city news and information, including the May opening of the Senior & Community Center, and the decision to house homeless in our Downtown.  

Posted by Yoder, 3/4/24

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Updated: Council Explains Decision for Housing Homeless Downtown


The New Plymouth Housing building in Bellevue.  Redmond's building will be 6-stories.
Credit "Seattle Times."  Read their article!

from the desk of Jessica Forsythe, City Council Vice President...

Neighbors, thank you for reaching out to Redmond City Council regarding the recent Plymouth Housing decision to permanently house homeless and low income residents in downtown Redmond. I am responding as the Ombuds for the month of February. 

Council and the Planning Commission spent many months studying data and developing code around Permanent Supportive Housing in 2021 and 2022 with community concerns and feedback being taken into consideration all along the way.

Some items of note are:

  • Plymouth Housing is not a homeless shelter, it is a downtown six-story supportive housing home for those who qualify.
    • To qualify for a home at this location one must:
      • be for those exiting homelessness
      • earn less than $30,000 a year (0-30% of the Average Median Income)
      • may not be a lifetime registered sex offender (all state laws regarding sex offenders registration notification are applicable)
      • may not have certain drug-related convictions
      • this project is not restricted to only those living with disabilities
    • Tenants are required to apply, be screened and selected for approval, sign a lease and abide by it just like anyone else entering into a lease
    • Per our regulations, Plymouth Housing only allows up to 100 housing units. This regulation was in direct response to community concerns that Plymouth Housing is able to adequately provide services for those exiting homelessness and low-income residents. 
  • Plymouth Housing is not a safe injection or safe consumption site.
    • To quote Redmond Police Chief Lowe “Illegal things are still illegal.”
  • Plymouth Housing will enter into an Operational Agreement with the City which includes:
    • Performance expectations and oversite of the Plymouth Housing Operator
    • Rules and Code of Conduct
    • Safety and Security Plan
    • Neighborhood Relations and Community Engagement.

In the development of these plans, Plymouth Housing and their CEO will seek participants and host community stakeholder groups. The Council will be consulted on the final plans / agreements as required. 

The City completed a Housing Needs Assessment which you can read here: https://www.redmond.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25992/Housing_Needs_Assessment_Feb_2021

Additionally, through the city's study and review, Redmond’s affordable housing allocation needs (calculated by the King County Department of Community and Human Services) are 3,694 units of Permanent Supportive for the homeless and low income and 7,025 units in the "Average Median Income" range. 

Jessica Forsythe (she/her)

Council Vice President & Member, City of Redmond

With redactions and edits for clarity and opinion, by Bob Yoder, 43-year resident of Redmond, WA.  2/29/2024


Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Plymouth Homeless Housing FAQ

  

Plymouth Homeless Housing in Redmond FAQ

The building will contain 100 units for homless residents with ground floor office space, commercial space, and amenity areas. 


Where will the housing be located?
16725 Cleveland Street. This housing will be in Downtown Redmond, close to a light rail stop and cattycorner to Anderson Park.  

Who will live there? 
Single adults exiting homelessness and living on extremely low incomes would be eligible for the proposed Plymouth PSH. Many of these individuals are living with disabilities, seniors, and/or veterans. The income criteria is set at 30% or below Area Median Income (AMI), which means an individual is earning less than $28,800/year. Lifetime registered sex offenders and individuals with certain past drug-related convictions will not be eligible for this housing. 

What services will be on-site?  
Permanent Supportive Housing means in addition to housing, residents have access to a range of onsite services designed to help them achieve stability in their new home, including personalized housing case management services, veterans counseling, health care, 24/7 staffing, and other critical services.

Is this a homeless shelter?  
No, this is Permanent Supportive Housing for single adults. There is an application process, which includes determination of eligibility for the project. After individuals are approved and move in, they will no longer be considered homeless. Residents are responsible for abiding by their lease agreement and building rules, while also having access to onsite support services.  

What about parking?  

Parking is limited at this site. Most Plymouth residents do not own a vehicle. Proximity of this site to the Downtown Redmond light rail station will offer robust transit options to future residents and help the City achieve its Environmental Sustainability Action Plan goals for reduced vehicle emissions and vehicle miles traveled.

Who will operate the building? 
Plymouth Housing will provide property management and wraparound supportive services at the building. 

How many people will be housed at this location?  
Plymouth Housing projects primarily serve single adults. However, as a landlord, Plymouth is required to abide by occupancy standards and fair housing law, which in rare cases requires them to house couples if both individuals qualify for the building. The design in the current Plymouth proposal contains 85 studios and 15 one bedrooms. We expect that the new design will reflect a similar unit mix. 

Will the building have 24/7 staffing? 
Yes, Plymouth Housing will provide 24/7 staffing and support for residents. 

When will the building open for occupancy? 
There is not a specific timeline for construction yet. However, the goal is to break ground in 2025. Typically, it takes about two years of construction prior to opening for operations. 

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

UPDATED: Redmond Locals Wary of Controversial Plymouth Housing Project


This video is eye opening.  

After the Special Meeting closed, Mayor Birney refused to respond to questioning from the media: though a 2/13 agenda memo stated:  "Council's approval gave the Mayor approval to pursue the project contingent on further discussion."    

The housing project is described here

-- Bob Yoder, 2/15/2024

UPDATED, 3/14/2024: Council Approves Downtown Homeless Housing Project



As you see from the video, the Council's February 13th Special Meeting in Redmond City Hall was packed, mostly by residents opposing a city-owned land transfer to Plymouth Housing to provide homeless housing in our downtown core (not far from Anderson Park.)   

In the meeting, Council approved the land transfer to Plymouth 5 -1 (Anderson)* to build permanent, low-barrier, supportive housing for over 100 homeless - many with disabilities and some elderly.  Estimated cost:  $40 million.  

The homeless will be housed in a 6-story building with ground floor commercial space on 16725 Cleveland Street next to the Computer Surplus and close to a new high-end apartment building, once finished.  Construction will begin in 2005 with completion expected by 2007.  The City is chipping in $3.2 million towards the building.      

Plymouth Housing, the nonprofit homeless provider, originally asked the City of Kenmore to site 100 homeless housing units but Kenmore Council members voted 4 - 3 against.  So the "ask" was passed onto the City of Redmond, and was readily accepted by Council without a public comment period or Hearing.  Under pressure from the residents, Council President Vanessa Kritzer promised "a robust review." suggesting "Items from the Audience" as the venue.  

Some background:  In 2019, the City proactively purchased this land for affordable housing to for $5.5 million.  The City also set aside $10 million in anticipation. The public wasn't informed, nor was there study by Planning Commission on the purchase.

* Councilmember Steve Fields was absent; CM Jessica Forsythe presented his comments at the meeting.     

-- Bob Yoder, 2/14/2024

Twitter @ Kenmore reactions/ - Johnathan Choe, journalist

The Planning Commission seemed in the dark on Plymouth; the Chair asked Director Helland for an explanation of what Plymouth does for affordable housing. Her response was short and nebulous.

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Mayor Birney Visits a Cool, New Plant Store


I stopped by Plantify about a half year ago and loved it! The owner was kind and very patient with me, answering all my questions about his exotic plants. The plants were gorgeous, but expensive for me. He wished for better parking, but once the nearby construction is finished in a few years, shoppers will be walking to the business! In the meantime, you may find some parking on the side street next to Anderson Park. I love this shop! Probably will gift. Definitely revisit!

-- Bob Yoder, 2/13/2024

Monday, February 5, 2024

There's No Stopping Growth In Redmond


There's no stopping growth in Redmond / credit Bob Yoder

A view from Mr. Nelson's downtown "Redmond Center" parking lot. The red crane is constructing his "The Charles." building.  (Apparently, several members in Mr. Nelson's extended family carry the name "Charles.")  When finished, the structure will reach 8-stories, have 244 residential units, 4,920 sf of live work space, and 4,316 sf of retail.  

The Charles is the first project of a 22-acre Urban Village he plans for our downtown.  In part, it will encompass land along the Sammamish River, the Opportunity Building (OB), a large parcel adjacent to OB, the Redmond Center, and the parking lot behind QFC.  

The Nelson Legacy Group (NLG) has been family-owned since the early 1950s. NLG operates retail and office properties located in Redmond, Kirkland and eastern Washington, conducting leasing, developing and property acquisition from offices in Redmond.  

Two significant Urban Villages in Overlake are approved.  One of the villages is 14 acres including the demolition of Sears.    

-- Bob Yoder, 2/5/2024

Sources:  Design Review Board Memorandum, 4/15/2020; Carol Helland, Director Planning & Community Development; Thomas L. Markel, NLG; CLARK BARNES "NLG Project One Design Review," 12/03/2020    

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Opening Day of the Overlake Village Pedestrian Bridge

 City of Redmond and Sound Transit Celebrate Opening of Overlake Village Pedestrian Bridge

From left to right: City Council Vice President Jessica Forsythe, Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman, City Council President Vanessa Kritzer, King County Councilmember and Sound Transit Boardmember Claudia Balducci, Mayor Angela Birney, Councilmember Melissa Stuart, and Councilmember Angie Nuevacamina.

REDMOND, WA - The City of Redmond celebrated the opening of the Overlake Village Pedestrian Bridge with a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday. This vital link connects the light rail station at Overlake Village to the 520 Bike Trail across SR 520. The $10.4 million project enhances accessibility and fosters connectivity between key transit points in Redmond.

"The Overlake Pedestrian Bridge exemplifies the successful partnership between the City of Redmond and Sound Transit,” said Mayor Angela Birney. “This project creates an important connection for our community to access transit and demonstrate our commitment to sustainable and accessible transportation.”

Monday, January 29, 2024

UPDATED 1/29/24: Pearce PRD Deforestation Rivals the Devastation of Group Health's Tree Habitat

A Bobcat's "last stand" in Sigmund and Werner's backyard / credit Sigmund

In 2007, I made two trips to Sigmund and Werner's house to commiserate with them about their severe loss of a forest bordering their property.   Losing a neighborhood forest and it's wildlife is close to losing and mourning the loss of a dear friend. It hurts and it takes time. I know this from the Education Hill Perrigo Heights clear-cut. Sigmonde showed their pictures and I listened. She took me on hurried walk through the forest before the clear-cut. It was all over in just a few days.

The photograph of this urban Bobcat was taken by Werner & Sigmund. Their home borders on a North Redmond 18-acre forest.  Over 300 mature trees were cleared for 76 single-family homes with lot sizes ***4000 - 22,000 SF, according city documents. The project (178th Ct. NE & NE 116th St.) is known as "Pearce PRD" and is one of many environmentally sensitive projects in Redmond developed by Eric Campbell's Camwest Development, Inc. of Kirkland, WA.

According to a "Wildlife Study Report" filed by wetland , wildlife, and forest consultant Chad Armour, LLC on January 20, 2007 "the site may have the potential to support as many as 68 different species of wildlife". Sigmund has also observed coyotes and deer in her backyard and there have been neighborhood reports of *black bear. Where will they go?

Camwest paid an arborist for a tree preservation plan required by city permit. The arborist reported that 294 significant trees were clear-cut. That's 54% of the 489 significant trees on the project. 39 Landmark trees were presumed removed.  Landmark trees are supposed to get special protections. (see Councilwoman Kim Allen's statement, below).

Chad Armour made two brief site visits. Among Mr. Armour's qualifications, he is a "certified wetland delineator" and has a certificate in commercial real estate. He was hired by Camwest to write environmental reports for the city land use permit. 

Mr. Armour reported: nine wetlands and 20 State Priority habitat tree snags, ideal for Pileated Woodpecker nesting. He identified a foraging P. Woodpecker, and a Great Blue Heron "in the vicinity". The Great Blue Heron is valued by the State and Redmond as a Priority Species of Local Importance. Nesting P. Woodpeckers are potentially endangered and have protections when nests are present. I was told by a resident Armour spent only several hours during each of his two visits to the site.

Mr. Armour stated a heron rookery is located about one mile SE of the site. City planner Cathy Beam indicated months ago these eastern rookery nests were vacated. Mr. Armour also noted a stream map indicating coho salmon migrate to within a few hundred feet of the project site. A tributary to Bear Creek and two ponds are present.   

Obviously, significant and devastating deforestation of  "urban open space" has occurred. Habitat destruction was far more extensive than Camwest's Tyler's Creek and Perrigo Heights developments. Fortunately, Camwest does a good job restoring and enhancing their streams, wetlands, and forest buffers. However, according to the neighbors, the development will be setback only 20 feet from their properties and exposed neighborhood trees will be endangered by resultant high winds.

Councilwoman Kim Allen is to be commended for speaking up for the neighborhood during Werner's Landmark Tree Exception appeal. Councilman Richard Cole appeared insensitive during reconsideration of the Landmark Tree appeal stating Werner was slowing down the project. Ms. Allen is a qualified lawyer and is a strong council advocate for "green" protections and standards. ** Ms. Allen's statement urging amendments to city tree preservation standards are below. The city is holding a Community Meeting on Thursday, 7/28 to ask for ideas on how to improve Residential Development permitting. Contact Jeff Churchill for more information by emailing: jchurchill@redmond.gov.

*** The City Neighborhood Map and Notice of Application quote different lot size ranges.

**'Councilmember Allen read a written request to the staff as follows, 'Tree retention is an expressed value of the citizens of Redmond articulated in the Comprehensive Plan, Neighborhood Plans, and community meetings. Redmond’s tree retention law reflects that a detailed and thoughtful analysis by the Administrator of what should be a detailed and written account of extraordinary circumstances is required to justify the felling of any landmark tree or drastically reducing our declining canopy. In this case there is no record of that detailed analysis by staff which does both the staff and the citizens a disservice. Our Code Administrators should begin to provide a written and detailed analysis of their reasoning on all of these exceptions to our Tree Retention Ordinance and that the code should be amended to provide notice to adjacent property owners when such a request is made.' - contributed by Werner

###

QUESTIONS:  Was off-site mitigation required?  It not, how where were they replaced? PRD' appeals are Quasi-Judicial. Was there adequate notice?  Tom Hinman, a respected planning commissioner, influenced the city years later to map significant and landmark trees on the Notice of Application. Why did it take so long?   In 2022, Tree Regulations were updated to protect/preserve Redmond's remaining trees on private properties.  It's 2024 and the updated tree regulations still haven't been implemented owing to legal issues Kirkland is facing. No comment.   

Opinion and report by Bob Yoder, ~ 2007, updated 1/29/2024  

Additional "land use" articles are found using the blog search engine.

Friday, January 12, 2024

UPDATED, 2/21/2024 On The Proposed New Redmond Town Center

REDMOND TOWN CENTER REDEVELOPMENT 

Hines will host two neighborhood meetings over the next 12 months. The first meeting will be SOON, in March 6th of 2024 at RTC campus office.  Contact mayor@redmond.gov for times. 

The center's Master Plan review by Council is now underway.  Notably, in addition to the 12-story buildings, three 7-story mixed used residential building are planed.  

 Protecting Redmond’s Aquifer: we’ve positioned all parking above ground to avoid any impact to the aquifer and reduce the carbon impact during construction.

Affordable Housing: At full development, Redmond Town Center will feature up to 200 units of transit-oriented, affordable housing – 2x the minimum contained in the inclusionary zoning ordinance, at 60% of  "Average Median Income."

74th Street: Streetscape improvements on 74th include a transition to a pedestrian-first, engaging open space to enliven the center of the retail core.

Ground Floor Retail: The design includes a net increase of 15,000 – 35,000 square feet of ground floor, pedestrian generating and retail uses, with a portion of that reserved for local, smaller shop retail uses.

Pedestrian and Intersection Improvements: Street and intersection improvements at 166th, 164th, and 76th streets will provide a much more engaging, pedestrian oriented ground plane experience.

Green Roofs: Vegetated green roofs will be included in non-mechanical areas of new building construction to help reduce the urban heat island and help manage stormwater run-off.

Schedule Updates & Opportunities for Feedback:

Neighborhood Meetings:

Hines will host two neighborhood meetings over the next 12 months. The first meeting will be SOON, in March 6th of 2024 at RTC campus office.  Contact info@redmond.gov for times. with another coming in late summer - ~August of 2024. Further details to come here.

Thank you again for participating and sharing your input and questions. We’ll follow up with more updates soon. In the meantime, please visit our Feedback section to respond to our new questions!

-- Hines, 1/12/2024

To find additional blog posts on Redmond Town Center click the "RTC" label. These stories were found at the blog search button. Here are some posts on downtown and the downtown buildings.

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Retired Councilmember Hank Margeson Seen as a Council Resource

(l-r) Councilmembers Richard Cole, Hank Margeson and Pat Vache', circa 2010

At this week's Council study session many interesting topics were covered - SE Redmond Park,  Reservoir Park, and a Community Advisory report on Vision 2050 - but what stood out for me was Councilmember Anderson's brief comment that retired 3-term councilmember Hank Margeson is "a resource" and was open to help/consult with council when needed.  He "leans left" and is a good fit.  

Margeson chaired the Citizen's Advisory Committee for the new Senior Center.  He gave a very impressive summary report to council on the Center (without notes.)   

I did a blog search on "Hank Margeson"   You might find it interesting.  Additional stories can be found at this "Margeson label" search.  

-- Yoder, 1/2024