LETTER: "The Planning commission writes, "We certainly understand the need to keep residential development and rendering plants separate, but do not see the immediate incompatibility of a corner coffee shop, produce store or bakery with the needs of residents who might walk to such an establishment." This kind of "planning" seems very out of touch with reality. The reality is that development in each zone is largely complete. We already have plenty of coffee shops, produce stores, and bakery shops in Redmond. We folks moved out to the suburbs (Redmond) and fell into the State Growth Management Act (1990). A tension was established that pits constant development with a desire for open space, and quality of life. Enough is enough. Let us live in peace, without commercial development in our neighborhoods."
By Richard Morris
Education Hill
This opinion is an excerpted, signed comment written under the post about 'Two planning commissioners Minority report on micro-level neighborhood commercial.' Your Letters and Opinions are welcome. Please send them by comment or to my email. Include your name if you are comfortable doing so. B.Y.
I couldn't disagree more. It would be a huge improvement in the quality of life in our neighborhood if there were a few walking accessible coffee shops and a corner grocery. Right now even the smallest/simplest transaction requires getting in the car and driving 10 - 15 minutes.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if the previous poster lives on Education Hill, but I'm astonished that someone thinks another coffee shop or corner grocery store will improve their quality of life. And who is getting in their car for the smallest/simplest transaction? That is most certainly wasteful. People need to learn to plan their shopping trips/errands in ways that are an efficient use of fuel and time.
ReplyDelete--GardenMom
Put me firmly in the disagree column. I would love to have more mingled commercial development and count myself lucky to right in the middle of a fat blue line.
ReplyDeleteNow if we can just get a nice neighborhood pub.
If you want to live in a more commercial-type area, why did you buy a house on Education Hill? This is a residential area and most people moved here because of that.
ReplyDelete--GardenMom
Although I love the idea of the dreamy european idea, please dont forget that we live in the good ol'USA and what WE will get is a Subway and 7-11 or some other chain store. I seriously doubt anyone is going to mingle with neighbors over a slurpy or bring home the freshly baked submarine buns. It will become another pitstop on the way home from work, park, grab a plastic container of milk, dash home to get the kids to practice. I simply do NOT TRUST our City Council to act in our best interest in maintaining the quiet neighborhood environment that we all bought into when we established this area. They will let in big chains faster than you can blink.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to say how you'd love some commercial places on Ed Hill, but would you want that lil' store or lil' coffee shop
ReplyDeletea few feet away from *your* house??? Probably not. Well said, GardenMom: people move to Education Hill to get a little bit away from the stores, and there are plenty of them close enough.
Let's see: A begger on every corner, chickens in every backyard, businesses where ever, out of place developments, traffic at a stand still. Sounds like we are finally starting to see the culmination of Redmond's third euro-world vision for our city. I can't believe there is no competition for Mayor.
ReplyDeleteLook at the zoning map carefully (click on it to enlarge it.) The light blue lines are where the shops would be allowed. There are 4 blue highlighted areas on Education Hill 1.) along NE 104th Street from Avondale to 166th including the road in front of Horace Mann El & Redmond High, 2.) next to the proposed Bike Park on NE 100th Street, 3.) along NE 109th Street near Meadow Park and 4.) near Norman Rockwell Elementary. All of these neighborhoods already have houses. Will people be allowed to sell coffee or groceries out of their garages? Where will people park if they want to drive? Don't we have enough problems with traffic without adding shops to these busy roads?
ReplyDeleteAnd what about the all the new neighborhoods along NE 116th St where thousands of homes were built in the last decade - why weren't commercial zones planned before those developments were built and why aren't any commercial zones proposed for that area on tracts that are still vacant and undeveloped? Is it because the developers (CamWest, Burnstead, Pulte, etc. ) think it might reduce home values and make it more difficult to sell new homes in the new developments that they're building?