OPINION: Can the Marymoor Village and Commercial District be Salvaged?

Spectra project with "planters" 
(click to enlarge)

 Oxford dictionary:  *ECLECTIC: deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.

OPINION:  I and about eight other residents went to the Long Range Planning exhibit at Marymoor Community Center a few weeks ago.  Apparently, the mayor and planning director will be sending these planners to the library every week to "reach out."   This is token planning.  

According to a Principle planner, the "Big Decisions requiring input from managers and above."  are still outstanding.  (And, then there's "Medium Decisions" and "Small Decisions!")

A few "Big Decision" items the planners have asked the public, Mayor and Council for input are: 

• "The Vision for the Marymoor Design District."  Staff states design impacts are "unclear and potentially unrealistic."  This late in the game. 
• Planners ask: "Are families going to move into an industrial area?  Should the commercial area be re-zoned residential."  Apparently, owners there can profit significantly with residential; light rail could increase the "need" for residential, as well.  A planner states " why not have standards that are more realistic for townhomes."  Mayor Birney and Council:  Yes or no?  
• Planners ask: "Rather than a trail around the entire perimeter - require/encourage other community amenities."  What amenities?  Mayor/Council: Yes or no? Don't we need trails for mobility?  Bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, pedestrian users.  
• Planners state: "Inconsistent shared street implementation - provide more direction for desired quality."  
• Planners question the Design Concept:  "Building façade materials / color - "no guidance in zoning code for the Marymoor Design District."
• Plantings / Landscape - Mayor: "establish "unique" identity for Marymoor Village.  
• etc. etc.  

Council, Arts Commission and Design Review Board were intimately involved in ensuring Marymoor Village would be *eclectic, according to Mayor Birney's wishes.  So far, Spectra is what we have.  Pinwheels in empty garden containers? (Or, is that a dog walk area adjacent to the dog friendly Sammamish Trail?)

The Design Review Board (DRB) has the "teeth" of one planner  The rest are volunteers. (State initiated changes may be in the offing.) I recommend Mayor Birney assign Long Range Planners to the Board to give substance to it. Get them out of the library and in front of the developers.  

DRB planners push for and conduct all presentations remotely.  Mayor Birney should join other organizations and wean off remote meetings.  One critical function of a DRB  is collaboration....sharing pictures, color designs, blueprints, etc. 

Mayor Birney should give Overlake Urban Center equal, if not more attention to design.  Let's be honest, ~70% of Redmond Vision 2050 appears already baked into our city.  What's left is Design.  Anything else?  Council Leadership should schedule an Open House and one Study session for input on the Big and Medium decisions.    

Our Village and the commercial district need to be salvaged before it's too late.  The Spark project design looks very promising, but will the final product hold it's own?     

-- Bob Yoder, 5/8/2023