AGENDA 7:02 Introductions and Announcements 7:15 President’s Report Please mark your calendars for each 4th Monday except December. Each years’ dates are at the bottom of the agenda every month. At this August meeting, Toby Thaler will report and answer questions on the status and progress of the FNC and SCALE appeals of the adequacy of the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the City’s MHA zoning ordinance. These appeals were filed after Thanksgiving last fall, and the end is in sight; post-hearing briefs will be done around the end of September with a decision expected in (late?) October. We have had 15 full days of hearings with numerous expert and lay/fact witnesses by appellants and by the City. We have 4 more days through September 7, mostly City witnesses and our cross-examination of them. Displacement has been a major focus of the hearings, and whether the City’s MHA up zones in exchange for fees will help or hurt. The central Fremont Census Tract has had very high levels of displacement of low income households. See https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/HALA/Policy/MHA_FEIS/AppM_MHA_FEIS_2017.pdf Maps on page M.4, etc. Notable News: District 4 (incl East Fremont) City Councilmember Rob Johnson has introduced a wholesale replacement of Seattle’s tree ordinance, along with another SEPA DNS decision last Thursday. DNS means no full EIS with alternatives. This new action is in the face of tree conservation being a major issue in the MHA appeal. Discussion of possible board responses to this City action is the next agenda item. 7:30 New Tree Ordinance – Discussion The board will discuss options. City Action a 8± Homeless in Fremont – Homelessness has come to Fremont big time. Like many neighborhoods in Seattle and other cities, we have numerous people living mostly unsheltered on public land. The camps on both sides of Aurora at 38th are notable both for their visibility and relative cleanliness. The issues these events raise are numerous and opinions are variable and conflicting. Nevertheless, these are people who, by choice or not, are living in Fremont and thus FNC has an interest. Along with the impacts and relationships of these camps on and with established (housed) residents. There have been suggestions for action, such as locating a site to place a port-a-potty. Others suggest the camps shouldn’t be there. Toby Thaler suggests that FNC have a communit- based conversation about what specific actions FNC can and/or should do. Perhaps we could sponsor/host a broader community discussion at the September 24 meeting with representatives of various policy positions and actions. This is a difficult conversation but we need to have it; the problem will not solve itself. Please bring your ideas to the meeting. 8:20 Old Business and Committee Items – Minutes, Treasurers Report, etc. 8:30 Adjourn We sometimes adjourn to one of Fremont’s many fine public establishments for drink and/or victuals. Join us? NEXT MEETING: Monday, September 24, 7 p.m., Doric Temple, 619 N. 36th St. Join/Renew your membership with the Fremont Neighborhood Council You can now renew your membership online at www.fremontneighborhoodcouncil.org. It’s quick and easy, please take a moment and show your support for your neighborhood! Fremont Neighborhood Council Upcoming 2018 Meetings: Have a proposed agenda item? Send it to Toby Thaler at toby@louploup.net. Please note that it’s helpful to provide an agenda item about two weeks ahead of the posting date. We can often squeeze things in, but on occasion agendas can fill up quickly. |
Published by Linda Clifton · 2 hrs ·
About the tree ordinance–CROSSCUT today
https://crosscut.com/2018/08/seattle-booms-council-scrambles-save-city-trees