October 24, 2011
Board members present: Matt Gasparich, Norma Jones, Dic Selin, Toby Thaler, Erik Pihl, Elfreide Noble, Linda Clifton, Judie Clarridge.
President Matt Gasparich opened the meeting.
Announcements:
Trick or Treat in Fremont Monday, October 31, 3 pm to 6 pm Participating businesses in downtown, upper, and west Fremont
Treasurer’s Report: There was no treasurer’s report because Shawn was not able to attend the meeting.
Guests regarding the 3400 Stone Way Project – Lisa Picard, Dan Matheson, Murphy McCullagh, Linda Mitchell
Lisa is an Executive Vice President, Skanska USA Commercial Development. Skanska is the developer of the 3400 Stone Way project. Lisa has lived in the Green Lake and Fremont areas for 14 years.
- Skanska is an international project development and construction company. Founded in Sweden, it has projects throughout the US.
- Skanska does not arrange loans for its construction projects; it is able to self-finance them.
- It has a commitment to reducing the environmental footprint of its projects. At the 3400 Stone Way location, they are looking to bring heightened environmental practices to a wider range of the commercial market.
- They are very pleased that Brooks Sports is interested in leasing space in the building to house its global headquarters which is currently in Bothell. Brooks, which sells performance running shoes and apparel, has been named by Outside magazine as one of the top 10 employers in the country. The 3400 Stone Way site, across the street from the Burke-Gilman Trail, is ideal for Brooks. They plan to use the first floor of the building for their first retail store and envision that many of the people coming to the building will arrive by bike. Their goal is that Brooks will occupy the building in late 2013.
- Skanska is seeking to be included in the City of Seattle’s Living Building pilot program. The program allows departures from standard building codes for projects which meet ultra-green standards for reduced electricity and water usage. Lisa spoke about designing higher windows that allow more natural light deeper into the building.
- They are planning to create a large plaza area at the corner of Stone Way and N. 34th which will reduce the building’s footprint on the property. They are seeking approval to allow the building to exceed the zoning height limit of 45’ in order to regain the square footage lost to the plaza. They are requesting a 65’ height to the building with the mechanical equipment reaching 75’. They are planning to place the mechanical equipment in the center of the building so that it will be not visible from the street level.
- They have been gathering community input regarding the project, including meeting with the Wallingford Community Council’s Land Use committee. Skanska understands the importance of maintaining the view corridor to Lake Union seen while traveling south on Stone Way and from the neighborhood in general.
Questions were asked regarding the impact of the building to parking in the neighborhood. Lisa responded that there will be 250 parking stalls. Currently, 20% of the workforce in Bothell use alternate means of transportation to work (carpooling, bus, bike, etc.). They plan to include showers and lockers in the 3400 Stone Way building to encourage employees to bike to work. They also anticipate an increase in Metro service in the area.