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Meeting concluded — minutes pending. The agenda below is what the City posted; minutes haven't been published yet. Issaquah approves Council minutes at the next meeting and ships them embedded in that next meeting's packet, so they typically land here 1–3 weeks after the meeting. Transcript and recording will appear once the City posts the YouTube video and our pipeline catches it.
Equity Board Auto captions

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

6:00 PM
Topics tracked across meetings:
Letter to Mayor and City Council on Council Vacancy Process (D) Facilitated by: Lesley Millender-Irwin, Equity Board Chair 2/5
Light Rail Station Planning Introduction COM 0100 1/4
3. CHAIR REPORT
3a
Opening Question
10 min · Priti Mody-Pan, Equity Board Chair
4. AGENDA ITEMS
4a
Central Issaquah Light Rail Station Area Vision and Guiding Principles
60 min · Thomas Valdriz, Senior Transportation Planner · packet pp.3–34
Topics: Land Use
Staff report:
The purpose of the October 16, 2024, special meeting is to review and discuss the first draft of Central Issaquah light rail station area vision and guiding principles. The Administration has the following questions for the Human Services Commission (HSC) and Equity Board (EB) to consider:
4b
Closing Thought Facilitated by: Priti Mody-Pan, Equity Board Chair
Topics: Equity
0:01 you're G to pronounce I'm going to talk
0:04 loudly because my voice does not project
0:07 very well so anyone wave your hand at me
0:09 if you can't hear me but uh welcome uh
0:12 my name is priny mod pan and I call the
0:16 special joint meeting of the isqua
0:18 equity board and Human Services
0:20 Commission to order at
0:24 618 p.m. um do I need to give the date
0:28 you do not okay
0:30 and so this is a reminder that the
0:32 meeting is being recorded and we have
0:35 participants attending in person and
0:37 others who may be attending by computer
0:39 or by phone for all meeting attendees
0:43 please speak clearly and pause
0:45 frequently state your name each time
0:48 before speaking if applicable mute your
0:51 microphone when not speaking and if you
0:54 have technical issues try joining the
0:56 meeting youing using a different device
0:58 like a smartphone or a tablet
1:00 and or use the Callin information on the
1:03 meeting invitation uh to call into the
1:06 meeting and with that we'll roll into
1:09 attendance so maybe uh Dale could I have
1:13 your assistance in um sharing out the
1:16 excused absences yes we have two um
1:18 excused absences for this evening from
1:20 the equity board um Shay Fleming and
1:24 Laura Gilmore have excused absence since
1:26 this evening and then Hannah for Human
1:29 Services
1:30 thanks pretty um yes so we have an
1:32 excuse AB for mine fish and then we have
1:35 our human servic commissioner Manny
1:37 Brown who's running late as well that's
1:39 invitation to joining us um virtually as
1:41 well
1:41 as thank you thank you okay and now I uh
1:46 we are on to public comments and uh do
1:49 we have any public comments we did not
1:51 have any public comments submitted ahead
1:52 of tonight's meeting and we currently do
1:54 not have any members of the public who
1:56 are not members of our boards or
1:58 Commissions in attendance
2:00 okay well then we will move into the
2:04 chair report part of the agenda and this
2:07 is a practice that the equity board has
2:09 started uh more formally doing at the
2:12 start of every meeting um and it's
2:14 really just an icebreaker opening
2:17 question um it serves to uh bring
2:20 everyone's voice into the room and make
2:22 it easier for folks to contribute
2:23 throughout the meeting and it also helps
2:25 us get to know each other a little bit
2:27 better and I think uh relationship and
2:30 connection are really important
2:32 especially you know when we do Equity
2:33 work and things that are hard and
2:35 challenging it's good to have the
2:37 strength of the relationship behind that
2:40 and so with that I'd like um us to maybe
2:43 go around the room U maybe table by
2:46 table and uh start with your name your
2:50 pronouns if you prefer if you uh like to
2:52 share them and The Bard commission
2:55 you're on and then the question is what
2:58 is your favorite think about Autumn as
3:01 the
3:02 season and um actually I'm going to KI
3:05 it over to Thomas first and um go around
3:08 I guess you wouldn't have FL commission
3:10 sure yeah hey everyone um my name is
3:12 Thomas Balz I use Ean pronouns um I'm
3:16 not on Border commission and staff I'll
3:18 be presenting to you tonight um my
3:21 favorite thing about Autumn excuse me uh
3:24 is pumpkins I really like carving
3:26 pumpkins um the fun activity that my
3:30 wife and I like to do and
3:33 yeah great hi good evening everybody R
3:37 man um I'm on the equity board I'm Vice
3:40 chair so it's a pleasure to have this
3:42 meeting with Services
3:44 team my favorite part of AUM visualize
3:48 it today is the he doesn't appreciate
3:51 the colors I was watching my
3:54 dog really absor
4:02 I'm myy Edwards I'm with the Human
4:04 Services Commission my pronouns are T
4:07 young and uh my favorite thing about the
4:10 fall is the wind I'm a I'm a local guy I
4:14 grew up here uh the wind near the trees
4:18 are so much a part of everything I
4:21 relate to uh in my day-to-day and
4:25 watching the wind moov with the tree the
4:27 trees mov with the Wind is um is a
4:31 beauty to me I really love that and the
4:34 leaves of course watching the leaves
4:36 blow past you will feel the on you it's
4:40 a big part of all for
4:42 me I'm caric I'm also in the equity
4:46 board um can I share two favorite
4:50 things um well the first favorite thing
4:53 is a party that my wife rocker Alex who
4:56 actually was on the human missions part
4:59 uh I'm I'm sorry the Human Services
5:01 Board uh organized at Lake sanal Park
5:04 that man is not here he was at the party
5:09 um that that's that's one thing that we
5:11 do every Autumn and and that's a that's
5:14 a memorable EV that the second is the
5:17 return of the salmon uh that is really
5:20 special U and I enjoy seeing that happen
5:24 our
5:27 po you want to take over
5:30 there good evening my name is H Fardo
5:34 Human Services commissioner um
5:36 pronounced he and him I would say terms
5:39 of Autumn it's big Sports gu so
5:42 basketball is around the corner little
5:44 one plays basketball for the city of Isa
5:46 and we're coach so third grade U looking
5:49 forward to you know I think we start
5:51 formation here in the next few weeks
5:54 that's something I'm looking forward to
6:00 hi everyone uh Hannah Roberts here our
6:02 human services coordinator and a staff
6:04 member and staff hter human
6:06 services so nice to see her um fall are
6:11 the falling news I know that's so silly
6:13 but just like today walking around a
6:15 different Fleet and just watching the
6:17 Sun come through the tree uh there's
6:20 nothing like it nothing like it so bye
6:25 Danny what you are
6:28 [Laughter]
6:30 we doing
6:32 introduction and
6:43 [Laughter]
6:53 then um
7:09 lese oh okay I guess it's me um Leslie
7:13 Miller Lin I'm I'm with the um I'm on
7:16 the equ board U my prouns are she and
7:19 her and um my favorite part of fall has
7:23 to be the lead drop I'm I'm from
7:25 California so I love all the great
7:27 vibrant colors of the leaves where
7:29 they're just stunning I call them
7:31 Washington State TR so that's what
7:37 I um my name is Trish La I'm on the
7:41 commission my PLS are she her and um I
7:46 to a bunch like you I like to leave dra
7:49 me um I'm a big Gardener so I like
7:52 putting my garden to bed this time of
7:54 the year and kind of thinking about what
7:56 I'm going to start you know in March and
8:00 and then how of
8:03 course hi everyone my
8:08 name and everything
8:11 about
8:25 and good evening everyone my name is and
8:29 I serve on the Human Services Commission
8:33 and I use
8:35 pronouns uh she her in e in his um let's
8:41 see autumn so for most
8:45 people they they think of the new year
8:48 as January 1 but since I made my career
8:52 in in higher ed for the majority of my
8:55 career then for me the beginning of the
8:58 year is always the beginning of the
8:59 school year and so I always think back
9:02 to you know when my kids were little and
9:05 all of the things that they were looking
9:06 forward to because even though summer
9:08 was a lot of fun they they look forward
9:10 to going back to school and then I was a
9:13 travel schooler for a while and and
9:16 again you know everything was demarcated
9:18 by the fall and so for me it's that um
9:22 that next step of like improving
9:24 yourself right because every fall you
9:27 you you were looking forward to a new
9:28 grade new a new maybe career path or a
9:31 new whatever so for me it's like a
9:33 really renewing sort of sense of time so
9:36 yeah so happy News school year
9:41 people my name is shie I the equity
9:45 board by
9:48 pronam um uh about Autumn moving from
9:53 Alabama to Washington Autumn took a
9:56 completely different meeting and it's
9:58 just so so beautiful and it just keeps
10:01 getting beautiful so I'm very very I we
10:04 feel very fortunate to experience that
10:07 and we don't have to go to New
10:10 England H and of course Autumn is the
10:13 the whole B of festivities here
10:16 Halloween it's also inter spaced with a
10:18 lot of Indian um festivals theal and so
10:22 on so this is just a very um it's just a
10:27 very nice sort of time when you think of
10:30 family you want to be with family and
10:32 you just want to relax before getting
10:34 into the
10:38 winter hi my name is Kellen man I'm the
10:41 equity board my pronouns are she her um
10:44 like Trish I'm a gardener and so right
10:47 now in the Autumn I literally look out
10:49 my slider sliding by stores in the back
10:51 of my house and look at my garden every
10:53 single solitary day because every day
10:56 it's a little more yellow and a little
10:58 bit more red and I have a what you call
11:01 a Spring Garden so it's a really
11:03 beautiful in the spring kind of boring
11:04 in the summer and then really alive in
11:06 the in the fall so right now is one of
11:09 its most beautiful times and it's less
11:11 work now
11:14 so yeah hi everyone Dale Marky crimp I'm
11:18 the assistant of the city administrator
11:19 I'm also L liaison to the equity board I
11:22 she her pronouns my uh surprised no one
11:26 has said this yet one of my favorite
11:27 things about the Autumn is it's the
11:29 beginning of soup season and stew season
11:32 and I feel like I spend all summer
11:34 wanting to eat Hardy soups and stews and
11:37 The Time Is Here For Me Get Out The braz
11:40 and pot we have we have good things to
11:43 cook yeah Preston would you like to
11:47 share oh yeah sure so hello my name is
11:50 Preston mey I'm with the Human Services
11:52 Board I was a youth representative I'd
11:54 say my favorite thing about AUM is
11:56 probably like the weather like a light
12:00 rain and it's kind of like it's not too
12:02 hot but it's also not too cold yet so
12:04 it's just like kind of the perfect
12:05 weather to go outside and Hike or take a
12:08 walk greatting thanks
12:11 Preston hi guys my name is Canal I'm on
12:14 the equity board and I use he pronouns
12:17 and then what I'm most excited for for
12:19 Autumn is all continuing to watch
12:22 football the big football guy watching
12:24 the Seahawks hopefully get rid of it
12:26 next streek um and then Thanksgiving and
12:32 autom well I'll just close this offy I
12:35 use she her pronouns and in addition to
12:37 watching the leaves change color and
12:39 fall I really enjoy Sweater Weather and
12:42 the coziness that comes with wearing you
12:44 know bundling up and wearing like the
12:45 warm sweaters this is
12:49 GM right well thank you all for
12:51 participating in our opening question
12:54 and um now so we're on to our main
12:57 highlight of the evening with uh Thomas
12:59 presenting on the central Visa Light
13:01 Rail station area vision and guiding
13:05 principles that's a long title um thank
13:08 you for coming tonight and I'm sharing
13:10 this important plan
13:13 with trade spots with jail I think you
13:16 are I'm gonna get you up here in a
13:18 second it's trying to do something fancy
13:19 that I think it's probably a mistake but
13:21 I think it's G to work it's not going to
13:24 work I thought that it could but one
13:27 second I'm going to set up
13:44 well that was a fun introduction we
13:46 always appreciate U presenting uh to the
13:49 equity board and Human Services
13:51 Commission ni to get to know you all a
13:54 little bit my name is Thomas FES I'm
13:56 senior Transportation planner
14:00 C great buzzing here just talk louder
14:04 I'll do that
14:05 yeah so my name is Thomas valdres I'm
14:08 senior Transportation planner for the
14:10 city um tonight I'm hoping to get your
14:13 feedback on the it is a mouthful Draft
14:17 Central isqua Station area visioning and
14:19 guiding principles
14:30 uh so I do have two questions for this
14:32 group uh first one is do you agree with
14:34 the vision and guiding principles as
14:36 presented and second if you have any
14:39 changes you'd like to see um i'
14:41 appreciate KN that as
14:42 well um and so I presented at the equity
14:46 board about a month ago and so some of
14:48 you may have seen this slide before uh
14:51 but essentially um the city's been
14:52 planning for growth uh for a long time
14:55 uh in the next um you know 20 years or
14:58 so we're expecting 2third of jobs and
15:01 housing to be funneled into one
15:03 neighborhood in the city um so that
15:05 neighborhood is called Central Isa it's
15:07 roughly bounded by H States mamish uh
15:11 you know the park to the north end so
15:13 this is that green area uh Costco is on
15:17 the east side of this uh green box and
15:20 then we have Newport Way on the south
15:23 and then on the west side is roughly
15:25 where we have like hotels uh currently
15:27 so this this green box is where we're
15:31 expecting basically like most of the
15:33 growth in jobs and housing and the idea
15:36 is that uh by funneling growth in this
15:39 area we can develop a really walkable
15:42 dense Urban neighborhood that will be uh
15:46 have the um capacity to support light
15:50 rail that we're expecting around
15:54 2041 and so this light rail that I'm
15:56 talking about was uh came came to be in
16:00 2015 voters approved the Sound Transit 3
16:04 B measure and this is to expand high
16:07 capacity Transit throughout the region
16:10 so specifically as it relates to isqua
16:12 um we're talking about the south
16:14 Kirkland isqua um which we're calling
16:17 ski link for now uh South Kirland isqua
16:21 Light Rail extension line um so it goes
16:23 from South Kirkland goes through bellw
16:26 where we currently have a new light rail
16:28 station
16:30 um going down through Eastgate and then
16:32 terminating in central
16:36 Ison and in March uh city council
16:40 adopted formally adopted the light rail
16:43 area planning guide um so we can think
16:46 of this as essentially our playbook for
16:49 how we're going to approach Sound
16:50 Transit um over the next uh few years
16:54 and then beyond um so we are expecting
16:56 sound transit to approach the city in
16:59 around 2027 um that roughly follows the
17:03 timeline that they have uh followed with
17:06 other cities and we've done a lot of
17:08 research to better understand sort of
17:10 what s Transit is thinking about as
17:12 their developing stations and such so
17:14 this planning guide really goes into
17:16 that a little bit um and it talks about
17:19 other things such as uh what the station
17:22 area is going to need in order to be
17:24 successful to not only support Light
17:27 Rail but also to you know create that
17:30 Community feel that is envisioned uh for
17:32 that
17:33 Community it talks about the project
17:35 timeline that we think Sound Transit
17:37 will take um it goes into a couple
17:40 really key considerations you know
17:42 uh understanding that we are going to be
17:45 an endof the Line Station um and there
17:48 are some uh you know benefits and also
17:52 uh potentially negative things that
17:54 could happen with that so really
17:55 thinking through how we uh want to plan
17:58 for that and just be proactive about it
18:00 right now um the the plan also talks
18:04 about a couple very conceptual station
18:06 locations that we're thinking about just
18:07 to sort of start thinking U about like
18:11 what we'd like to see in a station area
18:14 and then lastly the document talks about
18:16 the proactive steps we're taking and
18:18 some action items that we have in the
18:20 next couple years and
18:21 Beyond I'm just going to pause here are
18:24 there any preliminary questions I can
18:26 answer before we Dive In
18:31 okay
18:34 great um so now we'll talk about the
18:37 stationary en visioning um so this is
18:40 really where the rubber meets the road
18:42 um and just to sort of ground ourselves
18:45 here the station area that we're talking
18:46 about uh we can really kind of think
18:49 about this as being uh a one quarter to
18:53 1 half mile walking distance from a
18:55 future station um so this is generally
18:58 considered like
18:59 um you know where people would be
19:02 willing to walk from the station and uh
19:05 this walking distance can be considered
19:07 like just like where most of the uh
19:10 development that is like sort of Transit
19:12 supportive might
19:16 be so before we get into the the vision
19:20 and guiding principles that developed I
19:22 just wanted to talk about sort of the
19:24 planning process that got us to this
19:27 point um so so uh the city has developed
19:31 a draft vision and guiding principles uh
19:35 for these groups uh for for these groups
19:37 to to look at tonight um to get there we
19:41 reached out to over 75 organizations um
19:44 we uh we then just sort of asked them if
19:47 we could go to their events and like
19:49 chat with them um or if they knew
19:51 anybody that would be willing to talk to
19:54 us and be part of the focus group so we
19:56 really reached out to all these
19:58 organizations um representing a variety
20:01 of interests uh things like uh Transit
20:05 writers Mobility advocacy uh folks with
20:08 limited English proficiency uh there's
20:11 some Human Service to organizations we
20:12 reached out to we also reached out to
20:15 developers um large property owners in
20:17 the community um folks representing
20:21 seniors and youth interests as well as
20:23 sustainability Advocates so try to get a
20:26 lot of uh folks involved uh through this
20:28 we held three popup events um there's
20:31 more information in attachment c um if
20:34 you if you're interested in learning
20:35 more um we also developed a multilingual
20:39 Community survey that was taken by 805
20:42 respondents um which at the time I think
20:45 it may still be the largest like survey
20:49 uh that the city has put out um we had a
20:50 really good uh response on that uh we
20:53 then held seven focus groups uh had
20:56 various discussions with uh Lots of
20:58 different uh folks representing
21:00 different interests in the community um
21:03 there were about 28 members on that so
21:05 we we met seven different groups we then
21:08 held a um a culmination event where we
21:11 invited those 28 members representing
21:13 those seven groups to all like um
21:15 provide feedback on a draft vision and
21:18 getting principles and now we're at the
21:21 boards of commissions level so I've
21:23 already reached out to the uh let's see
21:26 the the Planning Commission and the
21:29 economic Vitality commission so I'm now
21:32 here getting more uh boarding commission
21:34 feedback um ultimately we'll be taking
21:37 this to city council and I I think we're
21:40 expecting this to be adopted um around
21:43 the first quarter next year is sort of
21:45 all
21:47 that um so with that I'm hoping you've
21:52 read attachment be um this sort of talks
21:55 about the draft vision and guiding
21:57 principles um and and I'm uh happy to
22:01 get your feedback on what you've read so
22:04 far um but generally those areas talk
22:07 about accessibility and connectivity uh
22:10 the different uses and experiences uh we
22:13 also talk about Community connections
22:15 and character uh these were all themes
22:17 that sort of emerged through this
22:20 pipeline uh you know initiating start uh
22:23 first off with popup events I really
22:26 talk to a lot of folks about uh things
22:28 that they're interested in in a fation
22:30 area the survey that we put out that had
22:33 805 responses uh we comb through I don't
22:38 know how many different responses but
22:41 people really like let us know what they
22:43 were thinking um so we filtered all that
22:46 information and that led to the focus
22:48 group discussions uh and so now we're at
22:50 the boarding commission level trying to
22:52 um try to polish up what we what we have
22:55 here today
22:59 so just to sort of provide some feedback
23:01 on what other commissions have said uh
23:03 so a lot of interest in adding more
23:05 sustainability and safety components um
23:08 so and just to reiterate um everything
23:11 I'm about to tell you this was all sort
23:13 of added on top of what what we've
23:15 already done um so adding some
23:18 discussions on sustainability and safety
23:21 um there was some uh there was an
23:23 interest in combining uh different
23:25 principles which were considered um kind
23:28 of to similar so we we've we've merged
23:30 those together uh other topics that were
23:34 uh brought up was just making sure that
23:37 uh right sizing parking and easing
23:39 congestion uh were really incorporated
23:43 into the guiding principles other things
23:45 were like housing uh different lots of
23:48 interest in making sure that housing um
23:50 you know fits the needs of the community
23:55 and yeah that's that's most of what we
23:58 cre today um so I guess I'll kick it
24:01 back to this group I'm hoping to get
24:04 your feedback on the uh vision and
24:07 guiding principles and would like to
24:08 know if there's any other changes you'd
24:09 like to
24:10 see Thom I'm happy to also pull up have
24:14 the attachment in case it's helpful to
24:16 scroll through as we as you get feedback
24:19 and Thomas would you like to kind of
24:20 reach out to folks as you speak them for
24:23 uh comment or I I'll defer you to to
24:27 call them if that's
24:30 yeah so do folks have any initial uh
24:33 comments or feedback or do you want to
24:35 take a a little Gap the document as it's
24:38 on the
24:39 screen I have one that's not like the
24:42 part of it and that is is there a
24:45 concern about the risk of uh a lining up
24:49 on a light rail system that could be
24:53 significantly delayed for this area
24:55 which it already has been delayed but
24:58 likely will be significantly delayed and
25:02 that we are building a structure around
25:04 it and is there any kind of backup
25:06 structure for that if we don't have it
25:10 yeah so I think I understand your
25:12 question so I think the question is are
25:16 we worried about developing a community
25:19 around a light rail system that might
25:23 take a while to get here is that yeah or
25:26 that might not or get here yeah yeah I
25:29 don't I don't know that we're worried
25:31 about it not getting here um I think it
25:34 is a question of when um Sound Transit
25:37 uh as far as we know uh they're working
25:40 towards a 2041 delivery so bringing
25:44 light ra service and like being active
25:47 um in 2041 they've also said uh worst
25:51 case scenario like if they can't get
25:53 enough funding it could take another
25:56 three years so between 41 and 4 before
25:58 is like what they've said is like this
26:00 is when they're going to bring
26:03 it and it is sort of a chicken or the
26:06 egg thing like you do need um you do
26:09 need a community developed to have like
26:12 enough people to ride Light Rail um and
26:16 that needs to happen before the service
26:19 will be provided and there'll be a
26:21 transition period between like you know
26:24 things are sort of being built and then
26:25 maybe light rails coming but um we're
26:28 not worried about it like not showing up
26:31 uh but we do need to make sure that
26:33 we're doing our part to make it
26:36 happen but and so I'm sorry I'm just one
26:40 followup yeah the other part of the
26:41 question is is there do you have
26:43 mitigating so it's eight years
26:46 later what do we do with the traffic
26:49 that's already hard here yeah is there a
26:52 plan for that yeah um whenever
26:55 development comes and sort of uh you
26:59 know if if a new apartment uh building
27:03 comes uh they will need to figure out
27:07 how like all the trips all the people
27:10 you know using that apartment building
27:11 and so on um they're going to need to
27:13 make sure that the uh the network the
27:17 the network of Roads um are not
27:19 negatively impacted by that traffic so
27:23 um there's there's funds that they put
27:25 into uh like for example um upgrading a
27:28 traffic signal near them um so each
27:32 development as it comes should be
27:34 looking at that um and we are we are uh
27:38 planning over the next 20 years we we
27:40 expect uh we like forecast traffic uh
27:43 models so we do know that there are some
27:47 intersections that will be uh more
27:50 impacted than others but we are working
27:52 to make sure that we take care of those
27:54 by the time it gets
27:56 here thank
28:02 my question has to do with the
28:03 environment um I would like to know what
28:06 you all are taking into consideration
28:09 when you're saying you know building
28:10 more housing Etc when as it stands now I
28:15 feel that the amount of pavement that we
28:18 have um is not conducive to getting rid
28:24 of all the water that we experience here
28:27 right so I I don't know how many of you
28:29 have been here long enough where you
28:31 know the Virgin apartments are
28:33 underwater at the first level over by
28:35 the creek and things right off of a um
28:39 what is it called what is what is that
28:42 road of
28:44 there uh Newport Way Newport Way yeah
28:48 Newport Way is like
28:50 underwater um are you taking that into
28:52 consideration where you're talking about
28:54 all of this construction I yeah yeah
28:56 absolutely and you know some of the
28:58 things that have been brought up is like
29:00 yeah the the water table is quite high
29:02 in Isa um especially on the valley floor
29:05 um so that's that that is certainly
29:07 something we're looking at um
29:10 development often requires uh what's
29:13 called like little impact development
29:14 where we we do want uh you know perious
29:17 areas so that the the water doesn't just
29:21 sit on the pavement and then like you
29:23 know run down so we these are all things
29:26 that that we are consider
29:28 um and as it relates to light rail
29:31 um it will be in central Isa and there
29:34 are many areas of central isquad that
29:36 are like environmental like you would
29:38 not build that here because it just
29:40 doesn't make sense an environmental
29:42 perspective um and so on so um yeah
29:45 there are like limited areas that it
29:48 could even go in the area um we're going
29:50 to dig into that in the next couple
29:52 years we're we're uh we're planning to
29:55 do like a full study to like that at
29:58 different locations and that's certainly
30:00 going to be something we look into um we
30:03 we wouldn't want to put it next to a
30:04 creek obviously and like there's there
30:06 are areas where like uh Creeks like run
30:09 and they're like culverted through
30:11 Central isqua so right these are all
30:14 things we need to like map out and like
30:15 figure out like where it's even peaceful
30:18 to put yeah good thank
30:23 you so uh it seemed counterintuitive to
30:26 me that we're talking about changing
30:28 traffic signals for people who are going
30:30 to be riding FL rail um that's that's
30:34 like apples and oranges is Sound Transit
30:38 capable of ramping up the bus services
30:40 that they're going to need to take care
30:42 of those all those people that are down
30:44 in that area uh I know now they struggle
30:47 with with the service and getting enough
30:50 service to this um I guess that's my one
30:54 question yeah I that's a great Point um
30:57 yeah just as um I Heard a a presentation
31:01 from the executive director of uh of
31:04 like King County Metro which sort of
31:06 provides the bus uh service um it would
31:08 support that there Metro is currently at
31:11 like 80% uh pre pandemic levels in terms
31:14 of like service providing um so they're
31:18 definitely still in recovery mode um but
31:21 in the long term they should be you know
31:24 we we hope that the bus service that you
31:27 know feeds into to uh The End Of The
31:29 Line Station um should be improved uh an
31:33 example right now is uh you know the
31:36 line two this the starter line that is
31:39 in Bellevue going up to Redmond that
31:41 opened up uh three months ago four
31:44 months ago um all those buses uh that
31:48 feed into that are getting like much
31:51 better service because uh now that
31:53 there's a light rail system there uh we
31:56 want to like make sure that people
31:58 outside of that area can reach it so the
32:01 big um push right now is even though uh
32:05 even though King County Metro has like
32:06 limited capacity throughout the region
32:08 they're really like focusing on getting
32:11 people from the parking rides to Light
32:13 Rail and that's sort of what we're
32:14 expecting is when we get our Central
32:17 isqua Station um we can expect really
32:20 good bus service from our um parking
32:22 rides we have the you know the isqua
32:24 parking ride in in the South and then
32:26 like the Highlands Park right so there's
32:28 going to be some uh pretty robust bus
32:32 service that we'll be connecting there
32:33 and then also like um from the West we
32:35 should be expecting better service
32:43 yeah m is the actual Hardware been use
32:49 for even now is start to put wiring and
32:54 electrical under ground and my hearing
32:57 that light rails can still be up ground
33:01 type thing in 2047 is
33:05 that uh I I I'm not aware of what the
33:08 system will look like at this point um
33:10 my expectation is that it will probably
33:14 be uh it'll probably follow the I90 you
33:18 know Corridor and then it'll drop in we
33:22 don't know if it's going to be on the
33:24 north side of 90 or the South Side um
33:28 and yeah Sound Transit really hasn't
33:30 like told us what uh if it's going to be
33:33 like at grade or above grade um yeah so
33:38 unfortunately don't have much
33:39 information to share on that uh but as
33:41 soon as we know we'll we'll let
33:44 everybody know um yeah we we anticipate
33:48 uh Sound Transit just starting the
33:50 initial discussions in a couple years um
33:54 but in advance of that we're going to
33:56 try to study like where we would want a
33:59 station um and then that'll sort of get
34:01 into the alignment that we would prefer
34:04 um as a
34:05 community and that preferences all the
34:08 all the um the options that we talk
34:10 about we can then bring that to sound
34:13 transit and they will use that as part
34:15 of their um environmental analysis as
34:18 one of the Alternatives that they will
34:20 look at so there's going to be like a
34:23 community preferred alternative that
34:25 we've all talked about that we've agreed
34:26 on is like this is
34:28 this is the one that isqua wants and
34:30 then sth Transit will have like a
34:32 handful more that they look at as
34:36 well if we could um go back to so the
34:39 vision and guiding principles yeah um I
34:42 know you talked a little bit about the
34:44 Outreach done to that was already
34:46 incorporated into this draft but I I'm
34:49 wondering when I think about you know
34:50 Transit I'm thinking about folks uh who
34:54 may not have cars um who have maybe
34:57 physical
34:58 um mobility issues and so who really are
35:02 maybe more dependent on um public
35:05 transportation and folks who might be
35:07 opting away from cars and taking
35:09 Transportation so I'm curious about the
35:13 extent to which you all were able to
35:15 talk to folks who are kind of maybe need
35:19 the public transportation more than the
35:21 nice to yeah um so some of the groups we
35:25 talked to we uh we have an event with
35:28 the uh the ISA youth Council that was
35:31 really great um sort of when when we
35:34 think about like folks in this community
35:37 that don't have access to cars um I
35:39 often think about uh older folks who
35:42 like just have chosen or cannot drive uh
35:45 at this point um you know youth many of
35:49 them want to get their licenses but like
35:50 maybe don't have that yet um so there's
35:53 sort of that um we also we reached out
35:56 to some Mobility advoc ATS uh who really
36:00 um speak for like other folks that they
36:02 represent uh so reached out to Hope link
36:06 which is a uh they're they they
36:10 represent sort of the the east side with
36:12 with lots of Transportation
36:16 VES yeah we I mean we reached up to 75
36:19 different organizations and a lot of
36:20 them were sort of Representative of like
36:22 folks who who don't
36:24 drive and so was there feedback
36:27 yeah we we received lots of feedback um
36:30 there was this there was a focus group
36:32 one of seven that specifically was like
36:34 comprised of like Transportation medoc
36:36 Kats and like um that was a big
36:38 discussion point is just making sure
36:40 that there's walkability um an example
36:43 that was given not to put like Mercer
36:46 Island under the bus but like
36:49 uh the the crossing at the Mercer Island
36:51 station is like pretty far from like the
36:54 parking lot to the station itself so
36:56 that was a big you know point of
36:59 discussion was like is this like is this
37:02 like what we'd want to see or like is
37:04 there a better way to like make things
37:05 closer so it's like not as far to walk
37:08 because if if you were to like if you
37:11 were like to be dropped off by the bus
37:13 in that area and like having to uh roll
37:16 over there would be like pretty far so
37:19 these are all things we're thinking
37:20 about um these will be big
37:22 considerations for like as we think
37:24 about station design out that another
37:27 form of accessibility would be the
37:30 pricing of the transportation I would
37:32 like to be educated on um any sort of
37:36 fee reductions that you're looking at to
37:38 be more inclusive of people who may have
37:40 limited income Andor are youth Andor
37:44 senior citizens with limited income
37:46 right yeah yeah these are all great
37:48 points and I will make a plug um youth
37:51 are currently able to ride all transit
37:53 for free right now so that's pretty
37:55 great um I hope that keeps going on by
37:57 the time uh we're in this time period um
38:00 but that that was a new thing that was
38:02 uh adopted I think last year
38:05 like right for um yeah there's there's
38:08 certainly um there are some uh need
38:11 dependent uh like pricing options uh
38:14 that are currently available through um
38:16 County Metro um but yeah like certainly
38:19 as we think about like ridership and
38:21 like being able to like afford uh you
38:24 know taking uh public transit like
38:27 that's definitely something we're really
38:28 interested in making sure that um
38:31 there's ways for people to get around
38:33 that are
38:34 affordable thank
38:36 you um so I know how you said that
38:38 there's going to be increase of foot
38:40 traffic when the station comes because
38:42 of all the buses um are there any like
38:45 ideas that you have so far about incre
38:47 increasing safety um of people walking
38:50 and with all the traffic I know you've
38:52 touched on tra more traffic signals ear
38:55 yeah yeah a lot of this will be with the
38:57 design of like what this station
38:59 actually looks like um but there's a lot
39:01 of great examples out here um uh I
39:05 remember when I when I wrote the um the
39:08 the two line on on opening day I think
39:11 it's in wilberton station there's some
39:13 like really good like flashing lights if
39:16 you're crossing the street um other
39:18 other things that people think about
39:20 like if if the station were located on
39:23 like a major road maybe that would mean
39:25 that you need like a bridge so that
39:28 there's not like people having to wait
39:30 and like l frog exactly yeah we don't
39:33 want to see that um so yeah it really
39:36 depends on where the station is but um
39:39 we're very serious about safety and
39:41 that's something we definitely want to
39:43 address
39:46 Yeah question Thomas
39:49 um maybe a question to the larger group
39:52 have have have just a show of hands who
39:54 has taken public transportation from
39:56 down toown is
39:57 into Seattle Redmond so you're familiar
40:01 with those lines at the bus station like
40:03 I talk about 554 271 those ones that go
40:07 out out because I use it two three times
40:09 a week which I really enjoy but there's
40:11 congestion points so and I'm talking
40:13 about long lines to get on the bus in
40:16 the morning and if you're downtown
40:18 Seattle to get on that bus sometimes you
40:20 can't catch the bus cuz it's full to get
40:23 back here so so is I'm looking at the
40:26 route that you had her
40:28 na the congestion add to that the folks
40:32 who are coming from different parts of
40:33 isqua whether that be the highlands or
40:36 on cudar mountain on squawk mountain and
40:38 it starts to congest to even get to that
40:41 area to get to that to get to that point
40:43 where you're trying to build the line so
40:45 I guess my question Thomas was there an
40:46 assessment done on how folks who are
40:49 trying to get to the location where that
40:51 stop is going to be put is is is it
40:54 going to be alleviated or is it going to
40:56 be made worse think and lines those
40:59 buses are not going to go away I take if
41:01 this is the supplement is that correct
41:03 at this point maybe there's more
41:05 discussion I would I'm I'm not sure what
41:09 uh the long range goal is in terms of
41:11 buses but I would imagine in a 20-year
41:13 Horizon we will have completely
41:16 different routes um is my assumption um
41:22 I expect that there will be much
41:24 stronger routes going out east to
41:27 communities like North Bend um I expect
41:30 that there's going to be uh parallel bus
41:34 routes that will feed
41:36 into uh all of these stations
41:47 um um yeah so I expected there's going
41:50 to be like completely different routes
41:54 the the uh the ter is called Headway is
41:57 the the time between buses uh for each
42:00 of these stations will be much better
42:02 when there's a light rail station um
42:05 because all the communities that want to
42:08 reach that station will want better bus
42:10 service to get there so when a light
42:12 rail station goes um that means that
42:15 like there's going to be way more demand
42:17 and then the buses will follow like so
42:19 there needs to be demand for the buses
42:22 to like uh to have something to connect
42:25 to so uh all that to say I think the
42:29 buses will be much better um you talked
42:32 about some like concerns about traffic
42:34 signals um K County Metro and cities and
42:38 like the state we're all thinking about
42:40 ways to uh make sure that our traffic
42:43 signals can talk to to buses um and
42:47 there's lots of really interesting uh
42:49 Technology Solutions to speed up buses
42:54 um so these are all things that we're
42:56 we're working on I think it was two
42:58 years ago uh the city developed a
43:01 intelligent transportation system plan
43:04 um which also uh you know relates to
43:07 like the traffic signals talking to
43:09 buses so um over the long term we should
43:13 see better bus uh connections and like
43:17 faster service just with agencies like
43:20 finally working together on these like
43:24 uh these issues like the bottlenecks
43:26 that we see
43:27 uh on on the freeway and then the bottom
43:29 lights we see like throughout the city
43:31 um there's sort of little fixes we can
43:34 do and work together oh that's good toar
43:36 because that was my concern especially
43:38 like kids going to school at isal high
43:41 school and the commuting that curs there
43:43 if you're on the other side of 900 to
43:45 get through to Newport way over that to
43:47 get there and then Highlands going into
43:50 the school if if that's just going to be
43:52 made worse because people are trying to
43:54 access this new Transit stuff that
43:56 doesn't do well for the community just
43:58 seems like makes it worse yeah we are
44:00 expecting um just to be frank with you
44:03 we are expecting folks from out east to
44:05 probably come to isqua so this is
44:07 something we need to plan for as well um
44:11 there's a couple ways to address that
44:14 but um as we think about like the
44:16 location of a station and like how we
44:18 design the vicinity of that like we're
44:21 going to need to plan for that and like
44:23 if people are coming out east uh do we
44:26 want to provide
44:27 infinite parking so that everybody can
44:29 do that or do we want to have more of a
44:32 like neighborhood feel and like
44:35 placemaking and like make it an
44:36 interesting place to be so um these are
44:40 all questions we're going to have to
44:42 Grapple with um so it's like on one end
44:46 of the spectrum it's it's a massive
44:47 parking
44:48 lot and the other one is no parking but
44:52 and then it's okay does that make sense
44:53 because some people legitimately do need
44:55 to park because there's there's no other
44:57 options so um yeah we we're going to
45:01 Grapple with that later but um that is
45:03 embedded in the vision and The Guiding
45:06 principles that we have here today um
45:09 some of the ideas we talked about with
45:11 other commissions talked about the need
45:13 to right siiz parking um and right
45:16 sizing we mean by like balancing various
45:19 needs and like we do want to provide
45:21 some
45:22 parking do we want to provide it right
45:25 at the station are there opt to have it
45:29 provided elsewhere but close by and like
45:32 connect you know so we can be um we can
45:35 think about it strategically and not
45:37 just like yeah not just put it right
45:42 there does part of the strategy that
45:44 you're discussing include um ways to
45:48 have people I'm only going to speak to
45:50 squawk Mountain because that's where I
45:51 live right it it takes a gut seat person
45:55 to walk up and down that mountain to get
45:57 to the tibits I think it it has a
45:59 different name but where tibet's uh
46:01 train uh sorry bus station is um simply
46:05 because there are no sidewalks right and
46:06 I know that you all are
46:08 uh the city's building a sidewalk
46:11 between Olympus and uh going up the
46:14 mountain right but still and one of the
46:18 things that I keep thinking is if we had
46:21 electric bikes that could connect you
46:24 know that you have a drop off point
46:26 somewhere at the top of the ridge I
46:28 think it's called The Ridge up there
46:30 where Manny lives like at the top of
46:32 squa mountain and have a drop off point
46:35 up there and then something down by
46:37 tibits um because there are electric
46:40 bikes that can make it up right um
46:43 and I'm just thinking like if if there
46:46 was that sort of um alternative I think
46:49 more people would take advantage of
46:52 arriving in a different way because as
46:54 it is now when I see how many cars are
46:56 coming down that mountain to park at
46:58 tibits you know and then now we're
47:00 adding people coming from s and further
47:03 east um are you taking you know these
47:06 alternative ideas into account and what
47:08 does that look like we are yeah and uh
47:12 yeah H Hills are all over isqua and we
47:14 certainly want to make sure that um
47:16 we're providing alternatives to driving
47:19 um especially if you're so close but
47:21 there are some like you know terrain
47:23 sort of concerns um we are thinking
47:25 about in the future like
47:27 uh you know a couple years ago we we
47:29 talked about potentially doing like a a
47:32 a bik share type program um ultimately
47:36 the the options presented to the
47:39 community were like not super great they
47:41 weren't they weren't really like
47:42 tailored to our needs uh so we opted not
47:45 to do it um but we're still thinking
47:47 about it in the future um other
47:50 Alternatives that were brought up by uh
47:52 some council members and also some
47:53 Commissioners include um like a bike
47:55 lending library um that's something that
47:58 some communities have done uh so like an
48:00 example would be
48:01 like an organization or maybe the city
48:05 owns a couple ebikes they let you borrow
48:07 it um to until you're uh maybe
48:11 financially able to buy your own bike or
48:14 just maybe as a trial just to try to see
48:17 if that is a viable option for you um so
48:20 we're certainly thinking about that and
48:22 as we design the station as we think
48:23 about like what we would want out of it
48:26 um we might want to consider like
48:28 thinking about how other people are
48:30 going to get it so not not just not just
48:33 accessing the station by driving but
48:35 also um my ebike so that could be like
48:38 providing lockers um for like storing
48:40 your bike um or it could be continuing
48:44 uh like a shuttle program like we have
48:46 with
48:47 um uh I forget the the name of the
48:50 shuttle um I've been on vacation Flex
48:52 yeah metr Flex yeah I've been on
48:54 vacation for two weeks and it's like
48:55 it's it's
48:58 um El Flex is a great program like it
49:01 can help access that potential area
49:04 right because I mean it could also be
49:06 something where the city does a contract
49:08 with I don't know rad bikes in Seattle
49:11 to to give us a discount and people can
49:13 buy in bulk right so if you buy it in
49:16 bulk I would imagine the price comes
49:18 down considerably right so like
49:21 approaching one of these companies that
49:23 make these bikes I I just feel like that
49:26 would be like a good option for us to
49:27 get up and down the mountains yeah yeah
49:29 we're we're open to different
49:31 Partnerships and like yeah there's a a
49:34 good way to connect the community to the
49:37 Light Rail station um that does not
49:39 involve uh like just driving and parking
49:42 um we're yeah we'd be interested in like
49:46 Partnerships oh just one thing Tom so
49:49 yeah I know you've been getting a lot of
49:50 questions about kind of more of the
49:51 implementation and how things are going
49:53 to happen but I think one LS to think
49:57 about with all these questions is are
50:00 are these issues
50:03 um will they be addressed with how the
50:07 the vision and The Guiding principles
50:09 are framed like will they be attended to
50:12 knowing what these concerns are like
50:14 further in the distance when the plan is
50:17 developed and stuff like that so that's
50:19 just one way of kind of thinking about
50:20 these
50:24 questions oh I mil years in Califor
50:31 area I guarantee that in the next 20
50:35 years is that the end of
50:37 Route city is going to be
50:39 change because North going to
50:43 want it's going to move so um hopefully
50:47 the planning has that F in because it's
50:52 going to be
50:58 I'll be I'll be up front with you I I
51:00 yeah appreciate that comment um at this
51:02 point uh We've not been given any
51:05 indication that that could happen um so
51:09 we are sort of thinking about it from
51:10 like a endof the line perspective um but
51:14 that could change so maybe it's about
51:16 the forward compatibility of like
51:18 thinking about if it does continue on
51:22 how does that change how we build the
51:25 station area and like
51:27 the parking for example that we might
51:28 want to provide or like yeah so yeah
51:31 it's it's a great point it's it's a it's
51:34 a comment that many people have brought
51:36 up um and we certainly need to think
51:38 about like as the community grows and as
51:41 the communities out east grow like sort
51:43 of how that might come
51:46 at so one one thing getting into the
51:49 Leeds of some of the language um I think
51:52 it's um a guiding principle um there's
51:56 something around
51:58 character and you probably know this but
52:01 you know the word character has long
52:04 encoded language for exclusionary
52:08 policies that keep certain communities
52:11 out of other communities and I just
52:14 think we need to come up with
52:15 alternative words for that or be
52:17 specific with what we mean by character
52:20 yeah I think in this context I would
52:23 probably replace character with meing
52:26 value and that the title of that
52:28 specific one and removing the word
52:31 character Al together in the
52:33 language it's it's a
52:36 throwback you should be more Forward
52:39 Thinking of that so that's one thing
52:42 that's stren right away okay
52:46 um the other thing that um stood out to
52:49 me as I was reading across the three
52:52 sections was that
52:56 it's a word soup of all of the bra ons
52:59 you know it's probably you know every
53:02 meaningful word every Community you know
53:06 sugested right and so I appreciate the
53:09 the inclusion you know of all of all of
53:11 those words but I'm also worried when
53:14 there's something for everyone there's
53:17 nothing for Noone you know and so I
53:22 would I think there might be a need to
53:24 maybe if and this is fre decision making
53:27 I I don't see how you can make decisions
53:29 off of something that includes
53:31 everything so I I almost think there
53:34 needs to be another uh point in this
53:37 process that really
53:39 prioritizes like what are the critical
53:41 things we need to be centered on and
53:45 that becomes more of a decision making
53:47 frw workk it's it's almost too
53:52 nice just throwing that up there um and
53:55 I'm not sure I don't eny the person who
53:58 has
53:59 to if you go
54:03 that I'm looking I don't see any hands
54:06 okay I'm gonna keep going just one one
54:08 other thing that struck me is again
54:11 there's a lot of good things in the
54:14 guiding
54:15 principles I also know as neighborhoods
54:18 and communities get developed uh there's
54:20 a risk of gentrification and so folks
54:23 who are in a certain area because that's
54:26 that they can afford and then all of a
54:28 sudden when that becomes a more
54:29 desirable area they can't afford it
54:32 anymore and I don't know what
54:34 considerations are you know when I think
54:35 about that geography I'm not sure how
54:38 many folks live there and if they're uh
54:40 constrained by income and don't have
54:43 flexibility what happens if they get
54:45 pushed out so I think there could be
54:47 some negative Recaps that need to be
54:51 attended to just for the sake of equity
54:53 and um making sure that people aren't
54:56 pushed out for the wrong
54:59 reasons or for the right reasons you
55:02 know what I mean right we can think it's
55:05 the nine it's wonderful um I used to
55:07 live in Portland Oregon and and I was
55:10 there when we brought the light rail
55:12 into North northeast Portland and you
55:15 know a lot of people were uprooted
55:18 exactly what rcky is saying right that
55:21 we need to be cognizant of it was the
55:23 right reason right because we wanted the
55:25 light rail feder a lot of people would
55:27 play it is a that
55:30 concern so I don't know if it you know
55:33 hesitate to add to more words to that
55:36 but I don't know if there's like a mi
55:38 mitigating negative impacts of you know
55:42 the development or something like that
55:44 yeah it's a great point and currently
55:47 the um that green box area that we're
55:50 talking about that there aren't that
55:52 many residential I think there may be
55:54 like one or two residential developments
55:56 it's mostly um lots of like parking lots
56:00 and like there's Costco corporate
56:02 obviously is in there um and there's a
56:05 lot of like smaller businesses so that's
56:08 something that we we did hear from the
56:11 Vitality commission is um you know
56:13 thinking about uh I guess being pushed
56:18 out as a small business is another
56:20 concern that was raised so yeah
56:23 certainly want to um you know plus one
56:25 to the the risk of gentrification um and
56:28 then think about it as as it relates to
56:30 like um both like jobs and housing and
56:32 like just folks being pushed out of the
56:35 community alt together yeah well I know
56:37 as I drive from my house down Newport
56:39 way to get here I know there's a bunch
56:41 of Apartments down Newport Way which are
56:44 maybe adjacent to the green area so I
56:47 don't know if they're going to get
56:48 impacted by it as well because all of a
56:50 sudden they're walk with it through a
56:52 highly
56:54 desirable know that's happening up in
56:56 the lingwood area right now with the
57:00 light rail going in up there my daughter
57:02 was living up there and uh the prices is
57:06 the prices are just going through the
57:08 world or minimal housing not very hous
57:13 minimal stuff affordable stuff before
57:17 not
57:22 necessarily other uh comments or
57:24 feedback for Thomas on Vision or guiding
57:31 principles I just have a question like
57:34 sometimes I go to parking like week to
57:38 catch the 5 by6 class I think and most
57:41 of the time we're like some days there's
57:43 not enough parking and I think I might
57:44 have thises but like I have to go like
57:47 park at jent in a different parking lot
57:49 um just and then like run back to take
57:50 the so are there plans to like expand
57:53 parking like not just for the high par
57:55 but like for curent station like to
57:57 expand it are there any that you said
58:00 you're including right side parking but
58:02 like to
58:04 expand yeah um so that parking ride I
58:07 think is a King County Metro like owned
58:11 I so one of them is own by S Transit the
58:13 other one's own by K I I forget which
58:16 one that is um but yeah my understanding
58:18 is that those are sort of like set in
58:21 how many parking spaces that exist um I
58:23 do think that samamish is giving a par
58:26 ride which might alleviate some of this
58:29 um you talking about structure yeah
58:32 selfish yeah I think they're supposed to
58:34 get one in like the
58:36 2030s
58:38 like maybe when you don't need it um um
58:42 but so there are there are other Park
58:45 and rides that are going to be
58:47 developed one of the key this is sort of
58:50 a tangent but one of the key
58:51 considerations within the light rail
58:53 planning guide that we developed and was
58:54 adopted in March um is we do want to
58:57 think about uh the light the U the isqua
59:02 transit center which is the southern
59:04 parking ride um that is also squarely
59:07 within the area that could
59:10 be um you know part of the central is
59:13 light rail station potential area so
59:17 um that is a potential Light Rail
59:20 station site uh We've not vetted any you
59:23 know options with that like that is it's
59:26 already owned by Sound Transit so like
59:29 we're thinking they might be interested
59:31 in that so that could you know all the
59:34 all the discussions we're talking about
59:35 with like you know risk and all that and
59:38 like concerns that is something that
59:41 we'll want to dig into more as well and
59:44 also I read like
59:46 attachment um that the station area like
59:49 incorporating more
59:52 iny I was just wondering like is there
59:55 I'm like curious
59:56 how more friendly like there
1:00:01 about what that mean like yeah yeah what
1:00:04 does that mean so uh some of the the
1:00:06 topics that were brought up is like um
1:00:09 you know we talked about forward
1:00:11 compatibility we talked about
1:00:13 sustainability um these these are things
1:00:15 that like this community in particular
1:00:17 is really interested in obviously like
1:00:19 we we love our trees we love our salmon
1:00:21 um you know we we want to make sure that
1:00:24 the station area like feel feel like
1:00:26 it's like part of the community's like
1:00:29 values for that better term
1:00:32 so uh in the stationary we can like we
1:00:36 can really push for more sustainable
1:00:38 options so an example is uh really small
1:00:42 example would be like uh having some
1:00:46 like bio retention areas next to the
1:00:49 street so like when it rains really hard
1:00:52 It'll like triple off the road and it'll
1:00:54 filter through the soil and like a
1:00:57 reservoir on the side bio bio yeah I'm
1:01:01 trying to avoid like
1:01:04 terminology but yeah like we we can just
1:01:06 design these little things like other
1:01:08 examples is like we can have like green
1:01:09 roofs to like catch water and like
1:01:12 filter through um to reduce the amount
1:01:15 of um like uh like grow surfaces or like
1:01:20 it's called impervious surfaces where
1:01:22 like water is just going to like sit and
1:01:24 like potentially cause like you know
1:01:27 water damage um so I'm not like in that
1:01:32 space so I'm trying to think of like
1:01:33 other examples but like there there's
1:01:34 ways to design an area so that um
1:01:38 there's like more Greenery uh it like
1:01:40 filters the water that we will get um on
1:01:43 hot days we can have like shade
1:01:45 structures um that's that's pretty
1:01:47 common if you look at like the station
1:01:49 areas um in like Belle and like Redmond
1:01:53 there's like some shade structures um so
1:01:55 we can make it more comfortable and like
1:01:57 it'll feel like environmentally like
1:02:00 like a better place to
1:02:05 be yeah this is a more of a problem I
1:02:08 don't have any answer to it and I and
1:02:11 maybe you do but when I look at this
1:02:13 when I really think this through it
1:02:15 looks like it's going to be great for
1:02:17 everybody but I'm not sure how we
1:02:21 delineate who who is it accessible for
1:02:26 right because it looks like it's going
1:02:27 to be made accessible to everyone when
1:02:29 in reality which gets back to what you
1:02:31 were saying that we're going to make
1:02:33 some hard choices and is it ever said in
1:02:37 the vision that it needs to be Equitable
1:02:40 or it needs to be for those who need it
1:02:43 most right and I wonder if that needs to
1:02:47 added
1:02:51 Point um just a comment about um seeding
1:02:55 and Lighting
1:02:56 so um I have not taken public transport
1:02:59 in um isapa but what I've noticed when
1:03:02 I'm driving around town is that some of
1:03:05 the bus areas either don't have seating
1:03:08 or the seating is very small so I'll see
1:03:11 people with bags and other items and
1:03:13 maybe multiples of people and only one
1:03:16 person has the ability to sit down and
1:03:19 have their items and also I noticed that
1:03:21 there's not a lot of shelter in those
1:03:23 areas and being in a region where it
1:03:26 rains on occasion um I think uh that
1:03:29 certainly would be a good idea to have
1:03:32 and then in combination with that
1:03:34 lighting um I think people want to be
1:03:36 comfortable they want to be sheltered
1:03:38 and they want to be in an area that's
1:03:40 reasonably lit while they're leading to
1:03:42 transport yeah yeah this is a great
1:03:45 Point like this is something that uh
1:03:48 we've talked to our Transit providers
1:03:50 about all the time
1:03:52 um King County Metro has very specific
1:03:55 the criteria because there's there's a
1:03:57 huge need there's like thousands of of
1:04:00 bus stops that that fit those
1:04:04 descriptions
1:04:05 um they they really rely on like people
1:04:08 riding the bus and like if you meet a a
1:04:10 threshold of ridership will'll put in a
1:04:13 shelter so um we we looked into this we
1:04:16 did a Transit study over the last two
1:04:18 years we saw this specifically we
1:04:21 actually noticed that one of our bus
1:04:22 stops meets their criteria but they just
1:04:24 haven't got around to it
1:04:26 um so we've been like really we've been
1:04:28 emailing emailing them and like calling
1:04:30 people there's like new um you employees
1:04:33 that work there so now we now they're
1:04:35 like fresh and like they they there's
1:04:39 like I guess a new person we can talk to
1:04:41 um so my understanding is that like one
1:04:43 of those stops the one stop that does
1:04:45 not have a shelter that meets their
1:04:46 criteria we should be getting that
1:04:48 pretty soon um as it relates to other
1:04:52 like shelter areas like examples of like
1:04:54 how we think about like the community
1:04:57 that we want to build we could even
1:04:59 require like awnings be built if it's an
1:05:02 urban area we can have an awning so that
1:05:04 it's not we're not relying on King
1:05:06 County Metro to like put in the shelter
1:05:09 they can just wait under an awning as
1:05:12 they wait for the bus so like these are
1:05:13 these are great ideas um and like other
1:05:16 communities have like figured it out so
1:05:19 we need to also get there right because
1:05:22 that becomes like a chicken and it
1:05:24 becomes a chicken and egg sort of
1:05:25 situation
1:05:26 right because I know that I would be
1:05:28 more inclined to go to bus stop that has
1:05:31 a shelter has a place for me to sit and
1:05:33 wait or whatever right than one that is
1:05:36 just the post with the numbers on it so
1:05:40 that should also be factored in yeah
1:05:42 absolutely
1:05:46 yeah hi can I ask can I ask a question
1:05:50 I'm on teams
1:05:52 absolutely hi uh Human Services
1:05:56 commissioner I just want to go back to
1:06:00 last sorry there's an echo can you hear
1:06:03 me yes yes okay um I just want to go
1:06:07 back to um the last question the one
1:06:10 before Lucas about accessibility and um
1:06:15 you know how do we ensure that this is
1:06:17 Equitable and I was just wondering if um
1:06:22 if these sorts of meetings with
1:06:24 Commissioners are baked in into this
1:06:26 planning how often we can expect to be
1:06:29 consulted or information share and also
1:06:33 how um are there any I don't know
1:06:37 measurables or deliverables or
1:06:39 accountability measures to know that the
1:06:42 feedback received from these commissions
1:06:45 will be taken seriously in the planning
1:06:47 process or will be reflected in the
1:06:49 planning
1:06:52 process yeah that's a great question um
1:06:55 I would say so like for this specific
1:06:59 deliverable um we're recording all the
1:07:02 feedback that we've uh received um and
1:07:07 in like in in this uh packet I've
1:07:09 included like for example I met with the
1:07:11 economic Vitality commission um and you
1:07:14 can see like the specific things that
1:07:16 they brought up that are Incorporated
1:07:20 within um both the vision and The
1:07:23 Guiding principles uh so I plan to do
1:07:25 that as as well for this document
1:07:28 um and as we think about like light rail
1:07:31 planning and like uh all the things that
1:07:34 the city will be doing in advance of
1:07:36 that uh we do have the light rail
1:07:38 planning guide which has specific
1:07:40 actions um we do plan on implementing
1:07:43 each one of those actions and as we do
1:07:46 each and every one of those actions um
1:07:48 we'll be sort of running it through um
1:07:50 not only like Community groups um but
1:07:52 also like these boards and commissions
1:07:54 so um
1:07:56 I don't want to bring something to the
1:07:59 uh for of commissions if I if I'm not
1:08:01 like serious about like getting your
1:08:03 feedback um so I want to be like
1:08:04 strategic about like the times that I am
1:08:07 approaching you like these are like
1:08:08 legitimate like things that we can work
1:08:11 on together so there's a list of actions
1:08:13 that um or list of like action items uh
1:08:17 and there will be touch points for like
1:08:19 each each one of
1:08:21 these thank you can I just ask a a
1:08:24 followup for CLA Clarity um so my
1:08:27 question was more about the other
1:08:29 planners like not necessarily even the
1:08:31 city of isaquel but like Sound Transit
1:08:34 uh I don't know how the balance of power
1:08:36 Works between the city and Sound Transit
1:08:39 but will sound transit or the other
1:08:41 planners um do you expect them to
1:08:45 incorporate this feedback or future
1:08:48 feedback yeah that's a great question
1:08:51 and let me just uh take a step back to
1:08:53 answer that um so
1:08:56 the the planning that the city that we
1:08:59 are all doing um this will be like the
1:09:02 city and the community's preferred
1:09:04 alternative they that we will give to
1:09:06 Sound Transit um we are we are a small
1:09:10 entity relative to Sound Transit um and
1:09:13 they're going to do their own planning
1:09:15 process separate from what we're doing
1:09:18 today and like for the next couple years
1:09:21 um so all that to say the feedback that
1:09:26 we are receiving uh to develop
1:09:29 ultimately our preferred
1:09:31 alternative um we're going to package
1:09:33 that up uh we
1:09:36 are uh keeping track of everything that
1:09:39 we're doing to
1:09:41 show how legitimate this process has
1:09:44 been we want to make this as legitimate
1:09:46 as possible we want to like talk to
1:09:48 people we want to like really get
1:09:51 everybody's feedback so that sound
1:09:52 transit ultimately has um a record to
1:09:56 say hey we really did talk about this
1:09:59 we've been talking about it for many
1:10:00 years the community has already decided
1:10:03 like this is what we really want out of
1:10:04 this whole thing um so they should have
1:10:07 all that
1:10:08 information uh and then after they have
1:10:11 our alternative they will do their own
1:10:14 planning process um they're going to
1:10:16 have their own uh system in place um but
1:10:20 then there are some uh political
1:10:22 considerations like uh our community is
1:10:24 going to need to um you know be a part
1:10:27 of their process and that's going to be
1:10:29 like a whole another um thing so I think
1:10:32 I answered your question um but let me
1:10:34 know if you have uh you did you did it
1:10:37 was it was more a question about the
1:10:40 process and and how feedback is
1:10:42 integrated but you did thank you
1:10:47 great other questions
1:10:50 comments Reflections just a comment I
1:10:53 mean uh there's kudos to you I mean this
1:10:56 is a huge effort I look at slide nine
1:10:59 and um the amount of time that you have
1:11:01 to spend with these different groups to
1:11:02 get their feedback and they write up and
1:11:04 package it all up and then present it to
1:11:06 the city council I can
1:11:09 imagine how much work that
1:11:17 entails
1:11:23 call yes I would Echo what Ray said this
1:11:27 is sounds like you all put a ton of work
1:11:30 in it and uh I always try to look at I
1:11:34 know like you can go through the motions
1:11:36 of community engagement and things like
1:11:39 that but it it looks like there has been
1:11:41 a lot of authentic engagement around
1:11:44 this and so I do appreciate that and how
1:11:46 it's gotten incorporated into this
1:11:51 materials um let's see Hy I think um
1:11:56 anything else you want to share Thomas
1:11:57 before we wrap that up um yeah I'll just
1:12:01 maybe wrap up my presentation and just
1:12:03 talk about next steps um
1:12:08 so um yeah we are expecting to just like
1:12:11 sort of wrap up our boards and
1:12:12 commissions discussions um city council
1:12:15 uh right now we're looking at
1:12:17 potentially like the first quarter of
1:12:19 20125 um adopting the vision and um
1:12:25 guiding principles then after that uh we
1:12:28 will be sort of looking in Earnest at
1:12:30 like the next major project deliverable
1:12:33 which is like actually looking at the
1:12:34 station locations and that will be a
1:12:36 whole another uh major set of
1:12:38 discussions um but yeah we we are just
1:12:41 like at the pre preliminary stage uh
1:12:44 really appreciate the feedback that
1:12:45 we've received today um yeah if you had
1:12:48 any other feedback you wanted to provide
1:12:50 um that you didn't get to today I'm
1:12:52 happy to receive that an email or um ch
1:12:57 thank
1:12:59 you I think are we on to the closing
1:13:03 thought okay um so you know just one we
1:13:07 before the meeting was starting here
1:13:09 talking was also mentioning the history
1:13:13 around the equity board and how it kind
1:13:15 of emerged from the Human Services
1:13:17 Commission and so that history is uh so
1:13:20 important to remember and we have some
1:13:23 longstanding Partnerships our board and
1:13:26 commissioner and so it's just nice to
1:13:28 think about that and so as you know our
1:13:31 closing thought practice TS to be what
1:13:33 is like one word or something that
1:13:35 you're leaving the meeting with and I
1:13:37 just you know I'm going to go first this
1:13:38 time and say mine is gratitude gratitude
1:13:41 for you know the folks to uh forg
1:13:44 through lots of hours of hard work hard
1:13:47 questions to uh get the equity board to
1:13:50 where it is today and so uh have
1:13:53 forgotting and so my appreciative of
1:13:56 that so gratitude would be my and um
1:13:59 maybe I'll start reverse order um what's
1:14:03 final word Orting
1:14:05 thought yeah so uh what final word or
1:14:08 parting thought are you leaving the
1:14:10 meeting
1:14:13 with why would public these probably be
1:14:15 helpful this uh Light Rail seems like
1:14:18 you'll bring a lot of opportunities to a
1:14:20 lot of different people being able to go
1:14:23 over all of the sound
1:14:32 future looking that's not really the
1:14:35 some future
1:14:37 oriented uh Puma shared optimism but
1:14:40 I'll I'll invite both of our folks
1:14:42 online to unmute and share verbally if
1:14:44 you'd
1:14:47 like um yeah I'll go um I think the one
1:14:50 word that I'd use for this was probably
1:14:52 informative I feel like I know a lot
1:14:54 more about it and also I guess like
1:14:56 hopeful seeing about the future and all
1:14:58 of the new opportunities this can bring
1:15:00 and how this can help vitalize is AA I
1:15:06 guess yeah I wrote optimism I have some
1:15:09 apprehensions which were reflected I
1:15:12 think um from other folks in their
1:15:14 questions too but I think overall it's
1:15:17 optimism
1:15:21 awesome uh thoughtful and thoughtful I'm
1:15:24 I'm thankful to be able to be thoughtful
1:15:27 about the future of
1:15:29 isqua and that that carries um uh
1:15:35 obligation and opportunity for us to pay
1:15:39 attention and
1:15:42 so um collaboration whether it is the
1:15:46 initiation of the equity board or the
1:15:49 presentation we heard um the the level
1:15:53 of collaboration needed to move forward
1:15:56 is so important and that's key that I'm
1:15:58 taking back
1:16:03 with like this so much I never do well
1:16:07 with this um yeah there's there's a lot
1:16:11 I think um I I probably could have said
1:16:15 it during the presentation but one of
1:16:17 the things that always floors me is just
1:16:19 how long these things take right because
1:16:21 I just did the math and I'm going to be
1:16:23 70 to 73 years old by the time this
1:16:28 light rail rolls in right and that's
1:16:31 just mindblowing to me right um but at
1:16:34 the same time I look around the room and
1:16:36 it isn't just about me you know being a
1:16:39 you know a
1:16:41 septarian uh but septarian I guess but
1:16:44 looking around with the young people who
1:16:46 are engaged and realizing like okay yes
1:16:49 we're forging forward and it's not just
1:16:52 about like the people who are here
1:16:54 present but the who will follow so
1:16:56 that's my party
1:17:05 thought and also help like all the
1:17:07 younger future even younger than the
1:17:10 youth right
1:17:11 now I'm really happy that for
1:17:20 yeah um yeah I totally agree what my
1:17:26 [Laughter]
1:17:29 um I'm very thankful and I know that
1:17:33 discussions with Sound Transit started I
1:17:36 don't know how many decades ago but I'm
1:17:37 very thankful that they
1:17:41 agreed to come out to isapa I think for
1:17:44 a while there we were hoping that our
1:17:47 link would come out sooner than I mean I
1:17:50 think yeah like about the same time went
1:17:53 to belate we were hoping it would come
1:17:54 out out here but um I'm very I'm very
1:17:58 thankful that this is happening it's
1:17:59 absolutely necessary and I am hopeful
1:18:03 yeah and I I was trying to pick uh
1:18:06 between the two words and because they
1:18:08 tied so closely to what I do I I'm I
1:18:11 manage a singure community and um
1:18:14 service and support is um I think it's
1:18:17 it's critical to what I do and when I
1:18:19 listened to this presentation that was
1:18:21 so thoughtfully put together I think
1:18:23 that uh to be a neor to be able to move
1:18:26 people around um in terms of where they
1:18:28 work where they live and their ability
1:18:30 to get assistance and service um
1:18:32 transportation is is critical to to all
1:18:35 of those things so I think this is going
1:18:36 to be incredibly beneficial in terms of
1:18:39 support and service for uh people in our
1:18:42 community so super super
1:18:46 excited I'm proud proud of our community
1:18:50 proud of our city proud of you all here
1:18:52 for your engagement and where headed
1:18:55 Thomas left proud of
1:18:57 what doing I'm just proud of
1:19:02 be my word would be
1:19:05 entation uh as being part of one of the
1:19:10 original developers along with Pia
1:19:14 for expectation
1:19:17 of what we
1:19:18 expected and um what we're hoping comes
1:19:22 from U this grou long
1:19:27 transation
1:19:29 and I'll
1:19:30 be by
1:19:34 time I expect to pass
1:19:45 by I would say my
1:19:48 to would be maybe access
1:19:52 and to a different way of track ation
1:19:55 for marginalized folks and having move
1:19:58 um and then connection to you all making
1:20:01 a collaboration towards us so
1:20:04 improvement with their
1:20:10 transportation I I thought you said
1:20:14 about connected and I love the
1:20:16 historical background in dat between
1:20:18 equity Bo Services there's so much that
1:20:20 intertwined between these two groups if
1:20:22 you really think about it um there's a
1:20:25 lot in there strategies that involve
1:20:26 Equity specifically around people
1:20:29 Services I know um Hannah invited me to
1:20:32 present to a couple meetings so we
1:20:33 really think about it Equity is embedded
1:20:35 with human services and vice versa so I
1:20:37 think this group these two groups need
1:20:39 to see
1:20:42 connected uh I guess my word uh Preston
1:20:45 nailed it and that is hopeful um and the
1:20:49 reason that I'm hopeful is the
1:20:51 appreciation I feel to my my city the
1:20:55 city of isquad and the fact that they
1:20:58 have Human Services Commission and with
1:21:01 that Human Services Commission they have
1:21:03 grown the equity board and uh and I so
1:21:08 appreciate the work that everyone has
1:21:10 done to have that Equity board I think
1:21:13 we're light years ahead of other cities
1:21:15 that are in our area and uh and very
1:21:19 very hopeful and appreciative of the
1:21:21 work that's going on I'm very proud of
1:21:23 our city
1:21:27 I think my word would be perspective but
1:21:29 like this this conversation brought so
1:21:31 many different perspectives into the
1:21:33 room and really inspiring to see
1:21:39 that everyone's done and so I think with
1:21:43 that um let's see it looks like the next
1:21:46 meeting of the equity board is November
1:21:49 6 and the next meeting of the Human
1:21:51 Services Commission is uh November 20th
1:21:56 and with that I adjourn this joint
1:21:59 meeting of the equity board and Human
1:22:02 Services Commission at
1:22:04 740 thank you all for your active
1:22:07 engagement
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