By Ruth Alice Williams (Membership VP /Land Use Committee chair) and Katherine M Landolt (TCA/Land Use Committee member)

Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI) is currently reviewing plans for a NEW six-story apartment block with 410 units and 256 parking places at the site of the former Kindred Hospital (10631 8th Avenue NE). The current design requires all building traffic to enter and exit on 8th Ave NE, a designated pedestrian and bicycle greenway, within feet of Thornton Creek at Beaver Pond Natural Area (BPNA) and its tributaries.

As part of the Northgate Neighborhood Greenway, 8th Ave NE should function as a safe route for bicyclists and pedestrians. However, as walkers in the neighborhood know, 8th Ave NE has never been busier, or more treacherous. Due to other recent apartment construction, there has been a significant increase in vehicle traffic and parked cars on this narrow street. With no sidewalks south of NE 106th St, this congestion causes serious hazard to pedestrians and visitors to BPNA every day.

To smooth traffic flow, Seattle Department of Transportation plans to prohibit parking on the east side of 8th Ave NE between NE 105th St and NE 106th St. Restricting parking will do little to improve the safety of cyclists, pedestrians (including those needing ADA accommodation), or BPNA visitors. No new sidewalks are budgeted or planned by SDOT for this area.

The additional daily traffic that a 410-unit apartment complex will create on 8th Ave NE will do more than just further congest an already dangerous chokepoint. The extra vehicle load will send yet more toxins into Thornton Creek, in particular a chemical derived from tires, which is now known to kill coho salmon before they can spawn. (For more details, read TCA’s post: A culprit found in coho salmon deaths.)

Thornton Creek Alliance is concerned about these increasingly hazardous neighborhood conditions and the impact of increased traffic and construction on the creek at BPNA. We have contacted SDCI about the Kindred Hospital project and its negative impact on the creek and neighborhood safety. Please join us in expressing your concern.

Submit a comment to SDCI about the Kindred Hospital project (#3035925-LU). Please mention the proximity of the project to Thornton Creek and your concern about how the increased traffic on 8th Ave NE will create additional hazards for pedestrians/cyclists as well as endanger wildlife. To be the most effective, read this how-to page about public comments, and then email the SDCI: prc@seattle.gov

To improve pedestrian safety, we are also recommending that SDOT install natural-drainage, ADA-compliant sidewalks on 8th Ave NE from BPNA south to Olympic Elementary School. If you agree, please email David Burgesser at SDOT:  David.Burgesser@seattle.gov

Visit SDOT’s greenways program page for more information about the Northgate Neighborhood Greenway.

Map of Area

Beaver!