DRAFT Minutes
York Neighborhood Planning Committee
Monday, May 7, 2007
GSUM Church, 7:00 p.m.
Present: Lynn Gobush, Helen Jackson, Alex Lindbloom, Anne Mackie, Stina Olson, Elliott Smith, Libby
Stark, Kurt Stauber
I. Agenda Review / Introductions
II. Urban Villages – Presentation by
Alex Lindbloom
Alex presented a Samish
Way “urban village” design concept that he had
prepared for a WWU planning class.
III.
Area 2 & 4 – Walking Tour
Ideas raised by the committee’s April 23 walking tour of
Areas 2 & 4 included:
- Possible
sites for pocket parks in Area 4.
- Create
destination-points and interest areas such as coffee shops or community
gardens to encourage a pedestrian neighborhood.
- Create
more visibility and reduce crime.
- Potential
sites for redevelopment and infill.
- Need
to do outreach to the businesses and landlords within these two areas.
- Importance
of maintaining the single-family homes and historic character of Area 4 when
integrating new structures.
- Valuable
to have close proximity to downtown.
- Recognize
the value Area 4 provides of affordable housing for students and/or young
families.
IV. Set Date & Time for Next Tour
It was agreed to tour Area 6, along Whatcom Creek and Meador St., and
part of Area 5 along the I-5 wall on Monday, May 21. The committee will meet at Nelson’s at 6:00
p.m.
V. Historic design standards
Elliott reported that York
has been invited to participate with the Sehome Neighborhood and other
neighborhoods on the development of design standards for historic
neighborhoods. Elliott and Lynn
volunteered to be York’s
representatives and will contact Allen Matsumoto of Sehome and report back at
the next meeting.
VI. Timeline for our Plan Update
There has been some confusion about what timeline York is working on for
its Neighborhood Plan update. The
committee decided, after discussion, that we will file our plan revisions in
2008, not at the end of 2007.
VII. Structure of Subcommittees
The committee agreed to refine its structure into
subcommittees after we have completed
the walking tours of the York
subareas.
VII. Additional issues:
It was agreed that the committee will use the York website to share its
minutes, written reports, and a survey of what Yorkers think is important for
future planning. We would like to create
a dialogue on the website about planning issues. Anne will bring this item to the YNA Board
for discussion at its June meeting.
VIII. Committee Meeting Schedule
It was agreed that the first Monday of the night still seems
to work well – at least for those people who are able to attend at that
time! The survey tool will help generate
more interest in the plan update process, and after the survey is analyzed we
may want to reconsider the committee’s meeting schedule.
NEXT MEETING: Monday, June 4, 7:00 p.m., GSUM Church,
room B
Minutes submitted by Anne Mackie.