A handful of residents turned out for last night’s Neighborhood Status Report meeting at North Seattle Community College. The purpose was to hear back on trends that resulted from an online survey of Fremont’s existing 10-year-old neighborhood plan and to discuss the current status of the neighborhood, as well as next steps in moving forward.
187 Fremont residents responded online to review and comment on the neighborhood’s original plan. The Seattle Planning Commission then compiled the results into an executive summary that you can view in its entirety here (.pdf). Recurring themes heard from Fremont residents are as follows:
- Lots of comments about increased density – townhouses and condos that replaced single family houses, but not everyone feels that bad but most do. While many people said the area has gentrified and lost its character, others felt a strong sense of community has developed.
- Many people complained about prostitution and drug abuse along Aurora, particularly at the motels.
- Lots of people are frustrated by parking. Some also complained about increased traffic problems while others noted improvements, particularly for cyclists and pedestrians.
- People are generally happy about parks and the library although the lack of a community center was also mentioned.
- There were a lot of comments about the business district – some people see a lot of improvement, while others have seen decline. The bar scene was generally viewed as having a negative impact on the community.
Two neighborhood plans will be chosen for updates in 2010 in the next couple of months. Recommendations are being made to the City Council as to which neighborhoods should have their plans updated or changed so for now it’s just wait and see.
In the meantime, there is going to be a public open house with the Department of Planning and Development next Wednesday, November 18, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Fremont Library (731 N. 35th St) to discuss possible zoning changes to industrial land inside the Fremont Urban Village. We’ll have more information in the coming days.