- We should be big:
Council reaffirmed the pathway to become a regional center by 2013.
This means they voted for the big & tall Issaquah with 12 story buildings in the core area.
- How much say will "we" have in the process?: This is still undecided. So far just
about none. There has to be a building the size of the Costco Retail store before there would be any citizen commission review,
and that review could be avoided by holding one non-binding community meeting. Whose town in this anyway? Are you kidding me?
- Critical Areas will be more protected: There is language that requires the standard
buffer with substantial redevelopment! This is great news.
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- What kind of parks and gathering spaces will there be?: Two significant parks will be required, along with
community spaces. What is happening with Transfer of Development rights??? Affordable housing is great but should it be a 50/50 split
with open space? That would sure help build affordable housing in Redmond or Kirkland but doesn't get us parks.
- Who will pay and what share?: No one knows. They passed the plan without it. WHAT?
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EyesOnIssaquah.org Position
We think the details in the design guidelines are super important, they are scheduled to be adopted
in April. Whether staff and Council will have the fortitude to stand up for the vision in writing the rules is far more questionable.
Our concerns now:
- Funding, funding, funding.
- The talk of multi-model with no solid plan for actually measuring and achieving this. The language is still very road centric,
creating a natural conflict to walkability and avoiding transit, basically shoving it off as something that the City can't control.
- The Council has given up on creating a working relationship with the school district. Abdicating is not the answer.
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- Parks! But we want parks that kids can actually play in, that aren't underwater or sidewalks or critical areas.
- Many of the planned community and parks spaces are turning into hardscape, how much hardscape makes a park?
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