Morgan Community Association (MoCA)

Morgan Junction Design Guidelines: At long last, the Design Guidelines for Morgan Junction have been approved by the City Council, effective July 25. Many, many thanks to those who researched and created this document, and those of you who gave comments at multiple MoCA meetings. In particular, thanks go to Ken Olsen, (chair), Steve Sindiong, Ramin Achak, Shahnaz Chahim, Chris Beza, Terry Williams, and Michael Kimelberg and John Skelton from the City who gave us process and technical assistance. These Design Guidelines are intended to help guide developers in the design of larger projects which trigger design guidelines reviews in the Morgan Junction neighborhood.

The guidelines can be viewed at

http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Planning/Design_Review_Program/Applicant_s_Toolbox/Design_Guidelines/DPD_001604.asp , (and the "proposed" status should drop off any day now.)

A Letter from our Fauntleroy Neighbors:

Dear neighbors,

Are you being awakened every morning by noisy motorcycles racing along Fauntleroy Way, 45^th, Brace Point Way, Barton, and other streets in our neighborhood? To many of us this has become untenable when summer weather means more riders and open windows.

The source of all this irritation is the way ferries unload at Fauntleroy dock. Washington State Ferries (WSF) loads motorcycles before other vehicles and when they unload here at Fauntleroy the race is on.

Most of the riders are courteous and observe speed and noise regulations, but some of them don’t and they need to be stopped.

The Fauntleroy Community Association (FCA), and the Fauntleroy Ferry Advisory Committee (FFCA), two community groups with volunteer participation, are working with WSF and Seattle Police Department to help mitigate this problem. But we need your help to add more voices of concern.

You can start by calling SPD’s Traffic Unit, 206-684-8762. Enough calls reporting motorcycle speeding and excessive noise will result in traffic patrol officers monitoring the area for violators on a more frequent basis.

Calls to Washington State Ferries Customer Information Manager, Susan Harris, 206-515-3460, can be helpful to WSF for purposes of pursuing sequential loading of motorcycles.

If you would like more information about the Fauntleroy Community Association or the Fauntleroy Ferry Advisory Committee, contact us.

A volunteer citizen committee representing communities served by WSF.

Each point of ferry service has representatives that meet regularly to provide citizen input to WSF regarding service and impacts on the communities and helps keep the public informed.

Fauntleroy FAC Chair is Gary Dawson. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 206-937-7163

A letter to the Morgan Junction Community from the Seattle Department of Transportation (local street project notice/information)

July 19, 2007

Dear Mr. Sindiong,

This spring, Mayor Greg Nickels announced the release of Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan, which will significantly expand Seattle’s network of bike facilities. These facilities will make it easier and safer to ride throughout the city, while reducing greenhouse gases. The plan aims to make Seattle the best and the safest city in the nation for bicycling. Over the next two years, the city will add approximately 136 miles of bike lanes and signed bike routes. Overall, the plan calls for developing 452 miles of marked or separated bicycle routes over the next 10 years.

As part of this plan, SDOT will be installing bicycle facilities on Beach Drive from 63^rd Ave SW to 48^th Ave SW, extending up Lincoln Park Way SW to the intersection of 47^th Ave SW and Fauntleroy SW, within the next two to four weeks. Residents will notice new features in Seattle’s growing bicycle network such as shared lane pavement markings or "sharrows". Sharrows, as indicated in the enclosed image, are bicycle symbols that are placed in the roadway lane indicating that motorists should expect to see and share the lane with bicycles.

Both motorists and bicyclists should continue to follow the rules of the road when sharrows are on the roadway. Motorists should continue to give bicyclists three feet of space when passing, while bicyclists should use the sharrow to guide where they ride within the lane and remember not to ride too close to parked cars.

While there will be no permanent changes to parking on this street, SDOT will need to temporarily restrict parking in some areas to implement these improvements. No Parking signs will be posted at least 72 hours prior to the start of work. Vehicles that remain parked during the restricted times will be towed.

SDOT will also provide notification to residences and businesses along this stretch informing them about the upcoming installation, but we would appreciate your assistance in spreading the word in your community. For the safety of our crews who must work in traffic, and to reduce the impact on mobility in the area, this work may take place in the early morning hours or on weekends.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in helping us provide a safe, connected, and attractive bicycle network in your neighborhood and throughout the city. Together we will make Seattle an even better place to ride.

Shared Lane Pavement Markings (Sharrows) (note from Cindi: illustration wouldn't work in Outlook Express, please go to this link to see the SDOT illustration http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaster.htm Appendix F, page 120, illustration I-1 for Beach Drive-like configuration)

If you would like additional information, please call (206) 684-ROAD, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or refer to the SDOT Bicycle Program webpage at http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikeprogram.htm.

Sincerely,

Wayne M. Wentz

Director of Traffic Management

Orchard Street Ravine Restoration project awarded Small and Simple Grant; The Friends of Orchard Street Ravine (FoSTR) applied for a grant from the Department of Neighborhoods Small and Simple grant program. It was announced in June that they were awarded $11,000 in matching funds to finish the initial restoration work in the ravine. The grant money will be used primarily to pay for a small, professional crew who can remove invasive plants, replant and water in steep slope areas where volunteers are not allowed to work. This means that FoSTR has secured a total of $22,000 for this project, half from the grant program and an additional $11,000 in pledges for volunteer hours and in-kind contributions. Be sure and visit the ravine to see the amazing progress!

Orchard Street Ravine Trail construction: the Parks Department has been making progress in obtaining the permits and SEPA reviews prior to construction of the trail through the Orchard Street Ravine. The SEPA public review process is currently underway, with the comment period ending on the 23^rd of July (notice went into the Daily Journal of Commerce on July 9). The appeal period will close on July 30. At that point, pending any appeals, the construction of the trail can be contracted and work on the trail can begin this summer. Jon Jainga, the new project manager, says that updates will be posted on the OSR Parks webpage at http://www.seattle.gov/parks/proparks/projects/orchardStRavine.htm

4th of July Public Safety Message

Summertime Security Tips

Close And Lock Windows; Limit How Far They Can Be Opened

Lock your doors

Working in the Yard

Do Not Leave Personal Belongings Unattended

Home Security - What Works

Recommendations Regarding Sliding Windows & Doors

See attached PDF for details:

Attachments:

southwest_precinct_public_safetynewsletter_july_3_2007.pdf

[Southwest Precinct Public Safety Newsletter - July 3, 2007]

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