Sound Transit Capitol Hill Station Meeting

(Here's a Flyer from Sound Transit about the meeting and a diagram of the Capitol Hill Station)

Betsy Hunter of PPUNC writes:

After years of fluctuating plans and timelines, it's time to re-engage on Sound Transit and how it will impact all of our lives. This issue goes far beyond Broadway and touches us in the Pike/Pine,12th Avenue, and Squire Park neighborhoods as well.

See the map - for 8 years, significant portions of Broadway, Nagle Place, John Street, and Denny will be a major construction zone. While this is going on, businesses will be relocated, buildings will be demolished, and trucks, noise, and dust will be part of our daily life. When construction is completed, what should the property over the station areas look like? What kinds of retail space do we need? Should the housingabove be rental, condo, affordable, market rate?

The Capitol Hill Stewardship Council and Chamber of Commerce have invited Sound Transit to present their updated plans and it's time for all of us to comment. Strong attendance is vital for Sound Transit to hear from our community.

See the invitation below from the Chamber and Stewardship Council. And bring your friends and family members to the meeting next Tuesday.

SOUND TRANSIT CAPITOL HILL STATION UPDATE

COMMUNITY MEETING
Tuesday, June 12, 2007 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Seattle Central Community College Room 1110

The Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce and the Capitol Hill Neighborhood Plan Stewardship Council are hosting a meeting regarding the planned Capitol Hill station for Sound Transit’s regional light rail. Sound Transit will present its current plans for the station entrances, property acquisition and relocation, and construction timeline. The Chamber and Stewardship Council will outline community driven principles for the station, related construction impacts, and subsequent redevelopment.

In late 2006, the Sound Transit Board authorized work to design and construct the “University Link” which extends light rail from Downtown to the University of Washington including a station in the heart of Capitol Hill. This station, located on the east side of Broadway between John and Denny, is projected to have 12,000 boardings a day. Since the first of the year Sound Transit has been working on their plans for the Capitol Hill station and has initiated land acquisition and relocation. Their current timeframe calls for a seven year construction period.

Sound Transit is now coming. The Chamber and the Stewardship Council recognize the benefits to the neighborhood and Broadway of improving connections to Downtown, the UW and the region as well as the potential for regional light rail to improve transportation mobility.

However, it is also recognized that the station and subsequent redevelopment on Sound Transit land is a “hundred year” decision for the Capitol Hill community. From a neighborhood perspective it is critical the station entrances are appropriately designed and located, construction period impacts are addressed, and subsequent redevelopment supports mixed use buildings with strong retail on Broadway and housing that serves a mix of incomes. This is the critical decision making period.

The meeting will have a short presentation, question and answer period, and an open house component for your questions and comments.