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Statement sent to the Seattle Hearing Examiner regarding the Pinehurst Safeway rezone hearing

Ms. Tanner –

I am writing as the main Pinehurst community representative who has worked with Pinehurst neighbors, Safeway and the City of Seattle over the past three years to negotiate what nearly all Pinehurst neighbors view as an extremely favorable and desirable store design and proposal for rezoning the Safeway Pinehurst property in order to build a new store. I cannot attend the hearing tomorrow due to the fact that I am traveling on vacation with my family. However, in my absence, I have asked Brad Green, a long time (20+ year) Pinehurst neighbor, who lives next to the Safeway site and who has been involved in the negotiations with Safeway since the beginning of the process to speak on behalf of the community.

Pinehurst neighbors have been meeting and discussing this project with Safeway for over three years. From the very beginning, Safeway has cooperated with the neighborhood and made significant concessions. It is striking to look back at the notes from our first community meeting in the summer of 2006 that was attended by over 100 neighbors and to see that the most significant requests and concerns have been addressed by Safeway:

* Green elements throughout (including energy efficient, reduced emission elements, local materials, low water landscaping)
* An attractive and warm mission/craftsman design
* A covered outdoor seating area with an indoor/outdoor fireplace off of a coffee shop – on 15th
* A noise reducing barrier near loading dock
* Varied roof shapes – not completely flat
* Trellises and other design elements to reduce a “boxy” feel
* New sidewalks on 123rd and 16th (possibly permeable surfaces – depending on results of soil study)
* New rubbish bins that are attached to a septic system – to minimize (eliminate?) odor that currently exists

The Pinehurst community overwhelmingly supports this project and we are grateful for all the cooperation and concessions Safeway has made. We fully support this rezone and ask that you recommend to Seattle City Council that Safeway’s request be approved.

Thank you so much for considering the opinions of the Pinehurst neighbors most impacted by this project. If you have any questions at all, please contact me at the phone numbers or e-mail address below.

Renee

3 comments to Statement sent to the Seattle Hearing Examiner regarding the Pinehurst Safeway rezone hearing

  • sparhawk2k

    I'm curious how it went now. Have there been any updates or could anybody who was there comment? How long does it take to hear something official?

  • Renee

    I hear that it went well. I am trying to find out more and will post what I hear as I learn it. The Hearing Examiner will make an official report. I will post it as soon as it is available.

  • H

    God that Safeway and the area surrounding it is so ghetto. I've lived in Pinehurst for almost a year and do all my shoping at the QFC. I would love to see this whole area fixed up. I love all of those requests especially a coffee shop. I could really use a place to hang out that's more comparable to the Ballard Market coffee shop where I used to hang out when I lived there. Because who wants to hang out at the Northgate Mall or on Lake City Way? Not me.

    Excited to find this blog about an area that I just recently realized I lived in (I just thought I lived in Lake City) 😉 Nice header design with the "imagine Pinehurst" on pine needles.

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