Comments on: A Humble Rebuttal

By: Demetrius Robeza

Demetrius Robeza — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:26:22 +0000

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By: Yes Virginia, Density Causes Sprawl—Lorax Edition | hugeasscity

Yes Virginia, Density Causes Sprawl—Lorax Edition | hugeasscity — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:26:23 +0000

[...] Belltown, for example, often maligned for growing too rapidly without providing sufficient open space and schools. But somehow rents are [...]

By: Ye Olde Crosscut Not Dead Yet | hugeasscity

Ye Olde Crosscut Not Dead Yet | hugeasscity — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:51:58 +0000

[...] a new deputy editor, who will hopefully pay a bit more attention to the credibility of what they publish. Coincidentally, this past week saw two land-use-related pieces that show Crosscut’s [...]

By: I Skim The Seattle Times And Crosscut So You Don’t Have To | hugeasscity

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:42:09 +0000

[...] Over at Crosscut today, some dude apparently has some fear to monger about scary scary backyard cottages. I would rather work on my income taxes than read it. It pains me just to link to it, all the more so because it was written by the same hack who previously penned the “stinking pile of doo doo” reluctantly critiqued here. [...]

By: Sara @ Futurewise

Sara @ Futurewise — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:39:19 +0000

And to be clear on the exemption issue, the Bill does not call out the Sodo station; rather it exempts industrial lands from the TOD provisions. Should the Sodo station area ever be rezoned to non-industrial zones that would permit residential uses, then the provisions of the bill would apply.

By: Sara @ Futurewise

Sara @ Futurewise — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:36:57 +0000

Bill – Actually, the two stadium stops are included in the bill. And the only reason that the Sodo stop is not included is because residential uses are prohibited in industrial zoned areas, so how can you put provisions in place that relate to residential uses? It’s still important to have a stop there because of the jobs, but it doesn’t make sense to apply affordable housing requirements if there isn’t going to be any housing.

On the larger issue of who is going to use the light rail line to get to jobs…the full built-out system will connect the major job centers of downtown Seattle and Bellevue, Microsoft/Overlake, Sodo, UW, Northgate, Lynnwood and the Airport. And the very job-rich First Hill will be a quick connection via streetcar. There will be residential uses at many of these stations, and at the numerous other stations along the way.

In fact, 75% of the whole Sound Transit taxing district’s residences and 85% of its jobs will be within walking distance to a stop, driving distance to a park-and-ride facility, or one bus transfer away.

It’s true that the light rail line will not serve every trip for every person. But it will address a big percentage of trips: those commuting trips going in and out of our region’s job centers. And promoting the right mix of residential uses at stations is a key strategy to maximizing the use of the line.

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:49:56 +0000

Well it would be easy to be smug and use transit to work if everyone worked downtown as TCC and F’wise do.

But many who live here now do not have access to viable public transit between work and home. Nor does the light rail line serve them.

For the masses that will be arriving as the PSRC forecasts and Seattle ha volunteered to adopt, perhaps light rail will serve them between work and home – but its unclear how and whether all those jobs at near station areas will manifest.

And only those that have that benefit of a direct link between work and home via light rail will live there since auto parking may not be allowed in the TOD zones.

It still boggles my mind that the stadium stops, so close to the SODO industrial area and all its jobs is not a TOD station area. It is arbitrary rules like that that make this TOD bill still seem a little fishy…

By: Dan Staley

Dan Staley — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:34:18 +0000

I agree with Dan’l that you can’t dismiss them outright, but one can dismiss most of their fearful tinfoil hattery and fear-based aggrieved white person fear outright. Did I mention fear?

By: dan bertolet

dan bertolet — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:34:31 +0000

I wouldn’t dismiss Crosscut outright. It’s hit or miss, in my experience. For example, Dick Lilly’s writing on the school closures was the best I came across anywhere.

Why did they publish such a blatantly low-quality piece on TOD? Two possibilities: (1) they don’t know any better, or (2) they do know better but they thought it would create controversy and get more traffic to their site. Probably 2, but pretty sad, either way.

By: Ries

Ries — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:29:36 +0000

While I think Kammerer is full of it, I DID live in Belltown for years in the 70’s and 80s, and it was great. It was safe, the drunks knew you by name, and there was a vibrant community of artists, poets, writers and musicians.
No $12 drinks, but you could get a dollar schooner at 7am.

Not to worry, though, all those condos are made of styrofoam, and they will be crumbling of their own accord very soon now.