By CLAYTON PARK

LAND USE

Mayor unveils plan for Northgate

Mayor Greg Nickels recently announced a plan of his own that he hopes will finally speed long-stalled efforts to bring improvements to the Northgate area.

"Over the last several years, there has been much planning and discussion about Northgate, but little to show for all the time and money spent," wrote Nickels in a letter to the public dated May 15. "There has been no decisions on where to site much-needed new community facilities (library, community center and park), and little progress in daylighting Thornton Creek, a priority for the community and of my administration," the letter continues. "Fifth Avenue (NE) remains an inhospitable street. ... Simon Properties (owner of Northgate Mall) has given up on developing the South Lot and is now selling pieces to third parties. We need to act now, or we will quickly lose valuable opportunities."

Nickels wants the City to buy the remaining unsold three acres of the 12.8-acre Northgate South Lot, which would "help us preserve the opportunity for potential future daylighting of Thornton Creek." The property would be converted into a park that would include a pond to provide drainage and water filtration.

The City would also proceed with the following: build a new library and community center on the 3.5-acre Bon Tire site along 5th Avenue NE; establish a community garden along NE 103rd Street, just off 5th Avenue NE; and work with the county, which now owns a portion of the South Lot, to replace the parking capacity of the Northgate North Park & Ride Lot along 5th Avenue NE (just north of Target) so that property can be eventually converted into open space. Community reactions to the Mayor's plan have been mixed, with some applauding efforts to move forward with the community center, library and parks, while others have expressed criticism, arguing that the City should daylight Thornton Creek at the South Lot immediately. Meeting on Stone Way QFC

A Design Review Board meeting will be held Monday, June 3, to hear QFC's preliminary plans for a project in Wallingford that would include a QFC supermarket, 31 residential units and two levels of parking. The proposed Stone Way QFC would be built at 3920 Stone Way N. (site of the old Stone Way Safeway). The meeting will be held at Eckstein Middle School, 3003 NE 75th, beginning at 8 p.m. For details regarding the project (#2108064), call David Van Skike of the Department of Design, Construction and Land Use at 684-5399.

4-story building in Ravenna

The same June 3 Design Review Board meeting at Eckstein will include a developer's presentation, beginning at 6:30 p.m., of preliminary plans to build a mixed-use complex at 2402 NE 65th. The complex would include four-story building with ground-floor retail and 34 apartment units and eight additional buildings with a total of 25 townhouses and 8 apartments. For details about the project (#2108312), call Bruce Rips of DCLU at 615-1392.

Greenwood building proposed

Another Design Review Board meeting will be held June 3, 6:30 p.m. at B.F. Day Elementary (3921 Linden Ave. N) to review a developer's application for a permit to construct a four-story building at 312 NW 85th St. The project would include ground-floor retail and 31 residential units. For details about the project (#2200870), call Scott Ringgold of DCLU at 233-3856.

New project in Fremont

The same June 3 Design Review Board meeting at B.F. Day will include the board's announcement at 8 p.m. of its preliminary recommendations regarding a proposed mixed-use development at 3813 Woodland Park Ave. N. The four-story building would include an office and 17 residential units. For details about the project (#9905287), call David Graves of DCLU at 297-2106.

Walgreen's eyes U-District

A developer has submitted preliminary plans to build a two-story Walgreen's Pharmacy at 1205 NE 50th St. Parking would be located across the alley at 4751 Brooklyn Ave. NE. For details about the proposed store (#2201846) and parking project (#2201526), call Lisa Rutzick of DCLU at 386-9049.

Ingraham expansion

The School District has applied for a permit to construct a 2,500-square-foot library and a 2,200-square-foot science building at Ingraham High School, 1819 N. 135th St. For details about the project (#2108353), call Scott Kemp of DCLU at 233-3866. 6-story Lake City building

A developer has applied for a permit to build a six-story mixed-use building at 3310 NE 125th. The 76,000-square-foot building would have ground-floor retail and 65 residential units on the upper-floors. For details about the project (#2103683), call Bruce Rips of DCLU at 615-1392.

Green Lake Animal Hospital

Green Lake Animal Hospital has applied for a permit to build a 1,040-square-foot addition to its existing building at 6857 Woodlawn Ave. NE. For details about the project (#2108078), call Scott Ringgold of DCLU at 233-3856.