Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 8, Issue 7, July 2004

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Northgate South Lot solution on horizon

By JAMES BUSH

A creek may once again flow across Northgate Mall's south parking lot.

Mayor Greg Nickels has endorsed an ambitious, citizen-funded proposal to create a hybrid watercourse/water retention facility across the eastern half of the lot.

The mayor's June 7 announcement ended years of controversy over the south lot, which contains an underground pipe conveying Thornton Creek flows from the creek's headwaters near North Seattle Community College to the open Thornton Creek channel on the east side of 5th Avenue Northeast.

Neighborhood leaders and open space advocates hoped to see this portion of the creek "daylighted" (brought to the surface) as part of the south lot redevelopment process.

While the citizen plan, unveiled in February by the Thornton Creek Legal Defense Fund and Citizens for a Liveable Northgate, doesn't constitute full daylighting, it will direct a constant flow of water generated by area springs across the site. During storm events, bridges across the channel which double as weirs (flow-restricting structures) will hold up the excess stormwater, collecting it in the stream's flood plane for later release. The underground pipe itself will remain in place as a bypass for large storm flows.

"I'm very happy," says Janet Way of the Thornton Creek Legal Defense Fund. "We just won something that we've been working on for five years."

This happy ending seemed unlikely as recently as last November, when then-City Council President Peter Steinbrueck and a majority of council members forced a compromise by refusing to consider the mayor's proposed code changes relating to Northgate Mall redevelopment. Nickels, who had originally envisioned building a water retention pond on the eastern-most portion of the south lot, eventually agreed to allow Seattle Public Utilities to compare the costs and benefits of three different options: full daylighting, a SPU proposal to clean stormwater on the site using bioswales, and the hybrid option (so named because it provides both a constant stream flow and capacity for stormwater retention). The hybrid plan was created by landscape architect Peggy Gaynor and Pace Engineers.

When compared with the two other options, the hybrid plan won hands down, says Miranda Maupin, SPU project manager for south lot drainage. "Water quality was the most important factor for SPU, because it's critical for any capital project investment that it's providing a clear ratepayer benefit," she says. The SPU analysis of the three options showed that the hybrid plan not only provided the most water quality benefits, but accomplished this at the lowest cost.

The hybrid version also provided the obvious aesthetic benefit of a constantly flowing creek (although small one; its flow of approximately 1 cubic foot per second is roughly half that of Ravenna Creek). Aesthetics are especially important, as developer Bruce Lorig has proposed a mixed-use development along the north edge of the new hybrid channel which would house several retailers and at least 300 apartments. The hybrid proposal also won the unanimous endorsement of the members of a Northgate stakeholders group made up of area residents and property owners set up as part of last year's council/mayor compromise.

In order to implement the hybrid option, the City Council will need to approve the purchase the 2.7-acre parcel from the mall's owners, Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, for $375,000, endorse the new boundary line with Lorig (who has an option on the rest of the property), and approve the $6.85 million allocation for funds to construct the channel and the surrounding open space.

Given the City Council's role in forcing consideration of the hybrid option, it's likely the three pieces of legislation will get a warm reception from legislators.

"I think it's going to sail through the council," predicts City Council member Nick Licata. "We've got a good foundation for going forward."

"The community has scored a very significant victory here," agrees City Council member Richard Conlin. "As a council member, I'm very proud of the fact that I stood with the community on this and helped this happen. I'm glad that the mayor has come along: he's acted in good faith in response to our agreement."

Nickels drew a bit of fire in the media for holding the press conference announcing his recommendation when council members had to attend a scheduled meeting. He also lost points with community members for not including Thornton Creek Legal Defense Fund representatives among the press conference speakers. The TCLDF funded the creek daylighting study and picked up about one-third of the costs of the hybrid plan study (Lorig paid for the rest). However, Bob Vreeland of the TCLDF notes that some of the many thousands of dollars his group has spent fighting to get a creek on the south lot went to challenge the city in court. "I wouldn't expect to get a personal invitation from the mayor," he says.

Nickels spokesperson Marianne Bichsel says the unanimous backing of the stakeholders group and the support of SPU for the hybrid option convinced the mayor to make an immediate statement supporting it.

Time is still a factor. Lorig Associates spokesperson Laura Bachman says the developer is still investigating the feasibility of the creekside development, and would need to ink a deal with Simon around the end of August. But Lorig is pleased that the mayor is backing the hybrid proposal. "What we thought was going to be the most difficult portion of the project has been resolved and has been easier than expected, which is a good thing," says Bachman.