York Neighborhood Association Board Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

7:00 – 8:57 pm

Nelson’s Market

Present: Helen Jackson, Barbara Davenport, Tom Scott, Seth Cool, Sarah Bates, Jessica Bandstra, Carolyn Mulder, Lisa McShane, Leslie Hill, Nick Hill and Libby Stark.

Stina Olson, Lynn Gobush and Alan Matsumoto from Sehome attended as guests.

Announcements: Libby received an email from Lara Welker, Campus Community Coalition, requesting a YNA board member participate in their Let’s Talk Forum on 1/31 at 5:30. Sarah volunteered her husband, Jeff, to participate. Libby will pass the information to Lara.

Helen made a motion we approve the minutes from December. The motion passed unanimously.

• Sehome Neighborhood Association: Alan, Sehome president, is soliciting feedback, questions and looking for a volunteer to be involved with planning the “urban village” along Samish Way. There would be one meeting per month. Sehome Neighborhood received $2500 for their Neighborhood Plan Update and has 5 hours of COB staff support for this project. WWU interns, Sustainable Connections and other stakeholders will be involved. Board members raised concerns about safety along Samish and a crosswalk connecting the two sides of Samish Way. Helen clarified what an urban village is: a concept of open space, commercial and residential areas.

• Letter writing: Lisa will write a thank you letter to Tim Steward of Planning and Barbara and Carolyn will edit a letter Lisa will write to the Herald to correct their misrepresentation of the Area 5 rezone. Seth will write a thank you letter to the Planning Commission.

• 5-plex apartment at 506 Potter St.: There was significant discussion about what board members would like to see Arnason do or not do to the building. The designer’s picture of the new building does not look historic. Tom spoke with a lawyer who said we should focus on our other issues instead (parking, size, etc.). Darby Galligan, of Planning, said to focus on details like parking and porches when writing letters. Letters are due 1/26/07 and the hearing will be held sometime in March. Planning staff encourage letter writers to be clear and positive about what we’d like to see. From the last board meeting, parking, size and scale and block face were the most important issues.

• Historical Preservation Committee: WWU interns will be identifying homes and assisting the committee as it moves forward in state historic designation. The design review subcommittee has met and believes Leslie made a motion, and Helen seconded, to state that height, setback, footprint, non-conforming use are the main themes. The motion passed unanimously.

• Planning Committee: The application was accepted for $2500 for the Planning Academy. The application for the neighborhood plan update is in the works; Tom needs a copy of the by-laws. Tom reports we are moving forward. Public meetings will most likely take place this summer and Tom will email the historic preservation committee and the planning committee to pull both groups together for one large meeting.

• Small and Simple Grant: Nothing to report.

• Greenways: Nick is on the trails committee and notes that the Whatcom Creek trail is not funded from Meador to Ellis. A CDBG grant is being sought by the Parks Dept, however York cannot receive this grant as we just received one for Franklin Park. Nick will write a letter of support to the Parks Dept and represent York at the Greenways meeting 1/31. YNA’s concerns are with the Meador bridge over the creek, wanting the trail to go the whole route of the creek and turning the BSD bus barn into a park.

• Annual membership meeting: The next general meeting will be held on 2/28 at 7 pm at GSUMC. Katie Franks from Planning and Jonathan Schilk from Parks will be coming to speak about the Franklin Park project.

• Newsletter: The newsletter will be 4 pages long and articles will be due to Jessica by 2/7. Topics for the February newsletter include thank yous, update on trails and the general meeting (including elections). Anne will write a recap of 2006. More deliverers are needed and Jessica volunteered to coordinate.

• Green Energy Challenge: Jessica reported York is in 9^th place and the deadline to participate in the program is 2/28. 170 doorknockers will be hung this coming weekend to encourage neighbors to donate on their PSE bill.

• Newsletter advertisements: Helen and George met and have a template put together for advertisers.

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• Franklin Park Improvements Project: Helen reported the work party went well. Plants will be arriving in March and work parties are scheduled for the second Saturday of every month. 40 surveys were completed and returned. Interns from WWU will be assisting Helen in the Project this winter quarter.

• Rock Hill Park Steward: Nothing new to report.

• Garden Club Chair: Nothing new to report.

• Treasurer: Helen provided a handout indicating we have $431.04 in our checking account and $551.82 in our savings account. See attached. Lisa suggested we look into remittance envelopes to make it easier for neighbors to send back their donation.

• Traffic safety and parking: Due to time, this will be discussed at the February meeting.

Topics for next board meeting: General meeting, 506 Potter, parking, Franklin Street Island.

The meeting adjourned at 8:57.

Submitted by Libby Stark