Ballard District Council prioritizes NPF projects for construction in 2012

The City of Seattle each year funds approximately $1.2 million dollars worth of projects citywide through the Neighborhood Projects Funds. The funds are composed of the Neighborhood Street Fund and Cumulative Reserve Subfund. The City tries to equitably allocate funds among the 13 neighborhood districts in the city. An equitable share for a district is approximately $90,000. Projects are: 1) proposed by citizens; 2) initially evaluated by district councils; 3) checked for feasibility and costed by SDOT and Parks and Recreation; 4)  re-prioritized by the district councils; 5) moved through the city budget process by Mayor and City Council; then 6) implemented the following year.

The process this year recommended 3 projects in Crown Hill in the following priority:

  1. Textured crosswalks on NW 85th Street. The committee recommended that $20,000 be allocated to construct textured crosswalks across NW 85th at 8th Ave NW and 15th Ave NW. The textured crosswalks are inlaid into the pavement and provide an attractive, durable marking.
  2. Radar speed signs on 8th Ave NW between NW 85th and NW 100th. Originally this proposal also included establishment of dedicated bicycle lanes. The dedicated bike lanes would have reduced on street parking and the district council review committee decided to limit the proposal to the radar speed signs only. The review committee recommendation was to allocate up to $40,000 to fund the two radar speed signs.
  3. Speed control on residential streets 13th Ave NW and 14th Ave NW between NW 95th and NW 100th Streets. There were initially two separate proposals received to install speed bumps on these blocks individually. The review committee recommended the projects be considered jointly for more effective speed control.  The recommendation is to allocate up to $40,000 to install speed control measures to be determined by SDOT in consultation between the neighbors and SDOT’s Neighborhood Traffic Control Program.

The grand total this year is estimated at $100,000 for the 3 projects.

 

2 thoughts on “Ballard District Council prioritizes NPF projects for construction in 2012”

  1. I’m glad the city is helping to fund those projects. Our street (13th Ave. NW between 85th & 90th) missed the spring application to Neighborhood Matching funds for walks (not full sidewalks) but just completed a radar speed study. the city also loaned speed cables to check speed. We just found out that the next round of applications for NMF grants for this fall, which we anticipating to apply to, is only taking apps for “emergency preparedness”!! Hmm– even if neighbors have decided what’s important to them? Now what is our recourse?

  2. Julie, those are excellent questions. I do know that Dept. of Neighborhoods is straining under reduced staffing levels. You definitely want to remain in touch with Laurie Ames (laurie.ames@seattle.gov 206-684-0320). As far as I know, the Emergency/Disaster Preparedness is a one time event, and the Small & Simple NMF program will be back to normal in the Winter/Spring cycle.

    On a related note, Bernie Matsuno (nominated director of Dept of Neighborhoods) was at the Ballard District Council meeting Wednesday last week, and she felt the NMF programs were vital to the mission of DON.

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