After reviewing the available information from the fire district, Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance and talking to neighbors, we support locating the fire station at the 138th Pl. site in Big Finn Hill Park. It’s our belief that the fire station would be an asset to the entire Finn Hill neighborhood to have an optimal location for providing emergency services.
We only request that the project be managed in a more conducive manner to encourage communication/proper notification, etc. with the surrounding community as the project did not get off to a good start as the backhoe just “showed up” and started mowing. We are confident that that feedback has been heard and the project will take a more positive course going forward.
We are opposed, however, to the additional 20 parking spaces over the 10 required for the staff. All of the trails, including the trails most adjacent to our neighborhood are already used interchangeably by both bikers and hikers and we do not see the need to establish a formal parking area.
In fact, there is ample parking at Big Finn Hill Park as well as St. Edwards Park where most bikers and hikers initiate their rides and then branch off to both the northern trails adjacent to St. Edwards park and the trails directly in our neighborhood.
Further, by establishing a parking lot, we are not comfortable that the beauty of our area would be properly managed. A parking lot only invites trash, car traffic and other problems associated with a parking lot – especially as our area will soon face horrible traffic issues when car traffic utilizes Juanita Drive to circumvent the 520 bridge tolls.
The parking lot proposition leads to many questions. Is there a budget to manage the parking lot for trash removal, grievances, dumping, overnight parked cars, etc.? Also, has the impact of the current use of the trails been considered as a parking lot will change the current “community approach to the trails”?
As it currently stands there is one trail head “billboard” stating the proper use of the trails (dogs on leash, bikes yielding to hikers, etc.) but most people do not use this entrance since the trails can be accessed from over 50 neighborhood entrances.
By increasing the use of the trails, and encouraging more bikes with a formal “trail/park parking lot,” there would need to be a more formal way of managing the trails that would drastically change the “community” way the trails are utilized by both neighbors and visitors today.
Despite a plan to address these questions, we believe the risks would far outweigh the benefits of the parking lot. Therefore, it is our opinion that the fire station will be good for our community but that our trails and neighborhood and those visitors who use the trails are already served perfectly without the addition and burden of a parking lot.
Regardless of where or when the station gets built, we expect the smart use of public funds to build only what’s necessary and to keep the access to and from the fire station mindful as it is a dangerous corner that will become more dangerous once the 520 bridge toll is implemented. Thank you for keeping our feedback in mind as we we build and improve our community together.
Suzann and Peter Vincent, Kirkland
