Tag: growth

Driving Around Here Nowadays

Carl Setzer

Saturday i had a meeting in south Everett, on 128th to be more specific. Well,traffic on that road was wretched,  but I improvised, taking side streets back to Lynnwood. I ended up driving past the door where the z over Park drive in used to be. Now it’s a medical center and apartment complex. I

Along this street are now many multifamily/higher density housing projects.Several duplexes, apartment and condos, within this area that was semi rural single family homes a generation back. 

This got me thinking about density. That we’re gong to see the greater Seattle area become increasingly densified. I expect in the next dozen to two dozen years this whole region will become mostly multifamily. The economic forces will drive that hard. I’ve long thought that the Growth Management Act’s limits on development will combine with our region’s continued economic expansion to drive this. 

Many will see if as something to lament, and to resist. Me? I see it as a a mixed blessing, so to speak. And as something that good planning can make a great thing. Planning for a transit system that will accommodate this load will be crucial. A predominantly car-centric system will not work. When the majority of commuters take transit, things will be more manageable. 

So, what do you think? 

A Thursday Morning Opps

Carl Setzer

Currently I’m at the Snohomish County campus to do some research on one of my projects. Forgot that the Planning and Development Services department is closed until 10 on Thursdays (had it in my head that was Wednesdays). Opps! That worked out for the best, though. Got to talk with one of the staffers about a different project, which will move that forward quicker. And then ran into a friend at the cafe here. I haven’t talked with her in several months, so it was nice to catch up on stuff (mostly kids…you know how parents are).

The cafe here is actually pretty nice. Especially for a office cafeteria kind of place. I enjoy the food here, and they serve Cafe D’Arte coffee. Not a favorite, but I do enjoy it.

It’s a delightful spring morning. Glad I brought my fleece, but the sun is lovely. Listening to the weird combination of construction noise, people chatting, and the seagulls and crows getting worked up over the eagle perched atop the Angel of the Winda arena (formerly Comcast/Xfinity). The eagle quickly got annoyed with the crows dive-bombing it and took off.

So much construction going on. The courthouse upgrade a few feet behind me, and the Hopelink work a few blocks to the south on Broadway make for a vibrant area. And fir a bit of traffic noise. Everett is changing right around me. I don’t think I’d recognize the place if I’d been gone 10 years. An amazing time to be here, enjoying a random respite from the busyness of modern life.

The Beauty Of Beginnings

Carl Setzer

I’ve long been a member of Lynnwood’s Trinity Lutheran Church. The past year and a half or so, we’ve been transitioning pastors. Never the easiest process. But we’re on the other side of that journey. 

Today we welcome Pastor Hector Garcifas-Toledo. Pastor Hector represents, to me, the evolution of my little suburb. First, we’re not very little anymore. And our ethic make up has changed radically since I was a kid. 

Growing up, Lynnwood was very white, middle class. My neighborhood is quite multiethnic now. We have myriad languages nearby. The microcosm of our planet, reflected here, delights me deeply. 

Pastor Hector has lived this microcosm. Born in Mexico, having lived in Taiwan, and serving as a pastor throughout the U.S., he understands diversity at the deepest levels. He IS diversity. 

I’m quite excited for him to join us, and for my congregation to move forward into the  next stage of our journey. The world is changing. My city has changed, and is changing. We’re ready to embrace that, finding ways to serve our neighbors. It’s quite wonderful, indeed. 

So, welcome to our neighbor Pastor Hector! I’m excited to see what our journey together brings. 

Death Cab for Cutie: “Gold Rush”

Carl Setzer

Death Cab for Cutie has it’s origins in western Washington. This song does a great job of capturing the current ethos in Seattle and the Puget Sound region, as this song is about Seattle (though this video was filmed in Los Angeles).

Anyway, I’ve had many moments of late like what Ben Gibbard’s lyrics describe. I lived nearly 10 years on Capitol Hill and First Hill. Anytime I’m there, now, I’m struck by how unfamiliar it all is. Yes, I celebrate progress, but also miss what once was.

 

With an Everett building’s rebirth, I consider the future of this lovely city

Carl Setzer

I’ve been watching the evolution of this building for a few years. Moving from weathered to worn to abandoned to dilapidated and now, finally, getting refurbished.

I love this style of building. When I lived in downtown Seattle I got to live in a couple of similar vintage and style. Watching it come back to life fills me with joy. The only downside for me: I was hoping I couple work directly with that.

Everett has an amazing amount of potential. There’s some great buildings, nice eateries, and a solid arts community. It’s also quite affordable. I firmly believe the city is on the cusp of a rebirth.

The economics of real estate play a key part. Combine the great walkable streets with reasonable prices, it’s just a matter of time. And as light rail expands up here, de-brutalizing the commute (to Seattle, at least), the expansion should grow.

I’m fond of this city and delight in the opportunity to grow. Everett also is in a place to learn from the development mistakes of Seattle, and others. Keeping the city’s unique charm, and liability would be wonderful.

Thinking about 2017 and moving forward 

Carl Setzer

It’s been a mixed year for me. I started a new job, one that pushed me far outside my comfort zone. As a rather cautious soul, that’s been quite challenging at times to deal with. The frustration of too much to do with constrained tome. 

Another frustrating element for me: learning new stuff. It’s one thing to expand my knowledge, quite another to learn a new role, where a company depends upon my effectiveness. It’s a rather terrifying sensation. 

More positively, I’ve grown as a martial artist, and my family has done some great stuff. I’ve deepened friendships I valued, and grown to new ones. I’ve also spent the past few weeks studying myself, seeking to deepen my understanding of what brings me joy, what brings me success. 

There’s great emotional risk in doing such. What if those ideas I’ve invested so much energy in turn out to be bad fits? Of course, my internal counterpoint needs to be “why would I want  to invest time, emotion and energy into something that robs joy and beauty from my life?

So, exploring, growing, developing: that’s my theme right now. What about you?

Lesser Seattle and Other Thoughts

Carl Setzer

I grew up reading Emmett Watson (a key part of Seattle’s literary history), and decided to revisit some of his writings. Currently, I’m working my way through Emmett Watson: “My Life In Print” (affiliate link). This book has a whole section about his, somewhat tongue-in-cheek writings about a somewhat fictional organization: the Society for Lesser Seattle.

The ideology of this came as a counter to the relentless boosterism for growing Seattle. If you loved the city, imagine how annoying it would be to continue to hear how to “fix” what you cherish.

Now, to be fair, the global city that Seattle is today resulted from that boosterism. But there were elements of that growth mindset that were truly mindless. Growth for growth’s sake is not wise or healthy, in my view.

Change is a part of life. It’s crucial to evolve. However, I find deep value in spending time assessing:

  • Who you are
  • Who you want to become
  • Then evaluate the opportunities which present themselves

All three are important. I can’t imagine anything more sad than “evolving” into someone you hate.

The same is true for cities, and any type of community.

“Know thyself”, a line I’ve heard bantered forth occasionally, seems apt here.

With communities, a challenge: dealing with divergent answers of those questions. Democracy can get ugly at times.

Let’s explore all of this, shall we?

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High density, population growth, economics and Seattle area development

Carl Setzer

Working in construction, I think about development a lot. Things like density, traffic, quality of life, and affordability. And my personal interests add concerns about bicycle friendliness, walk-ability, accessibility, with sustainability. 

The issue of density has come up a bit lately. 

We like our single family homes. Yet it’s not the most stable model. First, supply and demand. By building mostly SFRs, we hold down supply. Demand, in our region, isn’t stable or static, it’s growing. This dynamic will continue to drive prices up. Sure, expect other market forces to put downward pressure on prices, from time to time. But the upward pressure of demand will be there for the foreseeable future. People want/need to live here 

The best thing we can do for affordability is develop more multi-family homes. Condos and such. I’m not sure envisioning the Puget Sound basin like Tokyo is the design ascetic I’d shoot for, (nothing against Tokyo) but I’m not considering that. I’m just meditating on market forces. 

Consider things like air condos, a way to get the SFR experience with a bit more modest price tag. We compromise on yard, another suburban charm. We value yards, but we can’t have both yards and affordability. 

Market forces will drive us to the higher density models. Understanding market dynamics, it’s hard not to envision a line of high rises from Olympia to Everett… eventually. So, I would like us to be thoughtful about how we get there, since reactively following market dynamics does always go elegantly. 

New Construction In Lynnwood

Carl Setzer

I noticed a Proposed Land Use sign a few days ago here just north of Highway 99 & 176th in Lynnwood. Looks like NW Motor Sports is planning on moving there, or expanding their operations there. It’ll blend right in with the other car lots around there.

It will be nice for the land to be used, though. It’s a pretty highly valued lot and the owners would certainly rather have income offsetting the taxes versus sitting there vacant.

Lynndale’s last days

Carl Setzer

Sitting in the old gym last night listening to another concert, I felt a sense of finality. This building, built in 1957 and remarkably unchanged since, is doomed. Within a month, this building will be gone. Making way for the new.

Memories haunt these halls. Though I never was a student here, my son’s whole academic career resides here. Over the past 7 years, I’ve been in many meetings, many activities in many of these rooms. This place contains many memories, and probably the majority of my son’s.

One of the Edmonds School Districts’s oldest buildings, it contains the style of those schools I grew up with. Going forwards, he moves into a structure built in the 2000s, then to one from the late 80s. Yet, there’s connection for me. Name-wise, these are the same institutions I attended.

Progress is good. The new nudge school and high school are well crafted, delightful places. They meet the needs of 21st century students. Good ol’ tired, when Lynndale will soon join those ranks. And the gladness I feel tempers the sadness. The connections will hold.