Community Council Hears From Sound Transit and Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness

Last night’s monthly meeting of the Victory Heights Community Council featured presentations from Sound Transit and about SNAP (Seattle Neighborhood Actively Prepared).
Read the complete minutes of the March meeting.
First up, Roger Iwata from Sound Transit told residents about the expansion of the Link Light Rail from Northgate up to Lynnwood that is expected to be finished around 2023 (two years after the Northgate station opens in 2021). The preferred corridor is along the I-5 right-of-way with various stops (to be determined) in North Seattle, Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and then the Lynnwood Transit Center. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be issued in June and formal comments can be submitted.
Secondly, Sandy Motzer, Director of the Lake City Emergency Communication Hub, explained about the city’s SNAP program and how, as part of disaster preparedness, volunteer sites are being set up all around the city to relay emergency information via ham radio to and from city officials in case regular communications fail. Sandy is organizing one for northeast Seattle that will be based in the parking lot of the Fred Meyer in Lake City (the next closest ones to Victory Heights are the top of Maple Leaf or Hunter’s Tree Farm in Wedgwood). Plans are underway to organize here in Victory Heights so we will be aware of what resources are on hand should we need them (who has generators, who are doctors or nurses, ham radio operators, etc). Want to volunteer to help the HUB? Sandy would love to hear from you, e-mail her at sandymotzer@aol.com. There is a city-wide simulated emergency drill that will be conducted on May 11th.
In other news, Victory Heights might be getting a new traffic circle if the vote goes our way at next month’s North District Council meeting. Eileen Canola has been campaigning for one to be installed on 23rd Ave NE and NE 105th Street for several years and after much organizational work (and paperwork), the end is nearly in sight as the NDC prepares to distribute this year’s Street Funds from the city.
Plans are underfoot for the community council to host a party for the entire neighborhood in the park sometime this summer. Stay tuned as details are sorted out.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 16th at 7 PM in the pre-school in Victory Heights Park.
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