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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1978-03-22 Public Meeting Minutes - Old City HallMarch 22, 1978 TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL 7:00 P.M. PUBLIC MEETING M I N U T E S Council President Van Dusen called the Public Meeting to order. BOHRER, HARRIS, JOHANSON, TRAYNOR, VAN DUSEN. CALL TO ORDER COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT DISCUSSION Proposed Use of Old City Hall City Hall Council Chambers Mayor Bauch said the City Hall offices would be moved out of the old City Hall and into the new City Hall on August 8, 1978. The old City Hall has historical value and should be preserved in its present outside state and, if possible, restored to its former appearance. The present walls have been built out from the former panelled walls and the former high ceilings are still above the present dropped cilings. He said the park plan of the City shows that it should be preserved as a park complex. There is a chance to use it for a recreation and commun- ity center. The current plans for the old Police Station is to use it for recreation center for teens and it will also be used for community classes, etc. He said it will be remodeled as necessary. It will be used temporarily for that purpose until a permanent community center can be built for the City. The Council has put into the budget money for this purpose. He said we would like to get input from the citizens. Doris Phelps, 14250 59th Avenue South, Tukwila, said a group represent- ing the Foster Study Club was present. She said the group was interes- ted in the use of the old City Hall as a library. She said the need was great and the use as a library would be complimentary to the single family zoning in the area. She introduced Mrs. Enid K. Griswald, repre- senting King County Library. Mrs. Griswald said in a City such as Tukwila, the City provides the space and King County provides the books and the personnel. The services they would have would be books, maga- zines, records, film. It allows for the borrowing of books and film through the interlibrary loan program. If there is a meeting room, they plan meetings such as story telling for children. If the books are on the wall, the center of the room can be used for the meeting space. Council President Van Dusen asked what the minimum space would be. Mrs. Griswald said different cities have different spaces. She said the City of Algona has 900 square feet, Bellevue has 18,500 square feet, Black Diamond has 2,400 square feet, Issaquah has 2,550 square feet, Burien has 15,000 square feet, Carnation has 2,208 square feet, Pacific has 1,024 square feet. She said Tukwila is larger than most of the cities she has mentioned. Doris Phelps said the old City Hall has 2,257 square feet. Council President Van Dusen asked if the Foster Study Club was planning to use the whole building as a library. Margarette Chumlea, 16635 53rd Avenue South, Tukwila, said they had thought the museum could be in connection with the library. Councilman Harris said when the present walls are taken down there are folding doors that can make the City Hall one big room, if desired. Mrs. Chumlea said the library would apply to every age in the City from children to the elderly. Mrs. Griswald said a library would be open a minimum of 20 to 27 hours a week. She said the days open would be determined by the days other libraries in the area are open. She said the library would normally be open until 9 p.m. Leo Sowinski, audience, said it appears the 2,500 square feet would be just about right for Tukwila. Mrs. Griswald said if the City already has meeting rooms they would not have be provided in the library. flavor Bauch said there will be rooms in the new City Hall that will be available for some public and community meetings. Councilman Harris said she thought the library meeting room would be used mostly by children. Louise Strander, Box 80636, Tukwila, said the Tukwila Historical Society would like to have two or three display cases in the building. She said they were also interested in the use of the vault for storage. She said they are getting contributions of tapes and pictures and they would like storage space where they would be safe from burglary and fire. Mayor Bauch asked if the items could be stored in the new City Hall. Mrs. Strander said the Historical Society is a private organiza- tion and they would rather not net mixed up with the City's papers. Council President Van Dusen said the door of the vault will be removed to the new City Hall. Mrs. Strander said the donations that are coming in are not big bulky things. At present they have tapes and pictures they have been taping the memoirs of some of the older people in the City. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC MEETING March 22, 1978 Page 2 Proposed Use of Rena Holloway, 14451 59th Avenue South, Tukwila, asked about the Old City Hall Senior Citizens and their place in this building. It has been said contd. that the Police Station will be used for the young people. She said she thought the Senior Citizens are entitled to a nice place to meet. She asked if there would be any commitment tonight that some potential space will be available for the Senior Citizens. She said she had taken a small survey and people in town think the Senior Citizens are entitled to consideration. Councilman Johanson asked what the require- ments would be for the Senior Citizens. Mrs. Holloway said they would need water and a hot plate in a small room. She said there are not too many Senior Citizens in the City. It would not be used too frequently, one or two times a week. Council President Van Dusen said the study group wants the library, the historical society would like display cases and storage space. He said he hoped we would be able to accom- modate everyone. Noise Pollution Mildred Heppenstall, 16615 53rd South, Tukwila, asked if the Senior Citizen program excluded the County Senior Citizens would the facili- ties here be for Tukwila Senior Citizens only? Council President Van Dusen said the Tukwila group would be about 20 to 25. Mrs. Holloway said a lot of people have dropped out of Senior Citizens because they have had to go outside the City for activities. Council President Van Dusen said the size of the facility would determine how many will be able to use it. He said a policy has not been formulated as to who can come in. Mrs. Heppenstall said they have not gone outside of the planning area, the outside people have come in because they were invitec Ted Kreutzer, 5990 So. 149th, Tukwila, command of the American Legion, said if there is going to be any meeting space available they would likE to get in on it. He said they are now sponsoring sports for youths. They could use the meeting space about twice a month. Mayor Bauch said there will be meeting space available in the police training room of the new City Hall for Scout meetings, American Legion, and other groups. He said the space would accommodate about 50 people. P. R. Moore, audience, said he would like to see this building made into a Senior Citizen's meeting place. The place they are in now is not safe, it is hard to get out of due to the traffic. This building would make a nice place, the parking is good, and the steps are not bad. Ed Robison, 6433 South 153rd Street, Tukwila, said he would like to see the building used as a library for the City. Council President Van Dusen said he was wondering if the citizens have thought about the re- modeling of the building. He said he would like to be part of doing a little work on the building, and there may be others who feel the same. Mrs. Strander said the Historical Society has been trying to havE the City Hall put on the State Historical Register and it would be nice if it looked the way it used to. Mr. Sowinski, audience, said the library would have to give us an idea as to what they would require in facilities. Would they be able to operate in the old contemporary or would they rather have it as the building is at present. Mrs. Griswald, King County Library, said the place for books tends to be on the wall. The walls would be covered with the books. If you wished to show the original walls and panelling the books could be put on tables in the middle of the room. That would take the meeting room. If there is a room for children's programs, one room could be used that way. Council President Van Dusen said one of the first things that new Councilman Bohrer said was that it is surely noisy here. He said they developed an idea to see if noise could be curbed in Tukwila. The Council hired Dave Hickok as a noise researcher. He is searching out some methods on controlling noise. Councilman Bohrer said the Council has been doing something about noise for almost a year. Professor Breysse from the University of Washington came with his students and told the Council where the noise was coming from. We distributed a noise questionnaire last year and got back word that many of the citizens think noise is a problem. Dave Hickok, noise researcher, showed with an overviewer how noise is measured and the sources of typical noise levels. He showed results that were obtained by the noise survey in Tukwila. The survey was done within the City of Tukwilz plus the surrounding area. Professor Breysse said Tukwila is one of the noisiest cities in this area. He said 51 dbs. cause changes in sleep- ing patterns. Traffic noise increases diabetes and coronary diseases. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC MEETING March 22, 1978 Page 3 Noise Pollution contd. Annexation Policy and Data Handbook RECESS 8:10 8:25 P.M. ADJOURNMENT He said the plan is to reduce noise levels. It includes meetings such as this one for citizen input, also it will be in the news bulletins. There will be statements that will go to noise sources from outside of the City. They will try to point out to these people that they are responsible to the people of Tukwila to reduce the noise. In one year there will be an evaluation of the program. Ed Robison, audience, said he would like to know how something could be done about the noise. He said last year the City took great pains to make the park look nice. Now there is a lot of noise there, parents leave children there and then return for them and honk to get their attention. They also turn up their car radios as loud as they can and then get out and sit in the park. Dave Kickok said the City of Seattle has a noise ordinance that can be adopted by the City. This would make it possible for the police to takE action. Mrs. Strander, audience, asked if foliage has a softening effect on noise. Mr. Hickok said it is not too effective, but if you cannot see the noise you are not quite as conscious of it. He said a 30 foot wall can be put up but that is expensive, also sound proofing can be put in a home. Mayor Bauch stated about two years ago the City Council sat in a seminar of some length and considered the attitudes and how the Staff should respond if someone came in and asked about annexation. He said we went through five drafts and have come up with this annexation policy and data book for consideration by the public before it is adopted. It says, if adopted, that the City is neutral to annexation. It is not a plan to go out and be aggressive. Ed Robison, audience, said he believes the City went through an annexation sometime ago. He said it was his understanding Duwamish turned the City down. Mayor Bauch said if Mr. Robison was referring to the annexation of Duwamish, it was never put to the vote of the people. It was initiated by Fire District No. 1. When it got to the Boundary Review Board they cut it about one -half. When it came before the City Council they determined not to accept the annexation request as it was not in the best interest of the City. Council President Van Dusen said we are not initiating annexation, we are just setting forth the policy for the future when someone asks for annexation. Mr. Robisor asked what would be the advantages of annexation. Council President Van Dusen said the advantages would be different for different people. He said he was glad to have the Police Department and Fire Department that we have here also, it would mean undergrounding of utilities for annexed areas. Mayor Bauch said the results of annexation would likely be a small reduction in taxes for the year. He said most of the area around has a higher fire code rating, the area in McMicken Heights pays extra for street lights. The City pays for street lights in Tukwila. With respect to zoning, it would depend on the size of the area being annexed and it would be given a zoning closest to the zoning that it has. It would be the aim of the City to make it match the Comprehensive Plan. The people who petition annexation would say what they would like to see it zoned. Council President Van Dusen said the Council would recess for 15 minutes to give the audience an opportunity to look over the Annexation Policy and Data Handbook. Council President Van Dusen said this subject would be discussed at two more meetings at the Committee of the Whole meeting next week and again at the regular meeting when it will be adopted as a resolution. Councilman Harris said someone had asked about the advantages of annex- ing to the City. This meeting tonight is one of the advantages where discussion can take place. The thoughts and ideas can be viewed by the Council. It is increasingly difficult to get to the County Council meetings and is easier to get to a local meeting. The Public Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 P.M. Gary Van Duseh, Council President Norma Booher, Recording Secretary