Vote to Finalize Shoreline Town Center Scheduled Tonight

On Monday, the Shoreline City Council is scheduled to decide whether to approve the Town Center Master Plan. This plan has been in the works for four years now.

It is a multi-faceted zoning plan to help make Shoreline more appealing to developers and businesses alike. The Council has also said that this could support up to 1,200 new apartments in the town center area. The zoning code gives guidelines for new streets, what kind of businesses can exist in the area and new building codes to encourage economic development.

The plan has been developed by the Shoreline Planning Commission, which has delivered its full recommendation to the City Council.  The Council has already offered amendments in previous study sessions over the last couple of weeks with the final recommendation being presented Monday for City Council approval.

Aurora will be divided into four zones between 170th and 188 St. along Aurora Ave. and up Linden Ave. and Stone Ave.  Not much is different between certain zones, with the only differences being cars sold in the southern region and only single family homes where they currently exist in the northwestern part.

The zoning code does ban gambling, adults-only themed businesses, wrecking yards and general manufacturing, meaning nothing can be developed with those purposes in the town center. Current areas with that cannot be removed ex-post facto, but if they would like to develop or add on to the property, they cannot redevelop. 

A major goal of the plan is to make Shoreline more walkable around the town center.  The plan wants more storefronts to walk around more and make it “safe, attractive and walkable” around shopping areas.

The Town Center Plan calls for more access to transit. The plan expects that a new service from King County metro called “Rapid Ride,” which will start in 2013 to bring in a lot of people from the surrounding area. The Rapid Ride transit will offer service every 10 minutes during peak hours between Shoreline and downtown Seattle.

One of the changes that the city will make is a series of streets along the town center area. There will be three different types of streets zoned in the area, Boulevards, Storefront and new Greenlink streets. Boulevards will be the major streets of Aurora, 175th St. and 185 St. Storefront streets will be along current businesses giving street side parking and sidewalks to encourage pedestrian browsing.

Greenlink streets are the most pedestrian friendly. The Town Center Plan outlines having green strips and covering up and down the streets, with sidewalks in the surrounding neighborhoods of Shoreline. As part of one of the goals to promote green infrastructure, the Town Center Plan wants to encourage more environmentally friendly practices in the city. Grennlink streets are planned for Linden and Stone Ave. in the more residential areas.

Along with street additions, the Town Center Plan wants more public gathering areas near storefronts. These gathering areas would again encourage walkablity and defined areas for people to meet at. 

Uniformity is important to the Town Center Plan also.  According to the plan, this would give the Town Center unified feel and make the city more attractive.

The vote is scheduled for July 25 during the Shoreline City Council meeting on whether or not to adopt this code into law.