NEDC Ranks WCC's Neighborhood Street Fund Project's 1 and 3!

As we reported earlier, the Northeast District Council (NEDC) met on April 7th and ranked the Neighborhood Street Fund project applications received by this year’s March deadline.  In total, 16 applications for projects were submitted within the NEDC area, 3 of which were submitted for Wedgwood:

1. NE 77th Street and 25th Ave NE at main entrance to Dahl Playfield, Wedgwood/Ravenna neighborhood, near University Prep. (submitted by Meg Goldman – Friends of Dahl Playfield)
2. Pedestrian crossing indicators at NE 80th St and 35th Ave. NE – basic markings visible to cars  (submitted by Gretchen Bear – Wedgwood Community Council)
3. Design and engineering plan for sidewalk on NE 85th St. between 30^th Ave NE and 28^th Ave NE; 28^th Ave NE between NE 85^th St. and NE 83^rd St.; and NE 83^rd St. between 28^th Ave NE and 25^th Ave NE.  (submitted by Katie Traverse – Wedgwood Community Council)

After the NEDC’s rankings, the top 3 of the Neighborhood Street Fund project’s ranked by the NEDC were as follows:

1. Design and engineering plan for sidewalk on NE 85th St. between 30^th Ave NE and 28^th Ave NE; 28^th Ave NE between NE 85^th St. and NE 83^rd St.; and NE 83^rd St. between 28^th Ave NE and 25^th Ave NE.  (submitted by Katie Traverse – Wedgwood Community Council)
2. Construction of sidewalks along the west side of Sand Point Way NE, between NE 70th and NE 74th St. (submitted by Bonnie Miller – View Ridge Community Council)
3. Pedestrian crossing indicators at NE 80th St and 35th Ave. NE – basic markings visible to cars  (submitted by Gretchen Bear – Wedgwood Community Council)

While this is spectacular news for Wedgwood, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these projects will be funded.  Last year, the WCC submitted the highest ranking application as well but was ultimately not successful of receiving the funds.  Last years application, however, was for design and construction of the sidewalks described above along NE 85th Street, 28th Avenue NE, and NE 83rd Street.  We are hopeful that this years approach, which is submitting for the design and engineering in hopes of applying for the construction next year, will ultimately be more successful.  There is still other processes before the funded project’s are announced.  Here’s a summary of what still has to occur, as described on the City’s Department of Neighborhood’s 2011 Neighborhood Project’s Fund website:

3/22/2011	DON distributes new 2011 applications and applications prioritized but not funded in 2010 to Neighborhood District Councils.
4/25/2011	Neighborhood District Councils review applications and submit their preliminary list of top 3 projects to DON.
6/20/2011	DON forwards feasible projects with cost estimates back to Neighborhood District Councils.
7/25/2011	Neighborhood District Councils submit prioritized projects to DON.
8/22/2011	DON announces funding recommendations to Neighborhood District Councils
September	Mayor’s proposed budget includes funding recommendations.
November	Seattle City Council considers recommendations and adopts 2012 budget.
December	DON announces funding awards

Thank you to both Katie Travers and Gretchen Bear with the WCC and to Meg Goldman at Friends of Dahl Playfield for preparing such great applications at very important locations throughout Wedgwood!  Let’s keep our fingers crossed that our community is ultimately successful.