Everyone’s talking about this NYT piece on the almost-carfree German suburb of Vauban. It’s a great article, and worth reading. I want to specifically call out this section:
Vauban, the site of a former Nazi army base, was occupied by the French Army from the end of World War II until the reunification of Germany two decades ago. Because it was planned as a base, the grid was never meant to accommodate private car use: the roads were narrow passageways between barracks.
The original buildings have long since been torn down. The stylish row houses that replaced them are buildings of four or five stories, designed to reduce heat loss and maximize energy efficiency, and trimmed with exotic woods and elaborate balconies; free-standing homes are forbidden.
This give me two thoughts. First, the built environment really does stay with us for a long time. It’s much easier to reorient existing street grids to carless living — even if they’re from abandoned army bases — than to adapt new ones.
Second thought: is this a possible future for Sand Point?
I think you replied to the wrong post, Bernie.
I agree that Magnuson Park land should not be sold off, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t also be a walkable community. Topographically, it’s an awesome location for walking and biking, but there’s no retail very close. I’ve got to imagine there are developers out there who would build on the old commissary location on 65th with a long-term lease. (Conveniently across the street from UW’s Radford Court family housing complex, too.) Neighborhood groups might be OK with it if it really was almost car-free since it seems like traffic is usually the main concern.
Oops, yes I did post the reply about Sandpoint in the wrong place.
You’re correct about the traffic being a big issue. Sandpoint Way isn’t built to handle a shopping center. It’s a fairly long hike from the old commissary/exchange site just to the front gate if you’re hefting a bag of groceries. The old buildings were decrepit even before the Navy left and just the construction of a major new facility would be contentious.
That said, long term leases to the right type of development could be a good way to go. Finding the right tenant would be the key. I’m not sure what the agreement with NOAA is. I think they basically get the use for free as part of the base closure agreement but a partnership with that type of agency or say UW fisheries could work. Of course I don’t think UW is interested either since they have adequate waterfront real estate of their own. It would be a great place to set up a vocational technical college. Perhaps even with dormatory style living which would support more essential services like grocery, medical, etc. Of course education dollars are already in short supply but maybe there’s an opportunity here for public private partnership.
Good point about the construction traffic. UW already uses some of the old base buildings for records (the boring administrative kind) and as art studios. I don’t know if that’s a rental agreement or what. The UW’s main campus waterfront is pretty full–actually there’s not too much buildable land at all.
Speaking of records, what ever happened (maybe nothing?) to the Federal Records Archive building that was on the other side of the street from Magnuson Park? It is/was a large warehouse like building surrounded by chainlink and barbed wire that always looked completely abandon. The last I remember hearing about it was when they had a fire there years and years ago.
That the Pacific-Alaska Regional Archives, aka NARA Sand Point. It’s in full operation; I took an exciting tour shortly after I moved here about 5 years ago. It’s not a coincidence that the Seattle Genealogical Society is headquartered across the street.
Looks like someone else had a similar idea: Solid Ground is building 106 new housing units at Sand Point for formerly homeless people. The only depressing part is the statistics: “Over 8,000 people are homeless in Seattle. Of the 5,000 who stay in emergency shelters, 65% are families. Nationally, the average age of a homeless person is 9 years old.”
Solid Ground is accepting donations.