Focus on Redmond - Summer 2018

Focus on Redmond - Summer 2018

Volume XXXIII No. 2 Summer 2018

Photos by John Reinke

Redmond

Bike Share Program

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Redmond Photographer John Reinke Shares His Inspiration with the Mayor

City Growth Timeline

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In 1980, I organized and led a research trip to Prince William Sound to take photographs of the underside of humpback whale tails. The black and white patterns are unique to each whale like a fingerprint and were used to identify the whales for the National Marine Mammal Laboratory. What are your favorite subjects to photograph? Since retiring back in 2007, I’ve had time to wander up and down the Sammamish River Trail. Birds are some of my favorites, as are the river otters. I’ve also taken many photos of the great blue herons in the heron rookery. One of the most interesting encounters occurred in 2012. A crow flew up from the grass with what looked like a branch in its beak. I quickly snapped off a shot-from-the- hip. I was surprised later to see that it was actually a snake! You work with a variety of non-profit organizations in the community. Could you share some of your interests? I work with Water Tenders, a citizen volunteer group with a focus on stream protection in the Bear Creek watershed. I am also active with Amnesty International Puget Sound, the regional organization for Amnesty

John Reinke, a long-time Redmond resident, spends his free time capturing the natural side of Redmond. When he’s not volunteering his time at one of

Arts & Culture Guide

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International in western Washington. I’m also involved with Nourishing Networks, which is committed to filling gaps in local food needs. What inspires you most in Redmond? I moved to Redmond in 1989. There’s a lot of civic concern evidenced on the part of many folks to be involved and support the community in a wide variety of ways. The Redmond City government is also very good in supporting activities that encourage folks to come out and be part of the community. I enjoy the annual Redmond Derby Days and Ananda Mela festivals. The access to nature is remarkable. To have such a wide variety of birds and other wildlife in a city is impressive. If you could share one thing with the Redmond community, what would it be? Get out and be involved! Even if it’s as simple as going for a walk and seeing eagles and other birds or becoming more involved in actual civic life here. It’s all good.

Mayor John Marchione

the many non-profit organizations he helps, you will find him appreciating and sharing the natural beauty surrounding Redmond through his photography. See his photos above! What are some of your most memorable photography experiences? In the summer of 1954, I took a bus from New York City to the town where I was born, Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, to work on a farm. I had my 35-mm camera with me and started taking photos. When I was serving in the Peace Corps in the Philippines and Nigeria, I had my camera with me and sent photos home to share my experiences. I worked in Switzerland with the United Nations agency, the International Labour Organization, and later during my trips to the Middle East and Central and South America, I took pictures to show folks about the various social issues I encountered.

MeetYour City Council Redmond has seven councilmembers who are elected by voters to adopt the City budget, establish law and policy, approve appropriations and contracts, levy taxes and grant franchises.

Bike Share: Redmond Community Gives Feedback

Have you seen green, yellow, and orange bikes around Redmond this spring? Those are bike share bikes that have trickled into Redmond from neighboring city programs. A phone app allows you to unlock and ride them

Redmond’s Transportation Master Plan has long called for bike share service to help provide travel choices for residents, employees, and visitors. In consideration, the service would be provided by private bike

10%

share companies via a permit — bringing bike share to Redmond at no cost to the City. This right-of- way use permit would include requirements that the companies must

for a small fee. As bike share grows in popularity, Redmond

Not sure

30%

Jeralee Anderson Position #6

employers and residents have

60% Yes

No

expressed interest as well as concerns

Angela Birney Position #5 President

about allowing a similar program in Redmond.

meet to operate in

Redmond.

Next Steps City Council will be considering a pilot bike share program over the coming months. For more information, please visit www.redmond.gov/bikeshare.

The City recently conducted a public questionnaire to better understand how the Redmond community feels about bike share. Overall, 935 responses were received with 60% of respondents expressing support.

David Carson Position #7 Vice-President

Steve Fields Position #2

Hank Margeson Position #3

Hank Myers Position #1

Tanika Padhye Position #4

Learn more about your Redmond City Council at redmond.gov/council .

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S O U N D T R A N S I T : Light Rail Updates

Written by Ryan Bianchi, Sound Transit Community Outreach Division

It is hard to miss the East Link Extension project now taking shape in Overlake, Bellevue, Mercer Island and Seattle. As the quick pace of construction continues through the summer, expect to see more girders swinging into place to help support elevated sections of the guideway and the beginning of the station and parking garage. Roadwork will also increase in some parts of Bellevue for utility relocations and station access improvements. Not all work will be visible to the public. Behind the scenes, Sound Transit will complete excavating the Downtown Bellevue tunnel and will continue strengthening the I-90 bridge to accommodate future light rail trains. Station Name Change Sound Transit has renamed the Redmond Technology Center Station as Redmond Technology Station. Sound Transit and the City of Redmond agree that the shorter name helps improve clarity. Redmond Technology Station will replace the Overlake Transit Center, located at 152nd Avenue NE and NE 40th Street. Downtown Redmond Link Planning work continues to extend light rail service into southeast and Downtown Redmond by 2024. Sound Transit’s project team is preparing the documents needed to hire a design- build contractor, and they will release

a request for qualifications from contractors this summer. The team is also working with property owners along the future alignment to acquire the land needed to build the project.

Stay updated on project- related road closures by visiting soundtransit.org/eastlink .

Crews recently erected a tower crane at the future Redmond Technology Station site. Crews have begun excavating for the future 320 stall parking garage and station platform.

Girders are in place for the future elevated guideway along SR 520 in Redmond’s Overlake neighborhood.

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DOWNTOWN is on its way...

TO OFFER a vibrant mix of businesses, residences, and open spaces for recreation and relaxation that emphasizes pedestrian activities 18 hours a day. TO CREATE a sense of place through enhanced landscaping, art, historic landmarks, gateways, gathering spaces and public spaces that attract people and build community through interactive events and activities. TO INCREASE mobility by creating vnorth-south connections, increasing vehicle capacity with Bear Creek Parkway, and providing for convenient transit, pedestrian and bicycle routes to and from Downtown.

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Preparing and Planning for Growth while Preserving Our Single Family Neighborhoods

1990

1999

2004

Transporta Plan A emphasized approach 2

Washington’s Legislature Passed the Growth Management Act establishing growth boundaries and focusing growth inside those boundaries in rapidly growing areas

Overlake Neighborhood Plan and Bellevue-Redmond Transportation Study Adopted

Comprehensive Plan Update

emphasized focusing growth in two urban centers, preserving single family neighborhoods, and creating transportation and housing choices

45,256

35,800

Redmond Population

Redmond Employment

Redmond Population

Redmond Employment

73,436

35,708

Bear Creek Parkway Extension Opens

Redmond Central Connector Phase I

Downtown Park Opens

Light rail in Overlake

DOWNTOWN OVERLAKE

2013

2018

2023

2009

05

2009

2013

2030

ion Master opted multimodal o mobility

Transportation Master Plan—Updates to the TMP include an 18-year Transportation Facilities Plan that extends to 2030 and includes 42 separately described and mapped projects and 15 citywide programs that serve as the foundation for plan-based concurrency

Two Urban Centers and A Connected Community

Downtown East West Corridor Study focused on creating new capacity with Bear Creek Parkway, connecting roads across BNSF railroad right-of-way, developing a linear park and trail along the railroad and converting Redmond Way and Cleveland Street to two-way traffic for improved circulation Overlake Master Plan & Implementation Strategy Adopted Final Supplemental EIS Issued for Overlake Neighborhood Plan Update and Implementation Project

54,144

78,000

Redmond Population

Redmond Employment

Redmond Population

Redmond Employment

Light rail in Downtown

87,692

119,000

2024

OVERLAKE is on its way...

TO BECOME an attractive, safe place to live, work, shop and play that includes plazas, parks, trails and other amenities. TO BE walkable, bikeable and served by frequent transit service. TO THRIVE as a vibrant neighborhood with a mix and density of uses that serves as an employment center, residential neighborhood and commercial center serving nearby areas.

Redmond’s Drinking Water Receives New Protections The City is updating measures to keep drinking water safe. This is because 35-40% of the water we drink comes from groundwater – mostly from the rain that seeps into the ground and forms part of an underground environment called an aquifer. Five City wells pump groundwater for drinking water use. Redmond’s groundwater is shallow in many areas, including Downtown and in the Bear Creek and Evans Creek valleys. To protect this important drinking water resource, Redmond’s Wellhead Protection Program helps businesses and residents prevent spills and pollution to the ground. This program began in 2003 when protection areas—called Wellhead Protection Zones—were first put into place using results of a computer model. Last year, the City developed a more robust model of Redmond’s groundwater system using the best science available today. The updated model integrates more than ten years of >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22

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