On January 21st, citizens of Tukwila attended ‘Taking Action Day’, the first meeting of the Community Stewards Program hosted by Cascade Land Conservancy (CLC). The workshop was comprised of two parts: (1) a series of presentations on growth management goals and how to effectively participate in the planning process; and (2) an interactive discussion with community members of Tukwila.
Cascade Land Conservancy’s relationship with Tukwila began by helping restore the site known as Duamish River Bend Hill. Nine years ago the site was slated to be dynamited, prompting Tukwila citizens to form “Friends of the Hill” to protect the local landmark from destruction. After the hill was purchased by the City of Tukwila in 2004, CLC began enlisting volunteers to help clear debris, rip out invasive vegetation, and to replant with native vegetation around the area. Serving now as a natural area continuing rehabilitation, Duamish River Bend Hill provides interactive education for youth as a culturally, ecologically, and geologically significant site preserved by the power of citizens caring for their community.
After Community Stewards presentations, citizens split into small groups to discuss community issues and how they should be addressed. David Shumate, a Tukwila resident proposed a circulator bus to help better connect the neighborhoods of Tukwila.
“The idea is to tie the different sections of Tukwila together. Neighborhoods are currently separated with I-5 running through the middle. The area of Tukwila now that it is incorporated is made up of separate distinct neighborhoods… they are geographically different, nothing really ties them together so I was thinking a bus circulator route would be a great idea,” says Shumate.
Equipped with a large poster of Tukwila’s GIS street map, Shumate showed the proposed route and stops (see .JPEG map) which coincide with the light rail and Sounder stations on Tukwila’s west and east city boundaries respectively. The circulator bus will also help residents around Tukwila connect to community centers, parks, Southcenter Mall, and City Hall.
“As Density increases there’s going to be more pressure on people to either adapt to driving in their cars or hopefully take a circulator bus,” Shumate suggests.
As part of regulating land use and development, Tukwila is preparing a draft Urban Center Plan for the Southcenter area. Shumate believes in having the circulator bus up and running before planning and construction has begun in dense areas such as Tukwila’s Urban Center to encourage transit-oriented development. Bus stations will help developers plan out how many units they want to develop with the idea of spurring development along transit routes.
In terms of funding, Shumate believes the circulator bus may find an ally in the Southcenter Mall as a public private venture to help fund the costs of running a circulator bus. A circulation route will provide a local link for Tukwila citizens to the mall as well as a regional link connecting Seattle and Sea Tac Airport to the Southcenter Mall from the Sounder and light rail stations. The Chamber of Commerce, which oversees economic development in Sea Tac and Tukwila may help build interest for the route in Tukwila’s business community as the circulator bus proposal progresses.
To make the circulator bus happen, citizens of Tukwila must get involved to, “Help spark people’s imagination and educate people that they have the power to enact such a thing by petitioning their council members and other organizations responsible for this (circulator proposal),” Says Shumate.
While Shumate admits the circulator bus will be a long-term project it starts by letting people know that such a thing could happen. The mission of the Community Stewards program is to help build active groups and develop community leaders like David Shumate to support projects and legislation guiding neighborhoods toward complete, compact, and connected development.
For more information please contact Skye Schell at skyes@cascadeland.org or (206) 905-6891.
Learn more about the Community Stewards program in Tukwila at:
http://cascadeagenda.com/cities/cascade-agenda-community-stewards/tukwila
For information on the next Community Stewards ‘Taking Action Day’ workshop on March 18th in Kirkland visit: http://cascadeagenda.com/cities/cascade-agenda-community-stewards/kirkland
