Here we go again. An 18-acre site formerly used as a conference center is slated for development in a style that is oblivious to nature and the need for low-income housing. We can and should do better.
Located across NE 41st from Union Bay Natural Area in northeast Seattle, the site has park-like grounds, large trees, an active Bald Eagle nest and a partially buried creek that could be restored. It’s a trifecta of missed opportunities in a city that supposedly cares about such things.
This project could have incorporated low-income housing with a conservation easement, or a park or open space, or a protected green corridor connecting to the 65-acre Union Bay Natural Area just across the street. It could have been an exciting opportunity to link the remains of Yesler Creek, which connects to restored areas of the Burke-Gilman Trail to the north and Union Bay Natural Area to the South.
No such vision or forethought exists in the current plan. Instead, Talaris is planning to build 65 expensive, luxury homes and to cut down 226 trees on the property, including many that are considered exceptional by the city’s standards due to their size or because they are a part of tree groves.
Layer on top of this the recent poll indicating that 81% of Seattleites strongly favor better tree protection and stewardship and you wonder how there can be such a disconnect in the Emerald City? https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-voters-back-stronger-tree-protections-in-recent-poll-7adf
So what is going on here? Clearly, the City, the politicians and the developers are out of touch with Seattle residents, with the need to house low-income people, and the need to increase, not decrease the city’s tree canopy.
This plan needs to go back to the drawing board. It needs to factor in low-income housing, tree protection and creek restoration. It needs to show thinking beyond property lines. It needs to show a much more visionary approach on how to develop a cherished open space right next to Union Bay Natural Area and close to the University of Washington. We can have low-income housing, tree protection and creek restoration. Let’s do it all at the former Talaris site.
If you live in Seattle and wish to comment on the proposed Talaris project, please send in your remarks here: https://web8.seattle.gov/sdci/shapingseattle/buildings?
