Maple Leaf Community Council Candidate Questionnaire
Please answer all of the questions shown below. Return the questionnaire via email to
David.Miller@MapleLeafCommunity.org by June 1, 2015. Your answers will be shared with community
members. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Maple Leaf Community Council does not endorse candidates for
public office. The goal of this questionnaire is to provide additional information to Maple Leaf neighborhood
residents so they can make more informed decisions on candidates for citywide office.
1. How long have you lived in the district? Please describe your involvement with Maple Leaf prior to running
for office. Please describe your involvement with organized neighborhood groups in this district prior to
running for office.
2. Knowing that sidewalks are expensive to build in Seattle, what specific steps (including specific funding
sources) would you take to build more sidewalks in Maple Leaf?
3. Maple Leaf residents consistently advocate for crosswalks and speed control devices. Our success has been
sporadic and long in the coming--we pursued the installation of radar speed signs on 15th Ave NE for five
years, and the placement of two new crosswalks in our Roosevelt business district for a decade before
achieving these goals. Please provide specifics on how you would work to bring pedestrian safety
improvements in the Maple Leaf neighborhood.
4. Maple Leaf is located between two future light rail stations. Outside our three business districts on Roosevelt
Way, Lake City Way, and 5th Ave NE, our neighborhood is largely zoned single family. Would you support
changing our current single family zoning to allow for larger buildings and higher density within in the Maple
Leaf boundaries?
5. When Link light rail arrives at Northgate in 2020 (or so), Metro has proposed to sharply reduce or eliminate
downtown bus service in the Maple Leaf area, particularly on 5th Ave NE. The proposed Link stations will be
20 blocks from our neighborhood core, which makes taking light rail an impractical option for many in the
area. As a result, most of Maple Leaf transit riders will remain reliant upon bus service. Describe how you
would address neighborhood concerns about service reductions.
6. Which Council subcommittees would you like to chair and/or be a member of? Why?
7. Council will now be elected by Districts.
a. In what areas would the needs of your district take precedence over the needs of the city?
b. In what areas will the needs of the city take precedence over the needs of the district?
c. Do you believe the City Neighborhood Council/District Council system should be changed and
why?
8. What mode of transportation should be given priority on Seattle streets (listed in alphabetical order): Bicycles,
buses, commercial vehicles, personal cars, or surface-level light rail? (Sorry, “All of them” is not an adequate
answer!)
9. Over the past 10 years, DPD rules regarding notification requirements for development projects have been
amended, limiting the ability for neighbors to participate in shaping development near their homes and
businesses.
A. The rationale for these changes was to streamline development and reduce costs. What are your
thoughts on using this as a rationale to reduce/eliminate notice?
B. Would you support legislation requiring notification and a comment period on any permit that
involves demolition, new construction, and/or expansion of an existing building?
10. Do you support a stronger tree protection ordinance for Seattle, including requiring permits for cutting trees
on private property? Why/Why not?
11. Discuss how you view Seattle’s “Urban Village” density plan. Do you think Seattle should continue to
concentrate its density in this way, or do you think this approach should be revised? Please provide the
reasons behind your responses. Please also indicate which Seattle 2035 Alternative you prefer.
12. How do the data in the King County Buildable Lands report affect your views on zoning changes within
Seattle?
13. DPD persistently allows developers to piecemeal (also called micropermitting) projects to avoid Design
Review and SEPA. Do you believe this is appropriate? If not, how will you solve the problem and what will
you do about DDR2-2015?
14. Would you implement the Safe Neighborhood Streets legislation passed by the 2013 State Legislature? If
‘yes’, how?
15. Seattle created an international best practice via a ground-up neighborhood planning process, but has since
moved away from this innovation both from a policy perspective and by underfunding the process. What are
your thoughts on ground-up neighborhood planning?
16. Give us your thoughts regarding the participatory budget system.
Is there anything else you would like to add? (Please feel free to include links to your campaign website.)
Please omit this page when you return your responses.
Please reserve Wednesday, June 3rd
for the Maple Leaf Community Council Candidates & Issues Night!
This event is typically the best attended community-sponsored forum
in the north end of Seattle.
Please watch your inboxes for more information.