2008 North Rose Hill Neighborhood Survey Results

71 respondents participated in the 2008 annual neighborhood survey

Geographic zones referenced:

Near the Lake Washington Technical College, north of NE 113 Street (Zone A)

Near Slater Avenue north of NE 100th Street (Zone B)

Near Mark Twain Park, north of NE 100th Street (Zone C)

Near Forbes Lake (Zone D)

Near Mark Twain Elementary School, south of NE 100th Street (Zone E)

 

1.    Safety

More than half of respondents considered most of the 17 listed safety problems to be non-problems. However, the following issues were exceptions, with nearly 2/3 of all respondents raising significant concerns about safety or livability in their neighborhoods:

�         Top three serious concerns: (1) Sidewalks, (2) Speeding/Traffic, (3) Environmental damage

�         Top 3 minor concerns: (1) Litter, (2) Speeding/Traffic, (3) Sidewalks

�         Of the 23 individuals who had reported safety concerns to the city, 12 had a successful resolution or a resolution in progress (52% success).

For examples of some specific concerns, see #3, Unprompted concerns: Safety & Livability. Most voiced concerns were safety-related.

 

2.    Livability

Five of the 12 listed livability issues were considered problems or serious problems, with overdevelopment being the largest combined concern (41 of 71 respondents):

�         Top three serious concerns: (1) Overdevelopment, (2� tie) Not enough affordable housing, Poor bus service.

�         Top 3 minor concerns: (1) Bushes hanging over sidewalks, (2) Barking dogs & neighborhood noise, (3 tie) High house assessments, No covered bus stops.

�         Of the 12 individuals who reported livability issues to the city, 7 had success or have a resolution in progress (58% success).

 

3.    Unprompted concerns: Safety & Livability

When asked to elaborate on their perspectives on safety, livability, community-building and the picnic without prompting, 32 people responded, with more than half citing specific traffic-related safety & signage concerns.

Sample concerns:

�During the flood season, the low areas of every road leading to my home flooded. It seems that at least one road could be improved to allow safe access to my neighborhood during flooding. Drainage or fill� can work here.� More signs indicating I-405 North from 'Zone A would be helpful."

�Lack of signage.� I think we need Cross traffic does not stop" at NE 104 and 126 and 104NE and 128.� Multiple times I have almost been hit by the traffic that should stop for me but I guess they think it is a four way stop?� There's a sign at NE95 and 128 that says "Cross traffic does not stop" and I think we need more of these.� "

�No more proposals to spend money on bumps, humps and circles for Slater street but not to complete the sidewalk.� It makes me wonder what people are thinking.� What better way to improve safety than to seperate cars and pedestrians, rather than makings pedestrians cross the street 3 times and walk in the road in traffic throughout its length.� creating these traffic obsticles will only force more stupid mistakes from vehicle drivers endangering pedestrians� further.�

�Some people put their trash cans on the sidewalk on 132nd Ave NE between NE 100th and Mark Twain park. Having to walk in the bike lane with young children is not safe.�

�The City Church and the amount of traffic that it brings to our neighborhood multiple days of the week needs to be addressed. Wednesday and Thursday evenings bring people cutting through the back lot onto 128th NE, and ALL DAY Sunday is a nightmare, especially if it's necessary to drive on 132nd. The recent addition of a traffic cop after Sunday services has been a welcome feature, but The City Church definitely needs to be more responsible for their impact on our community.���� Also, the new park that was created by the neighborhood" at Woodlands Park is great, except there is NO PARKING! I live in North Rose Hill and I often walk there with my daughter. But if my husband wants to join us after work or pick us up, we must risk our lives trying to cross 124th. It was a poor, poor decision to not put in a parking lot. Even just a small parking lot would be a huge benefit. And whoever decided that the park didn't need a baby swing obviously doesn't have ANY kids under the age of three.�� "

�Sidewalks on 85th St between 128th and 132nd Ave NE REALLY need fixing! They are barely navigable with a stroller and anyone requiring a wheelchair or other assistance would have to go blocks out of their way. We should not wait for commercial redevelopment to upgrade them.�

�Has anyone noticed that there is not a freeway sign when getting onto 405 North at 124th?� There is no sign at to entrance or within several blocks of it naming the freeway and it's direction (just the standard freeway entrance" sign).� I have traveled many placed around the U.S. and have never seen a on-ramp to such a major freeway unmarked like that.� It must be hard for person from out of town to know where they are going.����� "

 

4.    Unprompted concerns: Top three neighborhood association focus areas

When asked to list their own top three preferred priorities for the North Rose Hill Neighborhood Association, 45 people responded. Overwhelmingly they were concerned about speeding and congested traffic (41 comments) and the safety impact on pedestrians, with 10 urgent requests for sidewalks. A smaller but significant audience cited the need for development standards (18 comments) and social interaction programs (11 comments) as related concerns that Kirkland losing its character:

 

 

Sample concerns:

��We are having issues with excessive speeding down 132nd Ave NE.� We live on the street and its scary to turn into our driveway now as I feel like I will be rear-ended by someone else. �

 

�Changing building codes so that the city of trees"� actually has houses built with enough land surrounding them to plant a tree.� right now Kirkland is being taken over with giant homes covering up all the land. �"

 

�1. Safety: both in terms of crime potential and traffic.� 2. Police response time.� 3. Building / development control��� Would suggest possible consideration of strategic placement of cameras to be able to capture all activity in the area and to let it be known that these cameras exist and are functional; thus forewarning all who might be prone to illegal activities.�

 

�Fix the so-called 'improvement' to the Slater/Ne 116th curve. Since this change several years ago, it is very difficult for traffic coming from east on NE 116th to get into the traffic flow (i.e get to 405, to get to work, in rush hour). We must negotiate traffic coming from both Slater & from the 124th/116th intersection. This often requires sitting thru 2 lights before a safe break appears. There are many drivers dodging into traffic, or pretending to take the right yield & then backtracking to the left, to access 124th/116th intersection. This 'improvement' seem to punish residents living along NE 116th & east of there. Really disappointing. �

 

�* Overdevelopment : I fear with all these 'no-yard, 3 giant sinlge houses built in place of a rumbler' developments, there would be no green area left in 10 years.��� * Noise : construction(lately) and dogs. Lots of neighbors leaves their dogs in the yard while they are not home. Constant barking.�

 

�Sidewalks! We need more sidewalks so that there are more areas that people can walk outside and enjoy the neighborhood. By walking through the neighborhood, people create a sense of community, security and livability. I hate having to push my daughter in her stroller and hold onto the leash of my dog and navigate the speed bumps and speeding cars on NE 104th St.��� Encouraging appropriate development. The Cottage Company has created two beautiful developments (one technically in Redmond on the East side of 132nd) with high density living. Two blocks away there are huge, unattractive homes being built haphazardly all around. There needs to be a Beautification" committee to make sure that more ugly homes aren't built!��� The evening traffic from Microsoft and other companies which causes tons of traffic on 132nd and 124th with drivers trying to avoid 405. This amount of traffic and speeding drivers spills over onto the side streets creating dangerous situations.��� Creating an off-leash dog park would be great too!�� "

 

�1.� It sure would be nice if one could walk safely along 124th Ave NE (from NE 85th to NE 116th) using a sidewalk on one side or the other and/or have crosswalks along the road when one sidewalk ends and another one begins on the other side.� Currently there are stretches of road where no sidewalks exist on either side.��� 2.� Would be nice if it were made more clear on 92nd Ave NE as to where one can or can't park on the side of the road.�

 

 

5.    Unprompted comments: What we like about North Rose Hill

When asked without prompting what they like about living in North Rose Hill, 50 people responded with a variety of answers. Overwhelmingly, the top values expressed were:

1)     Location convenience, driving to I-405, Seattle, MSFT (36 comments)

2)     Friendly neighbors who take care of their properties (24 comments)

3)     Quiet, peaceful , clean and varied residential area (22 comments)

4)     Walkable environment with nice parks (16 comments)

5)     Safety and low crime (10 comments)

Sample comments:

�We love the location of the area and accessablity to other areas like totem lake, rose hill downtown and Redmond.� We also like the fact that we feel safe in Kirkland, thank you KPD.�

 

 

 

�Peaceful environment (Unfortunately this has started to change see my comments above)�

 

�The friendliness of most of the neighbors has been exceptional. Living so close to so many parks and playgrounds (especially within walking distance) is great for me and my daughter. I also love that we are close to everything but we are also separate from much of the hubbub of downtown Kirkland and Redmond and the 405 corridor. I also love the tall trees that have managed to escape the developers and the wrecking ball.�

 

 

�Proximity to everything.� At least to this point, the control that the City has maintained in regard to building and development. City seems to have maintained it's 'character' by this control, whereas cities (like Bellevue) are turning into just another cookie-cutter type metropolitian area.�

 

 

�Location-Easy access to Eastside communities and I405.� Access to downtown Kirkland-However parking for downtown events can be challenging and there is not good bus service to get back up the hill! �

 

 

�It is quiet. It has a low level of vandelism and crime. The streets are on a grid pattern that make it easy to access our homes. Most people take care of their landscapes.�

 

 

�close to things we need(stores, doctors and other like services), we live on a street with mainly single family homes and we like being able to know our neighbors, being able to participate in neighborhood programs and having city officals visit our meeting(I feel this gives me voice in the community)�

 

 

�1) Easy access to 405;�� 2) near Kirkland, which has somehow maintained it's 'small town' flavor & lower building height.� 3) Trader Joes!� 4) CERT program - this was a great community builder, I thought.� 5) Easy access to Redmond & Bellevue� 6) Nice, quiet, nature-oriented, simple parks (Juanita Beach & Juanita Bay, Mark Twain)� 7) relatively low traffic (compared to Bellevue)� 8) I LOVE the new exit-only lane at NE 116th (my exit) & the new 116th SB� on-ramp seems to have improved traffic flow too.�

 

 

�1)� Relative safety.��� 2)� Neighbors care about their properties, making yards look attractive w/ landscaping & flowers.��� 3)� Mixture of home styles, prices, & ages in North Rosehill neighborhoods.� This comment excludes new development which is too similar in style & price.��� 4)� I like the cottage homes on NE 128th Ave.� Altho' they are crammed on the property & are small, these cottage homes are a nice experiment in a different style home.�

 
     

 

6.    Community-building opportunities

When asked what activities or programs they would attend to build stronger community connections, respondents overwhelmingly chose outdoor summer block parties and open gym nights. A tie-in to crafts (in the gym) or pickup-soccer games outside Mark Twain school might also be effective.

 

 

7.    Picnic-improvement opportunities

When asked what activities would make the neighborhood picnic better, four answers rose to the top, mainly focusing on younger kids, middle school kids, and people young enough to run around in ultimate Frisbee. A strong interest in crafts also exists, but the age group is unknown.

 

 

8.    Conclusion.

People who live in North Rose Hill generally enjoy the unique combination of location, great neighbors who care about keeping peaceful neighborhoods neat, and a city that works hard to focus on safety.

Concerns

As a result, our biggest concerns are primarily about what we are losing when the density of the area increases. As traffic congestion increases and spills over into previously safe neighborhoods, we worry more about sidewalks and speed control. We have a beautiful new park on 124th with no parking and dangerous walking to it with kids. We also have a traffic revision on Slater that has made traffic flow more unpredictable. And bushes hanging over sidewalks in many parts of North Rose Hill increase the need to walk in busy streets. Sidewalks and sidewalk maintenance are high priority needs.

Although cottage homes are high density, they appear to be seen as a welcome alternative to architecturally similar megamansions on small lots with no trees.

Interests

Overall, we enjoy our neighbors and wish we could spend more time with them outdoors or at a central location like Mark Twain School. It doesn�t even have to be too structured. Block parties are good. Open gym nights are good. And if the activity spills outside into pick-up soccer games, or someone sets up a craft table in the school on the same night, that�s OK too.

As for the picnic, keep it focused on kids, with maybe some ultimate Frisbee, and it�ll be great.

 

 

Survey hosted by Stellarsurveys.com

Survey creation & analysis by Bob Forgrave  (bob AT forgrave DOT net)