UW: More troubles than benefits?

By Abby Freedman

Since the Economic Opportunity Task Force recommended easing restrictions to the University of Washington’s expansion, opposing neighborhood councils won temporary relief when the Seattle City Council land use committee recommended changes to the UW master plan. University officials felt dismayed, saying the expansion is necessary to keep the school as a first-class institution, benefiting the community in the long run.

Yet, the supposed benefit to the community is in the heart of the neighborhood council’s opposition. To them, UW’s expansion—which calls for three million more square feet in the next 10 years—will encroach onto local businesses, vacating streets for more UW buildings. They no longer see UW as a giver of benefits, but as an ever-expanding institution that lays problems to the community.

UW benefits equal community benefits?

The council committee handed a devastating blow to the UW master plan when it required the university to show specific benefits to the community, instead of simply they exist.

This was welcome news to Matt Fox, president of the University District Council and who has been continually frustrated by the university’s supposition that the community benefits whenever UW does.

“The committee stated that (UW) has to show a public benefit,” Fox said. “In the past, it’s been that, by virtue of the fact that the university benefits, the community is assumed to benefit as well. The council this time said, ‘Au contraire.’”

Fox said UW used this supposition in considering vacating streets such as NE Campus Parkway to create more buildings, such as Condon Hall. He also suspected that the same supposition would be used to lift the lease-lid, a restriction on the amount of property that the university can lease off-campus.

The lease-lid, according to Fox, is vital to the continuation of the U-District. In the past, UW has leased offices until it secured the rights to the land, which ends up annexed to University property. Without the lid, local merchants get kicked out—similar to when local businesses gave way to UW buildings in the area across the College Inn Pub.

Specificity vs. flexibility

Theresa Doherty, UW assistant vice-president of regional affairs, warned against coming out with a specific set-plan for the university.

“The master plan is premised on the idea that, in order for the university to continue its mission, it needs to have flexibility to development on-campus as new programs emerge,” Doherty said.

UW specified 60 potential development sites, comprising approximately 8.5 million square feet, though it said it would only use about a third of that amount. Local community leaders, however, believed UW is using ‘flexibility’ as an excuse to be vague.

“There are about three million feet and they won’t say where (development will take place). They won’t say when,” claimed Fox, who is pushing for a limit on the amount of new square footage the UW can put in any one sector.

“West campus (by NE Campus Parkway) has a lot of potential development for the UW. They want to use about two million of their three million feet right there. But the council caught that.”

Still, UW insisted that definite plans are untenable, especially with diminishing state funds. To maintain excellence, UW must change with the times, as necessity dictates, Doherty said. Confining itself to a set plan would be counterproductive.

Immaculate Conception

Besides cautioning against coming out with a set plan, university officials expressed concern over proposed changes to the transportation component of the master plan. Although the university plans to add up to 9,100 students and faculty within the next decade, it will not add new parking spaces. It will only increase the cost of parking, noting that the number of parking stalls stayed at 12,300 for the past 10 to 15 years without incident.

The council, however, wanted UW to be more specific on its parking plans.

“We would have a very aggressive transportation plan,” Doherty said. “We would continue to work on the U-Pass program, see if we can get more mileage out of it. But our major focus is that we would increase the cost of parking. People are more likely to get out of their cars.”

Fox said increasing student and faculty population without increasing the number of parking stalls is simply an “immaculate conception.” He said UW missed the point. Without more parking stalls on-campus, more people will simply park in front of other people’s houses.

Willie Williams, president of the University Park Community Club, noted the difference in parking between school terms. “If you come around now, you can actually park. It’s amazing, and the UW tries to deny any impact (from raising parking prices). It doesn’t take much to see (the impact). Just look at Christmas or during spring vacation—or now.” Williams also expressed doubt about the further benefits of the U-Pass program. “It’s pretty much done as much as it’s going to do. They’re real carrot-stick routine is to raise the price of parking. Well, those of us who live up (north of frat row) see vehicles pull up, bicycles get out and the vehicle stays.”

The main problem, he said, is the lax enforcement in restricted parking zones (RPZs). “The RPZs are great, enforcement is lax. The chance of getting a ticket is about one in a hundred right now. And (the higher prices) are just going to force more cars out here.”

Saving the birds—and traffic

Laurelhurst community raised another problem with the UW master plan—the proposed improvement to the UW golfing range, across the street from University Village. To the community, the improvement means the transformation of the existing 37-foot-tall golf fence into a 107-foot eyesore.

The golf range improvement, according to university officials, was prompted by its popularity, both with UW students and faculty, and with the surrounding communities. The fence is necessary to keep golf balls from flying to the road, according to officials.

UW proposed using few poles—13 instead of 34—to help make the fence less conspicuous. It also proposed using chicken wire instead of netting.

Jeannie Hale, president of the Laurelhurst Community Club, disagreed. She said the number of poles or the type of wire used will not keep a 107-foot-tall fence from becoming an eyesore. Besides, she said using chicken wire instead of the current black nylon netting could endanger nearby birds, including endangered ones residing in the wildlife preserve next to the golfing range.

Hale also warned against the height of the fence becoming a precedent in constructing taller buildings, and consequently generating more traffic. She noted that the University Village has expressed interest in using the fence as an excuse to build equally tall buildings, with offices in all but the ground floors, which would be retail space.

The infamous traffic jams on Montlake would be worse once hundreds of office workers commute to and from U-Village, Hale said.

Doherty said the UW is flexible on materials to be used and would gladly sit down and discuss a compromise with the community. She pointed to several occasions when the UW acceded to community demands, such as the proposed street vacations which she said have been abandoned.

“It’s not true,” Hale, however said. “The reason that the UW dropped its idea of street vacations was entirely different. The land-use committee was not favorable, so the UW agreed not to pursue them at this time.”

What next?

Whether UW dropped the street vacations in response to the community or the council is a matter of record, but one that is rooted to a deeper problem underlying the UW expansion: how the community view the UW today compared to how the university regard its neighborhood.

As of September 9, the UW and other parties of record have a 30-day comment period. The UW is expected to protest changes to its master plan, insisting the plan—as is—will benefit the community. Neighboring councils, however, will continue to insist on the changes, pointing to problems—not benefits—that the expansion will give them.

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