A spokeswoman for our group added this comment:
http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/dont_do_it_for_the_children#c806237
Hi Dominic,
Traffic near the elementary school is not the "make-it-or-brake-it" part of the hospital proposal. It was never my intention to imply that it was.
The impacts of this proposal are bigger than the impacts of the new entrances. 240 foot towers in a residential neighborhood? Constructed continuously over 13 years? As others have said, what precedents do we want to set for future city growth?
But back to the traffic impacts. I actually highlighted traffic impacts primarily because of their broad reach, not their closeness to schools. Adding 240 foot towers and 2,000 parking stalls in an already-congested area will not have a good impact.
Unless we build out our infrastructure (wishful thinking, alas), we’ll all wind up stuck in the same traffic jam at Montlake. Hospital staff, patients, neighbors, buses, carpools. Everyone. We’re in this together.
Also, you asked for detailed alternatives, so I'm sending a link to those. A professional land-use planner wrote up a range of alternatives beyond the two proposed by the hospital: http://www.laurelhurstcc.com/issues/CHMC/LCC3472ChildrensEychanerScopingComments.pdf. Note that these alternatives only address the existing location.
I regret that my words have offended many folks commenting here. I am speaking out about this issue because I care about it. I have all the grace and tact and savy of an amateur. I wish I'd managed to get across how this project affects all of us. Clearly I did a lousy job. That's my fault.
