In August 2011, the Shoreline School District issued a Request for Proposals to solicit potential buyers for the Aldercrest Annex. The District received several offers, but due to the depressed real estate market, none were deemed to offer enough value for the District. Thus, according to Superintendent Sue Walker, the District has decided to postpone sale of the property for the time being.
What does this mean for us? The Friends of Aldercrest will continue to work with the Ballinger Neighborhood Association, city, School District and other willing partners to maintain the site as a safe and enjoyable neighborhood asset. If you would like to get involved in site clean-up efforts or other activities, please get in touch!
Shoreline School District has issued a Request for Proposals to attract potential buyers for Aldercrest Annex! Any new owner will be required to develop the property in a manner consistent with the provisions adopted by the Shoreline City Council in March 2011, including the permanent dedication of 6-7 acres of park space to the City. Those provisions were developed through a collaborative process between the School District, City, Friends of Aldercrest and the Ballinger Neighborhood Association, followed by public hearings.
Mark Your Calendar for March 28th at 7:00 pm
Another milestone has been met toward preserving a community park at Aldercrest Annex! After a continued public hearing by the Shoreline Planning Commission on March 3rd, and some minor modification being made to the Plan, the Commission unanimously voted to recommend the re-zoning Proposal for City Council approval. The City Council now has a study session on the Proposal scheduled for March 21st, and a final vote scheduled for their March 28th meeting.
The modifications made by the Planning Commission added language to ensure the following:
· That the future 6-7 acres park would be a large, broad space sited in the Southern portion of the property (rather than some sort of ’strip’ or ‘ring’ shaped park).
· That 80% of the trees along the entire eastern property border must be protected, avoiding possible large loss in one area off-set by large retention on another area.
· That the northeastern corner of the property, which currently lacks the type of trees and undergrowth to provide a natural visual screen from any new development, would have additional landscaping added to the area.
For more information on the final Proposal language being forwarded to the City Council, see the City of Shoreline Aldercrest Project Web Page. Look for the links on the right side of the city’s project page.
Remember, our efforts are not complete ! The proposal still requires approval by the City Council. Please come to their meeting on March 28th and show your on-going support for preserving the Community Park at Aldercrest Annex.