letter

LETTER

Give Our Neighborhood Back 04/14/2004

This is an open letter in response to the Bertschi School's plans to develop the Reid Court apartment complex (NW corner of 10th Avenue) and to vastly expand the scope of the Bertschi School.

As homeowners in this well established city neighborhood there isn't a day that goes by that we must live with the adverse impact of the noise, traffic, parking and congestion generated by the functions of the Bertschi School.

By its own admission (Bertschi News, Winter/Spring 2004) the school has grown rapidly from the 1976 leased basement room that was established in 1976. They are now a full fledged K-5 school with two classrooms for each grade. They have continued to remodel, expand, and acquire numerous additional properties that have significantly increased their presence in this largely residential community all without the slightest concern and recognition of the impact that these changes might have on the quality of life for their neighbors.

And now they are proposing an expansion project that goes beyond our wildest nightmares. In the most recent edition of the Bertschi News the Campus Update article opens with:

"Imagine attending the 5th grade graduation on the Bertschi campus. Picture students playing volleyball in a gym with a 2-story ceiling. Envision families gathering for a back-to-school picnic on an outdoor playfield. Imagine Bertschi in 2006"

Parking for staff, parent visitations, meetings and other school-based functions has continued to exacerbate an already fragile parking environment in our neighborhood. Several years ago our neighbors residing east of 10thAvenue were finally forced into securing a Residential Parking Zone (RPZ) as a means of restricting non-resident parking generated by both Seattle Prep and the Bertschi School. Residents west of 10th Avenue have long considered such an alternative but have resisted because of the cost and other limitations of the RPZ program. Bertschi*s proposed expansion has renewed our in interest the RPZ program. The city coordinator for the program has been contacted and she has advised us that in all likelihood we could secure an expansion of the RPZ that covers the area to the east of 10th Avenue. The Bertschi School has already created an often untenable parking problem. Parents of their students, their faculty and staff of the school take up nearly every available parking spot within a 1-2 block area of the school. Also, during periods of student drop-off (8-9 in the morning) and pick-up (2:30 to 3:30 in the afternoon) the parade of SUV one-student buses that queue on 10th Avenue, Broadway and Lynn is something that approaches traffic gridlock. Residents, clients visiting home-based businesses, delivery vehicles, and anyone trying to transit this section of Capitol Hill are severely compromised. One can only "imagine" what it will be like in 2006!

And traffic and parking is only one segment of the problems with any further expansion. Noise generated by outdoor activities already creates significant noise especially for the residents living within one block of the school. If you sit in one of the backyards in nearby homes during outdoor events (to include daily recess) you will come to appreciate the unwanted noise that is created. Again we can only "imagine" what a back-to-school picnic in an outdoor playfield will be like in 2006.

Many of us have lived in this neighborhood as long or longer than the Bertschi School has been in operation. Others without quite this degree of longevity have lived here through several of previous expansions and remodeling projects. Such projects have never been endorsed by the community and for good reason -- there has never been any value-added by such projects. And this gargantuan project is certainly no exception. In previous correspondence with the community, which we would like to point out has been extremely limited and restricted to only a few houses, you have always referred to "our vision" or "our long range plans" but you have NEVER shared such plans with the community. And presumably such plans have NEVER considered the impact that they might have on the residential flavor of this neighborhood. To suggest that this upcoming project is absolutely wonderful because it "meets the school's most pressing needs" IS NOT ACCEPTABLE when it blatantly ignores the environmental impact on the community.

As property taxpayers we do not wish to see the expansion plans of the Bertschi School further erode the quality of neighborhood life and sense of community that we have worked very hard to develop and maintain over the years. The Bertschi School has already outgrown its boundaries and its space for its original intended use. If the Bertschi School cannot operate within it's current footprint and structure then we would propose that the Bertschi School strongly consider relocating to an area that will be able to support its vision to "take the school to an exciting new level of excellence".

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Look We're on FACEBOOK! NCHNA North Capitol Neighborhood Association Promote Your Page Too		LETTER Give Our Neighborhood Back 04/14/2004 This is an open letter in response to the Bertschi School's plans to develop the Reid Court apartment complex (NW corner of 10th Avenue) and to vastly expand the scope of the Bertschi School. As homeowners in this well established city neighborhood there isn't a day that goes by that we must live with the adverse impact of the noise, traffic, parking and congestion generated by the functions of the Bertschi School. By its own admission (Bertschi News, Winter/Spring 2004) the school has grown rapidly from the 1976 leased basement room that was established in 1976. They are now a full fledged K-5 school with two classrooms for each grade. They have continued to remodel, expand, and acquire numerous additional properties that have significantly increased their presence in this largely residential community all without the slightest concern and recognition of the impact that these changes might have on the quality of life for their neighbors. And now they are proposing an expansion project that goes beyond our wildest nightmares. In the most recent edition of the Bertschi News the Campus Update article opens with: "Imagine attending the 5th grade graduation on the Bertschi campus. Picture students playing volleyball in a gym with a 2-story ceiling. Envision families gathering for a back-to-school picnic on an outdoor playfield. Imagine Bertschi in 2006" Parking for staff, parent visitations, meetings and other school-based functions has continued to exacerbate an already fragile parking environment in our neighborhood. Several years ago our neighbors residing east of 10thAvenue were finally forced into securing a Residential Parking Zone (RPZ) as a means of restricting non-resident parking generated by both Seattle Prep and the Bertschi School. Residents west of 10th Avenue have long considered such an alternative but have resisted because of the cost and other limitations of the RPZ program. Bertschi*s proposed expansion has renewed our in interest the RPZ program. The city coordinator for the program has been contacted and she has advised us that in all likelihood we could secure an expansion of the RPZ that covers the area to the east of 10th Avenue. The Bertschi School has already created an often untenable parking problem. Parents of their students, their faculty and staff of the school take up nearly every available parking spot within a 1-2 block area of the school. Also, during periods of student drop-off (8-9 in the morning) and pick-up (2:30 to 3:30 in the afternoon) the parade of SUV one-student buses that queue on 10th Avenue, Broadway and Lynn is something that approaches traffic gridlock. Residents, clients visiting home-based businesses, delivery vehicles, and anyone trying to transit this section of Capitol Hill are severely compromised. One can only "imagine" what it will be like in 2006! And traffic and parking is only one segment of the problems with any further expansion. Noise generated by outdoor activities already creates significant noise especially for the residents living within one block of the school. If you sit in one of the backyards in nearby homes during outdoor events (to include daily recess) you will come to appreciate the unwanted noise that is created. Again we can only "imagine" what a back-to-school picnic in an outdoor playfield will be like in 2006. Many of us have lived in this neighborhood as long or longer than the Bertschi School has been in operation. Others without quite this degree of longevity have lived here through several of previous expansions and remodeling projects. Such projects have never been endorsed by the community and for good reason -- there has never been any value-added by such projects. And this gargantuan project is certainly no exception. In previous correspondence with the community, which we would like to point out has been extremely limited and restricted to only a few houses, you have always referred to "our vision" or "our long range plans" but you have NEVER shared such plans with the community. And presumably such plans have NEVER considered the impact that they might have on the residential flavor of this neighborhood. To suggest that this upcoming project is absolutely wonderful because it "meets the school's most pressing needs" IS NOT ACCEPTABLE when it blatantly ignores the environmental impact on the community. As property taxpayers we do not wish to see the expansion plans of the Bertschi School further erode the quality of neighborhood life and sense of community that we have worked very hard to develop and maintain over the years. The Bertschi School has already outgrown its boundaries and its space for its original intended use. If the Bertschi School cannot operate within it's current footprint and structure then we would propose that the Bertschi School strongly consider relocating to an area that will be able to support its vision to "take the school to an exciting new level of excellence".
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