The future of Bellevue and the Eastside (Seattle, Arlington: homes, established neighborhood)

[theonlymember]

I'm moving to Bellevue/Eastside in the summer from the Bay Area, and the thought that keeps popping into my head is "They're only building a cross-city train/light rail NOW?!" Did the city planners just not think that it was important 10 years ago? When Microsoft started booming did they not think it was important?

[LongDawson]

If a train is to be built, you know some endangered spider ant might lose a habitat. Spend $450,000,000 on environmental studies then decide not to build until more studies can be done.

Or spend $70,000,000 then stop after discovering that there are bones in the dirt--
Welcome to Seattle.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm..._tribe16m.html

[Ira500]

Voters turned down light rail in 1968, 1970, and 1995 before finally approving it a few years later...
Also, there is a large and influential property owner in Bellevue named Kemper Freeman( owner of Bellevue Square Mall, amongst other nearby holdings), who has fought tooth and nail for years against light rail. If folks can't come to his mall in a Mercedes, he doesn't want "those" kind coming to his mall at all.

[LongDawson]

Interesting. I wasn't voting in 1968 or 1970 but I was in 1995. Just what was presented to the voters in 1968, 70 and 95? In many countries with effective rail service, is this something that goes to a local ballot? I wonder. I really, really doubt it. Did New York city residents vote to build that system?

US federal govt is busy protecting a middle eastern country, filling up others with depleted uranium bombs, spending a few trillion on this adventure, while we sit in traffic here and vote on higher local property taxes to pay for lawyers to sort through the cost of a train system. It's absurd really. I don't want to vote on this. I pay my taxes, build a transport infrastructure. Sharpen the pencil.

Monorail fiasco I remember. What a joke.

Looks like Seattle lacks effective local leadership, sheep citizens accept zero support from the federal govt, emphasis is on lawyer revenue over citizen needs, and any endangered stream or bone discovery will achieve pinnacle of importance. Not to mention, existing rail (and underground bus tunnel covering a few city blocks) is just not constructed at a reasonable cost especially compared to other cities in the world. It is like we Americans, in particular Seattle residents, must be considered a global "laughingstock".

I'm familiar w/Kemper Freeman and Bellevue Sq already. Bellevue seems to do very well (roads, parks, homes, schools) but not sure what is behind the extraordinary success in creating a higher standard of living. Preventing rail service would seem like an inhibitor to everyone.

[Ira500]

Kemper Freeman's rationale in opposing rail was that the money was much better used in expanding roads.

[70Ford]

Originally Posted by LongDawson

If a train is to be built, you know some endangered spider ant might lose a habitat. Spend $450,000,000 on environmental studies then decide not to build until more studies can be done.

Or spend $70,000,000 then stop after discovering that there are bones in the dirt--
Welcome to Seattle.

Local News | Lower Elwha tribe reburying 300 ancestors at village site in Port Angeles | Seattle Times Newspaper

I was working in concrete construction, building walls and footers in Tallahassee. One day, we broke an old pipe and water came gushing out. For a minute we stopped...and it stopped. It was just an old pipe, with some groundwater stopped up inside it. I made a comment, "Ever come up on any Indian bones?" and my supervisor looked at me as if I had slapped him. "NO! And you Never Will Either!" So, I had to ask... "Ermm, why so serious?" and he said, "If you find a bone, they shut us down. They shut us down, you don't get paid...I don't get paid....my house note don't get paid.... You understand me, son? You find a bone, kick it under some dirt."

Yes, sir!

Look, it's great to think you might be saving a Native American grave site. I was making 9 bucks an hour, sun up to sundown, a wife and 2 kids and all the associated bills. What would you do?

We never found any bones, by the way. I thought about bringing an old deer bone from home, tossing it in the pit..... and messing with my supervisor's head, but he was my friend's uncle, and he gave me that job. Besides that, I never had time to good off. I was too busy busting my ass.

[pwright1]

I actually think there are many cities across America that are like Bellevue. I really don't see anything unique about it at all. As long as it lacks good public transportation it will always be a suburb of Seattle. As long a folks remain in there cars and suvs it will always be a typical suburb in my book. I work there 5 days a week and sometimes hangout there after work, and imo it has a long way to go.

[Heiwos]

I think Bellevue is the best overall place to raise a family in the Seattle area. It's gotten better in the ~20 years I've been living around here. If you don't like to spend $$$, downtown Bellevue is still mostly boresville, but it's great for movies. I prefer Crossroads mall to Bellevue Square. The public facilities (parks, libraries, pool) are generally excellent. I think Bellevue will continue to improve (at least when the economy turns around), but it's lack of old buildings and the associated mindset may keep it boring compared to Seattle.

[seattlenextyear]

I prefer Crossroads too!

[Ira500]

I also prefer Crossroads. Downtown Bellevue is just a little too glitzy for my taste. Up until about 25 years ago, it had this small buildings, 50's style charm...it wasn't really trying too impress.
Now, I'd just as soon see those skyscrapers torn down to make way for some organic farms.