Construction Work To Start June 22 On Aegis At Five Corners

An updated start date for construction on Aegis Living, a senior community to be located at the triangular site (3200 NE 45th Street) at Five Corners, is the end of this month, according to Jennifer, a representative with Aegis. 

"In June we will be mobilizing, setting up temp power, dewatering and making a storm drain connection into the street. The contractor will be sending out a neighborhood notice when we get closer with additional detail" Jennifer told the Laurelhurst Blog last week.

Exxel Pacific  General Contractors sent the Laurelhurst Blog this information:

Utilities construction on the storm line in NE 45th St is to begin 6/22/21. Demolition of the existing asphalt/concrete on site is slated to begin 7/15/21. All work will be completed in strict accordance with the State of Washington social distancing and Phase 2 construction guidelines. Any changes to Phase and requirements will be met. Trucks will be accessing the site from 45th St. at existing curb.

The design proposal, submitted in July 2016, includes 135 units in a six story building (55-70 feet) with 53 parking stalls and 2500 square feet of retail on the first floor proposed to house a salon and cafe.  Amenities will include  elegant dining, salon, barber shop, pub, theater, trail view  lounge, chat cafe, courtyard, and 6th floor Sky Lounge. 

First residents are scheduled to move in around spring of 2023 according to the Aegis website. 

Demolition at the site  which included 5 long-term businesses was completed in October 2020.  In July 2020, the building in which China Village resided for over 30 years was demolished. The Wong family have owned the restaurant since 1987. In 2016 Amy, and her brother, Lee Wong bought out another family member and changed the name from "China Village" to Uncle Lee's and remodeled the restaurant. It is now located at Sandpoint Village (5408 Sand Point Way).

Amy told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff at the time: "We started off as “China Village” and now we will continue our family business and passion as 'Uncle Lee’s'!"

Also demolished was the building where Benton Jewelers used to be, which was most recently a brokerage firm.

Before demolition, the landmark Benton clock, which since 1986 stood in front of the old Benton Jewelers location, was removed and put into storage at a cost of $30,000. The new clock location, at the corner was unanimously approved by the Landmarks Preservation Board in January at a Certification of Approval meeting.  The clock enclosure was powder coated and the restoration of mechanisms is underway.  

Also demolished was the building, in which for over four decades, Baskin-Robbins was located.  In September 2015 it was forced to close, even though the building was not demolished until 4 years later. 

The manager of Baskin-Robbins who owned that franchise for 15 years, told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff at the time that "unfortunately, we were unable to reach an agreement regarding a lease on the site with the Broderick Group, a real-estate brokerage company, so Baskin-Robbins is forced to close." 

He added that the new landlord "wanted to raise the rent by more than 50% with all costs included." 

Other buildings demolished housed well-know long-time businesses at one time or another, including Select Hair Salon which had rented their building for over 20 years and was originally located in the north side of the current Varlamos Pizzeria (3617 NE 45th Street) before it expanded.  

After demolition, the site appeared to be unmaintained for a number of months and began to be covered with graffiti and weeds.

The Laurelhurst Blog contacted Aegis and asked if mesh covering could be put on the fence surrounding the property since construction would not start immediately at such a well-travelled intersection and entry point into many neighborhoods.The site also consistently has graffiti , which the City requires to be covered within 10 days. 

Aegis installed a blue mesh cover on the the entire fence surrounding the construction site.  They also are  continually maintaining the vegetation on site, as well as keeping the site clear of trash and graffiti and ensuring the fence remains standing. 

Aegis had a contractor paint the adjacent wall, which is not their property, to match the adjoining business and are trying to keep it painted throughout the project. A project manager does regular site visits to ensure the site security and maintenance. 

Recently the project manager painted over the tagging on the adjacent wall and also has been replacing some of the mesh paneling and a sign on the fence that were tagged. 

The "Aegis Laurelhurst" website says:

Offering 111 stylishly designed assisted living apartments for seniors and 24 memory care apartments for your family member needing specially trained dementia care. Aegis at Laurelhurst is designed to be the center of social activities. With a large plaza at the main entry, families can play, connect, and relax. Don’t miss the top floor sky lounge with views of the UW campus, Lake Washington and the Seattle skyline.

Another retirement home, Empress Senior Living (4020 NE 55th Street), is currently under construction, on the former Hawthorne Hills Veterinary Hospital site, across from Metropolitan Market. The proposal, Permit #3025827, includes 3 stories of approximately 74 units with a restaurant at street level and parking for approximately 30 vehicles above and below grade.

Former Baskin-Robbins Demolished Today

Demolition has started on the upcoming Aegis Living Assisted Living triangular site at Five Corners, which will include 135 units in a six story building (55-70 feet) with 53 parking stalls and 2500 square feet of retail on the first floor which would house a salon and cafe, according to the design proposal submitted in July 2016.

Today, former Baskin-Robbins building was demolished. The popular ice-cream store stood at that location for over four decades and was forced to close in September of 2015.

The manager of Baskin-Robbins who owns that franchise location told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff at the time that "unfortunately, we were unable to reach an agreement regarding a lease on the site with the Broderick Group, a real-estate brokerage company, so Baskin-Robbins is forced to close.

He said that the new landlord "wanted to raise the rent by more than 50% with all costs included." 

He added: 

I countered and it was not accepted.  But the more important issue is that they couldn't not give us the long term lease, so we couldn't accept their terms knowing that the minimum wage will rise along with franchise fee and everything else. They were very firm on not renewing us long term. And we couldn't decide to run for just an extra year only to be told to vacate, not to mention at a much higher rent, etc.

The franchisee and his family had owned the store for 15 years and the store has been at that location for 40 years.

The franchisee manager told the Laurelhurst Blog staff an interesting story of how his family came from Korea, saving up money to buy the store:

It was around December 1996 time when Seattle was experiencing one of the worst snow storms in its history when my family arrived at Sea Tac airport from Korea. I was only in 9th grade, and my parents gave up everything they had in Korea, promising career, friends, family, etc to bring my family over to America for the better future of their next generation. 

So my second chapter in life started in America and Baskin Robbins was there from the beginning. Thanks to my parents' sacrifice, I ended up going to MIT and my brother is now an oral surgeon trained in Ivy league school in New York. I've been always grateful for what this country provided for my family and what my parents did for us.  

So it's really sad that 40 years of history is now going to be gone along with 15 years of my family history at the site. Unfortunately, with the rising utility costs, payroll costs, rents, and everything else, it has become increasing more difficult each year to maintain the store.  

But we still wanted to continue operating as we have invested a lot of money into the store in the past decade+. But without a commitment from the landlord for the site, we can only do so much.  

The Baskin Robbins Store has been on the premise for over 40 years, and it's the oldest store in Washington state, and it's been with my family for over 15 years now, and we are extremely saddened by this event, and I would like to express my apologies for being unable to continue to serve the community.  

The store was my family's American dream, and it provided so many memories. It's quite sad to let it go like this.  

So with all this being said, we are closing on September 27 as the last day. And we will vacate by the end of the month.

The property then sat vacant for several years and had a couple of random stores which neighbors report never had any business and closed suddenly then sat vacant again for about another year.

Aegis will be demolishing all the buildings inside the fenced area which include 3200 and 3232 NE 45th Street and 3215 NE 45th Place. The demolition of the five buildings will take about one month. Recently a salvage/recyclable truck has been at the site removing items in each buildings, removing items to be diverted from landfills with separate waste streams by the demolition contractor.

Demolition trucks and equipment will stage on private property and traffic disruptions should be minimal. No lane obstructions are anticipated during demolition, however there will be some disconnects of existing utilities and installation of new upgraded utility infrastructure for the project and area that will occur in the right of way and are being scheduled around heavy traffic times and in some cases overnight. Flaggers will be present during construction phases that require lane obstruction. This will be intermittent throughout construction.

Last month, the landmark Benton clock was removed that stood in front of Benton Jewelers since 1986 which then became Edward Jones (3615 NE 45th Street) next to the location where China Village used to be, was recently taken down and put into storage. The cost to move and store the clock is $30,000. The new location will be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Board. Options include placing it on the corner of Ne Street and NE 45th Place, or in the large new courtyard which will face NE 45th Street.

Another retirement home, Empress Senior Living, has broken ground across at 4020 NE 55th Street, where the Hawthorne Hills Veterinary Hospital was currently located and since been demolished, across the street from Metropolitan Market. The proposal, Permit #3025827, includes 3 stories of approximately 74 units with a restaurant at street level and parking for approximately 30 vehicles above and below grade.

Billboard Near Old Baskin-Robbins Removed Today

The large billboard at Five Corners, the busy intersection of Mary Gates Memorial Drive NE, NE 45th Street, NE 45th Place and Union Bay Place NE, was removed today, in preparation for the upcoming construction of Aegis Living's Memory Care Center.   

Several years ago, The Laurelhurst Community Club submitted a letter to the City requesting the billboard be removed, stating in part:

The billboard at this intersection contributes to driver distraction, even more so in recent years due to Code changes that authorize video components to signs and billboards.

Aside from driver distraction and the accompanying bicyclist and pedestrian safety issues, the billboard at Five Corners is unattractive and out of context.  An oversized billboard at this location gives the feeling that one is driving on SR 99.

When the Sand Point Naval Air Station was conveyed to the City of Seattle in 1997, the need for this section of NE 45th Street to be held as a state highway spur was eliminated.  It would be wonderful to now remove this vestige of state highway appearance and restore the aesthetic environment to one appropriate for an arterial that winds between residential neighborhoods. 

Over the years, the Laurelhurst Community Club Board of Trustees has heard from many neighbors complaining about the billboard at Five Corners for the reasons that we have cited. 

Aegis Living's Memory Care Center, will be a six story building (55-70 feet), containing 135 units with 53 parking stalls, and 2500 square feet of retail on the first floor, housing a salon and cafe, according to the design proposal submitted in July 2016.

Bryon Ziegler, Director of Development and Entitlements for Áegis Senior Communities, told the Blog Staff, that they are anticipating permits in late 2019 and the construction period is likely 20-24 months with the first resident move-in’s the fall of 2021. Aegis anticipates approximately 80% of the residents will come from the local neighborhoods. 

The new building will be on an assemblage of parcels includes 3200 and 3232 NE 45^th Street and 3215 NE 45^th Place. These are two buildings, but three parcels.  Most of the businesses on these parcels, Diane’s Alterations, Lakeview Vision Clinic, Edward Jones, Farmers Insurance, Uncle Lee’s, University Tutoring, Felipa’s Consignment and Rules Salon, have already moved to new locations.

Another retirement home is also under review for 4020 NE 55th Street, where the Hawthorne Hills Veterinary Hospital is currently located, across the street from Metropolitan Market. The proposal, Permit #3025827, includes 3 stories of approximately 73 units with 3,100 square feet of commercial space and parking for approximately 30 vehicles located below grade. The existing structure would be demolished. The architect has proposed 3 different alternatives which can be seen here.

5 Corners Roadwork

SDOT posted this information about ongoing roadwork at Five Corners, at Five Corners, the busy intersection of Mary Gates Memorial Drive NE, NE 45th Street, NE 45th Place and Union Bay Place NE:





Zone A (between NE 45th and NE Blakeley streets):

• Cews plan to restripe a portion of NE 45th Pl between NE 45th St and NE Blakeley St to ensure the busy 5-way intersection near NE 45th St is clearly marked. Crews will also replace traffic sensors near NE 45th St.
  • There are no design changes to this part of the project corridor, so new striping will match what was on the street before we started construction.
  • One lane of traffic in each direction will remain open while striping takes place.
  • Expect limited turns to and from the intersection while crews complete work. Uniformed police officers will direct traffic around the work area
  • Striping is weather-dependent and may be postponed
• Contact
  35th Ave NE Project Outreach Team
  Seattle Department of Transportation
  Construction information line: (206) 512-3950
  35thAvePaving@seattle.gov
  www.seattle.gov/transportation/35thNEpaving.htm

Comment On Aegis Facility Re-Zone

The public is invited to comment now on the Contract Rezone for Aegis Living, an assisted living and memory care provider, which would be built at "Five Corners, where the former Baskin Robbins site, which closed September 2015 was located.

Aegis Living is planning on a building a 135 unit, six story building (55-70 feet) with 53 parking stalls on a lot currently zoned for 40 feet. Permit # 3025056 will require City approval of a "contract re-zone" to build as requested. 

An NEDC Board member said "Of note is that newly approved higher heights can later be used to justify higher heights for future nearby buildings. This site is a 5-way intersection which had a "red light" camera which recorded 6,000 violations by SDOT in 2009 while it was operative. "

The new facility would be five levels over a parking garage with 2500 square feet of retail on the first floor which would house a salon and cafe, according to the design proposal submitted in July 2016.

Bryon Ziegler, Director of Development and Entitlements for Áegis Senior Communities, told the Blog Staff last March, that "other possibilities include an ice cream bar, community room, outdoor plaza and salon."

Bryon said that they are anticipating permits in late 2019 and the construction period is likely 20-24 months with the first resident move-in’s the fall of 2021. Aegis anticipates approximately 80% of the residents will come from the local neighborhoods.

The assemblage of parcels includes 3200 and 3232 NE 45^th Street and 3215 NE 45^th Place. There are two buildings, but three parcels.  The existing large billboard will be eliminated and the historic clock, below the billboard, will remain. 

Bryon said that the businesses currently in the buildings that will be demolished will have all their leases honored, until they end in 2019.   These businesses included  Diane’s Alterations, Lakeview Vision Clinic, Edward Jones, Farmers Insurance, Uncle Lee’s, University Tutoring, Felipa’s Consignment and Rules Salon. 

Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) wrote in a newsletter,earlier this year:

LCC Comments on Aegis Design Plan 

LCC wrote to Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections in support of the proposed Aegis senior care facility at Five Corners and  its local approach to senior living.  

LCC offered comments on the architectural style and building design, massing and scale to adjacent structures, and zoning. LCC has appreciated Aegis’s outreach process for involving the neighborhood in the design process.  

Aegis’s large assisted living and memory care facility site is the triangular lot at the Five Corners intersection of NE 45th Street and NE 45th Place. The location of this facility is at the gateway to residential communities, and its look and size will have direct impacts on the neighborhood.  

The tentatively approved concept is Massing Concept Option #3, which features a garden patio cut out along NE 45th Street and a memory garden at the back of the building along the Burke Gilman Trail. The proposed architectural character for this site borrows features from the historic Tudor and Craftsman styles found in adjacent Bryant and Laurelhurst neighborhoods.  

LCC very much supports this design effort from Aegis as their building will be a prominent structure with significant visual impact. The facades and materials and overall style appear very compatible with the quality of its surrounding architecture.  

Despite the codes’ allowance for the averaging of the buildable heights within a sloped lot, the 72-foot height requested in the plans starts straight up from the pedestrian level intersection and is out of scale to surrounding small businesses and nearby single-family residences.  

The requested building height also will block view lines of Mt. Rainier for some adjacent residents from the north and east, as well as create more shading along the Burke-Gilman Trail. LCC recommends that the building be lowered by at least 12 to 15 feet. LCC is supportive of Aegis’ re-configuration of the new crosswalk and improved public safety; however, LCC recommends retaining a 30-foot setback for the project, not the 21-foot requested setback. The loss of site lines due to a shallower setback could be detrimental at this dangerous intersection.  

The garden patio feature for pedestrians with access to the cafe is welcoming landscape along NE 45th Street. LCC would like to see a roof-top garden feature incorporated in the design. This outdoor space with views of Mt. Rainier could be used for activities by patients, families, and Aegis staff. While LCC supports this project, it requests that the issues outlined be addressed further and resolved in the design approval process before approval for construction.  

For more information go here.

Another retirement home is also under review for 4020 NE 55th Street, where the Hawthorne Hills Veterinary Hospital is currently located, across the street from Metropolitan Market. The proposal, Permit #3025827, includes 3 stories of approximately 73 units with 3,100 square feet of commercial space and parking for approximately 30 vehicles located below grade. The existing structure would be demolished.  The architect has proposed 3 different alternatives which can be seen here.

Update On Proposed Aegis Living Retirement Home At Five Corners

The Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) published comments in its recent newsletter, on the proposed Aegis Living, an assisted living and memory care provider, which would be built at "Five Corners, where the former Baskin Robbins site, which closed September 2015 was located.

Two permits (3025007, 3025056) have been submitted.  The demolition permit includes "two existing one level buildings" the building to the north of Baskin-Robbins up to Bakker Dry Cleaning. The addresses are 3200-3212 NE 45th Street and 3201-3209 NE 45th Place.  

The new facility would have 116 units and would be five levels over a parking garage with 2500 square feet of retail on the first floor which would house a salon and cafe, according to the design proposal submitted in July 2016.

Bryon Ziegler, Director of Development and Entitlements for Áegis Senior Communities, told the Blog Staff last March, that "other possibilities include an ice cream bar, community room, outdoor plaza and salon."

Bryon said that they are anticipating permits in late 2019 and the construction period is likely 20-24 months with the first resident move-in’s the fall of 2021. Aegis anticipates approximately 80% of the residents will come from the local neighborhoods.

The assemblage of parcels includes 3200 and 3232 NE 45^th Street and 3215 NE 45^th Place. There are two buildings, but three parcels.  The existing large billboard will be eliminated and the historic clock, below the billboard, will remain. 

Bryon said that the businesses currently in the buildings that will be demolished will have all their leases honored, until they end in 2019.   These businesses included  Diane’s Alterations, Lakeview Vision Clinic, Edward Jones, Farmers Insurance, Uncle Lee’s, University Tutoring, Felipa’s Consignment and Rules Salon. 

Here are LCC comments:

LCC Comments on Aegis Design Plan

LCC wrote to Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections in support of the proposed Aegis senior care facility at Five Corners and  its local approach to senior living.  

LCC offered comments on the architectural style and building design, massing and scale to adjacent structures, and zoning. LCC has appreciated Aegis’s outreach process for involving the neighborhood in the design process.  

Aegis’s large assisted living and memory care facility site is the triangular lot at the Five Corners intersection of NE 45th Street and NE 45th Place. The location of this facility is at the gateway to residential communities, and its look and size will have direct impacts on the neighborhood.  

The tentatively approved concept is Massing Concept Option #3, which features a garden patio cut out along NE 45th Street and a memory garden at the back of the building along the Burke Gilman Trail. The proposed architectural character for this site borrows features from the historic Tudor and Craftsman styles found in adjacent Bryant and Laurelhurst neighborhoods.  

LCC very much supports this design effort from Aegis as their building will be a prominent structure with significant visual impact. The facades and materials and overall style appear very compatible with the quality of its surrounding architecture.  

Despite the codes’ allowance for the averaging of the buildable heights within a sloped lot, the 72-foot height requested in the plans starts straight up from the pedestrian level intersection and is out of scale to surrounding small businesses and nearby single-family residences.  

The requested building height also will block view lines of Mt. Rainier for some adjacent residents from the north and east, as well as create more shading along the Burke-Gilman Trail. LCC recommends that the building be lowered by at least 12 to 15 feet. LCC is supportive of Aegis’ re-configuration of the new crosswalk and improved public safety; however, LCC recommends retaining a 30-foot setback for the project, not the 21-foot requested setback. The loss of site lines due to a shallower setback could be detrimental at this dangerous intersection.  

The garden patio feature for pedestrians with access to the cafe is welcoming landscape along NE 45th Street. LCC would like to see a roof-top garden feature incorporated in the design. This outdoor space with views of Mt. Rainier could be used for activities by patients, families, and Aegis staff. While LCC supports this project, it requests that the issues outlined be addressed further and resolved in the design approval process before approval for construction.  

For more information go here.
.

Another retirement home is also under review for 4020 NE 55th Street, where the Hawthorne Hills Veterinary Hospital is currently located, across the street from Metropolitan Market. The proposal, Permit #3025827, includes 3 stories of approximately 74 units with 3,100 square feet of commercial space and parking for approximately 28 vehicles located below grade. The existing structure would be demolished.  The architect has proposed 3 different alternatives which can be seen here.

Laurelhurst Community Club Comments On Proposed Aegis Assisted Living At Five Corners

Aegis Living, an assisted living and memory care provider, has submitted permits (3025007, 3025056) to build  a facility at at "Five Corners, where the former Baskin Robbins site, which closed September 2015 was located.

The demolition permit includes "two existing one level buildings" the building to the north of Baskin-Robbins up to Bakker Dry Cleaning. The addresses are 3200-3212 NE 45th Street and 3201-3209 NE 45th Place.  

The new facility would have 116 units and would be five levels over a parking garage with 2500 square feet of retail on the first floor which would house a salon and cafe, according to the design proposal submitted in July 2016.

Bryon Ziegler, Director of Development and Entitlements for Áegis Senior Communities, told the Blog Staff in March, that "other possibilities include an ice cream bar, community room, outdoor plaza and salon."

Bryon said that they are anticipating permits in late 2019 and the construction period is likely 20-24 months with the first resident move-in’s the fall of 2021. Aegis anticipates approximately 80% of the residents will come from the local neighborhoods.

Bryon told the Laurelhurst Blog staff that the new site is somewhat confusing (see attached graphic above) saying: 

The assemblage of parcels includes 3200 and 3232 NE 45^th Street and 3215 NE 45^th Place. There are two buildings, but three parcels.  

There is also a billboard that will be eliminated. The historic clock will remain. 

The 30’ city right of way between the curb and the property line will be landscape and enhanced for public use, including the little pedestrian bulb at the intersections of 45^th and 45^th. This Aegis Senior Community will be designed to either the City’s Living Building Challenge or Mandatory Housing Affordability standards.

He said that the businesses currently in the buildings that will be demolished will have all their leases honored, until they end in 2019.   These businesses included  Diane’s Alterations, Lakeview Vision Clinic, Edward Jones, Farmers Insurance, Uncle Lee’s, University Tutoring, Felipa’s Consignment and Rules Salon. 

The café at Aegis, would be open to the public and would be the Queen Bee Café, a non profit business. Others are currently located at the Madison and Queen Anne Aegis facilities and specialize in traditional English crumpets.

Bryon said that Aegis has engaged Transpo traffic engineers to conduct a traffic study of the very busy Five Corners area where the facility will be located.

He added:

We are an assisted living and memory care provider, which is a very low traffic generator especially at peak hours. It is very rare that we have a resident who drives. We do have staff and visitor parking, as well as deliveries which we will provide for in an underground parking garage and loading area.

For more information about the project, go to the City permits website and reference permits 3025007, 3025056, 6520824, 6537047, 3025007, 6552104, 3025056, 6557274, 6082637.

Another retirement home is also under review for 4020 NE 55th Street, where the Hawthorne Hills Veterinary Hospital is currently located, across the street from Metropolitan Market. The proposal, Permit #3025827, includes 3 stories of approximately 74 units with 3,100 square feet of commercial space and parking for approximately 28 vehicles located below grade. The existing structure would be demolished.  The architect has proposed 3 different alternatives which can be seen here.

Here are Laurelhurst Community Club's (LCC) condensed comments on the Aegis development: project submitted to the City:

Architectural Design characteristics

A. Design

The samples shown in the proposal by the architects for this Aegis location, appears to borrow features from both the historic Tudor and Craftsman's styles found in the adjacent Bryant and Laurelhurst neighborhoods. The location of the proposed facility at the Five Corners is truly a "gateway" building that should reflect some of the architectural features. 

LCC strongly encourages this type of quality in the overarching style of the new facility, similar to the Aegis in Queen Anne at Rogers Park be used as a prototype. Conversely, the Aegis on Madison Street, is not as appealing with too much tall massing-wedged into its triangular lot. The Bellevue Aegis facility is also lacking much design character at all, and falls short of a "gateway" style and quality.  LCC requests that SDCI require an actual sample of type of materials that will be used, and provide a more fully developed design from Aegis Senior Communities LLC before permit approval. This can include exterior facades, window types, paint colors and lighting as key design components.

B Parking Requirements

Because the senior living facilities are very labor intensive, the underground parking in all of the alternatives is essential. The Five Corners location has professional offices across the street, and NE 45th Place in the residential streets behind it in the Bryant neighborhood are already impacted by parking from the staff and patients "spill over" parking every day. In addition, there will be facility visitors, patient support and delivery vehicles at that congested triangle. Aegis must provide at least 65-70 of its own dedicated parking stalls to enable the facility to operate, and allow for some overlap at the "shift change". The main employee shifts operate at 6:00am-2:00pm, and then 2:00-10:00pm so that employees must arrive in the dark by 5:50 am. It is unrealistic to project that many of the staff will be riding their bikes in the dark at 5:15-5:45 am (especially since many employees are statistically noted as female), or, would ride home on their bike in the dark when the second shift ends at 10:00pm.

Transit options are also very limited at the early morning, and late evening hours, and Aegis has not offered any shuttle service. Thus, many workers will be SOV users, and it needs to provide parking for them in all alternatives. Aegis may want to partner with Seattle Children's Hospital to pay to share their shuttles at least to the Light Rail facility.

Visitors to patients will also need some transient parking places which should be allocated in the Aegis parking stall plans, based upon their historical projections. (see below concerns about the parking stalls submitted)

The commercial stores offered at the facility will likely need a few parking places in addition to being available for pedestrians, and bikers although it is most likely used by visitors, residents and staff.

C. Traffic and Circulation

While SDOT  will have its own regulations and recommendations about the proposed new facility, LCC offers its comments: 

Traffic

• The Five Corners intersection is one of the busiest in Seattle, and THE busiest in NE Seattle. In fact when the "red light" cameras were operative at that intersection for several years, the City of Seattle reported that it had the highest number of infractions recorded and fined.
• When the driveway is located along NE 45th Place, it is critical that it is far enough away from the center of that intersection to avoid backups and potential collisions.
• In addition, trees and vegetation along both NE 45th St and NE 45th Place should be set back to maintain safe sight lines for oncoming traffic, and pedestrian crossings.
• Circulation for vehicles and underground parking stalls should be open, and without barriers  to smooth entry. Aegis should work with SDOT and SDCI to be certain that curb cuts to the drop off circle, delivery driveway and into the underground parking  lot are wide enough, to prevent backups which could occur as vehicles enter their primary driveway off NE 45th Place.

D. Community Outreach

The Laurelhurst Community Club appreciates the outreach stated in the Aegis plan to host community use of their facility.  Because Aegis will likely have some former residents of the adjacent neighborhoods, it would be a positive and inclusive use of the facility to keep its residents involved with their friends and family.

Thank you for considering the comments of the Laurelhurst Community Club, and we know that the City of Seattle will consider the impacts of the development of such a large institution in such a small footprint. LCC is supportive of this type of facility, and wants to contribute as a party of record to make it a good fit and a successful facility in the neighborhood.

For more information go here.