Bastyr University has unveiled a 10-year master plan, which calls, perhaps most notably, for a new academic building, a parking structure and completion of previously announced student housing units.
Officials of the private school located in St. Edward State Park in Kenmore also hope to improve an existing road that loops around the university.
School leaders were recently in front of the Kenmore city Planning Commission. Commissioners moved Bastyr’s proposals to a public hearing currently scheduled for September. They eventually will make a recommendation to Kenmore City Council, which ultimately can approve or disapprove the plan.
Even as Bastyr was before city planners, council and university officials reached agreement on a couple of outstanding issues, including a proposal for a new traffic light at the intersection of the entrance to St. Edward Park and Juanita Drive.
The access road serves both the park and the school.
Greg Goode, chief of staff to Bastyr President Daniel Church, said work on the school’s expanded student housing is under way and named revamping of the loop road a high priority. Goode said the new academic building is still in the planning stages.
As for the new housing, Bastyr held a groundbreaking May 8 for 11, two-story dorms being built on the northern edge of school property.
The housing will consist of what officials termed at the time as cottage-style buildings designed to minimize impacts and fit into the campus’ natural setting. Despite the claims of low impact, the plans drew a formal challenge from local conservationists. However, Bastyr officials prevailed at an administrative hearing.
As for the loop road, Goode said the key feature from the school’s point of view is increased access, including handicapped access, to existing ball fields on university property. Notably, Goode also stated what the school is not looking for at this point is an additional access road from Juanita Drive.
There have been a lot of rumors regarding Bastyr possibly wanting to build a new road into its portion of St. Edward. The idea drew some criticism from basically the same environmentalists who challenged the dorm plans.
According to Goode, the idea for a second access road springs from concerns over emergency access to the university and the park. Goode added the fear is a tree falling on the winding, wooded road could block the only route onto the property.
“The concerns are the ‘What if’s?’” Goode said. He added that, in the opinion of Bastyr officials, neither the current student population of about 1,000 nor future student projections justify construction of a secondary access road.
In response to potential blockage of the existing road, Goode added that school leaders are working with the Northshore Fire Department and state park officials to put in place a system to better monitor the conditions of the access road. Goode said the intent is to ensure that if the road becomes blocked for whatever reason, Bastyr or the parks has the means to quickly remove that blockage.
To move the proposal forward, Bastyr and park officials signed a letter of intent to work toward a formal agreement on emergency issues related to the access road.
Calls regarding the master plan made to Kenmore City Hall were referred to City Manger Fred Stouder. He was not readily available for comment.
In the meantime, City Council on July 27 approved a settlement agreement with Bastyr in the amount of $141,000. According to information released by the city, the agreement settled some outstanding issues between Kenmore and the university over the latter’s construction of a gravel parking lot. The agreement also sets a baseline for traffic headed to the school.
Until traffic counts exceed 270 cars per hour in peak driving times, Bastyr will not be responsible for any traffic mitigation on Kenmore streets presumably beyond the planned for traffic signal at Juanita. Council authorized city administrators to sign a letter of intent between Bastyr and Kenmore regarding the light.
According to the city, the terms of the agreement call for Bastyr to place the traffic light near Juanita and the St. Edward access road by 2012 at a cost of between $300,000 and $350,000, all to be paid over time by the university. Bastyr will bear the cost of the light in addition to the $141,000 settlement. The city would handle all design and construction.
“The city and the university are taking steps sooner rather than later to address this public safety issue,” Goode said concerning the traffic light. He stated the traffic count at the intersection doesn’t justify a light presently and projections show it won’t be needed until after 2012.
