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Columbia City's Neighbor News |
Farmers Market
![2637581820_22d817a69d[1].jpg](http://columbiacity.wdfiles.com/local--files/wikli-item:4/2637581820_22d817a69d[1].jpg)
After many conversations with the City of Seattle and the owners of Columbia Plaza, the Columbia City Farmers Market is moving to the street!
On July 7th The Columbia City Farmers Market will reopen in its new location on Edmunds Street between 37th and 36th Aves S. The market booths lined up on the north and south sides of the street will act as a corridor from the light rail station on MLK to the Columbia City Business District.
Thanks to everyone who shared ideas and strategies from the very beginning of our search! We are confident that this new home will be even better suited to support our growing community of farmers, neighbors and local businesses.
We are just so thrilled to finally share the good news!
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This is the perfect move at just the right moment. As the CC Theater, under new ownership, becomes a music pilgrimage site, people will take the train from the City, walk right down Edmunds, turn south at the alley behind the shops on the west side of Rainier, down Ferdinand to Lottie's and on to the Theater. On the way back to the train a couple authentic night spots will emerge. This move is essential for all of this to transpire. Thank you for the great planning foresight.
I agree. I'm really happy that the new location is so close to the existing one.
I'm unclear about how we'll fit all the vendors & shoppers in the available right of way, and I'm looking forward to seeing it in action. I'm imagining it'll be squeezed between the BOA drive-through and the corner of Edmunds & the alley beside Southside Commons — that's only about 350'. I guess they can face north & south, so double that.
The new development at Columbia Plaza plans to put their driveway beside the BOA drive-through, which will further limit the available space on Edmunds.
Right now, the zoning between Rainier & MLK doesn't support that idea of authentic night spots. The commercial zones end at the east sides of Columbia Park and Columbia School. New development in the L-zones is typically townhomes, and to the south is single family zoning. I bet there isn't a strong voice for changing that. On the contrary.
Thanks, Scott. This clarifies the condition for me. I actually was under the impression that on Farmer's Market day, Edmunds would be closed to car traffic for a block or two. I saw that up near MLK to the north of Edmunds and west of 35th there was an "Edmunds St. Light Rail Overlay District" and assumed this meant some commercial would front MLK. See link below:
[[http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Research/gis/webplots/k66w.pdf]] Any insights on what the overlay district entails.
I wonder why Edmunds couldn't be pedestrian-only all the time?
Ferdinand and Alaska should be able to accommodate the car traffic running e-w between Rainier and MLK. Edmunds has an awkward relationship to MLK anyway. The drop-off function currently served by Edmunds could be maintained with a turnaround from Alaska terminating just north of Edmunds. We could expand all of the traffic circle islands along Edmunds to the sidewalks and plant small forests or large gardens. The spaces between these green islands would begin to feel like plazas. Live/work lofts could move up to the sidewalk with an activing relationship with the street/plaza…
Here are the rules that apply in station overlay districts.
I've heard that Columbia City Business Assn members prefer to center the neighborhood's commercial activity along Rainier. There is limited commercial zoning at MLK & Alaska (top left of the graphic), but that's it.
From the standpoint of transit-oriented development, the station is challenged, in that the Cheasty slope limits access & development to the west. Edmunds serves as a pedestrian conduit, but there's no provision for ped-oriented businesses there.
While the CCBA may prefer the commercial center along Rainier, it seems poised to compete with commercial development along MLK. A battle determined by the placement of the light rail station and the increased housing density/stock along MLK. And what about Zion? Will that megablock really remain L-3? Is there a reason to keep it that way?
At some point I thought someone posted on the wiki about Woonerfs. Edmunds seems like a perfect candidate for such a development - fostering a pedestrian oriented, traffic calmed, community space that connects the development along MLK to Rainier.
It is easier to envision the potential relationship of MLK to Rainier at night, standing at the corner of 39th or 42nd Ave S looking back on the street light lined S Edmunds. With the historic commercial district in the foreground and trains buzzing by in the background, you can see the farmers market on the street (perhaps even a night market(?)), an eclectic mix of work live units (make these the rule), people walking along the (brick) paved road past the statue of Jimi Hendrix at 35th Ave S & Edmunds.
Right now, the walk down S Edmunds seems only to emphasize the gap. Moving the farmers market onto the street is a start to filling that gap. Moving it west, bringing the retail district with it, seems to me the best way to keep the historic district part of the westward shifting center of Columbia City.