HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Meeting - Council Workshop - Minutes - 03/18/1997 Kent, Washington
March 18, 1997
A workshop on the RTA Rail Station was held at 6: 05 p.m.
Councilmembers present: Clark, Epperly, Houser, Johnson and Orr.
Planning Manager Satterstrom noted that the purpose of the
workshop was to update the Council on the Downtown Action Plan
and bring in the element of the commuter rail. He noted that a
few Planning staff, Engineering staff, and Director of Operations
McFall took a field trip to Chicago the first week in March to
learn more about commuter rail and its relationship to land use
planning. He noted that METRA, who runs the commuter rail
service in Chicago, has the most extensive commuter rail service
in the United States with approximately 260 rail stations. He
noted that the commuter rail was very quiet and the trains were
on time.
Paul Bay, Vice President/Principal, BRW Inc. , gave some
background information on what commuter rail is and the
difference between it and light rail. He noted that the RTA will
be working with the City of Kent in deciding where the rail
station should be located to serve the City, and that it will be
a joint decision-making process because of an adopted RTA policy.
John Owen, Partner, MAKERS Architecture & Urban Design, briefed
the Council on the Chicago Field Trip, gave a slide presentation
and shared lessons learned relevant to the Kent Commuter Rail
Station. He also described the alternatives for the north and
south station concepts to the Council.
Paul Bay made a comparison of the alternative sites for the
Council and explained how each alternative station location would
meet the objectives of the City.
John Owen noted that Auburn, Tukwila, Puyallup, Sumner and Tacoma
will have rail stations.
Satterstrom pointed out that an advantage in this area is that
the RTA will give $5. 8 or $6 million to the City of Kent for
stations, parking, and circulation improvements. He noted that
the City would have a good control on how the money is spent in
the budget within certain perimeters. He also outlined the
schedule of meetings for the Council and noted that the Council
will receive notification of the upcoming meetings along with
drafts of the plan as they are available.
The meeting adjourned at 6: 55 p.m.
Donna Swaw
Deputy City Clerk