Tensions flare at Queen Anne meeting over city's plan to eliminate parking
Queen Anne residents protest city's parking plan
Some people living along 14th Avenue West in Queen Anne finally got to give officials some feedback following a proposal to remove about 50 parking spaces from their street.
SEATTLE - Residents in Queen Anne are trying to pump the brakes on a project that would take away around 50 parking spots in one part of that neighborhood.
City leaders say it's about having enough space on a narrow street so that fire trucks and other emergency vehicles don't get stuck on a narrow street.
What they're saying:
Wednesday during a public meeting on the plan, neighbors rallied against the change and called for city leaders to look for other options.
"I don’t have assigned parking. I drive a lot for my job," said Tracy Rubstello, a Queen Anne resident who lives between 13th and 14th on the west side of Queen Anne.
She already knows all too well how tough parking is in that area.
"I got a good spot today I can’t give it up," said Tracy.
In fact, she walked to Wednesday's public meeting at the library in order to keep that coveted spot.
"It’s already really hard to find parking," said Tracy.
Cars parked along 14th Avenue West in Seattle's Queen Anne Neighborhood. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Tracy and other residents packed the Queen Anne Library to hear from SDOT, Seattle Fire and the District Director from council member Bob Kettle's office about that plan to eliminate around 50 spots.
"I feel like I’m going to be displaced and then have to carry two children at night by myself," said a woman who spoke pubically. She brought her small child with her to the meeting.
Captain Tim Taylor from Seattle Fire says the goal is to save lives and property, referencing data from January 2022 through March 2026 stating that firefighters responded to 73 incidents on 14th Ave West between Barrett and Gilman. At least 6 of them had delays due to access issues.
"That’s the amount of clearance that we have," said Seattle Fire Captain Tim Taylor, showing a truck squeezing through the narrow street. "We are losing valuable time."
Seattle Fire Captain Tim Taylor discusses parking along 14th Avenue West.
People who live nearby say they don't want to impede on the fire trucks but felt the city could have opted for other options, claiming the plan seemed to be formed without proper analysis of the impact.
"As I mentioned earlier, we did kind of a napkin-level sketch," said an SDOT spokesperson.
"First of all, no one would want to hear an answer that was just put down a napkin," said Juan Cornejo, a Queen Anne resident.
"I’m here because this is my project," said Rebecca Duran, council member Bob Kettle's district director.
Duran got into a back and forth at times with residents at the meeting.
At one point, Duran accused a man who'd spoken at the meeting of making an obscene gesture, before telling him to leave. He left without incident.
Some residents said they wanted council member Kettle there himself.
"I do hope they go back to our representative, who I think, frankly, should have been here," Cornejo said.
What's next:
SDOT officials are not saying whether the spot removal is a done deal. Officials say they're taking what was discussed at Wednesday's meeting under consideration.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Department of Transportation and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.