Appeal: Light rail construction will be a 'blight' on U District
When the U-District Station opens, it will connect residents to Northgate Mall in the north and SeaTac Airport in the south via light rail.
But, the seven years of construction leading up to its opening will be a blight on the neighborhood, causing an increase in crime, an influx of less desirable residents, and a pile of hardships for business owners and residents – at least according to two appeals filed by the owners of the University Manor Apartments.
The University Manor Apartments, or U Manor, is a 90-year-old building on the corner of Brooklyn Avenue Northeast and Northeast 43rd Street that is home to at least 140 residents.
U Manor is also located at the southeast corner of what will be the major construction staging area for the future U-District Station, the Sound Transit light rail station that will be located 80-feet under Brooklyn Avenue between the Neptune Theater and U Manor.
When construction starts – right now, it’s scheduled for 2014 – a 16-foot-high wall will be erected around U Manor, limiting pedestrian and vehicle access. And, the owners of U Manor aren’t happy about what that will mean for them, their tenants, and the neighborhood at large.
Carl Schaber and Gene Casal filed two appeals Dec. 27 protesting the city’s approval of the construction site’s environmental impacts and the noise it will create.
“U Manor and its residents will be severely impacted by the construction noise from the project and especially the higher noise levels allowed at night,” states one of the appeals.
The appeal alleges the noise will disturb residents’ sleep, causing negative health effects, which will in turn mean more vacancies and broken leases, which will lead to reduced rents and less desirable tenants.
“This jeopardizes the economic viability of the building and will cause a blighting condition affecting this building and surrounding vicinity, as well,” states the appeal.
According to Sound Transit, which plans to have crews work throughout the night on the project to make it quicker and cheaper, nighttime ambient noise at U Manor would only increase seven decibels. That’s about the difference between a quiet car driving at a low speed and a normal conversation heard from three feet away, according to a very specific Sound Transit chart.
U Manor’s owners counter in their appeal by saying that doesn’t take into account the brief loud noises that are most likely to disrupt sleep.
The owners want U Manor, which sits in a commercial zone, classified as a residential zone for the purposes of the noise study because it serves a residential purpose. Reclassifying it as such would carry stricter nighttime noise constraints.
In the second appeal, Schaber and Casal take issue with dirt and toxic fumes that construction will release into the air and the reduced pedestrian and vehicle access to U Manor.
They also claim the construction site will lead to an increase in the neighborhood’s already high risk of crime by reducing visibility for pedestrians and creating hiding places for criminals.
“Many U Manor tenants are students who return home late at night,” states the appeal. “The construction walls and barriers will reduce ‘eyes on the street’ and shield criminal activity from view.”
A hearing is scheduled for the appeals at 9 a.m. Feb. 6 at City Hall.
The U-District Station is scheduled to open in 2021, and Sound Transit expects more than 12,000 people will use the station every day by 2030.
But, the seven years of construction leading up to its opening will be a blight on the neighborhood, causing an increase in crime, an influx of less desirable residents, and a pile of hardships for business owners and residents – at least according to two appeals filed by the owners of the University Manor Apartments.
The University Manor Apartments, or U Manor, is a 90-year-old building on the corner of Brooklyn Avenue Northeast and Northeast 43rd Street that is home to at least 140 residents.
U Manor is also located at the southeast corner of what will be the major construction staging area for the future U-District Station, the Sound Transit light rail station that will be located 80-feet under Brooklyn Avenue between the Neptune Theater and U Manor.
When construction starts – right now, it’s scheduled for 2014 – a 16-foot-high wall will be erected around U Manor, limiting pedestrian and vehicle access. And, the owners of U Manor aren’t happy about what that will mean for them, their tenants, and the neighborhood at large.
Carl Schaber and Gene Casal filed two appeals Dec. 27 protesting the city’s approval of the construction site’s environmental impacts and the noise it will create.
“U Manor and its residents will be severely impacted by the construction noise from the project and especially the higher noise levels allowed at night,” states one of the appeals.
The appeal alleges the noise will disturb residents’ sleep, causing negative health effects, which will in turn mean more vacancies and broken leases, which will lead to reduced rents and less desirable tenants.
“This jeopardizes the economic viability of the building and will cause a blighting condition affecting this building and surrounding vicinity, as well,” states the appeal.
According to Sound Transit, which plans to have crews work throughout the night on the project to make it quicker and cheaper, nighttime ambient noise at U Manor would only increase seven decibels. That’s about the difference between a quiet car driving at a low speed and a normal conversation heard from three feet away, according to a very specific Sound Transit chart.
U Manor’s owners counter in their appeal by saying that doesn’t take into account the brief loud noises that are most likely to disrupt sleep.
The owners want U Manor, which sits in a commercial zone, classified as a residential zone for the purposes of the noise study because it serves a residential purpose. Reclassifying it as such would carry stricter nighttime noise constraints.
In the second appeal, Schaber and Casal take issue with dirt and toxic fumes that construction will release into the air and the reduced pedestrian and vehicle access to U Manor.
They also claim the construction site will lead to an increase in the neighborhood’s already high risk of crime by reducing visibility for pedestrians and creating hiding places for criminals.
“Many U Manor tenants are students who return home late at night,” states the appeal. “The construction walls and barriers will reduce ‘eyes on the street’ and shield criminal activity from view.”
A hearing is scheduled for the appeals at 9 a.m. Feb. 6 at City Hall.
The U-District Station is scheduled to open in 2021, and Sound Transit expects more than 12,000 people will use the station every day by 2030.
Raze U-Manor then. Problem solved. It looks like a earthquake deathtrap anyways.
Another typical example of the crazies at work. First the complain there is too much traffic, congestion, and other things. Now that they are getting light rail they are complaining all the low life will come here, traffic will be tied up, it will be a mess, and on and on. Can't make them happy with nothing I guess. If you want something, don't bitch when you finally get it.
Another government "taking" otherwise known as theft of use. The citizen and taxpayers of Seattle are getting punchy with all the assaults to liberty and the pocketbook.
Ummm, the U-District is a blight on the U-District.
If anyone is curious about what future Seattle will look like, ......crime and drug infested apartment canyons pretty much sums it up. Thank you Gary Locke, Thank you Democrats.
The light rail doesn't seem worth it, I don't see many using them.Â
Most ghettos have rapid transit running thru them. Wouldn't want to spend too much time there.
If you think 7 decibels is loud sheesh.... I suggest these whiners more out into the sticks on 5 acres dig a mote, build a wall and fill the mot with a flaming liquid to ignite.. sheesh you live in the city.. their is CITY NOISES! construction is just one of them...then there are sirens, for ambulances, fire, and police,  etc. sheesh this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!...toxic picked up during construction... sheesh they probably get worse air pollution from all the people lighting up smoking in that area!
Don't worry they will get it done before the 9.0 earthquake hits and breaks up all those tunnels the taxpayers spent billions on.
That 90-year-old building survived the construction of I-5 and its on-ramps and off-ramps through Seattle and it will survive this transportation construction as well. Â
A blight? Actually it'll be a good way to get to games!
Yes, bringing sorely needed mass transit to a neighborhood that is a pita to get to on a good day is a blight*.
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*in this instance blight means awesome.
BLIGHT:Â Â destructive force: something that spoils or damages things: severely ruined state: a severely spoiled or ruined state, especially of an urban area
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Yeah, I'd move too.
Cry me a river, between this and the people in Montlake crying about 520 expansion people need to get over themselves. You decided to like in a city and things like this happen to cities with a healthy economy. If you never want to see improvements then move to Detroit, I don't think they are building up their infrastructure.
*live.
blight on a blight? Sounds like no harm no foul. We've got to get some transportation alternatives to the north end and stop settling for status quo of sitting in traffic. Let it happen.
Looking at the pictures, the finsihed station appears to be several stories tall. Why? What is all that "overhead space" going to be used for?
 @LocalLady window washing
too bad.
"Less desirable tenants" Wait until they see what rides on and gets off of light rail. I feel no sorrow for them, the old adage comes to mind. "Be carefull what you wish for, you just might get it"
"turn mean more vacancies and broken leases, which will lead to reduced rents and less desirable tenants."
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somehow that comes off sort of sh***y to me.
I don't care about the UDistrict anymore, moved out of there years ago.
 @workerbee Than why bother commenting?
It's stupid to think that major construction projects aren't going to be a pain. This is something that needs to happen for the better of the region, and it will take time and inconvenience to get there. Stop whining and let it happen
Another case of not in my neighborhood. But of course they will love it when it's all done. It's the same people who complain about the roads. Then when they do construction to fix them they complain about that.
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@the unvarnished truth The Light Rail part of Sound Transit won't be in Tacoma until after I'm dead. Although we will be paying for it until then.
This will not be the cause of any incress in crime. Thecrimerate inthe U-district is already on the rise. To many drugs being sold in the area  and drunk tragets make for a high crime rate. This will not help the traffic eather. Just this state pouring more money down the drain hole...
How dare them 'blight' my corner. I demand they include a Teriyaki shop too
Statler Schaber and Waldorf Casal, the two grumpiest muppets in the University District. Undesirables? A wall creates crime? Give me a break, if a construction wall is the breaking point on a tettering crime wave than these two crybabies have much bigger problems in there neighborhood! I think asking the police to make a few more drive byes rather than wasting thier "what I assume has to be not much left in thier lives" time on being the grumpiest NIMBY muppets on UW-hill. These guys need two Schrammie's two chew on, better make them soft and full of fiber.
Carl Schaber and Gene Casal what a couple of clowns, just looking for some money
What a bummer. Sounds like rent will go down and students might get to live there more cheaply. If these guys yell loud enough they might get to face this:http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/centers/sac/eminent
Just another reason to hate Seattle. WHAAAA! I live in the city! WHAAAA I don't want to hear construction noise.
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This is what happens when you live in a city. Seattle desperately needs to build a much better transit system across the board. Our traffic is now fourth worst in the country and only getting worse. We all suffer from lost productivity, wasted time, increased pollution from ever idling cars, increased heat island effect in the summer, and higher overall costs of goods and services.
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SUCK IT UP. This city could have done this back in the 60's and early 70's - BUT nooooooooooooooooooooooo....
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 @the unvarnished truth  @Howard Beale Also if you want someone to blame, blame the cry babies for holding up construction because of "too much noise" or "too much traffic".Â
 @the unvarnished truth  @Howard Beale ummm, the original light rail was to be done by 2006, not all the connecting extensions and stations...and not for $1.8 billion total. Get your facts straight before spewing nonsense
 @the unvarnished truth  @bearzooka  @Howard Beale Are you sure you're not talking about the downtown to airport section?
Whether tenants are "less desirable" lies entirely with the property management in their screening and nothing else. It assumes people who make less income are automatically criminals or something, which is not the case. They don't want to tell you that their $1200 apartments were about $400 a month (as were most others) not that long ago in the neighborhood's history and the neighborhood was not infested with criminals as a result.
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Yes, it will be a disruptive project and it will be hard for nearby landlords to justify market rate during construction. Isn't that part of the "free market" adjusting to events? Living closer to the new UW dorm construction I have endured 3 years of work with more private apartment projects about to start as well. it sucks but the noise phases pass and that is the way things go. The U District will not turn into Fremont but it is getting it's turn at development attention. Not everyone is excited about that and it will be a mixed bag.
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Crime may rise once the project is finished as a byproduct of the ease of transportation to the U District from other areas but the city will have to have a response to manage that. With more people you get more of everything, both good and bad.
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Yes, Sound Transit needs to make a good effort to minimize the impact on residents and business stakeholders but density dictates that our neighborhoods are changing. We can hope the place won't be filled with empty condos while people who need to live in the U District for school or work reasons get priced out into Renton. That is where the worthy fight is at the moment. The landlords need to do some extra work as a result of this project, not just express their concerns.
Typical NIMBYs. Â This is one of the many reasons things cost so much and take so long to build.