a vision for the business district - … · alicia diefenbach, verity . credit union andrew muller,...

GREENWOOD - PHINNEY RIDGEA VISION FOR THE BUSINESS DISTRICT

Alicia Diefenbach, Verity Credit Union

Andrew Muller, Umpqua Bank

Bryan Miller, Naked City Brewing Company

Debbie Schorzman, Verity Credit Union

Dustin Foss, HomeStreet Bank

Jamie Clausen, Phinney Estate Law

Jim Bennett, Woodland Park Zoo

Molli Piper, Illumination Learning Studio

AJ Cari, Office of Economic Development

Chris Maykut, Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe

Crystal Kosta, Frederick’s Salon

Duncan Griffin, Resident and Phinney Ridge Community Council Member

Heidi Hall, Office of Economic Development

Jeremy Collison, Resident

Joey DeYoung, Urban Hands

Kerston Swartz, Woodland Park Zoo

Ron & Robyn Lewis, 83rd & Greenwood LLC

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe Greenwood - Phinney Ridge Business District Visioning Project was completed during the summer and fall of 2017. Convened by the Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA), it was shaped by the ideas, insights, and passions of the Greenwood - Phinney Ridge business and residential community. The PNA is grateful to everyone who participated, whether through interviews, focus groups, surveys, or casual conversations.

This visioning project was funded in part by a grant from the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development and facilitated by BDS Planning & Urban Design.

PNA Staff: Alex Gramps, Emilia Jones, Megan Wildenradt, Lee Harper

Terry Cook, Resident and Phinney Ridge Community Council Member

Bret Mulholland, A-1 Piano Sales and Rentals

Jason Hooyman, Hooyman Family Chiropractic of Greenwood

Andy Herbst, Space Travel Supply Co.

Becky Ducsik, The Phinery

Beverly Sobelman, Versatile Arts

Bill Clements, Rosewood Guitar

Bob Tate, Seattle Knife Sharpening and Supply

Brad Kahn, Groundwork Strategies

Chelsea Keene, The Cookie Counter

Davey Oil, G&O Family Cyclery

David Brotherton, Brotherton Strategies, Inc.

Gary Brunt, Piper Village

Jackie Houston, Slattery Properties

Jamie Scott, Ceres

Jeff Reibman, Weber Thompson

Jenna Boitano, Seattle ReCreative

Justin Sauvageau, The Park Public House

Kevin Cirulli, Maven Maids LLC

Marjie Johnson, Johnson and Johnson Antiques

Mark Mullally, The Towers on Greenwood

Maureen OShaughnessy, Leadership Preparatory Academy

Micah Bickel, Phinney Ridge Dental

Mitchell Johnson & David Wiegand, Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery

Nathan Engman, HomeStreet Bank

Nikki Visel, Taproot Theatre Company

Noel Miller, RoseWater Advisors LLC

Paulette DeRooy, TempoFitness TapDance Plus

Perryn Wright, Teachers Lounge

Shelley Goulding, 9 Cranes Inn

Stacey Romberg, Stacey L. Romberg, Attorney at Law

Tara Berg, Hazel Salon & Organics

Theo Dzielak, Couth Buzzard

Tim Nolan, Phinney Ridge Cabinet Company

Tinashe Rusike, A-1 Pianos Sales and Rentals

Tom Nissley, Phinney Books

Tony McCreight, Matt’s Greenwood Autocare

Tracy Weber, Whole Life Yoga

Valerie Cohen, Seattle Folklore Society Concert Series

Willow Yoder, Greenwood Hardware Inc

Young Jee Filer, IRG Physical and Hand Therapy - Greenwood

8Limbs Yoga

A la Mode Pies

Baranof

Fixture Gallery

Home Espresso Repair

Northwest Center Kids

Salmon Bay Community Lending

Starbucks

The Seattle Public Library

Woodland Park United Methodist Church

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | 3

GREENWOOD - PHINNEY RIDGE: A Vision for the Business District October 2017

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYFrom July through October 2017, the Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) convened a Steering Committee and hired a consulting firm to engage the community to develop a near- and longer-term vision for the Greenwood - Phinney Ridge Business District. This Steering Committee comprised members of the existing PNA Business Group, but very intentionally expanded out to include other business stakeholders to ensure that a diverse set of views and experiences were represented in the project. Throughout this process, the Steering Committee, with the help of PNA staff and the consultants, interviewed 55 businesses, property owners and managers, surveyed 420 community members, and hosted three focus groups with business owners and managers.

Through this process, the Steering Committee found that the local community views the PNA as a trusted partner and champion for connecting the business community and neighborhood. Residents and businesses alike believe that the PNA can address and improve the following together:

• District character;• Development impact;• Business mix; • Events, promotions, & marketing;• Networking & community building among businesses;• Public safety; and• Parking & transportation.

The Steering Committee also arrived at the following near- and longer-term recommendations for the Greenwood - Phinney Ridge Business District:

Near-Term1. Increase organizational capacity; 2. Grow membership;3. Maintain & expand events; and4. Increase public safety.

Longer-Term1. Retain & expand the mix of unique, small businesses;2. Support the creation of urban design guidelines; and3. Preserve & revive cultural identity.

The following report details the process of convening the Steering Committee, outreach to the community and businesses, and the findings from that outreach. These findings informed the near- and longer-term recommendations for the Greenwood - Phinney Ridge Business District which participants believe are critical components for a vibrant, livable neighborhood.

October 2017 GREENWOOD - PHINNEY RIDGE: A Vision for the Business District

4 |

Table of ContentsExecutive Summary ....................... 3

Background ................................. 5

Visioning Process .......................... 6

Findings & Recommendations ......... 8

Crown Hill

8th

AVE

NE

3rd

AVE

NE

PHIN

NEY

AVE

N

Greenwood-Phinney Ridge Commercial/ Mixed Used parcels

Single Family Residential parcels

Business Nodes

Multi-family Residential parcels

Neighboring Commercial areas

Open space

Neighborhood boundariesRoads

LEGEND

GREE

NWOO

D AV

E N

I-5

99

Whittier Heights

Woodland Park Zoo

Fremont

Wallingford

Green Lake

N 85th St

N 75th St

N 67th St

N 60th St

N 50th St

N 97th St

N 65th St

GREENWOOD

PHINNEY RIDGE

GREENWOOD - PHINNEY RIDGE BUSINESS DISTRICT AREA

BACKGROUND | 5


In 2017, the Steering Committee set out to understand the current state of the Greenwood - Phinney Ridge business district and to create a strategy the community would support. Their secondary goal was to build upon the shared work that the business and residential communities were already doing. The Steering Committee believed that by doing this, they could develop a shared vision for the future of the business district. Key issues to explore included the Greenwood gas explosion and uniting Greenwood and Phinney Ridge.

The natural gas explosion in March 2016 and subsequent revitalization of the Greenwood Core has been one of the biggest challenges the community has faced thus far. The explosion site has served as a painful reminder of what happened and what was lost. The site also represents how the neighborhood – and particularly the business community – came together to support each other. There was an immense outpouring of support and solidarity after the explosion. While the explosion site has yet to be rebuilt, progress is being made on the site’s redevelopment plans. In the interim, there is art on the exposed brick wall of the main building that was impacted. Mr. Gyros, one of the businesses devastated by the explosion, has been allowed to set up a food truck on the site, and a temporary parking lot allows customers to easily visit the truck and support a business they love and thought they had lost. Business owners in the surrounding area are in closer touch than they ever have been before, and this represents an opportunity to strengthen and grow the business community.

Finally, the Greenwood - Phinney Ridge Business District is geographically very spread out, stretching nearly two and a half miles from the north to south end, in addition to businesses located on the east-west corridors of 65th and 85th Streets. It comprises two very distinct neighborhoods, Greenwood and Phinney Ridge. These neighborhoods are visually united by the well-loved, lighted, monkey displays hosted by the PNA Business Group during the holidays. Despite the popularity of the monkeys, the community has expressed a demand for a unifying identity for the urban village.

BACKGROUND

6 | VISIONING PROCESS


VISIONING PROCESSFrom July through October 2017, the Steering Committee was convened and worked to develop their leadership, conduct outreach, and produce an action plan and survey report for community and stakeholders. Starting in July, the Steering Committee conducted outreach in person and online with the purpose of engaging the business and residential community in developing a near- and longer-term vision for the Greenwood - Phinney Ridge Business District.

The outreach included online surveys and in-person interviews. Fifty-five business, property owners, and managers were interviewed. An additional 420 residents, visitors, and employees responded to an online community survey. Lastly, three focus groups were conducted with business owners and managers.

The findings from the survey, interviews, and focus groups were reviewed and analyzed by the Steering Committee, providing the rationale and background for the Greenwood - Phinney Ridge Business District recommendations.

G R E E N W O O D - P H I N N E Y R I D G E B U S I N E S S D I S T R I C T V I S I O N I N G P R O J E C T

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER

LEA

DER

SHIP

OU

TREA

CH

DEL

IVER

AB

LES

S T E E R I N GC O M M I T T E E

B U S I N E S SO U T R E A C H


S M A L LG R O U P S

D R A F TV I S I O N & P R O C E S S

O N E - PA G E R

D R A F T O N L I N E S U R V E Y S


C O M P I L ES U R V E Y

D ATA

F I N A LA C T I O N P L A N & P R O C E S S

S U M M A RY

O I S G R A N T

D U E

D E P L O Y O N L I N E S U R V E Y S

*

P N AB I Z S O C I A L &

N O - H O S T L U N C H

O U T R E A C H O N O N E - PA G E R

F I N A LV I S I O N & P R O C E S S

O N E - PA G E R

D R A F TA C T I O N P L A N & P R O C E S S

S U M M A RY

U P D AT E D 8 . 2 8 . 1 7

Add your voice to create a vision for the future of the

Greenwood/Phinney Ridge business community

How can the Greenwood/Phinney Ridge business district be more cohesive, balanced and thriving?

In response to business owners’ interest in strengthening their community, the Phinney

Neighborhood Association (PNA) is reaching out to business owners, employees, and commercial

property owners. We want to hear from you about what makes this business community

great, what it’s missing, and what will make it better.

The PNA received a grant through the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development’s Only in

Seattle Initiative, which empowers neighborhood business districts to organize around a common

vision and attract investment. This information-gathering phase of the project will determine what

steps the community can take to make our business district thrive.

We want to hear from you!

Fill out a brief survey at [website]

Attend a small group conversation

Thursday, September 7 at 5:00 pm, Phinney Center (6532 Phinney Ave N)

Friday, September 8 at 12:00 pm, Phinney Center (6532 Phinney Ave N)

Tuesday, September 12 at 7:00 am, Phinney Center (6532 Phinney Ave N)

Contact us with ideas, feedback, and questions

Alex Gramps, PNA Membership Manager at [email protected]

Emilia Jones, PNA Outreach and Events Manager at [email protected]

phinneycenter.org





















phinneycenter.org





















phinneycenter.org

Steering Committee Meeting, September 25, 2017

Small Group Meeting #1, September 7, 2017



VISIONING PROCESS | 7


“The neighborhood has a variety of local stores and restaurants and only a few big-name chains. It’s lively, diverse, and welcoming of everyone with a mix of ages. We act as a united community in emergencies and come together for wide variety of community activities. The neighborhood feels safe at all hours.”

- Community survey participant

What makes this a great place to do business?

What are your hopes for the future of this community?

What do you value about this community?

Word cloud from survey responses


8 | FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS

SURVEY FINDINGSThrough outreach to businesses and the community, the Steering Committee found that both businesses and community members feel positively about patronizing businesses in the district. There is a sense of connection and small-community feel that people appreciate and want to continue to support.

Through this outreach, the Steering Committee also learned that the Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) is a trusted partner and champion for the community. Community members and businesses alike trust that PNA can foster a connected business community and neighborhood and that the PNA can address and improve the following areas together:

• District character;• Development impact;• Business mix;• Events, promotions, and marketing;• Networking & community building among

businesses;• Public safety; and• Parking & transportation.

58% community survey respondents indicated that more retail, restaurants, entertainment, cultural venues and meeting places would likely increase trips to the Business District.

51% responded that better bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure would also contribute to increased trips to the Business District.

61% community respondents scored walking as their most common mode of transport to the Business District.


FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS | 9

RECOMMENDATIONS

NEAR-TERM

1. Increase organizational capacity – Add staff capacity to support business organization activities. – Engage businesses through face-to-face and digital communication. – Utilize communication and outreach to encourage engagement of busy business owners.

2. Grow membership – Fostering a connected business community. – Support organizational sustainability with increased funding from memberships.

– Explore membership tiers to strengthen program. – Define specific strategy and metrics to build infrastructure.

3. Maintain & expand events – Continue and expand promotion and networking of businesses through events.

– Leverage connections with the Woodland Park Zoo to promote neighborhood businesses.

– Support more informal networking opportunities among businesses to build personal and referral relationships.

4. Increase public safety – Support communication among businesses to help reduce thefts, break-ins and other criminal activity.

LONGER-TERM

1. Retain & expand the mix of unique, small businesses – Establish relationships with property owners and developers. – Advocate for appropriately sized space for smaller businesses, and add more shared work spaces.

– Provide opportunities to show-case home-based and online businesses.

2. Support the creation of urban design guidelines – Create shared vision between residents and businesses to shape future development.

– Consider street design and lighting for increased pedestrian safety. – Anticipate and address future parking challenges. – Explore different ownership models to subsidize commercial rental space.

3. Preserve & revive cultural identity – Consider supporting businesses should they renew efforts to designate Greenwood as an arts and culture district.

– Consider more cultural events as types of events are evaluated.

4. Explore options for sustaining long-term capacity – Consider other options to generate the level of resources necessary for long-term efforts.

– Options include enhanced membership program, donations, grants, events and/or an assessment district.


10 | FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS

CONCLUSIONThe Greenwood - Phinney Ridge neighborhood is viewed by residents and business members alike as diverse, unique, and quirky. Community members appreciate the small community feel and have a great affection for the business district. They believe they have something very special, and have an opportunity to preserve it, even as population and development grows and challenges and changes the neighborhood. Together, they have a vision to see the community and business district thrive while welcoming in new residents and visitors. The businesses and residents of the Greenwood - Phinney Ridge neighborhood are eager to work together to give the local business district – particularly small, local businesses – the backing it needs to thrive and support the PNA as the lead convener of this work.


FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS | 11

Lasting Remarks

When my wife and I decided on Greenwood for our Chiropractic office, it was because we were looking to set down roots for the next 35 years instead of just catching onto the hottest current phase in Seattle and then moving on. As a resident and business owner that is new to Seattle and just getting our business started in Greenwood, I thought that being on the Steering Committee to help shape the vision and future of the Greenwood – Phinney Ridge Neighborhood was incredibly important.

Our neighborhood is amazing; it has a great character and a great mix of small businesses that serve almost every need that a family can have. I want to make sure that we preserve the strong bonds between residents and business in this neighborhood. Throughout the course of our meetings and through the surveys and finally the small focus groups, I have become more and more excited about the future that we can create for our neighborhood with better communication and cooperation between resident and business groups.

I am incredibly optimistic about where our neighborhood is and where it can go to. After all of the meetings and the visioning process, I am most proud of the way that all of us with different interests and different backgrounds were able to come together and build connections and unity that will take this thriving neighborhood to an even better place in the future.

-- Jason Hooyman, Hooyman Family Chiropractic of Greenwood

Phinney Neighborhood Associationphinneycenter.org

a vision for the business district - … · alicia diefenbach, verity . credit union andrew muller,...

Documents