I received the June 6 issue of the Herald-Outlook and read [Matthew Wilemski's] article vehemently denying any [residential] association with Fremont. Here's some inconsistent historical background. This information is based on my residency in Fremont for most of the past 34 years.
It is true that when Aurora [Avenue North] was built it cut the neighborhood up. Fremont, Wallingford/Latona and Brooklyn/University District had been discreet settlements, then neigborhoods for decades when that happened. To this day Fremont formally goes all the way to [North] 50th [Street] and Stone Way [North].
In the mid-'80s, increased tear downs of single-family houses and construction of oversized, ill-fitting and truly ugly apartments caused Ballard and Fremont to rise up. Organized groups in these two neighborhoods accomplished three major feats.
First, we obtained rezoning of a number of blocks that did not properly reflect their current use. Wallingford as an organized entity was not involved in this effort. The president of the Fremont Neighborhood Council lived on Whitman, north of 40th.
Second, we obtained revisions of the zoning code to better protect the existing character of our residential neighborhoods.
Finally, our work on zoning and development in the "L zones" (low-rise multi-family) led directly to the design-review process now in place.
Later, in the mid-'90s, after the state GMA (Growth Management Act) imposed more specific requirements on urban planning, the city went through a major neighborhood planning effort. Both Fremont and Wallingford ended up with "urban villages." Fremont's urban village was intentionally kept out of the single-family zone north of 39th.
However, in east Fremont, we didn't have as much control because Wallingford's urban village was shoved all the way down to 40th and Aurora, and the City Council failed to effectively solve the problem.
It is clear to me (and many other knowledgeable people) that a major reason for Wallingford's urban village boundary down the east side of Aurora was to capture housing and jobs (which were numeric targets in the neighborhood plans) and thus avoid possible pressure on Wallingford's own single-family zones.
The only concession Wallingford (and the City Council) made for the overlap area was to agree to consultation between the neighborhoods on important issues, such as how to deal with Stone Way and design review in the overlap area. Wallingford broke this agreement by not working with Fremont on its design guidelines for its urban village.
When a group of neighbors was concerned about the impacts of the proposed QFC at Stone Way and 40th (inside Fremont's urban village), it was the Fremont Neighborhood Council (FNC) that supported them, with legal and organization support and money for the appeal (which resulted in a bad decision by the hearing examiner, making design review even less relevant to neighborhood concerns).
Wallingford dropped out of that appeal and has also been less than helpful in dealing with other land-use issues along the eastern edge of Fremont's urban village, such as the North Transfer Station rebuild proposal and the almost-completed loss of public ownership of the King County "tank farm" property.
You ask "Why do we have to eradicate single-family homes like they're an invasive species?" The answer is simple: money and zoning. When the economy (housing market) and policies (zoning and GMA driven urban growth boundaries) make it possible to make lots of money replacing houses with condominiums and apartments, it will happen.
You are right about the identity of neighborhoods being dependent on the knowledge of new residents. My experience is that one of the worst influences is how Realtors advertise. At one point I had houses all around me (Northwest 42nd Street and Baker [Avenue Northwest]) signed as "Phinney Ridge." Apparently, that adds some thousands to the price. But Phinney as a neighborhood (and not a glacial ridge) is not and never has been where I live.
The Fremont/Wallingford edge question has been around enough to have a presence on the web. In my opinion, your position that walls (and bridges) cannot exist within a neighborhood ignores reality. Tell Berliners that their city was not one, even with the [Berlin] Wall.
Bottom line: Fremont is a state of mind, as well as a bureaucratic categorization. We have worked hard and consistently for many years to protect the quality of life of residents in east Fremont, whether they want to call themselves Fremonsters or not.
The farther north you go (away from downtown Fremont), the overlap becomes less "Fremont" and more "Wallingford." Do you think you're in Wallingford when you stand on the east side of Troll Way?
