A lot of people I talk to about this instantly light up. They start imagining what shop they'd start, or which neighbor at a nearby park they'd ask to create a place parents could sit while kids hang out in the playground.
For other people, the concept is a little less clear, or they worry about how we'd keep to the community-driven principles. Feel free to write to joshforlfp@proton.me with any other questions.
To be clear, this video is an example of what I have in mind.
A: These businesses would be neighborhood-scale and intended to serve people within walking distance, not destinations people drive to. If it becomes so successful that parking becomes an issue we can…first congratulate our neighbor on a brilliant success!, and then help the business graduate from a garage to a brick and mortar home somewhere more suitable.
The city has various parking regulations already and we can always adjust them, apply the city’s existing permit parking law, or resolve the issue through neighborly conversations.
Those sorts of one-on-one discussions were part of how Local 104 has ensured adequate parking for customers as its popularity has grown, making deals with neighbors about how and when the nearby road shoulder can be used, arranging the use of the parking lot at Whiz Kids when not needed for the daycare's customers, etc.
A: Before this would become law there will be extensive public input and hearings to nail down the rules. Zoning code allows us to specify certain business categories that are permitted and forbidden, and to create a mechanism for city planners to exercise discretion for anything that might fall into a grey area.
As an example, when Bothell implemented their version of this zoning approach, their code forbade weapons sales, drive-throughs, gas stations, auto body shops, etc., while allowing coffee shops, bakeries, bike shops, art galleries, dentists, florists, and “traditional corner stores,” among other charming options. The code also stipulated: “Other proposed uses that are not mentioned in this section but achieve the intent and definition of Neighborhood Scale Commercial highlighted in [city code] as determined by the Community Development Director, may be considered a permitted use as an Administrative interpretation.”
Such a flexible and thoughtful approach would give ample room for LFP residents to exercise their incredible creativity, while keeping neighborhood shops within reasonable bounds.
A: No one *has* to start one. But they can! Or they can encourage a neighbor to start a shop and offer to help out. That’s the beauty of this, it isn’t a mandate, it just empowers community members to support their neighborhood and create community. For most of human history, people have been able to serve their neighbors like this — if they wanted to — and this would allow neighbors to bring desired and valued services into an area where people’s needs aren’t being met.
A: We have a noise ordinance and a sign code and public nuisance laws, as well as business regulations that could specify hours of operation and limit the scale of these businesses. These are tools we can use, and update as necessary, to avoid unintended consequences while ensuring we secure the intended benefits of community and resilience.
But in the end, they are also neighborhood businesses that exist to serve neighbors. City code enforcement should be the backstop, while most such issues can be resolved through neighborly conversations. I would work to make sure city officials could serve as mediators for those discussions as well, helping problemsolve before it becomes a code enforcement issue.
A: These and other businesses have strict state regulations limiting where they are built and how they operate, and whatever local rules we would adopt would go on top of that. Those legal restrictions would make it virtually impossible for them to even obtain the necessary licensing.
Beyond those legal restrictions, the small scale of neighborhood shops would make it impractical and uneconomical to even try to build host them in a residential garage. While LFP does currently have pot shops and strip clubs, they would not come to neighborhood retail spaces.
A: Maybe not! The process of developing new zoning will leave ample room for public comment and discussion. That may reveal that we should make some areas ineligible for neighborhood cafés. Some areas are not walkable or parkable as things stand, and it would simply not work for customers to reach a business there. But then again, maybe we can work on making areas more walkable!
Different cities take different approaches. Bothell adopted a version of this that allowed retail in all residential areas. Shoreline made neighborhood retail legal, but restricted it from cul de sacs and certain other areas. Seattle initially authorized retail only on corner lots — literal corner stores — before succumbing to public demand for more options. What we allow in Lake Forest Park will be an LFP solution to LFP’s needs.