ZOO’S ORIGINAL PROPOSED GARAGE
The Long-Range Physical Development Plan (LRPDP) previously had the parking garage replacing the south parking lot. Approximately 1,055 visitor parking spaces would have been provided. The north parking lot would have been unchanged and would have continued to provide approximately 195 visitor parking spaces, and a new west surface parking lot would have provided approximately 170 visitor parking spaces. A total of approximately 1,420 visitor parking spaces would have been provided. The proposed garage would have been located primarily underground, with 5 levels below surface, one level at grade and one level above grade.

COMPROMISE GARAGE
The zoo’s original proposed garage, including the costs of construction and financing, was estimated to cost between $30 and $35 million dollars. Given the current fiscal realities of the City of Seattle, this was not an option that the Mayor was willing to pursue. Therefore, a compromise was pursued to enable as much parking mitigation as possible, in the earliest possible timeframe. The compromise parking garage and surface lots, as proposed in the new LRPDP, would provide sufficient onsite parking to meet current and projected needs on all but about 33 days (in 2020) each year.

The new West Garage will replace the new west surface lot and provide approximately 700 visitor parking spaces. The 275 space South Lot, 122 space Southwest Lot, 62 space Northwest Lot and 195 space North parking will be unchanged from today and continue to provide visitor parking. A total of approximately 1,360 visitor parking spaces will be provided. The compromise garage will be built entirely above ground, with one level at grade and three levels above grade.

Descriptions:

• The West Parking Garage will be approximately 30 feet tall with shafts for ventilation, stairwells and elevators extending up to an additional 15 feet. Planters on the top deck will be up to 4 feet tall. This garage is within the height restrictions of the single family zoning surrounding the zoo.
• Vehicular entry and exit will be directly off of Phinney Avenue North between North 56th Street and North 57th Street, and will provide access to the new west parking and the existing north parking. A pull-in area for busses to load and unload is also planned.
• Pedestrian access from Phinney Avenue North will include Metro bus stops, a gateway and path to a new West Entry located slightly north of the zoo’s existing West Gate. Access from the north parking lot will include a gateway and path to the new West Entry.

WHY THE ZOO HAS AGREED TO THIS COMPROMISE
The proposed parking garage is the zoo’s mitigation for the current traffic and parking problems caused by insufficient parking on zoo grounds. Parking mitigation was contemplated and described in the Operations and Management Agreement entered into between the City and the zoo in 2002, and it has been included as a priority in the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Plan.This compromise garage is the soonest the mitigation could be implemented and is projected to open in 2008. In addition, the current fiscal reality of many municipalities, Seattle included, requires a careful balance between affordability and accommodation. This compromise is a win-win for the City, the zoo’s visitors and the surrounding neighborhoods.

The zoo’s current plan is almost 30 years old, and needs to be refreshed to meet changing animal care standards, changing financial times, and the contemporary needs of zoos and their visitors. Parking is only one improvement included in the new LRPDP; the other improvements are critical to ensuring that Woodland Park Zoo remains a leader among zoos around the world and a jewel in the region’s crown.

EFFECTS OF THE COMPROMISE PROPOSAL

Amount of parking:

• Visitor:
  Adds approximately 700 spaces from today, but represents 60 fewer spaces than the preferred garage.
• Staff and Volunteer:
  Reduces planned parking by approximately 110 spaces, but through collaborating with City staff and departments to look for alternatives and implementing an aggressive trip reduction plan, the new proposal should meet projected zoo needs.
• Business:
  Eliminates approximately 30 spaces.
• Lower Cost:
  Reduces the projected design, construction and related development costs to $16,200,000, excluding financing. As detailed in the Operations and Management Agreement between the City and the zoo, the City is responsible for 75% of the total costs, with the zoo financing the remaining 25%.
• Traffic:
  Transpo, the traffic consultant retained by the zoo, already analyzed intersections impacted by the new compromise garage and all cars are accounted for in the level of service (LOS) analysis included in the Final Revised EIS for the zoo’s LRPDP.
• Significantly fewer construction impacts and lower cost:
  • Significantly less excavation
  • Dramatically fewer truck trips to haul away the excavated material
  • Shorter construction period due to reduced excavation and the lack of need to construct temporary parking (temporary would have been needed when the South Lot was taken out of service to construct the South Garage).