Background: On November 5, 2002, Seattle voters passed a ballot measure ("Proposed Seattle Monorail Authority, Seattle Citizen Petition No. 1") to proceed with financing, design, and implementation of the "ETC Popular Monorail Plan," as developed and presented by the Elevated Transportation Company, a Seattle Public Development Authority. Design professionals took an active role in the campaign to pass the measure - both pro and con - but all expressed commitment to achieve "the best possible design," whatever the outcome of the election. (Reference: "Design Perspective: Seattle Monorail," November 2002.) See links to additional references below.

Beginning early in 2003, the AIA Seattle Urban Design Committee, with the counsel of Seattle City Council President Peter Steinbrueck AIA, convened an interdisciplinary group to consider strategies for effective participation in the processes around design and public review of the monorail project.

Charge to the Special Committee on Seattle Monorail Design
The Special Committee will function autonomously from other organizational and public processes, with periodic consultation from the respective Boards of Directors of AIA Seattle, ASLA of Washington, and APA of Washington. The Boards of the organizations charge the committee to undertake strategies outlined below, with the goal of engaging design professionals effectively as a resource to the affected communities in achieving excellent and workable design solutions effectively related to neighborhood planning goals and urban/regional transportation ideals.

Number and Appointment of Members, Conduct of Meetings
The Boards of the respective organizations shall approve the appointment of all committee members, numbering no more than 15, from a list of individuals recommended by the current AIA Seattle Subcommittee on the Monorail (as below).

The Committee will undertake these strategies and activities, in all cases seeking to correlate design proposals with stated design guidelines for the Monorail project:
� oversee development of design guidelines, monitoring processes of Seattle Design Commission, Seattle Planning Commission, and SPMA
� comment and technical review of proposed alignment (mid-course as of March '03)
� comment on EIS
� invite designers to present their work to an interdisciplinary review team, for critique based on compatibility with design guidelines
� support designer(s) serving on the Seattle Public Monorail Authority (SPMA) by offering a source of consultation and communication, as appropriate
� offer expert assistance to community groups in their work with design and planning processes
� offer assistance in processes of design firm selection and finalist review
� communicate pertinent information within design and planning community constituencies through participating organizations.

The constitution of the Committee will include no individuals whose work brings them into conflict of interest with SPMA processes. However, all meetings of the Committee will welcome all attendees invited by the participating organizations.

In the first rounds of its activity, the Special Committee heard presentations by various participants in the design and advocacy processes, and developed Design Guidelines and Principles (5/03) as a basis for ongoing observation of the design process.

Subcommittee on the Monorail
Steven N. Arai AIA
John M. Feit AIA
Peter Hockaday FAIA
Dennis Ryan AICP
Roger Wagoner AIA FAICP

References:
* 'Monorail agency eyes new site for station near Seattle Center', Mike Lindblom in The Seattle Times 9/24/03
*'Keep the Monorail clear of Seattle's Heart,' Dennis Haskell FAIA Special to The Seattle Times 9/24/03
* 'Monorail tab soars for skirting Seattle Center', Kery Murakami in Seattle P-I 9/23/03
* 'Monorail architects try to get a 'feel' for the job', Kery Murakami in the Seattle P-I 5/27/03
* 'Different "slants" on monorail Green Line,' Mike Lindblom in The Seattle Times 5/26
* 'Exhibit displays center of Monorail debate', Kery Murakami in the Seattle P-I 5/24
* 'The devil is in the Monorail details,' Kery Murakami, Seattle P-I 5/15/03
* Draft Guidelines & Principles for Seattle Monorail Design, originally presented 4/14, for further discussion 5/12/03
*Seattle Monorail Project includes meeting schedules, project updates, etc.
*'City Council approves Monorail board members,' 3/23/03
*'Monorail a ticket for big money?' Kery Murakami, Seattle P-I 4/11/03
*"Monorail can be as high as your hopes, planning process called 'archaelogy,'" Kery Murakami, Seattle P-I 4/17/03
*"Monorail declared historic," by Kery Murakami, Seattle P-I 4/17/03
* 'Future neighbors of monorail stations focus on parking,' by Kery Murakami, Seattle P-I 4/25/03
* 'Iris Monorail design may fast track costs,' by Kery Murakami, Seattle P-I 4/26/03