In a move that disappointed a number of meeting attendees, the Northwest District Council voted to make a new sidewalk on North 143rd Street near Linden Avenue North a priority over a curb bulb and rain garden at North 76th Street and Winona Avenue North near Green Lake.

At its June 24 meeting, the council had to rank three projects that qualify for the Seattle Neighborhood Projects Fund: the 143rd Street sidewalk, the 76th Street curb bulb and a sidewalk on First Avenue Northwest.

The four residents who attended the meeting showed up to push for the curb bulb project.

Neighbor Karl Arne said the intersection is busy because it is right off Aurora Avenue, and the the curb bulb could calm traffic speeds as well as manage rain water with the help of a rain garden, which Seattle Public Utilities is interested in.

"We have a lot of problems with cars zipping around that corner," Arne said.

Chelsea Samans, another neighbor, said the intersection is not just a hazard for residents but anyone who wants to use Green Lake, including many children.

"It's definitely a hazard for people trying to access the lake," she said.

After a brief discussion, the council voted to make the 143rd Street sidewalk its top priority because it would serve a large senior citizen housing complex.

"So either kids and strollers get run over or old people in their wheelchairs get knocked over," council member Susan George said about the tough decision.

The curb bulb was made the second priority and the First Avenue sidewalk was the third.

The council expressed interest in trying to complete both of the top two projects if funding allowed. Neighbors will also attempt to get funding for the curb bulb from Seattle Public Utilities.

There is approximately $90,000 of Neighborhood Project Fund money available to the Northwest District for its projects.

In March, the Northwest District Council picked its top five projects, including the three voted on June 24, of more than a dozen projects submitted to them. Two of the projects were not approved by the Seattle Department of Transportation.

Each year, the city makes approximately $1.3 million available for small-scale projects. Seattle's 13 district councils each prioritize their top five projects, which are submitted by residents.