Some Crown Hill residents are trying to convince the city to expand a proposed pedestrian zone to stop potential construction of auto-oriented businesses, which they said could destroy the community's chance of becoming a pedestrian friendly zone.

Neighbors have been worried for years about the possibility of a Safeway discount gas station on the store's lot at the corner of Northwest 83rd and 15th Avenue Northwest.

The idea was first proposed in 2001. David Van Skike reviewed the project as a senior land use planner for the city's Department of Design Construction and Land Use (now the Department of Planning and Development) in 2001. He said the city was concerned about parking and traffic impacts at that location and asked Safeway to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement.

"It didn't seem like an insurmountable problem, the city just wanted more information," he said, but Safeway put the project on hold.

Last April, Safeway's plans to build the gas station resurfaced, but based on neighborhood protest and assumptions that the monorail would be built, the plans were again put on hold when the Seattle City Council issued an emergency P2 Pedestrian designation along 15th Avenue Northwest from Northwest 87th Street to Northwest 83rd Street. That type of zoning restricts auto-oriented businesses like gas stations.

The emergency designation is set to expire on April 1, and residents believe Safeway still plans to build their gas station.

Cherie Myers, director of public and government affairs for Safeway, said the company is "very interested in coming to (the area) whether it becomes a reality or not."

"We've continued to renew our interest in Ballard, but lots of things entail putting in a gas station," said Myers. "There are no firm plans on a location, and it hasn't gone any further than that." Safeway has not applied for a land use permit with the city.

Because of the absence of future monorail stations, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has proposed a smaller P2 zone. The department was instructed to base the zoning on city goals to "establish a strong pedestrian-oriented retail core" in the Crown Hill neighborhood.

The proposal suggests splitting the P2 zone halfway between Northwest 85th and 83rd streets across the Safeway parking lot, just north of the empty Washington Federal Savings bank building, and one-half block west of 15th. No existing businesses would be affected by the zoning.

The proposal was drawn along existing parcel lines, said Katie Sheehy with DPD. Parking lots, much like the one on the south side of the Safeway lot, aren't considered a pedestrian friendly area and are not included in P2 zoning, she said.

The new proposal is centered around Northwest 85th Street because that is where infrastructure is already in place for people to safely cross the street, said Sheehy.

But residents who oppose the new zoning think the area is too small and will do very little to encourage a pedestrian-oriented core. Some said the scaled back pedestrian zoning could invite auto-oriented developments, which would create heavier traffic in the whole area.

"We support the idea of creating a strong retail core that is pedestrian oriented, but this is inadequate for that purpose," said Crown Hill resident Marianne Scholl, during a community meeting last week at the Loyal Heights Community Center.

Those who oppose the zoning also said that new development of traffic-dependent businesses, such as gas stations or drive-thru restaurants, doesn't line up with the city's goal of creating a "residential urban village" that "encourages people to use transit and non-motorized transportation modes."

"We want people in the neighborhood walking," said Scholl "It's a transportation hub. People sometimes just think (of 15th) as an arterial- a major thoroughfare- but the reality is that we live and walk here."

A high volume gas station next to a pedestrian zone doesn't make any sense, said resident Mel Kang.

"A big mega gas station just sets the tone for big development on 15th," he said. "And it will affect the whole neighborhood. It might as well all be strip malls at that point."

Scholl said that though the proposed footprint is small, it does prevent that land from the kinds of developments they don't want to see in their neighborhood.

"We want an urban village that supports public transportation, not more cars," she said. "These are city ideas we are trying to support."

Pauline Metcalfe, a business owner on 15th said, "a gas station is just going to up the ante of what will come into our neighborhood. We have to work against 15th becoming another Aurora."

Neighbors said the community is already absorbing density with additions of multi-family developments and 15 years down the road, there will probably be a lot more people walking.

"We want a meaningful pedestrian zone," said Scholl. "We aren't trying to shut down 15th. We acknowledge that traffic must move but at the same time we are trying to create a community."

The Seattle City Council Urban Development and Planning committee will consider the department's proposal at a March 8 meeting. If the council doesn't agree to expand the zone, neighbors said they might be able to get the area reexamined through the city's business district strategy, which examines zoning to reflect changing conditions and neighborhood plan goals.

"We have a great community, we just have to sustain it, and keep those big boys from muscling us," said Metcalfe.