Woodinville Library 2008 Community Study
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Engage. Woodinville Library 2008 Community Study Turn to us. The choices will surprise you. CONTENTS COMMUNITY OVERVIEW Executive Summary ......................................................................................... 1 History of the Woodinville Library Service Area..................................................... 2 History of the Woodinville Library ....................................................................... 3 The Woodinville Library Service Area Today ......................................................... 5 Geography ............................................................................................ 5 Demographics ....................................................................................... 5 Transportation ....................................................................................... 6 Housing ................................................................................................ 7 Business & Employment .......................................................................... 8 Education, Schools & Children.................................................................. 8 The Woodinville Library Today & Tomorrow.......................................................... 9 Current and Future Library Services For Children ........................................ 9 Current and Future Library Services For Teens ........................................... 10 Current and Future Library Services For Adults ........................................... 11 Patron Feedback and Survey Results................................................................... 12 COMMUNITY STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS BOARD PRESENTATION SLIDES MAPS • Woodinville Library Circulation (January 2008) • Woodinville Library Census Tracts • Aerial Overview APPENDICES • Demographic Summary • Population Growth Trends • School Statistics • School Test Scores • Race in Service Area • Age in Service Area • Languages Spoken at Home • Occupational Profile • Home Values in Service Area • Childcare Information • Sources COMMUNITY OVERVIEW EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Woodinville Library service area is a region in transition. What was once a completely rural environment has since evolved into a region with two distinct parts: a largely rural eastern portion and rapidly urbanizing western portion. The rural area served by the Woodinville Library has many restrictions designed to minimize development and therefore preserve its rural character. In contrast, the western part — which includes the City of Woodinville — is experiencing rapid growth. Most of this development is occurring in the downtown core and includes the construction of new businesses, housing and newly improved civic infrastructure. Demographically, the Woodinville Library service area remains overwhelmingly Caucasian, although there are significant numbers of Asians and Spanish-speakers in the region. This also remains an area with a large percentage of children. That being said, the Northshore School District has recently experienced declining enrollment. The number of young adults age 20 to 44 has significantly declined and is well below the County average while the number of adults age 44 to 64 has significantly increased and is well above the County average. Overall, the Woodinville Library service area’s population is aging. Much of this can be explained by the increasingly affluent character of the region, especially in the City of Woodinville. Housing costs are well above the already expensive King County average, which may account for the decrease in younger adults who cannot afford to buy a home in this area and choose to relocate to Snohomish County (which is experiencing a comparative real estate boom). Meanwhile, the Woodinville business environment is reflective of the upwardly-mobile character of the local lifestyle. Whereas agriculture and timber were once the dominant industries in the region, the top businesses now include wineries, resort hotels and upscale eating and drinking establishments. The Woodinville Library provides excellent service to the nearby Cottage Lake area. Indeed, most of our patrons live in the immediate vicinity or pass by as they commute to and from work. These patrons experience a facility that is attractive and provides abundant space for materials, computers, meeting rooms and quiet reading areas. Because the library is frequently quiet, due to its comparatively out-of-the-way location, our patrons rarely have to wait for service or contend with a noisy, chaotic environment that can occur in libraries of similar size located in more urban areas. Children’s programs and Story Times are well- attended, despite the fact that the number of young children in parts of the service area has declined during the past few years. This is a tribute to the excellent programs we offer and the motivation level of our patrons to avail themselves of library services for their children. 1 The Woodinville Library lies well within the rural portion of the service area. Consequently, there are many patrons that are not being adequately served. For example, the teen population is growing in the immediate vicinity, but many cannot reach the library due to its location, limited local public transportation and the fact that Avondale and Woodinville- Duvall Road do not have sidewalks. Similarly, the senior population is largely based in the City of Woodinville and adjacent areas — several miles west of the library. In addition, there are more than twice as many Latino patrons in the areas within or near the City of Woodinville as there are in the more easterly portion of our service area. We need to reach the many local patrons for whom the location of the Woodinville Library is an inconvenience. There are two ways to do that. First, we can focus on providing materials and services that specifically target our underserved patrons, drawing them to the Library. Secondly, we can provide materials and services in the areas where the patrons are located. The most effective means of achieving this is for the Woodinville Library to inaugurate a service point with access to the catalog, holds, programs and other library services in downtown Woodinville, the area with the greatest projected development during the next several years. It’s time to connect with our patrons by taking the library out of the building. HISTORY OF THE WOODINVILLE LIBRARY SERVICE AREA During the mid-19th century, the country along Squak Slough (later renamed Sammamish River) was the home of the Native American tribe known as the Simump. “Squak” is thought to have meant “swampy area” in the local jargon and wetlands, as well as vast tracts of virgin forest, characterized much of the local vicinity. The first permanent European-Americans settlers in the area were Ira and Susan Woodin, who homesteaded 160 acres in September 1871 and whose name graces the community today. They were followed by a number of homesteaders in the 1870s who used the Sammamish River as their principle highway due to the lack of roads. Logging and agriculture were the principle industries during these early years of this still-isolated community of pioneers. This isolation ended in the late 1880s. The Seattle-Lake Shore & Eastern Railway arrived in Woodinville in 1887, sparking the development of a business district that included such early Ira & Susan Woodin and children (Woodinville Heritage Society) establishments as the Woodin-Sanders Store (1888), the Anderson-Kennedy Rainier Saloon (1889) and the combination saloon-hotel American House (1890). Additional amenities such as bridges, schools, a permanent railroad depot and cemeteries soon followed. The Town of Woodinville was platted by Woodinville pioneer Mary B. Nielsen Jaderholm in 1890, though it took another 103 years before Woodinville actually incorporated on March 31, 1993. 2 During the next several decades, the surrounding forests were cleared and the Sammamish River was gradually tamed. Logging and lumber enterprises such as the Machias Sawmill (founded in 1903) and the Woodinville Lumber Company (founded in 1906) provided employment to many. Another major sawmill, the Saginaw Sawmill, was built in 1953. Meanwhile, in an effort to address periodic flooding, the Sammamish River was dredged and rerouted in 1912 between Redmond and NE 145th Street. This was followed by the lowering (by 9 feet) of Lake Washington in 1916, which thereafter made the Sammamish River very difficult to navigate. With the threat of flooding reduced, agriculture flourished. Hollywood Farm (dairy) was founded in 1910 by lumber-magnate Frederick S. Stimson (whose home, the Stimson Mansion, is today a local landmark). The greenhouses on this property produced flowers that were sold worldwide. The site of Hollywood Farm would one day be the site of locally famous Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery. Hollywood Poultry Farm was founded in 1913 and ultimately became a worldwide exporter of chickens. The industry of Woodinville’s inhabitants slowly brought expansion and improvements. Around 1900, Cottage Lake School was built to serve a nearby logging community. Electrical and telephone service reached Woodinville by 1910. By 1929, the road linking Woodinville and the Cottage Lake area was paved and electrical service finally reached Cottage Lake. Many urban families built summer homes and cottages near the area’s many lakes. Norm’s Resort on Cottage Lake (which ultimately became Cottage Lake Park on May 28, 1999) was a popular recreational destination from 1942 to 1979.