King County Councilmember Larry Phillips took a walking tour of Ballard this afternoon to meet with business owners and residents. The tour, organized by the Ballard Chamber of Commerce, began at the new Ballard Food Bank on Leary where Phillips heard about the challenges facing the facility.
Phillips tours the new Ballard Food Bank
While the new building has dramatically increased the amount of space the Food Bank has to work with, there has been a 25 percent increase in the number of clients needing assistance over the past couple of years. While many Ballard grocery stores continue to provide supplies, the Food Bank says it needs monetary donations from the public to keep up with demand.
Food Bank officials also asked Phillips to help with their efforts to move the bus stop (pictured below) currently located at Leary and Ione Place in front of Carter Volkswagen. The Food Bank says many of its clients tend to congregate in front of the car dealership after picking up their groceries as they wait for the bus. To help out Carter, the Food Bank would like the bus stop moved closer to its building or somewhere that has less impact on businesses.
Bus stop at Leary and Ione
Phillips also made a stop at the Ballard Landmark senior living community where he heard concerns about speeding and the need for better crosswalks on Leary. He planned to end his walking tour at Swedish Medical Center. (Disclosure: Councilmember Larry Phillips is a sponsor of MyBallard and MyBallard is a member of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce.)
Phillips greets residents of the Ballard Landmark