Join FOLKpark, HBB Landscape Architects and Seattle Parks to learn more about the proposed restoration of the forest, the link to the waterfront, tennis court renovation, trail improvements, off-leash area and more! We will present findings from our arborist and geotechnical consultants and talk about funding priorities. Bring a neighbor!
The Lower Kinnear Park enhancement project is one of fifteen projects to receive funding from the parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund. You can read more about the redevelopment at the project website, or in our past coverage.
If you can’t make it to this meeting, there will be a second meeting also at Bayview on Thursday, October 27, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Want to pass along information about this meeting to friends and neighbors? Download the printable flier here (.pdf).
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is hosting an open house on the Mercer West Project from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 at Seattle Center’s Rainier Room, located within the Northwest Rooms Plaza.
At the meeting representatives from SDOT will discuss the preliminary designs for the project, including information on the underpass at Aurora Ave and the two-way conversion of Roy and Mercer streets between 5th Ave N and Queen Anne Ave N. SDOT will also present recommendations for West Mercer Place and West Mercer Street, based on evaluation of the alternatives and input from stakeholders.
The SDOT project team will be availableto solicit ideas from the public and answer questions attendees may have about current preliminary design concepts for the following:
A wider Mercer Underpass at Aurora Avenue North;
Converting Mercer and Roy Streets from one‐way to two‐way operation;
And improving intersections, street connections and bike access.
From SDOT:
The Mercer West Project would complete the City’s vision for a direct, two‐way connection between I‐5 and Elliott Avenue West, continuing where the Mercer East Project leaves off. The proposed improvements include:
Widening Mercer between Dexter Avenue N and Fifth Avenue N, including the underpass at Aurora to provide three lanes in each direction, left‐turn lanes, wider sidewalks, and a bicycle path;
Converting Mercer Street to two‐way operation with two lanes in each direction and turn pockets between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Anne Avenue N;
Converting Roy Street to a two‐way street with one lane in each direction and bicycle lanes between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Anne Avenue N;
Creating a new Sixth Avenue N connection between Mercer and Harrison Streets; and;
Closing Broad Street to re‐connect the street grid between Ninth Ave N and Fifth Ave N.
In advance of construction time SDOT is inviting the public to learn more about the project, including information on traffic detours and area impacts throughout the construction period, from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, May 26 in the Elliott Bay Room of Homewood Suites, located at 206 Western Ave W, near the overpass site. From SDOT:
SDOT project staff will be available to explain design and construction details, and answer questions. There will not be a formal presentation, so participants may show up any time between 5 and 7 p.m. Complimentary parking underneath the Homewood Suites building is available by checking in at the front desk and obtaining a key card to enter the secure parking garage.
When the overpass is completed it will provide access over the very busy Elliott Ave W and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad tracks to Myrtle Edwards Park. It will also serve as a connection for bicyclists, part of a future Lake Bay Loop – a planned bicycle route that will run between South Lake Union, Seattle Center and the existing bicycle trail in Myrtle Edwards Park.
The project, part of the Walk, Bike, Ride initiative and funded by the Park Levy I and II, grant funds from the Puget Sound Regional Council and King County, and private donations, is estimated to cost a total of $10 million.
If you can’t make the Chamber meeting Thursday, but would still like to catch up on the issue, SDOT will be hosting an open house on the West Mercer Project from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 in the Rainier Room at Seattle Center. Items to be covered at that meeting include:
Viewing the preliminary plans and giving SDOT your feedback on:
A wider Mercer Underpass at Aurora Ave N
Converting Mercer St and Roy St from one-way to two-way
Improved intersections, new street connections, and new bike lanes
Viewing and commenting on project art concepts
Learning about the recommendation for West Mercer Place improvements
Local education non-profit Successful Schools In Action is hosting an open house fro 3 to 6 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, March 29 at McClure Middle School, at 1915 1st Ave. W. in Portable 1. SSIA invites commuting members to stop by and learn about the programs and plans the organization has in the works for the 2011-2012 school year.
Also coming up on the SSIA calendar:
Readers Workshop for Parents – Make reading fun – for you and your student! Every Wed. for five weeks beginning April 27th. Register Here
Spring Break Art Camp – Choose from Painting, Cartooning, Improv, and Plushie Monsters! Tues. – Thurs., April 19, 20, & 21, For 3rd – 6th graders. Register Here
Find more information on SSIA, its work, and programs in the community on the SSIA website.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is holding an open house concerning changes along West Mercer Place, part of Phase II of the Mercer Corridor Project, on Tuesday, March 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Seattle Center Rainier Room.
For those just joining the discussion, many Uptown residents are concerned about the impact proposed plans to widen West Mercer Place and West Mercer by one lane could have on the surrounding neighborhood. These concerns include cutting into the western edge of Lower Kinnear Park (removing land and trees), and increasing Mercer’s role as a major corridor to and from I-5 for for trucks and freight vehicles.
A group of residents opposing the plan have created the West Mercer Mercer Place Facebook group, where they call neighbors to action to prevent this phase of the project. With the motto “don’t truck up our neighborhood!” the West Mercer Mercer Place group has held a letter writing rally opposing the traffic expansion, and put the issue to Mayor Mike McGinn at a town hall in Magnolia last week. Miss that meeting? Watch the video, courtesy of the Seattle Channel, below:
The Seattle Department of Transportation is hosting a public open house on the Elliott Bay Seawall Project from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, January 19, at the Seattle Aquarium, located at 1483 Alaskan Way.
Attendees will have the opportunity to take a virtual tour of options for the seawall, meet the project team and learn how the Seawall Project is coordinating with other waterfront projects.
Officials say attendees will be able to “help design a seawall that supports and protects Seattle’s waterfront, including critical utilities, transportation corridors, recreation and tourist destinations, and thousands of businesses and homes,” meet the project team, and learn more about the intersection of the Seawall project, the Central Waterfront planning process, and the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project.
Input from the public will be used to define alternatives to the project. Officials ask that community members submit comments by February 1, so that the Mayor, City Council, and project team may identify preferred alternatives to the seawall project, which they expect to do by April. Construction is currently scheduled to begin in late 2012.
The seawall protects Seattle’s waterfront from wind driven storm waves and the erosive tidal forces of Elliott Bay. Major utilities, Alaskan Way and SR 99, the ferry terminal, and rail lines also are supported by the seawall. Since its construction between 1916 and 1934, the seawall has deteriorated significantly; it does not meet current earthquake standards and must be replaced. The Seattle Department of Transportation is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on this shoreline protection project.
The newest school in the neighborhood, Queen Anne Elementary, is hosting two meet and greets in the next few weeks for non-enrolled kindergarteners and their families. The new option school, which opened this fall with a tech-focused curriculum, hopes to help parents decide if QAE might be the right place for their student.
Do you know someone who has a child who will be entering Kindergarten next year or is considering transitioning their older child? To assist people in decision process, Queen Anne Elementary will be hosting two meet and greet events. This is a great opportunity to talk with Principal David Elliott and meet the wonderful teachers to hear more about the philosophy and vision for the school.
The two meet and greets will be held on Tuesday, December 14 and Wednesday, January 5, from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Sponsored by QAE PTSA, the events will held in a home of one of the parents on Queen Anne.
If you or someone you know is a non-enrolled parent who would like to attend, please RSVP here (QAE would like to keep attendance at 40 people per night).
Coe Elementary’s new principal, Stacey Loftin (also known by her nickname Tate) is inviting the community to swing by and meet her at series of weekly drop-in socials the district is calling “Tuesdays with Tate.” Loftin is replacing Coe’s longtime head David Elliott, who is leaving to become the principal at the new Queen Anne Elementary this fall. Current and incoming Coe families are invited to stop by the school, located 2424 7th Ave. W., from 9 to 11:30 a.m. every Tuesday through August 3 to meet Tate. No RSVP is necessary.
There’s going to be an open house and community meeting on the proposals for the south Fun Forest replacement tonight, Wednesday, July 7 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Seattle Center’s Center House main stage.
The open house will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m., when attendees will have the opportunity to meet with the various project proposers and talk one on one. The meeting will follow from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Seattle Department of Transportation has proposed improvements to the stretch of Dexter Ave N between Mercer and Nickerson that it says are “designed to benefit everyone who uses the street, including commuters, truck drivers, bus passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.”
The project would include:
Repaving Dexter Ave N
Installing bike lanes on both sides of the street that are separated from vehicle traffic by a parking lane
Removing the two-way left turn lane
Providing dedicated left-turn lanes at busy intersections
Providing dedicated load zones for businesses that need them
Providing in-lane bus stops to improve transit speed and reliability
Installing dedicated bus islands
SDOT will be holding an open house regarding the plan from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29 in Conference Room A at the Seattle Center’s Center House.
If you can’t make it to the meeting, public comments may be submitted via e-mail to walkandbike@seattle.gov, or by calling 206-684-7583.
The project, if approved, would be funding Seattle’s Bridging the Gap Levy.
The county is holding an open house tonight, Tuesday, June 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Plymouth Congregational Church, located at 1217 6th Ave, and invites the public to take part in the discussion. The meeting will cover the Trolley Bus System Evaluation, a study that will examine the 14-route trolley system and “help the county make an informed decision about the best vehicle technology to use on these routes as the current trolley buses wear out.” For more information, check out the City of Seattle’s electric trolley bus network data (.pdf).
Ever noticed how much quieter some buses (routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, etc.) are than the many others that run through Queen Anne? You can thank those overhead wires — and the electric trolley buses they power — for that respite from noise pollution. The trolley buses also produce much less air pollution than diesel buses.
Our news partner The Seattle Times covered this story last month. On Tuesday, June 22, the public will have an opportunity to learn more about the Trolley Bus System Evaluation, a study that will examine the 14-route trolley system and “help the county make an informed decision about the best vehicle technology to use on these routes as the current trolley buses wear out.”
(Photo provided by the City of Seattle, depicts the central corridor of the King Country Metro Trolley Bus Network as of 2010).
The open house will be held downtown at Plymouth Congregational Church (1217 6th Avenue) from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, see the City of Seattle’s electric trolley bus network data (.pdf).
What do you think of the trolley buses and their possible replacement with diesel buses or other alternatives?
The new Queen Anne Elementary is having an open house at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 5, in the Coe Elementary gymnasium, located at 2424 7th Avenue W.
Bring the kids and meet other families, our fantastic teachers and Principal Elliott.
Hear an update on the latest plans and progress and ask questions.
Speak with parent representatives and find out how you can get involved.
The open house is open to all enrolled families as well as those still considering QAE. There will be enrollment forms at the event for those who want to apply. Enrollment is still open for students entering Kindergarten through 5th grade. More information here. The QAE design team has been updating the website with information as the school’s planning process continues. Check back regularly for updates.
Last month the Queen Anne Elementary design team announced that the new Option school’s curricular focus would be “technology enhanced/enriched,” opening up questions from the community concerning what exactly a tech-focused elementary program would entail.
great, a technology school. just what our kids need. more time in front of computers and screens—heaven forbid they’re not staring at a screen 24 hours a day. btwn TV, computers, video games, watching videos in the car, etc. etc i think our kids already get more than enough of the virtual world and need to learn about the real world. ANYTHING would have been better than a tech school. language-immersion, math/science, montessori, waldorf. a tech school seems much better suited to middle or high school age students, not elementary kids. have studies been done about how teaching kids “tech” at this age affects their learning and development? i can’t imagine that it would be good…
maybe_K wanted to know more:
Does “technology” include tools other than the computer? For example, those used in a science lab, such as molecular biology? I’m really curious.
In a series of emails sent out to the QAE Google group this week, design team member Heather Anderson attempted to clarify the focus of the school and why they settled on this track.
According to Anderson, of the 199 respondents (113 of which currently have potential students for the 2010-2011 school year) to a survey in February asking parents what programs they would like to see implemented at QAE, the vast majority opted for an International/language immersion curriculum.
Respondents were allowed to select more than one program type for the survey question regarding preferred program foci. International/Language Immersion was the overwhelming first choice (77%), Montessori and “STEM” tied for second (42%), “Innovation (33%) and other (5%). On average, respondents indicated two instructional approaches of interest.
However, despite the fact that the top two selections were for International/Language Immersion and Montessori/STEM foci, Anderson said that neither of these options is possible within the current restraints from Seattle Public Schools. She wrote,
Following is some information that we had on hand from previous
meetings with SPS:
SPS isn’t willing, this year, to entertain the idea of QAE becoming an International/Immersion school as it does not fit into the current roll-out plan for International Schools.
SPS stated that International/Immersion could be revisited at a later date
Both Immersion & Montessori programs need to be implemented over time and are therefore restrictive to older students entering those programs while technology is immediately accessible (‘come as you are’).
Considering that elementary grades must focus on teaching fundamentals of reading, writing and mathematics, the more specialized focus of STEM was determined as not quite appropriate for this age range.
Montessori proponents and others were concerned about staffing a Montessori program by fall. There is an extremely limited number of teachers in our area that have appropriate Montessori credentials and this is not something that you can simply earn over the summer, as SPS had originally planned.
Beyond this, the school district also would like any program begun at QAE to be able to be continued at the middle school level, and currently McClure’s curriculum does not support an International/Language Immersion or Montessori/STEM program. Technology, however, could be continued at the middle school level and beyond, according to Anderson. She’s says the new program could pave the way for a third curricular option in Seattle Public Schools.
“Technology Enriched” is a term we are applying to describe the vision for Queen Anne Elementary. It is a combination of STEM and Innovation where technology empowers learning. It is a collaborative educational approach that promotes the development of social skills. It is teaching 21st century skills in a 21st century learning environment. It embraces the ability to explore critically and analytically by allowing technology to facilitate learning. It is not children plugged into a computer all day. It is not a library full of Kindles and no books. Rather, it is a collaborative environment that allows the integration of computers and other technology to enhance learning. It is teachers and students working together to co-create knowledge, rather than the 20th century model of only the teacher delivering knowledge to students. It is about asking how engaged are our kids at school, and using technology to engage them as learners. It is taking the best practices from other Innovation and Technology models around the country and the world and applying them.
The first year, this school will continue to evolve. At this time, we
do not know how many computers or other means of technology we will have. We do not know if we will be a PC or Mac platform or a combination of both. It will not be a dual-track curriculum.
David Elliott will be hiring a staff that will not be in place by the
end of Open Enrollment. He is recruiting teachers from within the SPS that are grounded in the fundamentals of elementary learning but that also desire the opportunity in integrate technology and embrace innovation. These teachers will thrive in a collaborative environment and work together to create learning models that will evolve and change as needed while still teaching our districts mandated curriculums.”
The Queen Anne Elementary design team will be discussing the nature of the new “technology enriched” platform at an open house this Saturday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to noon at Coe Elementary, located at 2424 7th Ave W. Community members are invited to come meet Principal David Elliott and discuss the future of the “technology enhanced/enriched” elementary. For more information, or to take part in the discussion, check the QAE Google group topics.
After several design meetings and a community survey on the future of Queen Anne Elementary, the QAE Design Team has come up with the focus for the neighborhood’s newest Option school: Technology. Its motto: “Nourishing a Solid Foundation for a Lifetime of Growth.”
Queen Anne’s Old Hay was renamed Queen Anne Elementary back in January, in preparation for its reopening for the 2010-2011 school year as part of the new district-wide Student Assignment Plan. QAE will spend its first year at the old Lincoln High School, located at 4400 Interlake Ave. N., while the Old Hay building is prepped to house the new Option School in the fall of 2011.
The QAE Design Team is encouraging parents interested in sending their kids to QAE to attend the school’s Open House this Saturday, March 6 from 10 a.m. to noon at Lincoln.
Because QAE is an Option School, it does not have an “attendance area” boundary. Students throughout the city may apply during Seattle Schools’ open enrollment period, which began on Monday, March 1 and continues until the 31st. For more information on the QAE, download the school’s brochure (.pdf) and contact the Design Team.
Last month our sister site, MyBallard, spoke with 36th District Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, who told them she was planning on filing a bill this upcoming legislative session (which begins January 10) that would legalize marijuana. Yesterday they reported that Rep. Dickerson and five other state representatives pre-filed HB 2401.
Meanwhile, Rep. Reuven Carlyle wrote down his thoughts on how he’ll vote on the state budget, which is projected to reach a $2.6 billion deficit in 2010, on his blog. He outlined three criteria for how he will vote on the budget – spending levels, revenue levels, and the question of system change and reform.
“To me systems change is about looking at our structures, systems, infrastructure of methodology, norms and behaviors and asking one core question: What would our systems look like if we designed them anew, today, from scratch?” he wrote. “We too often pull back from ‘what is possible’ before we even get a new idea of the drawing board. I’m not suggesting everything is broken and yet much of how we do business in state government does require a bold new approach.”
Carlyle went on to list several “modest but legitimate examples” of how government reform could be applied, tackling issues such as licensing and liquor (specifically the debate between whether these should be government run, or private sector), technology, transportation funding and the building of public infrastructure, and education reform and the Race to the Top challenge. Read Carlyle’s thoughts here.
Anyone interested in speaking with representatives about the upcoming legislative session is welcome to attend the 36th District Legislative Delegation holiday open house next week, on Tuesday, December 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sen. Kohl-Welles’ and Rep. Carlyle’s district office on the base of Queen Anne at 3131 Western Ave, Suite 421, in the Northwest Work Lofts building. Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Reps. Mary Lou Dickerson and Reuven Carlyle will present an overview of the 2010 legislative session and answer constituent questions.
On Thursday, December 17 Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tim Gallagher will be hosting an open house for the neighborhood from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Queen Anne Community center, located at 1901 1st Ave W.
The purpose of the meeting is to give community members an opportunity to talk with Gallagher and department representatives about the needs of the Queen Anne community and whether or not the department is meeting them. Residents will have the opportunity to talk with parks representatives about what is working in the neighborhood and what can be improved, as well as with the superintendent about ideas for building community relationships through Parks programs and services that are best suited for the Queen Anne community.
For more information, contact Dewey Potter at (206) 684-7241 or via e-mail at dewey.potter@seattle.gov.
The 36th District Legislative Delegation is hosting a holiday open house from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 15, and is inviting community members to join. The shindig will be held at 3131 Western Ave, Suite 421, in the Northwest Work Lofts building at the base of Queen Anne.
Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Reps. Mary Lou Dickerson and Reuven Carlyle will present an overview of the 2010 legislative session, which begins on January 11, 2010. They’ll be answering constituent questions and concerns, and they’re even serving refreshments.
Free and pay street parking is available. Metro bus lines 1, 2, 8, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 24 and 33 connect to the meeting place, which is Sen. Kohl-Welles’ and Rep. Carlyle’s district office.
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Ever noticed how much quieter some buses (routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, etc.) are than the many others that run through Queen Anne? You can thank those overhead wires — and the electric trolley buses they power — for that respite from noise pollution. The trolley buses also produce much less air pollution than diesel buses.
Last month our sister site, 
