Daily news blog for Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood

 

Queen Anne Community Council meeting tonight

July 6th, 2011 by Thea

The Queen Anne Community Council‘s monthly meeting is happening tonight, Wednesday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Queen Anne Manor, at 100 Crockett Street. There is no scheduled guest for tonight, so the meeting should conclude earlier than usual. Take a look at what’s on the agenda this month:

  • 7:30 p.m. – Adoption of Agenda, Approval of Minutes, Treasurer’s Report
  • 7:35 p.m. – Open Forum – Comments
  • 7:40 p.m. – NAC letter – Kirk
  • 7:45 p.m. – Community Center report – Jim Cunningham
  • 8 p.m. – Committee Reports
  1. Election – Nicole Pastarnack
  2. Transportation – Glenn Avery
  3. LURC/Planning – Craig Hanway
  4. Parks – Don Harper
  5. Communication – Michael Lapin
  6. District Council – Mike Warren
  7. NAC – Kirk Robbins, Jim Smith, Glenn Avery, Don Harper
  8. Social Issues – Kirk Robbins
  9. Police & Crime – Allen Panich
  • 9 p.m. – New Business
  • 9:30 p.m. – Adjournment

Here’s a list of upcoming meetings happening in the community:

  • Queen Anne/Magnolia District Council: July 11, 7 to 9 p.m. – Interbay P-Patch
  • Parks Committee: July 12 7:30 p.m. – Queen Anne Manor
  • LURC/Planning Committee: July 18, 7 p.m. – Queen Anne Manor
  • NAC Committee: July 20, 4:30 p.m. – Port Headquarters
  • Transportation Committee: July 27, 7:30 p.m. – Queen Anne Manor
  • QACC: Sept 7, 7:30 p.m. – Queen Anne Manor
  • QACC Election/Annual Meeting: Sept 21 – Queen Anne Manor

As usual, tonight’s meeting will be taking place in the social room at the Manor. Attendees are reminded to please sign in at the front door upon arrival, and exit the building as quickly as possible after the meeting concludes so as not to disturb the residents. To get to the social room, take the elevator at the end of the hall down to the basement. The room will be at the left end of the hallway.

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Public meeting on future of community centers

June 14th, 2011 by Doree

Seattle Parks & Recreation is presenting possible models of operation for Seattle’s community centers, in the wake of budget cuts. The first public meeting is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 15 at the Bitter Lake Community Center, 13035 Linden Ave. N., north of Greenwood. A second public meeting is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 16 at the Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Ave. S.

Seattle Parks and a Community Center Advisory Team spent six months examining current uses at community centers and came up with nine options, including raising fees, reducing staff and hours at some community centers, and even closing some centers.

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After school robotics program coming to John Hay

June 8th, 2011 by Thea

John Hay will be following in the footsteps of another Queen Anne school and adding a new after school robotics program in the upcoming 2011-2012 year. The new offering will be part of the same popular program at Coe Elementary – Coebotics, which took students to a national competition back in May. From the John Hay Daily Bulletin:

Our school will  have two teams in the fall, a FLL team which will be ages 9-14 and a jrFLL which will be for ages 6-9.  If you think you might be interested in providing this opportunity for your student I would encourage you to attend an informational meeting tomorrow night at Coe Elementary. Please read below for more information on the meeting.  If you have any questions please contact Sara Mirabueno at 252-2100.

While there is little you need to do before school starts, there are some helpful things we have learned in the past two years, which if taken care of now, will allow you to hit the ground running in September and prepare for the competition season in WA State.

John Hay will be hosting an informal meeting for parents interested in signing their kids up for the new program at 7 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, June 8, at Coe Elementary School, located at 2424 7th Ave W. At the meeting parents and teachers will get the chance to talk with CoeBotics Coach Willem Scholten about how the CoeBotics team is organized, what they have learned throughout the program, and pose any questions they may have. Scholten encourages those interested to pass this invitation along to other schools and organizations that may also be interested in starting up their own program.

The meeting will go from 7 to 8:30 p.m. tonight. If you plan on attending, please email Scholten at wscholten@learningaccess.org and let him know how many people will be coming so he has a rough idea of expected attendance. Check out more about the Coebotics team here.

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36th District Town Hall this Saturday

June 8th, 2011 by Doree

The three lawmakers in the 36th Legislative District – which includes Queen Anne – are hosting a town hall forum at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, at the Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N. 85th St.

Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson and Rep. Reuven Carlyle will talk about the recently concluded 2011 Legislative Session, which included dramatic budget cuts, and what lies ahead for the state.

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Share your transportation priorities with the city

May 19th, 2011 by Doree

Seattle’s Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee wants to hear from the public about their transportation priorities at a series of public meetings. The closest meeting to Queen Anne is next Tuesday, May 24 at the Fremont Library.

In January 2011, Mayor McGinn and the City Council convened a 14-member Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee III (CTAC) to advise them on priorities for maintaining and improving Seattle streets and sidewalks and to evaluate funding options including a potential ballot measure. Input from the community will inform the CTAC’s decisions and recommendations.

The meeting is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Fremont Library, 731 N. 35th St. Mayor Mike McGinn is scheduled to attend that meeting. The first half-hour is an open house, followed by presentations by CTAC members and Seattle Dept. of Transportation Director Peter Hahn. The final hour will be small group discussions.

If you can’t attend the workshop but still want to participate, you can comment or take an online survey here.

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Upcoming neighborhood forums on transportation

March 21st, 2011 by Thea

Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien is hosting two upcoming community forums on transportation. These neighborhood discussions are being co-hosted by the Pacific Science Center, Seattle City Council and Streets For All Seattle.

These discussions are part of a series of events that gather community input on different aspects of the City Council’s priority issue of carbon neutrality.

Interesting in taking part? Check out details on both events here:

  • Tuesday, March 29, 6 to 8:30 p.m. – Lake City, Meadowbrook Community Center, 10517  35th Avenue NE, Seattle

Featured Speakers:
Ref Lindmark, King County Metro Transit
Kari Watkins, OneBusAway & UW Civil Engineering
Notable community representative

  • Tuesday, April 12, 6 to 8:30 p.m. – Central District, Seattle Vocational Institute, 2120 S. Jackson St., Seattle

Featured Speakers:
Mark Hallenbeck, Director of the Washington State
Transportation Center at UW (TRAC)
Jennifer Wieland, Seattle Dept. of Transportation
Transit blogger Carla Saulter, a.k.a. “Bus Chick”

The forum will provide a light dinner and refreshments for attendees. There will also be educational activities provided by the Science Center’s Science on Wheels program for children 5 years old and up whose  parents and guardians are attending the forum.

Although the event is free, space is limited. Those who plan to attend are asked to reserve their place by calling (206) 443-2896 or visiting pacificsciencecenter.org/community-science-forums.

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Coffee with School Board’s Michael DeBell Saturday

March 18th, 2011 by Thea

Seattle School Board District IV director Michael DeBell is holding a community coffee chat tomorrow, Saturday, March 19 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Caffe Appassionato Coffee Co, located at 4001 21st Ave W, just next to Fisherman’s Terminal.

These regular meetings, which take place on the fourth Saturday of every month, are a chance for community members to drop in and have an informal discussion on public school issues and future opportunities.

District IV represents the following schools: Adams, Ballard, C. Blaine, The Center School, Coe, Lawton, McClure, Queen Anne Elementary, Salmon Bay, and West Woodland.

For more information on Michael DeBell and the Seattle School Board, check the SPS website. Can’t make this month’s coffee chat? DeBell will be hosting three more–on Saturday April 16, May 21, and June 18 (same time and place)–before the school year is out.

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Another mixed-use building planned for QA

February 25th, 2011 by Thea

Another mixed-use residential/retail building is in the planning stages for Lower Queen Anne, at 101 John Street. The proposed six-story development would include 25 residential unites and ground level retail/commercial space.

The development is adjacent to the Fiona Apartments, located on the same site. The site, at the corner of John Street and 1st Ave N, is currently the home of Rice ‘n Spice Thai and another building, both of which would be torn down to make way for the project.

The Department of Planning and Development has scheduled an early design guidance meeting on the plan for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16 at the Queen Anne Community Center (1901 1st Ave W, Room 3). From DPD:

The applicants have applied for Design Review related to development of this site.  At the early design guidance meeting, the applicants will present information about the site and vicinity.  The public may offer comments regarding the design and siting of a development on the subject site; and the Design Review Board members will also offer comments and identify those Citywide Design Guidelines of highest priority in developing the site.

For more information regarding this project application and the design review process, contact land use planner Lisa Rutzick at (206) 386-9049.

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Input needed for future of Smith Cove

February 18th, 2011 by Gladys

The Port of Seattle and the City of Seattle are discussing a possible land exchange and creation of a new waterfront park in the Smith Cove area, directly across from Queen Anne at Pier 91. Those discussions could result in a relocated city park and playfield with expanded shoreline access.

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This is needed due to King County’s efforts to find a home for a 1.8 million-gallon combined sewer overflow tank.

Smith Cove play field could be relocated

The county is currently looking to identify potential locations for the tank and one potential location is in Smith Cove, just south of the Magnolia Bridge. The Port of Seattle owns the parcel of land across from the cruise ship terminals currently being used for tenant storage. To the west of that parcel is land owned by the city that is used for the Smith Cove play field.

King County proposes to design and build an underground diversion structure and tank to store peak flows during large storm events. A diversion structure at 32nd Avenue West will transfer flows through a gravity sewer line in the right-of-way to an underground storage tank located in the Smith Cove Park/Port of Seattle West Yard area. After storms have passed, in-tank pumps and force main will send flows back to West Point Treatment Plant in Discovery Park. No treatment facilities will be built at the project site.

The public is invited to provide input in a meeting on March 3 from  6:30-8:30 pm at the Magnolia Community Center at the Catherine Blaine Cafeteria (2550 34th Ave West).

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Meeting on school transportation plan Thursday

February 2nd, 2011 by Thea

Just a friendly reminder that Seattle Public Schools is hosting a public meeting on the district’s new school Transportation Plan, which if approved will go into effect for the 2011-2012 school year, tomorrow, Thursday, February 3 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Hamilton International School, located at 1610 N 41 St.

The proposed Transportation Plan changes would save the district an estimated $4 million by creating new transportation zones for bus routes for attendance area elementary and K-8 schools. Get details on the new plan here.

The school board is scheduled to vote on the proposed plan at its February 16 meeting, where there will be opportunities for public comment. More information about signing up for public testimony is available here (.pdf) and on the school board website.

If you can’t make Thursday’s meeting, don’t worry. There will be a third meeting regarding the proposed plan next week from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 8, at Chief Sealth International High School, 2600 SW Thistle.

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Public asked to submit community center operation ideas at meeting Wednesday

February 1st, 2011 by Thea

After recent budget cuts left community centers facing service and operational cuts, including here in Queen Anne where the neighborhood fought to keep the gym open, the city has been forced to take a second look at cuts planned for community centers citywide.

As a result of much public backlash to the challenging budget cuts, the City Council has asked the Department of Parks and Recreation to rethink how community centers in Seattle are operated. As part of the process, the city is holding a public meeting with the community to discuss ideas for how the centers could be run differently tomorrow, Wednesday, February 2 at the Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave. E, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Seattle Parks and Recreation operates 26 community centers. The cost to run the centers far exceeds revenue brought in from center programs. Because of the current budget situation, Parks staff are exploring alternatives that would offer continued services for the public while reducing costs, including new methods of management, staffing, fundraising, and partnerships.

At the February 2 meeting, Parks staff will ask attendees to share ideas and concerns relating to community center operations. In the spring, Parks will hold another public meeting to discuss specific options.

The Community Center Advisory Team, which is comprised of community members, representatives from the Board of Park Commissioners, representatives of employee unions, employees, the Associated Recreation Council, and City Council and City Budget Office staff, is also working on a solution to the community centers operations and budget problems. For questions about the public meeting, contact Susan Golub at susan.golub@seattle.gov or at 206-684-7046.

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Seven Hills public design review meeting tonight

January 19th, 2011 by Thea

The Seattle Department of Planning and Development is holding a design review meeting for the Seven Hills development at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, January 19 in at the Queen Anne Community Center, located at 1901 1st Ave W, Room 3.

Artist rendering of Seven Hills project courtesy of Emerald Bay Equity.

For those of you unfamiliar with the project, Seven Hills is the third of four mixed-use projects developer Emerald Bay Equity has slated for 2.1 acres of property (referred to as “The Collection”) at the top of Queen Anne hill. The first two developments—the Sweetbrier and Eden Hills mixed-use residential/retail buildings—are already finished and housing a number of retail and residential tenants along Queen Anne Ave N.

EDE plans to break ground on the Seven Hills development, located at 1919 Queen Anne Ave, in the first quarter of this year. The developer had originally planned for the project to house medical offices above the ground-level retail, but opted to change out the office space for residential apartments due to the economic downturn.

The public meeting tonight will serve as a forum for members of the Queen Anne community to discuss the new development plans with EBE representatives, and voice any questions or concerns they may have.

If you’d like to read through the design review proposal before the meeting, you can download the 25-page document here (.pdf).

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Elliott Bay Seawall project hosts open house tonight

January 19th, 2011 by Thea

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.

More information on the project can be found here, at SDOT’s seawall project website.

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Queen Anne Community Council meeting tonight

December 1st, 2010 by Thea

The Queen Anne Community Council‘s monthly meeting will be held tonight, Wednesday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m. at the McClure Middle School cafeteria. In addition to the regular agenda items, some time will be allotted for community members to speak with a representative from Seattle City Light, regarding the Thanksgiving Day death of a dog that was killed after stepping onto an electrical plate on Queen Anne Ave.

Take a look at the agenda here:

  • 7 p.m.: Adoption of Agenda; Approval of Minutes; Treasurer’s Report
  • 7:10 p.m: Open Forum – Comments
  • 7:20 p.m.: Discussion with Seattle City Light representative
  • 7:50p.m.: Report on budget and status of QACC and District Coordinator
  • 8:00 p.m.: QACC attendance—Ellen
  • 8:05 p.m.: Christmas Party—Don Harper
  • 8:15 p.m.: Committee Reports
  1. Communication—Michael Lapin
  2. District Council—Mike Warren
  3. Parks—Don Harper
  4. Transportation—Glenn Avery
  5. LURC/Planning—Craig Hanway
  6. NAC—Kirk Robbins, Jim Smith, Glenn Avery, Don Harper
  7. Social Issues—Kirk Robbins
  8. Police & Crime—Allen Panich
  • 8:45 p.m.: New Business—Meeting location next year
  • 8:55 p.m.: Adjournment

Future QACC meeting notices:

  • QACC: Jan 5, TBA
  • Parks Committee: Dec 14, QACC, 7:30
  • LURC/Planning: Dec 20, QACC, 7:00
  • Transportation: Dec 29, QACC, 7:30
  • NAC: Dec 15, Port Headquarters, 4:30
  • District Council: Dec 13, NSC 7:00

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Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement hearing Nov. 17

November 15th, 2010 by Thea

Major transportation changes are heading to SR 99 as the deep-bored tunnel option to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct moves forward.

Late last month, the Federal Highway Administration, Washington State Department of Transportation and the City of Seattle released its Supplement Draft Environmental Impact Statement (.pdf), which analyzes the bored tunnel alternative, the preferred option for replacing the Viaduct. The SDEIS report outlines the project’s effects on transportation and the environment.

At the most recent Ballard District Council meeting WSDOT representative Mike Rigsby outlined the project for the community. Read the full story at our sister site, MyBallard.

Since the deep-bored tunnel will affect Queen Anne, Magnolia, Ballard, and other north Seattle neighborhoods, we thought we’d keep you abreast of upcoming community meetings regarding the project. This coming Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m., there will be a hearing at Ballard High School, located at 1418 NW 65th St., to discuss the entire project and the SDEIS. The meeting will be open-house style with display boards and staff to answer questions. Attendees will be able to leave make comments. Until then, read more about the project at MyBallard.com.

(Full disclosure: The Federal Highway Administration, Washington State Department of Transportation and the City of Seattle are sponsors of NextDoorMedia, which owns QueenAnneView and sister site MyBallard.)

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Uptown Alliance to host discussion on Mercer West Project with SDOT & community tonight

August 4th, 2010 by Thea

The Uptown Alliance‘s Planning and Transportation Committee is hosting a discussion on the Mercer West Project redevelopment, along with representatives from SDOT, from 5 to 10 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, August 4, at the Queen Anne Neighborhood Service Center, located at 160 Roy St.

The Mercer West Project is the final leg of the larger Mercer Corridor Improvements Project, and deals with the street reconfiguration that would make Mercer a two-way street connecting I-5, SR99′s deep bore tunnel north portal, Elliott Ave/15th Ave W corridor, and the neighborhoods of South Lake Union, Uptown and downtown.

Because so much of this corridor lies in Lower Queen Anne—extending from Dexter Ave to Elliott Ave—the neighborhood will be directly affected by the work. The project includes a new, wider Aurora Ave overpass above Mercer, and two-way configurations for Mercer St., W. Mercer St., and Roy St. From the Uptown Alliance’s event description:

SDOT plans to complete the Mercer West Project prior to the opening of the deep bore tunnel segment of SR99. For a period following 2016, the Central Waterfront segment of SR99 will not be fully accessible, as the Viaduct and the connector bridge from Elliott Ave. and Western Ave. are demolished and replaced. In that period there will be freight and general traffic increases in the Mercer Corridor.

Tonight’s meeting will give members of the community an opportunity to hear a presentation on the Mercer West Project, and speak with SDOT Deputy Project Manager Eric O’Brien and KPFF Project Manager for Mercer West Monica Moravec.

For more information contact John Coney at 206-283-2049, or via email at djohnconey@aol.com.

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Public meeting on Fun Forest proposals tonight

July 7th, 2010 by Thea

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 south side of the Fun Forest, not to be confused with the north area (which the Center has also been seeking redevelopment project proposals for) has been the center of a heated discussion over the last few months, mainly in regards to whether or not the site should house a 44,000 square-foot “glass house” with Dale Chihuly exhibit space. After a rash of reactions on both sides, the Center asked the public to submit alternative bids. The resulting alternate proposals include a Native American cultural center, Museum of Mysteries, KEXP studio and open space park, among others.

The Center invites anyone interested in learning more about these proposals to attend the meeting tonight.

Members of the public are strongly urged to review the proposals in advance. There will be no formal presentations by proposers at the 6 p.m. meeting.

For more information on the meeting or the RFP review process, see the Seattle Center release here.

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SDOT proposes bike lane for Dexter Avenue N

June 24th, 2010 by Thea

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.

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Reminder: Trolley bus open house tonight

June 22nd, 2010 by Thea

Last week we reported that Metro is considering replacing the city’s warn down fleet of electric trolley buses with diesel ones, which are cheaper to produce and thus less of a budget constraint.

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).

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