The Queen Anne Community Council meets tonight, Wednesday Nov 6, at 7:30pm at Queen Anne Manor. In addition to the regularly scheduled committee reports, the new Queen Anne Helpline director, Lisa Moore, is on the agenda.

No additional information was provided by the QACC, but as always, everyone is welcome and there are 10 minutes set aside up-front for public comments.

7:30 – Treasurer’s Report
7:35- Public Comments
7:45- Queen Anne Helpline- Lisa Moore, Director
8:15- Committee Reports (next individual meetings called out below)
- Communication
- LURC/Planning – next meeting 11/19, 7pm, Queen Anne Manor
- Transportation – next meeting 11/28, 7pm, Queen Anne Manor
- Parks – next meeting 11/13, 7pm, Queen Anne Manor
- Neighbors in action – no individual meeting planned
- District Council
- NAC – next meeting 11/21, 4:30pm, Port Headquarters
- Social Issues
- Police & Crime
- New Business

The next Queen Anne/Magnolia District Council meeting is scheduled for November 12, 7pm, at the Magnolia Community Council, and the next QACC meeting will be on December 5th.

QACC LURC has postponed their September 17th meeting, per Marty Kaplan:

I attended the QACC Parks Committee meeting last night and heard a presentation from Aegis and Seattle Parks regarding a potential land swap to keep the existing Aegis owned parking lot for public use.  Currently, Parks and Aegis are negotiating and waiting on individual private appraisals.  The Aegis property on the west side of 3^rd W includes several residences and approximately 30 parking spaces which have been used by the public under prior permission from SPU, not binding upon Aegis.  Aegis and Parks have agreed that maintaining the public access to parking is very important to the neighborhood, especially considering the popularity of the field across the street (Queen Anne Bowl), and the related impacts of on-street parking which already filters throughout the neighborhood even considering the use of the 30 spaces.

Because of this potential transaction, no advanced designwork has been brought forward from Aegis and therefore our scheduled 17 September 2012 meeting of LURC will be postponed at least until our scheduled October 15^th 2012 meeting.  We may have a few additional projects to review in October as well.

More info can also be found here

Corrected: Date is Wednesday, September 5th

Sorry for the late heads up on Wednesday’s meeting at Queen Anne Manor, 100 Crockett Street at 7:30pm.  Their agenda is below.

AGENDA

7:30pm

7:30-Adoption of Agenda

Approval of Minutes

Treasurer’s Report

7:35- Public Comments

7:45- John Kriese- NAC

8:00- Mercer Corridor Project-SDOT ?

8:25- Picture Perfect QA-Scott Baker

8:30- Committee Reports

Election                               Mike Warren

Neighbors in action    Dan Cardozo

Transportation             Glenn Avery

LURC/Planning             Marty Kaplan

Parks                                      Don Harper

Communication           Wayne Winder

District Council             Mike Warren

NAC                                         Kirk Robbins, Jim Smith, Glenn Avery, Don Harper

Social Issues                     Kirk Robbins

Police & Crime                Allan Panich

- New Business

- Adjournment

Meeting Notices

QACC: October 3 QA Manor

Parks Committee: Sept 11, QA Manor, 7:30pm

LURC/Planning: September 17th (Queen Anne Manor 7:30pm)

Transportation: September 26th (Queen Anne Manor 7:30pm)

Neighbors in Action: TBD

NAC: September 19th (Port Headquarters 4:30pm)

QA/Mag District Council: Sept 10

QA Helpline Gala: October 27

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.

The June Queen Anne Community Council meeting last Wednesday night was highlighted by a visit from Seattle Police Department’s West Precinct Captain Joe Kessler and Sergeant Paul Gracy – both natives of the Queen Anne/Magnolia area.

The crime rates in Queen Anne remain relatively low, said Kessler.

“Overall Queen Anne is one of the safest areas around,” said Kessler.

Violent crime rates are down only a little from the same time last year, but Kessler said they weren’t that high to begin with. Car prowls and car thefts are down significantly from the same time last year. Burglaries, however, are up slightly.

“Burglaries are one of those tough ones for us,” said Kessler. “Personally, I hate burglaries. Short of a violent crime, I think one of the worst things that can happen to you as a citizen is to have a burglary.”

Burglaries tend to come in bunches and are often perpetrated by the same individuals, so that once a burglar is caught it often brings the number of burglaries down, said Kessler. The SPD has been working with the prosecutor’s office extensively to  target repeat burglars under the Repeat Burglary Initiative.

“We’re concentrating on the prolific guys that need to be in jail for a substantive period of time,” said Kessler.

Concerns over budget cuts and staffing were also discussed. The number of department staff is expected to remain stable despite budget cuts, said Kessler. SPD is firm on not cutting any of their patrol officers, and the current numbers are the highest they’ve ever been, said Kessler. However, increases in overall officers, like they’ve seen in previous years, is likely to stop.

The Crime Prevention Coordinators, who coordinate block watches and other neighborhood actions, may be phased out at the end of this year, said Kessler. It hinges on what the budget looks like for mid-year, but those positions will probably disappear, Kessler said.

“They do an incredible service, and they help the officers out tremendously,” said Kessler. “It’ll be a difficult thing for us to replace that … I don’t know how we will.”

It was encouraged by Kessler and Gracy that residents take advantage of the SPD’s online resources, in particular the SPD Crime Blotter for the West Precinct and the crime statistics on My Neighborhood Map. The King County online sex offender search was also mentioned.

Council Chair Ellen Monrad brought up the issue of the 7-Eleven the sells high-octane alcohol drinks on the hill. Gracy said officers have met with owner to discuss the problem, as well as notify the liquor control board. Stings to try to catch staff selling alcohol to minors have been performed, and they are working on an operation to address homeless buying alcohol for minors, said Gracy.

A few councilmembers discussed the problem of car speeding and drag racing along 10^th Avenue West late at night. Gracy said they would make local patrol officers aware of the situation, and it was recommended that residents petition SDOT for a mobile speed monitor.

After the talk by Kessler and Gracy, the council discussed briefly the elections coming up in September, and Councilmember Nicole Pastarnack volunteered to be chair of the elections committee.

The committee reports followed, including:

The Queen Anne Community Council’s monthly meeting is happening tonight, Wednesday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the social room at Queen Anne Manor, located at 100 Crockett Street. Here’s a look at what’s on the docket for this month’s meeting:

• 7:30 p.m. – Adoption of Agenda, Approval of Minutes, Treasurer’s Report
• 7:35 p.m. – Open Forum – Comments
• 7:45 p.m. – Captain Joe Kessler, Seattle Police Department
• 8:30 p.m. – Committee Reports

1. Transportation – Glenn Avery
2. LURC/Planning – Craig Hanway
3. Parks – Don Harper
4. Communication – Michael Lapin
5. District Council – Mike Warren
6. NAC – Kirk Robbins, Jim Smith, Glenn Avery, Don Harper
7. Social Issues – Kirk Robbins
8. Police & Crime – Allen Panich

• 9:25 p.m. – New Business
• 9:30 p.m. – Adjournment

Here’s a look at upcoming community meetings and events happening in the neighborhood over the next month.

• District Council: Monday, June 13 , 7 to 9 p.m., Queen Anne Community Center
• Parks Committee: Tuesday, June 14, 7:30 p.m. Queen Anne Manor
• NAC: Wendnesday, June 15, 4:30 p.m., Port Headquarters
• LURC/Planning: Monday, June 20, 7 p.m., Queen Anne Manor
• Transportation: Wednesday, June 29, 7:30 p.m., Queen Anne Manor
• QACC: Wednesday, July 6, 7:30 p.m., Queen Anne Manor
• QAHL Fun Run: Saturday, July 9

Attendees are reminded to sign in at the front door at Queen Anne Manor Manor, and bring questions on any neighborhood safety issues to pose to meeting guest Captain Kessler.

The Queen Anne Community Council Transportation Committee is having a meeting on neighborhood transportation issues and concerns at 7:30 p.m. this Wednesday, May 25 at Queen Anne Manor, located at 100 Crockett Street.

At the meeting the committee plans to cover current transportation issues affecting Queen Anne, including the proposed reduced service cuts along several Metro routes that go through the neighborhood, upcoming traffic studies, and other concerns of community members.

The meeting will be held in the Queen Anne Manor dining room. Attendees should enter on the Crockett side of the building, sign in at the reception desk, and proceed to the right down the hall and left at the main dining room. The private dining room is located in the back. Parking is available in a free parking lot or on the street. Attendees are reminded not to linger in the halls after the meeting concludes so as not to disturb manor residents.

The Queen Anne Community Council is holding its monthly meeting at 7:15 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, May 4 at Queen Anne Manor at 100 Crockett Street. And for the first time in months the West Mercer Place debate is not a headlining topic for the meeting – just last week the QACC voted to endorse one of five alternative plans SDOT presented to the community for the project. Here’s a look at what items are 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
• 7:45 p.m. – Queen Anne Tree Tours- Judy Leshner
• 8:00 p.m. – Green Seattle Partnership – Michael Yadrick, Parks
• 8:20 p.m. – Committee Reports

1. Transportation – Glenn Avery
2. LURC/Planning – Craig Hanway
3. Parks – Don Harper
4. Communication – Michael Lapin
5. District Council – Mike Warren
6. NAC – Kirk Robbins, Jim Smith, Glenn Avery, Don Harper
7. Social Issues – Kirk Robbins
8. Police & Crime – Allen Panich

• 9:25 p.m. – New Business
• 9:30 p.m. – Adjournment

Upcoming community meetings:

• District Council: Monday, May 9, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
• Parks Committee: Tuesday, May 10 – Queen Anne Manor 7:30 p.m.
• LURC/Planning: Monday, May 16 – Queen Anne Manor 7:00 p.m.
• NAC: Wednesday, May 18 – Port Headquarters, 4:30 p.m.
• Transportation: Wednesday, May 25 – Queen Anne Manor, 7:30 p.m.
• QACC: June 1 – Queen Anne Manor 7:15 p.m.

The QACC would like to remind meeting attendees to please sign in at the front desk when they arrive at Queen Anne Manor. The meeting will be held in the social room this month. To get there take the elevator at the end of the hall down to the basement. The social room will be at the end of the hallway on the left-hand side. Attendees are also reminded to please leave the building as soon as possible after the meeting in order to not disturb QA Manor residents.

The Queen Anne Community Council is having its monthly meeting at Queen Anne Manor, located at 100 Crockett Street at the corner of 1st N and Crockett, beginning at 7:15 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, April 6. Here’s a look at what items will top the agenda this month:

• 7:15 p.m.: Adoption of Agenda, Approval of Minutes, Treasurer’s Report
• 7:25 p.m.: Open Forum – Comments
• 7:35 p.m.: Sea Wall and Viaduct update – Amy Turner
• 7:50 p.m.: West Mercer Place – Eric O’Brien, SDOT
• 8:45 p.m.: Committee Reports

1. LURC/Planning – Craig Hanway
2. Transportation– Glenn Avery
3. Parks – Don Harper
4. Communication – Michael Lapin
5. District Council – Mike Warren
6. NAC – Kirk Robbins, Jim Smith, Glenn Avery, Don Harper
7. Social Issues – Kirk Robbins
8. Police & Crime – Allen Panich

• 9:25 p.m.: New Business
• 9:30 p.m.: Adjournment

Several QACC sub-committee meetings and community events will also be happening this month. Keep the following dates on hand for other public meetings throughout April:

• Parks Committee: April 12 Queen Anne Manor 7:30 p.m.
• LURC/Planning: April 18, Queen Anne Manor 7:00 p.m.
• Transportation: April 27, Queen Anne Manor, 7:30 p.m.
• NAC: April 20, Port Headquarters, 4:30 p.m.
• Thomas Wales Park Dedication – April 16, 10:30 a.m.
• QACC: May 4 Queen Anne Manor 7:15 p.m.

The Queen Anne Community Council‘s transportation sub-committee is holding a meeting this Wednesday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Queen Anne Manor, located at 100 Crockett Street.

The main topic of discussion at this meeting is going to be the West Mercer Place debate and the five alternative plans developed by the Seattle Department of Transportation, which were presented to the community at a meeting earlier this month. For more information on the West Mercer Place issue, see our past coverage.

The meeting will be held in the Queen Anne Manor dining room. Attendees are asked to enter on the Crockett side of the building and sign in at the reception desk. Free parking is available in the lot, as well as on the street. The private dining room where the meeting will be held is located down the right hall from the main entrance and then to the left and in back of the main dining room back. Attendees are asked to not linger in the building long after the meeting concludes so as not to disturb the residents.

The Seattle Department of Transportation held an open house to inform and answer questions about the West Mercer Place portion of the Mercer West Project on Tuesday night.

The open house, held from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Northwest Rooms Plaza of the Seattle Center, gave the public a look at different possible plans for the street while providing a forum for comment and criticism with SDOT representatives. In the Rainier Room, posters of the different plans, stages of development, area studies and traffic analysis were displayed with a short video presentation at the front of the room.

“It’s been a good conversation and I think we had a good turnout,” said SDOT Project Manager Eric Tweit.

SDOT presented five alternative plans for West Mercer Place: Alternative No. 1 adds a sidewalk to West Mercer Place, Alternative No. 2 adds a sidewalk and a bike lane, Alternative No. 3 and No. 4 add the sidewalk and bike lane and extends the merge lane on West Mercer Place. Alternative No. 5, which can be a standalone or combined with any of the previous 4 alternatives, would extend the left-turn lanes on Elliott Avenue West. The illustrations of alternative No. 1 and No. 2 can be seen here, No. 3 and No. 4 can be seen here, and Elliot Avenue West left-turn lane extension with the alternatives summary can be seen here.

“More traffic is going to try to use Mercer, so the question became can West Mercer Place handle it? Do we need to or do we want to even increase the capacity?” said Tweit. “We were pretty concerned about what the cost and impact would be, so this is really the culmination of that evaluation of whether there is a benefit to doing it.”

The changes in traffic through West Mercer Place with the Mercer Corridor Project and the replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct prompted many of those who live in that area to voice their opposition. (See our past coverage of public meetings and community events surrounding this debate here.)

“We recently heard from a lot of reasonably and understandably concerned people who live on West Mercer Place, so this is an opportunity… for people to see and comment on the project,” said Tweit.

Tweit said that those he spoke to were opposed to the addition of a lane on West Mercer Place, and, along with the increased traffic, many of them were concerned about the possible loss of parking in the area. He said of the alternatives, No. 1 and No. 5, those that made the least amount of change to the area, were most popular.

Community representatives, from organizations like the Queen Anne Community Council, the Greater Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Neighborhoods were on hand to speak to the public and SDOT officials. Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce Director of Marketing Mary Chapman said she was glad to see SDOT taking input from residents and businesses in the area and thought it was a positive sign.

“I feel that the mayor did not listen to us in terms of the Nickerson street road diet, [the Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce] does not support the road diet, but we really hope that they will be listening more actively as the plans for West Mercer are being developed by the Seattle Department of Transportation,” said Chapman. “We highly suggest that everybody make comments and do so very soon so that they can get as much realistic input from the people who live in the neighborhood as possible.”

FOLKpark volunteers were on hand to present their conceptual plan for Lower Kinnear Park and the proposed Uptown Loop, a collection of pedestrian and bicycle routes that circle and traverse lower Queen Anne. FOLKpark Chair Debi Frausto said that, as the Mercer West Project coincide with Kinnear Park projects, they hope they can leverage dollars with SDOT to save money on different aspects of development, like design and surveys.

“There are things where there are overlaps between us, like at entrances to the park. Let’s work together so that where we do them coordinates with pedestrian crossings, bicycle safety and those types of things so that we’re not designing in isolation,” said Frausto.

The next step for SDOT is to present the alternative plans to the local community organizations and councils and evaluate public comments. This will last through April, after which SDOT will make a recommendation to Mayor McGinn.

Comments on the alternative plans or other ideas and considerations can be e-mailed at mercerwest@seattle.gov.

Update 4:40 p.m.: Traffic moving through West Mercer Place is projected to reach more than 800 vehicles every hour by 2015, according to figures by KPFF, an engineering firm used by SDOT. These figures, presented at the open house, take into account the waterfront construction during that time. Between 590 to 660 vehicles per hour are expected to move through West Mercer Place after the Mercer Corridor and waterfront construction is completed, compared to the estimated 372 an hour that move through the street now.

The Queen Anne Community Council‘s transportation subcommittee is meeting tonight, Wednesday, February 23 at the Queen Anne Community Center. The primary topic on the agenda will be SDOT’s Mercer West Project, which plans to expand West Mercer Place by an additional lane, and has been the center of much debate in the Lower Queen Anne community recently.

Other agenda items include concerns over the area between 5th N to 5th W, and dedicated time for topics committee members may want to bring up.

The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. Attendees should enter through the community center north door.