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.

Appropriate to the recent “green” holidays, the May Queen Anne Community Council meeting dedicated much of its time to guests speaking on behalf of trees and forests last Wednesday night.

Kay Napton, a member of the Seattle Planning Commission and FOLKpark, spoke on the need of FOLKpark to raise money to fund their $1.5 million project.  The amount raised from grants, about $850,000, falls well short, said Napton. She asked the QACC to help broaden FOLKparks breadth of contacts, such as leaders in the community and environmental groups, that can help raise the remaining funds needed to renovate Lower Kinnear Park.

Plant ecologist Michael Yadrick spoke about the Green Seattle Partnership and their efforts to enhance the tree canopy across the city. He said the organization was six years into its 20-year plan to reforest 2,500 acres, which include the Northeast, Southwest and Kinnear Park Greenbelts. Much of the work is done through volunteers, and Yadrick said Green Seattle Partnership will be looking to engage and recruit citizens in the area to be involved in the reforestation process.

Queen Anne resident Judy Leshner spoke about her development of Queen Anne tree tours based in part on the work of Arthur Lee Jacobson and his book “Trees of Seattle.” Leshner has created five self-guided Queen Anne tree tours to date, but still needs to finalize the tours by verifying some of the information with an arborist.

“I wanted to come up with something that was of interest and use to the Queen Anne community,” said Leshner. “As a former school teacher, I thought would be interesting to school children … and to those in the community and outside, who may go to businesses once they’re here.”

Greater Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce Director of Marketing Mary Chapman said she was interested in putting Leshner’s tree tours on her organization’s upcoming “Visit Queen Anne” website. She was also given ideas by council members on grants and city and organizational contacts.

Apart from the Earth Day and Arbor Day concerns, the transportation committee report headed by committee chair Glenn Avery discussed two letters addressed to SDOT and other interested parties that was passed in a vote at last week’s transportation committee meeting. Both letters were also passed by the council.

The first letter stated several points, including: QACC’s approval of SDOT’s alternative 5 for West Mercer Place; that the project be done this year; that the BAT lane south of West Mercer Place on Elliot Avenue West be converted to general traffic; and that SDOT conduct studies when finished extending the turn lanes on Elliott Avenue West to find out whether the desired results were achieved.

The second letter addressed West Mercer Place and the Mercer West Project more generally. It asked for comprehensive planning for pedestrian safety and movement throughout the Mercer/Roy corridor, as well as planning for parking requirements to sustain area businesses; the incorporation of crosswalks and traffic lights at Fourth Avenue West and Mercer Street and other corners where needed; three lanes each way on Mercer Street under the Aurora Avenue North underpass; the exclusion of in-lane bus stops on Mercer Street unless there are additional unblocked lanes; no construction to take place while the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement, including the Viaduct demolition, is underway; and comprehensive review of the project when it’s finished to find out whether it’s working or if it needs changes.

In addition, another “stronger” letter specifically addressing parking in Uptown with respect to the Mercer West Project will be written.

Councilmember Kirk Robbins also spoke about the possibility of Lake City’s temporary tent city moving to one of two sites in the Magnolia/Queen Anne area. The mayor convened a panel that picked seven possible sites for a permanent tent city, said Robbins, including one at the West Yard down on the waterfront and another on a Seattle City Light site in the West Dravus Street area of Magnolia. All of these sites are “back on the table,” and the evaluation process by the Seattle City Council was extended into July, said Robbins. QACC Chair Ellen Monrad said that they will continue to monitor the city’s decision making on the permanent tent city, and council members floated the idea of writing a letter.

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 transportation committee voted to endorse SDOT’s alternative 5 to improve traffic flow on Elliot Avenue West and West Mercer Place last night at a particularly packed committee meeting.

The vote to endorse the alternative that would extend the two left-turn lanes on Elliott Avenue West before West Mercer Place came after much debate between councilmembers and West Mercer Place residents. The endorsement letter will be presented at the QACC meeting next Wednesday for final approval, after which it will be sent to SDOT and other appropriate parties.

Alternative 5, which by SDOT’s estimates is much cheaper than the other alternatives and can boast the most improvement on travel time reduction, has also recently been supported by the Port of Seattle, according to Transportation Committee Chair Glenn Avery. The five alternatives were presented at an open house put on by SDOT in mid-March.

The four elements in the letter endorsing Alternative 5 are: extending the turn pocket on Elliott; eliminating the Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane south of West Mercer Place; restating the position of the QACC for a reconsideration of the Nickerson road diet; and consideration of pedestrian safety.

Queen Anne Community Council President Ellen Monrad said she was told that, if approved, SDOT would implement the project soon and would likely be working on it this year.

A second letter regarding the addition of traffic lights and pedestrian crossing along West Mercer Place was also voted on and approved by the committee. The three elements of the letter include: pedestrian safety in the Mercer/Roy Corridor; additional crosswalks and traffic lights on West Mercer Street at Fourth and Fifth Avenue West; and the addition of sidewalks if SDOT performs any projects on West Mercer Place.

Since the Nickerson Street road diet, and with the coming changes from the Mercer West Project and the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, increased freight traffic through the neighborhood along West Mercer Place has been a growing concern to residents.

The wording and contents of the letter endorsing the alternative came before the vote, with some residents wanting to add more mention of neighborhood preservation. Mike Warren and other councilmembers floated the idea of a separate committee of residents, the Queen Anne Community Council and the Uptown Alliance with funding from a Small and Simple grant to comprehensively address neighborhood preservation.

The Queen Anne Community Council‘s transportation committee is meeting this coming Wednesday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Queen Anne Manor, located at 100 Crockett Street.

Among other topics the committee will be discussing whether or not to endorse SDOT’s proposed plan to increase the capacity of the turn-pocket on Elliott at Mercer Place. This plan, one of five alternatives SDOT compiled after hearing concerns from neighbors on the plan to widen West Mercer Place, shows “the most improvement in traffic flow for the least amount of money,” according to the QACC. (Details on this plan, alternative 5, can be found here).

The QACC transportation team would like to hear what community members have to say about this alternative plan, and other details concerning this hot button issue.

The meeting will take place in the Queen Anne Manor dining room. Attendees should enter on the Crockett side of the building, and may park either on street or in the free parking lot on site. Those attending the meeting should sign in at the reception desk, and then proceed down the hall to the right, and take a left into the main dining room. The meeting will be held in a private dining room at the back of the main dining area. Attendees should be avoid lingering in the hall after the meeting concludes so as not to disturb Queen Anne 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 transportation committee for the Queen Anne Community Council met last night at Queen Anne Manor and discussed SDOT’s five alternative plans for West Mercer Place.

Transportation Chair Glenn Avery led the discussion, giving an overview of each plan to the group. The illustrations of alternative No. 1 and No. 2 can be seen here, No. 3 and No. 4 can be seen here, and No. 5–Elliot Avenue West left-turn lane extension with the alternatives summary–can be seen here. The committee went on to discuss the plans in terms of reduction in travel time and cost.

West Mercer Place resident Fred Freeburg questioned the lack of mention of anticipated westward traffic growth on Mercer from I-5. All the discussion thus far had focused on eastward traffic growth, a point the committee members agreed with.

“The problem is every truck going to the waterfront off of I-5 is going to come down that straight shot on Mercer,” said Freeburg. “Open up Mercer to two-way and we have a freeway going west and nobody has said anything about it.”

The need for lights and pedestrian crossing, particularly at Fourth Avenue West and West Mercer Street, and a sidewalk on West Mercer Place were also discussed.

The five alternative plans were unveiled to the public at SDOT’s open house held March 15 and will be presented by representatives of SDOT at next Wednesday’s monthly Queen Anne Community Council meeting. The meeting, to be held downstairs in the activity room of Queen Anne Manor at 7:15 p.m., will focus on transportation issues, said Avery.

Public comments and questions regarding the Mercer West Project are welcome at the upcoming meeting. The council discussed earlier in the month the problem of lack of speaking time at the February meeting and steps will be taken to allow more time for public responses.

Another committee topic was the recent Port of Seattle freight mobility meeting attended by Avery. Discussed at this meeting were road diets proposed for Airport Way and East Marginal Way and the importance of freight and freight mobility for the local economy. All five Port of Seattle commissioners were in agreement that a road diet should not be imposed on Airport Way and East Marginal Way, said Avery. The next Port of Seattle Commission meeting will be held Tuesday, April 5 at Pier 69.

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 held its last board meeting at the community center Wednesday night. The council will no longer be able to meet there due to the reduced hours of operation from Parks and Recreation Department budget cuts, but it was announced that future meetings will be held inside Queen Anne Manor located at 100 Crockett St.

Fittingly, the council discussed Jim Cunningham’s membership in the Community Center Advisory Team, spearheaded by Seattle Councilmember Sally Bagshaw to find possible solutions to the financial woes of the city’s community centers. Cunningham discovered in a budgeting statement received at the last CCAT meeting that the QA Community Center looses $700,000 a year. The public has been asked to submit ideas for saving money or generating revenue for the centers. Ideas can be submitted via a link found here.

Conversely, the Parks Committee report by Don Harper announced that the Parks and Green Spaces Levy had an excess of $10 million due to the lack of inflation. The excess funds will go into the opportunity fund and can be spent on projects chosen by community groups.

The disorganization and difficulty receiving public comments at last month’s meeting was also addressed. Ideas were offered on how to do a better job in the event of a large public turnout for a contentious issue, such as: signing up to speak, giving more time to hear public comments, signs to indicate time left to speak, using a timer, giving committee reports by e-mail if time is running short.

Additional council matters:

• Two council vacancies were filled in a vote.
• Board Member Scot Baker met with the owner of the Queen Anne Avenue North 7-Eleven regarding the sale of high-octane alcohol. Council Chair Ellen Monrad said the issue is not yet resolved, but it was a good first meeting in an on-going discussion.
• In the Transportation Committee report, Glenn Avery said that SDOT will give a public presentation of the West Mercer Place portion of the project March 15 at the Seattle Center Rainier Room from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (link). Also, SDOT is expected to attend the next council meeting.
• According to studies, the Kinnear Park forest is dying, said Harper. The plan is to cut down most of the trees and replace them with a different species. Climate change was cited as the reason.

Correction 3/7: An earlier version of this story misspelled Jim Cunningham’s last name.

The Queen Anne Community Council’s Transportation Committee meetingon Wednesday evening devoted itself to discussing West Mercer Place concerns over the Mercer West Project. Transportation Chair Glenn Avery and Uptown Alliance Co-President John Coney answered questions on the project posed by West Mercer Place area representative Greg Thompson.

Coney spoke about the Seattle Department of Transportation’s presentation on the plans for Mercer West tentatively scheduled for the middle of March and encouraged West Mercer Place residents to attend Mayor McGinn’s town hall meeting in Magnolia on March 1. The public has an opportunity to sign up to speak for two minutes at this event.

The 40-minute meeting was held in Queen Anne Community Center at 7:30 p.m. A cold, slightly snowy night may have contributed to the small turnout – only five people were in attendance.

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.

Turnout at last night’s monthly Uptown Alliance meeting was high due to concerns from West Mercer Place residents over SDOT’s Mercer West Project.

A group of West Mercer Place residents submitted to the Alliance a letter voicing their opposition to plans for expanding West Mercer Place and West Mercer by one lane. The letter, covering such concerns as freight traffic, pedestrian sidewalks and parking, was addressed to Mayor McGinn, the Seattle City Council, and SDOT. The residents asked that the Alliance to send it as representative of their position. The vote on the motion to adopt the letter was approved.

The original draft of the letter was written by Bob Pennington, who also wrote the letter submitted to the Queen Anne Community Council last week that failed to be adopted, but prompted the council to write letters of their own that incorporated the same issues.

Held in the Uptown Metropolitan Market’s restaurant space, residents voiced their concerns and passed out fliers at the meeting. One issue addressed was the possible reallocating of 15 to 20 feet of land from Lower Kinnear Park to expand into an additional third lane of West Mercer Place, an area that is home to some 24 old-growth trees, according to one opponent, and would require the construction of a concrete retaining wall along the easternmost edge of the park. They also announced a “letter writing rally” (see the event flier here and Facebook event info here) to oppose the West Mercer traffic expansion.

“This Mercer West Place expansion, I don’t believe it’s going to stop there – I think this is a trend that we’re going to see over the next few years and beyond, for the continual aggression of traffic into our neighborhoods,” warned Pennington. “We have to take a stand on it now.”

SDOT Deputy Project Manager for the Mercer West Project Eric O’Brien attended but didn’t speak until the end of the meeting. He passed out a FAQ sheet on the possible changes to West Mercer Place and said he was available to speak to individuals after the meeting adjourned.

The FAQ sheet said they are “looking at the feasibility of several changes to West Mercer Place in the future. We may do a few of these or we may do none of them,” noting that SDOT expects to complete and present its results in March.

Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien, chair of the Seattle Public Utilities and Department of Neighborhoods, was a guest at the meeting and spoke on the restructuring of the Department of Neighborhoods due to the budget cuts. Although O’Brien said the mission of the department is the same, he doesn’t believe that they’ve seen the last of the cuts, and further “refining” is likely.

Photo from the West Mercer Place Facebook Page

“The question is how do we meet the neighborhoods’ goals, the citizens of Seattle’s needs with fewer resources, and I don’t know what the answer is,” O’Brien said.

He also spoke on the concerns of West Mercer and West Mercer Place residents, advising them to stay organized, attend meetings, perform letter or e-mail campaigns, encouraging them to reach out to city council members, and “if you want to get really creative and dress up in customs and stand in the street, that gets our attention too.”

“Folks who live closest to these things have a very important powerful voice, but they’re not the only voice in the city… everyone will be heard,” said O’Brien, adding, “I have some serious concerns with doing much to widen that roadway.”

Also discussed at the meeting:

• Co-President Rick Hooper provided a new construction report regarding four new projects in development for apartment buildings in Uptown under the Multifamily Property Tax Exemption Program. These projects are not yet under construction.
• Co-President John Coney reported that the governor has recommended in her draft budget a 50 percent cut in the Regional Mobility Grant line item, which would have adverse consequences for the Ballard RapidRide line, such as putting future lines at risk.
• Secretary Jean Sundborg discussed the three-day rummage sale the weekend of Feb. 25 held by the Uptown Alliance and FOLKpark to raise money for different projects in Uptown. She also reminded everyone of the Clean and Green event this Saturday beginning 9 a.m. at Counterbalance Park.
• Coney announced there is a town meeting with the mayor Tuesday, March 1 5:30 p.m. at Blaine School in Magnolia.
• It was found that the recently installed lights at Counterbalance Park were not designed for the outdoors. Parks and Recreation has ordered the parts to correct the matter, but the completion of the project is expected to take some time.

The next Uptown Alliance meeting will be Thursday, March 10 at the same location (Metropolitan Market). A report from SDOT on the Mercer West Project, including plans for West Mercer Place, is expected at that time.

In response to the numerous inquiries and complaints of West Mercer Place residents, most recently at the February 2 Queen Anne Community Council meeting, the board has written and sent two letters to city officials, according to an e-mail sent by QACC Chair Ellen Monrad.

The first letter, addressed to Mayor McGinn, was sent to the Mayor, the Seattle City Council and Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation Peter Hahn. It requests a comprehensive traffic plan for Queen Anne that takes into consideration the concerns over West Mercer and West Mercer Place. The second letter asks SDOT to present their plans on the West Mercer Place Project in a public forum.

From the QACC letter to Mayor McGinn:

Dear Mayor McGinn;

In several appearances before the Queen Anne Community Council and its committees, numerous residents of the West Mercer Place neighborhood have expressed their many concerns regarding potential changes to that street.

Mobility and safety are priorities for the area and must take into account traffic flow, sidewalk conditions, parking and ingress and egress to buildings. Mercer carries more traffic than most east-west streets in the area and serves as an important link between major highways, the urban village, west Queen Anne and Magnolia. It also is the center of a large, thriving residential area. We ask that the needs of the residents be heard in the city’s planning.

The Queen Anne Community Council has asked that a comprehensive traffic plan be developed and stands y that request. The need is stronger than ever with the Viaduct replacement Project underway. Already West Mercer Place neighbors report an increase in truck traffic as vehicles re pushed off a dieted Nickerson. The choking of Dexter will push even more traffic through Mercer. Out streets need to work and to work in conjunction with one another so that one neighborhood will not bear the brunt of the SR99 project.

As SDOT proceeds with the Mercer projects, especially those affecting West Mercer and West Mercer Place, we ask that the neighbors’ concerns be fully considered. We urge SDOT to schedule public events to inform those affected of proposed designs, to respond to their questions and to hear their concerns.

Sincerely,

Ellen Monrad
Chair, QACC

From the QACC letter to SDOT:

Dear Mr. Hahn;

Many West Mercer Place resident have attended the Queen Anne Community Council’s Transportation Committee meeting, as well as, our more recent QACC Board meeting.

There is no shortage of rumors and speculation as to what the project through their neighborhood will include. The neighbors have many concerns and questions that we are unable to answer. Their questions and concerns need to be heard.

Therefore, we ask that SDOT host a presentation of the West Mercer Place Project preliminary design as soon as it is available at a convenient location such as the Seattle Center. Public notice should be provided to businesses and residents in the area.

We look forward to hearing back from you as to the date and location.

Sincerely,

Ellen Monrad,
Chair, QACC

At the Queen Anne Community Council‘s monthly meeting last night a lively audience addressed concerns over SDOT’s West Mercer plans for the Mercer Corridor Project.

The redevelopment of West Mercer is part of phase II of the Mercer Corridor Project, and is anticipated to begin in the summer of 2012.

According to the SDOT website, this phase of the project, among other things, will provide freight with a route to and from 15th/Elliott Avenue West by adding a second eastbound lane, and improving key intersections to accommodate large trucks. The plan would also add a sidewalk to the narrow street that borders Lower Kinnear Park. But residents in the West Mercer Place area are concerned that the project will turn the residential street into a commercial truck thoroughfare.

A letter written by Rob Pennington, spokesman of a group of concerned residents in the West Mercer Place neighborhood, was submitted to the council’s transportation committee, intended to be sent to Mayor McGinn and the Seattle City Council as representative of the council’s official position. The primary issues outlined in the letter include the concerns over the truck routes and better conditions for pedestrians, bicyclists and businesses.

From the letter:

Uptown is a destination community, surrounded by a residential neighborhood that should be enhanced for pedestrian, bicycle and transit use with improvements to our North and South traffic flow. As projects proceed with the North Portal of SR 99 and the Mercer East Corridor, we believe that the concerns of West Mercer Street and West Mercer Place residents and businesses merit consideration over stakeholders outside our neighborhood.

The council ultimately voted against adopting the letter as it was written amidst protests from some of the citizens in attendance. Instead, a letter addressing Queen Anne transportation and incorporating Pennington’s West Mercer Place issues will be written and sent from the council.

Here are some of the highlights from the other issues discussed at the meeting:

• Updates from the Department of Neighborhoods from Central Team Neighborhood District Coordinator Christa Dumpys. There have been staff reductions and consolidations with the budget cuts, but Dumpys still remains the contact for Queen Anne and Magnolia. Both the director and deputy director of the Department of Neighborhoods have left, and the interim director starts on Friday. The Queen Anne/Magnolia Neighborhood Service Center has closed, and Dumpys is now working out of the Central Neighborhood Service Center on 23^rd and Jackson, but her phone number and e-mail are still the same.
• Council member Don Harper gave a summary of the Solarize Seattle program. In brief, the program will give tax credits and a bulk rate discount to Queen Anne residents who purchase solar panels for their home. More information can be found at solarizeseattle.org.
• Don Harper also spoke about the current state of the Smith Cove land trade. Certain issues (the inability to have an athletic field within 200 feet of a shoreline, and the Port of Seattle’s disinterested in making changes to the road) regarding the land in Interbay between the west yard and Smith Cove make the land swap unlikely, but Harper is proposing that the council asks the Port of Seattle for 50 more feet of Shoreline Parkway on the West Yard.

It’s that time again, the Queen Anne Community Council is having its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, February 2 at the Queen Anne Community Center.

Here’s a look at what’s on the agenda for tonight:

Update 9 a.m.: The QACC released last month’s agenda by accident, which was subsequently republished here. Below you’ll find the corrected, February meeting agenda.

• 7 p.m.: Adoption of Agenda; Approval of Minutes; Treasurer’s Report
• 7:10 p.m.: Open Forum—Comments
• 7:20 p.m.: FOLKpark—Don Harper
• 7:30 p.m.: Solarize Seattle—Update Don Harper
• 7:35 p.m.: West Mercer Place—Glenn Avery
• 7:55 p.m.: Smith Cove Land Trade—Don Harper
• 8:00 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

• 8:45 p.m.: New Business
• 8:55 p.m.: Adjournment

Upcoming QACC meetings, sub-committee meetings, and events:

• QACC: March 2, TBA
• Parks Committee: February 15, Queen Anne Community Center, 7:30 p.m.
• LURC/Planning: February 28, Queen Anne Community Center, 7:00 p.m.
• Transportation: February 23, Queen Anne Community Center, 7:30 p.m.
• NAC: February 16, Port Headquarters, 4:30 p.m.
• District Council: February 14, Magnolia Community Center 7 p.m.
• Queen Anne Clean and Green February, 12 9 p.m.
• SNAP: Queen Anne Library February 8 6:30 p.m.