The Uptown Alliance meets this Thursday, May 9th, at 7pm in the Community Room at EXPO (100 Republican St).

A key agenda items is Puget Sound Bike Share. Executive Director Holly Houser will provide an introduction to Puget Sound Bike Share, a non-profit comprised of public and private organizations and local citizens working to bring bike sharing to King County.

Ref Lindmark, a Transportation Planner for King County Metro and board member of Puget Sound Bike Share, will update the Uptown Alliance on the King county’s perspective on implementing Bike Share in our region. He’ll also talk about projected Metro bus cuts that could affect the Uptown neighborhood.

Also on the Uptown Alliance agenda:

• Dan Cardozo of QACC – will introduce a project for combating homelessness
• Consideration/approval of letter to Sound Transit regarding the Ballard Extension Study
• Committee Reports: Seattle Center Memorial Stadium Plan B, Uptown Triangle Planning, Urban Design Framework Committee, and UDF Stakeholder brainstorm

The monthly Uptown Alliance meeting begins at 7pm Thursday at the EXPO Apartments community room (100 Republican St), with a tour of the EXPO building prior to the meeting at 6:30pm.

Peter Hahn, Director of Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), is the guest for the evening, and is up first on the agenda after introductions. He’ll be available to discuss future transportation concerns that impact Uptown, such as transportation needs, rail and mass transit, new street connections west and east of Uptown, bicycle safety, street maintenance, the Uptown Greenway, and any other SDOT-related concerns. Bring your topics and questions!

Agenda:

• Greetings & Introductions
• Guest speaker: Peter Hahn, Director, SDOT
• Motion on signatures for new BECU Uptown Alliance account
• Round Robin of topics of concern
• Discussion of meeting schedule for 2013
• Committee Reports: Parks, Public Safety, Urban Design Framework
• Adjourn

The Uptown Alliance meets tomorrow, Thursday, January 10th at 7pm in the Community Room at Expo Apartments (100 Republican St). It’s an open meeting, anyone can attend.

Included on this month’s agenda:

• Round Robin of topics of concern
• Mercer West Project: Preview of Mercer West Project construction & mitigations, Eric Tweit, SDOT. Includes info on the major bridge construction at Mercer/Aurora.
• Bike Master Plan: Brief review of Bike Master Plan, Uptown, as currently proposed. Comments are welcome.
• Nominations Committee report
• Election of officers for 2013
• Discussion of meeting schedule for 2013
• Future Activities/Decisions:
  • Continuing representative to Greater Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce
  • Continuing representative on Magnolia/Queen Anne District Council
  • Continuing representative on Mercer Corridor Stakeholder Group
  • Continuing representative on Downtown Seattle Assn. Public Safety Advisory Group
  • Should UA have a member on the Seattle Center Citizens’ Advisory Commission?
  • Continuing representation on Seattle Streetcar Alliance
  • Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
• Committee Reports

The Uptown Alliance meets at 7pm on Thursday and there’s a new location forthis month’s meeting – the Uptown Alliance will convene in the Community Room at Expo Apartments, 100 Republican St.

Agenda
• Greetings & Introductions
• Round Robin: topics of concern
• Affordable Housing Goals for Uptown – report by Rick Hooper
• South Lake Union Rezone – report by John Coney

• Nominations Committee – report by Jean Sundborg
• Counterbalance Park – report by Jean Sundborg
• Downtown Public Safety letter
• Future of Key Arena – report by John Coney

• Committee Reports

The next UA meeting is January 10 at 7pm, details including meeting location to follow. For additional information, contact Rick Hooper or John Coney.

The Uptown Alliance is putting together a free clothing exchange on September 15th from 11am-3pm in Counterbalance Park (intersection of Roy & Queen Anne Ave).

For more information, contact info for Uptown Alliance can be found below.

Another FREE Clothing Exchange is coming to the Uptown Neighborhood on Saturday, September 15, 2012, from 11 AM to 3 PM in Counterbalance Park at the corner of Queen Anne Ave and Roy Street
Bring your clean, lightly used clothes and accessories to swap/trade. Musty, smoky, stinky clothes are no fun to paw through. There is no limit to the amount you bring, or to the amount you take home with you. Bring a bag to take home your treasures. If you can use it, take it. No one is required to bring something, or to take something. No money will be used; no dealers; no resales; no charities; no other organizations during the exchange hours.
This free clothing exchange is sponsored by the Uptown Alliance. Bring your contributions on the day of the exchange, when it is convenient for you. Take time to see what your neighbors have brought. Exchange ends at 3 PM. Leftovers will be donated to local thrift stores. REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE. For more information, contact The Uptown Alliance at 206-283-6140 and leave a message.

The Uptown Alliance is meeting Thursday, April 12, to discuss Alcohol and the Uptown Urban Center.

Extended bar hours, alcohol impact areas, privatization of liquor sales, and Seattle’s Nightlife Initiative are all on the agenda. After a short business meeting, people from City of Seattle, Seattle Police Department, 12-step groups, local bars and restaurants, businesses, and residents will provide up-to-date information on Alcohol in Uptown in a panel discussion. The Alliance is aware of several changes that will affect the urban neighborhood and want to have a panel of people help better understand the proposals.

The Uptown Alliance is open to people who live in, operate a business in, work in, or just care about Seattle’s Uptown neighborhood. Please note: This Month’s meeting location is changed to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 15 Roy Street in the downstairs fellowship hall.

Local photographer Chelsea Nesvig snapped these photos from the National Night Out block party at Counterbalance Park in Lower Queen Anne last night, and decided to share them with us.

The Uptown Alliance ran the party, revitalizing a number of popular events from years past all in the name of bringing neighbors together.

Many neighbors brought lightly used clothes to the annual free clothing exchange. All leftovers from the swap/trade event will be donated to local shelters.

Block partiers also indulged in another popular returning event – the “Bite of Uptown,” which provided free food samples from Lower Queen Anne restaurants.

The Counterbalance wishing wall gave neighbors an opportunity to share their hopes and dreams for Lower Queen Anne with each other and local organizations and non-profits.

All in all it was a great time with fun, games and community togetherness.

Check out more pics from Night Out at Counterbalance Park here. If you’d like to share pictures from your Night Out block party, email tips@queenanneview.com or share a link to your pictures online in the comments below.

With national Night Out just around the corner, its time to start planning for your own block party, or finding a nearby event to attend. Lower Queen Anne will be celebrating neighborly love at its own Neighborhood Night Out event at Counterbalance Park on Tuesday, August 2, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Uptown Alliance is hosting the event. They’ll be snacks from nearby eateries, activities, clothing and food drives, and everything else you need to get to know your neighbors on a sunny (hopefully) August evening. From the Uptown Alliance:

This nationwide free event invites neighbors to meet in parks and on closed streets. A popular activity from the 2009 event, free “Bite of Uptown” food samples from local restaurants will be served on the hour.

Non-perishable food donations are requested for Uptown’s local food banks. The free clothing exchange is also returning. Residents bring clean, lightly used clothes and accessories to swap/trade. If you can use it, take it. No one is required to bring something or to take something. Remainders will be donated to local shelters. Board and card games plus storytelling will be available. Information tables from local organizations are included.

If you’d like to volunteer or lead an activity at Queen Anne’s Neighborhood Night Out, or just get more information, please leave a message for the Uptown Alliance at 206-499-2795.

The Uptown Alliance’s monthly meeting is taking place from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight, Thursday, July 14 in the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market restaurant space on the far west side of the market. Take a look at the items on the agenda for tonight’s meeting:

• Greetings and introductions
• Adopt Minutes of Last Month’s Meeting
• Round Robin: Current Uptown issues
• Lower Kinnear Park planning and bike/pedestrian connection from Roy Street-end to Elliott Ave. – Debi Frausto, Friends of Lower Kinnear Park
• Seattle Transportation Master Plan (Jennifer Wieland, SDOT)
• Seattle Parks (Department of Parks and Recreation) Strategic Plan – Don Harper, Parks and Open Space Levy Oversight Committee
• Affordable Housing: Funding issues; How affordable housing can fit into Uptown – Rick Hooper
• Committee Reports

1. Parks
2. Planning & Transportation
3. Events

• New Business: bring your own topics and comments.

The next Uptown Alliance meeting will take place on Thursday, September 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market. There will be no meeting in August. The Alliance’s Planning and Transportation Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, August 3 at 6 p.m. at Metropolitan Market. Metro transit staff will be in attendance to present the draft details on the bike share program, which will include the Uptown area. For more information on this program, contact Rick Hooper at Nsilberg@silberg.net or John Coney (283-2049) at djohnconey@aol.com.

The Uptown Alliance’s monthly meeting is happening this Thursday, June 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market restaurant space. This month the agenda is brimming with transportation issues – from Metro’s D-Line RapidRide stop placement, to its new trolley buses – as well as other hot topics, including the Department of Neighborhoods Alcohol Impact Program and a potential site for low-income housing in Uptown. Check out the full agenda:

• Greetings and introductions
• Adopt Minutes of 5/12/11
• Metro Transit D-Line RapidRide stop placement – Jonathan Dong (SDOT) & Paul Roybal (Metro)
• Committee Reports:

1. New LED lighting in Counterbalance Park: it’s getting better.
2. Department of Neighborhoods Alcohol Impact Area program – Christa Dumpys TBC
3. 8th Ave. N. and Roy St.: Possible near-Uptown, SLU site for low cost housing: Will UA support this site? If so, how best? – Rick Hooper
4. A new generation of trolley buses in Seattle.
5. Letter supporting Alcohol Impact Area Program.
6. Uptown Alliance participation in proposed Center City Neighborhoods group.

• New Business: bring your own topics and comments.

The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jul4 14. All future meetings will be held at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market until further notice.

Want to learn more about the Uptown Alliance and it’s work in the Lower Queen Anne community? Check out its Facebook page for updates and neighborhood information, or contact Rick Hooper at Nsilberg@silberg.net, or John Coney at djohnconey@aol.com.

This month’s Uptown Alliance meeting is happening this Thursday, May 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market restaurant space on the far west side of the store.

Among the hot topics this month is the issue of Metro’s RapidRide D line, which aims to connect neighborhoods in heavily used traffic corridors with frequent and fast connections. The RapidRide D line is scheduled to come to Interbay and Lower Queen Anne in 2012.

Take a look at what’s on the agenda this month:

• Greetings and introductions – Approve minutes
• Honoring Uptown Alliance Founder, Janis Ford
• RapidRide D-Line stops

1. West Mercer Street stop consolidation
2. Pedestrian crossings at West Mercer stop
3. Parking loss on West Mercer St.

• Report on pending Small & Simple Grant Application supporting the outreach phase of planning for the Uptown Triangle, bounded by Denny, Broad, and Aurora.
• Committee Reports

1. Parks
2. Events: A drop-in public meeting space store front for Uptown
3. Planning & Transportation: Meeting with Exec. Dir. Kate Joncas of Seattle Downtown Assn. re/urban decay issues.

• New Business: bring your own topics and comments.

The next Uptown Alliance meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 9, also at the Lower Queen Anne Metropolitan Market. For more information, contact Rick Hooper at Nsilberg@silberg.net,  or John Coney at djohnconey@aol.com.

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.