The sun is out and flowers are blooming on Beacon Hill

Most of these photos are from the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr, which has tons of photos of our neighborhood. Want to contribute, or just browse the pool? Go here. Thanks to all the pool members who have contributed such wonderful images!

Flowers in the Lewis Park Natural Area near the Jose Rizal Bridge. Photo by Wendi.
Flowers in the Lewis Park Natural Area near the Jose Rizal Bridge. Photo by Wendi.

The art above the Beacon Hill Library, in a bright blue sky. Photo by melissajonas in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool.
The art above the Beacon Hill Library, in a bright blue sky. Photo by melissajonas in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool.
Continue reading The sun is out and flowers are blooming on Beacon Hill

Beacon Bits: Bigger, craftier, and busking

More room at El Quetzal
More room at El Quetzal

Neighbors and Soccer fans pack the Beacon Hill Library for Jefferson Park meeting

by Frederica Merrell

(Editor’s note: Frederica Merrell reports from last night’s well-attended Jefferson Park expansion meeting.)

Wow! I counted over 115 people in that room (don’t tell the Fire Department). Tonight people filled the chairs, stood all around walls, and spilled into the hall of the Beacon Library meeting room to talk about construction at Jefferson Park. As some of us said afterward, “geez, I guess we need a new library too!” (just kidding)

Parks Department had a lot of good info, including three options (A, B, C) for bundles of projects at Jefferson. I really hope they put it all up on their website soon so people can see the options. Parks wants people to fill out a form of low, medium, high, priorities for about ten recommendations. I don’t know whether this can be done online or not. (There’s nothing on the Parks site about this, at least not yet. — Ed.) They also will just take input from your perspective about whatever you are interested in. (See list of projects below and/or email Parks Department Project Manager Kim Baldwin).

Of those 115 people, I estimate 6 were city staff and 4 were city consultants. The highest Parks staffer was Kevin Stoops, who is the Superintendent’s right-hand man. Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher told me he couldn’t come, regrettably because it was his turn to host the local VW Van Club meeting (Cool!). Back to the demographics, about 18 or so folks were advocates for soccer fields, at least some of whom were from the Beacon Hill community. Another 15 or so, all Beaconites, were from the Jefferson Park Alliance (including me). The majority of locals had no group affiliations. The public question and speaking time was short for that many people, only about 40 minutes. I think most people walked out partially informed.

On the synthetic soccer field issue, Kevin Stoops addressed the issue of why there is no synth turf at Jefferson. Basically it comes down to lights. For several reasons that weigh heavily, lights have been axed from the picture at Jefferson: cost, environmental impact (views), technical difficulty of sinking poles into reservoirs, and limited electric utility may all be part of the picture on that decision. Without lights, no synth turf. Soccer fans are an enthusiastic bunch, though perhaps a bit deaf, and they keep coming back to argue about it. I just wish we didn’t spend so much time talking about something that is already decided and adopted into law. The Parks Board already decided this issue and the City Council passed view protection legislation two months ago at Jefferson. There will never be light poles over the reservoirs. The views are just too magnificent for that.

Other questions/areas of discussion: planning for the orchard/farm p-patch on 15th Ave. S., why we have asphalt paths instead of concrete (money), getting Beacon Mountain Playground built in Phase I so they don’t come back and tear the area up later, refurbishing Jefferson field, adding picnic grounds, siting a second basketball court, and maintenance costs.

Overall, it was a great meeting and I left with tears in my eyes realizing it is finally going to get built and we are so lucky!

Questions? Post!

Click to see the list of projects
Continue reading Neighbors and Soccer fans pack the Beacon Hill Library for Jefferson Park meeting

An open letter to the Seattle Police Department

Perhaps I am being grumpy, but we have enough crime in our neighborhood already. We don’t need to take responsibility for everyone else’s. I would consider it a simple mistake, but this is not the first time I’ve seen it happen.

Hello,

I have a concern about a post on your SPDBlotter website, titled “Shooting in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.”

The shooting was on Beacon Avenue, but it was not on Beacon Hill or in any way in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. Beacon Avenue continues well-beyond Beacon Hill, all the way to Renton. But Beacon Hill itself does not extend east of MLK way (which runs through the valley east of the Hill). The shooting site was southeast of even the most southern portion of Beacon Hill.

The Seattle city map calls that neighborhood Rainier View, and the shooting was near Rainier View Elementary School.

As someone who lives on Beacon Hill, it is frustrating to see crimes listed in our neighborhood that didn’t even happen here.

We would appreciate it if you would post crimes with more precise locations, and not give us “credit” for crimes that didn’t happen in our neighborhood.

Thanks!
Wendi
Beacon Hill Blog

Update: A suspect in the above mentioned shooting was arrested yesterday in the 5600 block of Beacon Avenue South — which is Beacon Hill.

Update 2: As of April 22, the headline on the original story has been changed to “Shooting in the Rainier View neighborhood”. Thanks, SPD!

Link light rail to open July 18

A Link light rail train passes through the Rainier Valley while testing. Photo by Oran Viriyincy.
A Link light rail train passes through the Rainier Valley while testing. Photo by Oran Viriyincy.
Sound Transit announced an official start date for the Link light rail service: July 18. This is a delay of two weeks from the previously rumored date of July 3, but had been expected because of delays in the Beacon Hill station construction. Rides will be free on opening weekend if you want to check it out. Sound Transit’s Link launch site will be updated in the coming weeks with more information about the opening festivities.

In related news, today is the kickoff of the ORCA card program. The ORCA card is a smart card that will eventually be used to pay fares on all the local transit systems. If you plan to be using the train (or other transit in the area) much in the future, particularly if you plan to transfer between train and bus, you will want to pick up an ORCA card from the orcacard.com website. Eventually ORCA will be required in order to transfer between different systems (such as light rail to bus, bus to Sounder, etc.). Read more about ORCA here.

DPD recommends conditional approval of Christian Restoration Center project

Design illustration
Design illustration
The project planned for the site across from MacPherson’s produce stand, the former Christian Resoration Center building (and before that, Tradewell grocery store), has been awarded a unanimous recommendation of conditional approval from the Department of Planning & Development’s Design Review Board.

The project calls for “an L-shaped 4 story structure consisting of 3 stories of residential uses with approximately 30 units above 6,000 square feet of ground level commercial space” in one of three configurations.

The project’s design update has the building set back from 15th Avenue South and offers a large gathering place at street level, and includes a canopy above the entrance. Also, stormwater planters on the courtyard and street levels of both 15th and South Oregon Street, and a water feature along Oregon west of the garage entrance. The review board recommended a more prominent and safe entryway along 15th, adding a canopy or marquee above the entry, window glazing in the north-facing commercial space, etc. They wanted to see a clear access plan for commercial visitors parking in the garage space and plans for landscaping management and maintenance.

The full decision document (pdf) is available on DPD’s website.

Proposed Metro service revisions released

Metro has released their proposed service revisions. These changes will be discussed at the special joint meeting of the King County Council’s Physical Environment Committee and the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee meeting April 28th.

Update: West Seattle Blog and The West Seattle Herald point out something missing: the Route 50 linking Beacon Hill to West Seattle.

Some relevant highlights from the revisions listed:

    Route 39:

  • Revise routing to end at 38th Avenue S and S Myrtle Street, near Othello light rail station.
  • Discontinue service between Seward Park Avenue S/S Myrtle Street and Rainier Avenue S/S Henderson Street.
  • Adjust Monday-Saturday off-peak service frequency to operate every 45 minutes instead of every 30 minutes.
  • Improve Sunday frequency on Route 39 to operate every 45 minutes instead of every 60 minutes.
    Route 36:

  • Revise routing so that all trips end at 38th Avenue S and S Myrtle Street, near Othello light rail station.
  • Replace service between Rainier Beach and Beacon Avenue S/S Myrtle Street with revised Route 106.
  • Discontinue evening and night service to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
  • Improve Saturday service to every 10 minutes between approximately 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. (Beginning February 2010)
    Route 38:

  • Revise routing to operate between Beacon Hill Station and the Mount Baker bus facility.
  • Discontinue service between Beacon Hill and SODO and in Mount Baker north of McClellan.
  • Operate every 20 minutes instead of every 30 minutes Monday-Saturday between approximately 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  • Discontinue service on Sundays and on other days before 8:30 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
    Route 60:

  • Improve weekday peak frequency from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes.

Denmark architect to speak on transit-oriented neighborhood planning

At 6:00pm on April 28th, in the Bertha Knight Landes room at city hall (600 4th Ave.), the Seattle Planning Commission and councilmember Sally Clark are bringing in Helle Søholt from Copenhagen-based Gehl Architects to speak on the topic of creating walkable and bike-able neighborhoods, especially around transit sites.

From the announcement:

How do we transform auto-oriented communities to make pedestrian-friendly communities? Helle Soholt of Gehl Architects will discuss the vibrant mix needed for creating successful communities. Copenhagen-based Gehl Architects is a world leader in urban design.

For more info please contact Barbara Wilson, Executive Director with the Seattle Planning Commision: 206.684.0431 or barb.wilson@seattle.gov