Drawing by Joel Lee of a potential woonerf or active alley in the Link Station Block, with El Centro de la Raza in the background. Please click through to see a larger version.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. — Eleanor Roosevelt

All of this recent rezoning talk has gotten me thinking about North Beacon Hill’s business district. I’ve lived in many different areas of Seattle and although I love Beacon Hill, I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that does not work with our business areas. I love our coffee shops, funky grocery stores, and ethnic restaurants and I do my part to make sure that I spend money locally, but why do I so often find myself leaving the hill for other services? Some of the answer is obvious: when I want to go see a movie I head over to Columbia City Cinema or the Admiral Theater, since this is a service that I just can’t get in our neighborhood. But I also find myself going to Georgetown just to eat dinner or grab a beer after work. If you have been paying any attention you will have noticed that Georgetown has been booming for the last ten years, with many new restaurants and shops and just funky things going on. What do they have that we don’t?

First I decided I should look at available data to see if I could find some truths. According to Zillow.com, Beacon Hill has 4104 residences, our median income is $45,965 (above Seattle’s median income), our highest percentage age group is people in their 30s, and our average household size is 3.107 people. Add to this mix an awesome underground light rail station, stunning views, a large brand-new park coming soon, convenient freeway access, and a location that is a stone’s throw from downtown, and Beacon Hill has been dealt a winning hand.

Now let’s take a minute to look at Georgetown. If you can dodge that freight train and try to concentrate over that low flying plane noise for a minute, let’s try to take a look at their numbers. Depending on where you draw the line, Georgetown has a mere 379 residences, their median income is $33,654 (almost the lowest in Seattle), their highest percentage age group is people in their 20s, and their average household size is 1.94. Add to this mix a few Superfund sites, eclectic zoning, and some disjointed industrial areas, and it’s a wonder that Georgetown survives at all. Despite all of this, Georgetown is not only surviving, but thriving. Their vibrant business district has added new bars and restaurants almost yearly, and their events such as Artopia attract people from all over the region. Music stores, bakeries, multiple coffee shops, pet supplies, a beer store and antique stores have all opened in the last few years.

The Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) recently released a study focused on retail in Rainier Valley. Although the study didn’t focus on Beacon Hill, one of the study’s main finds was “leakage,” which is roughly defined as people leaving their own neighborhoods to buy products and services in other areas. Just as Beacon Hill clearly suffers from leakage as many people leave the area for basic services, neighborhoods such as Georgetown clearly capitalize on this, since there is no way that the 379 people that live there could possibly support their range of businesses.

It’s hard not to conclude from this data that zoning alone will not fix our business district. Neighborhoods like Georgetown and Columbia City have certain less-measurable qualities about them that have helped them thrive. Chief among them has to be neighborhood pride, creativity, activism, long-term vision, building owners willing to take chances, investors with vision and tough as nails entrepreneurs that are brave enough to swim against our economic current. None of these are qualities that we can zone for; they are qualities that we must earn with a lot of difficult risk, vision, community participation, cooperation and tenacity.

Joel Lee maintains the Beacon Hill Public Art website and previously wrote about a vision for Beacon Hill’s “Post Alley.”

Do you have an opinion? We welcome opinion articles on topics related to Beacon Hill. Please email us your articles.

© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 46 comments |
Post tags: alley, business, development, station block development, woonerf, zoning

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There has been significant interest in the appeal that I filed with the Hearing Examiner’s office on January 29. I love that people in our community are engaged, reading, and looking at what is going on around them. Our Beacon blog is an amazing venue for keeping up on stuff that’s important to us and not likely to be followed anywhere else.

An appeal is a quasi-judicial process with rules and procedures. The Hearing Examiner runs the show and our examiner Sue Tanner is very capable and experienced. She is charged with impartiality, efficiency, expediency, transparency and equal access to all, even those without a lawyer or legal training (like me). There are lots of areas where appeals are used, including the appeal of an environmental determination (SEPA appeal) like mine.

So there is the person filing the appeal (me), the agency or party whose action triggered the appeal (the city’s Department of Planning and Development, or DPD) and the Hearing Examiner. Other people can enter into the discussion too, and anyone can come watch any step of the process down at the Hearing Examiner’s office on the 40th floor of the big tower at 700 Fifth Avenue (Seattle Municipal Tower). I assume the records on the process are all open to the public.

Last week, I had my Prehearing Conference. This is a time to meet, go over the paperwork that is being filed, make sure everyone has each other’s addresses, and create a mutually agreeable calendar for the steps being taken. I noticed that most of the time was taken up with the calendar. In order to do the calendar all the likely steps in the process have to be laid out. Right now, DPD is going to find some information for me and also try to narrow the scope of the appeal. They felt it was too broad. I will get some time to look at the information they provide and respond back. We will both draw up a list of “exhibits” that we want to share with each other in the hearing. We will both draw up a list of “witnesses.” The time frame for all these steps are laid out and we came to agreement on a hearing date of April 7 at 9:00 am. Anyone who wants to watch the hearing can come.

The excellent media folks at our blog asked me some specific questions about the appeal. An appeal is kind of like a poker game. One important strategy for winning the game is not showing your hand. So I’m not going to answer a lot of specific questions right now while I am in the middle of the process because I want to win my hearing determination! I do encourage you to read information that is readily available. If you haven’t read the full appendix of the North Beacon Hill Update, you might want to do that.

Some other great stuff to look at: check out City Council committee meetings on a good computer where you can see the videos. I recommend the last couple of meetings of Councilmember O’Brien’s Seattle Public Utilities and Neighborhoods Committee (SPUNC) and Sally Clark’s Committee on the Built Environment. Her last meeting was particularly interesting and I am going to go back and look at the whole thing again. This is a very interesting process to me because I have never filed an appeal before. I am learning as I go. If you want to know why I filed the appeal, come to the hearing! That is where I lay out my arguments before the Hearing Examiner and DPD makes their arguments too. Until then, we don’t reveal our arguments. Hope to see you on April 7!

Frederica Merrell was the North Beacon Hill neighborhood planning co-chair from 1998-2000, and is the co-author of Seattle’s Beacon Hill.

© Admin for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 9 comments |
Post tags: appeal, neighborhood planning

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Neighbors posted comments on zoning and street configurations at the Neighborhood Plan update open house last September. Photo by Wendi.

These meetings are the first of many steps to examine the merits of the identical appeals filed by separate individuals against the Neighborhood Plan updates. These meetings are costing City of Seattle taxpayers money and taking staff time away from other DPD business. They are also delaying any progress on the work plans associated with the Neighborhood Plan Updates and halting any development and/or design plans for the sites involved.

El Centro de La Raza has lost $75,000 in funds offered to help them begin preliminary community outreach to discuss design and development ideas for their property. They cannot begin to move forward on developing their site until there is some indication that zoning issues will be resolved. El Centro is a valuable community partner. They would like to develop their property in the best interests of the neighborhood. They cannot begin the conversation about how to do that until the zoning issues are resolved.

Let’s be very clear: the Neighborhood Plan Updates are totally, completely about zoning. The entire point of the Neighborhood Plan Updates—the only reason they were ever developed—was to discuss zoning in the specific areas around the light rail stations. They were not intended to be and will never be replacements for the extensive Neighborhood Plans our communities have in place.

All other issues are red herrings. Concurrency is a completely unrelated issue to the upzone conversation—apples and oranges. The Neighborhood Plan validation process is also completely unrelated—a completely separate process.

This is the core of El Centro’s counter-appeal. DPD can clearly demonstrate that these appeals are too general and many of the complaints are outside the jurisdiction of the Hearing Examiner’s office and outside the scope of the update.

From El Centro’s Motion to Dismiss:

“El Centro de la Raza makes a motion to dismiss this appeal because Ms. Merrell appears to be raising issues related to the passage of the North Beacon Hill Plan, rather than the adequacy of the City’s environmental review. The North Beacon Hill Plan has not been adopted by the City Council yet. No changes to the Comprehensive Plan, nor to the zoning code, have yet occurred. Therefore, any issues related to the North Beacon Hill Plan itself, or related to any potential future zoning change, are not ripe for the Hearing Examiner’s review. In addition, any issues related to the Growth Management Act are not properly before the Hearing Examiner and must be dismissed.

In the alternative, El Centro suggests to the Hearing Examiner that the appeal is essentially limited to a single legal issue: whether the City properly exercised its discretion under WAC 197-11-055, 197-11-060, and 197-11-228 to complete proper environmental review of comprehensive planning documents. We ask that the Hearing Examiner dismiss all other issues raised by Ms. Merrell, as such claims are related to the unadopted plan or possible future zone changes. ”

Unfortunately, it’s going to take weeks (if not months) of public employee time away from actual projects to address these appeals. These appeals are an expensive time-wasting strategy with an end goal of keeping things in limbo.

Development will happen, but it’s going to take years and millions of dollars longer because a very simple zoning question—one that has received a significant amount of community feedback—is not being answered. That’s a shame.

(Melissa is a columnist for the Beacon Hill Blog and recently wrote about speeding drivers on the Hill in her column “Walking with Tica.”)

© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 9 comments |
Post tags: community, density, el centro de la raza, light rail, mass transit, neighborhood planning, zoning

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Photo by Dru Bloomfield (CC).

Hey Beacon Hill drivers: what’s the rush? I’ve been walking these streets for six years, enjoying the peaceful community, friendly neighbors, and quiet streets. Something changed lately… the streets are not as quiet.  Maybe the construction traffic for Sound Transit slowed traffic on McClellan, and now people are back to their Speed Racer habits.  It’s not just arterials, though.  Folks are flying down side streets, too.  My older dog and increasing belly are slow—is there some reason we should hurry?

Is your kid late enough to school that you need to rush a pregnant woman crossing 23rd? Did you forget to Tivo your soap opera, making it necessary to drive 40mph down 20th, narrowly avoiding parked cars and cats dashing across the street?  Is there any reason you absolutely must turn right on red as that senior citizen loaded with groceries is making his way across Beacon?

Unless you have flashing lights to go on top of your car or are driving someone to the hospital—SLOW DOWN!  Per SDOT: In Seattle, the speed limit on residential streets is 25 mph and 30 mph on arterial streets unless otherwise posted. Drivers are expected to know and obey the speed limit.

Pedestrians (and our pooches, strollers, toddlers) have right of way. Stop, look, and wait for pedestrians at intersections. Perhaps you could use that 20 seconds to meditate… or maybe you could hang up your cell phone, put down your sandwich, and remember that you’re in a metal cage capable of killing someone.

Other Andy Rooney editions that probably won’t be posted in the blog:

Why do teenagers text while crossing the road?

Is it too much to ask for people to pick up after their dogs?

You darn kids get off my lawn!

© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 12 comments |
Post tags: andy rooney, cranky, driving, pedestrians, safety, traffic

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Possible development on Beacon Avenue, depicted in the Neighborhood Plan Update.

That plan is being challenged.  A community member has filed a petition with the City of Seattle Hearing Examiner (see the earlier news post in the BHB) calling the update process into question and requesting that the DNS (Determination of Nonsignificance) be vacated. Concerns listed in the petition include construction noise, increased traffic, lack of specific guarantees regarding service improvements, and overall disregard for community opinion and the existing neighborhood plan.

Simply put, it’s a request for DPD to be required to throw away over a year’s worth of community input and other work on this project—essentially starting the entire process over.

Neighborhood, City and transit groups have worked hard to update the North Beacon Hill Neighborhood Plan in a way that respects the core values of our community and includes the reality of introducing mass transit into the neighborhood.  Two critical considerations for an urban neighborhood served by mass transit include increased residential density accompanied by increased employment, service, and other business development.

Increased density is a worthy goal for our neighborhood: people should live and work near transit. We need housing, employment, and services for our future neighbors.  This doesn’t have to/shouldn’t mean increased vehicle traffic—the entire point is that new residents will be using light rail.

If the North Beacon Hill Urban Village is ever to develop, we must move forward as a community.  Change can be challenging, but it’s also an opportunity to improve.

Get involved.  Learn more about this issue and take action to make Beacon Hill the place you want it to be.  Please attend the North Beacon Hill Council meeting on Thursday, February 4 at 7:00 pm.  Meetings are held at the Beacon Hill Public Library. The full agenda is here and also here.

(Melissa is a columnist for the Beacon Hill Blog and recently wrote about the Neighborhood Plan Update in her column “Walking with Tica.”)

© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 43 comments |
Post tags: neighborhood planning, north beacon, station block development, urban village

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The view of El Centro down the alley from McClellan. Photo by Joel Lee.

I was walking to light rail yesterday when I noticed that the alley behind the station is a perfect straight shot to El Centro—it almost frames the building like a painting. I had not thought about this alley much in the past. I imagined it someday being a little-used space filled with dumpsters and graffiti, tucked between two large condo buildings where the only use it might get would be the occasional employee taking a smoke break.

But seeing it yesterday helped me re-imagine the space. What if instead of it being a forgotten space behind some buildings, it became Beacon Hill’s Post Alley filled with micro businesses? It could be an extension of the planned courtyard at El Centro and a useful arm of Festival Street. For those of you that don’t get downtown much, Post Alley is an offshoot of the Pike Place Market. It is a pedestrian-friendly sort of mini-market where many smaller businesses have been able to take root in its less-than-prime real estate. It includes Seattle’s famous gum wall.

Photo of Post Alley at sunset by zenobia_joy.

Joel Lee maintains the Beacon Hill Public Art website.

Do you have an opinion? We welcome opinion articles on topics related to Beacon Hill. Please email us your ideas.

© Admin for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 20 comments |
Post tags: alley, beacon hill station, el centro, s mcclellan, station block development

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Auction items include arts and crafts created by our members, as well as packages that include a chance to spend time with local political figures—have lunch with Mike McGinn, go for a bike ride with Mike O’Brien, or enjoy drinks with Pete Holmes. All proceeds go directly to shelter costs for People’s Place members. Contributions are tax deductible.

Light snacks, good company, great cause—what better way to spend a Friday night on Beacon Hill?

The suggested donation is $35 at the door. For more information, see the People’s Place Facebook page or email peoplesplace@yahoo.com.  If you can’t make it to the event, please consider making a donation using the PayPal link.  Thanks!

(Melissa, who contributes the “Walking with Tica” column to the BHB, is a co-founder of People’s Place.)

© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: el centro de la raza, fundraising, homeless

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Cover of the North Beacon Hill neighborhood plan update from DPD

Have you checked out the North Beacon Hill Neighborhood Plan Update? In case you’re new to North Beacon Hill, this is the draft document generated out of hours of meetings with the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD).  The North Beacon Hill Neighborhood Council and many individuals have worked very hard to collect input and share neighborhood opinions about how our community (“urban village”) should look.

Perhaps the biggest change proposed in this draft is increasing the height limit of buildings surrounding the light rail station.  There’s also a proposal to update El Centro de la Raza’s zoning.  It’s currently single family residential—no, I’m not joking. In case you’re unfamiliar with El Centro, there are dozens of programs operating out of that building, serving thousands of people of all ages and from all backgrounds.  Childcare, senior meals, homeless services, a food bank, immigrant advocacy, and more.  There are also businesses operating within El Centro: CommuniChi acupuncture, Excelsior Travel Agency, and others.  For a complete list and to learn how to volunteer or make a donation to El Centro, visit their website. El Centro hopes to develop affordable housing and expand their program facilities.  This is an incredible opportunity for our entire neighborhood.

One potential future for North Beacon Hill (looking north on Beacon Avenue, near McClellan).

My priorities around neighborhood planning were honed when we were looking for a house in 2003.  I attended Seattle Midwifery School at El Centro (they’ve now moved) and loved Beacon Hill.   It only took one walking tour to convince my partner that this was a great place to live.  Our goal is to live in this house for 20-30 years.  We planned where we were going to buy a house based on what was important to us:

• walkability/run-ability (safety, accessibility, comfort, quality of sidewalks and trails)
• services (grocery store, library, coffee shop, bar/pub, restaurant)
• transit access and easy access by car to other places
• diversity
• established community
• parks and green spaces

We’re expecting another human member of the family in May.  I’m excited to see baby/kid-friendly businesses opening in our neighborhood.  We always assumed we’d send our kid to the neighborhood school, and were content with Beacon Elementary and Kimball as choices.  The Seattle School District is shifting to location-based school assignment, which will (hopefully) mean that our south-end schools start achieving parity with the rest of the city.

Change can be challenging.  For some perspective on all the changes in Beacon Hill over the last 100 years or so, check out Seattle’s Beacon Hill by Frederica Merrell and Mira Latoszek. (Merrell is an occasional contributor to the BHB. – ed.) The book is chock-full of photos from the Jackson Regrade—when neighborhood planning meant washing huge portions of the city down into the Sound!  Now is our chance to shape our community for decades to come.  Get informed; get involved.  Attend meetings (the North Beacon Hill Council meets on the first Thursday of every month at the library) and talk to your neighbors.

(Editor’s note: If you’d like your own copy of Seattle’s Beacon Hill, you can order one from Amazon through the link on the lower right of this page.)

An artist's depiction of a future event at the Lander Festival Street, from the North Beacon Hill neighborhood plan update.

© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 15 comments |
Post tags: el centro de la raza, nbhc, neighborhood planning, rezoning

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Food stands in Portland; could we have this here? Photo by Joel Lee.

I’ve always admired Portland’s funky attitude towards street food vendors. What was years ago a smattering of taco trucks and falafel vendors, has grown into entire streets filled with every imaginable variety of food being served from every imaginable type of food wagon. Working in downtown Portland means having your choice between dozens of street vendors during lunchtime.

Since returning from my recent trip to Portland I’ve been dreaming of seeing more of this in Seattle. Besides my own selfish desires for more food selection, it’s also a perfect building block for a strong local economy. It does not take nearly as much money to start up a food cart as it would to open a restaurant, and it does not involve nearly as much risk—these types of small businesses are the front lines in a recovering economy.

I would love it if the area around our light rail station would develop into an area where street vendors would become more welcome and small business entrepreneurs would be given the time, community support, and space to try new types of businesses. As an added bonus this would give us a multi-ethnic gathering place, build community, and enliven ‘downtown’ Beacon Hill.

Joel Lee maintains the Beacon Hill Public Art website.

Do you have an opinion? We welcome opinion articles on topics related to Beacon Hill. Please email us your ideas.

Another Portland food stand. Photo by Joel.

© Admin for Beacon Hill Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 14 comments |
Post tags: light rail station, street food

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Neighbors walking their dogs can be helpful as a crime watch force in the neighborhood. Photo by melanie b.

Many people travel during December, leaving their homes for a few days or weeks.  I encourage you to consider a safety plan for your home while making your travel plans.   Here are a couple of sites with basic safety/crime prevention tips, and here’s my list:

• Inform your immediate neighbors that you’re going to be gone and ask them to keep an eye on your car and the exterior of your house.
• Lock everything—windows, doors, sheds/garages, cars.
• Leave keys (house and car) with at least one trusted neighbor, along with local emergency contacts and a way to reach you while you’re gone.
• For short trips, ask someone to check your mail—just so that there’s foot traffic up and down your porch and to prevent possible mail/identity theft.
• Ask someone to brush leaves/snow off your car or to keep an eye on your garage.
• For longer trips, either put a hold on mail and paper delivery or ask someone to pick up daily (same with the promotional materials people leave on doorknobs, yellow page books, and other deliveries).
• Keep things normal: consider putting a couple of lamps on a timer; if you have holiday lights or use exterior lights, put them on a timer, too; ask someone to bring trash/recycle/yard waste cans to the curb and back.
• If you’re planning to be away for more than a few days, consider asking someone to come in and check on your house. There are some very responsible teenagers in our neighborhood.
• Find someone you trust to stay in your house.  Check references and have your neighbors check in on this person.
• If you have pets, you’ll need to take them into consideration as well; these tips are for property safety only.  Special considerations for pets: let your vet know you’re traveling and leave a check or credit card number with them in case of emergency; make sure your pet-sitter has access to travel carriers and driving directions to the emergency clinic; keep copies of pet license numbers and/or microchip numbers current.

Our entire community is safer when we get to know each other.  Offer to help your neighbors, and ask for help.  Bring in the trash cans for an elderly neighbor, deliver cookies to a newcomer, and talk to people when you see them outside.   If you see something suspicious or have concerns, share them—not just with the neighborhood mailing list or the blog, but with the household involved.

Those of us with dogs spend a lot more time on the sidewalk than most people—especially now that it’s dark earlier and the weather isn’t welcoming for an after-dinner stroll.  Tica and I are both very aware of the patterns of our neighborhood: what kind of cars people drive, when folks are home, new neighbors… and of course, who has dogs and what time they’re out.  We know most of the regulars out walking at various times. I feel like I could reliably identify someone who was out of place, and I’m confident I would notice someone suspicious loading your TV into a van.

Tica and I are a great team to enlist for help watching your house.  Your block probably has a few dogs out every night for a constitutional—do you know them?  They’re potential allies.  The missing piece is knowing how to reach you if there is a problem. Does your next door neighbor have a cell number for you while you’re on vacation?

Wishing everyone a safe, warm winter—at home or away!

© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: community, safety, travel

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The status of Beacon Hill for the next few months is likely to be something like this -- rainy. Photo by Bridget Christian in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.

Beacon Neighbors,

It occurred to me this week we should put together a status report on our neighborhood issues, projects and forums, for Mayor-Elect McGinn. Here is a draft. I came up with a bunch of categories that we could write short summaries on. Some stuff we could pull right off the Blog. Volunteers?

Take a topic and write a short summary as a comment to this blog post. As I see them posted, I will compile into one doc. I will post the results and we can hand it out to our Mayor-Elect at the upcoming forums and also distribute to new council members. If this format works, we could do an annual or biannual report.

Game?

DRAFT North Beacon Hill Status Report to Mayor-Elect McGinn November 09

North Beacon is an active and articulate residential community. North Beacon Hill pioneered urban village planning in 1990 (North Beacon Hill Action Plan), before the City initiated the 1998 planning cycle. We are currently working on recommendations for our third neighborhood plan and have numerous other planning documents completed.

Here are the highlights of our areas of focus, projects and forums:

Primary Issues of Concern and Focus 2009 (Summaries below)

1. Neighborhood planning and urban village investment
2. Equitable High Speed Internet Access for local businesses and residents
3. 15th Ave. S Street Project
4. Public Safety
5. Stevens Street Utility Poles Remediation
6. Ongoing outreach to our diverse community
7. Improving local schools and youth programs

Projects (Summaries below)

8. Jefferson Park Reconstruction (Implementation by the City with stewardship of the community)
9. Lander Festival Street (Implementation by the City with stewardship of the community)
10. Beacon Rockit: Local folks initiating arts and gatherings in a storefront on Beacon Avenue
11. Beacon Farmers Market: Long desired use for the new festival street
12. Urban Agriculture Project: Designed for Jefferson Park by local permaculture students.

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Read the rest of Contributions wanted for neighborhood status report (368 words)

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]]> http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/11/19/contributions-wanted-for-neighborhood-status-report/feed/ 10 http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/10/31/opinion-school-assignment-plan-lost-in-translation/ http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/10/31/opinion-school-assignment-plan-lost-in-translation/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:02:11 +0000 admin http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/?p=3726 by Flo Beaumon

BHIS students welcomed the community in many languages at last year's Opening Ceremony. Photo by Bridget Christian.

My son is a first grader at Beacon Hill International School.  It’s a dream come true for us, and we felt very lucky that though it was not our reference area school (we live 1.8 miles north of the school), after a month on the waiting list he got in.  We were doubly happy that our son’s little brother will be able to join his big brother at BHIS in a few years.

Or so we thought.  

Though I had heard rumblings about a change in the school assignment system, I had no information about it until I saw a posting on Madrona Moms last spring.  The new Student Assignment Plan, evidently years in development, quietly eliminated the sibling priority for enrollment.  The plan to make the schools neighborhood schools would break up thousands of SPS families into two different elementary schools, or would force families to pull their older child out of his or her school to be able to attend the neighborhood school with the incoming kindergartener.

We have been trying to get the word out at our school.  It’s greatly complicated by the diversity of languages at students’ homes.  Only about half of the students’ families speak English at home.   My husband got letters to the school board translated into Mandarin and Spanish, and families from those cultures signed them.  Our school’s principal pointed out that over the years many Beacon Hill Elementary School families from outside the reference area chose the school because of its strong support for English language learners.  

In June, the School Board voted to approve the new Student Assignment Plan.  But, due entirely to the growing outcry by parents, they addressed the question of grandfathering in younger siblings of currently enrolled students by promising to consider a transition plan this fall, after the new boundaries are released and voted on. 
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Read the rest of Opinion: School assignment plan lost in translation (418 words)

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Post tags: beacon hill elementary, esl, schools, student assignment plan

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]]> http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/10/31/opinion-school-assignment-plan-lost-in-translation/feed/ 0 http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/10/24/help-keep-your-library-open-more-than-35-hours-a-week/ http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/10/24/help-keep-your-library-open-more-than-35-hours-a-week/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:44:06 +0000 Jason http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/?p=3633 Sign The Friends of the Seattle Public Library’s Facebook petition to preserve library hours at the Beacon Hill branch.

If Mayor Nickels’s proposed budget plan is adopted by the City Council unchanged, the library’s hours will be reduced to:

• 1pm to 8pm Mondays and Tuesdays.
• 11am to 6pm Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• Closed Fridays.
• 11 am to 6pm Saturdays.
• Closed Sundays.

More information about the 2010 Proposed Budget’s effect on the Operations Budget (collections and hours) and Capital (major building maintenance) is available on The Seattle Public Library’s website.

The Friends of the SPL want to hit 2000 signers on the petition today. It’s not out of reach at 1483 petitioners so far. Add your signature here.

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Post tags: budget, library

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]]> http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/10/24/help-keep-your-library-open-more-than-35-hours-a-week/feed/ 0 http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/10/05/walking-with-tica-election-edition/ http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/10/05/walking-with-tica-election-edition/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:22:42 +0000 melissajonas http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/?p=3433

"Vote" sign at El Centro, November 2008. Photo by Wendi.

Leaves are starting to turn and clouds are staying around for days instead of hours.  There’s that certain crispness in the air and football on TV (Go, Pack, Go!).  It must be election season.

Tica and I have been walking the blocks of North Beacon Hill since 2003.  We’ve watched election signs go up for Kerry, Bush, Rossi, Gregoire, Obama, McCain, Rossi, Gregoire… plus the monorail, levies, school board elections, parks, and more.  This year, there just isn’t the same showing–for any issue or any candidate. Where are the yard signs? Is it too early in the season?  Are candidates not producing them in the same way? It can’t be that Beacon Hill has become less interested in politics.  The 36th District is active, engaged, smart and passionate.  Both Democrats and Republicans in Beacon Hill vote.

Candidates are falling over themselves to attend and organize forums, townhalls, and walks in Beacon Hill and other parts of Southeast Seattle.  The City is working on a Neighborhood Plan to decide how high buildings in the Beacon Hill “urban village” will be.  There are changes proposed to improve the safety of cyclists on our streets.  I know our neighbors have opinions–get involved! Attend meetings if you can, read up on the issues if you can’t, and talk to your neighbors.

Most importantly, register to vote and confirm that your ballot is on track to be mailed to your current address.  All voting is by mail in Seattle.  Go to My Vote to be sure that you’re going to get your ballot.  Do you have a new roommate or neighbor?  Do you know someone who just turned 18?  Monday October 5th (today!) is the last day to register or change your address online.  If you have never registered in Washington, you have until October 26th to register in person.

We have several important choices on the ballot this November.  There are two new candidates for Mayor: Mike McGinn and Joe Mallahan.  We’re choosing between several City Council candidates AND there’s a race for City Attorney and King County Executive.  We are also voting on two statewide initiatives that could have lasting impact: I-1033 (a Tim Eyman initative) and R-71, a referendum to roll back approve or reject domestic partnership benefits.

Learn about the candidates and their values.  Understand the implications of the initiatives.  Vote.  That’s even more important than yard signs.

(Editor’s note — corrected R-71 reference. If you vote “approve” on R-71, that is to approve the new state domestic partnership law. If you vote “reject,” your vote would be to repeal the law.)

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© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments |
Post tags: beacon hill, dow constantine, election, fall, I-1033, king county, mallahan, mayor, mcginn, politics, R-71, susan hutchison, tim eyman, vote, yard signs

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]]> http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/10/05/walking-with-tica-election-edition/feed/ 5 http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/09/26/planning-advisory-committee-discusses-draft-neighborhood-plan/ http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/09/26/planning-advisory-committee-discusses-draft-neighborhood-plan/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:12:35 +0000 admin http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/?p=3349 By Frederica Merrell,
North Beacon Hill Planning Advisory Committee

A rendering of the view down Beacon Avenue with 125-foot zoning. From the DPD website. What do you think of it?

If you go to the City planning website and look at the draft Neighborhood Plan update recommendations, what do you see? There is a document on goals and strategies, some high tech drawings of various zoning options and a cross-section of a possible street improvement design. What does all this stuff mean and does it include everything folks on the hill have talked about? What should we tell DPD when we go to their input meeting on Sunday (or Wednesday night) down at the Asian Counseling and Referral building?

Those were the questions the North Beacon Hill Planning Advisory committee tried to answer Thursday night. We looked at the drawings and carefully read the Draft Goals and Strategies. We talked about the street design. Here is what we concluded in the very short period of time we have before the meeting this weekend:

There are a lot of things missing that were discussed several times in our big meetings with DPD in May and March. The document is pretty scanty, considering how much has been talked about. We are worried that all the good ideas aren’t going to get captured, organized, and analyzed. Please go look for yourself and see if you think it is complete.

Public Safety:
In spite of the fact that public safety was mentioned numerous times in meetings, there is no public safety component. Specific strategies for improving safety that have been voiced are:
Extend the Alcohol Impact Area to Beacon Hill (bans sale of cheap high-alcohol content beverages), add Parks Rangers to Beacon Hill playground/park near Beacon Hill Elementary School and Jefferson Park (the Parks Superintendent supports this recommendation and has stated so in meetings), and support legislation from Councilmember Burgess to ban aggressive panhandling, specifically at: grocery stores, gas stations, and near schools, and at arterial intersections.
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Read the rest of Planning Advisory Committee discusses draft neighborhood plan (1,049 words)

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© Admin for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: nbhc, neighborhood plans

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]]> http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/09/26/planning-advisory-committee-discusses-draft-neighborhood-plan/feed/ 0 http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/09/20/mayoral-candidate-mcginn-visits-beacon-hill-for-town-hall-meeting/ http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/09/20/mayoral-candidate-mcginn-visits-beacon-hill-for-town-hall-meeting/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:44:20 +0000 melissajonas http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/?p=3250

Mike McGinn speaks at Beacon Hill town hall meeting, September 19. Photo by melissajonas.

Mike McGinn had a whirlwind day in Southeast Seattle.  He started off in Columbia City, opened his new office near Othello Station, more in the ID, then to Jefferson Park Community Center at 8:00 pm.  He was up-front about being tired, but made it clear he was happy to be in Beacon Hill.

About 25 of our neighbors came to share their ideas with Mike.  He was engaging, patient, and smart.  He listened and responded thoughtfully.  He does not seem like a politician.  Will people vote for someone who doesn’t seem like a politician?  I hope they do.  Mike McGinn is working very hard to establish personal connections–he’s not slick or packaged.  He’s honest about not knowing the answer to everything.  Attending a McGinn event is a refreshing change from closely-managed rallies with talking points. 

Campaign volunteer (and Southeast Seattle community activist) Thao Tran introduced him by name, then Mike shared his personal history.  He’s originally from Long Island, New York.  His parents were both involved in public education: his dad, a school administrator, his mom a pre-K and Kindergarten teacher.  Mike and his wife have three kids in Seattle public schools.  Public education is very important to McGinn, on a personal level.  He’s committed to improving the quality of Seattle public schools.

He moved to Seattle in 1989, practiced law for a while, then founded Great City–a nonprofit striving to “enhance our quality of life, help preserve our region’s natural beauty, and make Seattle a model of economic and environmental sustainability.”  Mike explained that Great City was–in part–responsible for putting the Pro Parks Levy on the ballot and helping pass it.   Mike got the community organizing bug.  He threw his name in for mayor, believing that the race needed to be about the future.  He won the primary, and is running against Joe Mallahan to be our next Mayor.  It’s a surprise to everyone–including Mike.  He says, “Everyone expected this race to be between Nickels and someone.  It’s not–it’s between two new guys.  That gives a chance to talk about the future.  We still need to learn from the past–but let’s talk about the future.”

McGinn stayed after his presentation to review the North Beacon Hill neighborhood plan in progress. Photo by melissajonas.

The Beacon Hill town hall topics included bringing jobs to the Hill, making it easier for small businesses (including home businesses) to survive and grow, making our parks safer and improving internet connectivity on the Hill and around the city.  McGinn addressed concerns from two neighbors about a gun ban in parks violating civil liberties by saying that he supports the proposed ban because he believes it will make our parks safer.

McGinn’s campaign is run entirely by volunteers.  He rides his bike, takes mass transit, and relies on rides from supporters to get to events.   He’s gotten the most press from his vocal opposition to a deep-bore tunnel replacing the Alaskan Way viaduct.  Neighbors asked Mike about the tunnel and how he would do things differently.  He laid out a clear, succinct argument.  Google “Mike McGinn tunnel” to hear it.

I was more interested in how he felt/what he thinks about all the other issues facing Seattle.  We’ve heard a lot about how McGinn opposes the tunnel.  It turns out McGinn supports a lot of other things:  improving public schools, supporting neighborhoods, making Seattle safer, saving money, creating a broadband public utility, and lots of other things.  His campaign established a website so you can share your thoughts: www.ideasforseattle.org.

Are you registered to vote at your current address?  Have you researched the candidates and the issues on the ballot?  Be a good neighbor; be an informed, engaged voter.  Attend meetings, read materials, talk to your neighbors.  We are choosing a new mayor for the first time in eight years.  This decision will shape our neighborhood for years–if not decades–to come.

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© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: election, mayor, mike mcginn, politics, vote

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]]> http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/09/20/mayoral-candidate-mcginn-visits-beacon-hill-for-town-hall-meeting/feed/ 0 http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/08/17/neighbor-to-neighbor-parking-woes-in-the-rpz/ http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/08/17/neighbor-to-neighbor-parking-woes-in-the-rpz/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:06:58 +0000 melissajonas http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/?p=2770

Photo by Wendi.

What are your experiences with the new RPZ (Restricted Parking Zone) in Beacon Hill?

Since 2003, I’ve parked my car in front of the house on the concrete area between the sidewalk and the street. There are two spaces and the curb is cut to allow car access to the area. The car doesn’t block the sidewalk. We considered this area a parking strip. According to the brochure left on my windshield, the City considers it a planting strip and it is illegal to park there.

I’m not the only person on our block to use this area for long-term parking. If I park on the street, I have to move my car every 72 hours–even if I have nowhere to go. I thought parking on the parking strip was responsible; I’m frustrated that it’s not allowed.

We chose this neighborhood in part because the location encourages and supports leaving the car at home. I walk to Red Apple and restaurants and we both take mass transit to work. We have cars because occasionally we need them–but rarely every 72 hours.

How does a law that requires every car in the city move every 72 hours encourage people to get out of our cars? How is parking in a paved area with curb cutouts worse than parking on the street?

Does anyone know the process for initiating changes in parking policy?

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© Melissa Jonas for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 13 comments |
Post tags: light rail station, mass transit, parking, planting strips, rpz, tickets

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]]> http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/08/17/neighbor-to-neighbor-parking-woes-in-the-rpz/feed/ 13 http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/04/04/commentary-beacon-hills-internet-service-needs-improvement/ http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/04/04/commentary-beacon-hills-internet-service-needs-improvement/#comments Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:06:31 +0000 admin http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/?p=1589

T-shirt slogan that many Beaconians can identify with. Photo by Will Glynn.

by George Robertson

(Editor’s note: This commentary was originally sent as an email to several members of the Seattle City Council today, as well as to the Beacon Hill Mailing List. Coincidentally, this evening our Broadstripe internet service was out for more than one hour.)

After comparing notes with some of my neighbors about their internet service, I thought I should ask once again for some relief from the dismal internet service we have on Beacon Hill. I have written to council members before on this topic and I have uniformly gotten referred to some bureaucrat by whichever elected council member I wrote to. Each time the bureaucrat was very nice, asked a couple of questions, and described the service we have, and refreshed the picture of whatever stage the City was in at the moment in negotiations with the monopoly providers of cable. And then they would sum it up by telling me that we have great internet service. If this is going to be another replay of that merry-go-round, just delete this message. If you actually give a damn about the ability of this city to incubate new small business in the south end, then please read on and reply.

The first thing you have to take seriously is that there is a problem. The second is that it won’t be solved without adding new competitive service provider(s) to Beacon Hill. By competitive, I mean services with higher real delivered, as opposed to advertised, upload speeds than Comcast and Broadstripe offer to their business class customers now, and with much better net neutrality in bandwidth management practices.
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Read the rest of Commentary: Beacon Hill’s internet service needs improvement (507 words)

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© Admin for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 19 comments |
Post tags: broadband, broadstripe, cable, comcast

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]]> http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/04/04/commentary-beacon-hills-internet-service-needs-improvement/feed/ 19 http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/02/18/reader-opinion-north-beacon-needs-higher-density/ http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/02/18/reader-opinion-north-beacon-needs-higher-density/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:44:13 +0000 admin http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/?p=1337

Higher density near the Columbia City light rail station. Photo by Matthew Rutledge.

(We recently asked a few people to write their opinions about House Bill 1490 and how it relates to Beacon Hill. The bill was altered and no longer directly affects the Hill, but Andrew Smith still has a few things to say about density in our area.)

By Andrew Smith

Recently House Bill 1490 has started a discussion in our region over density and transit-oriented-development. Originally the bill required cities to create zoning packages that would have allowed increased density in a half-mile radius around all light rail and commuter rail stations. In a recent revision, that requirement was scaled back to apply to only communities defined by the Puget Sound Regional Council as “growth centers”: Auburn, Downtown Bellevue, Overlake, Everett, Federal Way, Kent, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Puyallup, Redmond, Seatac, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle, Northgate, the University District, Downtown Tacoma, and Tukwila. I imagine many in Southeast Seattle breathed a sigh of relief when they read that, as many in that area were very concerned about increased density changing their neighborhoods. However, I’d like to make the case for increased density in these areas, focusing my argument on Beacon Hill, and point out that while increased density could change the neighborhood, that change might be a better change than what will happen if density is prohibited.
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Read the rest of Reader Opinion: North Beacon needs higher density (637 words)

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© Admin for Beacon Hill Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 27 comments |
Post tags: beacon hill station, density, light rail, north beacon, transit-oriented development

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]]> http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2009/02/18/reader-opinion-north-beacon-needs-higher-density/feed/ 27 http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2008/12/12/high-poverty-schools-sacrificial-lambs-in-school-closures/ http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/2008/12/12/high-poverty-schools-sacrificial-lambs-in-school-closures/#comments Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:49:49 +0000 Wendi http://beaconhill.seattle.wa.us/?p=743 Sable Verity has a post up alleging some fairly unsavory behavior involving a School Board member and Arbor Heights PTSA members in West Seattle, in which they are working to target high-poverty schools in order to save the more affluent Arbor Heights. She quotes an AHPTSA co-president, in an email to the group, as saying: “…If we want to keep Arbor Heights open, we need to give them a sacrificial lamb…” This is relevant to Southeast Seattle because one of the schools targeted was allegedly Rainier Beach High School, which was targeted specifically because its closure would apparently free up enough money for the District to save Arbor Heights. I’m not sure what to make of all of this cloak-and-dagger, but I am certain that no child and no school in Seattle Schools should have to be someone’s “sacrificial lamb.”

On a related topic, Dick Lilly at Crosscut has another in a series of editorials about the current school closure fiasco that touches on some of the very things that have bothered me most about the current process. Here are some examples:

“School performance should not be a criterion for closure, because the success of a program is the responsibility of the superintendent who appoints the principal and district policies on how much is spent on what…

“Building condition should not be a criterion because, again, the order in which schools receive funding from the Building Excellence and other capital levies for major maintenance, renovation, or complete reconstruction is a decision made by the superintendent and board.”

Some schools and programs are being selected for closure because of perceived failure, when that “failure” often seems to be a direct result of District choices to neglect a particular building or program. Unfortunately, children and families are having to bear the brunt of this neglect. (Though, not in North Seattle, unless they go to an alternative school.)

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© Wendi Dunlap for Beacon Hill Blog, 2008. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: sable verity, school closures, schools

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