The Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge: going to rehab. Not the Amy Winehouse kind. Photo by Wendi.Two local establishments have recently been visited by the Health Department’s intrepid inspectors. The Beacon Hill 76 station at 2415 Beacon Avenue South scored 0 (yes, zero) violation points. Congratulations! The Beacon Pub at 3057 Beacon Avenue South scored 45 violation points on October 14, all related to problems keeping things cold enough. (Perhaps these are problems with the new hot dog cart.) To give a little perspective on this point total, 45 or more red critical violation points require a re-inspection within 14 days, 90 or more red critical violation points require that the establishment be closed, and 120 or more total (red and blue) points also require that the establishment be closed. The 45 points that the Beacon Pub received were mixed red and blue points, so they were in no danger of being closed. Still, we hope the temperature issues are now fixed. We like having another food option in the neighborhood.
If you tried to drive west through Sodo yesterday, you might have noticed that westbound South Spokane Street is now closed between Fourth and First Avenues South. This is part of the South Spokane Street Viaduct widening project. The detour route will send you north on Fourth Avenue to South Lander Street, then west to First Avenue, then back south to Spokane Street — West Seattle Blog
South Lander Street will be closed between 16th Avenue South and 17th Avenue South from Monday, October 12, through December 1 for construction of the new Lander Festival Street. The Festival Street will extend the plaza north from Beacon Hill Station, providing a space for neighborhood festivals and events.
The project will include construction of a new roadway with decorative pavers, at the same level as the sidewalks, making the street “curbless”; adding removable bollards that can be used to close the street during events; adding other side treatments to delineate the roadway surface; and installing pedestrian-scale lighting.
During construction, along with the road closure of South Lander Street, you can expect pedestrian detours and some moderate to high construction noise and dust for a short period of time. Typical work hours are planned to be 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
The Festival Street project is a community-generated project, requested by the North Beacon Hill Council, and funded through the Large Neighborhood Street Fund. The Seattle Department of Transportation project website is located at http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/btg_nsf_lander.htm.
State Representative Bob Hasegawa. Photo from www.leg.wa.govSome upcoming events of interest:
If you’re followingthe plight of our neighbors on the far-west side of the Hill with a portion of their view now interfered with by new power lines, or if you’d just like to have a word with State Rep. Bob Hasegawa, this note from Nick Papini (by way of Doug) may be of interest:
State Representative, Bob Hasegawa is going to tour our neighborhood this Friday, Aug 28th, at 1:00PM.
We have asked Bob to come to see first-hand what City Light and ST have done regarding the massive power lines on Stevens St, and along 14th Ave.
We are going to meet at my house (3017 12th Ave S) at 1:00PM. If anyone would like to attend, and either meet Bob for the first time, or get a chance to catch up with him, this is a good opportunity.
* * *
Craig Thompson is looking for a couple of neighbors to help wrangle a large number of expected volunteers working at Jose Rizal Park on Friday, September 11th:
Hi! September 11 is the fall King County United Way Day of Caring. For the past two years, large groups of employees from Microsoft and other businesses have come to Dr. Jose Rizal Park and other sites to improve our common spaces.
This year, we may have between 70 and 100 people volunteer at Dr. Jose Rizal Park, and so for the first time, I’ve got to admit I’m challenged. The two neighbors who’ve helped out so much in the past around this event have moved from Beacon Hill and aren’t available.
Is there someone out there who could help get a couple of groups started on projects in the off-leash area? It would be great if a few neighbors turned out to help. I’d like to begin setting up at 9 AM that Friday morning, Sept. 11 – the event runs from 10 AM to 2 PM.
The volunteers do the heavy lifting; most of what’s involved is laying out the tools, which we’ve purchased with grants, plus we’ll have some on loan. We’ll be making improvements to the entrance of the off-leash area terracing the slope along the east side of the park with materials already on site – the terraces will be planted later in the month by a smaller crew of volunteers.
At the meeting learn about funding through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program that the city intends to apply for and get an update on the construction at Jefferson Park.
The first part of the meeting will be dedicated to Jefferson Park construction update and the second half will discuss the application for federal and state funding.
The final portion of the blue sound wall surrounding the light rail station construction has come down. BeHi Bonsai was there and recorded some video of the process.
The opening is getting closer!
Thanks, B.B.!
(Edited to add: Jason was slightly misled. There is a tiny bit of the blue wall remaining. Most of the site, however, has been freed of its blue prison. Now the chain-link just needs to go away. — Wendi)
The Seattle Post Globe fills us in on the filling of an eighth “void” along the tunnel excavation route at 18th and Lander. Another potential void is also being examined at 17th as well. Crews are expected to complete investigation and repairs by May 22nd.
After the initial report of the sinkhole that rose all the way to the surface, subsequent voids were identified by reviewing records of excavation spoils for abnormally high readings originally attributed to mismeasurement, accuracy, or instrument calibration issues.
BHB reader Heidi wrote this morning about having seen crews working at these repair sites (and being a bit hesitant about answering questions) and pointed out the crumbling retaining wall nearby. Interestingly, in the Post Globe report Sound Transit spokesman Bruce Gray states no structural damage has been reported from these voids and that only a quarter-inch of settling has been measured, and none of that near the void sites.
Hello, ladybug! Photo by K. Shuyler.La Cabaña has a newly painted sign on the front of their restaurant. Very colorful and bright. Photo by Wendi.This dog was having fun playing fetch at Jefferson Park. Photo by Joel Lee.Spring and Summer are construction season. This big hole was in Beacon Avenue on Saturday. Photo by Wendi.
“As early as Tuesday, March 31, Sound Transit’s contractor, Obayashi Corporation will begin removal of the blue noise wall that surrounds the site of the Beacon Hill light rail station.
“The first phase will include the removal of the blue noise wall starting with the northernmost sections along Beacon Ave S., 17th Ave S and S. Lander Street… The second phase will include removing the remainder of the blue noise wall on the south end of the property. The second phase is currently scheduled for the middle of May to early June. Once the blue noise wall is down, the site will be secured by a chain link fence. As a result, residents may experience increased noise from construction activities.
“Pedestrians should use caution while using the sidewalk on the eastside of Beacon Ave (that borders the blue noise wall) as pedestrian access will be moved safely around the work site.
“The noisier activities (such as jack-hammering) will take place during the day, and will be restricted to the hours of 7:00 am to 5:00pm.
“Construction activities expected between the hours of 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm include the installation of brick veneer, site and roadway (S. Lander St.) restoration, plaza paving and landscaping.
“No surface-level construction activity is expected between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am.
“Sound Transit will continue to monitor construction noise levels and any activity whose noise is outside of acceptable limits will be restricted to the hours between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm.
“If you have any construction-related concerns, please call Sound Transit’s construction hotline at 1-(888) 298-2395.”
SDOT crews will repair roadway pavement in the 5300 block of Beacon Avenue South on Saturday, March 14, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Southbound vehicles and bikes on Beacon Avenue South will be detoured at South Bennett Street to Columbia Drive South, returning to Beacon Avenue at S Brandon Street. Northbound traffic will not be affected.
According to WSDOT, we can expect up to 14 weekends of closures and more than 100 nights of closures, lasting into late summer. The closures will affect one direction of the freeway each time and reduce I-5 down to just one or two through lanes.
WSDOT has been given a noise variance from the city of Seattle for night work, and they expect that noise and vibration from the construction will affect those living and working within 500 feet of the freeway.
An outreach meeting has been scheduled for WSDOT to discuss the project with the affected neighbors, and those within 500 feet of the freeway will also be receiving flyers with information about the project. The meeting is scheduled for February 3, at 7:00 pm, Quarters 1, PacMed, at the northwest corner of 14th Avenue South and South Judkins Street.
Want to get an up-close look at the SODO, Stadium, and Mount Baker light rail stations, peek at the Beacon Hill Station area, tour the changes on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, and view the new trackway in Tukwila and near the airport? Sound Transit is hosting another “Lunch Bus” on January 16. It’s a guided tour of the light rail project areas, with a stop for lunch at Thai Recipe Restaurant. The cost of lunch is $10. Details and RSVP here.
