All posts by Jason

Clean and Green

Raised-bed veggie gardens for seniors: volunteers, candidates needed

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photo by Sbocaj
photo by Sbocaj
Kahlyn Keilty-Lucas, El Centro de la Raza Senior Garden Project Coordinator, is running a project to provide raised-bed vegetable gardens for seniors, providing outdoor activity along with some self-sufficiency and money-savings on groceries to our older neighbors.

The gardens are housed in a four by six by two foot box, allowing them to be placed in the yard, in an unused driveway, or even atop a paved-over planting strip. Seeds, vegetable starts, and gardening tools will be provided. A weekly visit from master gardener volunteers is available to those who may have growing questions.

The project has funding (courtesy of the United Way) and materials to provide 40 gardens, but is currently lacking on manpower to get them set-up and in place. If you know a local senior that would enjoy learning about and tending to a little vegetable garden, or if you have some basic tools or a truck and could volunteer to help assemble, transport, or install them, please contact Kahlyn at El Centro (612-387-8481).

Crime, Health and Safety, Local Events, Urban Planning

Parties, crime, and alcohol touched on at NBHC meeting

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The North Beacon Hill Council met tonight at 7 at the Beacon Hill library. Very briefly, here’s what went down:

  • Reps from DPD present talked about outreach and prep for the next planning meeting May 30th.
  • An ad hoc committee and an outreach subcommittee of the Neighborhood Planning Advisory Committee is seeking a six month delay in the DPD neighborhood planning process to get outreach to more of the community and focus more closely on neighborhood issues specifically instead of Southeast Seattle issues generally.
  • Beacon Mountain Playground is moving forward with phase 1 of the project.
  • An SDOT representative will be at the June meeting to provide an update.
  • Some background on the Sound Transit tunnel voids was given by Roger Pence. There are believed to be only two unfilled voids remaining and they are being actively worked on.
  • Some discussion of the pedestrian safety, zoning, and environmental issues around the new car wash occurred, leading into a proposal to form a committee to work on attracting additional businesses to the hill and a motion to write a letter to the DPD concerning the zoning conflict with the transit overlay area.
  • Police updates included notice that staffing hours will likely change soon, focusing more bodies during the times of day when they’re needed. Also brief discussion of car prowls, burglaries, graffiti, car accidents, prostitution, etc.
  • Asian Express’s liquor license renewal is mentioned to be coming up soon, and it may be an opportune time to work out a “good neighbor” agreement to reduce the sales of high-alcohol beverages.
  • Volunteers were sought to staff the NBHC booth at the Jefferson Park festival on June 6th.
  • Michael Richmond mentioned the possible upcoming city council and mayoral candidate forums this fall. Previous candidate forums are said to have been especially well attended here on the hill.
  • The Piñata Party will be on July 18th this year — the same day as the Sound Transit Link Light Rail grand opening. This may be both good and bad.
  • Newly elected board members:
    • Matthew Stubbs
    • Sara Hasan

Did I miss something or get something wrong? Let us know in the comments.

Getting Around, Health and Safety

Underground voids found, filled by Sound Transit

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In addition to the one that came all the way to the surface, the Seattle Post Globe reports Sound Transit has found an additional six underground voids above the bored tunnel on the East side of the hill. Six of the seven total found voids have now been filled with concrete at a cost so far of about $1 million. Keep an eye out for more shifting soil!

Update: KOMO reporter (and Beacon Hill resident) Travis Mayfield has a video report on this story.

Recreation, Urban Planning

Jefferson Park expansion followup: your input sought

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Overview image from PDF below
Overview image from PDF below
Following up on the well-attended Jefferson Park expansion meeting April 21st, Joel Lee points us to the updated project status page containing updated options that differ from the original park plan.

On that page, you’ll find a series of PDFs including a prioritizing worksheet that can be downloaded, filled out, and returned to the parks department by FAX (how quaint!) or email (see further below), providing them with your valuable input. Just do it before May 8th! Full instructions excerpted below.

  1. First, read the Park Element Description: These elements are items that have been discussed in the past either in the 2002 Long Range Plan or as part of the process.
  2. Next, look at the Images of Options: This rendering shows what is included in phase one. The numbers on it correlate to the park elements discussed above so you can see the location of each item.
  3. Next, review the Preliminary Costs and Options: The options listed are to be used as food for thought only. This should give you an idea of what combinations are possible given the range of funding that may become available.
  4. Last, open the Prioritizing Worksheet: Fill out this form, add your name and address, and FAX (206) 233-3949 or Email to kim.baldwin@seattle.gov

If you prefer to email your feedback, we’ve put together a simplified text-only version of the Prioritizing Worksheet you might wish to copy and paste to fill out instead of trying to figure out how to get your feedback entered into the PDF and email it.

Thanks Joel!

Local Business

Updated: Bye bye Buggy

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Buggy, neighborhood baby outfitter and monthly knit-night host, is closing up shop on Beacon Avenue South and heading to new digs in Madrona, as confirmed on their soon-to-be-anachronistic website at www.buggybeacon.com.

Jon Gould dropped the news on the mailing list yesterday, noting that the 2200 square foot space will be available in June for $1300/mo.

This, along with the closing of Culinary Communion, is another sad departure from the hill just 81 days before the light rail station opening.

Update: A message from Buggy co-owner Sarah Dublin below. Click to read: Continue reading Updated: Bye bye Buggy →

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: Bigger, craftier, and busking

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More room at El Quetzal
More room at El Quetzal
Urban Planning

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

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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 →

Urban Planning

DPD recommends conditional approval of Christian Restoration Center project

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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.

Getting Around

Proposed Metro service revisions released

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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.