All posts by Jason

Urban Planning

Denmark architect to speak on transit-oriented neighborhood planning

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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

Getting Around

Jose Rizal bridge partial closure tomorrow

SDOT is closing the Jose Rizal bridge for a little while tomorrow:

12th Ave S Bridge (Jose Rizal)
Thursday, April 16

SDOT will close the northbound, right-hand lane on the 12th Ave S (Jose Rizal) Bridge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday April 16th. Trolley busses will be able to get through.

The closure is required for maintenance work on the bridge.

Via Steve Louie from Marybeth Turner at SDOT

Getting Around

A couple of weekend traffic notes

Peg Neilsen at SDOT shares a couple of traffic items that could affect getting around Beacon Hill on Saturday:

March Against Violence – 12 noon
600 participants expected

March starts at Rainier Beach High School, Rainier Avenue S and S Henderson Street and heads north on Rainier to S Graham Street, west on Graham to the Aki Kurose Middle School at 42nd Avenue S.

and:

Seattle Sounders versus Kansas City Wizards – 7:30 p.m.
34,000 + spectators

Match is at Qwest Field. Occidental Avenue S will be closed north and south bound from S King Street to S Royal Brougham Way. Due to construction in the area, motorists need to allow extra time and check for the latest update on the SR 519 project at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr519

For traffic on major city streets, check SDOT’s real-time traffic Traveler Information Map at www.web5.seattle.gov

Thanks, Peg!

Getting Around, Health and Safety

Sinkhole develops over light rail tunnel

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The P-I reports on a sinkhole that appeared at 18th and Lander above the northbound light rail tunnel. Numerous trucks delivered fill material today to solidify the 18-inch hole that widened as it descended. Sound Transit is monitoring the area for any further problems.

(Edited: An earlier version of this post said that the sinkhole developed “due to Sound Transit construction.” The cause of the sinkhole has not been determined.)

Urban Planning

Neighborhood plan update comments

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If you attended this morning’s meeting about updating the neighborhood plan at El Centro, I’d like to invite you to comment on what you saw there, and how you feel about the direction things are headed. Was there something that was missed? Something that needs particular attention? How’d you like the food? What worked well about this meeting? What should be done differently for the next one coming up in May? What did you hear that you liked? Disliked? Want more information about? Pretty much anything.

A few of my thoughts: The room was too small and too loud with all the groups working at once. The food (from Kusina Filipina and… er… Dahlak? Please, someone confirm or correct — I seem to have misplaced their card) was great. The ideas discussed were good, most of them were much in-line with what had been in the plan previously. P-I boxes to flower boxes is an entertaining idea. I’d like hear more about ‘micro villages’ outside the formal Urban Village area.

This isn’t an official feedback route to the city, but we’d love to hear what you think!

Update: Freddie Merrell has a pretty relevant comment she just added to an older article here.

Uncategorized

NBHC looking for directors and volunteers

North Beacon Hill Council Chair Judith Edwards writes to the mailing list:

Several North Beacon Hill Council Directors positions will be open in 2009. Nominations for these positions will be brought forward at the May Council meeting. Residents of the community and business owners in the service area are invited and encouraged to fill these positions.

The North Beacon Council (NBHC) is a voice for our neighborhood, building relationships with City Council members, and City departments, applying for or acting as a fiscal agent for grants that result in improvements to North Beacon Hill such as stairway cleanup/enhancement, pedestrian crossings, public spaces, etc. These are some of the skills the Council is looking for:

  1. Someone with the ability to update and add new members to an existing webpage – and we’d be open to someone re-designing the page, making it really pop!
  2. A willingness to take minutes at meetings and provide them to the web-site monitor for posting to the website.
  3. Someone to act as a fundraising chair – getting people excited about an occasional fund raiser for the Council – a great position for an idea person!
  4. Someone to act as a liaison to media outlets, seeing that meetings and events are published, media attention is brought to the community in a positive way. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to establish media contacts!
  5. Someone to monitor and report to the council zoning requests/changes which will have or do have an impact on the BH area.
  6. And many other skills!

Directors are elected to two year terms, and are expected to attend one (1) meeting per month, on the first Thursday of each month. These volunteer positions offer a great opportunity for leadership in the community and a chance to be part of the exciting changes which Beacon Hill will see in the coming years. Sorry, no recompense – only glory! Interested? Contact Judith Edwards, NBHC Chair, by emailing judedw@comcast.net.

Thanks, Judith!

Life on the Hill, Photos

BeHi Bonsai on safari

Photo by Jason
Photo by Jason
Neighborhood hedge sculpture enthusiast blog BeHi Bonsai took an eighteen mile hike around the hill, capturing over 400 images of… well, mostly bushes, but also much, much more! As a teaser for the upcoming topiary treasures to be revealed, you’re invited to check out a movie compressing the hours of walking into under a minute and a half. (It’s got a nice soundtrack, too.)

See if you can spot your block, and put BeHi Bonsai in your bookmarks or feed reader to stay abreast of the best in Beacon Hill greenery.

Local Business

Culinary Communion shutting down

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CC was a welcome improvement to this. Photo by Wendi.
CC was a welcome improvement to this. Photo by Wendi.
Apparently due to a combination of business slowdown, construction, and permitting issues, Culinary Communion is closing. Future classes are canceled, and refunds will be issued… eventually. (And some flexibility is being asked for.) The Lunch Counter will not close, and will reopen March 23rd. The Swinery, pending further permit approval, will also continue, and may take over the lease of the building. Equipment will be sold-off (cash only) Saturday, March 21, from 2-6 pm.

The long farewell letter from Gabriel and Heidi with all the details is on the front page of the Culinary Communion website.

Thanks to Chris Bailey for the tip.