All posts by Jason

Urban Planning

Connecting: City-run network, Broadstripe speeds, Google

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CDNews introduces a proposed $450 million city-run broadband system that could be financed through municipal revenue bonds issued against future subscriptions with initial service starting in just 18 months, expanding city-wide in 3 to 4 years.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Seattle had decided that the city could step in and provide what private industry was failing at. In 1900, the privately owned Seattle Electric Company provided power to residences and businesses across the city. But at $.20 per kilowatt-hour, it was expensive – several times more expensive than today. In inflation-adjusted terms, those rates would make your typical $75 electric bill in 2010 skyrocket up to $4,000.

So in 1902 city voters decided to allow the city to issue bonds to start a municipal electric system, and today we have Seattle City Light, which provides some of the lowest electric rates across the nation.

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Also via CDNews, Broadstripe General Manager David Irons says “you should be getting at least 10 megabits [per second] right now. If you’re not, give us a call” at 800-829-CABL.

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City requests your input on Google Ultra-High Speed Broadband details ways in which you can help Seattle be included in Google’s gigabit fiber-to-the-home pilot program — Capitol Hill Seattle

Urban Planning

March NBHC capsule recap: new church, guidelines, green space

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Bev Graff of Findlay Street Church opens a presentation on the new church building to be built at 14th and Bayview. Photo by Wendi.
If you didn’t make it to the NBHC meeting Thursday night, here are a few things you missed:

  • Al Terry and Barb Graff from Findlay Street Church presented the plans for their new sanctuary with affordable housing to be built at 14th and Bayview. You can see the slides on the church’s website. Some concern was expressed about parking impacts, but by and large the proposed development appeared to be welcomed.
  • Cheryl Sizov from the Seattle Department of Planning and Development presented an introduction to the DPD’s process of revising the Seattle Citywide Design Guidelines, originally created in 1993, used in the design review process, and used as the baseline for the various neighborhood design guidelines since. Largely, it’s a simplification and clarification measure, reducing the five original categories to three and the 31 original guidelines to 13, but bringing extra attention to the “sub-issues”, increasing them from 19 to 50. See the proposed revisions on the DPD website. Public comment is accepted until March 31st.
  • A motion was made to provide a vote of support to Glenn Herlihy’s 12-acre multi-focal gardening project on the western edge of Jefferson Park along 15th Ave S (some details in the forum), for use in applying for $250,000 in grants to advance the project. There was hesitance expressed by several attendees about issuing formal support for a project most of the council wasn’t terribly familiar with, and the motion was tabled until the April 1st NBHC meeting. Hopefully, there will be more details about the plan available here or in the forum by then.
  • David Gackenbach and Andrew Abian presented some initial thoughts about submitting for Parks funds for a project that would add to the open green space on Beacon Hill by using grant money to negotiate the purchase of the entire block at 17th and Walker, currently occupied by a single home, and converting it to a park. Expect more details about this project to appear here on the blog soon.
  • A neighbor involved with the 12th and Stevens power pole situation reported having their best meeting yet with Seattle City Light last Thursday, and that they are feeling optimistic. NBHC Chair Judith Edwards said “City Light is actually bending!”

This was another well-attended meeting, with likely more than fifty neighbors turning out. Next month, expect an appearance by City Council member Sally Bagshaw, speaking about parks and open space. Hopefully we’ll see you there!

Local Events, Meetings

Breakfast, groceries, and bowling among upcoming events

For more details on each item, follow the links.

THURSDAY 3/4 (today):

FRIDAY 3/5:

SATURDAY 3/6:

MONDAY 3/8:

THURSDAY 3/11:

SATURDAY 3/27:

THROUGH 3/31:

Getting Around

No direct light rail trains downtown this weekend

The removal of construction scaffolding from some offramp overpass projects in Sodo will prevent Link Light Rail from running north of Sodo station at Lander Street this weekend. From our news partner, the Seattle Times:

Link light-rail service will not run through the downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and parts of the Sodo area this weekend as state Department of Transportation contractors remove scaffolding supporting a new offramp over the tracks and station just south of downtown.

Free bus shuttles will carry Link passengers from the Sodo light-rail station at South Lander Street via Sixth Avenue South to the tunnel stations. King County Metro and Sound Transit bus routes that normally use the Sodo busway will also be detoured during the work.

Read more in the Times.

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: Cupcakes and buses and health inspections

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Cupcakes from Wink
A sample of Wink's wares. Photo by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake.

Cupcakes coming to Victrola — Wink Cupcakes will be available through three Victrola coffee houses, including our own at 3215 Beacon Ave S.

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Health inspections — Asa Mercer Middle School, Dearborn Park Elementary, Maple Elementary School, Cleveland High School, Fiesta-Mex Video, Beacon Avenue Shell, Beacon Hill 76, Inay’s, Java Love, and Lucky Seafood.
Congratulations to Asa Mercer, Dearborn Park, Maple, and Cleveland for perfect 0-point inspections!

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SDOT wants your opinion on Metro’s electric buses that get their power from Seattle City Light. They’ve been pondering retiring electric trolley buses for a while, replacing them with diesel coaches. (And everyone knows that diesel is always reasonably priced.)

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Frank Nam spotted this topically-amended sign in the restroom at the Beacon Hill Library.

Local Events, Meetings

Connecting: Learn from Lafayette, expand fiber, spur Broadstripe

Fiber optic bundles. Photo by pasukaru76.
Glenn Fleishman continues to dig into internet access issues at Publicola with another excellent article on municipal fiber and lessons learned from Lafayette, Louisiana.

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Reclaim the Media, the Northwest Media Action Grassroots Network, and the Hidmo Community Empowerment Project are cohosting a community meeting on fiber broadband on Wednesday, March 3rd, from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Garfield Community Center, 2323 East Cherry Street.

Speakers will include: Malkia Cyril from Oakland’s Center for Media Justice, Tony Perez from the City of Seattle Department of Information Technology, local business owner Andre Helmstetter, Scott Durham from Central District News and David Irons of Broadstripe.

More details at CDNews.

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$84 million grant to expand Internet in Washington “The expansion will add 57 libraries, 22 government facilities, 38 medical centers, two tribal service centers and four community colleges.” — Seattle P-I

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Upgrade Technology for Underserved Neighbors (UTUN), a Southeast and Central Seattle neighbor group, has formed to advance internet access in our part of the city. They’ve met often with the City of Seattle and Broadstripe to work out a plan to improving service to residents in Beacon Hill, Judkins Park, Leschi, and the Central District.

Expect an online survey coming soon and a Community Forum with Broadstripe and the City of Seattle representatives Thursday, March 25th at 5:30 at the Central Area Senior Center
(500 30th Ave S) where they will be presenting an update to neighbors about their latest improvements.

For more information and to keep up-to-date with UTUN activities, contact Tracy Bier via atbier@msn.com or 206-227-2369. Previously.

Local Events, Neighborhood Pride, Volunteering and Giving

Applications and donations now accepted for Beacon Hill Festival XVII

Photo by go-team from the Beacon Hill Blog pool on Flickr.

The 17th annual Beacon Hill Festival is coming Saturday, June 5th to the Jefferson Community Center at 3801 Beacon Ave S. Applications for vendors are being accepted now and must be submitted by May 7th. Donations for the silent auction fundraiser are sought, and tax-deductible donations and sponsorships are also welcomed.

PDF application forms for vendors, auction donations, and sponsors are available from the Jefferson Community Center page on the Seattle Parks and Recreation website.

If you have questions, contact Tiffani Harris, Assistant Recreation Center Coordinator at tiffani.harris@seattle.gov or call 206-684-7481.

Beacon Bits, Food and Drink, Local Events

Beacon Bits: Green Eggs, Helladope, LED streetlights, and sukiyaki

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Green egg photo
Photo by camera-caritatis
It might be just a bit too late to catch their show tonight, opening for Goodie Mob at Neumo’s, but you can still catch Helladope at the Showbox SoDo on March 5th (opening for Snoop!), and then at their album release party at Nectar in Fremont on March 12th. —Matson on Music in The Seattle Times

Not enough? The Musik Lounge has a Q&A with Helladope, too!

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Seattle City Light is in the process of testing various types of LED streetlamps in pilot neighborhoods, seeking to bring more reliable, more efficient, and longer-lasting lighting to your street.

Follow the progress of City Light’s LED testing program online. West Seattle Blog has a bit more. This program has been a long time coming. Capitol Hill Seattle talked about it almost a year ago.

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At 6pm on Friday, March 5th, the Jefferson Community Center will be celebrating Dr. Seuss‘s birthday with a movie, crafts for kids, and actual green eggs and ham! Bring your appetite. The community center is located at 3801 Beacon Avenue South.

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Not a novelty color, but the next evening, Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church is again hosting its annual Sukiyaki Dinner, benefiting homeless women and children. Dining hours start at 4pm and end at 7. Take out hours run from 2 to 7pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children 11 and under. Blaine Memorial is located at 3001 24th Avenue South.

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Late addition: Jefferson Community Center hosts the 3rd annual Black History Month Community Forum. Organized by the local chapter of Blacks in Government, the theme is “surviving and thriving in a down economy”. City Council members Bruce Harrell and Sally Clark, Langston Hughes Executive Director Royal Alley-Barnes, and Kitsap County Auditor Walt Washington are on the list to speak. It runs from 6:30 to 8:30pm tomorrow night (Thursday) at 3801 Beacon Avenue South. — Via Publicola

Education

Schools: Nova open house and BHIS Confucius classrooms

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Levecke Mas writes regarding the Nova High School Open House:

Join us for exhibition night! Prospective students and families are invited to visit Nova, meet students, teachers and staff and learn more about the school’s unique program.
Nova is a small public high school in the Seattle school district.
Enrollment is open to students city wide.

The Open House starts at 6:30pm Thursday (tomorrow) night at 300 20th Avenue East.

Link corrected. Whoops! Thanks, Bridget.

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Beacon Hill International School has been selected as one of 20 Chinese language program “pioneer” schools through the Hanban-Asia Society of Confucius Classrooms Network.

The school will receive $10,000 a year for technology, possible funding for a new local Chinese teacher for next year, development of a sister-school relationship with an elementary school in China, professional development for Chinese-language teachers, and instructional materials, among other resources.

Volunteering and Giving

Neighborhood House seeks volunteer tutors

From Romina Rivera, Volunteer Coordinator for Youth Programs at Neighborhood House:

Are you a retired teacher? Are you currently pursuing a degree in education and would like to increase your teaching experience in a culturally diverse setting? Are you a previous camp counselor or someone who has worked with elementary-school students and knows how to effectively work with them? An hour a week could do wonders for our local students and their academic success.

Neighborhood House has an immediate need for reliable, patient volunteer after-school tutors at Aki Kurose Middle School (3928 South Graham Street). You’ll be working with middle-school students helping them finish their homework as well as improve their academic skills. Orientation and training will be provided.

We’re looking for people who are available from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. once a week for at least three months.

If you (or anyone you know) are interested in becoming an after-school tutor, please e-mail RominaR@nhwa.org for more information on how to get started as an after-school tutor.