Category Archives: Meetings

Meetings

NBHC meeting agenda: Parking lots, pizza, recognition

Pizza, parking lots, and praise for local volunteers are all on the North Beacon Hill Council agenda for this Thursday’s meeting. The meeting is at 6:30 pm (one half-hour earlier than usual!) at the Beacon Hill Library community room, 2821 Beacon Avenue South. As always, all are welcome; you are part of the council when you attend your first meeting, and you have voting privileges when you attend your second.

Here is the agenda, as forwarded to us by Council chair Judith Edwards:

  • 6:30 Pizza and tamales, a gift to the community from the Friends of Lewis Park; and recognition of the following people and organizations who have worked so hard on the trails and parks on North Beacon:
    • Jefferson Park Alliance
    • Dr. Jose Rizal Park – Craig Thompson
    • Cheasty Boulevard Trail – Willie Weir
    • Lewis Park – Dee Dunbar and Vin Nguyen

    “It truly takes a village to make this such a great place to live. Each of these parks or trails has benefited by countless volunteer hours, a true gift to the community. If you are one of those volunteers, please plan to attend.”

  • 6:50 City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Chair of Parks, Waterfront and Seattle Center Committee (10 minutes – followed by Q & A for 20 minutes)
  • 7:20 Mike Podowski, Seattle Department of Planning and Development: Proposed plan for parking lots at the light rail stations on North Beacon and McClellan/Mt. Baker, as well as El Centro and other empty lots. (10 minutes – followed by Q & A for 20 minutes)
  • 7:50 Board and membership vote of approval/disapproval of DPD parking lot plan, nominations for four vacant Board of Directors positions by full council membership, establishment of Board of Directors by vote of Directors.
  • 8:00 Community concerns and announcements
Meetings, Urban Planning

NBHC recruiting board members, discussing parking lots

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Could this empty lot next to Beacon Hill Station become a parking lot? Photo by Wendi.
The next meeting of the North Beacon Hill Council is Thursday, June 3 at 6:30 pm in the Beacon Hill Library meeting room, 2821 Beacon Avenue South. The meeting is starting 30 minutes earlier than usual, and the Friends of Lewis Park are providing pizza and enchiladas. As always, all are welcome to attend; you are part of the council when you attend your first meeting, and you have voting privileges when you attend your second.

A representative from the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) will be at the meeting to discuss the possibility of allowing temporary surface parking lots near Link light rail stations.

Additionally, the council is seeking four new board members and will be voting on these positions at the meeting. Council Chairperson Judith Edwards writes:

It takes the entire community to make North Beacon the neighborhood we want to live, grow and thrive in. Many of your fellow neighbors are, and have been, serving on the Board of Directors for the North Beacon Hill Council, working to further your visions for our neighborhood. The council has openings for four new Board members. These positions are being created in order to help expand the board and increase its ability to serve the neighborhood in the many areas that are important to you.

What does a Board member do? Board members contribute to the community and our Community Council by being involved in an area that interests them. One of our members monitors and coordinates with the police on issues of Public Safety. We have board members who maintain governmental relationships and another that acts as Treasurer. We have a web guru, and another is currently looking over our bylaws, with an eye to revising that which is outdated. And then there are city committees which originated with the Neighborhood Planning process. They include housing close to the light rail station, a strong neighborhood commercial district, a vibrant Town Center—with El Centro as part of it, and a neighborhood with parks and open spaces that serve its diverse community.

So the question we have for you is, what would you like to contribute to your community? What is it that you want to see happen in our neighborhood? What is the special expertise you might lend the Board? Grant writing? Acting as Secretary? Being involved in bike/pedestrian activities? Parks development? Mixed use housing? Developing a Town Center? Helping to establish a business association? Music and the arts? Whatever your interest might be we want you!

We request that those interested in running please prepare a one paragraph bio sharing with us what you’re interested in, and what you might bring to the Board. Please submit the bio to Matthew Stubbs via email (Matthew.T.Stubbs@gmail.com) These bios will be compiled and presented to the Members at our June meeting, at which time the greater membership of the North Beacon Hill Council will vote on these new board seats.

Meetings, Uncategorized

BeaconArts meeting tonight, NBHC on Thursday

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BeaconArts sent out a notice today that they will be meeting tonight at ROCKiT space, 3315 Beacon Avenue South, from 7:00 until 8:30 pm. All are welcome. BeaconArts describes themselves as “a community organization dedicated to enriching our neighborhood through arts and culture. Members get together regularly to plan, promote and advocate for the arts on Beacon Hill, and to build stronger local connections between artists of all disciplines.”

The monthly meeting of the North Beacon Hill Council is this Thursday, May 6, at 7:00 pm at the Beacon Hill Library Community Room, 2821 Beacon Avenue South. All are welcome to attend.

Here’s the agenda this month:

  • 7:00 – Introductions and Welcome
  • 7:05 – City Councilmember Mike O’Brien, Chair, Seattle Public Utilities and Neighborhoods Committee: Plans for North Beacon Hill, how we can be of help to Mike, how Mike can be of help to us, followed by questions and answers
  • 7:40 – Brian Dougherty, Seattle Department of Transportation: Update on 15th Avenue parking/bicycle lanes, followed by questions and answers
  • 7:55 – South Precinct Seattle Police Department report – Shelly Bates
  • 8:00 – Election of new North Beacon Hill Council Board Members
  • 8:10 Neighborhood updates
    • Beacon Rocks
    • Beacon Hill Business Association
    • Jefferson Park Festival (volunteers needed)
    • Other announcements, events
    • June meeting, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, celebration of park renewals and pizza!
Local Events, Meetings

More places to go and things to do, late April additions

Adding to our previous run-down of places to go and things to do:

Tonight, April 28:

Friday, April 30:

Saturday, May 1:

Tuesday, May 4:

Wednesday, May 5:

Monday, May 22:

Don’t forget about the Beacon Hill Music/Beacon Rocks! fundraisers and Beacon Idol tryouts, along with numerous other still-upcoming events, mentioned in the last roundup!

Local Events, Meetings

Places to go, things to do: events and meetings coming up

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Photo of last year's International Children's Day festivities at El Centro, courtesy Elliott Jones.

There are a lot of events and meetings coming up soon that we want you to know about. Updated with late-arriving reminders of ROCKiTspace events and El Centro’s Cinco de Mayo celebration. Here goes:

Sunday, April 18:

Monday, April 19:

  • North Beacon Hill Planning meeting with Marshall Foster, city planning director from the Department of Planning and Development, 5:30 to 6:30 pm at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Avenue South.
  • Beacon Family Bike and Pedestrian Plan meeting, 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the Beacon Hill Library.

Saturday, April 24:

  • Beacon Idol round two, 7:00 pm at ROCKiTspace, 3315 Beacon Avenue South.
  • Seattle Public Schools Family and Community Engagement Symposium, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm at Aki Kurose Middle School, 3928 South Graham Street — free workshops on helping your child with math, science, reading, writing, dealing with bullying, and college and career readiness with keynote speaker Dr. Susan Enfield; breakfast (8:30 am), lunch, and childcare provided.

Wednesday, April 28:

  • International Children’s Day celebration, 5:00 to 8:00 pm at El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Avenue South, featuring children’s activities and cultural games, refreshments, and presentations; for more info contact Enrique Gonzalez at 206-957-4605 or email execasst@elcentrodelaraza.org.

Sunday, May 2:

Thursday, May 6:

Saturday, May 8:

  • Meet Laila Lalami, author of the 2010 Seattle Reads selection Secret Son, 4:00 to 5:30 pm at the Beacon Hill Library.

Thursday, May 13:

  • Cheasty Boulevard Plan meeting, 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the home of Amit Ranade and Jennifer Faubion-Ranade, 2615 South Edmunds Street.

Friday, May 14:

  • Neighborhood Plan Update meeting, Mercer Middle School. (We don’t have the starting time for this one yet, but we will post it when we do.)

Sunday, May 16:

  • Beacon Hill Music Backyard Party fundraiser, 3:00 to 7:00 pm — RSVP requested, email beaconhillmusic@gmail.com for more info.

Monday, May 17:

  • Beacon Family Bike and Pedestrian Plan meeting, 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Beacon Hill Library.

Saturday, May 22:

Wednesday, May 26:

  • Jefferson Park Skateboard Park, Beacon Mountain Playground, and Jefferson Playfield update with the Parks Department, 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Avenue South.

Saturday, May 29:

Thursday, June 3:

Saturday, June 5:

Sunday, June 13:

Thursday, June 17:

  • Cheasty Boulevard Plan Open House with guided walks, 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the end of South Alaska Place.

Monday, June 21:

  • Beacon Family Bike and Pedestrian Plan meeting, 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Beacon Hill Library.

Saturday, July 17:

Big thanks to Frederica Merrell for assembling many of these meeting times and locations in a handout from the April NBHC meeting.

Meetings

Beacon Arts meeting tonight at ROCKiT space

Beacon Arts logo by Joel Lee.
Beacon Arts is meeting tonight at 7:00 pm, at ROCKiT space, 3315 Beacon Avenue South.

Jessie from ROCKiT space/Beacon Arts writes: “All are welcome and encouraged to attend. We will be working on a short list of goals to work towards as a group and discussing important arts related ideas and issues on the hill. If you didn’t get a chance to make it to the last meeting or the happy hour, this is a good opportunity to put some faces to some names and get to know people with similar interests in Beacon Hill.”

Meetings

No fooling—NBHC to meet April 1

Judith Edwards writes to tell us about this month’s North Beacon Hill Council meeting tomorrow night:

The North Beacon Hill Council will meet Thursday, April 1, at 7:00 in the Beacon Hill Library Community Room (2821 Beacon Avenue South). That’s not an April Fool’s joke! We invite everyone that lives or owns a business here on the Hill to come hear a group of individuals present their ideas for parks here on North Beacon. Each has applied for a Parks Department Opportunity Fund grant. Though all cannot be funded, we hope many will be. This is a great opportunity to meet your neighbors and learn more about the awesome events that are occurring here on North Beacon.

The agenda is as follows:

  • 7:00 Welcomes
  • 7:05 Presentations on applications for Parks Opportunity Fund grants, followed by Q&A
  • 8:00 Community Business
    • $1M insurance policy which NBHC must take out to cover events on Festival Street
    • Recognizing the Beacon Music Association as a sub-committee of NBHC
    • Upcoming music events on Festival Street
    • Beacon Business Association formation update
    • Update on Jefferson Park playground
    • Steve Louie, Neighborhood Coordinator
  • 8:30 Close

As always, all are welcome to attend. You are part of the council when you attend your first meeting, and you have voting privileges when you attend your second.

Local Business, Meetings

Neighbors invited to discuss future of ART’s on Beacon Hill coffeehouse

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ART's on Beacon Hill at 13th and Shelton will host a community meeting this weekend and fundraising performances during April. Photo by Wendi.
Owner Michael Perrone sent this letter about the future of the ART’s on Beacon Hill coffeehouse in the former DeVos grocery at 13th and Shelton:

Dear Neighbors,

Thank you for all of your recent and generous support, as we are working hard to provide a community center that supports and reflects the diversity and rich history of our Beacon Hill and Georgetown neighborhoods.

On Saturday March 27, 2010 between 5 and 7 p.m., you are invited to attend a special community meeting at ART’s to discuss upcoming events and options for further community involvement and support. All neighbors are invited so please spread the word!

As you know, we have been working closely with the City of Seattle to renew historic licensing allowing for the reinstatement of ART’s as the community corner where neighbors gather, share a cup of hot beverage, a tasty delight, and news of the day. It is our aim to continue this tradition and reopen the corner coffee shop as a community hub and center of creativity. To assist in this endeavor, ART’s has recently partnered with CULTURE FORUM, a non-profit Culture and Arts organization dedicated to artist and cultural exchange through community building.

ART’s current offering opens April 1 running through May 1, and is entitled MIXED: First Person and is a 42 minute multi-media stage play developed with the Evergreen State College, CULTURE FORUM, and of course ART’s.

We are very close to achieving our goals, but cannot do it without your input, involvement, and support. So please accept our invitation to attend this special meeting, and we hope to see you very soon at ART’s! If you have any questions, please feel free to give a call or just stop on by!

Sincerely yours,
Michael Perrone
ART’s on Beacon Hill
4951 13th ave south 98108
phone: 206-861-6260

Christian Ryser of CULTURE FORUM tells the Beacon Hill Blog that the city has agreed to reinstate the building’s original historic status and zoning, including retail and gallery use, and that they are allowing fundraisers to be held. The Mixed: First Person show is functioning as a fundraising effort for ART’s. He adds, “The bad news is that ART’s is suffering from the same banking malpractice as the rest of the world. Culture Forum has partnered with ART’s to provide artistic direction as well as an avenue for tax deductible donations. We are attempting to find a way to modify and or buy out the absurd loan on the building. ” They are working with an attorney from Beacon Hill in this effort.

Local Business, Meetings

Beacon Merchants Association meeting today

The Beacon Merchants Association is a newly forming organization of all businesses on Beacon Hill, both retail and home-based. They are holding their next meeting today, March 26, at 12 noon at Kusina Filipina, 3201 Beacon Avenue South. The meeting is open to any business or property owner in the area who is interested in improving the business climate on the hill. If you can’t be there, email the BMA at beaconmerchants@gmail.com to be added to their mailing list.

Meetings, Recreation

Camp, classes among events at local community centers

Did you know that Jefferson Community Center has a pottery studio? Neither did we. Photo by Karpov the Wrecked Train via Creative Commons.
Molly Hueffed writes to let us know about adult pottery classes at Jefferson Community Center this spring, meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays during the days, and Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in the evening, depending on which classes you take. Classes start on Monday, April 5, and enrollment is open now. You can find and register for classes via this Teachstreet page, or via the Jefferson CC website (go to SPARC registration), or by calling 206-684-7481.

The community center is located at 3801 Beacon Avenue South.

* * *

There will be a preschool summer camp at Jefferson Community Center from July 5 through September 3. The sessions are for 3 1/2- to 5-year-old (potty trained) kids and the cost is $125 per week. Kids can attend for a week or for the whole summer. Camp sessions are each day from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm, and each week has a special theme such as “Summer Safari” or “Water, Water, Everywhere.”

For more information, see the Southeast Spring brochure.

* * *

The first of three design meetings for the new Jefferson Park Skatepark, including updates on the Beacon Mountain Play Area and the Jefferson Park Playfield, is scheduled for April 14 from 6:00 – 8:30 pm at the Jefferson Community Center.

From 6:00 – 6:40 pm the project manager will provide updates on Beacon Mountain and Jefferson Playfield, then at 6:45 the design workshop will begin for the skatepark.

The community is asked to bring their skatepark ideas, images and drawings to share with the design team. The next meeting on May 26 will refine the skatepark ideas and a final meeting will be held on July 14 to review a final skatepark schematic design. Each meeting will begin with a construction update of the overall park, Beacon Mountain and Jefferson Playfield.

Find more information on the skatepark here, and more information on Jefferson Park here.

* * *

If you’re closer to Rainier Beach than Jefferson Park, fear not, you also have a great new community center and pool coming soon! All are invited to come and learn about the design of the new Rainier Beach Community Center and Pool at a public meeting at the Rainier Beach Community Center, 8825 Rainier Avenue South, on Tuesday, April 13 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. For further information, see the project website.

* * *

Thanks to David Gackenbach, Molly Hueffed, Frederica Merrell, and Heather Dwyer for forwarding us community center/park info!