September is nearly finished, which means that it’s almost time for the October North Beacon Hill Council meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, October 2, 7 p.m. at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Ave. S. Agenda topics this time include a public safety update, a Quieter Skies update, and information about the new El Centro development.
Here’s the complete agenda:
7:00 Introductions
>7:10 Lt. John Hayes public safety update
7:20 List of current DPD projects
7:25 Kate Gill de la Garza Update/info about El Centro development Plaza Roberto Maestas
7:40 Quieter Skies/FAA update
8:05 Community Calendar
Wrap up
All interested neighbors are welcome to attend. Meetings usually end before 9 p.m.
Annoyed at slow Internet speeds here on Beacon Hill? Mark Thursday, September 20 at 6 p.m. on your calendar—CenturyLink is hosting a community meeting to discuss what needs to be done to have faster speed in the area.
According to representatives from UPTUN (Upping Technology for Underserved Neighbors) and from CenturyLink who spoke at last night’s North Beacon Hill Council meeting, there have been problems with Seattle’s permitting process for installing new broadband infrastructure, causing hold-ups or cancellation of several broadband upgrade projects that had been planned for 2012. (The Beacon Hill Blogposted about some of these potential projects in July.)
Those interested in finding out more are invited to the meeting on September 20 at El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave. S., Room 307 (top floor, north end of the building). The meeting will run from 6-8 p.m., and there will be cookies and coffee provided.
Sound familiar? Photo by Helen Cook via Creative Commons/Flickr.The North Beacon Hill Council meets tonight (September 11) at 7 p.m. at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Ave. S. While there are several topics on the agenda including updates on public safety and Internet connectivity, one topic expected to draw a crowd is that of airplane noise and the Greener Skies project to adjust flight patterns into SeaTac, and what sort of impact the project may have on the residents of Southeast Seattle.
There has been a fair amount of worry on Beacon Hill about the potential changes. The materials produced by the FAA to explain the project are somewhat opaque to non-pilots, and conflicting information on whether it will negatively affect the Hill at all has come in from various sources. Community meetings to discuss the plans have been located in Ballard and Federal Way, but none of them near Southeast Seattle.
Some neighbors were able to attend the meeting in Ballard, and will report back at tonight’s NBHC meeting. West Seattle Blog recorded video of the meeting. The Ballard News-Tribune was also there. According to neighbor Tina Ray, part of tonight’s plan is to set a date and agenda to meet with the Port of Seattle and the FAA about the Greener Skies plan.
Here’s the complete agenda for the evening:
7:00-7:05 Introductions
7:05-7:20 Public Safety Update: Reports about an increase in street burglaries and updates on recent shootings in the Beacon Hill area
7:20-7:35 Airplane noise/Greener Skies: updates from FAA meetings 7:35-7:50 New Project Updates: Proposed developments in the neighborhood including El Centro, Holgate property, and McClellan project
7:50-8:05 Opportunity Fund “speed dating”: brief presentations from Friends of Lewis Park, Beacon BIKES, El Centro, Cheasty Greenspace, etc.
8:05-8:15 Neighborhood calendar and group updates, DON news
8:15-8:30 Update on Internet connectivity in Beacon Hill: Representatives from UPTUN (Upping Technology for Underserved Neighbors) will be presenting with invited representatives from Comcast, Wave (formerly Broadstripe) and CenturyLink
As always, all interested neighbors are welcome to attend.
The North Beacon Hill Council monthly meeting, usually on the first Tuesday of the month, is delayed this month because of Labor Day weekend. The meeting will be Tuesday, September 11 instead, at 7 p.m. at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Ave. S.
Here’s the agenda as forwarded from the Council:
Update on Internet connectivity in Beacon Hill: Representatives from UPTUN (Upping Technology for Underserved Neighbors) will be presenting with invited representatives from Comcast, Wave (formerly Broadstripe) and CenturyLink
Public Safety Update: Reports about an increase in street burglaries and updates on recent shootings in the Beacon Hill area
Airplane noise/Greener Skies: updates from FAA meetings
New Project Updates: Proposed developments in the neighborhood including El Centro, Holgate property, and McClellan project.
Other Neighborhood group updates from Friends of Lewis Park, Beacon BIKES and more
All interested neighbors are welcome to attend. Meetings usually end before 9 p.m.
Coal train photo courtesy of Washington Environmental Council.
Washington Environmental Council is holding a “Coal Hard Truth Forum” at Cleveland High School this Wednesday, August 15, to discuss the proposed increase in coal trains through South Seattle if a proposed coal export terminal opens in Bellingham.
According to a press release from the Council, up to 9 open-bed coal trains may be added to the city’s railroad traffic daily, which would result in increased pollution and traffic to neighborhoods along the route, including Georgetown and Beacon Hill. Here at the BHB, we confess that we haven’t yet done as much research on the topic as we’d like, but here are a couple of links to provide more information about the trains:
All interested neighbors are invited to attend the forum to ask questions and discuss the trains’ impact with community members. The event is at Cleveland High School, room 1201 (second floor), 5511 15th Ave. S, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 15. If you have questions, contact Nicole Keenan, nicole@wecprotects.org or 206-631-2606.
This preliminary design shows a possible plaza in the PRM development project.
After the Beacon Hill Merchants Association annual meeting this Saturday, July 21, there will be a presentation about the Plaza Roberto Maestas – Beloved Community (PRM) development being planned for the south lot at El Centro de la Raza. The presentation will include time to give feedback and ask questions about the project, as well as to discuss the retail spaces and business opportunities that the project will provide. The meeting is at Kusina Filipina (3201 Beacon Ave. S.), and the presentation, which is open to the public, is expected to start about 1 p.m.
The images shown on this page give an idea of the type of development that is being considered, but the project is very early in the design process and still subject to much potential change. Community feedback is vital at this stage to shape the future of the development.
This preliminary view is from Beacon Avenue on the southwest side of the project.This preliminary view is from the corner of 17th and Roberto Maestas Festival Street on the southeast side of the project.
The Mayor’s Town Hall meeting previously scheduled for Wednesday, July 18 at Van Asselt Community Center has been rescheduled and moved. The meeting will now be at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 6020 Beacon Ave. S., on Tuesday, August 14 from 5:30-8 p.m. Neighbors in the 98108, 98118, and 98144 area codes are invited to attend.
The event schedule has not changed; it starts with a community information fair from 5:30-6:30, followed by a youth performance from 6:30-6:40, then the open Q&A session with Mayor McGinn and City staff.
The town hall is another in a series of town halls throughout Seattle, through the Engage Seattle initiative, designed to “to provide concrete ways for Seattleites to help make our city a better place.†Find out more at the website.
Mark your calendar: neighbors in the 98108, 98118, amd 98144 area codes are invited to attend a Mayor’s Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, July 18 from 5:30-8 p.m. at Van Asselt Community Center (2820 S. Myrtle St.).
The event starts with a community information fair from 5:30-6:30, followed by a youth performance from 6:30-6:40, then the open Q&A session with Mayor McGinn and City staff.
The town hall is another in a series of town halls throughout Seattle, through the Engage Seattle initiative, designed to “to provide concrete ways for Seattleites to help make our city a better place.” Find out more at the website.
The community is invited to discuss plans for the future redevelopment of this parking lot. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
El Centro de la Raza and the North Beacon Hill Council have announced another community engagement event about the planned redevelopment in El Centro’s south lot. The event is next Tuesday, June 19 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at El Centro’s room 307.
At the event, El Centro will report on the current status of the project, and present more design ideas for community feedback. There will be round table discussions to examine various aspects of the project such as amenities, housing, sustainability, and more.
All are welcome; childcare, translation, and snacks will be provided. El Centro de la Raza is located at 2524 16th Ave. S.
The site is across the street from Beacon Hill International School, and next door to the Debre Medhanit St. Emmanuel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which has expressed interest in buying the property to expand the church facilities.
The hearing on Tuesday night is at El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave. S. If you can’t attend the hearing and still want to let City Light know what you think, you can send your comments to:
Seattle City Light
Real Estate Services
P.O. Box 34023
Seattle, WA 98124
The comment deadline is June 26. Your comments about the 14th Avenue South property will be included in City Light’s report to the Seattle City Council.
