Category Archives: Meetings

Health and Safety, Meetings

Neighbors attempt to reduce impact of alcohol on Beacon Hill

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As usual, the 10/4 North Beacon Hill Council meeting was jam-packed with a variety of topics. The majority of the meeting was dedicated to efforts to organize an Alcohol Impact Area (AIA) in North Beacon Hill. North Beacon Hill neighbors are attempting to organize an AIA to increase public safety. To learn more, visit their Facebook page at Beacon AIAI.

AIA supporters believe that implementing an Alcohol Impact Area in Beacon Hill will increase public safety and lower costs to taxpayers by decreasing the need for first responders (Seattle Police Department, Seattle Fire Department, etc) called to assist those incapacitated by alcohol. A first step to implement an AIA is to report all incidents of public inebriation and collecting/taking photographs of all alcohol related litter (especially cans/bottles of restricted brands).

Per the WA State Liquor Control Board: “The purpose of an Alcohol Impact Area is for local authorities to have a process to mitigate problems with chronic public inebriation or illegal activities linked to the sale or consumption of alcohol within a geographic area of their city, town or county, but not the entire jurisdiction. An Alcohol Impact Area is designated by geographical boundaries as defined in Washington Administrative Code Chapter 314-12.”

The WA State Liquor Control Board evaluated AIAs in 2009. Results are here. One interesting conclusion: people living in Alcohol Impact Areas reported that they were happier!

“Overall, in comparison to the results of the 2006 survey, people living within the Alcohol Impact Areas are now more positive as evidenced by the following:
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  • 26% of people rate the overall quality of life in their neighborhood as excellent (20% in 2006)

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  • 60% of people say they notice chronic public inebriates in the neighborhood (69% in 2006)
  • 18% of people say that drug activity has increased (24% in 2006)
  • But, 28% of people say that crime has increased (23% in 2006)”

(Source: Seattle Alcohol Impact Area Evaluation Executive Summary, 2009.)

City of Seattle studies did not inquire whether residents within AIAs enjoyed a higher quality of life, but did discover:

“…A decrease in offenses related to chronic public inebriation: Adult Liquor Violations, Parks Exclusions, and Criminal Trespass. In addition, the sobering unit van also saw a 9% decrease in pick-ups over the same pre-mandatory AIA and post-mandatory AIA periods of time.” (Source: June 2008 Report on Mandatory Compliance Efforts in the Seattle Alcohol Impact Area.)

Department of Neighborhoods Program Manager Pamela Banks attended Tuesday’s meeting and cautioned that North Beacon Hill would face an uphill battle to implement an AIA. Resources and staff are currently stretched very thin in Seattle and the AIA process is difficult.

Other options to reduce public inebriation and increase public safety were discussed, including asking neighborhood businesses to voluntarily participate in a “Good Neighbor” agreement limiting sales of banned beverages and requesting increased enforcement of existing laws.

Beacon AIAI supporters hope to engage the community in efforts to make Beacon Hill safer. For more information, visit their Facebook page or email beaconaiai@gmail.com.

Meetings, Urban Planning

Apartments may come to Beacon Hill Station block

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These lots have been empty for more than two years. The lot proposed for development is in the back of the photo, to the left. Photo by Wendi.
An apartment building may be the future of one of the empty lots around Beacon Hill Station. An early design guidance meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 25 to discuss a preliminary proposal to build a four-story commercial/residential structure at 2721 17th Ave. S., the southeast corner of the station block. Several lots on that block have been vacant and surrounded by chain-link fence since shortly after the opening of Beacon Hill Station in the summer of 2009. The lots were previously used for staging during the light rail station construction project.

Pacific Housing Northwest is proposing to build an apartment building with 30 housing units as well as 800 square feet of ground-floor retail. There would be underground parking. The Department of Planning and Development pages about the site and the associate permits are here and here. The site is currently owned by Alphonso Tucci-Grastello.

The early design guidance meeting will be held at the Wellspring Family Services community room, 1900 Rainier Avenue South, at 6:30 p.m. on October 25.


View Larger Map. This is the location of the proposed apartment building at the Beacon Hill Station block.

Meetings

NBHC meetings move to new night

North Beacon Hill Council meetings have moved to a new night, the first Tuesday of each month. This frees people to attend First Thursday Art Walk events without a neighborhood conflict. October’s meeting is Tuesday, October 4 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Beacon Hill Library (2821 Beacon Ave. S.).

On the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting is the proposed Alcohol Impact Area for North Beacon Hill. The notice sent by the Council reads: “Please join us to learn more about the Alcohol Impact Area for N. Beacon—what it is, what it isn’t, and how you can be of help.”

Earlier this summer we wrote about the current Beacon Hill Alcohol Impact Area Initiative. The neighbors promoting the AIA also have a Facebook page.

Meetings

Mayor to host Town Hall in Georgetown on Tuesday

Mayor Mike McGinn at the recent dedication of Roberto Maestas Festival Street. Photo by Wendi.

Mayor Mike McGinn is hosting a Greater Duwamish Town Hall meeting this coming Tuesday, September 27, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Georgetown Campus of South Seattle Community College, 6737 Corson Ave. S.

Here’s the planned agenda:

  • 5:30-6:30 Meet and Greet: City Departments and local community organizations will host information tables, answer questions, and offer volunteer opportunities
  • 6:30-6:40 Youth performance
  • 6:40-8:00 Open question and answer session with the Mayor and City staff

Need further information? Contact James Bush at (206) 684-9288 or james.bush@seattle.gov.

Education, Meetings

School Board members Patu, Smith-Blum to host community meetings

Betty Patu.
Seattle School Board Member Betty Patu, who represents District VII (most of Southeast Seattle) on the Board, is hosting a community meeting this Saturday, September 24, from 10 a.m. until noon at Tully’s Coffee, 4400 Rainier Ave. S. (the corner of Rainier and Genesee, next to Walgreens). This is an informal drop-in opportunity to discuss our local schools with Patu.

The community meetings are held each month. The next two meetings are scheduled for Saturday, October 29, and Saturday, November 19, from 10 a.m. until noon at the same Tully’s.

If you are at the very northern tip of Beacon Hill, you may be in District V instead. The District V representative is Kay Smith-Blum, and she’ll be hosting a community meeting on Saturday, October 8, from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Douglass-Truth Library, 2300 E. Yesler Way.

Meetings, Recreation

Save the date: Rizal Off-Leash Area public meeting 10/20

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The proposed reconfiguration of the Jose Rizal Park Off-Leash Area was not presented at last night’s North Beacon Hill Council meeting as was previously scheduled. Instead, Brenda Kramer from Seattle Parks and Recreation announced that there will be a public meeting held on October 20 at Jefferson Community Center to discuss the new plan.

Kramer told the neighbors in attendance, including a quite a few who were there to protest the proposed park shrinkage, that the plan for the Off-Leash Area (OLA) is currently being redesigned and Parks wants input from park users.

Several neighbors did speak up at the meeting to express their wish to keep the Off-Leash Area large. One neighbor said that other OLAs are small, and the Jose Rizal Park OLA is “a jewel” for the city because of its larger size. She added that dog parks are amenities to a neighborhood that are equivalent to light rail stations or grocery stores.

Another neighbor added: “You have a duty as a city to provide canine infrastructure. Unfortunately, the Olmsted Brothers did not forsee that need.”

Kramer, Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith, and other city representatives in attendance emphasized that those interested in the dog park should attend the October 20 meeting to provide input. The meeting will most likely be from 7-8 p.m., but stay tuned to the Beacon Hill Blog for further information as the date draws closer.

Meetings

Dog park, trail, greenbelt on NBHC meeting agenda

The North Beacon Hill Council meeting, usually the first Thursday of the month, was delayed until this week because of the library’s closure. This month’s meeting will be held on Thursday, September 8, at 7 p.m. at the Beacon Hill Library meeting room. As always, NBHC meetings are open to all interested neighbors. The Beacon Hill Library is located at 2821 Beacon Ave. S.

As mentioned previously on the Beacon Hill Blog, a major topic of discussion at this month’s meeting will be proposed changes to the Jose Rizal Park off-leash area. However, the city is also looking for community feedback and ideas for the Duwamish Greenbelt Area and the Mountains to Sound Trail.

Here is this month’s agenda:

  • 7:00 Welcomes and introductions
  • 7:05 Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith, and other city officials, will ask for community input and ideas for the Duwamish Greenbelt Area, which includes the newly finished Mountain to Sound Trail, and the off leash area at Jose Rizal Park
  • 7:25 Community input and Q&A
  • 7:55 Community concerns and announcements
  • 8:30 Closure followed by Executive Board Meeting
Getting Around, Meetings

Beacon B.I.K.E.S. meeting tonight

BEACON B.I.K.E.S. (Better Infrastructure Keeping Everyone Safe) will be meeting tonight, September 6, from 6-8 p.m. in the Beacon Hill Library conference room. Light refreshments will be provided. The meeting is open to all who are interested in safely getting people of all ages and abilities around the Hill on foot and bicycle.

Tonight’s agenda includes:

  • Debrief of previous month’s events
  • Discussion of Seattle Greenways potluck on September 14
  • Event logistics for 350.org Moving Planet on September 24
  • Crossing counts at Spokane and Lafayette
  • NEPO 5k Don’t Run: volunteers for Serpent Walk
  • Hilltop Red Apple bicycle parking update
  • Other announcements

See more about Beacon B.I.K.E.S. at http://www.beaconwalksbikes.org/.

Meetings

Reconfiguration of Rizal Park off-leash area on NBHC agenda

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Seattle Parks and Recreation staff will attend the North Beacon Hill Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. on September 8 at the Beacon Hill library to present a proposed configuration for the off-leash area at Dr. Jose Rizal Park. The meeting is open to the public, and all are invited to provide input on the proposal.

In response to the construction of the Mountains to Sound Greenway bicycle/pedestrian trail along the western edge of the park, and to concerns about the perception of safety in the area, Seattle Parks proposes to reduce the size of the Rizal Park off-leash area, currently 5 acres. Since Amazon.com moved from Beacon Hill to South Lake Union, the use of the off-leash area has dropped. The area’s proximity to “The Jungle” has also contributed to a lack of use of the current space.

The Beacon Hill library branch is located at 2821 Beacon Ave. S.

Meetings, Recreation

Benefit Playground skatedot meeting tomorrow

Seattle Parks and Recreation is hosting a follow-up public meeting tomorrow, September 1 from 6 – 7 p.m. to discuss the design of a skatedot (a skateboard facility) at Benefit Playground. The meeting is a follow-up from input received in the August 11 design meeting, and will take place at the park picnic shelter. Benefit Playground is located on South Beacon Hill at 9320 38th Ave. S.

According to Parks and Recreation:

A skatedot is a skateboard feature within an existing park that can range in size from 1,500 to 10,000 square feet. It is considered a neighborhood facility that can accommodate up to 13 users at a time. This skatedot is expected to be located within the existing sport court area of the park. For more information on Seattle Skatepark planning, please visit the skatepark website.

You can see the notes from the previous meeting at the Parks website for the project.