Higher density near the Columbia City light rail station. Photo by Matthew Rutledge.(We recently asked a few people to write their opinions about House Bill 1490 and how it relates to Beacon Hill. The bill was altered and no longer directly affects the Hill, but Andrew Smith still has a few things to say about density in our area.)
By Andrew Smith
Recently House Bill 1490 has started a discussion in our region over density and transit-oriented-development. Originally the bill required cities to create zoning packages that would have allowed increased density in a half-mile radius around all light rail and commuter rail stations. In a recent revision, that requirement was scaled back to apply to only communities defined by the Puget Sound Regional Council as “growth centers”: Auburn, Downtown Bellevue, Overlake, Everett, Federal Way, Kent, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Puyallup, Redmond, Seatac, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle, Northgate, the University District, Downtown Tacoma, and Tukwila. I imagine many in Southeast Seattle breathed a sigh of relief when they read that, as many in that area were very concerned about increased density changing their neighborhoods. However, I’d like to make the case for increased density in these areas, focusing my argument on Beacon Hill, and point out that while increased density could change the neighborhood, that change might be a better change than what will happen if density is prohibited. Continue reading Reader Opinion: North Beacon needs higher density→
McClellan Place. Photo by Wendi.
Recently I was browsing the Seattle Parks website, looking for Beacon Hill area parks. One park caught my eye: McClellan Place. There is no picture on the park’s web page, but the address is there: 16th and McClellan. “16th and McClellan? But… that’s the Red Apple!” I thought. And then I realized — McClellan Place is the tiny triangle of greenery at the corner there, the one that cars cut in front of when taking a right turn onto McClellan from Beacon Avenue. It has a tree and a rhododendron plant, and unfortunately, usually a few pieces of debris as well.
Next time you walk past the Red Apple, take a moment to visit McClellan Place, and enjoy a bit of one of the Hill’s — and Seattle’s — smallest parks. Perhaps next summer it would be nice to bring a lawn chair and a hibachi out there and have a picnic.
It’s snowing! But it’s awfully wet snow, and the high temperature today is supposed to be 43, so it should be gone quickly. No sign so far of any school closures in this area. Some other districts are opening late, however, so keep your eyes on schoolreport.org for local school announcements.
Portrait by artist Joey Nix, from his show at the Art Primo Showroom.
Down in Georgetown, muralist, canvas artist and former Beacon Hill resident Joey Nix is opening a show featuring portraits of mobsters, at the Art Primo Showroom at 6601 East Marginal Way South, Suite B on February 6. The show is from 5:00 to 9:00 pm, free, and open to all ages.
Remember when T-Mobile applied last year to install three panel antennas on the roof of the Jefferson Park Apartments at the corner of South Spokane Street and Beacon Avenue South? The antennas are planned to be located “within a faux brick chimney shroud assembly… extending approximately 10 feet above the roof top.” The installation has been conditionally approved.
There was reason to be concerned. Beacon Hill is about to lose its only Zipcar site on top of the hill, as well as the nearby site at 29th and Columbian Way. Zipcar members recently received this email:
“The Zipcar location at Beacon Ave S/Lander St is being closed December 31, 2008, but have no fear — there’s a Zipcar located just down the street at S Charles St/Hiawatha Place.”
Just down the street? That’s a long walk for Beaconians, roughly 1.4 miles. See the map below, in which doomed Zipcar sites are marked in red, and the remaining site at Charles and Hiawatha is marked in green:
Zipcar’s website currently does not mention that these sites are going away, so some folks might have planned Zipcar memberships as Christmas gifts, only to find that their local Zipcar will be gone after New Year’s Eve.
This change seems extremely short-sighted, given the forthcoming opening of the Beacon Hill light rail station across the street from the Beacon/Lander Zipcar (which is currently in the Red Apple parking lot), and the Columbia City light rail station a block or two away from the Columbian/29th Zipcar. The locations would seem to be ideal for use in conjunction with transit.
You can tell Zipcar what you think by writing their Seattle General Manager, Carla Archambault, at Zipcar, 380 Union Street, Seattle, WA 98101; phoning 206-323-3539, or faxing 206-682-1657. The email address they give is company-wide (not just Seattle) so it may not be useful, but it is info@zipcar.com.
Signs like the one at the bottom might become familiar soon on North Beacon Hill. Photo by Joe Goldberg.The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has released a preliminary proposal for neighborhood parking around the Beacon Hill light rail station. You should receive a mailer about the proposed plan soon. Note that the current proposal will be for a restricted parking zone, or RPZ, in the roughly 1/4 mile area around the light rail station, with some exceptions in front of businesses and around the library and Stevens Place (Triangle) Park that will have a time limit instead.
The parking changes will be installed on a rolling basis this Spring, and should be complete by the time the light rail begins service in July. To park in the RPZ without penalty at that point will require an RPZ pass, which will cost $45/two years, with a discount available for low-income households.
We note something interesting in the FAQ about these changes: “Enforcement will also increase to help those new regulations function properly. Increasing enforcement will affect all types of parking violations, including vehicles parked too close to driveways or blocking fire-hydrants. Please obey the law.” The new RPZ may have some unexpected consequences for some people in the area who have become accustomed to relatively lax parking enforcement in this neighborhood.
Additionally, you can email your comments and questions to lightrailparking@seattle.gov, or comment by phone at 206-684-8186. You may call Sound Transit’s language lab hotline at 1-800-823-9230 for translation if you need to speak in a language other than English.
We hope the buses are able to get us where we need to go today, but yesterday that was frequently a problem. (Metro’s Ice and Snow Transit Service Status page will tell you if your bus is still cancelled or rerouted.) If you can’t get off the Hill to do your Christmas shopping, don’t forget our recent post about holiday shopping right here on Beacon Hill. It might give you some ideas for ways to get your holiday shopping done here in our neighborhood — no gasoline, tire chains, or fender-benders necessary. (The comments on that post include some other suggested places to shop on the Hill, so check those out too.)
The full City Council has approved the streetcar expansion plan. This could be useful to us on Beacon Hill, as we’ll be easily able to transfer from light rail to lines such as the line to Capitol Hill from the International District. The light rail will eventually go to Capitol Hill, too, but the streetcar will be done sooner. (But if it’s not going to be faster than the bus, I won’t be happy. Dedicated lane, please.) — Seattle Transit Blog
What if you had to do all of your holiday gift shopping without leaving Beacon Hill? Is it possible? The Hill is not known for having a ton of retail, but that doesn’t mean we have to head for the ID, Georgetown, Columbia City, Downtown, or (God forbid) Southcenter to find gifts. Our neighborhood has plenty of great gift ideas to choose from, easily accessible by foot for many of us, making shopping on the Hill a healthy and green option as well as one that supports our neighbors who do business here.
I spent “Cyber Monday” not online, but on foot, browsing North Beacon Hill for shopping opportunities. I was not disappointed. Here’s what I found.
Soaps and other gifts at 3 Brothers gift shop. Photo by Wendi.3 Brothers Cleaners, a dry cleaner at 3210 Beacon Avenue South, is not just a dry cleaner. They also have a small but well-stocked gift shop in the front of the building. The shop has the usual gift shop merchandise: knick knacks, glassware, clocks, candles, soaps, decorations, and the like. The prices seemed very reasonable. I bought a very pretty faux-silk embroidered drawstring pouch for $3.
Victrola Coffee, in the old Galaxie shop at 3215 Beacon Avenue South, has Victrola logo ceramic mugs for $7.95, and travel mugs for $14.95. Combine either of these with some fresh coffee beans, and you have an excellent gift for any coffee lover.
Buggy at 3315 Beacon Avenue South is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so we weren’t able to go in, but from previous visits we know that the shop is more than just a “baby stuff” shop. Yes, there are baby and kid things galore, including clothing and toys, but there are also knitting supplies, handmade bags, journals, and other gifts that even non-parents would enjoy. We particularly like some of the items from da-a tis.
Fragrance oils for sale at Spoons. Photo by Wendi.Spoons Urban Apparel at 2516 Beacon Avenue South advertises “urban apparel and more,” including an assortment of fragrance oils for men and women at $5 per vial, and a collection of $10 t-shirts. They also have a very cool “Beacon Hill” painted sign inside the store, which is located in what was a long vacant storefront at the junction of Beacon and 15th.
Yoga on Beacon at 3013 Beacon Avenue South was also closed during our shopping trip, but we see that they have a nice selection of workout clothing. A class card or unlimited membership would also be a great gift for a yoga student.
Hello Bicycle at 3067 Beacon Ave South has an assortment of bicycling accessories, and bicycles as well. Their hours are limited; check the website or call before stopping by.
Edible gifts are a great option for the foodie in your life. Despi Delite Bakery at 2701 15th Avenue South has a great assortment of Filipino pastries and many other baked goods. They sell gift certificates for any amount, they say — just ask.
Gift certificates good for a bunch of baked treats like these may be found at the Despi Delite Bakery. Photo by Wendi.Local grocery stores such as the Hilltop Red Apple at 2701 Beacon Avenue South have premium candy, fruit and wine, and flowers to decorate the dinner table.
The shops mentioned here are less than half a mile apart in the North Beacon Hill business district. Who needs a car? But this is only North Beacon. Do you have favorite shopping destinations in Mid-Beacon or South Beacon? Please post a comment. We’d like to feature them, too.
Here’s a map of all the businesses mentioned here, marked with shopping baskets:
