Tag Archives: stations

Getting Around

Sound Transit wants to extend noise variance at Beacon Hill Station

Construction on the Beacon Hill Station site in mid-November. Photo by Jason.
Construction on the Beacon Hill Station site in mid-November. Photo by Jason.
Sound Transit is applying for an extension to the technical noise variance for construction of the Beacon Hill station and light rail tunnels. The current variance, which has been in place since March 2003, expires on December 31. It establishes overnight noise limits for the construction process, and allows the construction to continue around the clock, seven days a week. Sound Transit would like to extend it until June 30, without any other modifications.

An information meeting about the variance extension is on Tuesday, December 16, 6:00 – 8:00 pm at the Beacon Hill Library, 2821 Beacon Avenue South.

Local Business

Rainier Grocery Outlet to close

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We stopped in at the Rainier Grocery Outlet this evening and saw that entire rows of shelving were gone, the freezers were half-full, and a lot less “stuff” was in the store. I asked the checker if they were closing or just remodeling. He said they’re closing November 26th.

We haven’t been able to get more details yet, but we’re wondering if the store is a casualty of the lengthy construction of the Mount Baker light rail station that has made access to the store more difficult for the last few years. The building and property are owned by the University of Washington, with their laundry facilities next door.

Some time between March 31st, 2007 and June 19th of this year, Steve Christman took over from Steve and Debbi Mullen, operators of the Madrona Grocery Outlet. The Mullens stated in 2007 that, while the store had taken a 20 to 30 percent hit in business due to light rail construction, they hoped to tough it out until the rail station opened, running the Rainier store at “zero profit” until then and “didn’t want the store to close.” Looks like that plan didn’t pan out.

If your bargain-hunting regularly brings you to Grocery Outlet, you might want to get down there soon.

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: Family planning, break dancing, and storm drains

Getting Around

What can Beacon Hill tell Capitol Hill about the light rail construction experience?

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The site of the future Capitol Hill light rail station is decorated with various artworks, including this face, while they wait to tear the old buildings down. Photo by Helen Cook -- thanks!
The site of the future Capitol Hill light rail station is decorated with various artworks, including this face, while they wait to tear the old buildings down. Photo by Helen Cook -- thanks!
While our light rail station is scheduled to open next summer, folks up on Capitol Hill are just embarking on their own period of light rail construction, and they want to know what to expect. Browsing the Southeast Seattle neighborhood blogs, they don’t see a lot of complaints at the moment. Of course, this could be because we are near the end of the process, and a lot of us weren’t blogging in the early days of Central Link planning and construction.

So, Beaconians, what should Capitol Hillers expect in the next few years as a large section of Broadway becomes a big hole in the ground? We’ve lived through it and ought to have some useful insights for our neighbors to the north.

Overheard

Quote of the day

From the Lake Boren Rapid Transit Report:

“The last big segment (of the Central Link light rail) is the tunnel and station above it on Beacon Hill. The station is at surface level and passengers will be hoisted up and down via a rope tow or something. Anyway it’s 165 feet from the Beacon Hill surface down to the tunnel and that’s a long way. Maybe they’ll have a fireman pole for going down and a jetpack for going up.”

Getting Around, Urban Planning

Light rail = increased home values on North Beacon?

Will this train soon bring higher housing values to the Hill? Photo by The Lebers.
Will this train soon bring higher housing values to the Hill? Photo by The Lebers.
According to the Denver Post, homes near light rail stations on the new Southeast line there have increased in value by nearly 4 percent since the line opened, even while homes in the rest of the Denver market declined by an average of 7.5 percent. The closer the home is to the station, the more the value increased, with those less than half a mile from the station increasing by an average of 17.6 percent.

The article mentions a similar effect in other markets, with single-family home values showing increases ranging from 2 percent in San Diego to a blistering 32 percent in St. Louis. The article also suggests that it is not just station location that causes the biggest increases, but transit-oriented development (TOD) that adds to the attractiveness of the area. North Beacon and Mount Baker (Rainier and McClellan) will have their stations soon, but will the TOD follow? Will we see a similar increase in housing value here on Beacon Hill? The Othello and Columbia City stations are already seeing some development, but there hasn’t been much up on top of the Hill or at the foot of McClellan.

Thanks to Seattlest!

Local Events, Urban Planning

What do you want to see at the light rail stations?

The train is coming! Photo by Erwyn van der Meer.
The train is coming! Photo by Erwyn van der Meer.
We mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating.

This Saturday, October 25, the Greater Duwamish Council and the SE District Council are co-sponsoring a community meeting to discuss the new neighborhood planning process and “how to create vibrant, successful neighborhoods” at the light rail stations.

The event will be at the New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Avenue South, at 12:00 noon, and snacks and child care will be provided.

Help Wanted, Urban Planning

Transit transformation of neighborhood plan?

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The City is beginning a process of updating most of the 38 neighborhood plans throughout Seattle, but because of the light rail line opening next summer, Beacon Hill, Mount Baker, and Othello have been fast-tracked for station area planning and neighborhood plan updates. And they do mean fast. The stations open in July, and there is some indication that the city wants rezoning of the area done simultaneously with the plan updates. Things may be changing quickly, folks.

On Saturday, October 25 at 12:00 noon, the Southeast District Council and the Greater Duwamish District Council are hosting a community event to discuss the new neighborhood planning process and “how to create vibrant, successful neighborhoods at these stations.” The event is at the New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Avenue South, and food, beverages, and child care will be provided.

Also in the neighborhood planning arena, the city’s Neighborhood Plan Advisory Committee (NPAC) needs four at-large members, “with a good mix of neighborhood knowledge, new passion, and a commitment to healthy communities,” to sit on the committee. The deadline is today, October 17, at 5:00 pm. If you’re interested in helping guide the forthcoming neighborhood planning process as an NPAC member, fill out this PDF and get it in ASAP.

Thanks to the SDC and GDDC for the postcard about the event, and the Rainier Valley Post for getting the news out about the NPAC applications.

Getting Around, Local Events, Urban Planning

Discuss the bus over pancakes

Metro bus in West Seattle -- thanks Seattle Municipal Archives!
Metro bus in West Seattle -- thanks Seattle Municipal Archives!
We posted earlier about this Saturday’s pancake breakfast, and about potential bus service changes in Southeast Seattle. Today, Jodie Vice of Beacon Hill Pedestrians posted some further information to the mailing list that allows us to combine both topics:

There has been quite a bit of discussion about bus service changes when light rail comes on board. It would be great to have a discussion about this and fill out our surveys as a neighborhood! I’ve contacted Metro and they are sending me about 50 surveys (in multiple languages) to hand out at the Pancake Breakfast THIS Saturday at El Centro – 9:30AM.

A bus service and light rail discussion will go hand-in-hand at our forum on creating a town center, because you can not create a “town center” without adequate access by ALL modes. We have an amazing opportunity with the light rail to be more connected to southend neighborhoods and downtown, but bus service is still crucial for local trips.

The current Metro plans include a potential crosstown route that will connect the Hill with West Seattle, possible changes to the 38 to eliminate redundant service once the light rail opens, and more.

Thanks Jodie and BHP!