Category Archives: News, etc.

Community celebrates completion of 33rd Avenue pedestrian improvements

A parade of happy residents make their way along a new sidewalk on 33rd Avenue NE. (Photo courtesy Janine Blaeloch)

Neighborhood residents came out to celebrate on Saturday after improvements on 33rd Avenue NE were finished recently. The project was completed in 2012 but the celebration was planned for spring, when the newly-planted vegetation would bloom.

A ribbon cutting and parade of residents celebrated the improvements on the road behind Value Village and one block off Lake City Way. The road, like many in Lake City, was inhospitable to pedestrians before the improvements. This despite a concentration of people living in the immediate vicinity, including many children, elderly and disabled people in wheelchairs.

The project was paid for with Bridging the Gap funds after a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant helped pay for design of the project.

The project was taken up by community leaders who advocated for funding and guided the effort after recognizing a need in the area. The improvements include new sidewalks, drainage, curbs, lighting and landscaping.

A community fair with tasty desserts and sandwiches provided by the Lake City Bakery followed the ribbon cutting and parade.

The City of Seattle’s Department of Transportation said the changes “improve the pedestrian environment by providing a landscaped buffer from traffic; improve drainage and lighting as well as traffic calming the street.” A future project might include a mid-block crosswalk and Greenways elements to further calm traffic.

Photos below show the newly improved area (left) and how it looked before the improvements (right).

Overgrown vegetation and a lack of sidewalks used to push pedestrians into the middle of a busy street.

The area immediately behind Value Village and Aurora Rents shows the lack of drainage in the area, now improved.

Before, right, pedestrians would not walk in the muddy mess on the shoulders and were forced into the street.

The area now is much more pedestrian friendly and is likely to encourage more walking and pedestrian activity.

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Tips for preventing dog bites after Seattle ranks 2nd for dog attacks on postal workers

Most dog bites are a bit scarier than this one.

Seattle is a city that loves dogs. However, those dogs do not seem to love our postal carriers.

The United States Postal Service released its 2012 U.S. Postal Service Dog Attack City Rankings and Seattle was #2 for the most dog attacks on mail carriers. The ranking is not one that we can be proud of.

In response to the ranking that our pooches are rather aggressive with their teeth, the American Veterinary Medical Association responded with a guide on how to prevent dog attacks. The info was timed to coincide with National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

Since Lake City loves its dogs, we figured we’d share the AVMA suggestions here. And of course these suggestions do not just apply to folks wearing blue and bringing you your bills and packages.

●Don’t run past a dog. Dogs naturally love to chase and catch things.

●Never disturb a dog that is caring for puppies, sleeping or eating.

●If a dog approaches to sniff you, stay still. In most cases, the dog will go away when it determines you are not a threat.

●If you are threatened by a dog, remain calm. Don’t scream or yell. If you say anything, speak calmly and firmly. Avoid eye contact. Try to stay still until the dog leaves, or back away slowly until the dog is out of sight. Don’t turn and run.

●If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball with your hands over your head and neck. Protect your face.

Hopefully we are all responsible dog owners and keep our pups under control. But if you ever find yourself threatened by a pooch, stick to the tactics above and your risk of being bitten will be reduced.

City hoping to bring ‘Portland Loo’ public toilets to Seattle, LC a possible candiate

Just as Lake City has once again taken up the issue of the need for a public toilet —versus the toilets often becoming a haven for negative behaviors such as drug dealing and use— Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is hoping to bring a new type of public toilet to Seattle neighborhoods that deal with public urination and defecation. The Mayor is hosting a public meeting today, May 15th, to share details about use of a new kind of public toilet in Pioneer Square.

The “Portland Loo” is a public toilet that Atlantic Cities said “was built to be as inhospitable as possible.” The semi-private environment discourages lingering and are made of steel. They do not have a mirror or sink inside and they have an open air feel about them as people on the outside can see feet when someone is inside.

Portland seems to love its loo. From Atlantic Cities:

The soulless receptacle for bodily waste has its own blog, Twitter account and Facebook page. When a loo hater set one ablaze last June, Facebook denizens flocked to its defense. “The Portland Loos rock! What other city can boast public restrooms that are fire proof. ” wrote Laura Mears, while Charlie Clint chimed in with, “I’m always sending someone to use one of these – and it’s great to hear how sturdy they are! (woo hoo).”

The Mayor specifically is working to bring the Portland Loo to Pioneer Square. But the need in Lake City is similar. Pioneer Square is also one of the other few public locations with a city-funded, semi-permanent Port a Pot, like the one at the Lake City Mini Park.

From the Mayor:

There is an ongoing need in many neighborhoods for safe, accessible public restroom facilities. One neighborhood in particular has been active and vocal about the need for this service – Pioneer Square.

To address the need, City departments partnered with the Alliance for Pioneer Square to map current publicly accessible restrooms and identified a big gap in the middle of the neighborhood where the need is greatest. We analyzed several alternatives and concluded the best option was the regionally famous Portland Loo, which is designed specifically for the needs of urban neighborhoods.

If a Portland Loo was installed in the Mini Park, it still wouldn’t solve the problem brought up by many residents about having a highly-visible toilet in the most visible area of a neighborhood searching for an identity. The Port a Pot currently there is one of the most obvious features of an area already struggling with litter, loiterers and increasingly empty storefronts.

You can see more photos of the Portland Loo below.

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Strong winds knock down tree onto power lines at NE 125th Street, Roosevelt Way

A tree fell on top of power lines at the intersection of NE 125th Street and Roosevelt Way in Seattle’s Pinehurst neighborhood. (photos by Joshua Trujillo, seattlepi.com, used with permission)

A large tree fell onto power lines at the intersection of NE 125th Street and Roosevelt Way in the Pinehurst neighborhood. The tree in the roadway completely closed Roosevelt Way and limited traffic on NE 125th Street to two lanes after it fell. The tree and closure was causing backups in the area.

Seattle City Light was not reporting outages related to the downed lines, which bent the poles supporting the stop lights over the intersection. The lights were still functioning, even though they were just feet from the ground.

More photos below:

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Survey – What should we do with the Mini Park Port a Pot?

The following post comes from Douglas Park Cooperative, who is working with the North Seattle Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to gauge public opinion of the highly-visible Port a Pot in the Lake City Mini Park. Please fill out their survey below as the data will be presented to the Seattle Parks Department. Also, feel free to leave comments on this post.

Current location of Port a Pot at the Lake City Mini Park.

New property acquired by Seattle Parks and Rec on 33rd.

The Lake City Mini Park sits in the heart of Lake City’s business district at the corner of 125th and Lake City Way. Visually, the park consists of a paved area, an archway and a Port a Pot.
Lake City businesses and property owners would like the Port a Pot to be removed. They cite ongoing health and safety issues associated with it, including public urination and defecation —despite the availability of the Port a Pot in the center of the Lake City business district.

Homeless advocates have said in the past that the Port a Pot is the only place some have to use during the night.

A survey is being conducted to find out what the Lake City public would like to see happen with the Port a Pot. Both the park and the Port a Pot have a storied history. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Port a Pot’s background before completing the survey. More info about the Port a Pot is below the survey.

Background

Prior to 2003, the Lake City Mini Park included a water feature, plantings, and structural features. These provided quiet spaces at a busy intersection. However, they also provided limited visibility. Criminal and nuisance behaviors (drug use and dealing, public inebriation, urination and defecation) were a regular daily occurrence.

In 2003, the city spent $340,000 to redesign the park. During the redesign phase, the primary concern was how to reclaim the park from negative behaviors. The city’s solution was to remove all features that blocked visibility – hence the wide concrete open area that exists today.

When the park’s redesign was completed, the negative behaviors returned to the park. Lake City businesses documented a significant increase of human feces and urine found on their business doorsteps daily. The business community requested a Port a Pot be installed at the Lake City Mini Park to help end this public defecation/urination.

Around the same time, the Mennonite Church (located one block away on 125th) welcomed homeless individuals to use their church property. The Mennonites installed a Port a Pot on their property, but later removed it. The Mennonite Church continued to expand their work with homeless, many with addiction issues. They opened a drop-in facility for homeless individuals near the corner of 125th and 33rd Ave and are currently working with Community Psychiatric Clinic to provide a new and enlarged homeless drop-in facility.

Today, the issue of public defecation and urination in Lake City’s business district continues, even as the Port a Pot sits available. Businesses adjacent to the park report routinely cleaning urine and feces from their properties. Eye witness accounts document open urination and defecation within yards of the Port a Pot, as well as drug dealing associated with the Port a Pot.

There are only three other permanent Port a Pots in Seattle, one of which is in a business district – Pioneer Square. The service contract on the Port a Pot costs the City of Seattle $7,800 per year

Plan for Traffic Along 125th

Are you planning to visit the Lake City Farmer’s Market this summer? Or maybe enjoy a little sunshine at Matthew’s Beach? Save yourself a little frustration this summer by planning ahead for traffic hassles related to the repaving of 125th St and Sand Point Way.

NE 125th Street

Beginning in June, the Seattle Dept of Transportation (SDOT) will repave 125th from I-5 east to Sand Point Way, continuing south to NE 77th. During construction, expect the following:

one lane traffic in each direction during construction
full closure of I-5 north bound off-ramp for two nights
full closure of the intersection at NE125th St and Lake City Way for two nights
temporary parking loss
temporary sidewalk and driveway closures
construction noise and dust

While the project is mainly to repave the roadway, a few other improvements will be included. New handicap access ramps will be added to several intersections to help facilitate pedestrian crossing along 125th. SDOT will also install what’s called a “pedestrian refuge island” at 20th Ave NE. Lane striping and roadway configuration (ie, the bike lanes and road lanes) will remain largely the same, with the addition of a right hand turn lane westbound towards 28th Ave. This turn lane is to help facilitate access to the Lake City Library and Lake City Community Center.

Sand Point Way

SDOT will also repave the northern section of Sand Point Way, between NE 77th St and NE 125th St. Because Sand Point Way is a narrow roadway, expect more traffic restrictions. However, SDOT notes that detours will take place at night, not during peak weekday travel hours.

Visit SDOT’s project website to stay updated on changes. This is a $3 million dollar project, funded in part by the Bridging the Gap levy voters approved in 2006. The project is anticipated to be mostly completed by the end of 2013.

Seattle Drum School uncertain about future, DPD clarifies permit status

Steve Smith, owner of the Seattle Drum School, is shown at the building in north Seattle on May 4, 2013. (seattlepi.com photo used with permission)

As music education in Seattle Public Schools has continued to wither away, the Seattle Drum School on 15th Avenue NE and NE 125th Street has grown. For the past 27 years the school has educated students on an expanding list of musical instruments and voice lessons. The school’s 40 teachers currently teach about 600 students..

Voice teacher Lorrie Ruiz, left, works with student Heather Newton during a lesson at the Seattle Drum School in north Seattle on May 4, 2013. (seattlepi.com photo, used with permission)

But recently, owner Steve Smith has struggled with City of Seattle officials, casting doubt on the future of the much-loved north Seattle business.

The Seattle P-I reports that as the school grew, they took over more rooms in the aging two-story building they occupy behind the Brown Bear Car Wash. The now-deceased landlord partitioned the rooms, yet never applied for building permits, as he moved the school into an ever-expanding space in his building.

The P-I said that each year the school passed fire inspections when visited by the fire marshal. But after they added a performance space in the rear of the building —and a complaint was filed— a visit in 2011 by a Department of Planning and Development inspector noted Smith’s space needed major upgrades.

First reported by The Stranger last week, Smith said that his school may be forced to close if ordered to comply with upgrades ordered by the Department of Planning and Development. Smith said the City of Seattle appeared to change the classification of his business to classification “E.” Smith told The Stranger that change “subjects us to the same safety requirements and other standards as a public school that’s publicly funded, with 30 kids per classroom.” He said that most of their business consists of a single professional offering services to a single client, in one room at a time.

Smith told The Stranger that the City of Seattle had started legal proceedings against the business.

However, after the initial stories were published in The Stranger and on KOMO/4 (video report embedded below) the DPD responded that they just needed clarification and that they now do not believe fire suppression sprinklers are needed.

“We’re not going to require an onerous update to a building if it’s not needed for the safety of occupants,” department spokesman Bryan Stevens told the P-I. “We support local business, but our mission is to make sure that the occupants of a building are safe. The only way we can verify that is through review of a building permit.”

So for now the City of Seattle will keep the school classified as fine arts school, something that doesn’t subject them to the same safety requirements as a school. But the City has not ruled out fines for the delays in permits.

You can see a KOMO/4 story on the Seattle Drum School below.

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City of Seattle looking for new site for Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct

The current North Precinct in the Northgate area. Photo via Google Street View.

The City of Seattle is starting to search for a new site for the Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct. The current site, wedged in a neighborhood near North Seattle Community College, and built in 1984, was designed for 184 staff. It now houses 254 staff and is badly overcrowded.

“In September 2012, as part of the budgeting process, Mayor Mike McGinn proposed doing the planning required in 2013 to acquire land for a new station in 2014. The City Council accepted the Mayor’s proposal and accelerated the schedule by moving funding from 2014 to 2013,” said Detective Renee Witt in a post on the SPD Blotter.

Work is now under way to find and purchase a site for a new station by December 2013, as well as assemble an architecture and engineering team so building pre-design can begin this year, instead of waiting for purchase of an actual site.

Lake City may be a prime spot for the precinct with easy highway access, swaths of land ready for development and a concern for crime in the neighborhood.

Tonight: Seattle mayoral candidate forum for N Seattle

On Thursday, May 2nd, starting at 7:00 pm, the Democratic Party organizations of north and central Seattle (46th, 43rd, 36th and 32nd districts) will hold a mayoral candidates forum at Hamilton International Middle School in the Commons room. The general public is invited to attend and admission is free.

The forum will be moderated by Enrique Cerna of KCTS, who will be selecting questions from those submitted by the hosting organizations.

Before the forum, there will be a casual meet-and-greet with the candidates from 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm including food and refreshments.

“This is an opportunity for voters to learn about the mayoral race” said Josh Castle of the 36th District Democrats, one of the forum organizers. “All of the Seattle mayoral candidates will be together on one stage discussing and debating important issues, and sharing their ideas and proposed plans for the city we love that they would like to lead.”

North and Central Seattle Mayoral Candidates Forum

Date: Thursday, May 2nd, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm. Forum begins at 7:00 pm.

Location: Hamilton International Middle School (1610 N 41st St, Seattle, WA 98103) in the Commons room

Sponsored and hosted by: 46th, 43rd, 36th, and 32nd District Democrats

Facebook event listing: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/287358041396111/

Romios Pizza and Pasta for sale

Romios Pizza and Pasta, known for their tasty pizza and free neighborhood delivery, is for sale.

A posting on Craigslist through Vantage Commercial Partners has the business listed for $165,000. The purchase price includes the building lease and assets.

From the posting:

Established pizzeria on Lake City Way. Not a franchise, trade name not included. Full kitchen, type 1 hood, Class H liquor license, ample parking. LEASE AND ASSETS ONLY

The restaurant is the latest business on the east side of Lake City to have significant change in recent months. Claire’s Pantry abruptly shut down and Schmetzers Sporthaus is moving to a new location on Aurora Avenue.

The moves come at a time that new businesses that have come to the neighborhood are proving that there is a hungry market in Lake City. Elliott Bay Brewing Co. and Kaffeeklatsch, on the west side of LCW, are consistently packed with customers. Thai One On and Toyoda Sushi also have a strong, loyal customer base. Other neighborhood restaurants have also proved customers in Lake City are willing to spend money.