September 2007

The first of six projects to repair or replace more than half of the Alaskan Way Viaduct will start next month.

C.A. Carey Corp. has been awarded the contract to strengthen the viaduct between Columbia Street and Yesler Way where the structure has settled approximately five inches since the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. C.A. Carey submitted the lowest bid of $3.02 million. Work will begin in mid-October. No work will take place between Nov. 22 and Jan. 1 because of the holidays.

The foundation work is expected to take six months to complete.

So, rents are supposed to level off by 2010, says an expert in adivising apartment owners and managers.

Is it 'to hell with the rest of you?'

By Jennifer Hall

It's Sunday afternoon. My husband and daughter are out of the house and I'm at my usual weekend station: at the kitchen sink, by the kitchen window hurriedly scouring the dishes. Housework has once again become a sporadic task, now that school has started.

A small Sunday crew, a contractor and two teenaged young men pull up in an extended cab truck, and proceed to do some work around the monolith still under construction across the street.

needs customers

Nice story on the small family businesses not being able to survive in Ballard. It is a shame, and I think the small family businesses are what made and still make Ballard a great neighborhood. People just need to search them out. I am the fourth generation operator of Mike's Chili Parlor near the Ballard Bridge.

With all of the development on my block, I get a lot of people telling me how great it is that we stick around and have not given in to the development around us.

I have enjoyed reading your local newspaper. My son and I have lived in Ballard for over 26 years. My son, Joshua, has cerebral palsy, which means he is unable to do a lot of things himself.

Over the years, we have found the local businesses have always looked out for him. The people at Safeway, McDonald's, Burger King, Hollywood Video, Bartells, Ballard Library, Azteca and Ballard Market have always treated him with kindness and care. They all call me Joshua's Mom. I can never thank them enough for all they have done for him and me.

I was surprised to see the hostility expressed towards expanding children's health insurance coverage in last week's editorial (Op-Ed, High cost to expand state children's insurance program, Sept. 19).

The legislation passed by Congress is a well considered piece of work supported by both parties and both chambers. Children's medical insurance has been a tremendous success in Washington, and it has proven to be cost effective to link children up with family doctors rather than driving low income families to seek emergency care for their ailments.

In regards to the Sept.12 article (Housing authority could buy Lock Vista), I am opposed to the Seattle Housing Authority buying the building.

First, according to their web site, Seattle Housing Authority's mission is to enhance the Seattle community by creating and sustaining decent, safe and affordable living environments that foster stability and self-sufficiency for people with low incomes. If you can afford to pay $700-800 rent, you don't need their help.

The city of Seattle's Department of Planning and Development recently told a group of Crown Hill community members they would not recommend that 15th Avenue Northwest be designated as a Pedestrian Zone.

A city-wide process, The Neighborhood Main Street Mapping Project, is evaluating streets in commercial areas that can be changed to Pedestrian Zones.

While longtime area residents may murmur in dissatisfaction at the latest project rising up in condo-crazed Ballard, the offering at 2034 Northwest 56th Street may cause a louder response than usual.

That's because the six-story, 166-unit condominium development will be built against the rear wall of the Ballard Public Library. Its parking garage will share a one-story zero lot line with the east wall of the library. Above the first floor will be a 10-foot setback.

This design scheme was the central topic at the second, and final, hearing on the project took place Sept.

As new residential development around Ballard and the rest of the Puget Sound region is completed, rents will likely start to level out by 2010, according to Mike Scott of Dupre and Scott Apartment Advisors.

But it's not all good news for Seattle's rental market.

Vacancy rates in the north end and downtown are about 2.75 percent, down a full percentage point from last year. Scott expects it will continue to decline to around 2.5 to 2.25 percent.

Seattle's vacancy rate and rental behavior is similar to that in the late 1990s when the economy was strong.