November 2014

Crime in Whittier Heights has become so bad that neighbors have formed a neighborhood crime watch group to curb criminal activity. In addition to watching the streets, they are asking Seattle City Council members to reassess the North Seattle Precinct funding in order to have more patrols and faster response times.

According to a Whittier Heights resident, crime has reached a tipping point in the community, and has caused neighbors to form a neighborhood crime watch group called Whittier Heights Involved Neighbors (WHIN).

“We perceive that there is a general increase in car theft and petty crimes but our most concerning issue is property crimes,” stated a WHIN spokesperson.

WHIN says that many neighbors have taken it upon themselves to patrol the neighborhood, getting up at odd hours of the night to drive the streets and alleys. Security cameras are being used by residents and some footage has captured young adults and leisure criminals casually walking the streets and breaking into cars. Whole streets have had cars systematically burglarized.

Mayor Ed Murray today announced $250,000 in awards for nine local micro-projects along the Duwamish River. The projects, while small in scale, will work to advance the environmental quality of the area and public health of people living near the river.

“The City of Seattle is honored to support these community-based projects,” said Murray. “This funding will benefit the people and businesses along the Duwamish River. We selected projects that support the quality of life in neighborhoods affected by the cleanup.”

The awards are:
· $15,000 to the South Park Area Redevelopment Committee and South Park Senior Citizens to develop more stable food sources for the Senior Center Meal Program.

· $21,000 to Duwamish Tribal Services to educate tribal members on harvesting, preparation and cultural practices surrounding traditional foods.

· $10,000 to the Duwamish Rowing Club to support opportunities to make rowing on the Duwamish River a part of a healthy lifestyle.

Blocks at Ballard II, LLC, filed an application for Council Land Use Action to rezone a 168,069 square foot property (1401 NW 46th St.) from IG2-U (Industrial General) to IC-65 (Industrial Commercial).

The vacant lot is directly across from Edith Macefield's house: a nail house that was formed by developers building the current Blocks at Ballard Complex around the house after Mrs. Macefield refused to sell.

The analysis from the application found on the DPD site, states that the property has been vacant for seven years after it was entitled by the City in 2007 for retail and office building uses.

Before the lot was vacant there was a paint mixing shop but after closing in 2007 the buildings fell into disrepair and were demolished.

In 2008 the Industrial Code changed, making various forms of development less flexible at the Blocks at Ballard II site.

The owner (Blocks at Ballard II, LLC) would like to rezone the property “…to a designation more consistent with the adjacent and nearby development. …To rezone Industrial Commercial is necessary to allow additional, viable development flexibility.”

information from South Seattle College

The South Seattle College Art Gallery will present the hand-made pottery exhibition “Throwbacks and Unusual” from Wednesday, Nov. 12 through Wednesday, Dec. 10.

The show was curated by South Seattle College faculty member James Lobb, and will include ceramic work from local Seattle artists Alix Broduer, Wally Bivens, Damien Grava, Isaac Howard, Deborah Schwartzkopf, George Rodriquez and Ellie Weber. Lobb is also contributing work.

“This is not only a remarkable collection of pieces, but demonstrates the wide range of possibilities that handmade pottery can be,” Lobb said of the exhibit.

A free reception with the artists will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 12 to 2 p.m.

Admission to the South Seattle College Art Gallery is always free and open to the public, with operating hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For further gallery information, including future exhibits, please visit http://www.southseattle.edu/student-life/art-gallery/.

The Department of Planning and Development announced that there are three new land use applications for projects in Ballard. Among them are subdivisions and an application for a six-story structure containing 118 residential units (above) and 14 live/work units (below), with parking for 102 vehicles. There are also two decisions: a subdivision and a seven-story structure containing 104 assisted living units with approximately 3,470 square feet of retail space, with parking for 61 vehicles, has been approved.

Comments can be submitted through 11/23 here.

2421 NW 57TH ST:

Land Use Application to subdivide one development site into four unit lots. The construction of residential units are under Project #6397857. This subdivision of property is only for the purpose of allowing sale or lease of the unit lots. Development standards will be applied to the original parcel and not to each of the new unit lots.

6105 14TH AVE NW:

Saturday, Nov. 8
Cross country
State meet

State cross country action for all classifications took place at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco this past Saturday.
Marques Chacon of Evergreen emerged as the top local finisher, taking ninth place in the Class 2A boys race with a time of 15 minutes, 50.38 seconds over the 5-Kilometer course.
Twin brother Matthew Chacon came in 14th in the same race with a 16:15.02 effort and Kevin Herbruger of Highline placed 90th in 17:38.17.
Seattle Christian came in 10th as a team in the 1A boys competition with 267 points and the Warrior girls team finished 16th with a 384 score.
Tyler Riddings placed 19th among team competitors and 26th overall in 17:00.93, followed by teammates Brandon Seeger (51st overall in 17:27.67), William Kluck (95, 18:21.67), Andrew Neumann (97, 18:24.40), Jorren Mills (119, 18:51.62), Mario Simmons (122, 18:54.42) and Mikhail Hemmerling (134, 19:40.41).
Rachelle Meyers was the top SCS girls finisher in 49th among team competitors and 64th overall with a time of 21:27.89.

information from King County

King County’s contractor, Goodfellow Brothers Inc., constructed 63 roadside rain gardens on ten blocks in the Sunrise Heights and Westwood neighborhoods this year (blue blocks on map in attached newsletter). Next year’s construction schedule will be shorter. Crews moved quickly and were able to complete two blocks originally scheduled for 2015. In addition, crews prepared the five remaining blocks (orange blocks on map in attached newsletter) for roadside rain gardens by installing wells and maintenance holes and moving sewer and water lines as needed. Expect to see about six weeks of active construction per block starting next spring as crews excavate planter strips, install irrigation systems, bring in soil and install plants. King County is constructing these roadside rain gardens to keep stormwater runoff out of the combined sewer system. Keeping stormwater out of the sewer system will reduce overflows of sewage and stormwater into Puget Sound during storms.

Roadside rain garden maintenance

Goon grabs wallet and uses credit cards

On October 29, Seattle police responded to a burglary at the 5400 block of Leary Avenue Northwest. They made contact with the resident who told them that she left her residence to go to dinner and when she returned she found her home had been invaded. Her wallet from a back room had been taken. The wallet contained $80 in cash, three credit cards, her Washington Driver’s License and a checkbook. She told officers that she allowed no one into her home but that a few of her co-workers have keys. She contacted her bank and they told her that one of her credit cards had been used at a local gas station.

Guitar and bike taken from shared storage shed

By Peggy Sturdivant

I love to watch the Turkey Trot in Ballard on Thanksgiving morning. When it premiered eight years ago there were so few people it wasn’t even obvious that it was organized. Now the runners and walkers pass for over half an hour, wearing feathery tutus and Turkey hats. The best part is that every Turkey Trot T-shirt represents registration money going into the coffers of the Ballard Food Bank.

But I’m usually watching from my porch with a hot cup of coffee waving my cat’s paw, not pounding the streets. This year I’ve learned what I can do before the holiday so that I can watch runners with less guilt, and others can have a turkey in the oven too.

At the end of an exercise class the teacher gave the floor to a man in the corner. “I’m doing my 9th Seattle Basket Brigade,” he said. “We need donations and volunteers, anything you can do to help us so we can put together 300 baskets to deliver to families for Thanksgiving.”