The following is a list of announcements prepared by the Northeast District Council (NEDC), which represents community councils across NE Seattle. The NEDC and 12 other district councils report to the City Neighborhood Council which subsequently informs and advocates for neighborhoods to the City’s Department of Neighborhoods. NEDC meetings are open to the community and are the first Thursday of each month, from 7-9PM at the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church. The meetings have been added to our Calendar as well.
Northeast District Council
Announcements
November 3, 2011
1. City Budget: Comment on the proposed city budget. Submit your thoughts about the budget using the online form available at www.seattle.gov/council/budget/budget_form.htm. Emails received will be tallied and shared with each Councilmember to keep them updated on issues important to you. For more information on Seattle’s budget, visit www.seattle.gov/council/budget/.
2. U-District Jazz Festival: Friday-Sunday, November 4-6. This is a three day festival with a stellar roster of local musicians, exciting venues and specialty food and cocktail offerings. Due to increased demand for all-ages venues, there will be several kid stages throughout the weekend. For more information, go to http://www.udistrictjazzfestival.com/.
3. SR 520 Closure: On November 5-7 Eastside Corridor Constructors (ECC) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will close the SR 520 floating bridge and highway to set concrete girders over SR 520 at Evergreen Point Road and complete other time-sensitive construction activities. Crews will close the westbound lanes starting at 10 p.m. Saturday, November 5 and follow with the eastbound lanes at midnight. The floating bridge will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, November 7. Both directions of SR 520 and all ramps between Montlake Boulevard and I-405, except for the eastbound entrance from 108th Avenue NE.. SR 520 will remain open between Montlake Boulevard and I-5. For more information, call the project hotline at 425-998-5200.
4. Native Plant Nursery at Magnuson at Magnuson Community Garden Work Party: November 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Meet at the Native Plant Nursery, north of The Brig and Magnuson Community Garden, next to the fence. Enter Magnuson Park at the NE 74th Street entrance and turn left at the stop sign and then right at the fence. Tools and gloves provided. Please bring a lunch or snack and water. Organize and learn about the native plants destined for the natural areas. For more information, contact Rick Thompson at q.garryana@gmail.com or Bonnie Miller at bmiller@serv.net or 26-524-8713.
5. CUCAC Meeting: Tuesday, November 8, 7-9 p.m., UW Tower, 4333 Brooklyn Avenue, 22nd Floor. The agenda includes IMA lighting and a Terry Lander student housing update. For more information, contact Steve Sheppard at steve.sheppard@seattle.gov.
6. November is Fall Clean – Adopt a Drain and Help Prevent Flooding: Seattle Public Utilities needs your help preventing flooding by keeping neighborhood storm drains clear of debris and the water flowing. Call or e-mail SPU in advance at 206-233-7187 or adoptadrain@seattle.gov to reserve supplies. Supplies can also be reserved online at SPU’s website.
7. November 8 General Election Information: Find information about City of Seattle office and ballot issues and candidates on the Seattle Voters’ Guide at http://www2.seattle.gov/ethics/votersguide.asp. Also find out more about the election on the Seattle Channel Elections website at http://seattlechannel.org/videos/watchVideos.asp?program=Elections which includes the Video Voters’ Guide 2011, and video debates and features on the issues.
8. Magnuson Park Advisory Committee: November 9, 6-7:30 p.m., Building 30 Lower Conference Room, 6310 NE 74th Street, Magnuson Park. For more information, contact Susan Walls at Susan.Walls@seattle.gov.
9. Sound Transit North Link Open Houses: 6-8:30 p.m., Northgate: Wednesday, November 9, 30 percent design and tunnel portal plans, Olympic View Elementary School cafeteria; Brooklyn Station: Wednesday, November 16, preliminary construction plans, Neptune Theatre, 1303 NE 45th Street. Learn new information about the stations and share your thoughts and ideas. Sound Transit will also be seeking your preferences for the official station names at the North Link open houses. For more information, go to www.soundtransit.org/NorthLink or contact Ellen Blair, Sound Transit Community Outreach, at 206-398-5043 or northlink@soundtransit.org.
10. 46th Democrats Meeting: Thursday, November 10, 7 p.m. doors open, 7:30 meeting begins, Olympic View Elementary School, 504 NE 95th Street. The Chair of the King County Democrats has called a Special Caucus of the elected and appointed Precinct Committee Officers within the 46th Legislative District in order to fill the vacancy due to the sad death of Senator Scott White. The regularly scheduled monthly meeting is on Thursday, November 17, 7:30 p.m. at the same location. For more information, go to http://46dems.com.
11. Park Board Meeting: Thursday, November 10, 7-9:30 p.m., The Brig, Building 406, Magnuson Park. The agenda includes a Sound Transit briefing on contingency plans for the tunnel boring machines on Capitol Hill, a Magnuson Park briefing and a briefing on sponsorship policy. The complete agenda and briefing papers will be available on November 7 at www.seattle.gov/parks/parkboard/default.asp. For more information, contact Sandy Brooks at 206-684-5066 or sandy.brooks@seattle.gov.
12. Magnuson Park Promontory Point Habitat Enhancement Work Parties: November 13 and 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Meet at the Education Pavilion. Enter Warren G. Magnuson Park at NE 65th Street, drive east to the boat launch parking lot and look for the yellow “VOLUNTEER” sign. Help clear and maintain newly planted areas and enhance the habitat. Clear, clear, clear and help with maintenance. Come for an hour or more. Special work parties may be scheduled for five or more volunteers. Tools and gloves provided. Please bring your own water and a snack and/or lunch. For further information or to schedule a work party, contact Bonnie Miller at 206-524-8713 or bmiller@serv.net or Tom Kelly at tpaulkelly@hotmail.com or go to www.mesaseattle.org. These work parties is sponsored by the Magnuson Environmental Stewardship Alliance and Green Seattle Partnership.
13. Getting Ready for Winter at Yesler Swamp: Sunday, November 13, 1-2 p.m. Meet at the east parking lot of the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3500 NE 41st Street. Explore the survival strategies plants and animals in Yesler Swamp use to get through the winter. Look at life under fallen logs and learn to identify animal tracks along the trail. Suitable for adults and kids of all ages. Bring along binoculars! For more information, email yeslerswamptrail@gmail.com or go to http://yeslerswamptrail.wordpress.com/.
14. Proposed Comp Plan Amendment authorizing Long-Term Homeless Encampments as a Residential Use: Notice of the DNS went out on October 31 and comments are due November 14. This use would be allowed outright in residential zones. Comments should be sent to Gordon Clowers at Department of Planning and Development, P.O. Box 34019, Seattle, WA 98124-4019 or Gordon.clowers@seattle.gov. To view this Comp Plan amendment and the others subject to the DNS, go to http://www.seattle.gov/council/comp_plan/default.htm.
15. Metro to host Public Meeting about Restructuring the Transit System: Monday, November 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N 85th Street. When Metro launches the new RapidRide C and D lines in September 2012, existing bus service will be changed to improve the transit system and provide more connections to jobs, schools, and other destinations in Seattle, Shoreline, Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac, and Des Moines. Now is the time for community members to review Metro’s ideas and share their own. Learn more and stay informed of opportunities to have a say at www.kingcounty.gov/metro/haveasay.
16. Road Safety Summit Public Forums and Opportunity to Comment: Tuesday, November 15, 6-8 p.m., Northgate Community Center, 10510 5th Avenue Northeast; Monday, December 12, 6-8 p.m., Bertha Landes Room, City Hall. To comment on how to improve safety on our roads and ensure everyone gets where they’re going safely, attend one of these public forums. After the public forums, an action plan for safer streets will be developed and presented to the public.
- You can also submit comments online at http://www.seattle.gov/roadsafety/comments.htm
- Commenting will close on November 23. If you have questions or need more information, please email Rebecca Deejr at rebecca.deehr@seattle.gov or go to the Road Safety Summit webpage at http://www.seattle.gov/roadsafety/.
17. Platting and Small Lot Legislation Public Hearing: Wednesday, November 16, 9 a.m., City Hall. The City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment (COBE) will hold a public hearing to consider proposed new legislation amending the Land Use Code to implement lot shape and configuration standards when platting new lots, require new development standards for lots in single family zones that are less than 2,500 square feet in area, limit how lot coverage is calculated, and clarify existing standards for structures eligible for unit lot subdivisions. Changes include:
- Minimum street frontage of 10 feet for lots proposed with street frontage
- Minimum width of 10 feet for a distance of more than 10 feet as measured perpendicular to the width (to prevent very narrow “connections between portions of lots)
- Maximum of 6 lot lines
- Must provide alley access if original lot fronts on alley
- Standards may be waived or modified based on specific site conditions such as location of streets, structures, natural topographic features, etc.
- Short plats of lots with 2 existing houses are exempt
- Departure under Design Review is not allowed
The proposed development standards for single-family lots with less than 2,500 square feet in area would limit maximum base height of new structures to 22 feet (current standard is 25 feet), and would limit structure depth to two times the width of lot (no current structure depth standard is required, but depth is limited by yard standards).
The proposal would also limit lot coverage calculations on all single-family zoned lots to portions of lots that measure at least 10 feet in any direction. This proposed change would not affect minimum lot area calculation for purposes of compliance with minimum lot size or the exceptions to minimum lot size. A final minor change clarifies the types of residential structures eligible for unit lot subdivisions.
A copy of the legislation, Council Bill 117304, can be found on the City Clerk’s website at www.seattle.gov/leg/clerk or on Councilmember Sally Clark’s website at www.seattle.gov/council/clark/. For more information or to request an electronic copy of the proposal, contact Bill Mills at 206-684-8738 or william.mills@seattle.gov.
18. Magnuson Park North Forest Remnant Work Party: Saturday, November 19, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Meet at the North Forest Remnant, NE 65th Street and Sportsfield Drive at Magnuson Park. Look for the signs. The newest third Saturday opportunity at the newest project…”In the Woods.” Help clear and plant in Magnuson’s forest. Special work parties may be scheduled for five or more volunteers. Tools and gloves provided. Please bring your own water and a snack and/or lunch. For further information, contact Tom Kelly at tpaulkelly@hotmail.com or Bonnie Miller at bmiller@serv.net or 206-524-8713 (h) or 206-227-2612 (c). Register for this event at http://cedar.greencitypartnerships.org/event/gsp/155/. This work party is sponsored by the Magnuson Environmental Stewardship Alliance and Green Seattle Partnership.
19. Take a Survey about University Heights! Win a Prize Basket!: Those that respond by November 21 will automatically be entered in a drawing for gifts from businesses throughout the University community. The survey will help University Heights learn about what is most needed and to determine where the Center can work together to strengthen the community. The Center would like to know who is active in the local community; your goals and vision; and how you think University Heights might effectively contribute in the future. Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UHCCA-CommunitySurvey to participate.
20. Socks for the Homeless: Donations deadline is November 25. Last year the goal for the North Precinct collecting socks for homeless men, women and children was 5000 pairs of socks. Several charities need over 100 pairs of socks each month so the 2011 goal is 6000 pairs of socks. The merchants and residents of the University District have been very generous with their donations from a few dollars to one thousand dollars. All socks are purchased locally from public spirited merchants. We need all donations given to the University District Service Fund, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt charity, by November 25 so the socks can be delivered by December 7. 100% of all donations are used for purchasing socks, there is no administrative fee.
21. Gingerbread House Decorating Party: Sunday, December 4, first session 2 p.m., second session 4 p.m., Food Bank, 12736 33rd Avenue NE. Advanced tickets $35 at http://brownpapertickets.com or RSVP via email at events@northhelpline.org. Every family will have a station complete with their own gingerbread house, white royal icing and a selection of candy. Complimentary coffee, cookies and cocoa included in the cost of the event. Live holiday music and a chance to have your photo taken with Santa or your finished gingerbread house. Proceed will benefit North Helpline.
22. Draft Tree Ordinance: On October 5, Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) briefed the Seattle Urban Forestry Commission on their new draft Street Tree Ordinance. It greatly expands on the current less than 1 page of language that deals with street trees in city code. Permits are required, as is currently the case, to remove or prune a tree or plant a new tree in the right of way. To review and study the draft ordinance, go to http://www.seattle.gov/urbanforestrycommission/docs/2011/2011%20docs/Street%20Tree%20Ordinance%20Draft%20Final%2009%2026%202011%20briefed%20100511.pdf.
Public hearings are expected and the Seattle City Council is expected to start considering the proposal in January of 2012. No hearings are currently scheduled. Additional language needs to be incorporated to include the impact of tree removal on canopy cover and complying with the City’s Comp Plan for no net loss of tree canopy. As such trees should be classified as small, medium and large in terms of canopy when removed and equivalent replacement is required.
The current situation says that when the city removes trees they will replace two for every one removed. Nothing in the new language requires replacement if it’s the homeowner or business that removes trees. This replacement requirement is something that Portland, Oregon requires in their new urban forest ordinance and it is a good idea. Seattle needs to follow suit. For more information contact, Steve Zemke, Chair Save the Trees, stevezemke@msn.com.
23. Solid Waste SPU Survey: SPU is updating its solid waste management plan. The Department is considering ways to increase recycling. One idea is to switch to garbage pickup every other week and increase other items that would be recycles such as baby diapers and dog do. To participate in the survey and learn more about the draft plan, go to www.seattle.gov/util/About_SPU/Garbage_System/Plans/Solid_Waste_Comprehensive_Plan/index.asp.
24. Online Safety Survey: The Seattle Police Department is conducting a safety survey to assess neighbors’ feelings about safety in their neighborhood and satisfaction with police services. The information received from this survey is used by precinct commanders and shared with the officers providing the services. To participate, go to www.tellspd.com.