All posts by Rob Fellows

Election Forum at the Taproot Theatre

Northwest Seattle Neighborhoods

Election Forum

 

at the Taproot Theatre

204 N 85th St. in Greenwood

Next Tuesday – October 21 at 7PM


Please join your neighbors next Tuesday evening to make sense of ballot measures as the fall election closes in.  The election forum gives you an opportunity to hear from the campaigns and ask them your questions.  

Program:
7:00 – Welcome and settle in
7:10 – Dueling Seattle Early Childhood Education initiatives
7:45 – The Reduce Class Sizes state initiative
8:10 – Seattle Transportation Benefit District (for bus transit service)
8:20 – The New Monorail Initiative
8:30 – 36th District candidates* have been invited to introduce themselves
8:45 – Adjourn – cafe will stay open so you can talk to campaigners

*Not all candidates are able to attend.
 
This event is sponsored by the Greenwood, Broadview, Green Lake and Phinney Ridge community councils.  Space is generously provided by the Taproot Theatre.  There is no charge to attend, but donations to offset the Taproot’s costs will be appreciated – and please plan to stop by Taproot’s Stage Door Cafe before or after the event.
 
Please help spread the word!

September Meeting: Intro to Seattle 2035 (at Taproot)

September Membership Meeting
Tuesday September 16, 7:00 – 8:30
NOTE DIFFERENT LOCATION!
We’ll meet at the Taproot Theatre Cafe, 208 N 85th St.
** (Refreshments available!) **

Topic: Introduction and Overview of the 
Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan Update
 
This month’s community council meeting will also be the kick-off for the Greenwood 2035 Study Groups.  Tom Hauger from Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development will give an overview of the Seattle 2035 update process for Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan and some of the key issues that will be addressed.  Tom will also take audience questions.  This will be a good opportunity to get oriented to the comprehensive planning process for those who hope to become more involved in it.  (For those who are opinionated about development issues, this is not the forum to air them, but there will be plenty of opportunities as the process continues.)

Agenda

7:00 Introductions and Agenda Review
7:10 Introduction and Overview of Seattle 2035 – Tom Hauger
8:00 Status and update on the Greenwood 2035 Study Groups
8:10 Announcements and information sharing – around the table
8:25 Adjourn and clean up – need to let the cafe staff go home at 8:30

Note – October’s meeting will be the annual Election Forum at the Taproot Theatre.  Mark your calendars now — October 21 at 7:00PM.

Still time to join Greenwood 2035 Study Groups

Over the summer the Greenwood Community Council has been recruiting volunteers to participate in “Greenwood 2035” study groups to coincide with Seattle’s update of its Seattle 2035 comprehensive plan.  We’ll educate ourselves about growth, development and infrastructure issues, learn about how things get done in Seattle, and discuss how to involve people who don’t usually participate in neighborhood discussions.   

Despite being as grown up as I’m likely to become I still think of the year as starting in September and ending in June – so if you’re like me, welcome back to the new school year.  Fall means we are getting the study groups organized and set up soon, so I’d like to encourage you one last time to join the Greenwood 2035 study groups.  If you are interested, please take a moment to fill out a survey by clicking here The survey questions ask about your interests in the study groups, the times you could be available each month, and your likes and pet peeves about Greenwood.  If you know of others who are or may be interested in the study groups please forward this email to them too.

The survey asks which study groups you may be interested in.  For your reference, here are the descriptions as proposed — but remember that these groups will be self-directed and can choose a different course if desired:

Proposed study groups:

  • LAND USE.  This study group will develop information and positions about how Greenwood should develop.
    For example:
    • What is loved about Greenwood that should be preserved, and what could be improved?
    • How can new density and development enhance and promote Greenwood’s livability?
    • What city improvements and services are needed to make new development work?
    • What can be done to preserve affordability and healthy small businesses?
    • What kinds of development are helping or hurting livability in Greenwood?
  • TRANSPORTATION.  This group will address Greenwood’s transportation needs and priorities.
    • What new transit connections are needed, and how can service be improved?
    • What’s the best way to accommodate bicycles, and where should greenways be located?
    • What should be priority uses for our main streets?  How should they operate?
    • Should car use be more efficient, or should it be frustrating to spur shifts to transit and bikes?
    • What are the transporta! tion projects and improvements that should top our priority list?
  • SIDEWALKS.  This group will propose practical ways to start building sidewalks north of 85th St.
    (Note: Seattle’s change to district elections makes this a timely opportunity – any candidate for the district north of 85th will need a program to address sidewalks, and we can help!)  This group will study and consider:
    • Why are there so few sidewalks north of 85th St., and what’s been tried to get them built?
    • What is the city’s obligation vs. the home or business owner?
    • How will Seattle’s complete streets policy help?  How effective are grant processes?
    • What are obstacles to building sidewalks and what can be done to overcome them?
    • What is a practical program that a new city councilmember could promote?
  • NEW MODELS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.  This group will aim to broaden community involvement.
    • Are meetings still an effective way to involve people in addressing neighborhood issues?
    • What are generational differences – how do younger community members engage?
    • How can dialogue increase between residents and local business people?
    • What are engagement and outreach models that are more participatory?
    • How do different constituencies feel the community council could better engage or represent their interests?

August Meeting: Greenwood 2035 Planning Meeting

Instead of having a Greenwood Community Council meeting this week, we will have an open meeting for anyone wanting to help plan the Greenwood 2035 Study Groups.

 

Tuesday August 19, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N
 

Tuesday evening’s meeting is for anyone interested in helping to plan the study groups – described in the message below that was originally posted in June. The meeting will be at the Greenwood Library at 7PM, replacing the n! ormal Greenwood Community Council meeting.  We’ll meet there for a few minutes and then break into groups (sidewalks, land use, transportation and engagement) to continue discussion at a local business that serves beverages of one sort or another.  I hope you can make it – but if not we’ll hope to see you when the study groups begin in earnest this fall.

 
 

No meeting this Tuesday

There will not be a July meeting of the Greenwood Community Council this Tuesday.

However, we expect to have a special August meeting on the usuals third Tuesday meeting date (8/19) to plan next year’s Greenwood 2035 planning effort, including study groups on sidewalks, transportation, land use and new models of community engagement.  More information coming soon!

June Meeting: Greenwood 2035 Plan

June Membership Meeting
Tuesday June 17, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N
 

Tomorrow (Tuesday)’s community council meeting will be an open meeting of the board to discuss the Greenwood 2035 planning effort described in a post below. If you’re interested or have other community issues you’d like to discuss, please join us – everyone is welcome.

Seattle is beginning a year-long effort on a major update to its comprehensive plan, identifying where new development should occur and what city investments will be needed to accommodate growth. The initial plan focus is on whether urban centers (downtown, Capitol Hill, Northgate) and/or stations near light rail should be upzoned to be far denser than today; but eventually the plan must also address city plans for transportation, schools, parks, housing affordability and other critical issues that will affect Greenwood. Greenwood 2035 will prepare us to participate on behalf of our neighborhood, and to inform and engage Greenwood neighbors to influence the plan to benefit Greenwood’s livability.

If you’ve thought about getting involved in the neighborhood, this is a great time to do it. This will be a great opportunity to meet neighbors and learn how the city works. We will be planning and recruiting for Greenwood 2035 over the summer so we’ll be ready to hit the ground running next September. Please take a look at the call for volunteers below, and consider joining the discussion tomorrow (Tuesday) night.

Get involved in Greenwood – Looking for your help and participation

The Greenwood Community Council is looking for volunteers for Greenwood 2035 – a year-long effort to develop Greenwood’s input and feedback to complement Seattle’s comprehensive plan update: Seattle 2035.  

(This is the topic of this Tuesday’s community council meeting – agenda coming in a separate email).


Volunteers are needed for the following study groups:

  • LAND USE.  This study group will develop information and positions about how Greenwood should develop.
    For example:
    • What is loved about Greenwood that should be preserved, and what could be improved?
    • How can new density and development enhance and promote Greenwood’s livability?
    • What city improvements and services are needed to make new development work?
    • What can be done to preserve affordability and healthy small businesses?
    • What kinds of development are helping or hurting livability in Greenwood?
  • TRANSPORTATION.  This group will address Greenwood’s transportation needs and priorities.
    • What new transit connections are needed, and how can service be improved?
    • What’s the best way to accommodate bicycles, and where should greenways be located?
    • What should be priority uses for our main streets?  How should they operate?
    • Should car use be more efficient, or should it be frustrating to spur shifts to transit and bikes?
    • What are the transportation projects and improvements that should top our priority list?
  • SIDEWALKS.  This group will propose practical ways to start building sidewalks north of 85th St.
    (Note: Seattle’s change to district elections makes this a timely opportunity – any candidate for the district north of 85th will need a program to address sidewalks, and we can help!)  This group will study and consider:
    • Why are there no sidewalks north of 85th St., and what’s been tried to get them built?
    • What is the city’s obligation vs. the home or business owner?
    • How will Seattle’s complete streets policy help?  How effective are grant processes?
    • What are obstacles to building sidewalks and what can be done to overcome them?
    • What is a practical program that a new city councilmember could promote?
  • NEW MODELS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.  This group will aim to broaden community involvement.
    • Are meetings still an effective way to involve people in addressing neighborhood issues?
    • What are generational differences – how do younger community members engage?
    • How can dialogue increase between residents and local business people?
    • What are engagement and outreach models that are more participatory?
    • How do different constituencies feel the community council could better engage or represent their interests?

(Note: The Greenwood Community Council is also looking for volunteers for our board, and help with our website.)

If you’re interested in any of this, here’s what to do:

  • Please click here to send an email with your contact information and what study group(s) you are interested in joining or leading.  The study groups will begin meeting in September, but planning will continue over the summer to make sure they will be rewarding and productive.  We will also develop a monthly series of presentations and discussions at community council meetings over the next year to complement study group activities and report out and share their findings.
  • If you’d like to discuss, help plan or learn more about this activity, attend the June Greenwood Community Council meeting next Tuesday evening, June 17, at 7:00 in the Greenwood Public Library meeting room.  The Greenwood Library’s address is 8016 Greenwood Ave. N.

April Meeting: Greenwood Ave. Transit/Sidewalk Project [Updated]

[This post has been updated to add the meeting agenda]

The Community Council normally meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, but for April and May we will meet on the fourth Tuesday instead.

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

April Membership Meeting
Tuesday April 22, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N
 

Greenwood Transit/Sidewalk Project

 
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is working on a design for transit improvements and new sidewalks on Greenwood Ave. between N. 90th and N. 105th.  SDOT representatives will present their plans and answer questions.  

This project would bring long-desired sidewalks to Greenwood Ave.!  It includes funding to build sidewalks on the east side of the street, and to design sidewalks on the west side that would be well-positioned for funding.  Sidewalks design will affect where on-street parking is available.

The transit improvements are intended to remove the need for buses to wait for traffic to clear before they pull back into traffic after stopping for passengers.  Instead of pulling out of traffic, the buses would stop in-lane, and cars would wait while passengers get on and off the bus.  Bicycles would be routed behind a bus “island” so they could continue without stopping behind the buses, similar to the operation on Dexter Ave. N.  This is a somewhat controversial approach worth discussion.

Proposed Agenda:

7:00 Introductions and Agenda Review

7:10 SDOT Presentation (Rob Gorman, Paul Elliot), followed by Q&A and discussion

7:50 Around the Table Updates

– Report from the Neighborhood Summit
– Comprehensive Plan update
– Greenwood Library Park update
– Microhousing and low-rise development regulations update

8:20 Announcements and Next Meeting Topic

8:30 Adjourn

GCC Supports Funding to Develop Greenwood Library Park

The Greenwood Community Council has weighed in with the Seattle City Council in support of including funds in the upcoming parks ballot measure to develop a park on the site pictured here, just north of the Greenwood Library.  The Parks Department purchased this property for a future park, and businesses there are relocating.

Once vacant, the building will be demolished.  If there is no funding to improve the property into a Greenwood Library Park, it may sit vacant indefinitely.  We’ve urged the City Council not to let that happen.

To see the GCC letter to Councilmember Bagshaw, click here.

GCC Attending Mayor Murray’s Neighborhood Summit this Saturday

The Seattle Neighborhood Summit will take place on Saturday, April 5 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Seattle Center’s Exhibition Hall, located on Mercer at 3rd Avenue N. next to McCaw Hall.  Mayor Murray is sponsoring a Neighborhood Summit this coming Saturday to set the tone for how his administration will relate to neighborhoods during his term. Many of the Greenwood Community Council board members will participate, and invite anyone interested in neighborhood issues to join us.

At a brainstorm during our March Greenwood Community Council meeting, these were the issues members suggested be raised as priorities for Greenwood. If you attend the summit you might want to raise some of these, along with any other issues that motivate you to attend.

Notes from the GCC March Membership Meeting
Brainstorm on Community Issues
to Raise at the Neighborhood Summit

 

Provide for Non-Car Transit (Walk, Bike, Bus) – especially Sidewalks!
Improve people’s ability to walk, bike, and use the bus in and around Greenwood.

– Make a strategy for sidewalk development in Greenwood and plan for it in the budget.
– Ensure ample and accessible mass transit service.
– Improve walkability through more sidewalks, safe intersection crossings.
– Create more bike-friendly infrastructure.
– Do greenways “right.”

Plan for the Park @ Greenwood & 81st Street
Create a plan to fund, design, and develop the land planned for a park at 81st & Greenwood Ave.

– The businesses will be moving out and there’s no budget or plan for how to develop the property
– A prominent location on Greenwood Ave. may lie vacant for some time if there are no park improvement.

Support a Vibrant Business District
Find ways to attract and retain businesses to Greenwood’s main corridors.

– There are a lot of empty storefronts in the “downtown” area near 85 & Greenwood.
– The upper part of Aurora continues to have crime and social service issues
– How can the community weigh in on what businesses are established in Greenwood?
– Ensure there’s parking for residents (as more high-density housing is built) and visitors.

Communicate with and Support Community Councils
Provide channels for the city to have a more active dialogue with community councils and support their development.

– Provide venues/staff to learn about community priorities.
– Share how the city is addressing each community’s issues (plan, budget).
– Discuss (not just present) and enable input on challenging topics.
– Provide funding for community council outreach and staffing neighborhood centers.

For more information on the 2014 Seattle Neighborhood Summit, visit http://www.seattle.gov/sns2014. .

View the full agenda here.

March Meeting: Preparing for the Mayor’s Neighborhood Summit [Updated]


March Membership Meeting
Tuesday March 18, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Public Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N

 

On Saturday April 5, May, Mayor Murray will convene a “Neighborhood Summit” to bring community leaders from around the city together to weigh in on issues of concern to neighborhoods and how the city should involve neighborhoods in during his term. (For more information about the summit, follow this link). At our March membership meeting, we invite all Greenwood residents and businesspeople to discuss the issues we want to see discussed at the summit.

Agenda

7:00 Introductions, Agenda Review , and quick updates on neighborhood issues
7:10 Brief introduction to the neighborhoods summit
7:15 Exercise to identify the most critical neighborhood issues
7:45 Report out and discussion
8:00 What methods have been successful (or not) to engage neighborhoods?
8:20 Summary and follow-up steps
8:30 Adjourn

And while you’re holding the date, also pencil us in for every third Tuesday night of each month. The Greenwood Community Council is moving back to monthly meeting at a consistent time (Third Tuesdays at 7:00) and place (the Library).

No GCC Meeting Tonight (January 21)

For the past couple of years the Greenwood Community Council has generally met on the third Tuesday of odd-numbered months – which is an odd schedule to remember, and today I forgot as well.  This would normally be our January meeting night, but if you were planning to go please don’t because we will not meet this month (and my sincere apology for this ridiculously last minute note – now five minutes before the meeting time).

Over the past couple of months we have been regrouping a bit.  We’ve had some board turnover.  We thought that our reservation for the library meeting space was ongoing, but in fact it expired at the end of the year and other groups have booked the space for January and February.  We missed a meeting in November because all of us were too busy.

Personally, I’ve come to the conclusion that we need to go back to a monthly schedule, and have booked the library meeting room for the remainder of the year on third tuesdays of each month beginning in March.  The board is in agreement on this.  Our original intent in meeting less frequently was to produce more interesting and well planned meetings; instead I think we’ve lost a lot of people who might attend if we met on a predictable monthly basis with a more standard agenda that provides a speaker on a current topic and updates about ongoing neighborhood issues from people following them.

We are trying to arrange a meeting in February at an alternative location, we’re seeking new members for our board, and we’re looking for ideas about how to focus our meetings and activities to be most relevant to you and Greenwood.  I will write again with a more complete update soon.  Please let me know by replying to this message if you have thoughts, suggestions, or want to get involved.

— Rob Fellows, GCC President

An Emergency Preparedness Opportunity – but needs support and volunteers

Here’s an opportunity to help Greenwood prepare for emergencies…

Proposed Emergency Preparedness Grant: The staff at the Greenwood Boys & Girls Club are preparing an application for a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant for Greenwood preparedness. The grant application seeks $25K to fund establishment of 2 neighborhood hubs in our extended neighborhood — places that could function as communication centers and house supplies during large scale emergencies. Having a hub would also provide focus to power other emergency preparedness activities in the neighborhood.

How you can help: Community participation is crucial to getting these grants, and volunteer time is credited towards the project as our neighborhood’s matching contribution for city funds. We need to demonstrate that volunteers time will be forthcoming. Several workshops and training activities will be needed to plan for the new hubs that you could volunteer to help or participate in – and these would also give you valuable skills, knowledge, and hopefully some fun and new friends.

The grant deadline is next week – Oct. 7 – so your pledge of volunteer time is needed right away to help get the grant funded.

To pledge volunteer hours: Send an email to Joan at the Greenwood Boys and Girls Club by clicking here, or call her at 436-1851. Tell her your name, address and phone, plus the number of hours you would be willing to donate over the coming year. Five hours per 2014 month could equate to $1200 in matching funds from the city, but any amount will help. If the grant is funded, a volunteer will contact you to arrange for a volunteer activity that fits your schedule and interests. Also please pass this message along to others you know who might be interested. If you are willing to write a letter from you or a group/organization you belong to, contact the North Seattle Boys and Girl’s Club at (206) 436-1850.

For more information:

  • For information about Neighborhood Matching Fund and other city grants, click here.
  • For more about the City’s Seattle! Neighborhoods Actively Prepare (SNAP) program, click here.
  • To stay connected with Greenwood neighbors interested in emergency preparedness, join the Greenwood Preparedness yahoo group.  Click here to send an email to subscribe.  Subscribing will be another way to demonstrate neighborhood support for this effort.

(I’ve sent this to the Greenwood News, Greenwood Preparedness and Greenwood Community Council lists – so apologies if you received it more than once.)

SDOT Meeting Tonight on Proposed Fremont Ave. Improvements

SDOT is having an open house this evening between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. at the Boys and Girl’s Club on proposed improvements to Fremont Ave. N.  An announcement for the meeting is here. The Boys and Girls Club is at 8635 Fremont Ave. N.

There is a competing proposal you should know about to continue the Interurban Trail that now connects from 105th up to Lynnwood using the old Interurban/City Light right of way. The right-of-way still exists south of 105th a half block from Fremont, and could be a better option for walking and biking if funding could be found to implement it. The proposal to extend the trail on the Interurban right of way is here.

My apologies for the last minute notice on this – just learned about the meeting today.

Next Thursday: Walk with GCC beyond where the sidewalk ends [UPDATED]

UPDATE:  Due to rain this event will be rescheduled for a different night – watch for a new date and time soon.

– – – – – –

The state of Greenwood Ave north of 90th is of great concern for many Greenwood residents. The lack of sidewalks, sufficient lighting and a busy arterial create an unsafe atmosphere for pedestrians. To shed light on this issue, the Greenwood Community Council (GCC) invites individuals to join us on a Greenwood Ave walk and adventure beyond where the sidewalk ends.

Purpose: To document the experience of walking Greenwood Ave north of 90th in the evening. Documentation of this experience will be used to generate awareness of the conditions pedestrians face on north Greenwood Ave.

Who: We invite any concerned residents, employees, employers and local city officials to join the GCC on this walk.

When: 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20th

Where: Meet at Naked City Taphouse at 8510 Greenwood Ave N at 8:30 p.m. Leave Naked City at 9 p.m., travel north to 105th St., then return.

May Meeting: Walking and Biking in Greenwood

Greenwood Community Council
May Meeting
7:00 PM Tuesday May 21
Greenwood Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N

Topic: Improving Greenwood for Walking and Biking

Agenda:

• 7:00 – Welcome and Introductions

• 7:05 – Round robin updates and announcements

• 7:15 – Discussion: what is the experience of walking and biking around Greenwood?

• 7:45 – Short presentations on specific projects/proposals

• 8:15 – (Separate topic): Presentation on proposed project at 1st NW and NW 85th (Pizza Hut)

• 8:30 – Adjourn

This meeting will provide an open forum about pedestrian and biking and how to improve the experience of walking and biking in our neighborhood.  We are also inviting people who have specific proposals or agendas to make brief presentations.

We’ve also been asked by the developers of a proposed project at the old Pizza Hut site across from Fred Meyer for an opportunity to share their thinking and get your feedback.  They are still at the planning stage, when new ideas can be incorporated.

The Greenwood Community Council usually meets on the third Tuesday of odd-numbered months at 7PM in the Greenwood Library.

March Meeting: Greenwood Town Center

Greenwood Community Council
March Meeting

7:00 PM Tuesday March 19
Greenwood Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N

Topic: Looking Back-and Forward-on the Greenwood Town Center Plan
and also A report from the 2013 legislative session by Rep. Gael Tarleton

Agenda:
7:00 – Welcome and Introductions
7:05 – Panel Discussion on the Town Center, including:

    • Councilmember Richard Conlin, Seattle City Council
    • Gary Brunt, Greenwood Shopping Center and
    • Scott Nolte, Taproot Theatre
    • Matt Anderson, Heartland LLC

8:05 – Report from the Legislature

    • Rep. Gael Tarleton, 36th District

8:30 – Adjourn

Eight years ago the Greenwood Community Council joined with the (former) Phinney-Greenwood Chamber of Commerce, representatives from city departments, the Greenwood Shopping Center and Fred Meyer to develop a plan for Greenwood’s Town Center. It was a pro-active approach by the Community Council to develop a vision for new development, and the focus was on things that would make the Town Center more active and pedestrian-friendly, uniting the pedestrian downtown with the more car-friendly shopping center. Consultants were hired to look at the mix of businesses that could be attracted to the area, the urban form and transportation system, and their work was discussed in large public forums. The plan called for new design guidelines (since adopted), mixed use development on the shopping center site, and a walkway or street connection between downtown and the shopping center among other things.

The new Fred Meyer is completed, the first stages of Piper Village are done, a new street connecting Greenwood and the shopping center is shaping up, and the Taproot is getting ready to construct their theatre expansion. So the questions for this meeting is: What still needs to be done to make the Town Center active, walkable and economically healthy? How can the Fred Meyer be an anchor for activity throughout the Town Center that results in a better downtown Greenwood?

The Greenwood Community Council usually meets on the third Tuesday of odd-numbered months at 7PM in the Greenwood Library.