Tag Archives: meetings

Greenwood Community Council, Land Use

May Meeting: Seattle 2035

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Seattle 2035 ImageMay Membership Meeting
Tuesday May 19, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N

Seattle 2035 – Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan
The Draft EIS is Finally Available —
What’s Seattle’s Plan for Greenwood – and What’s Ours?

 

Almost a year ago a lot of people in Greenwood responded to a call to develop a Greenwood 2035 vision and follow Seattle’s comprehensive plan update process Seattle 2035. We formed study groups and got set – but then the process got started more slowly than expected. Now the city has produced an environmental impact statement (EIS) examining the impacts of four alternative distributions of new residential and business growth over the next 30 years. Comments are due in June, so now is the time to pay attention and chime in.

The EIS examines what the impacts would be if development could be directed in different ways, with different levels of density occurring in urban villages, urban centers or around transit. It’s an interesting thought experiment, because other than the zoning code (which has capacity for any of these options) there are few levers the city can pull to implement one alternative over another. In the end, debates over the comp plan will probably focus more on the policies and measures to implement one of these alternatives, and those actions are not yet clearly known.

Some of your fellow community council members are beginning to pore through the EIS document, so this will be a good opportunity to get an overview of what’s at issue. But we’ll also want to think through the policies and improvements needed in Greenwood over the next 30 years to make sure a neighborhood vision will be reflected in the final plan. At this meeting we’ll start that discussion – hope you can make it!

For agenda and minutes,  Continue reading May Meeting: Seattle 2035 →

Greenwood Community Council

April Meeting: How Will City Council Districts Affect  Neighborhoods?

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Council DistrictsApril Membership Meeting
Tuesday April 21, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N
 
How Will City Council Districts Affect 
Neighborhoods and Community Councils?
 
Sorry for the late notice for this month’s Greenwood Community Council meeting, which is tomorrow – or maybe today by the time you get this.  
 
Last year voters approved a new method of selecting city council candidates, with seven members elected by district and two city-wide.  District council elections will change Seattle politics dramatically.  Three current city council incumbents have announced they will not run again, and everyone is wondering whether neighborhoods will have a stronger voice in budgeting, planning or policy, and (conversely) whether city-wide priorities will be neglected.  Greenwood is bisected by the 5th and 6th city council districts, and over the next several months we will be meeting candidates hoping to represent us.
 
For community councils, city council districts raise all sorts of questions:
  • How should we be involved in vetting the candidates?  
  • How should we work with other community councils and other neighborhood groups?
  • Does is make sense to realign the city’s district councils with city council districts?
  • Should we focus equal attention on the at-large council member races?
  • What key Greenwood issues do we want candidates to focus attention on?
We will have a general discussion about how the community council needs to change and react to the new district council context.  We will also hear from a group interested in promoting campaign finance reform in the city, and get an update on activities taking place on our committees and around the neighborhood.  Hope you can make it.
 
Proposed Agenda
 

7:00  Introductions and Agenda Review

7:10  Regan McBride, New Honest Elections Seattle Campaign
            – Presentation on a proposal to create a public finance
              system for Seattle city elections
            – Q&A, Discussion

7:30  How should GCC adapt to new City Council Districts?
         Open Discussion

8:10  Updates and announcements – around the table
            – GCC committee activities
            – Other announcements

8:30  Adjourn


Please note that the Library’s garage closes at 8PM, so if you park in the library you will need to move your car before then. 

[See Meeting Notes below the fold] Continue reading April Meeting: How Will City Council Districts Affect  Neighborhoods? →

Greenwood Community Council

March Meeting: Elections and Mayor McGinn Retrospective

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Reminder – the March Greenwood Community Council meeting is tomorrow (Tuesday) with former Mayor McGinn.  
(See the meeting notice in previous post.)  Our former community council president will reflect on how his perspectives have evolved over his time as mayor.  Whatever your views of his administration, he’s had a unique view of Seattle and its government that will be interesting to hear.
 
We will also have community council elections.  
I hope some of you reading this will think about running for our board or getting involved in some other way that fits your interests and availability.  This year the community council has expanded its activities and members, and there’s a lot to be done.  We now have three active committees – land use, transportation and outreach – and we’re working on a fourth to address health and public safety.  Change seems to be accelerating in Seattle, and district city council elections next fall will change neighborhoods’ relations with the city.  It’s an interesting and important time to be active in the neighborhood.
 
We’re recruiting for eight elected board positions as described in our bylaws.  The board positions are defined, but are also flexible. Board members are expected to attend membership meetings when possible and a board meeting every so often (probably every other month) that is usually over beer or coffee.  The ideal board member will make it a priority to answer emails when meetings need to be set up or decisions need to be made.  Any balance or diversity you bring will be valued.  While these positions are for two years, a one-year commitment is requested.  There will be a sign-in when you arrive at the meeting where you can indicate your interest in a position, then after former Mayor McGinn is done we will begin the election and you will have another chance to nominate or to shift to a different position.  The board will meet soon after selected to figure out how to organize itself. 
 
The President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary roles are all indicators of roles, but details can be negotiated.  
  • The president has been setting up and running the membership meetings, but would probably be happy to let others do some of that; former presidents spent more time representing the council outside the neighborhood.  
  • The VP is a totally definable role; the current VP attends district council meetings among other things and fills in for the president as needed.  
  • The secretary is responsible for getting meeting minutes written and onto the website, but could also take on other meeting logistics or website duties for example.  
  • The treasurer is like the Maytag repairman of old; we have no money, but he or she could be managing grants like the one we just received to improve our website, finding other grants, and/or maintaining our membership list.
  • And the four committee chairs are just that – we have a land use, transportation, outreach and (soon) a health and safety committee. Committee chairs are board members, and responsible for organizing and leading a committee and making sure someone keeps the committee’s section of the website up to date.
Board positions are not the only way to be involved!  If you don’t want to commit to a board position, we also need volunteers to help maintain the website, research land use and transportation activities, and monitor or organize specific projects.  At Tuesday’s meeting there will be a sign-in list where you can indicate your interest in either a board position or another volunteer activity that would fit your interests and availability.  
 
If you have any questions about any of this please don’t hesitate to contact me by clicking here.
 
Rob Fellows
Greenwood Community Council President
Greenwood Community Council, Land Use, Uncategorized

February Meeting: Parking Requirements

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February Membership Meeting
Tuesday February 17, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N
 
How Much Parking Should Be Required 
in New Apartment Buildings?
 
i want to go shopping 017
 
A few years ago Seattle changed its development regulations to eliminate the requirement to provide parking in new multi-family buildings in areas defined as urban villages, or places with accessible and frequent transit service.  Almost all of Greenwood fits that definition, and several micro-housing buildings are being built that will take advantage of that change by not including parking as part of the development.
 
There are advocates and strong feelings on both sides of this issue.  Seattle’s previous parking requirements often required developers to include more parking than needed, raising the cost of living in new buildings and requiring residents who don’t own cars to help pay for their storage.  Providing no parking at all takes advantage of unused public street space at no cost to the developer or tenant.  When parking is scarce though, neighbors and their visitors have a harder time finding a place to park and need to walk farther to get groceries and kids to the car.  
 
So what is the right amount of parking, and what should guide the city in deciding how much developers need to provide as part of their projects?  The City Council has requested a review of parking requirement policies, and the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is preparing its analysis.  Gordon Clowers is leading the team that will respond to the council, and at our February meeting he will discuss some of the factors DPD will consider in forming their analysis.
 
Agenda
 
7:00 Introductions and Agenda Review
 
7:10 Gordon Clowers, Department of Planning and Development
                  – Parking Requirement Policies for New Development
                  – Q&A, Discussion
 
7:55 Land Use Committee Report/Proposed Action
                  – Pedestrian zones on Greenwood Avenue
                  – Potential Action
 
8:20 Community Council Business and Announcements
                  – Nominations open for Community Council elections in March
                  – Other announcements
 
8:30 Adjourn
 

Please note that the Library’s garage closes at 8PM, so if you park in the library you will need to move your car before then.

Greenwood Community Council, Uncategorized

January Meeting: Developing a Vision for a New Library Park

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January Membership Meeting
Tuesday January 20, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N

Developing a Neighborhood Vision for the New Park North of the Library

Librarby Park


Our January meeting will kick off the process to develop a community vision for the new park that will be developed on the lot north of the library, where the minimart used to be.  Bill Farmer will speak on the history of this site as a proposed park through inclusion for funding in the park district ballot measure that Seattle citizens passed last year and the implementation process.  Bill was a member of the 2008 Parks & Green Spaces Levy Committee that resulted in acquisition of the site, and the Parks Legacy committee that helped develop the park funding ballot measure.  He has followed this process over the years.

The majority of the meeting will be for brainstorming – what are the things a park could bring to the neighborhood?  What uses should (and shouldn’t) it accommodate?  What matters about how it’s designed?  What should it be called?

The objective is to begin the neighborhood discussion, that will ultimately need to involve many others in the broader Greenwood-Phinney area that this park will serve.  Being proactive to develop a community vision will help designers develop a park we will use and feel ownership and pride in.  The ideal outcome of this meeting will be to get discussion going and identify a core group to broaden the discussion to the wider community.

Agenda

7:00 Introductions and Agenda Review
7:10 Update on Greenwood 2035 Study Groups
7:15 Bill Farmer: History, context, and the park development process
7:25 Brainstorm: What does the community desire for this site?
8:10 Summary – points of agreement
8:15 Next steps to advance the conversation and the project
8:30 Adjourn

Hope you can make it!

Greenwood Community Council, Land Use, Uncategorized

December Meeting: Dialogue with a Micro-Housing Developer

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December Membership Meeting
Tuesday December 16, 7:00 – 8:30
Greenwood Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N.
 

 

There’s been a big to-do about micro-housing (aka apodments*) in neighborhoods all over Seattle.  Micro-housing is a relatively new idea in Seattle, allowing people who don’t need a full apartment to rent a bedroom only with access to a common kitchen.  Many do not provide parking because micro-housing many micro-housing resident don’t own one.  The micro-housing boom has caught neighborhoods by surprise, with buildings appearing all over town.  These projects have been largely exempt from regulation or public review, but the City Council is reconsidering whether to change that.

Three micro-housing developments are under construction now in Greenwood – comprising most of the development that will open here in the next year.  (One is on Phinney Ave. above the Safeway parking lot, and two are on NW 85th St.)  There are clearly potential benefits, but also unknown impacts that raise concerns for some neighbors.

Daniel Stoner is a developer who has built micro-housing projects previously, and he’s asked for the opportunity to discuss plans for a new micro-housing project on 95th St. with Greenwood neighbors – the topic of our December meeting.  KCTS recently did a story on micro-housing and Daniel was interviewed — you can see the interview by clicking here.  Representing the community council, I really appreciate Daniel’s willingness and commitment to engage in community dialogue.  This meeting will be a great opportunity for community members to understand the benefits of micro-housing, and also to pass along concerns about the development he’s proposing on 95th St., replacing the building shown below.

*Apodments is a trademark of a specific micro-housing development company, so the term micro-housing is used here.

Greenwood Community Council, Land Use, Uncategorized

November Meeting: What are Ingredients of a Livable Neighborhood?

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November Membership Meeting
Tuesday November 18, 7:00 – 8:30
 

 

NOTE LOCATION!
Taproot Theatre’s Stage Door Cafe, 208 N 85th St.
(Refreshments available)

 

This month’s community council meeting is part of the year-long “Greenwood 2035” planning process to help inform Seattle’s comprehensive plan update.  Three study groups have had their initial meetings to discuss land use, transportation and sidewalk issues.  This month’s membership meeting will be an open meeting of the land use study group (usually on third Thursday evenings).

Seattle’s “Urban Village” strategy is to identify areas where new growth is planned, and prioritize city investment into making these become high quality urban environments. The question is — what defines a high quality environment, and what steps can the city take as a practical matter to make this policy meaningful?  Some feel that density is needed to bring pedestrian traffic that supports thriving business districts, others focus on the need for sidewalks, parks and play fields.  We have seen massive development near Aurora Avenue and Holman Rd. – what can the city do to make these places the high quality urban environments envisioned in the comp plan?

This meeting will be an extended meeting of the study group open to anyone who wants to participate.  Study group participants were to come prepared to discuss the issue, but most likely this will be an open-ended discussion for anyone interested in the subject.  

Agenda

7:00 Introductions and Agenda Review
7:10 Update on Greenwood 2035 Study Groups
7:15 Presentations of research by study group members (if any this month)
7:25 Open discussion on ingredients for livable neighborhoods
8:05 Summary – points of agreement
8:15 Next study group topic – brainstorm research needed and assign tasks
8:30 Adjourn
Greenwood Community Council, Uncategorized

Election Forum at the Taproot Theatre

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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!
Greenwood Community Council, Land Use, Uncategorized

September Meeting: Intro to Seattle 2035 (at Taproot)

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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.

Greenwood Community Council, Uncategorized

August Meeting: Greenwood 2035 Planning Meeting

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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.

 
 
Greenwood Community Council, Land Use, Uncategorized

June Meeting: Greenwood 2035 Plan

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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.

Greenwood Community Council, Sidewalks, Transportation, Uncategorized

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

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[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

Greenwood Community Council, Uncategorized

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

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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).
Sidewalks, Transportation, Uncategorized

May Meeting: Walking and Biking in Greenwood

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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.

Greenwood Community Council, Uncategorized

March Meeting: Greenwood Town Center

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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.

Greenwood Community Council, Uncategorized

January Meeting: Emergency & Crime Preparedness

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Below is an agenda for the next Greenwood Community Council (GCC) meeting, happening at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 15, at the Greenwood Branch of the Seattle Public Library— 8016 Greenwood Ave. N

We’ll discuss Emergency & Crime Preparedness during January’s meeting. Please join us and share your input on this topic!

Agenda

  • The current state of emergency and crime preparedness in Greenwood and neighboring communities
  • What can be done about it and other next steps

 

Guest Speakers

  • Terrie Johnston, Seattle Police Department, Crime Prevention Coordinator
  • Penny Fulmer / David Gordon, Seattle Police Department, Community Policing
  • James Manning, Seattle Police Department, Community Outreach
  • Tracy Connelly, Seattle Office Of Emergency Management, Community Planning Coordinator

 

Greenwood Community Council, Health and Safety, Uncategorized

January Meeting: The Greenwood Preparedness Action Network wants YOU!

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Agenda – January 15, 2013:
Preparedness: A Call To Arms.

The Greenwood Preparedness Action Network wants YOU!

The Greenwood Community Council will be hosting a “call to arms” on January 15, 2013 for those interested in participating in a Greenwood Preparedness Action Network to spread

individual, block, & neighborhood

Emergency/Crime Preparedness throughout Greenwood.

What can be done?

Preparedness has several levels, none of which is a replacement for another, and each takes work.

Your Neighborhood — (when at your residence or business).
Your Block — (when at your residence or business).
Yourself — (when at your residence and when traveling).

Many neighborhoods in Seattle have advanced noticeably farther than Greenwood regarding preparedness.

Many neighborhoods have networked their blocks via block captains.

Some of the blocks had been “block watch” blocks, others had been “SNAP” preparedness blocks… Regardless, they were blocks that had organized themselves to some extent.

These block captains convened to map the status of the neighborhood’s blocks, creating a network of communication between the organized block captains and identifying the unorganized blocks as a result. This exercise has resulted in more blocks getting organized (prepared).

These networks have also taken on the task of aiding preparedness at the individual level and preparedness at the neighborhood level and have established hubs, which aid the dispersal of information and such in a big emergency.

This is “Emergency/Crime Preparedness“.

Both “emergency” and “crime” are addressed together here under the umbrella of
“Emergency/Crime Preparedness” or
“Preparedness”.

Preparedness is being ready for emerging situations. These situations can range from the arrival of a criminal to the simultaneous arrival of a blizzard and an earthquake.
Modifying a wall to reduce its chance of collapse during an earthquake and modifying a door to reduce its chance of collapse during an attempted break-in are similar and acts of individual preparedness.
Informing your neighbor of your whereabouts in the event of a suspicious noise and informing your neighbor of your whereabouts in the event of a suspicious smoke are similar and acts of block preparedness.

The team is, wants, and needs, YOU.

On a unified team, there are many ways to participate. There is a task to match any interest…

but driving this task forward will take many drivers.
If too few drivers come forward,
then instead of asking them to each make an unreasonable effort,
the reasonable thing will be to abandon the effort.

SO,

while many like the idea of the neighborhood being prepared,
the question at hand is,
how many are willing to help drive?

There are a great many examples for Greenwood to borrow from, but nothing happens without effort.

The aim of the 15 January meeting is to either launch the program or to declare that there is not the critical mass to do it. It will be very clear that volunteering is contingent on there being critical mass. No one will be asked to carry an unreasonable load.

It can now be Greenwood’s turn.

Ready to take unified action?

See you…

(Tuesday) January 15, 2013 @ 7pm. (3rd Tuesday)
@ 8016 Greenwood Avenue N (Greenwood Public Library).

[Additional details to be provided via this webpage as the date approaches.]

NOTE:
Greenwood Community Council general meetings occur on the 3rd Tuesday of odd numbered months.
For more information, contact any board member listed @ http://www.GreenwoodCommunityCouncil.org