Sign up for the Montlake Community Club’s September 23rd Montlake Yard Sale is open! Time to sign up on your own or team up with neighbors to declutter and be part of what’s become a destination for yard sale aficionados.
Online registration is now open.
Montlake Yard Sale
September 23, 2017
9am – 3pm
Click here to sign up your site.
The Montlake Community Club had been informed this year’s Montlake Yard Sale was scheduled on Yom Kippur. It is difficult to schedule this event around all other events in the area. We have communicated with the Greek Festival organizers, and we are now re-scheduling the Montlake Yard Sale to Saturday, September 23, from 9 – 3 pm. Most yard sale activity occurs in the morning, so we believe that there will be no adverse impacts to either the Yard Sale or the Greek Festival. We believe each of these events may also help to attract more participants.
So get your stuff together, and get the word out. The Montlake Yard Sale is Saturday, September 23, 2017 from 9 am – 3 pm. The sign up should be up and running before the end of the month. Check for the updates at Montlake.net.
Your Montlake Community Club working for you.
A big thanks to all 175 of you who donated to the MCC to cover legal fees for saving the Montlake Blvd Market. Your generous donations through GoFundMe, PayPal, cash and checks have raised $21,254 to date.
Tomorrow, Tuesday August 15, 2017, is our second day in court. We will let you know the outcome when we have more to share. We are hoping for the best. The Market is a piece of what makes our neighbor a great place to live.
The Montlake Community Club is amazed by the outpouring of support from Montlake and beyond to fund its legal case to save the Montlake Blvd Market. Nearly 100 people have donated so far. But we are still short, having raised $9,500 of our $15,000 goal. Help us make up the gap by giving today. We have an important court hearing this Friday and our legal bills are coming in. Every one of your contributions helps, no matter how big or small. Donate using Paypal (click the big black Donate button on the right side of the page) or give here: https://www.gofundme.com/save-the-montlake-marketMore info:
We need your help! The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is attempting to condemn our beloved Montlake Market (Hop-in) and the 76 gas station. They will be demolished to make way for the 520 highway expansion. WSDOT’s actions have been marked by a lack of transparency, poor community engagement, and inadequate consideration to environments impacts.
The Montlake Community Club has hired an environmental attorney to fight this unjust action who has successfully convinced the court to allow us to present testimony at a court hearing later this month. Unfortunately, this is very expensive and our legal costs are adding up quickly.
We urgently need your financial support to help pay our lawyers and continue the fight. Can you give $25, $100, or even $1,000? Please consider giving more if you are able. Your donations are tax deductible. You can make a donation in one of these ways:
1. Use the big black Donate button on the right to use Paypal
2. Go to our GoFundMe page
3. Mail a check to:
Montlake Community Club
4616 25th Ave NE #446
Seattle, WA 98105
Ask your friends and neighbors to do the same.
The Montlake Community Club has hired attorneys to help save the Montlake Boulevard Market. We urgently need your help TODAY to pay for our legal costs.
There are 3 ways to give:
1. Use the big black Donate button on the right to use Paypal
2. Go to our GoFundMe page
3. Mail a check to:
Montlake Community Club
4616 25th Ave NE #446
Seattle, WA 98105
Ask your friends and neighbors to do the same.
Save the Market!
The Washington State Department of Transportation wants to condemn (or simply put, demolish) the Montlake Boulevard Market. For people from all over Seattle, the ‘Market’ or ‘Hop-In’ is a beloved spot for groceries, an ice cream with the kids, a last minute bottle of wine, and pre-Husky game hang out.
WSDOT’s plan to demolish the Montlake Boulevard Market is a strong departure from their original plan to keep it. WSDOT’s steps to condemn the Market have been marked by a lack of transparency, poor community engagement and inadequate consideration with respect to environmental impacts.
We, the Montlake Community Club, are saying this is not okay! We urgently need help from the citizens of Seattle to fund our legal fight against WSDOT and save the Market.
What You Can Do to Help.
Give to our GoFundMe campaign today. Click here to give.
At the end of July, the Montlake Community Club hired an attorney specializing in environmental, land use, and condemnation law to appeal to a judge on our commuunity’s behalf. The judge hearing the case has agreed to allow our testimony later this month regarding environmental impacts.
The judge’s decision to let us move forward was a crucial initial victory, but we cannot succeed without your financial support. Our legal fees are mounting and moving into the tens of thousands of dollars as we head toward our hearing later this month.
Thank you for your support. This is our moment to stand up against WSDOT as a community and have our voices be heard but we can’t do it without you. Give today.
Now in its 5th Year, the Montlake Yard Sale, organized by the Montlake Community Club, is back on Saturday, September 30, 9 am to 3 pm. Talk to your friends and neighbors, and start cleaning out the closets, garage, and back yard. Last year we had 85 registered sites, with multiple individuals teaming up together. Look for the sign up on Montlake.net toward the end of August.
If you are a Block Watch Captain you are probably already planning your event. If your street/immediate neighborhood doesn’t have a Block Watch Captain – please volunteer to take on this role. Then invite your neighbors to join you for a night out on Tuesday, August 1.
http://www.seattle.gov/police/community-policing/night-out
You can also use this same link to put your event on the map and download materials about National Night Out (NNO) to share with your neighbors.
http://seattleemergencyhubs.org/contact-us/block-watch-group-entry-form/
(Sorry about all these links.)
National Night Out is a great time to socialize with your long time neighbors and meet your new neighbors. If you want to apply for financial support for your neighborhood picnic, please email your request to Carol Cordy at carolcordymd@gmail.com and the Montlake Community Club can reimburse you up to $75.00.
Knowing your neighbors makes your neighborhood safer. The first National Night Out in 1984 involved 2.5 million neighbors in 400 communities. Last year NNO involved 38 million in 1600 communities. If you want to learn more about the history of NNO go to https://natw.org/
WSDOT has submitted a revised application and summary letter to the City of Seattle for a noise variance during the Montlake phase of SR 520 construction. As we reported in May, the city told WSDOT that its previous application was unacceptable in its current form. One neighbor tracking this issue closely has reported that the revised application is improved vs. the original application, but not nearly enough.
Comments on the revised application are due August 4, 2018. Send your comments NOW–don’t wait. The city’s next steps in the process are to perform a review of the revised application and begin to write a Variance Decision. The city’s deadline to publish a decision is no later than August 23.
Email your comments (preferred) to prc@seattle.gov. Be sure to reference project #3027364. Or mail your comments to:
Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections
ATTN: Public Resource Center or Assigned Planner
700 Fifth Ave, Ste 2000
P.O. Box 34019
Seattle, WA 98124-4019
Here’s what to do:
Sample Letter:
Dear Mr. Torgelson,
I understand that WSDOT has resubmitted a Noise Variance for the 520 construction (MPPCNV #3027364).
My areas of concern include:
1) Duration of the variance: instead of simply extending the noise variance indefinitely, it seems better to renew the variance every six months. If there are no complaints or violations, then this renewal could be automatic. If there are complaints and violations these should be addressed before the variance is renewed.
2) Method of measuring noise: the method of measuring the baseline noise compared to the noise during construction needs to be more transparent. The community needs to have confidence in the measurement methodology and the City should be responsible for ongoing noise monitoring during the construction using their own experts.
3) Enforcement of the noise variance: the enforcement of the noise variance standards needs to be assured. Requiring renewal of this variance every six months as above would be one way of enforcing the noise variance standards.
4) Mitigation for individual home owners: there should be a defined process through which mitigation on an individual homeowner (e.g. installation of a white noise generator or double pane windows) and group level (e.g. installation of a noise / dust barrier around construction sites) is requested and approved.
Sound Transit has set a high standard on all of the above points. WSDOT should be able to follow their example.
It is my wish that individual citizens, local communities, the city of Seattle, and WSDOT can find a way to work together to get this extremely important infrastructure improvement completed in a timely manner.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kind Regards,
July 14-17: Weekend closure of westbound SR 520
• Crews will close all lanes and ramps of westbound SR 520 between 92nd Avenue NW and Montlake Blvd. from 11 p.m. Friday, July 14, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 17.
• Neighbors near the MOHAI staging area may hear noise during round-the-clock weekend work. While the loudest activities have been scheduled for daytime hours, crews will be operating under a temporary noise variance from the city of Seattle.
July 17: Opening of new westbound SR 520 off-ramps to Montlake
• 5 a.m. Monday, July 17, westbound drivers will begin exiting the highway a mile before they currently do to reach Montlake and Lake Washington boulevards.
• The new exit lane will begin on the floating bridge, noted by the map’s red star below.
• Check out this video to see what changes are coming with the opening of the new westbound SR 520 off-ramps.
Note: Drivers traveling to Roanoke or I-5 will remain on the old structure until the new westbound lanes open in late August (the closure associated with this work is currently scheduled for August 25-28).
More Info: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge/WABN/CurrentWork.htm#OpeningNewWBRamps
The Montlake Boulevard Market–gone forever–is a real possibility if WSDOT gets its way at a court hearing on June 23rd. WSDOT has filed a Petition for Condemnation to take full possession of the market and gas station properties, and if the court rules in WSDOT’s favor, it could be the end of the road for our beloved market and 76 gas station.
This is an unjust action that we cannot tolerate because WSDOT still has not explained exactly why they absolutely must have the properties. They say that when they take ownership, the market may or may not be allowed to stay open during construction, it all depends on the needs of the project. Really? How can they justify taking two of our most important businesses, and at the same time, admit they are not even sure if they need it or what they will use it for. We at the Montlake Community Club say answer this question BEFORE you take our businesses.
We have time to stop this but we must act now!
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO BY WEDNESDAY JUNE 21st:
Personalize and send your own version of this letter to the politicians and journalist listed below. Or write your own letter. Or call the phone numbers listed.
Dear __________________:
The Washington State Department of Transportation has filed a condemnation lawsuit to condemn the Montlake Grocery Store and Gas Station Properties. The lawsuit contradicts the environmental review and record of decision for the project and breaks WSDOT’s promises to the community. Yet, WSDOT’s lawsuit expressly acknowledges that it does not know what uses it might need to make of the properties other than for staging, even though its representatives promised the properties would not be used for general staging.
We believe WSDOT’s actions are improper. We ask that WSDOT stop its condemnation of the Montlake Grocery and Gas Station properties, ask design-builder proposals in WSDOT’s Design/Bid process to avoid if possible, and at least minimize both the extent and duration of, any use of the Montlake Grocery and Gas Station properties, and not to take either of these treasured community assets without first demonstrating need.
Send your Email, or call, using the links below:
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray – contact the mayor
Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell – bruce.harrell@seattle.gov (206) 684-8804
WA Sec. of Transportation Roger Millar – millarr@wsdot.wa.gov (360) 705-7054
State Senator Jamie Pedersen – jamie.pedersen@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7628
Seattle Times transportation reporter Mike Lindblom – mlindblom@seattletimes.com (206) 515-5631
Click to send this email template to all (except of the Mayor, which you need to do separately)
Get your calls and letters out by Wednesday, June 21st!
