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Tell The City What You Think About How Montlake Is Changing

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white-skyline-imageFrom Department of Planning & Development:
Measuring Change
 
How do we know if change is occurring? We can see the weather changing through the seasons or mark change by watching a tree grow over time, but what about measuring change in something as complex as a city neighborhood? Examining population or job growth is one way to measure change but what about lesser-known measures like transit ridership, tree canopy cover, or academic performance?
 
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think tells us the most about how your neighborhood is changing by taking our quick poll to indicate which five topics are most important to you. It’s impossible to measure how a city neighborhood changes with just one measure. By examining a variety of indicators, life-long Seattle resident and former Seattle City Council member, Peter Steinbrueck, was able to develop a clearer picture of change in Seattle’s neighborhoods.
 
On January 28, Seattle 2035 hosted Steinbrueck to discuss how he used a variety of indicators to evaluate the success of Seattle’s Urban Villages. The Urban Village Strategy has guided Seattle’s growth to urban areas and preserved farms and forests, over the past 20 years when it was adopted in Seattle’s 1994 comprehensive plan.
Seattle 2035 is a yearlong, citywide conversation about change – where we’ve been, where we are now, and where want to go over the next 20 years. Connect with Seattle 2035 so you can help shape the future of Seattle.
 

Union Bay Watch | In The Mood?

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EB2R2973This week’s post is about Downy Woodpeckers. Have you ever wondered if birds have feelings? If you have any doubt I believe this post will help you resolve the issue. I hope you enjoy it!

Please visit: Union Bay Watch
By the way, at the end of the post there is a short reference to the shorebird petition. It contains a link to a video of a Dunlin murmuration. It is not my work so I feel free to say, it is amazing! I can’t stop watching it. If you haven’t signed the petition yet, please do!
Have a great day on Union Bay…where shorebirds hope to migrate through the city!
Larry

 

Union Bay Watch | Will You Help?

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I was just contacted by Connie Sidles, Master Birder and author of four birds books about the Union Bay Natural Area. Connie, Dr. Dennis Paulson, leading expert on shorebird ecology in Washington state, and the Seattle Audubon Society are asking for our help in saving the shorebird migrations through Union Bay. The shorebirds are unable to speak for themselves. Please read Connie’s request on:

Union Bay Watch

and seriously consider adding your voice to the petition.

Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature is hoping to migrate through the city!

Larry

SR 520 Final Concept Design: Transportation & Neighborhood Activists Respond – Have You? 

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RestofthewestWSDOT and the City of Seattle have posted the SR 520 West Side Final Concept Design Draft and it is available on Montlake.Net Everything 520 Page and here.  A printed copy will also be available for review at the library later today. This draft was prepared with input from Montlake Community Club members in cooperation with the city appointed 520 coordinator, SDOT, and the WSDOT and city’s design team.  In August, the Seattle Design Commission conducted a thorough review of the plan and made specific recommendations that touch both the interchange in Montlake and the Portage Bay Bridge.  While the draft marks some significant progress from previous WSDOT proposals in terms of pedestrian and bicycle mobility solutions, some concerns exist.

In response to this draft, Montlake Community Club board member Lionel Job, Montlake Neighborhood Greenways, Neighborhood Greenway activists, and pedestrian and bicycle groups have sent the letter below to Mayor Murray with council members, state representatives and senators in copy.  The letter thanks the city and WSDOT for their cooperation in the last 18 months, highlights concerns with the lack of flexibility with the layout of the off and on ramps and suggests a number of improvements that could ease some concerns.

WSDOT’s draft will be reviewed this month by the City Council. Furthermore, this concept design was used as an element for the 2015 Transportation budget presented by the governor in Olympia.  If the budget is passed, based on the Final Concept Design, WSDOT will gain access to the funds and approval to build.  This draft represents only a 5% design and may change; however, it can be used to obtain 100% of the project funding.  Therefore, it is critical that neighbors review the draft and submit comments without delay.  All comments should be sent to the city council members, posted here or following this post WSDOT Seeks Community Feedback on “Rest of the West” Design.

Letter

Dear Mayor Murray, 

Thank you for your leadership building a transportation system that moves people efficiently throughout the region, and creates healthy places to live, work, and play. We are glad you share our vision of a modern transportation system that furthers Seattle’s economic, social justice, climate, livability, public health, and safety goals. We want to start by thanking you for the significant improvements that have been made to the SR-520 design over the past year. The collaboration between SDOT, WSDOT, and consultants has resulted in better solutions than previous iterations.

We understand WSDOT has unduly constrained this collaborative effort, and been unwilling to reconsider some of the underlying assumptions. By locking down the requirements for the number of access ramps and the Montlake interchange configuration, WSDOT has closed the door to innovations that would significantly improve the comfort and safety for people walking and biking (such as options X, Y, and Z on page 44 of the SR 520 Final Concept Design document). We recognize these constraints are unlikely to be reexamined before funding is secured this legislative session.

We recommend the following changes that would make this project safer and healthier for Seattle. This $1.5 billion project will be set in concrete for the next eighty years. It must work for kids walking to Montlake Elementary, elders walking from the Husky Light Rail Station to the Arboretum, or a physician in scrubs biking from the Central District to the UW Medical Center. We urge you to continue to lead us towards a better transportation future.

Top SR-520 Design Innovations and Remaining Opportunities

We support the following design innovations proposed by WSDOT

  1. North-South: A Montlake Cut walking and biking bridge will alleviate the failing level of service on the existing bridge for people walking and biking. Alignment B would add the most value to Seattle’s transportation system by connecting to the proposed protected bike lanes on Montlake Boulevard and to the future UW Light Rail Station. This connection is part of the 2014 Seattle Bicycle Master Plan.

  2. North-South: The “Land Bridge” will provide a useful and iconic connection over the SR-520 highway mainline.

  3. East-West: An E Roanoke Greenway and short E-W protected bike lane along E Roanoke St will form the critical East-West connection in this system for people of all ages and abilities.

  4. East-West: The Portage Bay Bridge Trail will be a critical piece of the healthy transportation infrastructure for the city and region. This facility is part of the 2014 Seattle Bicycle Master Plan.

We strongly recommend the following design improvements

  1. North-South and East-West: Given that separated above grade options have been taken off the table for now, it is incumbent upon WSDOT to create the safest possible Montlake interchange pedestrian crossings along both sides of Montlake Blvd for people of all ages and abilities. To accomplish this, all on-ramp and off-ramp conflict points should be raised crosswalks, lane widths should be reduced to NACTO standards, turning radii should be consistent with NACTO standards, and the on-ramp storage lanes should be narrowed to a single lane at pedestrian crossings. These improvements are consistent with WSDOT approved NACTO and SDOT’s ROWIM.

  2. North-South: A two-way protected bike lane on the east-side of Montlake Blvd from E Roanoke St, across a new walking and biking bridge, to the University Light Rail Station at Husky Stadium is important to creating a safe and convenient system for people biking through this area. This facility is part of the adopted 2014 Seattle Bicycle Master Plan.

  3. North-South: Funding for neighborhood greenway improvements along the Lake Washington Loop from the SR-520 Lid south will simultaneously improve a key link in the non-motorized system and improve the livability of the neighborhood by mitigating cut-through traffic from the relocation of the eastbound SR-520 ramp. These improvements are part of the adopted 2014 Seattle Bicycle Master Plan.

Thank you for your continued commitment to improving the SR-520 project. Please see our full comments in the attached letter.

Sincerely,

Barb Chamberlain, Washington Bikes

Bob Edmiston, Madison Park Greenways, Seattle Board of Park Commissioners

Cathy Tuttle, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways

Dennis Shaw, MD, Montlake Greenways

Elizabeth Kiker, Cascade Bicycle Club

Forrest Baum, University Greenways

Jerry Fulks, Arboretum Neighbors for Safer Streets

Lionel Job, Montlake Community Club Transportation Committee, Montlake Greenways

Lisa Quinn, Feet First

Mike Archambault, Capitol Hill Community Council, Central Seattle Greenways

Shefali Ranganathan, Transportation Choices Coalition

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WSDOT Seeks Community Feedback on “Rest of the West” Design

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Rest of the West UpdatedVIA WSDOT

Last week WSDOT and the city of Seattle released a draft design report containing the final conceptual design recommendations for improvements to the SR 520 corridor in Seattle. Planned but still unfunded improvements in this west side section of the highway include a new Portage Bay Bridge, the new west approach bridge south, lidded overpasses in the Montlake and Roanoke neighborhoods, and enhanced facilities for bicyclists, pedestrians and transit riders.

Got an idea or opinion to share about the design? We love residents taking an interest – tell us what you think! The official public comment period is open, and will run through Feb. 13. You can review the full final report here (as a 22.5 mb PDF) or find it on our website split into smaller bites (better for the digestion).

We have developed a short survey for people to fill out in response to the report.

If you wish to provide your own free-form comments, you can submit them via e-mail or snail mail:
Email: SR520Westside@wsdot.wa.gov
Mail: SR 520 West Side Project, SR 520 Program Office, 999 Third Ave., Suite 2200, Seattle, WA 98104
Thanks for your participation as we finalize plans and seek funding for the Rest of the West!

Montlake Challenged by Rash of Car Prowls: Now What?

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image1Distressing reports on car prowls and vandalism make us all uneasy. It’s hard not to be “creeped out” when we are victims, or just read reports of windshields and windows smashed, of electronics and other belongings stolen—all on our block, down our streets, and now in the Community Center parking lot. We in Montlake are not the only ones. This kind of crime is the most common one reported in Seattle, and reports are up all over. It’s no wonder– most car prowls last less than two minutes and score saleable goods. So this is just the time we need to all work together. Now What?

A Few Reminders For You On What To Do

Leave NO Valuables: electronics, cash, packages in your cars.

Lock car doors & Close windows; use anti-theft device.

Park in your garage & lock the garage doors

No garage? Then…

Park in best-lit location; consider adding lights, especially a motion detector light system (but be especially considerate to shield neighbors from light invasion).

Monitor your car, others’ cars and the whole street.

Speak to your neighbors AND say hello to strangers in your neighborhood, including the Community Center parking lot. (Let people know they are seen.)

CALL 9-1-1 for EVERY Prowl & EVERY Suspicious Activity (To the Police, an unreported crime “didn’t happen.”) Also report to your Block Watch Captain, your immediate neighbors, and to the Montlake community through the Forum.

For more guidance on car prowl prevention: http://www.seattle.gov/police/prevention/auto/carprowl.htm

unnamedMCC Launching 2015 Safety Initiative

Your Montlake Community Club Board is launching the 2015 Safety Initiative through three interconnected efforts (see the December 19, 2014 Montlake Flyer article):

1) Traffic Issues will continue to be addressed by neighbor volunteers led by Montlake Community Club Board member, Lionel Job.

2) Block Watch organizing and revitalization will be led by Bryan Haworth, another MCC Board member. This team will initiate activities to recruit, organize and update training for Block Watch captains.

3) Crime Incidence, Police Staffing & Service Priorities will be addressed by volunteers led by MCC Board members, Bob DeLay and Nathalie Gehrke.

As work proceeds, expect to get progress reports through the Montlake Flyer and Forum. And if you want to help, send a message to Safety@Montlake.net

Let’s Work on This! Let’s keep Montlake welcoming, neighborly, and safe—together.

 

What’s Happening In & Around Montlake

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wh0108

Events in and around Montlake for the week of Jan 8th – Jan 14th.

Upcoming Special Event

Sunday, January 25thMontlakeGardens

In Montlake

Station 22Saturday, January 10th

Tuesday, January 13th

Wednesday, January 14thBusinessCardLogo

Ongoing

Around Montlake

Tuesday, January 13th

Visit our neighborhood calendar to keep track of upcoming events. All registered users of Montlake.net are authorized to submit events via our Post Your Event tool.

Cafe Lago: Building A School Garden Shed, One Pizza At A Time

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MontlakeGardens

Montlake Elementary School

After hearing the Montlake Elementary School Garden Program was in need of a new garden shed, Carla Leonardi, owner of Cafe Lago, had this to share, “Because we are trying to reach the community more and more each year, we feel that the school garden is a perfect place to start. We are going to be working with the students at the restaurant and the garden. So naturally, their need for a tool shed is something we love to help make happen. Also, a benefit at the restaurant will help the community come together for a common good. We love sheds!”

Proposed Shed Design

Proposed Shed Design

Montlake Elementary School has created a thriving greenhouse and garden program.  Now in its 14th year, all students, “Urban Famers,” at Montlake participate weekly and focus on cooking, nutrition and the arts. But this success comes with challenges, Cheri Bloom, garden program coordinator shared “as the program has become more established, we have outgrown our greenhouse space.” The addition of a storage unit would enable the school to create more space for students in the greenhouse, especially for classroom time and also for projects when weather does not permit us to be outdoors.

With the assistance of Cheri Bloom, Montlake Elementary PTA and Montlake Community Club members, Carla has organized a benefit Pizza Party.  Café Lago is donating all food, beverages and labor for the delicious and family friendly event which provides for 100% of ticket sales going to the garden program shed fund.  Neighbors and Community members are invited to join this wonderful event. To provide a comfortable experience for those attending, two seating times are available – 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm or 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm. Tickets are available online by clicking HERE.

Café Lago Benefit Pizza Party – Build a Garden Shed
2305 24th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112

January 25, 2015 (Choose One Seating)
Noon – 1:30pm or 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Tickets: BUY NOW

Tickets: Adults $20 and Children (14 and under) $5
Includes Pizza, Wine, Beer & a Non-Alcoholic Beverage option (Ex. Juice)

UPDATE: Sincere apologies as we have been notified that many have not received email receipts of their ticket purchases. Rest assured all the purchases have been received by Montlake PTA and parties are listed on the reservation sheet. The payment will appear as “MONTLAKE COMM SCH ASSOC” on your bank statement. If you did not receive your receipt and you need a copy sent, please click to email receipts@montlakepta.org or LeAna to request your receipt. Thank you for supporting the garden program. 

Montlake Historic District Nomination: Information & Comments Requested

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montlake historical homesWSDOT appreciates those who attended the Montlake National Register nomination update meeting on December 2. They were pleased to see so many people interested in their historic community. For those who couldn’t make the meeting, you can access the presentation materials online to learn what was covered and discussed.

Sections of the draft Montlake Historic District National Register nomination are online, and WSDOT is eager for more information about historic resources in the area. Comments will be accepted through January 5, 2015.

To review the draft, please follow these steps:

  1. Go to ftp://ftp.wsdot.wa.gov/incoming/MontlakeHistoricDistrict/
  2. Identify on the map the block(s) you want to review.
  3. Open the file with the block number.
  4. Find the address or addresses you want to review.
  5. Open file titled Montlake Narrative Overview to review historic context of neighborhood.

To provide comments:

  1. Use the comment form on the FTP site.
  2. Include property address (not site numbers – they will change).
  3. Provide comments via email by  Jan. 5, 2015 to Steve Archer (archers@wsdot.wa.gov).

For more information about the project:

 

Bridge Construction May Worry Home Owners

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The current SR 530 Bridge project from the West Bridge Approach North (WBAN) to Montlake Blvd. will continue with loud noise and vibration affecting the community and particularly the homes along East Hamlin St. on the north side and East Lake Washington Blvd. on the south side of 520.  This noise and vibration may also continue as an after-effect.

There are City of Seattle and federal regulation that limit construction noise and vibration.  WSDOT inspected some homes adjacent to the construction area to determine their pre-construction condition.  In Madison Park, some condos at the shoreline experienced severe damage.  As a precaution, property owners in Montlake adjacent to the construction are encouraged to document and montior the condition of their property, before, during and after the construction of the 520 project.

The above process includes taking photos of the interior and exterior of homes.  Interior plaster walls are potentially at risk of cracking and homes with brick masonry exterior walls are at risk for cracks in the mortar joints.  Vibration monitoring, which will document the levels that cause damage is being done currently in Madison Park by WSDOT, but only on a limited basis.

Vibration monitoring, on a daily basis at select locations by professional consultants is available to home owners.  Also, monitors for sound are available for purchase for a reasonable cost.  If damage occurs from excessive vibration and residents want to seek reimbursement for repairs, they are advised to seek assistance from a vibration consultant.  The Montlake Community Club Board will be monitoring compliance with city, state and federal standards by WSDOT and the construction company during the project.  If property owners witness excessive noise or vibratio, they can contact the 24 hour WSDOT hotline phone at (206)708-4657 or by e-mail at sr520bridge@wsdot.wa.gov.

If there are any questions regarding the above information, please contact me at (206) 633-5297 or jdecker@deckerarchitects.com.