Early in the morning at The Bunny House (aka Halloween House) found the Big Bunnies welcoming neighborhood children and parents on Sunday, May 20th. Clearly “somebunny” was up really early hiding colorful eggs for little ones carrying baskets–or really little ones being carried. Big Bunny Don led the enthusiastic egg seekers in a vigorous round of hopping before giving the ear wiggle signal to begin the hunt. Big Bunny James presided over a grand eggy buffet and helped “egg on” a few hesitant hunters. Some egg seekers came costumed to bond with the bunnies; some dressed for a garden party; some blended into the crowd, but EVERYONE had a memorable time, and applauded the Bunny Hospitality. Thanks Big Guys! Montlake doesn’t just like you; Montlake loves you!
WABN Op-Ed: The Short Answer Is NO
THE MEETING – 10 APRIL, 2014 – WABN Construction Update
Some people had a meeting just the other night,
at the Queen City Yacht Club with a WSDOT invite.
WSDOT’s people paid a visit, their panel fronted the room
to inform us about WABN which would be happening soon.
A mayor’s office representative sat far in the back
and waved when introduced but never said jack.
People from distant neighborhoods were plentiful there
and a man from Roanoke was the meeting’s acting chair.
The chairman was polite with well-prepared questions
all carefully worded to avoid any hint of contention.
The chair’s polite questions were vaguely answered by WSDOT
and those ambiguous answers caused the audience to get hot.
Many folks were just there because they were curious
while a few of our neighbors almost sounded furious.
When the time came to give the audience their turn,
the hands flew in the air – they were starting to burn!
THE DISCUSSION
The first public comment came from Madison Park.
A man stood and said this WSDOT plan is too stark.
He had tried working that plan for now seventeen years;
seems this WSDOT fiasco had nearly brought him to tears.
Then the audience helped him out with loud applause and cheers!
Though most of the speakers were cool and polite,
the audience mood was hardly contrite.
Both S DOT and WS DOT did their own traffic studies
but, our analysis has shown their results are too muddy.
So intentionally focused at just the traffic ‘on-shore’,
they’ve ignored the real reasons that the neighbors deplore,
reasons that keep the neighbors from getting to the store.
Then a man from Montlake stood and pointed out the fatal flaws
in WSDOT’s traffic study, to more loud audience applause.
That study’s missed out the Arboretum’s five thousand cars;
WSDOT didn’t answer – perhaps the cars are on Mars.
Next a lady from Laurelhurst complained about the long time
driving from her home neighborhood waiting in traffic lines,
all the way through Montlake full of traffic lights and stop signs,
she said her trip downtown in minutes takes about forty-nine.
A second man from Montlake stood up, then he rambled,
though his thoughts were pertinent they were a bit scrambled.
When the chair finally asked is there a question in there,
man two paused – but before sitting back in his chair –
he held up the evening handout, WSDOT’s March newsletter,
and asked ‘Why is this intentionally misleading information in there’?
What was in that newsletter that excited the man so?
It was this one simple question to be answered yes or no:
Will there be traffic impacts when WABN lets go?
And to their own question, WSDOT’s short answer was no.
More audience applause then helped Montlake man two to his chair.
THE REAL PROBLEM
University Village keeps adding more and more parking,
and at the car-intense U dub only the huskies are barking.
As for the drawbridge that flies open for just one solitary boat,
stopping hundreds of cars from crossing our own Montlake moat,
fixing that outdated maritime law is our neighbor’s big hope.
It’s a big Montlake deal to which all our politicians say nope.
THE ENDING
WS DOT responded weakly to most questions from the audience,
as though they would have preferred to just sit there in silence.
When their talking points got repetitive people started looking bored
and before too much longer we all headed for the door
So, did the neighborhood appreciate WSDOT’s evening PR show?
If I could speak for the neighbors, I’d say the short answer was NO!
By: ArtArchitect
Montlake Artists, Where Are You? Come Show Your Stuff
We’ve got Musicians. We’ve got Authors. We need MORE Artists for the All-Montlake Music & Arts Happening, Sunday, May 18 (2-5 p.m.) at the Montlake Community Center.
Last year, we had a great time celebrating our talented Montlake artists and musicians. We want to have that pleasure again. Young and old; amateur and professional; all kinds of artists are needed to show off their creations– ceramics, paintings, prints, photography, jewelry, carvings, sculptures, fly tying, fabric creations, fiber art, wood crafts, cartooning, caricatures, bonsai and more. If your artistry doesn’t fit in any of these categories, try us anyway. We invite variety. (And it’s okay if you showed your talent last year. We’re ready to see your new creations.) Contact us at AMMAHappening@montlake.net to sign up or ask some questions.
And Montlake neighbors, get that May 18 date into your calendars now. You don’t want to miss this chance to enjoy the gifts of your friends and creative folks down the street. Bring the kids. Bring your extended family, Bring your friends from other neighborhoods. This event, sponsored by your Montlake Community Club, is worth it!
Attention Residents on Hamlin and Lake WA Blvd
All residents near the SR-520 roadway are eligible for a free pre-construction inspection of their home. The period for requesting an inspection started in February and is ongoing until the end of April. WSDOT expects to complete the inspections soon.
Considering the damage that Madison Park residents have experienced from the pile driving activities in the lake near their homes, it would be wise for Montlake residents to take advantage of this offer and get their property inspected. If any damage occurs during construction, it may be difficult to seek damages from the contractor if a pre-construction inspection has not been completed. If you want an inspection and have not made your request yet, contact Kristin Sandstrom at 206-770-3628.
Julee Neuhart, MCC President
Op-Ed: Speak out about backyard and sideyard homes
The Montlaker blog reported on the issue of backyard and sideyard homes back on 9/2/12. It now comes down to a public hearing this Friday (4/18) and a letter writing campaign to city council members to ensure that permanent restrictions are put on the height of these towering structures and the minimum lot size for large-scale building on a lot where a home already exists. Because this issue started in Montlake, you may have an interest in learning the status of the issue and how your voice can be heard.
The feature article in the current issue of Seattle Weekly dives into the subdivision controversy that fired up Blaine residents earlier this year. View on montlaker.com
City council members are hearing a lot from developers (and their lobbyist) on the issue, and we don’t want our voice as concerned homeowners to be drowned out so it’s critical you make your voice heard in the next few days.
How you can help:
- Show your in-person support at City Hall at 2pm on Friday, 4/18 (see details below)
- Write a letter (sample below for your customization)
Resources and more info:
- DPD’s latest recommendations
- One Home Per Lot’s suggestions for how the land use committee can improve on the DPD’s final recommendations
- Sample letter addressing some of the suggestions from citizen’s group One Home Per Lot
Here’s the contact information for the land use committee members:
- Mike O’Brien, 206-684-8800, mike.obrien@seattle.gov
- Tim Burgess, 206-684-8806, tim.burgess@seattle.gov
- Nick Licata, 206-684-8803, nick.licata@seattle.gov
- Sally Clark, 206-684-8802, sally.clark@seattle.gov
Time and location of public hearing:
The public hearing will be part of the committee’s regularly scheduled meeting: This Friday (4/18/14) at 2:00 p.m. in City Council chambers, City Hall (600 Fourth Avenue, downtown Seattle). The committee wants to hear from all citizens (you don’t have to understand the technical details in order to share your opinions on this issue). Couple things to keep in mind:
- Each speaker is limited to two minutes of speaking time.
- It’s first come, first served — and if there’s a large crowd, not everyone will be provided a chance to speak. You have to arrive early and sign up before the meeting starts if you want to speak. (Plan to arrive by 1:30)
- When you arrive, line up in front of the council chamber doors (which will remain locked until 1:45)
Thanks in advance for your support.
Neighbors on behalf of One Home Per Lot
Calling All Montlake Artists, Musicians, & Authors
Join in our 2nd ANNUAL “All Montlake Music, Arts & Authors Happening”
That’s right, once again we’re looking for our neighbors to step forth, (or nominate neighbors and friends) to entertain and delight us all on Sunday afternoon, May 18 at the Montlake Community Center.
- To celebrate and enjoy the talents of our many Montlake neighbors–professionals and amateurs, children and adults;
- To meet and greet your neighbors;
- To continue a wonderful new tradition.
We invite artists to display paintings & drawings, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, fiber art, photographs, woodworking, and other artistic creations.
We invite musicians — soloists to small groups; folk to jazz to classical; vocals and instrumentals; wacky to inspiring.
And this year, we’re inviting authors to show off their works.
If we’ve caught your interest, e-mail AMMAHappening@montlake.net to get a few more details and/or put yourself or your group on the potential participant lists. If you know any bashful artists, authors, or musicians in Montlake whom you’d like to see celebrated at the event, please let us know so we can encourage them to sign on. We can only do this event if our talented folks join in.
And finally, if you’d like to be part of the Montlake Community Club planning committee or help staff the event on May 18th, contact us at the same address.
Step Outside with a Summer Camp!
Summer camp at the Washington Park Arboretum is bounding into its fourth year with more weeks offered and new programs. Come join us for a week (or more!) of fun and educational adventures in our 230 acre outdoor classroom located in the heart of Seattle. Our day-camp curriculums are designed in support of our mission: to promote environmental conservation through education and recreation. To achieve this we focus on hands-on exploration, play and experiential learning. Depending on the weekly theme, campers may become ethnobotanists, artists, urban farmers or field biologists all while learning about the importance of teamwork and sustainability.
Camps are available for 1st-6th graders, and include weeks on insects, wetlands, art, and farming. Click here for more information.
New this year! Fiddleheads Preschool Summer Camp! A half-day, week-long adventure for preschoolers age 4, 5 and 6 year olds entering kindergarten.
Camp sizes are limited and space fills up quickly, so register today!
You can register online or you can call 206-685-8033.
There is also a 15% discount for UW employees and Arboretum Foundation Members.
New Childcare Center for Infants and Toddlers: Opening in March!
We are excited to announce that Seattle Learning Center has opened a new school in Montlake! The new center offers a full-day program for infants and toddlers. We accept children ages 3 months to 35 months. Our school is open from 7:30am to 6:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Our Montlake center is licensed for 7 infants and 14 toddlers. We currently have full-week openings in our infant room and part-week and full-week openings in our toddler room. Our new center will open on March 3rd, 2014.
You are warmly invited to an open tour day on:
Thursday, Feb 27th at 4-6pm
Children are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served. The school location is 2734 Montlake Blvd E. If you can come, please let us know by contacting Lily Talley, executive director, at 206-538-6778 or at info@seattlelearningcenter.com.
We look forward to serving you and your children.
Lily Talley Executive Director Seattle Learning Center www.seattlelearningcenter.com