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Neighborhood Improvements in Broadview

Updated: April 9, 2011

MEETINGS DEMONSTRATING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND LONG-SOUGHT IMPROVEMENTS COMING OUR WAY!

A big night for our neighborhood! The two most costly neighborhood improvements to be funded through our City government were featured at two locations. Our Broadview Community Council Board members covered both meetings. Several headed for Luther Memorial Church where Seattle Public Utilities project people presented plans, information, and answered questions related to sewage infrastructure improvements that will be installed over the next several years.

At the Bitter Lake Community Center, about 50 neighbors attended the Linden Avenue North Complete Street Project briefing session conducted by Connie Zimmerman, Project Manager. Seattle Department of Transportation staff used large and long, seemed like about 12-foot long, depictions of what our Linden Avenue will look like. Several of these lengthy displays were taped on different tables to maximize individual opportunities for viewing the details of the project.

Connie Zimmerman convened the gathering by introducing all SPU staff members who were working on the project. She talked about some of the special enhancements we can enjoy such as art work, trees, railings, leaf-patterned sidewalks a question-and-answer session. We will be seeing startup activities in the next few weeks beginning with Seattle City Light determining relocations of their equipment and facilities.

Most of the questions from the audience were about parking availability in that it is expected we will have 20-25 percent less parking than we currently have. We were assured that on-street parking will be everywhere they can possibly install it. People asked for garbage cans but we were told there wouldn’t be any in that there isn’t funding to maintain them. Some participants indicated that volunteers could be scheduled to help with waste disposal rather than having no receptacles for waste along the 17 blocks where improvements are scheduled. Additional topics included maintenance of planted areas, specific placement of the Interurban Bicycle Trail, concerns about individuals walking along the bike trail, safety of walkers along adjacent roadways, and

sources of funding for the project.

Do you have what it takes to be a Tree Ambassador?

by Dale Johnson

Updated: April 7, 2011

Green Seattle Partnership is working with the Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment to start a residential and street-scape property tree program called the Tree Ambassadors. Tree Ambassadors will work in their own neighborhoods to help support and create tree canopy through a wide range of projects and outreach activities. The goal of the program is to help as many residents as possible plant the right trees in their yards and parking strips, and to help educate about species that shouldn’t be growing in their yards.

The Green Seattle Partnership is involved because we realize that all of our natural land parks are surrounded by residential areas that can have a large impact on our restoration efforts. This is a great opportunity to educate neighborhoods about invasive plants, illegal dumping, and selecting the right plants.

Tree Ambassadors will be trained in the basics of urban forestry, leadership and community organizing. As a Tree Ambassador, you will work in teams of 2-3 people to develop projects for your neighborhood which could include tree walks, invasive species removal workdays, and/or tree plantings. No previous tree experience necessary, only a desire to learn and a passion for urban greenery. Both the team and individual applications and more information can found be online at seattle.gov/trees/treeambassador.htm. Applications are due April 24.

Please help spread the word! Thanks

Joanna Nelson

Green Seattle Partnership Project Manager

office: 206-905-6913

cell: 206-240-2222

fax: 206-292-4765

Cascade Land Conservancy

615 Second Ave, Suite 600

Seattle, WA 98104

www.cascadeland.org

Paving on N 105th Tomorrow, April 8th

by Dale Johnson

Posted: April 7, 2011

SDOT Traffic Advisory

For immediate release: April 7, 2011

Contact: Marybeth Turner, (206) 684-8548

Paving on N 105^th Street Tomorrow

SEATTLE—Seattle Department of Transportation paving crews will apply a new layer of asphalt to N 105^th from Aurora Avenue N to Linden Avenue N on Friday, April 8, if weather is favorable. They plan to work from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. leaving at least one lane open for each direction of traffic. This work is needed due to the ongoing problem of potholes in this location.

Earth Day Volunteers Needed at Carkeek Park – April 16th

by Dale Johnson

Posted: April 5, 2011

Volunteers are NEEDED for a work party at Carkeek Park
Saturday, April 16th

Help celebrate the 31st Annual Earth Day 2011 at Carkeek Park and Piper’s Creek Watershed by volunteering at this event. Youth groups, families and individuals welcome to participate.

8:45 AM to 11:00 AM
Work party includes stenciling storm drains, cleaning up of trash and recycling.

11:00 AM to 12:00
Activities include snacks, release of salmon and musical program.

Sponsored by Carkeek Park Advisory Council (CPAC), Restore Our Waters (Seattle Public Utilities) Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project (CWCAP) and Seattle Parks and Recreation Department (SPRD).

For more information or to volunteer,

call Nancy Malmgren at 206-363-4116.

How do we add value to our homes?

by Susan George

Posted: April 3, 2011

The first thing that comes to mind is home improvements. We love our homes and our plan is remain living in them for the next few years. Remodeling that kitchen and bathroom – a popular and often recommended solution – might be financially out of reach for many of us. Those types of remodels are important improvements. However, if money is presently so tight where else can we look for ways to add long term value to our homes?

Investment in our community is, I believe, an underappreciated value source. Buyers frequently ask me about the community where their prospective ‘new’ home is located. They want to know about the neighborhood, the schools, the parks and the walking distance to shops and restaurants. These ‘value’ questions can now be easily answered with an available phone application Walk Score.

A second underutilized value source is the Broadview Community Council. Your Council Board members freely give of up their time to address issues that bring value to the Broadview community. They lobby city government for neighborhood improvements such as safety, parks, sidewalks and infrastructure improvements. Have you been to a BCC meeting lately to see the results of their efforts on your community’s behalf? The next time you’re walking around Broadview I invite you to check-out Broadview’s Walk Score. I would also invite to join the Broadview Community Council. Yearly household membership is $10 and that’s cheap compared to a kitchen remodel!

First Quarter Median Price Chart

* click picture to view larger

As you can see, January 2011 started with a big jump in home values. Home values in February and March, 2011 were roughly equal to these same months of 2010 but remember 2010 had the Government Homebuyer $8,000 Tax Credit Benefit program.

Susan George is a Real Estate Broker for Coldwell Banker Bain

Finally! Help for our ailing sewage and storm water infrastructure!

by April Sotura

Posted: April 2, 2011

Broadview residents, please come out to the meeting with SPU this coming week. Wednesday night, April 6th starting at 6 p.m. at the Lutheran Memorial Church. Seattle Public Utilities will be speaking to our community about the new focus of capital budget funding for our area. They will discuss their short and long term plans to address Broadview’s sewage and storm water overflow problems.

The SPU team will be on hand at 6 p.m., with a kiosk format, to discuss answer questions on a range of subjects. The meeting will formally start at 6:30. At the end there will be a panel discussion and Q and A.

Please come to this meeting and bring a neighbor or two; for us to solve these infrastructure problems will require that we work together on behalf of Broadview.

We have waited a long time for a commitment from the City. Let’s hear that they have to say. Please check it out on Wednesday night.

Happiness on a rainy Seattle day

by Susan George

Updated: March 31, 2011

Tired of our extended gray days in Seattle?…..rain…..more rain. Here’s a solution – my daughter and I recently took a pie making class at Dish it up! in Ballard. Here’s the link to a great video: Sisters of pies

It is on the website of Art of the Pie.

The teacher was Kate McDermott. Her website and video brings me such joy that I thought I would share it with you. Go make a pie…There is enough info on pie making on the website you don’t have to take her class. But if you ever get a chance to take a class…meeting her will be worth the price of admission.

Home invasion Burglary shots fired on 135th and 3rd Avenue NW

by Will Murray

Updated: March 27, 2011

The Seattle Police Department blotter reports:

“On March 25th at approximately 11:53 a.m. officers responded to 911 calls of a male subject armed with a rifle firing numerous rounds at another subject in the middle of the street in the 13500 block of 3rd Avenue NW. Officers arriving on scene located and detained an adult male subject who was later determined to have been in possession of a rifle (the rifle was found nearby lying on the ground).

Information and evidence indicates that this was a medical marijuana dispensary. Medical marijuana dispensaries are not legal in the State of Washington.”

http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2011/03/25/home-invasion-burglary-interrupted-shots-fired/

Neighbors reported that Broadview Thompson elementary was placed into lock down mode because of suspects at large.

Komo news report:

http://northseattle.komonews.com/news/crime/update-2-arrested-2-large-after-interrupted-burglary-3rd-ave-nw/630770

Staying in touch outside of Broadview Community!

by Dale Johnson

Updated: March 25, 2011

On behalf of our Broadview Community Council members I attended two meetings this week. One meeting was our Northwest District Council on Wednesday evening at the Greenwood Senior Center and the other was the Seattle Community Council Federation meeting, held at the NOAA headquarters on Lake Union Thursday evening. Both of these organizations are integral to providing platforms for learning about events and issues that affect our daily lives.

NORTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL (nwdistrictcouncil.org): The recent reorganization of this group adds more neighboring communities. Also, there is a new Department of Neighborhoods (DON) staff person providing support by the name of Rob Mattson. The highlight of the March meeting was to review a list of eight projects submitted for funding through the 2011 Neighborhood Projects Fund in our District. We reviewed each project and set a date of April 22 by which time each voting organization must submit three projects for funding to DON. If any reader wants to discuss these projects, please contact me (patamccoy@gmail.com). There are currently about 16 member organizations on this group, however, many were not represented at the meeting. I’m planning to contact those in our Broadview/Bitter Lake area and provide them with voting information. Please check out the NWDC web site if you want more background information.

SEATTLE COMMUNITY COUNCIL FEDERATION (seattlefederation.blogspot.com): Check out the web site if you’d like to see agendas on a regular basis. This group meets on third Thursdays at the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Last night’s meeting was a real eye opener. I’ve got a stack of literature on HANFORD CHALLENGE (hanfordchallenge.org) and the main speaker was Tom Carpenter, Executive Director. Tom is a lawyer who represents nuclear whistle blowers. Frankly, I had NO idea about any of this but the situation in Japan prompted the Chair to arrange for this program. Here’s just one quote regarding the Hanford site:

“Every gram of plutonium results in one ton of nuclear waste. There are 53 million

gallons of nuclear waste in 177 underground waste tanks. Waste lives for about 300 years. It

can’t be made harmless. These tanks were to last 20 years but they are way beyond their

design life. Japan’s waste storage system was well designed. The Hanford system is only

moderately well designed.”

There is an event on Tuesday night you may want to attend to learn more entitled “What is the State of the Hanford Nuclear Waste Site?” It will be in the Olympic Room within the Northwest Buildings at Seattle Center, 305 Harrison Street, from 6-9:30 p.m. March 29.

The other speaker was Mike McCormick (labwatch.org) who talked about the continuing proliferation of high-containment biolabs in Seattle and why citizen oversight remains critical to our safety. He urges that citizens need to be informed about the potential uses of these facilities and have a say as to whether they want them located in their neighborhoods and city without adequate safeguards. Check the site for more information.

Spring Blooms in Broadview

by Sue Jensen

Posted: March 23, 2011

Sunday, March 20th, was the equinox and first official day of spring, but today we really felt it. The signs were everywhere: blue skies, sun and shadows! The temperature is nearly 60 degrees. Bugs and bird song abound, cats curled up in sunny spots and the dog rolling in the grass. I see the welcome blooms of daffodils, primroses, hellebores pieris, viburnums and especially, the heady scent of Daphne by the front door.

Ah, spring, beckoning us outside again after weeks of gray and rain. Working in the front yard, pruning, turning the soil and weeding, I get a chance to socialize, catching up with the neighbors and kids on the block. My energy rises and I burst out in the usual ambitious ‘To Do’ lists of spring. Topping my list this week:
• Veggie garden: add the compost and chicken manure and turn the soil. The peas are planted but I want to get the hardy early season seeds and starts– lettuces, radishes, bok choy and onions– in the ground soon. I can harvest my winter greens and purple spouting broccoli is nearly ready! Best to wait till the soil is warm in May or early June to plant warm season crops like tomatoes, peppers, beans, basil and cucumbers.
• Chickens! We are joining the urban homestead movement and are getting 3 sweet chicks from another Broadview friend in a couple weeks. So, we need to get going on that chicken coop and fencing this weekend. A Google search leads to hundreds of inspiring chicken coop examples and plans online. We need to find one we can adapt to fit our space, budget and carpentry skills.
• Roses: prune back the dead tips, remove the crossing branches, careful to leave the cuts clean with the next growing bud facing in the direction you want it to grow.
• Fill in the bare spots: the early November freeze killed a few plants, making way for bare ground I can fill with new garden favorites. I’ve got new dahlias, heathers, fancy heucheras, carex and primroses to pop in the ground and spring pots to fill.
• Share and mentor: a call to gardeners to make an effort to meet with new gardening friends to share the garden knowledge and enthusiasm you’ve gleaned over the years. Saturday, my son stopped by with questions on compost and worm bins, and left with some raspberry starts to plant in his Fremont garden. This weekend we’ll visit friends with the new home and garden to offer advice and planning tips, then share a meal. Lots of other opportunities to share nearby, with the new Bitter Lake P-Patch garden going in and the Viewlands School design team interested in planning for school yard gardens too!
Heading outside to get my hands dirty . . . . .
Next posting: a report on sustainable practices we can adopt in our gardens.