Dispatches from Ravenna, a neighborhood in Northeast Seattle
The Ravenna-Bryant Community Association is holding their monthly meeting this Wednesday, September 15th. It will once again be held at the Northeast Library (6801 35th Ave NE) from 6-7:45pm.
I don’t know the precise agenda at this time, BUT I know that the big community meeting in October will be discussed.
And if you need further reason to attend, I’ll be bringing HOMEMADE COOKIES. And they are VERY TASTY.
If you’re an Eckstein Middle School parent or guardian, Volunteer Coordinator LauraLeigh Young needs your help (emphasis mine):
YOU can help Eckstein students get off to a great start this year by spending just a few hours at school this Wednesday or Thursday! Volunteers are needed to welcome and direct students in the morning and at lunch on the first two days of school — no experience required and don’t worry, you don’t need to already know your way around the building!
The school is looking for help during the following times:
If you’re available during any of those four times and would like to help, contact Laura at llyoung [at] seattleschools.org.
Nathan Eckstein Middle School is located at 3003 NE 75th Street.
The Northeast Library reopens on Tuesday! Yay!
Strap the kids into the mini-van Volvo station wagon and head on down to 6801 35th Ave NE to return that overdue copy of Harold and the Purple Crayon, but if you’re expecting to go to Story Time…
Tall as a Tree!
…you’re out of luck.
Wide as a...wait a second...
Children’s Librarian Erica Delavan will be spending some of her time this month catching up from the closure and visiting local elementary schools. Story Times will resume the first week of October.
Erica recommends, in the meantime:
Begin with Books kits: Check out thematic kits for toddlers and preschoolers. More information on how to reserve these kits is here. [http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=audience_children_parents_themekits]
That link will be open on Tuesday, too.
I was pulling up my carrots in the backyard (to make way for overwintering broccoli), when I found an oregano plant growing in between the rows. Huh!
I already have an oregano plant elsewhere in the backyard (probably the mama of this new one), so I’m looking to find a home for the little guy.
I can haz a home?
The FIRST Ravenna/Bryant neighbor to email me the answer to the following question (in the comments below) will have Oregano Jr. here delivered to his/her doorstep!
Good luck!
RHS Thriller Club article at My Green Lake - click to read at MyGreenLake.com
There’s a club at Roosevelt High School who will dress up as zombies, come to your October event, and perform the Thriller video zombie dance…for FREE!
Amy at My Green Lake has the story.
Wow. Clubs have sure changed since I was in high school.
The NE 45th Avenue viaduct project is almost done. Huzzah! Construction is due to be completed on September 10th, just in time for the first Husky football game the next day.
There are a few more viaduct projects to finish in October and November — lighting installation, finalizing the line striping and pedestrian markings, and replanting the surrounding area — but the detour will be no more, and life will return to normal…
…until January of next year, when two new construction projects are headed our way.
I’m sure we can all agree that the surface of 15th Avenue NE is a pothole-riddled disaster, and the increased traffic from the viaduct detour route isn’t doing it any favors.
Happily for us, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has plans in the works to reconstruct most of 15th Avenue between NE Pacific Street and NE 55th Street between January and October of 2011.
Project area for the 15th Ave NE reconstruction, courtesy SDOT
This popular arterial will be FULLY RECONSTRUCTED between NE Pacific Street and NE 50th Street between January and September, while the stretch between NE 50th Street and NE 55th Street will just get a repaving. Intersections at NE Pacific Street, NE 45th Street, and NE 50th Street will not be repaved as this was done more recently.
And there’s more! From the SDOT’s 15th Avenue Reconstruction Project website:
Other improvements include:
- New curb ramps and curb bulbs to improve pedestrian mobility
- Sidewalk widening at bus zones (bus bulbs)
- Drainage upgrades
- Installation of a new marked crosswalk at NE 41st St
- New northbound left turn lane at NE 42nd St
- Upgraded street lighting system
- New electrical infrastructure for future transit improvements
- Transit improvements including
- North to west turn restriction from 15th NE to NE 45th during some or all of the day
- Expanded bus stop waiting areas (bus bulbs) at two locations
- Bus stop consolidation where stops are too close together
All great stuff. But the area is going to be a general mess during the construction. Trolley wires will be turned off on weekends to accommodate construction needs. This means diesel buses will be traveling through the area instead. There will always be access to residences and businesses for pedestrians, but rerouting and/or detours could spring up. Vehicles will definitely be affected: No street = no street parking, and access to parking lots and garages will be affected as well.
Just like with the viaduct and the 22nd avenue NE repaving project, it seems as though the SDOT can fund another, smaller, nearby project through the bidding process for the 15th Avenue NE project. And this one should make pedestrians breathe a sigh of relief.
Here’s what the area in question looks like now:
The "Scramble," with street names
Street names removed, pedestrian "no-man's land" highlighted
And here are the current construction plans for the area (click image to open a larger version in a separate window):
Current "Scramble" construction project plans, courtesy SDOT
Two items of particular note in this graphic:
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I am very excited about both of these projects, but speaking both as a pedestrian and a driver, I really look forward to unscrambling the “Scramble.”
For more information on these projects, visit the main 15th Avenue NE Reconstruction page and the accompanying FAQ page.
An open house thrown by the SDOT detailing these projects and their effects on the community will happen sometime this November or December.
Funding for these projects comes from the Bridging the Gap levy passed by Seattle voters in 2006.
You can see a specially-crafted Google Map of the “Scramble,” and scroll around all you please, right here.
Many thanks to Project Manager Jessica Murphy at the Seattle Department of Transportation and Kristine Edens from EnviroIssues for stopping by the August Ravenna-Bryant Community Association meeting and sharing this information.
UPDATE: Email update from the SDOT says that the projects will be advertised for competitive bids this month (September). Schedule remains unchanged.
You could clean your garage this weekend, like you’ve been meaning to do for MONTHS. But here are some other options for your weekend that you might enjoy a little more than that:
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BOTH
Anything else to add? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll edit the post!
In case you didn’t know, in case the Ravenna Blog is your ONLY source of news — we’re flattered, certainly, but we DON’T recommend it — ALL branches of the Seattle Public library are CLOSED next week.
There is a big ol’ list of SPL services that won’t work during the furlough (see above link for details), and many other news sources have listed them. The Ravenna Blog shall not. We prefer to think positively about these things.
THUS, here are the Seattle Public Library services that WILL work during the closure:
There you are! Your list of CAN DO for the furlough week. If you need anything else, you’ve got through Sunday, August 29.
GO GO GO!
I'd wager the parking here still works, too.
NOW is the time to send in your thoughts about the proposed rezoning of the properties around 15th Ave NE and NE 65th St, if you haven’t already. The deadline for public comments about the Environmental Impact Survey for the Roosevelt Development Group’s proposed zoning changes is next Wednesday, September 1.
If you feel well-informed on the issue, feel free to skip down to the “How should I send in my input?” part of this blog post and start there.
For the rest of us (myself included), I’ve hunted down answers to some common questions about the scoping process AND what the content and form of our comments should be.
I found the following description of the scoping process in the Enviromental Scoping Information Report (EIS) for the East Link Project (applies to our situation as well; emphasis mine):
The purpose of scoping is to determine the range of alternatives and identify the potentially significant issues to be analyzed in depth in the EIS. The scoping process is also intended to eliminate detailed study of those issues that are not significant and those issues that have been addressed by prior studies. This scoping process includes public meetings at which anyone may have their oral comments recorded and/or provide written comments. Written comments are encouraged throughout the scoping period.
In other words: Developers want to make big changes in your area. Here are their plans. What do you think?
There have been two public meetings on the Roosevelt/Ravenna rezone issue where public comments were recorded (sort of; DPD tries to explain what happened here, Glenn Roberts gives his impression here). Now the comment collection window is closing. It’s time to let the city know what YOU think about these rezone plans!
Again: Developers want to make big changes in your area. Here are their plans. What do you think?
It’s in OUR neighborhood where these proposed changes may take place, OUR backyards. It doesn’t matter whether you support the rezones or not: You should let your City know what you think, either way.
The Roosevelt Neighborhood Association has an excellent list of comment suggestions (MSWord doc) that will help you organize your thoughts in writing (no matter what side of the issue you’re on):
The DPD has already identified six key elements for discussion in the Environmental Impact Survey for the Sisley properties (DPD Notice of Determination of Significance):
Now, the Roosevelt Development Group has outlined six different proposals for the EIS which were on display at the last scoping meeting on July 21st. You may want to address specific plans in your comments (for instance, the plan that rezones the area for 160-foot-tall buildings). You can find a description of those alternatives here. Graphics of the six alternatives are also online (pdf, 5.6 MB file).
If you want to be a Thorough Theodore, you may want to apply ALL SIX key elements (Height, bulk and scale; Land use; etc.) to ALL SIX of the RDG’s six proposals. Yeah, that’s a lot of work, but that’s what happens when a developer throws six different proposals out all at once.
If you like some direction on which of the six proposals you should spend your time on, Glenn Roberts (Roosevelt-Ravenna Zoning Issues) has the following to say (emphasis mine):
I agree with almost every remark made [in the scoping meeting transcripts]. And strongly agree that only Options #1, 2, and 6 be studied in the EIS. #1 is no change, #2 is the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association rezoning plan, and #6 (because it is so patently ridiculous) the 160′ RDG proposal.
City of Seattle
Department of Planning and Development, Attn: Shelley Bolser
700 5th Avenue, Suite 2000
PO BOX 34019
Seattle, WA 98124-4019
However you choose to send your comments in, INCLUDE THE PROJECT NUMBER: 3010100.
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References
Sisleyville Scoping Comments Deadline TOMORROW
If you’ve been putting off telling the city how you feel about potential development in your neighborhood, you’re OUT OF TIME!
The deadline for public comments about the Environmental Impact Survey for the Roosevelt Development Group’s proposed zoning changes is this Wednesday, September 1.
That’s TOMORROW.
Here’s the Quick and Dirty version of what to do (as posted in the Tremendously Long and Thorough version of a few days ago):
This is OUR neighborhood, this is OUR conversation. Make your voice heard.