Fairview Avenue North Bridge Replacement Project – The city is replacing the bridge at Fairview Ave N. Located on the southeast shore of Lake Union near the 1200 block of Fairview Ave N in Seattle, the bridge is next to the historic Lake Union Steam Plant building. The oldest portion of the current bridge was built more than 65 years ago and is the last timber-supported bridge on a major road in Seattle. While safe for travel today, the bridge is structurally unstable and vulnerable to earthquakes, including the newer portion made of steel and concrete, and needs to be replaced. Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2019. You can view the city’s ‘Look Book’, which contains lots of info about the project here. You can visit the project website here. You can email the project team at fairviewbridge@seattle.gov or phone them at 206-684-8325.
ECC public meeting — Tues., June 5 6:30 p.m. at TOPS-Seward School, 2500 Franklin Ave. Part 1: Engage Police Dept. about Eastlake’s public safety priorities, and July 4 plans. For background, see the section on Crime Prevention and Law Enforcement on the ECC web site. Part 2: Transit Riders Union and UW employees speak about their current campaign on the UPass. Part 3: update on land use issues, including developer presentation about a project for 10 apartments/4 parking spaces at 2617 Franklin Ave E. For background on that project, click here and here.
City Council public hearing on proposed Citywide upzones — Tues., June 5 6 p.m. at Chief Sealth High School, 2600 SW Thistle St, Seattle, WA 98126. To view agenda, click here. About the advisability of getting there early, how to send a written comment, and about the upzoning issue and the legal challenge, click here.
Public comment opportunity on the proposed Tree Ordinance update now before the City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Zoning Committee — Wed., June 6 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers, 601 Fifth Avenue. For background: http://friends.urbanforests.org andhttp://treepac.org.
The Basics of Calculating Water Dependent Rent, June 13, 6 p.m., TOPS
All your questions answered about how the Department of Natural Resources calculates the amount of rent you pay for your DNR lease. Please join the Floating Homes Association and DNR at an outreach meeting to discuss how the state calculates water dependent rents. Representatives from DNR will cover the basics of how rent is calculated and discuss how you can forecast changes at the revaluation period. This is also a great opportunity to meet your local land manager!
Date: June 13, 2018 Time: 6:00-8:00 pm Location: TOPS K-8 School, 2500 Franklin Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102
Clean up and celebrate at Good Turn Park — Friday, June 15 10 a.m. to noon (Martin street end, 3149 Fairview Ave. E.). Wear gloves and sturdy shoes. Also welcome: shovel, pruner, saw, and/or food or drink to share.
Fairview shoreline cleanup — Tues., June 19 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet in front of Lake Union Drydock, 1515 Fairview Ave. E. Remove weeds/trash, prune, plant, and enjoy the great weather and view. Wear sturdy shoes. Tools will be provided. Extra work gloves available. Businesses are encouraged to allow employees to participate “on the clock.” Questions: info@eastlakeseattle.org.
Work party to save Colonnade and its redwoods from invasive plants — Wed., June 20 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the west entrance of the Seattle Park Department’s I-5 Colonnade Open Space (near corner of Franklin Ave. E. and E. Blaine street, by north end of the off-leash area). Wear sturdy shoes. Gloves and tools will be provided. For background on this important park, click here.
Clean up Eastlake after the fireworks and crowds — Wed., July 5 10:30 a.m. to 12:30. Meet at Louisa street-end park on Fairview Ave. E. for gloves and to pick up empty trash bags and drop off full ones. Optional registration at www.pugetsoundkeeper.org/events. A picnic lunch will be provided afterwards at Lake Union Park. Co-sponsors: ECC, Puget Soundkeeper, and SeaFair.
Eastlake Summer Cruise — Thurs., July 12 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., 1611 Fairview Ave. E. Cruise Lake Union and Lake Washington with your friends and neighbors. Tickets $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com or by clicking here. Includes dinner, salad, and dessert. Unbeatable price! Sponsored by the Eastlake Community Council.
Eastlake free outdoor movie, Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights”– Sat., July 14 In Rogers Playground. Fun and picnics begin at 7:30 p.m., movie at 8:35. Released in 1931, City Lights is widely recognized as among the greatest movies ever made, and is rated as being suitable for all ages. For more about it, see page 2 of the Summer 2018 Eastlake News. Sponsored by ECC and local businesses.
Seattle Night Out — Tues., Aug. 7 Free of the normal permits and insurance requirements, have a street party to help neighbors meet each other. As time allows, police and fire officers drop by. Block watches and emergency preparedness teams sometimes result; about them, seehttp://eastlakeseattle.org. To register: http://seattle.gov/police/nightout or on Facebook. For questions or advice, contact ECC atinfo@eastlakeseattle.org or (206) 322-5463.
Eastlake’s parking crisis and what to do about it — Tues., April 24 6:30 p.m. at TOPS-Seward School, 2500 Franklin Ave. E. For background, click here.
Eastlake tree walk led by Arthur Lee Jacobson — Sat., April 28 10 a.m. to noon (refreshments at 9:30 a.m.). Begins at Roanoke Street-end park, corner of Fairview Ave. E. and E. Roanoke St.
ECC Spring Celebration — Tues., May 1 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Le Messe, 1823 Eastlake Avenue E. For this event only, Le Messe has extended its happy hour, with cocktail specials at $8, a wine at $7 and a $2 beer, and special prices for various pastas, proteins, and raw or vegetable plates.
City Council public hearing on proposed Citywide upzones — Mon., May 7 6 p.m. at Franklin High School. For background, click here.
Public meeting on public safety in Eastlake; and planning for the crowds and traffic of July 4 — Tues., June 5 6:30 p.m. at TOPS-Seward School, 2500 Franklin Ave. For background, click here.
Opportunities for civic action regarding the proposed upzone of Eastlake and other neighborhoods. The Seattle City Council is considering a Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) ordinance to upzone every residential and commercial lot in Eastlake, and many others throughout the city by (1) changing most lots to higher intensity zones; and (2) increasing the potential height that can be built in all zones. Every lot would have a height increase–some by one story, some by two, and some by three stories. The result would be a huge change from the Eastlake that we know and love.
Although the nearby Feb. 12 public hearing is past, hearings being in other parts of Seattle are also open to anyone who wishes to comment on Eastlake impacts. The next (see above) is April 16 at Seattle Central. Please consider going to speak. And in any case, written comments to the Mayor and City Council are urgently needed. About the hearings, contacts for written comment, and background on the upzoning issue, see the Eastlake Community Council’s HALA web page.
There you will also find info about another way to participate: On Nov. 27 SCALE (Seattle Coalition for Affordability, Livability, and Equity), a coalition of 26 non-profit organizations including the Eastlake Community Council, filed an administrative appeal to the Seattle Hearing Examiner, challenging the City’s analysis of the MHA ordinance’s impacts on Eastlake and other neighborhoods. To support this effort, your donations of any size are urgently needed. Please make checks made out to Eastlake Community Council, specifying in the memo line “MHA-EIS appeal”; mail or drop off to: ECC, c/o Lake Union Mail, 117 E. Louisa St. #1, Seattle 98102-3278. If you donate on-line at http://www.seattlefairgrowth.org/feisdonate, please specify that the donation is on behalf of the Eastlake Community Council.
Please circulate the above info to others. For more about the Eastlake Community Council and how to help make and keep Eastlake a great place to live, work, and play: http://eastlakeseattle.org. Contact ECC at info@eastlakeseattle.org. To see or contribute photos of Eastlake scenes: http://instagram.com/eastlakeseattle. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EastlakeCommunityCouncil. On Twitter: http://twitter.com/@engage_eastlake.
Noise Variance for Lake Union Park Moorage – May 19th
Love Boats? Become a Center for Wooden Boats Docent!
The Center for Wooden Boats (CWB) is beginning a new era with the opening of the Wagner Education Center in South Lake Union Park. We are seeking enthusiastic individuals who enjoy working with people to conduct tours and share information about our fleet, Lake Union, and traditional maritime skills. Applicants should be able to commit to eight hours a month. Training and materials are provided. Contact volunteer@cwb.org to apply. Docent training will begin in May 2018. Applications are due by April 1, 2018.
Read LUA’s Letter to the Mayor concerning Waterway’s 18, 19, 20 and 22 here:
Memorial event to celebrate the life of Barbara Heather — Sun., July 9 , 11:30 a.m. at the University Unitarian Universalist Church, 6556 35th Ave. NE. About Barbara Heather’s admirable life, see the Fall 2016Eastlake News.
Eastlake Summer Cruise on the Islander – Thurs., July 13 Tour the Ship Canal, Lake Union, Portage and Union Bays, and Lake Washington on the historic ferry the Islander. Boarding begins at 5:30 p.m. at 1611 Fairview Ave. E., with departure at 6:30 p.m., and return at 8:30. Price is $20 (kids up to 6 years are free, but only if they are pre-registered). Includes dinner, salad, and dessert (vegan options). Tickets on-line by clicking here (or search on brownpapertickets.com for Eastlake Summer Cruise), by phone at 1-800-838-3006, or in person at the Brown Paper Tickets office, 220 Nickerson St. Sponsored by the Eastlake Community Council, which will be accepting donations for the University District Food Bank for the needy in Eastlake and nearby neighborhoods.
Free outdoor movie, “Shaun the Sheep the Movie” — Sat., July 15 In Rogers Playfield, 2500 Eastlake Avenue. Picnics and fun start at 7:30 p.m., movie at 8:35. Bring a blanket or low chair to sit on, and a jacket to keep warm. This hilarious, touching, and award-winning 2015 movie is by Aardman Studios, masters of stop-motion animation. A sheep takes the day off to have some fun, but gets mixed up in a big-city adventure instead. For more: http://shaunthesheep.com/movie or Wikipedia. The trailer is also on YouTube by clicking here. Sponsored by ECC and supported financially by local businesses including Northwest Administrators, Seattle Models Guild, and Washington State Employers Credit Union. See you at the movie in the park, on the lawn, under the stars!!
Public forum features candidates for Mayor and for City Council position 8 — Tues., July 18 7– 9:30 p.m. at the Pocock Rowing Center, 3320 Fuhrman Avenue East. With Mayor Murray and Councilmember Burgess not running for re-election, their open seats are hotly contested by a large field of candidates as the August 1 primary draws near. Come hear them debate at the Eastlake Community Council’s election forum. And/or please send to ECC your suggested questions for the candidates, to info@eastlakeseattle.org. For more details on the format and ground rules, click here.
“Night Out” street parties – Tues., Aug. 1 On the first Tuesday in August, the City government frees block parties of the need for a paid permit or costly liability insurance. Purpose is to help neighbors meet each other, maybe start a block watch and preparedness team. As time allows, police and fire officers drop by. To register: http://seattle.gov/police/nightout or on Facebook. For advice or to connect with neighbors who can help organize your block, contact ECC at info@eastlakeseattle.org.
URGENT PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
Comment on-line on Mayor’s proposed increase in height of new buildings in Eastlake and other neighborhoods To see and comment on the Mayor’s height increases for every land lot in Eastlake, go to http://hala.consider.it/?tab=Draft zoning changes, and scroll down to Eastlake. There you will also find the Mayor’s case for the upzones. For independent background and analysis challenging the Mayor’s approach, see ECC’s HALA page (http://eastlakeseattle.org/?page=HALA) which also has background on how to register to post a comment on-line (turns out you don’t have to provide the personal info they ask or). E-mails to the City Councilmembers are also urgently needed; their addresses are also on ECC’s HALA page.
Change.org petition to save the parking lot under I-5, a block south of the University Bridge The Pocock Rowing Center, Movement Systems Physical Therapy, Seattle Spine and Sports Medicine, and Wallace & Solhaug Family Dentistry are asking the public to sign their Change.org petition “to convince WSDOT that we need the parking at the north end of Eastlake to preserve our community’s heritage, the health and welfare of our patients, and the economic viability of the Eastlake neighborhood.” WSDOT is considering excluding all parking from the lot for five years, and use it instead to stage construction materials for the SR-520 expansion project. To reach the petition, click here or visit Change.org and search for the petition under “Eastlake parking”. More than 1300 have signed so far.
For more about the Eastlake Community Council and how to help make and keep Eastlake a great place to live, work, and play: http://eastlakeseattle.org. To see or contribute photos of Eastlake scenes: http://instagram.com/eastlakeseattle. ECC seeks volunteers to help strengthen its Facebook and Twitter presence. Contact ECC at info@eastlakeseattle.org.
The Eastlake Community Council offers notice of the following events and comment opportunities. Background is in the links and also the Spring Eastlake News.
Public meeting with Police Department representatives about Eastlake’s public safety priorities; planning for July 4; and emergency preparedness Tues., June 13, 7 p.m. at TOPS-Seward School, 2500 Franklin Avenue East. The West Precinct community policing team regularly asks Eastlake residents and businesses our policing priorities. Please offer yours (can send to ECC at info@eastlakeseattle.org). Also at this meeting, be briefed and pose questions and suggestions regarding the Police Department’s planning for crowds, traffic, and parking in Eastlake on July 4. Meeting will conclude with ongoing efforts and opportunities to make Eastlake safer in emergencies and disasters.
Update on Lake Union buoy project from John Gowey, Director of Operations, Kenmore Air Seaplanes (4.12.17)
- The configuration will 5 buoys, each 750’ apart, aligned down the middle of lake more or less equidistant from the east and west shorelines.
- The buoys are seasonal; that is, they would be installed around Memorial Day weekend and taken out around Labor Day weekend.
- The buoys will each have a pilot-activated flashing white strobe light, alerting other vessels to a seaplane takeoff or landing.
- The buoys also have anti-collision lights, so that they can be seen at night.
- The project is in the final permitting stage, currently awaiting the Army Corps of Engineers final permit.
- There is no set implementation date as of yet, although Memorial Day weekend is still the goal.
The buoys are advisory only, which means that there are no rules or regulations in place that any vessel must follow with regard to them. That being said, when the buoys lights flash (indicating an imminent takeoff or landing), boats can clear the middle of the lake a little bit to provide greater separation. If enough vessels do this, then the seaplane operations will generally take place along the center-line of the lake.
Legally, there is no requirement for boaters to move off the center of the lake during seaplane operations, nor is there any requirement for seaplanes to utilize the center of the lake for takeoffs and landings. But in meeting after meeting our company has had over the last few years with various boating organizations, a recurring refrain from boaters has been a desire for both a mechanism to create greater separation during seaplane operations, and a means to bring more predictability to those operations. The hope is that the buoy advisory system can accomplish this, and enhance everyone’s safety during hours of peak lake congestion.
2236 Fairview Ave E
Early Design Guidance proposal for 6 three-story townhouse and row house structures containing 27 residential units. Parking for 27 vehicles to be provided in some of the proposals. Existing structures to be demolished.
There are three design options which you can view here
The project is in the review phase of early design guidance. There was a Review Meeting March 15, 2017 6:30 p.m. at Seattle University, 1000 E James Way, Student Center 160
The project number is 3024310 and you can view the project page here
The planner is Crystal Torres, her phone number is 206-684-5887 and her email address is crystal.torres@seattle.gov
Ride the Ducks
The FHA is monitoring the activity at the Ride the Ducks site on Fairview this month. If you would like to apprise yourself of the history of this situation you will find details of the agreement that was reached on the Eastlake Community Council website.
Please email contact@seattlefloatinghomes.org if you have news to share!