CHS Capitol Hill Seattle capitolhillseattle.com

Hill Style: High-tops on Olive

Dana<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:45:22 GMT

Morgan- Boylston & Olive

For more street style photos from around Capitol Hill and the rest of Seattle check out www.itsmydarlin.com

Why is there a noisy picket at Pine and Summit... again?

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:01:40 GMT

Last August, we asked "why is there a noisy picket at Pine and Summit?" and told you this:

The noisy picket you see and hear on E Pine, we were told, is the local carpenters union letting people know about a sub-contractor on the People's Parking lot development job site who the union says is paying sub-standard wages. The same picket was also seen earlier this summer downtown in front of Forever 21. The show of labor activity on the Hill is relatively rare these days. The rep we talked to said work at the site isn't halted -- the picket is only informational at this point. Informational and a little noisy, sure, but with noise comes attention.

We talked to the picket organizers again today. With a much larger contingent, the picket against Metier Construction at the Terravita development has police officers monitoring the situation but the effort, a rep for the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters tells us, is strictly a gambit to attract attention to the situation. We asked the rep what support they'd like to see from the community. His answer: Put up with the noise. "We have to make noise for attention," the rep said. "[We're] not asking people not to rent these apartments or anything like that."

Jumper's Bridge -- State says no plans for suicide barriers on Capitol Hill overpasses

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:00:33 GMT

There's no telling why 21-year-old Timothy Williamson chose an overpass at the base of Capitol Hill to end his life last Saturday night. But the leap of between 28.03 and 31.11 feet from the Pine overpass -- it varies across the lanes of I-5 below -- is not something the human body is designed to withstand. Today, there is nothing preventing somebody from doing it again.

The Washington Department of Transportation tells CHS that it has no plans to install barriers to prevent jumping from the three main overpasses near the Hill -- Pike, Pine and Denny. The agency says it does not track suicide attempts and has no statistics on how many people have jumped from the bridges connecting Capitol Hill to downtown.

CHS has reported on three jumping deaths involving the overpasses since September. This man in his 60s died on the afternoon of September 1st. This man in his 30s died in October. Williamson died just before midnight on Saturday.

While many point to this study that showed no effect on citywide suicide rates after a barrier was installed on the Bloor Street Viaduct in Toronto, other research shows that the structures can, at least, make a local difference.

The Seattle Department of Transportation also says it does not track suicide statistics and that the overpasses are state turf. "The overpasses on I-5 are owned by WSDOT, and any decision to add barriers to discourage jumping from the overpasses would lie with them," a SDOT statement sent to CHS read.

"We were pleased that WSDOT installed barriers on the Aurora Bridge," the statement continued. "While we wish we could prevent this type of tragedy from occurring on any of the bridges and overpasses within Seattle regardless of ownership, we do not at this time have funds allocated or plans developed to add new barriers to other structures. We are confident WSDOT feels the same about their more than 1,500 bridges in their Northwest Region."

The $4.6 million project to install barriers on the Aurora Bridge was completed last February 15th. It ringed the structure in an eight-foot, nine-inch fence designed to put an end to the bridge's long history of Seattle suicides.

A WSDOT spokesperson said that, if barriers are to be added to any overpasses in the city, Olympia is going to again need to be involved.

Like the Aurora Bridge barrier, barriers on the Capitol Hill overpasses would need to be driven forward by the legislature. The WSDOT rep said lawmakers finally took up the bridge issue when software company Adobe and other neighbors complained to representatives about the suicides as a psychological issue for those who had to experience the aftermath.

Lit on the Hill | Wave Poetry at the Richard Hugo House

JayByrd<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:46:04 GMT

Often on opposite sides the country, poetry readings by both of Eastlake's Wave Books co-editors Matthew Zapruder and Joshua Beckman are few and far between. In the beginning of what could be a very beautiful friendship both Beckman and Zapruder will be reading at The Richard Hugo House this Friday at 7p along with Wave Books author Michael Earl Craig.

Matthew Zapruder's second collection of poetry The Pajamaist was selected by Tony Hoagland for the William Carlos Williams poetry prize from the Poetry Society of America in 2006. His most recent book Come All You Ghosts, published by Copper Canyon Press of Port Townsend, was selected as one of the year's top five poetry books by publisher's weekly.

From Mission:

Drunker than Voyager I
but not as Voyager 2 I rode my blue
bike back through the darkness
to my lonely geode cave of light
awaiting nothing under the punctured
dome. I had achieved escape

Joshua Beckman is the author of seven books including Take It and his most recent Micrograms (co-translated by Alejanro de Acosta). He is the recipient of a NYFA fellowship and a Pushcart Prize among other accolades.

From Lying in Bed I Think About You:

Lying in bed I think about you,
your ugly empty airless apartment
and your eyes. It’s noon, and tired
I look into the rest of the awake day
incapable of even awe, just
a presence of particle and wave,

Aside from his three collections of poetry and numerous print and online publications, Michael Earl Craig is in possession of the most unusual poet day job: Certified Journeyman Farrier. His latest book Thin Kimono (Wave Books 2010) ranges from Bubbles Came Through Their Noses to A Bold Coat of Vodka Bonbons and back again.

From Bubbles Came Through Their Noses:

He wasn't supposed to be there.
(This is how any number of poems begin)
He had goggles. And his nose plugs.
He was underwater and pretending
to be fixing a ladder
bolted to the side of the pool

Tacoma changes mind on Lowell principal King -- UPDATE

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:31:42 GMT

The job Capitol Hill's Lowell Elementary principal Gregory King said he was resigning to take is no longer his, the Tacoma News Tribune reports:

A Seattle school principal who has been the subject of criticism by educators there and whose school is under investigation by Seattle Public Schools will not move into a Tacoma principal’s job, Tacoma school officials said in a reversal Thursday.

Seattle Public Schools has confirmed that a special investigator is about to complete a report on personnel conflicts at the school under King's leadership.

The Seattle Schools Community Forum site has posted what it has learned about the investigation involving the treatment of students by a staff member and the subsequent handling of complaints about the situation.

According to the TNT, concerns about the situation at Lowell apparently followed King to Tacoma as the acting superintendent Carla Santorno "said in her letter Thursday that she had received 'a lot of commentary and information' from the Bryant community about the announcement that the district intended to hire King."

2:08PM - UPDATE - King is staying at Lowell: "Seattle Public Schools spokeswoman Lesley Rogers said King will remain in his job at Lowell despite announcing Tuesday that he was leaving to take the principal position at Bryant."

CHS Pics | One of those absurdly wonderful Capitol Hill winter sunsets

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:25:48 GMT

WAKE UP, originally uploaded by frank correa.

When this photo was first posted to the CHS Flickr pool, photographer Frank Correa included some commentary about seizing the day and somesuch. We're happy to share it, now without direction, as a marker of the absurdly wonderful weather earlier this week. If it inspires you to WAKE UP, so be it. Just make sure to take a moment to soak it all in.

On the List | Blitz Art Walk/Valentine's weekend edition (23+ things to do)

Caroline<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:50:50 GMT

Between the Blitz! Capitol Hill Arts Walk, and the upcoming Valentine's Day, love and art are in the air this weekend on The Hill.

Thursday, February 9th

Chris Sheridan at Ghost Gallery -- Also check out Gallery (206)'s visit to the Hill
Conversations in Paint: Danielson, Hamje and Gagnon at Vermillion Art Gallery
Dudefest 2: Electric Abide-a-loo at Neumos
Ludus Sanctus: A Night of Visual Art and Performance at Bootyland
"She Walks in Beauty": New Work by David Lasky (and Lord Byron) at People's Republic of Koffee
Rum with Rocky at Chino's
"Hush Hush" w/ DJ D'Nelski (KEXP's DJ Alex) & special guest Kid Smpl at The Living Room
Artifakt On The Hill: Capitol Hill Art Walk After Party at The Loft
Storefronts Seattle takes over the old Broadway Video building with an installation and more:
Join us Thursday, February 9 from 5pm-8pm for our Capitol Hill debut! We’ll be hosting an open house as part of Blitz, Capitol Hill Arts Walk in the old Hollywood Video space, at 127 Broadway E. (right next to Dick’s Drive-in). Check out a new installation by Christian French, peruse Rene Ropa’s designer clothing shop/ fabrication workspace/ multi-media fashion studio, and enjoy complementary refreshments. Help us welcome Storefronts into the neighborhood!
Central Seattle Greenways meets at Central Cinema 6:30p

Friday, February 10th

Bootie Seattle Valentine's Mash Up Party at Chop Suey
Science: Dimitar Sasselov: Super-Earths In A Lab at the Town Hall
Wine Anniversary at EVS - Spanish Wine Tasting
Berend McKenzie's Nggrfg at Washington Hall

Saturday, February 11th

Hearts On The Hill Free Valentine's Day Photos From Family, Friends, Kids and Our Pups at Umpqua Bank
Children's Storytime at Elliot Bay Book Company
Fire Station 25 open house 11a-1p as part of Neighbor Appreciation Day.
Weekly flea market at Century Ballroom
The Torn ACL's at The Comet
The Backrub at Discovery Point
Flashes of Brilliance at Velocity Dance

Sunday, February 12th

Forever or Whatever (A Homoromantic Confession) at Theatre Off Jackson
Seattle Intuitive Fair at 2002 E. Union Street
Valentine Sexpert Booth at Babeland
Hangover Flea Market at the Comet, 2-6p

Minor vandalism, naked woman as anarchists again put East Precinct on watch -- UPDATE

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:21:49 GMT

An Occupy Seattle rally at Seattle Central degraded into an anarchist "Black Bloc" parade of minor havoc across Capitol Hill Wednesday night. Reports of tagging and worries of similar actions to Monday night's bank window damage had East Precinct on edge an on patrol at the area's financial institutions.

We have not confirmed any arrests, yet, from Wednesday night's activities and damage appears limited to more paint on the Broadway American Apparel and a few other minor acts of vandalism. UPDATE: SPD says no arrests. More information from SPD, below.

The blocks around East Precinct's headquarters at 12th and Pine were again blocked off by barricades as they were during this torch-filled march in January.

There was one moment of excitement near the barricades just before 8p when a naked woman was seen walking on E Pine after reportedly attempting to goad officers into arresting her. Police could not find the woman -- described as heavyset and brunette -- who was last spotted near the Rancho Bravo parking lot.

SPD has made no arrests related to Monday's vandalism. A writer who signed the statement "Anarchists" posted a claim of responsibility to Pugetsoundanarchists.org stating that those actions were also in solidarity with Occupy Oakland:

On Monday, February 6 around 7 P.M. The windows of three banks on capital hill [sic] had their windows busted out. Flyers were strewn explaining to passerby's why they were targeted. The banks Chase, Key bank and an U.S. Bank were hit. We did this in response to the police actions against occupy oakland on January 28th in their attempt to occupy an empty building for use by the occupy movement. We choose banks because they are concrete symbols of the exploitative capitalist system we all live under and the poverty of everyday life within it.

Its easy to attack!

Occupy Oakland's actions have come under increased pressure as community groups and city officials have pushed to crack down on the East Bay contingent of the movement.

UPDATE: SPD says that nobody was arrested and the documented vandalism was minor in nature. Police did spend time dealing with garbage dumpster and lit road flares thrown into the road along Broadway. New graffiti was also documented on the Broadway Chase banks and police confirmed they recovered a bag of rocks ditched on the street.

Another upscale shop shuts down on Capitol Hill (and another will take its place)

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:21:56 GMT

Another upscale shop is downscaling operations and shuttering its Capitol Hill retail presence. Revival Home and Garden owner Leah Steen announced she is closing her 12th Ave store and scaling back to a by-appointment office in Pike/Pine:

Enough with the cryptic philosophizing -- after four years, we are closing our retail storefront to focus on our interior design business. And we couldn't be more excited! The world of retail has been a wild ride and has opened doors to so many people, places, and things we would never have otherwise known, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Steen moved to the Hill in 2009 after launching her design business and home decor boutique in Georgetown.

In late January, CHS reported that children's fine clothing retailer Flora and Henri was shutting its brick and mortar retail operations and leaving the Odd Fellows building. No new tenant for that space has been announced.

The 12th Ave space in the Ballou Wright Building, however, won't go empty for long, we're told. A representative for building owner Hunters Capital said a new design business is lined up for space.

If you're going to try to establish trends in the Capitol Hill retail space from the move, make sure to include two recent openings in your equations. Nightlife entrepreneur Marcus Lalario recently opened skate fashion shop Alive and Well on E Pike while a trio of fashion entrepreneurs have restored vintage on 10th Ave with the opening of Kaleidoscope Vision in the previous home of Atlas Clothing.

Meanwhile, downtown got some unfortunate retail news depending on where you come down on JC Penney. The Seattle Times reports city real estate sources are saying the national retailer's new CEO has nixed plans for a downtown store at 3rd and Pike. Last we heard, a Target is still planned for 2nd Ave. We speculated on what these major retailer moves meant for Capitol Hill here. What's it all mean now that JC Penney won't be moving in? We give up. Maybe you can tell us.

8:29AM - UPDATE - In the meantime, happy first anniversary to one of the more interesting retail ventures to hit the Hill. The apothecary opened for business on this day in February 2011. Happy birthday, Sugar Pill

Capitol Hill arts walk tonight -- CHS talks to man who stuffed work of 200 artists into phone booth

Caroline<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:50:00 GMT

Gallery (206) visits Capitol Hill. Lear more about the project at galler206.net (Image: Ghost Gallery)

With the monthly Capitol Hill arts walk rolling around tonight, CHS talks with Todd Jannausch, owner of Gallery 40 and the current featured artist at Ghost Gallery. Jannausch took the unpaved, and heavily weeded path only to land gracefully on his feet as an artist and inspiration in the Seattle art scene.

From his work building wooden boats, to photography and installation, to gallery owner, Jannausch has found multiple ways to contribute to the arts community. We talked to him about that contribution -- and the contribution 200 other artists have made to help with one of his latest works.

Caroline Roosevelt: So I've been reading through your background, but could you pinpoint when you broke through in the Seattle arts scene?

Todd Jannausch: ‪Well about seven years ago I was living in Port Townsend and studying at PCNW here in Seattle. Around five years ago I moved to Seattle and was in a real [sic] bad place. I wanted to delve deeper in to my art but I had no degree and was working as a shipwright in one of the boat yards here in town. I tried to apply to Seattle U but was told that I couldn't apply because I didn't have enough recent education. When I went to Seattle Central, they said I couldn't apply for financial aid because at $25 per hour I made too much and they had cut student loans because of the economy. Basically I was the working poor. So I built Gallery 40 in response to a system that I felt had begun to exclude ideas because of a social structure. I felt like that goes against art.‬

CR: How did that take off? Once you decided to open a gallery, was the neighborhood/city responsive?

TJ: ‪Well that was the beauty of it. It wasn’t really a gallery. I didn't sell artwork, I wasn't a business, I wasn't profiting. I was using the ideas of conceptual art to show art. The city and neighborhoods were very supportive. Dianea at Vermillion was a huge supporter of the project so we would set up there for the Cap. Hill walks. Basically everyone was great about it. There really wasn't much to be upset about.‬

CR: ‪So is it safe to say that you're one of the more long standing contributors to the Capitol Hill Arts Walk? You must have been there from the start when they switched to “Blitz!”‬

TJ: I guess so. G 40 happened over the summer of 2010.

CR: Ah okay. So, you have this background in wooden boat building. Which, I find really cool by the way. But how did you get into the art that you create now-- photography and installation?

TJ: ‪When I started in photography it was to create documentation; to allow an opportunity for people to consider things differently. While I still love photography, it is an incredibly limited medium. I have been building my whole life but never having gone to school, I just didn't make the connection that the work I was doing was easily transferable as a medium. All of the shapes and materials I had to work with I just started putting in to my ideas. I wanted to reach out of the picture and in to reality. It was just a means to an end. ‪When you are poor it is really hard to do a good thing. I could never afford to start a nonprofit or own a space. At the time I was also mentoring at Youth in Focus working with at risk youth. I guess I felt like, with all of the opportunities I had had that if I couldn’t find a way to break through and get them out, how were these kid going to do it. Just didn't seem fair.‬‬

CR: Leading by example. It's interesting how poverty is a great catalyst for change.

TJ: Tell me about it.

CR: I find a lot of artists have used the angry inspiration, the frustrated inspiration, to keep going in times when the rest of us want to just sort of take a nap; which leads me to your piece that's going to be featured at the upcoming “Blitz!” event. How did you come up with the idea for Gallery 206?

TJ: Seattle has a very special art scene. It is so supportive and collaborative. Often I get frustrated by how people constantly compare Seattle to other cities in terms of art. I think its bullshit. We are only a lesser city if you use the standard ways of evaluating an art scene; money, big names and lots of national press. I think Seattle has it all over most cities, at least for me. Art is about ideas, we live in a city that is not only great at supporting local artist, but also a city where the artists are collaborating, working together and supporting each other all of the time. I wanted to highlight that.

CR: ‪And how did you find the over 200 artists that contributed to the piece?‬

TJ: I wanted the community to curate the project. So I contacted twenty people to create the original works for the panels. I chose them based on their work and support of art in the community. Some I chose because they had never had shows and the work they were doing was great! I asked them to each give me a list of names of people they respected in the community. That was that.

CR: Ah, the beautiful cancer that is art.. I also really enjoy the story behind the original installation. You planted it right by the Hammering Man and essentially presented it to the SAM (Seattle Art Museum) as a contribution, or a vessel for donations to the museum. It has traveled around since then, and is now installed in the courtyard at Ghost Gallery. How did that play out?

TJ: It was installed in Occidental Park from June until September. Then I brought it home to the studio and began working with SDOT [Seattle Department of Transportation] to find a new location for it. They fell through. The installation at the SAM just felt right. It seemed like a great opportunity for everyone involved. So I just went for it. The SAM was really great about the whole thing. After the SAM installation, Ghost Gallery contacted me and asked if I was interested in putting it in their courtyard. I am so happy about that.

CR: I saw that [response] letter [from SAM] and I appreciate your understanding for the Seattle art scene and it's incomparable treatment of art in relation to other cities. As a Philadelphia native, I was in awe at how beautifully SAM handled the installation, and how honored they felt by the gesture. I mean, I don't know. The Philadelphia Museum of Art prominently displays a Rocky Balboa statue at the foot of the building. Just sayin'...it can be a bit bleak out there.

TJ: Yeah they were a class act about the whole thing. I have so much respect for how they handled it.

CR: ‪Will you be at Ghost Gallery during “Blitz!”? If so, I'll seek you out. I'll be the small blonde girl eating a pile of something out of my hands.‬

TJ: For sure. I will be there. I will [for the] look small blonde face feeder.

Check out Jannausch’s collaborative telephone booth installation in the courtyard of Ghost Gallery (504 E Denny Way/Summit Ave E, Seattle, WA 98122) and then wind your way along the Capitol Hill conduits. Besides the obvious draws such as drink specials, culinary treats and fantastic gallery open houses, Blitz! is a great way to trick your artsy friends into exercising their legs. Blitz! Capitol Hill Art Walk takes place Thursday, February 9th from 6-8pm. A monthly event, the walk takes over the streets of Capitol Hill every second Thursday of the month.

Happy Valentine's Day, Capitol Hill? Governor can sign gay marriage bill next week

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:41:57 GMT

With Washington's House of Representatives following the Senate's lead and handily passing the state gay marriage bill in a Wednesday vote, Governor Chris Gregoire could be in line for a Valentine's Day signing ceremony. Publicola quotes Capitol Hill Rep Jamie Pedersen as saying "he wanted his four children to know that 'their daddy and their papa' had entered into a marriage—'the name that society gives to the relationship that society values most.'"

The Washington United for Marriage coalition has an online petition to thank the governor for signing the bill into law here.

For the ins and outs of what to expect from the referendum process surrounding this bill, check out this post from the Secretary of State's office.

Regent Bakery and Cafe makes quiet debut on Capitol Hill -- UPDATE: Pictures!

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:49:35 GMT

(Images: CHS)

With one legend of the Capitol Hill sweets world celebrating a decade in business, a legend from the Eastside is also celebrating this eighth day of February -- the much anticipated (and slightly secretive) Regent Bakery and Cafe is planning a noontime debut at 14th and Pine.

CHS has confirmed that the new addition to upper Pike/Pine will open today for a quiet launch. If all goes well, expect to visit the new Regent Capitol Hill between 11a and midnight.

Thanks for the tips alerting us to the increased activity at the new cafe. Its backers have been mostly radio silent since CHS first told you about the plans for a second Regent last July.

Back then, we told you about the plan to turn the retail condo that was formerly home to the headquarters of the Online Coffee chain into an expansion of the legendary Redmond bakery.

"We are Asian style, made fresh every day," Regent owner Teresa Loh told CHS in July.

She also said the new Capitol Hill Regent will be true to the original's roots but more upscale and will cater to the Hill's more vibrant nightlife with booze and cocktails. Loh said Regent Capitol Hill will serve Chinese dishes like salted fish diced chicken hot pot and chow fun with barbecue pork as well as sweet treats, tea and their popular cakes.

When we spoke with Loh in July, she had yet to visit the location for the new venture but had high hopes for what she expects to remain a bustling food and drink economy on the Hill. We've seen her at 14th and Pine often over recent months -- the original plan was for Regent Capitol Hill to open in November -- but we haven't been able to get more updates on the project. We're excited to step inside today, also.

UPDATE: A visit as the new space opened showed an operation in full motion. Loh said they're ready to serve everything from their pastries and cakes to lunch to cocktails at the full bar. Way to hit the ground running.

We're assuming you'll see a lot of Regent in coming days -- it's a fun space to shoot with a huge display case of cakes and cake slices (slices run 3 bucks and change -- whole cakes vary) and a wall of self-serve baked goods and pastries. For those, you grab a white tray, fill it up and head to the register. You can then sit or get your tray full of goodies to go.

Capitol Hill hoops -- School hosts Emerald City Classic, no lights at Cal Anderson courts

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:40:22 GMT

Untitled, originally uploaded by knowinspiration.

Seattle might see the return of the NBA. Also, these basketball-related public service announcements from CHS:

Traveling foul: Seattle Academy wants to give you a heads up about traffic related to a hoops event the school is hosting this year that will draw visitors from across the city to the area around its 13th/Union campus Wednesday night and Thursday. Also, you might want to check out the action.

On Wednesday, February 8, and Thursday, February 9, Seattle Academy will host the Emerald City League Basketball Playoffs.

Below is detailed information regarding the game schedules and other important SAAS performances and events that take place over the next few days. There will be a noticeable increase in traffic around the school on both days, particularly Thursday. We have spent significant time planning for the these events and hope to minimize the impact by clearly communicating with our parents, students, and faculty and staff as well as the visiting sports teams.

Cal Anderson courts go dark: Dodgeballers, polo players, hoop stars and tennis couples, be warned. Seattle Parks tells us the Cal Anderson sports courts will be plunged into darkness for two weeks starting Wednesday night for the final electrical work from this summer's overhaul of the park's lighting system:

The lighting system for the tennis courts and basketball courts at Cal Anderson Park will be out for approximately two weeks starting today, February 8, 2012. Seattle City Light is replacing the temporary power connection with a permanent connection to a new upgraded electrical cabinet. This work completes the ballfield lighting project.

Parks and Recreation apologizes for the inconvenience.

Power to the ballfield lights is not affected, and will remain operational while the City Light work takes place.

The lighting project demolished the existing 40 year old wood poles and outmoded lighting system, and replaced it with a state-of-the-art system that features eight steel poles instead of 12 and is more energy efficient.

The project was funded through a 2006 Ballfield Lighting Upgrade program, implemented over six years from the Cumulative Reserve Fund. It provided for planning, design, and construction of the park lighting improvements.

1:39PM - 13th at union - Traveling foul

1:40PM - cal anderson, seattle wa - Cal Anderson courts go dark

Love the Hill -- Capitol Hill Entrepreneurial Women offering Valentine gift discounts

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:43:10 GMT

A newly formed Capitol Hill business community wants to help you make this Valentine's Day sweet for your sweeties. The businesses of the Capitol Hill Entrepreneurial Women are offering 10% off at participating retailers from now through February 14th when you mention "CHEW." The mapped roster of members is below. You can learn more about the group at facebook.com/CHEWSeattle. CHEM, if you're out there, let us know and we'll spread the word on your V-day promo, too. Same with you, CHEtc.

Capitol Hill elementary school principal steps down -- UPDATE

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:59:33 GMT

After a summer of shuffling, Capitol Hill's Lowell Elementary is now looking for a new principal. In a statement emailed to parents Wednesday morning, principal Gregory King announced he is leaving Seattle Schools to take a job in Tacoma:

I am writing today to inform you that I will be leaving my role as principal at Lowell Elementary to take the position as principal at Bryant, a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school in Tacoma, Washington. I will remain at Lowell until the Seattle Public Schools announces my successor.

This has been a difficult decision for me, as I have enjoyed working with the Lowell families for the past three years. We have amazing teachers, instructional assistants, support staff, students and families here at Lowell. I will miss seeing your students as they come through the door, ready to learn, every day.

I know our dedicated staff at Lowell will continue their good work through the end of the school year.

Thank you for your continued support of Lowell and for your dedication to your students’ education. I wish you all the best.

A Seattle Schools rep said the search for a new principal will include meetings in coming weeks with executive director of central Seattle schools Nancy Koogan and Lowell parents.

The summer of 2011 was marked by debate over how to handle overcrowding in the "accelerated progress program" at the school. The solution -- for this year, at least -- was to split the program across the city.

King also dealt with criticism of the school after a December SWAT manhunt locked down the E Mercer campus after a parent chaperoning a Lowell field trip was recognized as a member of Washington's Most Wanted.

According to King's statement, he will remain in the Lowell job until a new principal is found.

2:47PM - Seattle Times confirms rumors that "a special investigator is finishing a report about the school."

Blotter | Chair assault, burglary update and some 'good' crime news from Melrose

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:58:13 GMT

Harvard Ave E break-in: A daytime burglary at an apartment in the 500 block of Harvard Ave E last Thursday netted a laptop. The thief busted into the Capitol Hill apartment by breaking the frame of the deadbolted door, according to the SPD report on the incident.
Melrose chair assault: Police responded to a reported assault last Thursday night in the 100 block of Melrose Ave E.

Police found the suspect's truck nearby -- with a rolling office chair in the back of the pickup -- but the suspect did not answer his door when an officer attempted to contact him.

Rude homecoming on Lakeview: A man returned after two weeks away from his Lakeview Blvd E home to find that his front door had been kicked in and his house burglarized. No details on the haul but the loss was valued at more than $6,000 according to the report on the crime.
Montlake electronics heist: A burglar made off with more than $3,000 in electronics including a flat screen TV and a laptop in a Saturday afternoon break-in at a W Montlake Pl E home. Police say a window on the backdoor was smashed to gain entry.
Not all bad news: Tipster Dawn sent us a note and pictures from the recovery of a stolen vehicle on Melrose from Tuesday morning: "I figured it'd be good to see something positive rather than just reports of thefts. Things DO get recovered once in a while and all that fun stuff ;) Here are the pix if you want. Not that great but better than nothing. This was between Harrison and Republican." Thanks for the change of pace, Dawn.

Next EastPAC meeting: City Council member Tim Burgess will be at February's meeting of the EastPAC East Precinct community group to discuss "A New Philosophy of Policing" --

In light of the recent BJA report regarding to the Seattle Police Department, we have invited City Council Member Tim Burgess, who will speak about his recently published policy essay entitled "A New Philosophy of Policing”. Recently chair of the Council's Public Safety Committee, Tim was able to identify Best Practices in crime prevention and policing strategies. The entire essay can be found within Tim's website- http://www.seattle.gov/council/burgess/ - in the current issues column.

EastPAC meets on February 23rd at 6:30p in the Campion Ballroom at Seattle U.

6:51AM - 100 Melrose Ave E - Melrose chair assault

6:52AM - 500 Harvard Ave E - Harvard Ave E break-in

6:52AM - 1500 Lakeview Blvd E - Rude homecoming on Lakeview

6:53AM - 2500 W Montlake Pl E - Montlake electronics heist

6:55AM - bellevue ave e at harrison, seattle wa - Not all bad news

6:56AM - seattle university, seattle wa - Next EastPAC meeting

CHS Pics | More messages to Olympia from Capitol Hill

suzi<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:16:36 GMT

With one more reason to cheer Olympia expected to come with Wednesday's 1p State House vote on legalizing gay marriage -- and the good news from California, a group of local moms and kids gathered Tuesday night on Capitol Hill to assemble thank you notes on another issue where constituents are hoping their reps won't back down.

On Friday, February 10, across the Capitol grounds in Olympia, local moms from MomsRising will be installing life-size cut outs of their kids to remind State House and Senate leaders that they can help Washington families and children reach a brighter future by standing up for quality early learning programs.

Tuesday at Miller Community Center, those cutouts were being traced, assembled -- and, most importantly, colored.

"These paper dolls are two dimensional, but our kids aren’t. Well-rounded, quality care matters to the future of each individual child, said Sarah Francis, campaign director at MomsRising, in a statement on the event. "These families are counting on legislators to consider the head start they can provide every child with early learning programs."

According to the group, in 2011, Washington State received a Challenge grant to improve childcare and in 2012, the Washington State Legislature is discussing how they'll invest in programs to improve childcare centers and provide access to quality preschool to everyone in the state. With the current focus on a teacher evaluation bill, the cutouts will be a small reminder of, perhaps, more important issues in the state's educational system.

Last fall, we reported on the shuttering of the Seattle Central daycare program. Community college officials went ahead with that move in a cost cutting decision and the center was shut down as expected at the end of the school quarter.

Top Pot celebrates 10 years of doughnuts on Capitol Hill... and beyond

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:28:14 GMT

Festive streamers! (Image: CHS)

A decade of doughnut delight will be celebrated at the shop that started it all on Capitol Hill. Top Pot Doughnuts celebrates its 10-year anniversary Wednesday with free old-fashioneds -- and a raffle that could either make you the most or least popular person in the office:

TOP POT IS TURNING 10! Come celebrate the Top Pot 10 year anniversary tomorrow Wednesday February 8th at all cafes. Lots of prizes and surprises. All cafes will hold a drawing to win a dozen doughnuts a month for a year!Stop in between 8-10 am and grab a FREE Top Pot Old Fashioned Doughnut!

(Image: Top Pot)

The Top Pot marketing legend records that the doughnut empire began in February 2002 in "a small brick storefront on north Capitol Hill in Seattle." You know it as the Top Pot shop at 609 Summit Ave E. The legend continues that the doughnut shop was originally going to be called "Topspot":

Quite often we receive inquiries as to where the first Top Pot cafe is located. The cafe is located at 609 Summit Ave E in north Capitol Hill and proudly displays the original neon sign. The letter "S" that once made up the center of the sign fell off along Interstate 5 and was replaced with a metal percolator shown here

(Image: CHS)

CHS's favorite. Yours? (Image: CHS)

CHS mostly talks to co-founder Michael Klebeck these days about his Capitol Hill Sun Liquor ventures -- including his E Pike distillery. But Top Pot's place in the community is solid -- 10 years later, it's the only dedicated doughnut shop on the Hill.

Here's the secret. Doughnuts ain't complicated. But creating a tasty, good looking product and serving it in a good looking environment again and again and again -- there's the challenge. Top Pot now boasts seven cafes around the region and provides breakfast on the go to people across the country through deals with Starbucks and QFC.

The doughnuts do tend to inspire beyond their flour and sugar components. Here's a look at some of the many Top Pot-inspired photos submitted to the CHS Flickr Pool over the years. Here's to many more.

Black Hole Donut, originally uploaded by Musely.

Workin on my muffin top, originally uploaded by ERIK98122.

Top Pot, originally uploaded by ~wesa~.

Healthy Breakfast c/o Top Pot, originally uploaded by Jeffinner.

Resistance Was Futile, originally uploaded by sea turtle.

look up, originally uploaded by Walsh.

Hello, Breakfast: 3-23-2008, originally uploaded by Jeffinner.

WE DEMAND(ED) DONUTS, uploaded by arion

Density creeps across Capitol Hill -- four stories at a time

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:13 GMT

Density advocates will celebrate the appearance of two 4-story development projects on the East Design Review Board agenda this week while some in the neighborhoods around the projects might feel like pushing back. This push and pull of the midrise-40 zone will be on full display at Wednesday night's design review board sessions. Here's a look at the two projects.

1711 12th Ave
This 4-story housing project shouldn't feel out of place at all. Planned for smack in the middle of 12th Ave just east of Cal Anderson Park, the 37-unit building will neighbor multi-story buildings up and down the street -- some nearly 100 years old.

The project is headed by developer Gramor backer of area developments including the apartment complex home to E Madison's Trader Joe's. Unfortunately for you Joe's fans, Gramor isn't planning any retail as part of this forty-foot project but it will include two additional live/work units. Architect is Caron Architecture. You can view their recent multifamily projects here.

Project: 1711 12th Ave map
Design Proposal available
Review Meeting: February 8, 8:00 pm
Seattle University Casey Commons
901 12th Ave map
Casey Commons 5th Floor
Review Phase: EDG--Early Design Guidance past reviews
Project Number: 3012848 permit status | notice
Planner: Shelley Bolser

The developers list the following the objectives for the project in the design packet for Wednesday's early design guidance session focused on big picture issues like massing. The full design document is embedded below.

The proposed development will create an urban mixed-use apartment building with street level live / work lofts and provide an enhanced pedestrian experience in the urban village neighborhood.
The ground level of the preferred scheme consists of a residential lobby, 5loft units facing a private interior courtyard or rear of property, and 2 commercial live / work lofts facing the street. The commercial live / work units will have direct, individual street access, while the loft units will have ground level amenity space and individual entries.
The second, third and fourth floors each have a mix of studios, open one bedrooms and one bedroom units, for a total of 10 units per floor.
The roof of the building will be accessible and act as an amenity space for tenants with opportunities for entertaining, gardening and relaxation.
Parking is not required for this site, and the lack of alley access will dictate use of the street level area for building services. To enhance the appearance of the services required on the street, we propose an open breeze-way with screening which will allow visual connection to the interior courtyard and a view of the landscaping.
The building will meet current required energy codes and will obtain a built green rating.

The developers acquired the land for the project last summer for $850,000. It's currently home to an office building overhauled in 1985. Like any good office building from 1985, it looks a little bit like it might house a racquet ball court. It doesn't. It does house the offices for COR Northwest Family Development Center, the previous owners of the parcel and provider of training for "psychoanalytic psychotherapy."

DRProposal3012848AgendaID3487

1823 18th Ave
This project from Rudd Development might not fit into its neighborhood as snuggly as the 12th Ave 4-story but it's also not unprecedented in the immediate area. Across the street sits another multifamily development.

Project: 1823 18th Ave map
Design Proposal available (5.84 MB)
Review Meeting: February 8, 6:30 pm
Seattle University Casey Commons
901 12th Ave map
Casey Commons 5th Floor
Review Phase: EDG--Early Design Guidance past reviews
Project Number: 3012667 permit status | notice
Planner: Colin Vasquez

1823 18th Ave is planned as a forty-foot building with 20 units and parking for nine vehicles. To make way for it, a more-dilapidated-than-it-looks-but-still-kind-of-charming 1901 house will have to be leveled.

Here are the design objectives listed for the project:

The proposed project is a multi-story, residential apartmentbuilding containing residential apartment units in the upper levelsand parking in a subterranean garage. The height of the building isanticipated to reach the maximum limit of 40 feet. The existingsite maintains vehicular access from the developed alley. Allvehicular access, refuse / recycling storage, and other services areproposed from the alley in Option A. Options B and C proposevehicular access and refuse / recycling pick-up from 18th Avenue,while Option D proposes refuse / recycling storage along the alley and vehicular access from 18th Avenue. Refuse / recycling storageis within the building envelope in all options. The residentialentrance lobby is located at the corner of E Denny Way and18th Avenue in Options A & B, and Options C & D propose anaccessible lobby accessed along 18th Avenue. Residential amenityspace will be provided through a combination of the following:street level landscaped areas, private decks, and a commonarea courtyard at the ground level. Construction of this projectrequires the demolition of two existing two-story single family residences.

The architect is grouparchitect. You can review their recent multifamily projects here -- including a bold but mothballed E Thomas project that is approved and on the development clock with a 2014 land use expiration.

The 1901 house and land were purchased this summer for $778,000.

DRProposal3012667AgendaID3486

5:13PM - 1711 12th Ave - 1711 12th Ave

5:14PM - 1823 18th Ave - 1823 18th Ave

Plan takes root to keep the Volunteer Park Conservatory open -- meeting in March

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:45:27 GMT

Volunteer Park Conservatory, 1914, uploaded by Seattle Municipal Archives.

Things haven't become more dire but the mainstream press caught up with the story we reported in October on City of Seattle efforts to figure out a way to pay for operating the expensive but really quite lovely Volunteer Park Conservatory.

This fall, we detailed plans for Seattle Parks to hire a consultant to come up with a proposal to keep the conservatory open despite a dwindling budget.

Last week, the Seattle Times reported that the consultant has been hired:

The fate also rests on the shoulders of Rick Daley, an Arizona-based expert in botanical gardens, whom the city has hired for $35,000. Daley is charged with coming up with a new business model for the conservatory. Currently, entry to the conservatory is free, but donations are suggested

As CHS reported this fall, one component of "saving" the conservatory could include an admission fee.

Parks says the conservatory costs around $450,000 per year to operate and attracts more than 90,000 visitors annually.

Beyond an operation budget, the facility also needs a major overhaul, volunteers say. With the arrival of the park's centennial, the Friends of the Conservatory group has mounted a capital campaign to help raise $3.5 million needed to complete restoration of the 1912 facility.

The plan for making the conservatory financially sustainable will be discussed at a meeting next month, according to the group Friends of the Conservatory:

Public meeting on the Volunteer Park Conservatory Business Plan

Wednesday - March 7, 2012
Montlake Community Center
1618 E Calhoun St, Seattle, WA 98112
7:00-8:30 pm

Save the date! Come to give your support & input on the future of our beloved Conservatory.

Police on lookout after more vandalism at Capitol Hill banks

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:15:29 GMT

SPD is checking out banks across Capitol Hill after somebody threw rocks through windows at two outlets on Broadway. Details from neighbor Tammy on what she saw and more information on the vandalism, below:

Just saw 2 folks hurl rocks @ Chase on Broadway (7pm) – police were in pursuit within seconds.

There were several cruisers on the block because the US BANK was hit just minutes before.
1 broken window on north side of US BANK. 2 broken windows on West & North sides of CHASE.
Ack.

No details, yet, on any arrests.

We have received reports of police spotted at other banks around the area including the Key Bank on 15th where no damage was visible. We have been told there has been one arrest made at the 15th Ave location but have not yet been able to confirm. UPDATE: Police say no arrests so far. Details below. The 15th Ave E vandalism appeared to be limited to a large tagging.

Police have tracked suspects from the incidents but we don't yet have information on additional arrests.

Broken glass at area banks has become a regular occurrence -- with Chase a favorite target -- though Capitol Hill hasn't seen some of the other more significant attempts to inflict on branches in other neighborhoods. The vandalism reportedly inflicted at this E Madison ~~Wells Fargo~~ Bank of America turned out, by the way, to have been an accidental fire, Seattle Fire tells CHS.

Thanks to neighbor DG for the picture from the Broadway US Bank.

UPDATE 8:45 PM: SPD confirms the investigation and provides some not-too-specific suspect information:

On February 6th at approximately 6:56 p.m. officers responded to reports of vandalism against several banks on Capitol Hill. Officers arrived in the area and discovered large windows smashed out of three banks: one bank at Broadway East and East John Street, a second bank at Broadway East and East Thomas Street, and a third bank at 15th Avenue East and East Thomas Street.
Officers are currently conducting an area search for several suspects who remain at large. The suspects are described as wearing masks, dark hooded sweatshirts and dark clothing.

The 15th Ave E Key Bank tag (Image: CHS)

7:02AM - UPDATES - We have no further reports of damage overnight. Police officers were seen on patrol at area banks Monday night after the damage.

8:56AM - SPD confirms there have been no arrests associated with this string of incidents.

There is no official damage estimate yet but SPD believes the totals would equate to felony level vandalism.

We're also told the tagging at 15th Ave E might be examined by the departments graffiti detective but that it's not known whether the people who threw the rocks through the windows were connected with the paint work.

9:05AM - Unlike past larger scale efforts, no group has yet said it was responsible for the damage. Last April, this message was posted to the Puget Sound Anarchists site:

Today at around 9PM we attacked the Chase Bank on Broadway in Capitol Hill. About a dozen windows were broken. It's important to note that this was done at time when Broadway is very busy with pedestrian and car traffic. One group of onlookers was heard saying "It's not a big deal, they're not hurting anyone" as people stood by watching, no one was seen calling the police and no one was chased. Fliers were thrown in front of the bank stating solidarity with the Chilean anarchists on their 60th day of hunger strike* as well as the non-cooperating Green Scare defendants serving time in prisons across the US. A short analysis of why one might attack a bank was inclued as well. No one was arrested.

This action was taken because banks are a clear symbol of the misery and slavery that we experience under capitalism. We chose to use solidarity as a weapon in our struggle against power because our passion for freedom knows no borders or prison walls.

CHS Pics | The Boren Barbie massacre remembered

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:05:57 GMT

Doll on Boren, originally uploaded by genericman.

This means something, we're certain. Exactly 612 days to the date of the great Boren Barbie massacre of summer 2010, Genericman provides this image of a doll found Sunday on Boren between Pike and Union.

For this and more images from Genericman's recent sunny-day trips around the Hill and nearby, check out the CHS Flickr pool.

Meanwhile, Lauren Max has also been up to no good in Volunteer Park again.

(Image: Lauren Max via Flickr)

Thanks everybody for sharing your work in the pool.

Capitol Hill food+drink | Public House upgrades on Summit, Five Fish party, Neighbours 'progress'

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:17:46 GMT

The Summit Public House patio regulars (Image: Summit Public House)

Well, that was delicious. Have a tip to further beef up our notes? Mail us.

Covering the food and drink economy on Capitol Hill these days can end up producing an endless cycle of news about all the sexy young new things in the neighborhood. Exhausting, right? Let's take a moment this sunny Monday to look forward to a project at one of the Hill's food+drink elder statesmen.

"We strive to be a community pub," said Sam Munguia as he pointed to the beer chalk board with prices that seemingly haven't been changed since 2005. "That's how we've gotten our success."

That success, Munguia says, has been modest but the Summit Public House is good-enough small business. This spring, Munguia and his business partner Josh Janicek will embark on their biggest investment yet at the 14-year-old tavern the duo acquired seven years ago this St. Patrick's Day.

The plan, Munguia told CHS on a recent visit, is a $35,000 overhaul of the Summit's patio area that will enclose the space along Summit and wrap the corner to create a raised deck on the south side of the tavern along Mercer.

Munguia says he hopes to see the work complete in time for the big crowds he expects for this summer's Euro Cup.

"We're hanging a TV out there for sure," Munguia said.

Utility issues in the area complicated the process and increased the costs. And due to the removal of a street corner tree, the project also includes some re-greening efforts around the parcel.

(Image: Off the Rez)

The plans might pale in comparison to the multi-$100,000 buildouts that have gone into some recent Hill projects but it's a big change for a neighborhood institution like the Summit. If there's any extra cash, the inside of the Summit might see an upgrade or two. But only if the prices on the beer board don't have to go up.

The tussle over Neighbours, capacity and fire codes is moving forward with progress by the club, a rep for the City Attorney's office tells CHS. The deadline for the club to complete upgrades has been extended two weeks following the club "showing progress," CHS was told.
We also wrote last week about the new wave of Capitol Hill dance clubs at Q and the Social.
It's been open for weeks on Broadway but Tuesday will be the fish and chips shop's grand opening. Stop by Five Fish Bistro and say congrats.

Did anybody try the new Off the Rez food truck at its E Pike debut this weekend?

Skelly and the Bean has a target date: 2/23.
Another rave for Terra Plata. This time, the Seattle Times:

Murphy sometimes acts as midwife in the earth-to-plate journey. She packs fresh fennel and a pinch of saffron in a bath for fat Mediterranean mussels. She swaddles cauliflowers-of-many-colors in brown butter, and then aggressively nips the richness with lemon and capers. She sweetens a roasted marrow bone with fig butter, jazzes plain-Jane sunchokes with flamboyant Serrano ham, and dresses up beets with citrus, pistachio and ricotta salata.

Odd Fellows... Philadelphia
We found 15th Ave E Chutney's closed up and a notice from the City of Seattle for unpaid water bills but things are good at the longtime Indian restaurant. Management says they're closed on Tuesday nights and had no comment on the unpaid bills notice.
"The proprietors of Rain Shadow Meats on Capitol Hill do not use ammonia to treat their product and said the pink slime is shameful."
Want to be the kitchen lead at the Pine Box?
Blue Moon Burgers is holding a design your own burger contest -- but you have to jump through some of those Facebook mumbo jumbo hoops to be part of it.
Winter farmers markets are "on the rise" -- but not on Capitol Hill. Yet. Also, a bill to allow craft distilleries to sell their products at farmers markets cleared committee in Olympia.
Capitol Hill-based restaurant architecture all-stars Graham Baba overhauled the Seattle Center House.
CHS advertiser Ba Bar is adding karaoke.
Four Capitol Hill entries on this list of romantic Valentine's dinner destinations. And remember...
"The Top Seven Reasons To Find A Spot At The Teapot"
"I'm still trying to get some clarity on who the Bako diner is. We're still getting a wide variety of people. That may be reflected in our menu, where there are some things that are very recognizable and some things that are not very recognizable. Since we've gotten through the flurry of the opening months, we've focused on the food and the guest experience. I think the food is better now, and hope that diners feel the same way."
Want to open a Pike/Pine "espresso bar"?
"I could tell by looking through the windows that The Saint was making much better use of the space than Wing Dome did years earlier"
Seattle Architecture Foundation is hosting an interesting conversation Tuesday night at Town Hall. Restaurant Design: How Design Affects the Dining Experience will include Anchovie & Olive's Ethan Stowell and Poquitos' Deming Maclise and James Weimann.
Want to cook like Stowell at home? Here's his recipe for Bigoli with Garlic, Chili, and Anchovy
Looks like the November arson has indefinitely knocked Galerias out of business. Current message on galeriasgourmet.com:
It's a long walk but this guy is opening a walk-up pizza joint in the Central District.
Happy 25th Capitol Hill-iversary to 15th Ave E's EVS Wines.
The Capitol Hill Times on Little Uncle: "Despite the chicken being mediocre, I am fond of this funny little restaurant"
Free 5oz at Yogurtland today
Taylor Shellfish does TV
Betsy Hansen Cancer Fund benefit -- "Stumptown employee talent show" at The Sunset tonight in Ballard

This week's CHS food+drink advertiser directory
Bimbos -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Coastal Kitchen -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Fuel Coffee -- Web/Twitter/Facebook High 5 Pie -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Honeyhole -- Web/Facebook Marination Station -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Monsoon -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Poppy -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Poquitos -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Little Water Cantina -- Web/Twitter/Facebook	Auto Battery - Web/Twitter/Facebook Poco Wine Room -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Primo -- Web/Facebook Big Mario's -- Web/Twitter/Facebook 12th & Olive Wine -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Lobby -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Tommy Gun -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Ba Bar -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Manhattan Drugs -- Web/Twitter/Facebook Other Coast -- Web/Twitter/Facebook

Capitol Hill development | Land use extensions, 4-story 12th Ave, more First Hill highrises?

jseattle<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:25:53 GMT

The future mass of 14th Ave's La Bella Vita apartments

While we've already been busy covering a swarm of new developments being planned for the area so far this year, we've also collected a backlog of smaller news and notes from the Capitol Hill development front. Some of these we'll try to visit in more depth in coming weeks. The rest? At least, the change is noted.

10th Ave E apartments land use extension: Neighbors have been granted an extension to submit comments on the land use application for the 10th Ave apartment project planned to replace a church parking lot across from the tony Harvard & Highland condos. We've reported on some of the neighborhood issues raised with the density-friendly project. You now have until February 20th to have your say. Details on the application are here.
14th Ave extension? An extension has also been requested for the land use application for the 14th Ave mixed-use apartment building planned to replace a stretch of storefronts just off Pine while preserving the facade of the building currently home to Porchlight Coffee. Here's a note from Erica Chung looking for more support to extend the comment period which ended this weekend. She's also looking for support in her opposition to the project. Chung's note is, indeed, noted -- but not all of it is accurate. The project, for example, isn't currently planned as condominiums. You can read more about the early designs here.

A new 7 story condo development is undergoing a Design Review for the space on the west side of 14^th Avenue, between Pine and Pike Streets. The developer is seeking a waiver for an increase in the height of this development to 7-stories based upon the retention of the ‘historic’ façade of the Porchlight building (where Meza restaurant and Porchlight Coffee are currently located. I am concerned that the developer will gain approval for an excessively tall building in this location, just for retaining a small chunk of façade on a small portion of the new building’s frontage. Part of the charm of the Capitol Hill neighborhood is its funky low rise buildings. By building large/huge structures, the neighborhood will become like Belltown.

Right now the Developer is seeking a "Design Review Early Design Guidance" (Early Review) approval from the Department of Planning and Development. I am asking you to submit your comments to the Department of Planning and Review before the deadline of Sunday, February 5, 2012. Because of the urgency, we need to e-mail (lisa.rutzick@seattle.gov) or fax (206-233-7901) your comments.

HERE ARE THE ISSUES:

Recommend/comment:

Ask for an extension of 14 days to seek additional input from the community.

Recommend/comment:

Do not approve the design proposal as submitted. The developers should not be approved for 7-storys--only 6-storys as permitted in the City Ordinance. Saving the Porchlight building only maintains part of the façade (not the full front of the building where the development will occur). So the developer should not be given a height waiver for saving part of the facade.

Also, the width of the building does not keep up with the esthetics of the neighborhood. It should be broken up into 2 buildings similar to the Braeburn Condominium or built with more open space in mind, in keeping with the charm of the neighborhood.

What's a land use application? DPD has a fairly useful overview of the land use process here. CHS doesn't tend to cover the proces which typically trails the design review process that gives us our first opportunity to discuss details of projects. With two Capitol Hill projects asking for extensions, maybe we need to reconsider that coverage strategy.
Design reviews this week: We'll have deeper looks at two projects that come in front of the design review board this week. Both were pushed back from earlier scheduled review sessions by the recent big snow. Plans for a 4-story, 20-unit building will be discussed for 1823 18th Ave. Meanwhile, 1711 12th Ave is being sized up for a 4-story project with 37 units to replace this peculiar little office building on 12th Ave. No land use application, yet, so no need to ask for an extension!

View Larger Map

Pardo project: The architect behind the Po Dog/Auto Battery/Manhattan Drugs/Grim's/the Social Capitol Hill food and drink empire also has a development project coming down the pipeline. Chris Pardo is the architect for a new 4-story project planned for 109 12th Ave E.
First Hill activity: With 12th Ave emerging as a 4-story hot spot, First Hill seems destined to be the land of giants. CHS wrote about this 300-foot tower project. The DJC reported on this purchase of highrise-zoned land giving a Swedish investment firm three such parcels on First Hill ready for development.
The Union Arms Manor apartment building has been purchased for $9.5 million.
Stream Belmont progress: The revived project to build a 6-story apartment building at the former location of the Belmont Biohazard house is moving forward with the approved removal of the structures on adjoining parcels.
Summit Avenue project: A development that didn't really hit the CHS radar got some attention in this CHS community post way back in December. According to DPD records, the project is backed by Calhoun Properties, the people behind the "apodment" type mini studio buildings. We wrote a new apodment building being constructed on E John here.
SU chapel architect honored: Happened way back before Christmas but the man who designed Seattle U's chapel received an award from the American Institute of Architects for his work. We wrote about Steven Holl's project -- and its place in the Capitol Hill community -- here.
Seattle Prep parking project: The land use application for the smallest component of a planned set of projects for the Seattle Prep campus has been approved. The school can now move forward with constructing a new bus parking area down the hill from its campus.
12th Ave Arts progress: The capital campaign for the project that will transform the East Precinct's parking lot into housing and an arts facility (and space for SPD to park) made some big progress with funds from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. The tech billionaire gave $150,000 to Capitol Hill Housing. CHH's Michael Seiwerath said recent grants from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the Joshua Green Foundation, the Children Count Foundation and 4Culture total more than $220,000. We reported in November on the up to $7.7 million the City of Seattle agreed to provide to help fund the project. The rest of the $38 million needed to complete the project will come from a mix of tax credits, levy dollars, state programs and some commercial bank loans. And donations from people like Paul Allen. And you. Also, East Precinct brass says there is no plan yet pulled together for where the officers and staff who work at 12th and Pine will park. A quick glance around the neighborhood shows no obvious candidate for a secure temporary parking lot.

CHS Schemata | Capitol Hill's alley experiments

John Feit/Schemata Workshop<noreply@www.capitolhillseattle.com> — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:01:05 GMT

(Images: John Feit)

As related in the previous post on Capitol Hill’s alleys, their inherently less public nature creates a social environment distinct from that of their associated streetscapes. Furthermore, this distinct environment has fostered experimentation in the design of alley landscapes and buildings. While not in the avant-garde, these experiments can nonetheless be seen as a foil to the more ordered and regular streetscapes they are paired with. Some alley experiments are simply whimsical and relatively ephemeral in nature, others relatively daring in their re-conceiving of typical alley elements into bolder more modern constructs, exploiting the alley as a vehicle for design exploration.

One impetus for alley experiments is found in the blending & compacting of roadway, sidewalk, and landscape into an area of less girth than our streets, and, therefore, to lesser expectations for openness and transparency. An indicator of this variance with the normative can be seen in the retaining walls that frequently demise the alley, but at a scale and opacity rarely seen on streets. Such robustness results from the fact that alleys and their walls are frequently used to terrace grades along our hilly landscape. Charged with retaining massive amounts of earth, alley walls cannot be bothered with the niceties of pedestrian scale and detail that are incumbent street side, and are therefore able to more efficiently discharge their duty. Pictured below is a landscape wall that directly and unapologetically dispenses with its retaining chores, and is a good representative of the normative condition.

On Capitol Hill’s alleys such large retaining walls often contain other service elements, including garages. Combining programmatic elements is perhaps only mildly experimental, and is much like the wall-garage combinations in Capitol Hill’s Harvard historic district. The wall-garage combo pictured below deftly combines it various services, and to the extent possible, is traditionally detailed and landscaped. And though thoughtfully executed and within the stylist expectations of the neighborhood, such a length of predominantly blank wall would cause an outcry if it were on the street and would be seen as an affront to neighborliness. On the alley, however, such a carefully designed wall/garage/landscape can actually be seen to be in the best of taste.

Just up the alley from the above example (next door to it, in fact) is a decidedly modernist interpretation of the same typology. And most likely for the same traditional type of home that the above serves. Bold in its geometry and Spartan in detail, its design is most certainly not derivative of the home is serves, and provides a contemporary counterpoint to what is typically seen on the street in this section of Capitol Hill. The only relief to the mass of the wall is the setting back of the three garage doors and one pedestrian door, both similar to the previous example, but again, lacking the architectural embellishments.

Not all alley experiments are so willful. While it is hard to miss the above two examples, alley experiments appear in smaller, subtler ways, with the glass block wall below a fine example. Glass block and good design are not typically uttered in one sentence, glass block perhaps the most abused of modernist tropes; yet, pictured below is an attractive use of this beleaguered material as one is to find on the Hill. Here, the adjacent bamboo blends in perfectly with the wall; its distinctive, modernist lines adeptly blending with the lines of the glass block.

Fortunately, such modernist expressions are not restricted to the landscape. Entire modernist buildings are realized in our alleys, allowing for the fulfillment of the latent modernist design leanings of homeowners — leaning that they are otherwise too timid to express street side where they would be in full view of watchful neighbors whose design prerogatives most likely lean toward maintaining the decorum of the otherwise traditional homes and landscapes. Alleys, on the other hand, are the perfect crucible for those having the vision — but not necessarily the brashness — to pepper a bit of contemporary in our neighborhood.

And it not simply modernist deviants that are to be found in our alleys. There are hyper-craftsman buildings as well, where the vocabulary of the quintessential Seattle home is taken almost to extremes, and certainly closer to its proximate oriental influences. Not that such a finely crafted garage as picture below would be out of place on the street, but the fact that it is an alley dweller makes its discovery ever more delightful. That such care and craft would be expended on a ‘mere’ utilitarian object, bespeaks the importance of utility in our lives.

The most singular design example of alley experimentation I came across in this small section of Capitol Hill was perhaps one that expressed none of the previous mentioned dualities; in fact, it was an example of a home whose landscape and architectural expression on the alley make it indistinguishable from that on the street. Admittedly, it does take some means to maintain decorum on both street and alley frontages, but it also takes a bit of s contrarian stand, in that this homeowner does not feel the need to distinguished between servant and served . Those of similar means have chosen a different route, as witnessed by the to imposing garages at the beginning of this post, which are across from the one below.

Despite of, or perhaps because of, Capitol Hill’s heterogeneous alley landscape the above building and landscape I found to be the most compelling. The simplicity of its form and the honest expression of its utility are captivating, its patinaed brick cladding matching that of the alley and the low landscape wall. While not experimental itself, it forms the quintessential alley building/landscape prototype against which to measure those homeowners who are more experimentally inclined, making the above artist forays resonant, and grounding them within a larger cultural context.

Recent CHS Schemata Posts:

John Feit is an architect on Capitol Hill, and works at Schemata Workshop. He blogs frequently on design and urbanism, with a focus on how they relate to and affect the Capitol Hill community.

Review Meeting:	February 8, 8:00 pm
	Seattle University Casey Commons
	901 12th Ave map
	Casey Commons 5th Floor
Review Phase:	EDG--Early Design Guidance past reviews
Project Number:	3012848 permit status \| notice
Planner:	Shelley Bolser

Review Meeting:	February 8, 6:30 pm
	Seattle University Casey Commons
	901 12th Ave map
	Casey Commons 5th Floor
Review Phase:	EDG--Early Design Guidance past reviews
Project Number:	3012667 permit status \| notice
Planner:	Colin Vasquez