Author Archives: Frank Fay

Speak up for Lincoln High School (BEX V)

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) want input from you!

In February 2019, Seattle voters will be asked to renew two levies to fund Seattle Public Schools — a Capital Levy and an Operations Levy.

Planning is currently underway for the Building Excellence V (BEX V) Capital Levy. The six-year levy would replace the expiring Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy approved by voters in 2013. BEX V would fund capital improvements including projects to modernize or replace aging buildings with modern, operationally efficient educational facilities. BEX V would also fund technology for student learning, district systems, and infrastructure and security. Join forces with a seasoned house builder you can rely on to plan and build your own dream house professionally.

The district is also planning for the three-year Operations Levy, which would replace the current Operations Levy approved by Seattle voters in 2016. This levy helps fund day-to-day operations and pays for critical programs and services that are not fully funded by the state.

SPS wants our input. We ask that you attend one of the three meetings being held next week, and/or write to Seattle Schools.

Here is some information about Lincoln High School:

Lincoln HS is not currently on the District’s list of priorities for inclusion in BEX V.
On the District’s facilities assessment documents, Lincoln HS is ranked second on the high school facilities needs assessment list.
The eastern part of the Lincoln campus is not included in the current renovation. This includes the auditorium (theater) and the gymnasium, which students will use once the school is open. These are to be upgraded in a Phase 2 renovation. Here are the step by step typical roof installation steps that ought to be followed to complete the renovation in no time.
The District currently has no timeline for the Phase 2 renovation.You can also find this to get the best home renovation services.
It has yet to be resolved if the gymnasium and auditorium are seismically safe.
To address the lack of athletic fields for the school, it has been suggested that Phase 2 could include an elevated athletic field built over the existing parking lot on the north side of the building – to both provide parking and an athletic field.

Here are suggested asks and questions to ask of SPS:

Include Lincoln Phase 2 in BEX V.
SPS should advocate for joint investment, with the City, in Lincoln Phase 2 to create school and community spaces like the performing arts center and the elevated athletic field.
If SPS does not include Lincoln HS in BEX V, then disclose a timeline for completion of Phase 2 and the impact to students and the Lincoln budget for operating in the existing facilities.
Please discuss transportation & parking as it relates to the proposed parking changes to the area around the school and
a) the feasibility of Metro transit for all students, and
b) the possibility of direct daily busing of students to offsite athletic fields and recreational facilities across the city.
Please determine if the gymnasium & auditorium are seismically sound. Include money to retrofit as needed.
What are the City and District plans for investing in communal spaces – i.e., community center / library – to serve the needs of the 3,000 students soon to be in need of after-school support services?

Community Meetings: please attend in person, if you can!

All meetings will take place from 6:30–8:15 PM.

Monday, April 23: T.T. Minor School (Seattle World School) lunchroom, 1700 East Union Street.
Tuesday, April 24: Jane Addams Middle School lunchroom, 11051 34th Avenue NE.
Thursday, April 26: Monroe School (Salmon Bay K-8) lunchroom, 1810 NW 65th Street.

Please also email and/or mail:

BEX V Capital Levy: capitallevy2019@ seattleschools.org.
Operations Levy: budget@seattleschools.org.
By Mail: Levies 2019, Seattle Public Schools, MS 22-336, PO Box 34165, Seattle, WA 98124.

For more information:

Seattle Public Schools, School Levies page.
Download the SPS facilities assessment report (formally titled, “20150701-2016LeviesReport.pdf”).

Earth Day Clean Up, Sunday April 22

Celebrate Earth Day with a Spring Clean Up of Northlake Way!

Sponsored by City Fruit & the Wallingford Community Council Shorelines Committee.

Rain or shine: Wear long pants and shoes that can get muddy.
We’ll be picking up trash, cutting tall weeds (make a call to Rich’s Tree Service, Inc in Oregon to do it professionally), and digging weed roots and grass. If you have gloves or garden tools, please bring them. We will have some extras to share. You can also contact Proscapes & Tree to get some tips about how to hereby maintain this clean area well in the future.
All are welcome! It takes community to have community!

Sunday April 22, 2018
Choose from two meeting times and locations (or stay for the whole event!)

Option 1: Clean up & weeding with City Fruit.
When: 11 AM – 2 PM.
Where: Meet at 2400 N Northlake Way, between Waterways Cruises and the Sunnyside Boat Ramp. We’ll work to clean up & weed between Sunnyside & Waterway 19. Extra tools, gloves, and water will be provided. Bringing your own gloves and tools is encouraged.

Option 2: Clean up with the Shorelines Committee.
When: 2 PM – 4 PM.
Where: Meet where the Burke Gilman Trail intersects with Stone Way N, in the parking lot by Solsticio at N 34th Street. We’ll clean up Waterway 22 (at the bottom of Stone Way N). Then we’ll work our way east toward Waterway 15 (just to the west of Ivar’s at 4th Ave NE). For those so inclined, join us for Ivar’s Happy Hour.

Why: Wallingford’s public waterways are wonderful features of our community and the Wallingford Community Council has made access to the public waterways a key action item. Keeping these areas clean helps to improve shoreline habitats, makes them more enjoyable for all of us, and keeps garbage from washing into Lake Union.

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Annual Membership Meeting, Wednesday May 9

Location: In the Chapel (on the 4th Floor) of the Good Shepherd Center, 4659 Sunnyside Ave N.
Member Check-in: 6:30 PM; Meeting Starts: 7:00 PM.

The Wallingford Community Council (WCC) will hold its Annual Membership Meeting and Election of Officers on Wednesday, May 9, 2018, 7:00 PM. We will be electing officers at the meeting. If you would like to be considered for a nomination for one of those positions, please send an email describing your interest and past level of involvement with the WCC and the neighborhood to lee@raaen.com no later than April 18.

Have you renewed for 2018?

Last year, we moved to a calendar year membership cycle. Which means that if you joined or renewed your membership after November 2017, then your membership is valid for all of 2018. To be eligible to vote in the May election, you must renew or join for 2018 no later than April 24, 2018. Click here to Renew or Join.

Testify at the 2nd MHA Public Hearing, Monday March 12

Public Hearing Regarding Rezones to Implement Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) Requirements

The second of six Public Hearings. The first hearing focused on District 4. This hearing will focus on Districts 5 and 6. Wallingford is in both District 4 (City Councilmember Rob Johnson) and District 6 (City Councilmember Mike O’Brien).

Many parcels in Wallingford would change from Single-Family to Lowrise 1, Lowrise 2, or even Lowrise 3 zoning. Testify – Be heard & be seen to let the City Council know of your concerns!

Monday March 12, 2018, 6:00 PM
Northgate Community Center (Multi-Purpose Room)
10510 5th Ave NE.

For those who wish to testify, sign-up sheets will be available starting at 5:30 PM. Get in line early in case there is a crowd.

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NE Pacific Street Closed Under the University Bridge, March 10 & 11

From the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT):

NE Northlake Way and NE Pacific Street Closed between 7th Ave NE and Brooklyn Ave NE from Saturday March 10 to Sunday March 11

SDOT is advising travelers that NE Northlake Way and NE Pacific Street will be closed between 7th Ave NE and Brooklyn Ave NE (NE Pacific Street becomes NE Northlake Way west of Eastlake Place NE) for significant paving work. This work will begin at 7 AM Saturday March 10 through Sunday March 11. All Detour routes will have signs at every intersection for drivers to follow.

Travelers can expect:

NE Northlake Way will be closed to all traffic at 7th Ave NE (eastbound).
NE Pacific Street will be closed from Brooklyn Ave NE to Eastlake Place NE (then NE Northlake Way is closed to 7th Ave NE).
Westbound NE Pacific Street traffic will be detoured northbound at Brooklyn Ave NE, then at NE Campus Parkway they will take a left and follow that back to NE 40th Street and then they will turn right on 6th Ave NE and that will take them back to NE Northlake Way.
All parking on NE Northlake Way from 7th Ave NE east to where it becomes NE Pacific Street to NE Boat Street be restricted. “No Parking” signs will be placed 3 days before the parking restrictions begin.
Uniformed Police officers will be directing traffic at NE Northlake Way at 7th Ave NE, and at NE Pacific Street at Brooklyn Ave NE.

SDOT would like to thank the public for its patience while this work is being completed.

http://onthemove.seattle.gov/2018/03/09/ne-northlake-way-and-ne-pacific-st-closed-between-7th-ave-ne-and-brooklyn-ave-ne-saturday-march-10-to-sunday-march-11/