Pinehurst Seattle

Kohary at 123rd and 10th NE

Some views of the Kohary development at 123rd and 10th NE
west view

east view

March 17th – Pinehurst Green Safeway – Early Design Guidance Public Meeting

Monday, March 17, 2008
6:30 PM

University Heights Center
5031 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105

Northeast Design Review Board
Project Number: 3008423 (see permit status)

This is the first of many public meetings regarding the new Safeway design. This meeting will be primarily in regard to siting on the lot (the footprint).

You can view the Safeway Early Design Guidance Packet here.

"Green" Safeway gets Green Light

http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/green_light_for_green_safeway

Thanks, Jonah.

April 5th – 15th Avenue Pinehurst Clean-up

Want to help make a difference in Pinehurst and meet some of your neighbors? Join us for a 15th Avenue Pinehurst Clean-up on Saturday, April 5th.

More details soon.

Thank you to Patrick, Lisa, Ryan, Heather & Holly for making this happen!

Sustainable Street Design for 115th with Sidewalk and Swales

Many people in Pinehurst have expressed an interest in seeing a sidewalk built on 115th between Roosevelt and 5th Ave NE. We recently learned that a design has been developed that integrates a sidewalk and natural drainage on 115th between Roosevelt and 5th Ave NE. Shauna Walgren from the Neighborhood Street Fund will be presenting more details on this project at the March 31st Pinehurst Planning and Development Group meeting (we are very fortunate that she is willing to join us).

The design includes swales similar to those in the Pinehurst Green Grid Drainage Project on the eastern side of Pinehurst. The swales offer drainage that more closely mimics the natural landscape prior to development than traditional piped systems. For photos and more information on some completed swales/natural drainage projects in Seattle, link here. Here are a few of the photos courtesy of Seattle Public Utilities.

Safeway Update – Next Steps

Here are the next steps in the Pinehurst Green Safeway redevelopment process:

1. Safeway Board must approve the project
2. Rezone must be approved by Seattle City Council
3. Safeway must go through Seattle DPD Design Review process

There will be many opportunities for public involvement during these steps and I will post updates to the blog as they are available.

3/7 CityClub Panel: Urban Development: Do We Recognize the Changing Face of Our Neighborhoods?

Unprecedented development is reshaping Seattle’s neighborhoods unlike any other time in the city’s recent history. From Ballard to Capitol Hill and South Lake Union, neighborhoods are adapting to a new, denser urban reality. What do these developments say about the future of Seattle and how we define vibrant, livable urban neighborhoods? How do we preserve a neighborhood’s character and charm while making room for new buildings that help accommodate undeniable growth? How can the public and private sectors work together to shape growth in a way that supports a diversity of housing and complements the existing community and environment?

Urban Development: Do We Recognize the Changing Face of Our Neighborhoods?

Friday, March 7, 2008
Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Avenue Seattle

Registration: 11:30 a.m.
Lunch Served:12:00 – 12:15 p.m.
Program: 12:15 – 1:30 p.m.
$35/CityClub Members; $40/Guests and co-presenting organizations; $45/ General Public
purchase tickets

Panelists to Date:
Jim Diers, Author, Neighbor Power
Ada Healey, Vice President of Real Estate, Vulcan Inc.
Leonard Garfield, Executive Director, Museum of History and Industry
Diane Sugimura, Director, Seattle Department of Planning & Development
Moderator: Jim Vesely, Editorial Page Editor, The Seattle Times

Pinehurst Planning and Development Group Meeting – 2/25

Monday, February 25th
7-9 PM

St. Matthew’s Gym Conference Room
(the smaller meeting space in the gym building)
1240 NE 127th St
Seattle, WA 98125

Agenda:

1. Workforce Housing for Pinehurst and for Seattle – Catherine Stanford and Stephen Antupit from the Urban Land Institute Workforce Housing Initiative (7:10 – 7:40)
With rising Seattle real estate values and rents, where will middle income people such as teachers, firefighters and nurses find housing?

2. Green Legacy for All Levy Proposal – Brice Maryman (7:40 – 8:00)
The Green Legacy for All Levy is a proposal that is being discussed by community members and some Seattle City Councilmembers. It is not a definite thing. But, it would potentially fund future green infrastructure projects in the City of Seattle. One Pinehurst/Jackson Park/Olympic Hills project, if it proves to be viable, might be a Jackson Park Walking Trail.

3. Crime Prevention in Pinehurst – Diane Horswill, SPD North Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator (8:00 – 8:30)
Diane will help us understand what we can do to form or reenergize Block Watch groups, what to do when graffitti happens, how to hold a Night Out event in August, and she will answer neighborhood questions.

Upcoming Neighborhood Events:
Pinehurst Playfield Shelterhouse Design Meeting – March 8th
Good Design Tour – TBD
15th Avenue Cleanup – April 5th

Pinehurst Planning and Development Group is a group open to all interested Pinehurst residents. The mission of the group is to help to make Pinehurst an even more vibrant and walkable community.

Bicycle Master Plan

The Bicycle Master Plan is a planning document that will be used to guide future improvements to Seattle’s bicycle network. The focus for the master plan is on the evaluation of arterial streets for the implementation of bicycle facilities and to encourage more bicycling throughout the City of Seattle. Also included is a plan and schedule for completing the trails network such as the Burke-Gilman Trail. For more information, see: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaster.htm

Meeting Summary – Pinehurst Planning and Development Group 2/4/08

There was good turnout and discussion at the Pinehurst Planning and Development Group (PPDG) meeting this past Monday. Here is a meeting summary:

Northgate Rezone
The City has deferred the Northgate Rezone project due to many other projects competing for City resources. Also, the City would like to complete the multifamily code changes and complete work on incentive zoning (both integral elements of the Northgate Rezone) before additional work is dome on this project. The rezone is still on the table, but the timeline is extended. If you have any questions or would like to know more about this project, contact Kristian Kofoed at (206) 233-7191 or at kristian.kofoed@seattle.gov.

Kohary Development at 125th and Roosevelt
The Kohary development of 24 townhouse units at the NE corner of 125th and Roosevelt is moving forward. The SEPA review comment period has started for the demolition of the two apartment buildings on the site. Comments are due by 2/13/08. [Link here for more information on how you can make comments.] We understand that no SEPA or design review will be required for the new construction. However, a community member with extensive SEPA background believes that a SEPA review for the 24 unit townhouse development should be required under Washington state law and is providing cites and details on the legal argument for this.

Pinehurst Summer Social Event
We have reserved Pinehurst Playfield and Shelterhouse for Saturday, August 9th to hold a community social gathering. The event will be held from 4 – 7 PM. We have contacted Seattle City Councilmembers, the Mayor’s office, King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson, Flexcar, Cascade Bicycle Club, the Lake City Farmer’s Market and the Seattle Department of Planning and Development Residential Green Building Program so far to invite them to the event. We also plan to reach out to neighborhood businesses and community organizations. We plan to apply for a Department of Neighborhoods Neighborhood Climate Protection Fund small and simple grant to help with outreach and set up costs for the event.

Anyone with suggestions or interest in helping with this event should contact Renee by e-mail or at 206-366-9472.

Good Design Tour
The Good Design Tour is being rescheduled for a weekend afternoon so that we will be better able to see the designs we are using as examples. Stay tuned for more information soon. Thanks to Brad, Lisa & Peder for their efforts on this.

Small Neighborhood Street Fund Projects
The Neighborhood Street Fund is an annual program that funds smaller neighborhood street and park projects such as sidewalks, traffic calming and crosswalks. Anyone can submit an application and the form is short and easy to complete. Applications are due February 22nd. Information and applications can be found here. Contact Kadie Bell at Department of Neighborhoods, kadie.bell@seattle.gov and 206-684-0607, with any questions.

Jackson Park Walking Trail
We continue to hear positive reaction to the idea of a walking trail around Jackson Park Golf Course. We have reached out to Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation and others. This is a project that would take a number of years to implement, but it seems like it could be a possibility.

15th Avenue Cleanup and Business District Improvements
A number of Pinehurst community members have expressed a desire to improve the 15th Ave corridor. Improvements range from holding a sidewalk clean-up day to more permanent improvements in the business district.

Patrick Blaine and others in the Gemstone II Condominium Association are especially interested in this project and have volunteered to help organize a 15th Ave Clean-up Day in April. We will post information on the event to the blog when it is available.

Seattle Great City Initiative
Michael McGinn, founder of Seattle Great City Initiative (www.greatcity.org), spoke about the Seattle Great City Initiative’s (SGCI’s) history, mission and resources for neighborhoods. SGCI is a group of environmentalists, neighborhood leaders, business people, and citizens working together to enhance our quality of life, help preserve our region’s natural beauty, and make Seattle a model of economic and environmental sustainability.

Michael is very interested in the Good Design Tour being developed in Pinehurst and has asked for SGCI to perticipate in the event. The event organizer are in contact with Michael and his staff to coordinate.

Upcoming meetings and other important dates:
Neighbor Appreciation Day – February 9th
Northgate Urban Center Park Public Meeting – Wednesday, February 20th, 6:30 – 8:30 PM at Northgate Community Center
Pinehurst Playfield Shelterhouse Design Meeting – Saturday, March 8th, 10 AM at Pinehurst Playfield Shelterhouse

Next PPDG meeting will be held Monday, February 25th from 7 – 9 PM at St. Matthew’s. Agenda includes:
Workforce Housing – How can median wage families ($65K a year for a family of 4) afford housing in Seattle? What can we do to ensure an adequate amount of affordable housing in Pinehurst? We are very fortunate to have members of the Workforce Housing Initiative from the Urban Land Institute present to our group.
Block Watch/Crime Prevention – Diane Horswill, North Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator, will answer community questions and will discuss what we can do to help prevent crime in our neighborhood.
Green Legacy for All – Brice Maryman of the Green Legacy Coalition will speak about the group’s proposal for renewing a parks levy in 2008 and participate in a discussion on “green infrastructure” priorities for Pinehurst. (This is one possible way to secure some funding toward a Jackson Park Walking Trail.)

Pinehurst Seattle

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