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King County Prosecutors filed criminal charges last week against Thomas L. Maccarone for 4 counts of 1st degree theft and 5 counts of 2nd degree theft. According to the probable cause document, Maccarone embezzled $80,145 from association funds, while serving as a Treasurer for the Maison Ville Condominium Home Owner's Association, over a term of four years. Maccarone sold his Maison Ville Condo (Unit #403 located at 1740 Melrose Avenue) in April 2008 and moved to Palm Springs, California. When his fellow board members discovered his perfidy, they filed suit in April 2009.
In response to the suit, Maccarone admitted the theft but claimed to be too poor to travel to Washington to defend himself and/or to hire a lawyer. In order to further dissuade the HOA, he claims to currently own only a car, (the right to) social security payments and assorted personal belongings. He also had the temerity to blame the association for what he had done - stating that they should have conducted an annual audit or should have imposed checks to his powers. King County Prosecutors have asked for an arrest warrant to be executed and for $10,000 bail. The two documents filed so far in the criminal case are attached and below is an excerpt of the history of the case.
UPDATE 10:10 AM:
Police responded early this morning to City Market where a 23-year-old man reported he had been stabbed in the arm, according to a report released by SPD and information collected from police radio chatter. The victim described his assailant as a white male wearing a black sweater and blue jeans and said his attacker was accompanied by a woman wearing a white skirt. Police tracked the pair to the Broadway Market QFC where they were taken into custody about ten minutes after the 4:12 AM callout. According to the Seattle Fire Department, the man's injuries were not serious. The 20-year-old man arrested at QFC was booked on investigation of assault.
UPDATE 11:07 AM:
A few more details from SPD about what lead to the stabbing -- sounds like it was not a robbery attempt or an attack on the street. Police say the victim told them the men were hanging out with others in the same room of a building in the 1700 block of Bellevue when the two began arguing and the 20-year-old man stabbed the 23-year-old in the left forearm and then ran from the building.
Original Post:
SPD's Blotter blog has a report posted on an early-morning Bellevue Ave stabbing that we've been working to get details on this morning. We'll update if we can add more to the story.
On March 11th, at approximately 4:12 AM, East Precinct officers responded to a call of a stabbing in the 1700 Block of Bellevue Avenue. Officers located a 23 year old male who had been stabbed in his left arm. The Seattle Fire Department was summoned to treat the victim for his wound. A description of the suspect and his female companion was broadcast, based on information from the victim. Officers recalled seeing a suspect matching that description earlier in the morning on Broadway. Officers conducting an area search for the suspect entered a store in the 500 Block of Broadway Ave. East and located the suspect and his friend. The male suspect was positively identified as the one responsible for the stabbing. A weapon was recovered. The victim does not have life-threatening injuries. The 20 year old suspect was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Assault.
A fire this afternoon in Summit Ave's Biltmore Apartments turned out to be only a smoky 'food on the stove' blaze. A full response by the Seattle Fire Department filled the street on Summit near Olive Way as 15 emergency units arrived following the 3:20 PM alarm. Firefighters who entered the apartment discovered a smoke filled unit -- and an undisclosed recipe gone wrong.
The apartment building was constructed in 1924 according to its records in the Department of Neighborhoods historical sites list. The apartments are now worth more than $10 million according to King County Records.
Thanks to @EricaToelle for providing this video of the scene and an interview with a man who said he was surprised to find out that firefighters were responding to his apartment unit.
Previous
Seattle Department of Transportation says that the work to create Olive Way 'pedestrian improvements' will cause some traffic issues this weekend:
Seattle Department of Transportation paving crews plan to work on Saturday, March 6 on East Olive Way between Boylston Avenue East and Harvard Avenue East, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A traffic flagger will assist vehicles and pedestrians around the construction area. The crews will construct a small traffic circle and two curb ramps as part of the mitigation work for the Sound Transit tunnel.
SDOT tells us ‘No Park’ signs were set out Thursday and some prep work is happening today.
We reported this week on changes to bus routes 43 and 8 that are related to these improvements and a general overhaul of pedestrian and transit traffic in the area as the Sound Transit light rail construction picks up pace. We'll follow up with Metro on progress toward improving the situation around the long stretch of bus-stop-less routes across Broadway. Thanks to neighbor Scott for providing this infographic-enhance picture of an Olive Way bus stop sign being removed.
We also got more information about improvements being made a block over on Denny Way at Boylston. According to SDOT, Sound Transit covered the cost of installing a 'curb bulb' at the frequently used crossing.
The curb bulb at E Denny Way and Boylston St is a-go. It is funded by Sound Transit and being designed and constructed by SDOT. The curb bulb project was temporarily on-hold due to some questions about the feasibility of constructing the curb bulb at Denny/Boylston and the median crossing island at Olive/Boylston within our budget, but they have been resolved and we are now able to move forward with both projects.
What's a curb bulb? Check the CHS comments.
UPDATE 11:55 PM:
Police and SWAT units responded to the 500 block of E Denny Way after somebody fired a small caliber gun from a first floor apartment window into an apartment unit in an adjacent building around 8 PM tonight. In what an SPD spokesperson described as 'an abundance of caution,' police and SWAT units cordoned of E Denny Way from Summit to Boylston as they attempted to contact the man they believed fired the shot.
The headline on this post has been changed to reflect the latest information available from SPD. Latest updates below.
Original Post 10:44 PM:
Playing catch-up on an unfolding story of a police standoff reported by a handful of CHS tipsters tonight. Here's a series of reports from one describing what she's seen. We also have a report that came in at 10:20 PM of police evacuating at least one apartment building in the area. More as we learn it.
- 9PM: A friend lives at that intersection and just came home (he lives across from Amante) to find the intersection blocked off by police roaming the area in Kevlar. He hasn't been able to figure out what's up yet.
- 9:23 PM Intersection blocked with police tape/cars down Denny from Summit to Boylston. My friend just heard police on megaphone talking to someone in an apartment.
- 10:30 PM Seems to be some kind of standoff. Friend at the other end of Denny said there's talk of someone armed in an apartment nearby. Said police have been there for a while and are acting fairly nonchalant.
Denny above Summit.
police are announcing over loudspeaker every five minutes asking for a
Jeffrey S at 5xx E Denny Way to exit apt X with his hands over his
head and to follow police verbal cues upon exit.
work to contact a man inside an apartment where they believe he fired
a gun out the window, tonight around 8 PM. According to SPD
spokesperson Mark Jamieson who is also at the scene, SPD received a
report of a single gunshot fired from the window of the first floor
apartment and into the wall of a unit in the adjacent apartment
building. SPD said that nobody was injured by the shot.
'abundance of caution' as police attempt to contact the man who lives
in the apartment. "We don't know if he's in there," Jamieson said.
Shots fired through apartment window on Capitol Hill
On March 3rd, shortly after 8:00 PM, East Precinct officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 500 Block of East Denny Way. Officers arrived and contacted the victim, who stated that he was inside his apartment when he heard the sound of a window breaking. He stated that it sounded like someone from outside had struck his apartment window, breaking it. Upon further investigation, he discovered two small bullet holes in the window, and at least one bullet hole in the window frame. A bullet was recovered from the window frame. It was determined that the most likely direction that the bullet travelled was from the first floor apartment of the next door building, just to the west. There officers located a bullet hole in that apartment’s window as well. There were no reported injuries. As officers were preparing to make contact with the occupants of that apartment, the resident approached them outside the building and stated that he did not believe that any one should be inside his apartment. However, he did reveal to officers that he had let friend stay there earlier in the day, and that his friend may have had access to a gun. The resident also stated that he did not know where his friend was at that particular moment, since he had just arrived home and found officers outside his building. Officers spent a considerable amount of time attempting to contact the resident’s friend and made a slow and deliberate entrance into the apartment and determined that it was clear. The street was reopened and the investigation continues.
I just walked by, and there is a definite bullet hole in a first floor apartment window in a complex called "The Century." The apt building next door is called "The White House," and is presumably where the shots came from.
Seattle Municipal Archives dropped this 1945 shot of the intersection of Bellevue and Olive into the CHS Flickr pool: note that the Westinghouse X-ray Building on the left is now The Saint. The ad for Columbia Ale appears to be for an ale produced by Tacoma-based Columbia Brewing Company. In 1941, the brewery introduced Columbia Ale: "Brewmaster Birkmaier developed the ale, which was a top fermenting beer, and a first for the brewery. The old English style Ale immediately gained a following and remained a popular seller for 17 years."
Bellevue & Olive, 1945 Originally uploaded by Seattle Municipal Archives
One of the biggest concerns expressed by community members at January's Sound Transit light rail construction update meeting was about the lack of progress on pedestrian safety measures.
Neighbor Scott provides this picture and reports that work on at least one element of the pedestrian safety improvements is underway:
Construction underway this morning on Olive Way at Boylston Ave for the crosswalk. Note that there is going to be an island in the middle so that traffic will get reduced to one lane in each direction. This change ought to be interesting and, hopefully, not too annoying for me and my fellow residents that live right above it.
According to the Seattle Department of Transportation, work crews will construct a pedestrian median crossing island with marked crosswalks and curb ramps at the intersection of E Olive Way and the east leg of Boylston Ave E. The median island will provide safe crossing in the center of the street to shorten the crossing time of E. Olive Way.
Sound Transit was also working with the city on adding a curb bulb on E. Denny Way at Boylston but canned that plan due to costs.
Turns out the hit and run minivan chase we first reported on Monday had a very dramatic ending.
Although the collision and the subsequent actions of the suspect were happening instantaneously, Mr. Rini was immediately able to put together what was unfolding and had the presence of mind to recognize that the driver of the white van was trying to make his getaway.
As the suspect tried to flee on foot, Mr. Rini tackled the suspect to the ground and subdued him until the officers arrived.
Peter Rini, a New York actor in Seattle as part of a touring production of South Pacific at the 5th Ave Theater, was walking on East Republican when he saw the van crash into cars at the intersection ahead. SPD is apparently honoring Rini for his efforts.
According to the 5th Avenue press release, Rini will receive a Citizen Appreciation Award on February 17th for his bravery.
Photo by Jeff Strand
Mr. Rini clearly acted out of instinct and goodwill. Had it not been for Mr. Rini's actions, the arriving officers would have had to eventually set up delayed containment in the neighborhood and actively searched for the suspect on foot, making it difficult at best to find the suspect in this densely populated area of Capitol Hill.
Rini's plays Commander William Harbison in South Pacific.
A large emergency response to an apartment building at 1641 Bellevue Ave shut down traffic on the street for a short time this afternoon. No word yet on what caused the callout to the Bellevue Olive Apartments but the situation was taken care of quickly. We'll update as soon as we know more from SFD.
UPDATE 2:29 PM:
According to SFD, the callout was in response to a smoky 'food on the stove' fire. Move along. Nothing to see here.
Did you know there's a Nutella day? Did you know it's a holiday? According to Faire, February 5 is both World Nutella Day and a holiday. They're celebrating with all day Nutella specials beginning at 10 am.
The Seattle Home to all things Nutella is celebrating the most important Holiday of the year! World Nutella Day is Friday, February 5th and we are pulling out the stops. Faire will offer an array of Nutella goodies for sale; from Nutella on Toast, Nutella on Croissant, Nutella Bruschetta, Nutella Truffles and more. And our famous drinks the Nutella Mocha, Hot Cocoa or the New Nutella Martini will be making taste buds swoon!!!! Bring your friends and family to share your tasty memories in our Nutella Memory Box. Then at 9pm the party gets started with DJ DEM Dirty on the turntables!!! We end the night with the Ultimate Chocolate Dance Party, Hot Beats and sexy treats! This day only comes once a year, so don't miss it!!! See you there Nutella Lovers!!!
[Full disclosure: Josh is an elected representative of the Capitol Hill Community Council and an active member in the John Street Enhancement Project]
Last month, the Capitol Hill Community Council began a campaign to implement a bold plan for the Capitol Hill section of the First Hill streetcar. While this progressive proposal has garnered some publicity in recent weeks, it is important to note that the group has also been working on some less grand, but just as exciting, projects as well.
Last week CHCC officially applied for the Seattle Parks Opportunity Fund to enhance the streetscape along John St. adjacent to the future Unpaving Paradise P-Patch and soon-to-be-named park.
Bioswale by SvR Design
The John St. Enhancement Project, led by community activist Chris Hoffman, was developed to improve the pedestrian experience along John St. between Olive Way and Summit and to better connect the Olive Way commercial district to the future P-Patch and Park. The plan calls for a narrowed street, limiting traffic to eastbound only, and designating the street a festival street so that it can easily be closed down for community events. Parking on the northern side of the street would be replaced by a ten-foot-wide bioswale and an improved sidewalk that incorporates community artwork. The entire project is estimated to cost between $200,000 and $300,000, much less than the $1.5 million limit for project applicants.
The Opportunity Fund is part of the 2008 Parks and Greenspace Levy which provided $146 million for Seattle park space. In addition to the Acquisition and Development funds, the Opportunity Fund provides $15 million "solely to community initiated park projects". The first step in the Opportunity fund application process was the Letter of Intent, due February 1st. Project ideas are then developed and a full application is due on April 2nd. Parks will review all applicants and make funding recommendations in late 2010 with implementation beginning in January 2011.
This just in from tipster Andrew. The SuperCuts at Denny and Olive Way -- one of the last in Seattle -- will be providing its final Capitol Hill styles on Sunday. The sign's list of where to find your favorite SuperCut stylist after Sunday is charming and kinda sad.
Unlike other recent closures of chains on the Hill, Regis Corp., the company behind SuperCuts, has weathered the financial storm well and says it will expand once conditions improve.
It will be interesting to see what if anything fills the space at the busy intersection. The mix of eclectic -- Bus Stop, Holy Smoke and Pretty Parlor with Dinette, The Elite, Crescent Lounge and The Saint just down the street -- with happily entrenched corporate -- the Gaybucks -- with ??? -- Amante and the Money Mart -- makes for a fun little jumble.
Few details but a report of shots fired and a man down and bleeding on Boylston near BroadwayRoy. CHS is heading to the scene. More soon.
Update: No sign of or information on a possible suspect. Scanner traffic indicates that a weapon was found near the victim
Update x2: Traffic is being shut down on multiple streets around the area. Avoid it for now
a man was found with a gunshot wound near an apartment building at Roy
and Boylston.
details on suspects.
indicates self-inflicted.
We asked SPD about their large response and were told this was typical given the situation, the densely populated urban location and that there was a firearm involved.
JUICE Seattle brings together the latest in world music—and always for a good cause. This weekend, JUICE’s DJ Darek Mazzone (KEXP/WNYE-Wo’Pop/Mo’Glo) and DJ Rhythma (WNYE-Mo’Glo) will be spinning to benefit Seattle nonprofit Flash Volunteer.
JUICE Seattle represents a fusion of varied styles, bringing them together to work as one. Flash Volunteer is all about gathering people from all backgrounds and experience to serve and improve our community.
Part social networking, part events calendar, part public service, Flash Volunteer.org empowers residents to build better neighborhoods. Its nimble web interface is designed to ensure that volunteers appear where they are needed most.
“Flash Volunteer isn’t just about people plugging in alone,” Flash Volunteer Executive Director Brad Wilke said. “It’s about strengthening communities offline by increasing residents’ involvement in the long-term.”
The music starts at 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30 at The Baltic Room, 1207 Pine Street, in Capitol Hill. The $10 cover charge benefits Flash Volunteer and UW Rotaract.
A limited edition JUICE print will be auctioned off to benefit Haitian causes.
To learn more about Flash Volunteer, visit www.FlashVolunteer.org. Get more information about JUICE Seattle at www.myspace.com/juiceinseattle.
Though 1650 East Olive Way will not be deemed a landmark anytime soon, one aspect of the property that will stay the same is that B &O plans to occupy a corner space in the proposed mixed-use development at the same location. Here is what Aaron Hilst, the PR manager for 1650 East Olive Way, told us:
As you may have noticed the famed B&O Espresso café has recently received a large development sign posted to the side of the building, piquing curiosity, comments, and potential concern from the community at large. It is a public notification of a Master Use Permit (MUP) application recently submitted to the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to demolish the existing buildings on site and construct a new mixed-use building late next year [2010], at the earliest.
... the café is still open for business, will continue to be open until the start of construction late next year[2010], and is planning to reoccupy the corner commercial space in the new building, maintaining its location on Belmont Ave and Olive Way in Capitol Hill
Regarding the Landmarks Preservation Board vote, David Peterson of Nicholson Kovalchick Architects (the firm working on design of the proposed mixed use development), wrote in to clarify that their nomination for landmark status was not strategic but rather required:
The application for nomination of this building was required as part of the application for getting a Land Use permit from the DPD. You need to have a land use permit before you can get a building permit. Whenever someone wants to get a land use permit (called in Seattle a Master Use Permit or MUP), you have to demonstrate compliance with the State Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA, part of which covers the identification and protection of historic landmarks. The DPD (which handles land use and building permits) works with the Dept. of Neighborhoods (DON, which handles historic landmarks) to identify landmarks through the process of nomination hearings, before the DPD will move forward on the land use permit process. So there is nothing "pre-emptive" about it--it is required by the DPD.
I will say however that in some cases an owner of property will nominate their own building in order to have the nomination hearing process clarify what they've got. They've either got a landmark or they don't. That judgement by the Landmarks Board is good for 5 years. You might call that "preemptive" but to the property owner, what that does is it gives them clarity and certainty, By taking one element of uncertainty off the table for a while, which is worth a lot when you are trying to do a master plan. And property owners of all types do this--private homeowners, institutions, churches, schools, etc., as well as housing developers.
A man was taken to the hospital early last Monday morning after being beaten with a bottle and robbed of $300 in cash near Boylston Ave and E. Olive Way.
According to a Seattle Police Department report, the man was walking on Boylston around 1:20 AM when he was approached by another man who asked for money. The man refused and continued walking when the other man struck him from behind with a bottle. The two struggled until the man fell to the ground and the suspect began striking him with the bottle again before grabbing his wallet and fleeing the scene.
The man was treated for a 1.5-inch laceration to his head and injuries to his face and was transported to Swedish Medical Center for continued treatment.
Police searched the area but the suspect could not be located. The victim described his attacker as a black male, between 5'10" and 6' tall, medium build and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans at the time of the robbery.
The Boylston robbery is the latest in what has become a regular occurrence of usually late-night street robberies on Capitol Hill. You can review our recent crime coverage for other recent cases. Statistics provided SPD are typically several months old so we don't have official quantitative proof of an increase in these incidents.
If you are interested in learning more about SPD's response to these recent cases and to ask about increased patrols in your neighborhood, consider attending Thursday night's East Precinct Community Crime Prevention meeting. The monthly sessions provide the opportunity for East Precinct SPD officials and community members to discuss recent crime issues and it's typically a great opportunity to get direct answers about community concerns.
Our partners at Central District News are reporting an active police response near 400 Boylston Ave involving a suspect in a sexual assault case who is being anything but cooperative with authorities. According to police radio chatter, the suspect was seen throwing evidence from an apartment building to the street below. Police officers have recovered a handgun at the scene. At this point, officers are searching the building for the suspect who is not answering the door to his apartment. There is also a second person being sought but their role in the incident is not clear at this time.
UPDATE 2:25 PM:
Here's a description of the man police are looking for: white male in his 20s, about 5'9", dark hair with a soul patch.
UPDATE 2:45 PM:
The search has apparently spread to surrounding area.
UPDATE 3:12 PM:
Detectives entered the suspect's apartment and are searching for evidence. Still no sign of the suspect who may have been seen walking with a female.
UPDATE 3:15 PM:
Suspect has been taken into custody at 10th and Denny next to Cal Anderson park and about a half mile from the apartment building where the search began.
In an 11-1 decision yesterday, the City of Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board voted against the nomination of 1650 East Olive Way for landmark status. The Board's vote terminates the current nomination process (initiated by Nicholson Kovalchick Architects, the firm working on the plans for the new development at the location), and this building cannot be considered for nomination for another five years, except at the request of the owner (B & O Development LLC).
From the brief board discussion, a key factor appeared to be that the building's character was created by its current tenant, B & O Espresso, who has been at the location for 34 years. The Board found that on a stand alone basis, the 1650 East Olive building was not architecturally distinctive. Jack McCollough, the owner's attorney, reminded the Board that there is no guarantee that B & O will remain a tenant at this location. B & O only has 15 months remaining on their current lease. Mr. McCollough then offered that the owners had attempted to negotiate in good faith with B & O (even offering them rent reductions) to tempt them to stay.
As linder seattle mused in comments a couple of days ago, it looks as if the landmark nomination was a preemptive (now succesful) measure by the owner/developer to ward off community opposition. Now that the mixed-use 7-story 83-unit proposed for the site has one less obstacle, we have attached the DPD Early Design Guidance as well as the Landmark Nomination document (fascinating stuff) for your review.
B&O Espresso, at 1650 E. Olive Way, has been nominated as a Seattle Landmark.
The hearing is tomorrow afternoon (01.20.2010), at 3:30pm in Room 4060 of the Seattle Municipal Tower.
It's one thing to bemoan a building's demolition in blog comments, another thing entirely to go to the meeting that could help to save it.
UPDATE by jseattle:
From the Department of Neighborhoods Historic Preservation site, here are the restrictions placed on a property that is designated a landmark:
The following changes require a Certificate of Approval before work can begin, even if no permit from the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is required.•Any change to the exterior of any building or structure
• Installation of any new sign or changes to existing signs
• A change in the color the building or structure is painted
• Any change in a public right-of-way or other public space, including parks and sidewalks - this may include sidewalk displays, street lights and so forth
• New construction
• Demolition of any building or structure
• Changes to the interior that show from the street, changes to individual business spaces in the Pike Place Market, and changes to the interior of some landmark buildings
• Site alterations in some cases
• A proposed new business or service or an expansion of current use in some cases.
We'll have more on this when we can track down a few more details from the city and from the building's developer. We've been told that the proposal to designate the structure as a landmark was submitted by Nicholson Kovalchick Architects, the firm working on the plans for the new development at the location.
We talked with SPD spokesperson Renee Witt this morning about calls to 911 reporting an argument followed by gunfire somewhere south of Bellevue and Republican early Monday morning. Witt said that officers did an area check but didn't turn up any evidence of the incident and no report was filed.
Around 2:10 AM, one caller reported hearing multiple shots and possibly seeing a car speed away from the area of the shots fired calls. According to radio reports, an officer pulled over a Jeep Cherokee carrying five passengers near Denny and Bellevue but apparently the vehicle was not involved.
It was a violent morning in Seattle. Around 2 AM Monday, a man in his 20s was shot near 2nd and Yesler and was taken to Harborview with life-threatening injuries. Police have no description of the suspect in that crime.
With a shooting in Pioneer Square just minutes earlier, a volley of gunshots was reported in the area south of Bellevue and Republican this morning around 2:10 AM.
In Pioneer Square, a man was found with a gunshot wound to his shoulder just before 2 AM. Police are clearing the 'Sunken Ship' parking garage near 2nd and Yesler. The victim and those with him are being 'uncooperative' according to police radio chatter. He has been transported to Harborview.
Back on Capitol Hill, a caller reported hearing multiple shots and possibly seeing a car speed away from the area of the shots fired calls. According to radio reports, an officer pulled over a Jeep Cherokee carrying five passengers near Denny and Bellevue that is possibly related to the incident.
Police are now canvassing for witnesses and searching the area between Harrison and Denny for evidence.
UPDATE 8:05 AM:
Not many new details on what people heard this morning and no official confirmation of the story from SPD. One factor we neglected to include in the preliminary write-up was that calls came in from the area reporting a loud argument prior to the shots being heard. We are following up with SPD for more information. With the holiday, SPD's public info office is close so expect the story to take some time to unfurl.
The aftermath of the Seattle Parks Department's decisions to name Capitol Hill's new park at Summit and John for Seattle's sister city of Perugia and, then, to quickly un-name it have moved into the letter writing phase. First, Perugia's mayor Wladimiro Boccali sent off this message to Seattle's new mayor:
You can read the rest here .
Meanwhile, the Capitol Hill Community Council is also speaking up on the matter. We received a copy of a letter the organization's open space committee has sent to Seattle Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher, strategic adviser Paula Hoff and the three-member Parks naming committee:
Dear Mr. Gallagher, Ms. Hoff, and the Parks Naming Committee,While we understand that naming the John and Summit project "Perugia Park" could be the first step towards healing the relationship between Perugia and Seattle, we've heard from a number of community members who have expressed the desire to see a name that honors the history of this particular park site and how it came to be. The members of Unpaving Paradise, the Open Space Committee of the Capitol Hill Community Council, would like to express our desire for John and Summit Park to be named after a person or place with meaning and a connection to the Capitol Hill community.You may be aware that Unpaving Paradise has been involved in the planning and fundraising for this park for the past two years. Through countless hours and the work of many hands, we were able to secure the $150,000 needed to build the park and P-Patch as it was envisioned by the community. We hope you can see why we have concerns about a name that appears to overlook the tremendous efforts put forth by the community to create this public space.Our first choice for a name for John and Summit Park is Paradise Park, after Unpaving Paradise and the community members of this group that have worked to make this park and P-Patch a reality. Our second choice is Summit Park, after Summit Avenue and the park's placement on Capitol Hill. Our third is I-5 Shores Park, after the park's proximity to the freeway and the nickname for that area of the neighborhood.We would like you to know that we have already reached out to the Seattle-Perugia Sister City Association with the hope of working with them on the next park to come to Capitol Hill. We have the sincerest hope that this collaboration can be a fruitful one, so much so that when this next park is named "Perugia Park", it will have the same deep meaning to the community as Unpaving Paradise does.We hope you keep these suggestions in mind as you move forward in the naming process. We also hope that members of Unpaving Paradise and of the Parks Naming Committee will have the opportunity to meet sometime soon to discuss this project in person.
Thank you,Unpaving Paradise
I-5 Shores? We like that.
Parks officials have said the naming decision has been tabled until later this spring. Construction is planned to begin on the new green space in March. We reported last week that favorable economic conditions might mean the park will be completed ahead of schedule .
Andrea and Matthew Porter announced today that they are expecting a baby, and that Bluebottle Art Gallery and Store is up for sale for $10k (the rent is in addition to this). I spoke to Andrea briefly about the reasons they are seeking a buyer. Andrea explained that they would like to focus more on promoting Matthew's art and children's clothing designs. For the children's clothing business, they are hoping to expand their scope beyond Seattle. Selling the gallery and store would allow Andrea to work from home and focus more on these other burgeoning businesses. When asked if she had thoughts on a suitable candidate to take over the business, Andrea said, "Well, I guess I'd like to emphasize how much the Art Gallery has helped Matthew's art - in showcasing it. So an artist might be a good buyer for the business." The future buyer would assume a four-year lease at rates comparable to other commercial spaces on that block.
Below is the full text of their announcement:
We are looking to sell Bluebottle as we are expecting our first child and hope to start a new business venture! Even in these tough economic times Bluebottle is a profitable business ready to be taken over by someone who is familiar with the Do - It - Yourself indie aesthetic and would like to continue supporting local handmade, independent artists, crafters and designers. Bluebottle showcases over 100 different artists in the boutique section and features a rotating monthly exhibition in the designated gallery space. We showcase all of our artists on a consignment basis which would allow the buyer great flexibility in showcasing work that appeals to you! Artists are paid on a monthly basis after sales occur. There are no upfront costs for stocking work that may be considered risky and if something is not selling you always have the option of returning it to the artist. Monthly overhead is very little as you are not investing in inventory which may or may not sell! We would be offering the buyer Bluebottles reputation as a leader in the indie craft community, heavy foot traffic in the ever growing Capitol Hill community, a strong mailing list of over 1200 customers, a thriving face book, twitter and blog presence in addition to a web site and online shop. The shop would be fully stocked with consignment items and all the fixtures would be included. The buyer would be ready for business on day one! Feel free to get in touch with questions. We are excited to find someone who is just the right match for Bluebottle! We are happy to accomodate a payment plan
ASKING PRICE:
$10,000
TIMELINE:
Ideally, we'd like to sell within the next few months but are flexible.
Last June, CHS reported on pedestrian improvements being planned near the Capitol Hill light rail station construction area to make the area safer for walkers as truck traffic in the area increased. Because of the increased truck traffic in certain areas, SDOT said they had plans to install a crosswalk and warning signs on the east leg of Summit Ave. and E. Denny Way, a curb bulb on the SW corner of E. Denny Way and Boylston Ave. E. and find further ways to improve that area.
According to SDOT spokesperson Mary Beth Turner, her department will begin making pedestrian improvements to the E. Olive Way corridor in anticipation of the Capitol Hill Sound Transit soil hauling project in late February. Weather permitting, construction will end the first or second week of March and the changes will remain after the hauling project is complete.
SDOT will also be constructing a pedestrian median crossing island with marked crosswalks and curb ramps at the intersection of E Olive Way and the east leg of Boylston Ave E. The median island will provide safe crossing in the center of the street to shorten the crossing time of E. Olive Way, also breaking ground in late February.
Due to funding concerns, SDOT is reevaluating the curb bulb proposed for the SW corner of E. Denny Way and Boylston Ave. They will also not install a marked crosswalk on the east crossing of Denny Way at Summit St., due to its close proximity to the signal and crosswalks at E. Olive Way and E. Denny Way. (By policy, Turner said, the department doesn't mark crosswalks within 200 feet of an existing signal and crossing.)
We'll learn more about the status of light rail construction and the pedestrian improvements at Thursday's Sound Transit community meeting. 
The park formerly known as Perugia will have a built-in place to ride your skateboard. That's actually old news -- skateboard advocates rallied to raise money for the planned $50,000 "skatedot" feature in the Summit and John park as the city fell back on community groups to raise funds to complete the full $300,000 design for the project. But what is news is that the skateboard feature -- and other elements that were planned to be part of the park's 'Phase 2' of construction such as the path, p-patches and benches -- are likely to be completed along with the bulk of the park in 'Phase 1' this spring if construction bids come in as low as expected, according to this note from skateboard advocacy group SeattleSkateparks.org.
The original design called for the skate feature to be included in the southwest corner of the park (bottom right in the drawing near the DEF labels). We haven't heard an update from parks if that is still the plan for the final design.
Funds to complete the full design of the park were provided by an allocation of $150,000 from the Seattle Parks Levy program. In total, the park has a budget around $438,000 including costs from the planning phases.
The Capitol Hill Community Council's Unpaving Paradise committee is also working with Seattle Parks and the Department of Transportation to turn E. John street into a pedestrian area and close the street to through traffic.
