CHS contributor alk17000 posted this news first this morning but due to a technical issue, we missed the post. Thanks for sharing the breaking news alk -- much appreciated and sorry for the mix-up. (Photo: Alk17000)

Update by jseattle: We screwed up on this story and missed breaking news reported by a contributor. We have a system that alerts us when new posts are created -- but it didn't fire for this post because of a glitch. As the comment on alk17000's post indicates, that's a lot of cops at the scene. Could be due to the proximity to East Precinct headquarters at 12th and Pine but we'll give SPD a call on Friday to find out. Still no word on person who was hit's condition.

Update 2: Our commenters and CHS news partner Seattle Times has part of the story answered:

A Seattle police officer was taken to Harborview Medical Center this morning after her foot was run over by a vehicle at the intersection of 15th Avenue and East Madison Street.

Police spokeswoman Renee Witt said the officer suffered a broken ankle, but was in otherwise good condition after the 11:30 a.m. incident.

Witt said the circumstances under which the officer was injured are unclear; the matter is under investigation.

We'll follow up on circumstances that led to the accident. Also, when we first posted this article, the headline mistakenly identified the location of the accident as 17th and Madison, not 15th.

When we spoke with the fire department spokesperson about the accident, there were two different incident numbers being tracked at the location so it appears the officer was at the scene of an aid response before the second accident occurred.

Original report: We received the following report from a neighbor.  We will update with any information we receive from the SPD and/or SFD.  

Wanted to report that this am at around 11:00 am as I was driving down Madison, at around 17th Ave. near the Madison Market I saw an accident.  There was a fire truck and a man lying in the street.  He looked like an older man with gray hair and glasses.  They were getting a stretcher ready for him.  As I drove by 5 police cars drove up.  On my drive back home at around 11:30 there were still police cars there and officers directing traffic.

Another neighbor reports that traffic is being impacted at Madison & Pine - possibly as a consequence of this accident:

FYI - Not sure what's going on, but the police are routing all traffic traveling west on Madison off at Pine. Only one lane going east is open. It's been like this for at least an hour now. Seems to be really slowing down traffic on Madison going west.

This might be the best e-mail tip we'll ever receive. A film crew? A new business finally open? Sex? Take it away neighbor Jeremy:

this house that's for sale at 17th and RoyNot sure this is blog-worthy, but a film crew is filming a commercial for Johnson & Johnson at . Filming is today only. Also, have you written about the new leather/sex store next to old school frozen custard? Don't think I've seen anything on the blog yet. Probably of interest to lots of folks on the hill.

Well, I think we've mentioned the opening of Doghouse Leathers' new store next to Old School Frozen Yogurt in passing here on CHS -- um, yeah, very much in passing. CHS Tweeted about it but we haven't given the opening of the new Cap Hill leather shop its due here on the news blog.

Sorry Doghouse. We're happy to see that owner Daddy Jeff is a member of the site. We'll follow up with something a little more in depth, but for now, know that upper Pike is now your source for frozen yogurt AND retailing services for "the greater Seattle Men’s Leather/Kink Community." You can also follow the action on Twitter @DogHouseLeatherSwing by the store at 1312 E Pike St. .

Oh. By the way. Here's the house from the Johnson & Johnson comercial. Watch for it on a television set near you.

First Hill Streetcar Map, originally uploaded by Oran Viriyincy.

As we've been reporting all along, the city and Sound Transit have been pushing toward a plan to have the streetcar running between Union Station and Capitol Hill in service shortly after the 2012 apocalypse.

The two agencies made Streetcar 2013 official with this announcement released Monday:

Seattle, Sound Transit execute agreement for expedited streetcar construction

November 16 , 2009

The City of Seattle and Sound Transit are moving forward with plans to build a new streetcar line linking the city's First Hill neighborhood with Capitol Hill and the International District.

The city and Sound Transit have executed an agreement that includes an expedited construction timeline - the line is anticipated to open in 2013 instead of the 2016 completion that was earlier planned. The City of Seattle will build and operate the new line, which voters approved as part of the 2008 Sound Transit 2 ballot measure.

"This line will be the first two of 36 new miles of rail coming to our region," said Sound Transit Board Chair and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, who today added his signature to the agreement following recent approvals by the Sound Transit Board and Seattle City Council.

The First Hill Streetcar will serve major Seattle work centers, including Swedish Hospital, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle University and Seattle Central Community College. The line will provide easy access to the Link light rail system that opened this summer and the Capitol Hill light rail station when University Link opens in 2016.

"First Hill is home to more than 22,000 jobs and the streetcar will be a great new option for the people who live and work here," said First Hill Improvement Association Vice President Jim Erickson. "We look forward to working with the City and Sound Transit to meet the transportation needs of First Hill."

Sound Transit will cover the project's costs up to $132 million, and the city will take the lead on design, property acquisition and construction of the two-mile line connecting downtown Seattle, First Hill and the Capitol Hill light rail station. Sound Transit will cover operating costs when the line begins service.

The First Hill line will be the second modern streetcar line in Seattle following the Sound Lake Union Streetcar line which opened in December, 2008.

The City plans to begin construction in 2012. The final route will be determined as part of the environmental review process over the next two years.  The Sound Transit Board included the streetcar line in the ST 2 expansion package after determining that a previously-planned light rail station at Madison Street and Summit Avenue on First Hill would be too costly.

With the passage of the Sound Transit 2 ballot measure in November 2008, light rail is targeted to reach all the way to Lynnwood, Redmond's Overlake area and the Star Lake/Redondo area near Federal Way by 2023.

Next for the process will be the public and political discussion about what route the line will take as it passes between the International District and Capitol Hill by way of First Hill.

A purse snatcher tried to ruin this man's Halloween by snagging his bag from his gorilla-suited paws. All the thief made off with was the man's car keys. Props to the gorilla for finishing his night of fun before going to the fuzz.

The gorilla did it! Sorry for the error!

Meanwhile, Capitol Hill was the site of one of *two* unrelated bleach attacks in the city. More from our partner site, SeattleCrime.com:

On October 31st, 10:30 a.m. a man walked in to Duvall's apartment building on 10th Ave E and E Roy inquiring about renting an apartment. Duvall, prosecutors say, approached the man and threw a coffee mug full of bleach in the man's face

Five hours later, court records say Duvall, 40, approached a woman on 10th Avenue E and E Roy carrying two yellow tumblers. As he passed the woman, records say, he turned and threw bleach into the woman's face. Moments later, Duvall approached another man riding his bike on Roy Street and threw a cup of bleach in his face, and ran back into his building. Duvall's neighbors identified him to police, who took him in to custody.

SeattleCrime is the project of former Stranger reporter Jonah Spangenthal-Lee. In addition to the occasional crime news of the weird (see above), Jonah has been adding great reporting to the citywide coverage of the Tim Brenton murder investigation.

In addition to quality local journalism, SeattleCrime also has some pretty cool bells and whistles that we continue to work on. You'll be seeing more of these tools in our CHS crime reporting.

The SeattleCrime Map is especially useful. We're mapping 911 callouts, Central District News scanner reports and police reports from across the city. We're still refining and fixing things like enabling permalinks but it's already a pretty interesting tool. You can use it to drill down on any area in the city to see what from the crime files has been happening lately. Here's a view of recent automobile-related theft on Capitol Hill. Can't show you the trend yet -- but take my word for it, there's been a bump in the last few weeks with a mini-outbreak between Broadway and I-5 shores.

Welcome Jonah and his team to the Seattle Internet. Oh, and don't forget to remove your valuables from your car.

A small patch of First Hill on the edge of Capitol Hill has been without power today after underground equipment failed during this morning's heavy rain. This person reported hearing a large bang before the power failed. It might be the most localized power failure we've ever reported -- those in the dark live in the area between Union and Seneca and Summit and Boren.

View 11/20 Power Outage in a larger map

According to Seattle City Light, about 267 customers will be without power until around 6:40 PM tonight when repairs are expected to be completed. 300 customers were affected by a power outage earlier this week caused by a tree branch damaging wires in north Capitol Hill.  Despite the outages, the city has come through this week's wind and rain storms mostly unscathed though the forecast calls for more rain and wind through the weekend.

While I wouldn't have picked it as the venue in which to discuss the issue, there was some healthy debate in the comments thread that accompanied the CHS coverage of the memorial procession for slain Seattle Police Department officer Timothy Brenton. On its surface, the debate centered around whether a public ceremony of that scale was justified by the killing of a police officer. But below, there were bigger questions of authority, respect and society. This won't end it -- and it may very well re-ignite some of it -- but CHS would like to share a letter sent out by acting Seattle Chief of Police John Diaz and new East Precinct Commander Jim Dermody thanking people for their support in the weeks following the Brenton murder:

PoDog fits in with the gritty, industrial surroundings . . . and then there's the pug

We attended a friends & family event last night and can report that  Po Dog is ready for the public starting today .  We were pleased with our choice of a couple of Veggie Dogs (smartly - they are using field roast ) with a side of fries and PBRs on tap.  We then split a Chicago Dog (you can substitute a field roast dog in any of their offerings).  A great cheap meal for under $30.  Po Dog is located at 1009 East Union (next to the Lifelong Thrift Store) and hours of operation will be: Mon-Thu 11am-Midnight, Fri-Sat 11am-3am, Sun 11am-10pm

Po Dog already has a Happy Hour offering.  Hours will be 4:30 - 6:30 M-F.  Included food: Mini Dog Sliders ($4.97) and Homemade Chips & Fries ($1.75).  Included Drink: PBR Draft ($2), Manny's Draft ($3), Domestic Bottles ($2.5) and Import ($3).

Fast Food Lloyd Wright, originally uploaded by rutlo.

It is our sad duty to inform you that the Madison branch of the Taco Time fast food restaurant chain is about to serve its last batch of Mexi-Fries. CHS received the following tip from neighbor Westley:

I saw a sign on Taco Time. I don't remember exactly what it said, but I think it either said they are closing or moving. Not quite sure.

Note the panic -- Westley was so distraught he was unable to recount even what he had read on the heartbreaking sign.

A quick phone chat with manager Rodney Keith confirmed the worst.

The Madison Taco Time will close its doors on Sunday. Keith says he's moving on to a new gig. All other questions were referred to company HQ so no word on whether this was a surgical closure or part of a widespread downsizing for the chain.

According to the Taco Time Web Northwest site, the Madison location is one of 75 in the state. Wikipedia says the chain has more than 200 franchises in the US and another 75 in Canada and Japan.

The departure is also the latest in a long, slow exodus from the Hill for national fast food chains. Hill outlets of Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, and Kentucky Fried Chicken have all closed within the past three years.

A couple of Wednesday activities of CHS note:

• The first community design meeting to discuss the 230 Broadway development happens tonight at Seattle University. The project will replace a block along Broadway where Bank of America, Noah's Bagels and Cafe Septieme and others currently do business -- and also the parking lot where the weekly Broadway farmers market takes place.
  

  Project: 230 Broadway E map

  Review Meeting:	November 18, 6:30 pm
  	SU Alumni Relations & Admissions Building
  	824 12th Ave map
  	Meeting Room
  Review Phase:	EDG--Early Design Guidance past reviews
  Project Number:	3009249 permit status | notice
  Planner: Lisa Rutzik

• Seattle bloggers and the people that love them will be gathering at Central Cinema tonight for Blogsgiving 2009. Everybody is welcome -- we're raising donations for NorthWest Harvest so bring a few bucks or a couple cans of food to give. There will be free food and some wine to get the party moving plus Central's kitchen and beer taps will be open and ready for business. Stick around to catch Big Trouble in Little China afterward.

It appears as though a man was hit by a car on 15th and Madison, but details are fuzzy. At least 17 patrol cars, 2 fire engines, and 2 ambulances showed up. Another man in a wheel chair seemed involved as well. Update to follow.

UPDATE:  It was discovered the woman had not been shot and called in a false report, according to Seattle Police Department spokesperson Sean Whitcomb.

Original report:
Police and emergency crews responded to an apartment in 2000 block of E. John this morning after a woman called 911 to report she'd been shot in the leg, according to a dispatcher's report broadcast to emergency personnel. Officers were seeking two male suspects involved with the shooting. The woman was transported to Harborview. We do not have information on her condition at this time.

Monday is the deadline for community suggestions to name the two new parks being built on Capitol Hill. An e-mail from Capitol Hill Community Council president Jennifer Power spells out the parks department rules:

The Park Naming Committee is comprised of one representative designated by the Board of Park Commissioners, one by the Chair of the City Council Parks and Seattle Center Committee, and one by the Parks Superintendent. Criteria the committee considers in naming parks include: geographical location, historical or cultural significance, and natural or geological features. A park may be named for a person no longer living (deceased a minimum of three years) who made a significant contribution to parks and/or recreation. The Park Naming Committee will consider all suggestions and make a recommendation to the Superintendent, who makes the final decision.

Suggestions should be sent to paula.hoff@seattle.gov

We've written about the naming process several times -- here are most of the suggestions we've seen on CHS. The only one we can endorse is the idea to name the 16th at Howell greenspace after Gray Lambert, the activist nearby Lambert House is named for. Some other ideas from CHS comments:

Summit at John An angled, sloped walkway separating a grassy grade and community garden plots. With skateboard element and picnic area	Howell at 16th A level turf area in the middle of the site, bordered by a collective garden to the north and a crushed rock plaza and allee to the south
Suggestions: Paradise Park Summit Slope Park Wayside Park Rest Stop Park	Suggestions: Shannon Harps Park Desmond Tutu Park Queen City Park Emerald City Park Parkcrest Park Maidan Park Flattop Park Mia Zapata Park Riot Park Seven Hills Park Capitolinus Park Second Hill Park Lambert Gray Park Obama's mother's park

Maybe we're not as tuned into the Hill's history as we should be but there aren't any ideas that seem like obvious choices. Honoring Cal Anderson at the time the Hill's park was being built, wrote community organizer Kay Rood, just seemed right:

State Senator Cal Anderson died of AIDS in August 1995, just as Groundswell was mobilizing on our first big grant project. One of our steering committee members suggested that we name the new park for him, and the idea seemed just right from the very beginning. I never knew Cal, but I know from all I have read and heard that he was an exceptional person. Widely praised for his work ethic and personal integrity, he worked tirelessly on behalf of the disenfranchised. A park in the heart of the 43rd District named for him would bring a pride of place to our community, a new name for a new future. We tucked the idea away. I figured we would know when the time was right to propose it, which was not until we had assurances that there would be a park worthy of Cal’s name.

Other Capitol Hill parks followed a more random path to naming. Tashkent Park, for example, is named for Seattle's sister city in Uzbekistan. There's a Jimi Hendrix Park (not on Cap Hill) -- why not a Kurt Cobain Park?

Some other notables with Capitol Hill ties who died in recent years:

• AIDS activist Bill Lake
• playwright August Wilson
• philanthropist James Ray
• politician and pharmacist George Benson and his wife Evelyn Benson
• peace activist Richard Carbray

We won't have stats from East Precinct for months but, trust us, we're seeing a lot of car break-ins in the police reports for Capitol Hill. What we do have are anecdotes like this from neighbor Phobia in the CHS Classifieds:

I am trying to help my friend who was a victim of auto crime. Her car got broken into last night, Nov. 13, at the corner of Union and 11th. She lost her Coach tote bag with some important documents and a hard drive inside. All she wants are the things that have very little value to anyone. If you are out there, please take the cash and the bag but please send all other things back to her. I know it's really rare that a criminal would read a neighborhood blog, but I don't have other ideas. Thank you

The chances are very slim that Phobia's friend will get her stuff back but the incident can do some good. You can take a lesson from this and make sure you remove anything and everything of value -- and, really, everything -- from your car.

While we don't have the stats, we do have a powerful new tool we're continuing to build on at our partner site SeattleCrime.com.

Here's a map of the last 30-days of reported car prowls in the Capitol Hill area.

Click for latest map

Locations are approximate -- we only get block locations from SPD -- but you can see the Hill hot spots. And, of course, for every prowl reported, there are probably three that somebody didn't bother to call in.

So, time to clean up your car. Here's a comment from neighbor Lolalaptop to inspire:

Rash of car break ins in my neighborhood

I am sorry to hear that your friend lost her valuables.

My car was broken into a few weeks ago, 13th and Mercer, and thankfully nothing of value was taken, but the interior had been thoroughly torn apart in what was probably a quick, expert manner. I posted a note about it in my building, and learned that the same had happened up and down the block to many, many cars.

Yes, there were visible bags (of paper to recycle, nothing of value!) in my car that may have led them to bother breaking into my car.

Lesson learned: my car is now fastidiously empty and will remain so. People are desperate and while you can't stop them from breaking into your car, you can lessen the probability that they'll bother with your car by keeping it visibly empty.

Some highlights from this second Thursday's Blitz Capitol Hill Arts Walk.  Live music at some of the venues this time:  Katherine Hepburn's Voice  at Cupcake Royale (7 pm),(KHV broke up! no band for Cupcake Royale!), Reji Lefleur at Retail Therapy (5 pm) and Lushy at Fetherston Gallery (6 pm). Note that  Seattle Asian Art Museum provides free admission during Blitz (5 pm to 8 pm). A few samples of what you'll see this month and a map of all the venues, below.

Maria Toro at Retrofit

Marion Resur at Caffe Ladro

Elizabeth Jameson at Fetherston

You might not have noticed but another large media entity has geared up to offer a 'hyperlocal' site for Capitol Hill. The Seattle PI has had a Cap Hill blog forever but they recently gave it the same upgrade they've rolled out in a few other neighborhoods in the city. You can check out the Seattle PI site here. Or just enjoy this fine screen grab and save the click.

Like the PI's effort in other neighborhoods, the Hearst-backed online news outfit isn't committing any dedicated reporters or photographers to Capitol Hill and its posts come from unpaid community members. Contrary to what you might think, CHS is happy to have more people writing about the Hill -- we just wish they weren't doing it in a way that lines the pockets of a big corporation. Why not start your own site?

If you would like to help line our pockets, however, anybody can post an article to CHS. You just need an account -- then click the Post link in the menu and let it rip. And if you're serious about it, drop us a line and we can add you to our revenue sharing program. Yup -- unlike the PI, we pay. We're a community site, full of community voices. We welcome you to join the conversation.

Curtis Bigelow talks with a worker putting the finishing touches on the Lobby Bar

CHS was lucky enough to join co-owner Curtis Bigelow for a quick tour of the transformed space that was once King Cobra and will soon be the new Lobby Bar . But this picture was the only shot I could take -- the new project is still under construction and under wraps. The transformation is impressive. Bigelow says he and Paul Villa hope to create a space for members of the LGBT community who are interested in getting a good, reasonably priced drink in an comfortable, inviting environment -- and the people that love them.

An elegant seating area with black glass chandeliers greets you on entry to the new space. A massive, marble-topped bar dominates the center of the Lobby. Behind the bar is a mix of finished, glossy cabinetry and the rough exposed brick of the building's walls. Staircases to the left and and right invite you to the upper level where the railing will invite you to spy on the activities below.

Bigelow told CHS he and Villa hoped to open in early December but -- like most new businesses -- Lobby is facing delays in permitting. As for the newly announced next-door business The Money Tree, CHS had heard rumors that the location would house a sandwich shop, but Bigelow said the money lenders have been mostly good neighbors so far.

Well, that was quick. Walking through Bailey/Coy Books today, about ten days since the bombshell news came out that the store would close at the end of November, was much sadder than expected. While braced for something far removed from a usual bookstore visit I was surprised at the knot in my stomach at the sight of the store standing on its very last legs.

Roughly half the floor space has been cordoned off by bookshelves, leaving visible empty floor space behind. Shelves are stocked with a far smaller number of titles than you might presume and a fractional amount compared to what constituted business as usual. There’s been a mad rush to take advantage of bargains before the store closes for good. Another telling sign: The shelves themselves are for sale.

No surprise that there’s pretty much universal agreement that Bailey/Coy’s closure is a terrible thing. On Broadway for 26 years, the store has been (and still is, for the next three weeks at least) one of Capitol Hill’s signature businesses.

But sadly, perhaps not surprisingly, it’s hardly the first time a well-established independent bookstore on the Hill has closed its doors. For one example, in March of this year Horizon Books shut down on 15th Avenue East, not long after closing its University District location. In so doing, a used bookstore that had been around for more than 30 years ceased to be.

Remember also Beyond the Closet at 518 E. Pike Street. The LGBT bookstore closed in 2005; I believe it opened in the late ‘80s. Capitol Hill was obviously a natural fit for the store before vast changes to the bookselling industry led to its financial downturn. Another factor in this case was greater acceptance of LGBT titles in mass-market bookstores like Barnes and Noble. By the middle of this decade selling gay and lesbian titles was not the mark of distinction it once had been.

Going back a little further, Pistil Books held court on East Pike Street where Bimbo’s Bitchin’ Burritos now draws crowds. But in the Spring of 2001, owners Amy Candiotti and Sean Carlson closed the physical store and became an Internet-only operation. During a gathering at the store to discuss changes in the book industry, the owners bemoaned closing the shop but had to face economic realities. Carlson said he’d been making $5 per hour for years, an amount that simply wasn’t sustainable. The bright side in this case is that the online business remains; check them out at www.pistilbooks.net.

Those who’ve logged more than a decade of residence on the Hill may remember Red and Black Books on 15th Avenue East, where Shoprite currently plies its trade. The store featured a huge variety of publications simply not found in other stores. Leftist political treatises, obscure poetry, multicultural children’s books – the store’s mission was to sell non-mainstream titles. Logically located on the Hill and run as a collective of devoted members, its model worked for years. And then did not: the store closed in early 1999. Another bookstore, Pages, opened in the space briefly, focusing more on being an Internet café when such things were somewhat novel and closing shortly thereafter.

Just about everyone knows that what’s lost when independent bookstores close is more than places where one can buy books. Bailey/Coy Books helps define Broadway and Capitol Hill. No doubt the Elliot Bay Book Company, should it move to the Hill, could fill a void Bailey/Coy will leave behind. But this would come at the expense of the void its departure would create in Pioneer Square. While such a relocation would be good for the Hill, it’s probably not a great move for the city as a whole. Call it NIMBYism in reverse.

If Bailey/Coy couldn’t make it, nor the others that have gone under before it, who can? Because it’s hard to imagine a neighborhood where a niche bookstore like Red and Black or Beyond the Closet, or a well-titled independent like Bailey/Coy would fare better. And that is truly a scary thought.

For the next month, a very large percentage of your daily Seattle news intake will be produced within a three-block radius on Capitol Hill.

CHS has new officemates today as the staff of Publicola are making their temporary home here at Office Nomads for a month before they move back to Belltown and into new office digs.

For 'Cola's Josh Feit and Erica Barnett, it's a return to their Capitol Hill stomping grounds from their days at the Stranger. With the Slog's nerve center still operating across from Bobby Morris playfield and Cal Anderson Park, Pine is suddenly the city's new, new media corridor. For a month, at least. But that's like three years in Internet time.

Capitol Hill, this might be our happiest holiday travel season... ever. By way of fellow community news site B-Town Blog covering lovely Burien, CHS has learned that we'll all get a great present from Uncle Google this year -- free wireless Internet at Sea-Tac:

When you’re traveling this holiday season, you can enjoy free WiFi at 47 participating airports and on every Virgin America flight. Just bring a WiFi-enabled laptop or mobile device and stay connected to family and friends for free while you travel now through January 15, 2010.

We also talked to Bruce Gray of Sound Transit about the start of light rail airport service which is scheduled to happen 'late in 2009' according to the airport link project page. Gray says the announcement on the start of service will come later this week and said the trains will be continuing through to the Sea-Tac stop "in time for the holidays." "Which holidays?" CHS asked. Just wanted to be sure. Gray said we'll find out this week.

Update: Added a few pictures from the visit. Not every day the Speaker of the House is in the house. The dignitaries toured Swedish's intensive care unit facility and learned about the hospitals success at reducing 'ventilator associated pneumonia.' According to medical studies, this type of pneumonia occurs in about 25% of patients who require ventilation. Swedish says because of their practices and technology they have not had an incident at their facility in 21 months.

Original Post: Fresh off Saturday night's vote to pass a bill overhauling the nation's health care industry, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will be on Broadway this afternoon to tour Swedish Medical Center and continue to drum up support for the legislation as it moves on to the Senate. It's more First Hill than Capitol Hill but in the neighborhood for any of you wonk types who want to come out and get Pelosi to sign your copy of HR 3962.

WHO:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

Congressman Jim McDermott

Congressman Jay Inslee

Congressman Norm Dicks

Cal Knight, President, Swedish Medical Center

Dr. Martin Siegel, Chair of the Swedish Board of Trustees

Hospital Administrators

WHAT:

·       Speaker Pelosi and Members of Congress will be talking with hospital officials about how the groundbreaking health insurance reform legislation passed on Saturday by the US House of Representatives helps Seattle.

·       The Speaker and other Members of Congress will briefly tour Swedish Medical Center’s facilities, including their Intensive Care Unit. Swedish Staff will be on the floor to describe the program to reduce ventilator associated pneumonia, a significant cause of mortality nationally.  Photo/  B- roll opportunity at start of tour.

·       Press Conference will immediately follow the tour.

WHEN:

Monday, November  9, 2pm

Pre-set at 1:30 pm

WHERE:

Glaser Foyer, Swedish Medical Center, 747 Broadway, Seattle

Atlas Clothing celebrates the one year anniversary of the new location for its Capitol Hill store on November 11 at  Sole Repair.  It will be a Free "Mad Men"-themed party and fashion show between 8 and 11 pm.  "We invite the Capitol Hill community to join us" says Holly Ricciardi, an Atlas Sales Representative.  

photo by Julie Harmsen

Wednesday night's early design guidance meeting for the 230 Broadway project revealed a Brix-like apartment and retail complex that left the Capitol Hill Design board wanting more specific details.

The 7-story mixed use development will house 235 residential spaces (47 units of affordable housing), room for 24,000 sq. ft. of retail, have space for neighborhood offices and will stretch from Thomas St. all the way to Castle and the tanning salon; replacing the space for the farmers market as well as a multitude other businesses. (If you need to brush up your memory on the guts of the project, a link to the architects proposal can be found here.) As with any project of this size landing on the uniformly two-story area on and around Broadway, concerns surrounding its mass, looks, and function as a community space topped the issue list for the review board.

While it received the most praise in our previous coverage of the development, the proposed courtyard and community room became clouded in confusion after the board began looking into the function, placement, and use of the space. As a whole, the board felt the design left too many questions about whether the courtyard, located in the center of the building, was open to the public or restricted only to the tenants. According to lead architect Brian Runberg, street access would be restricted at night in parallel with a community room hours by way of a "welcoming" gate, but the board felt the current design, which has no visual or physical access to Broadway, lacked character as an effective public space. "For a space that is supposed be a community space, it's pretty impoverished," said Bryan Cavanaugh, the business owner representative on the design review board. This brought up questions of possible relocation of the community room or rearrangement of entrances, but ultimately resulted in the board wanting more clarity.

As a brand new yet lasting face of Broadway, community members and board members wanted to ensure the facade would reflect the culture and historical precedence created by the current retail stretch on the street. Runberg's goal with the Broadway facade was to create a "strong urban edge" -- reinforcing the vibrant night life, creating wider sidewalks, and allowing retail businesses to create unique storefronts. The board praised these efforts, but without a solid decision on the look and setback of the front, they demanded a strong, clear, and simple front that would be made interesting by the individual store owners.

The final board recommendations also called for more definition on the how the building turns the corner at 10th & Thomas, and a clear design on what turned out to be a controversial service alley on the south end of the building.

Despite the criticisms, the review board did commend the architects and developer for their analysis of the history of Capitol Hill developments as well as the new building's aesthetic fit into environment of Broadway. One went so far as to call the design "elegant."

Taking the advice of the board and community with them, the next step for the developers, according to project planner Lisa Rutzick, will be applying for a master use permit. After more zoning and environmental assessments, the group will come back to the design review board for more community input.

Went to Volunteer Park a little before sunset on Saturday night.

I was just telling someone last week that even though I've read here on the blog that jet noise is a problem for some people on the hill, I've never really noticed it. Well I definitely noticed it today and it really is pretty loud, as you can hear in the video.

This is the sixth of my weekly series of ambient shots around Capitol Hill. Every week I'll pick a different spot and stay for about 10 minutes to create a 'snapshot' of that location at that moment.

RECENT SNAPSHOTS

#5 - Bellevue & Belmont

#4 - Olive between John and Summit

#3 - Broadway across from Dicks

#2 - Thomas St P-Patch

Autumn Cupcake,
originally uploaded by sea turtle.

There are enough loose ends and followups to warrant a news round-up. And a picture of a cupcake. Happy Friday the 13th.

• Sound Transit says light rail airport service to start December 19th
• Ben Hills memorial party tonight at Vermillion, 6-10 PM
• Approve 71 victory rally Saturday at Westlake
• Also Saturday: Out for Sustainability conference
• Person of interest in Greenwood arsons arrested
• Accused cop killer Christopher Monfort: paralyzed

Flowers, candles and messages for Ben Hills decorate the Comet this morning in a tribute to the musician who died in Wednesday's tragic 11th Ave fire. A second man injured in the fire was treated at Harborview with non-life threatening injuries.