The area near 10th Ave E and Roanoke Park was locked down for more than an hour Sunday night as investigators worked to determine whether a suspicious item left near Fire Station 22 was a bomb. The area was also closed around 8:30 PM according to police radio chatter. The same area was also closed on New Year's Eve when somebody reported a suspicious item on board a Metro bus. That threat turned out to be harmless. Tonight's item turned out to be luggage -- you can see the trouble-causing suitcase being handed over to the Seattle Fire Department Operations Deputy in the picture below.

The streets around the firehouse and the I-5 and 520 overpasses were reopened by 10 PM.

No word yet on who reported the item and its exact location or if Metro was again involved. Thanks to Jonah at SeattleCrime.com for the tip.

View video at C-SPAN.org

The House of Representatives tonight passed a massive overhaul of the nation's healthcare system. Here's a link to C-SPAN's coverage of our 7th District Representative Jim McDermott's speech from the floor of the House tonight:

Mr. Speaker, there are times in history that action is demanded. In 1935 we needed social security and unemployment insurance. The Democrats answered. In 1965 we needed healthcare for senior citizens. The Democrats answered. In 2010 the country needs healthcare reform, and the Democrats will answer tonight.

It was never in doubt. Business wanted a change. The medical profession wanted a change, and labor wanted a change. And the Republicans brought an economic collapse to make it clear to everybody that we all are in danger if we don't change the healthcare system in this country.

Thanks to CentralDistrictNews.com for the transcript.

For the rest of the story -- and a massive pile of comments from the angry Tea Party crowd -- here's coverage of the vote from our news partners at the Seattle Times:

Summoned to success by President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled Congress approved historic legislation Sunday night extending health care to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and cracking down on insurance company abuses, a climactic chapter in the century-long quest for near universal coverage.

Widely viewed as dead two months ago, the Senate-passed bill cleared the House on a 219-212 vote. Republicans were unanimous in opposition, joined by 34 dissident Democrats.

The Union Triangle is the kind of place where things happen that straddle the lines between what is true, what is hoax and what travels back and forth between the two and couldn't give a shit. Is Pony for real? How about Barista Boyz and their go-go boy baristas? Maybe the Maserati dealership across the street is in on the game, too.

Add to the list this weekend's Twitter-fueled reports of the Cobra Lounge -- a new hookah club that is supposedly springing to life somewhere near 11th Ave and Madison.

Photo: @sokina via Twitpic

We wandered around the area today -- if the new club is for real, it's too well hidden for the likes of CHS or it is disguised as a copy shop or transformed inside of the UndreArms Apartments.

There are no "Cobra Lounge" business licenses listed with the City of Seattle but that's fairly typical -- many clubs have random LLC names that are difficult to connect to the primary business name.

Sokina: At Erin Cobb's open house for his hookah bar - The Cobra Lounge on Capitol Hill! Party, Free drinks & food! Will be open to the public soon!

justinsBBQradio: At the soft opening for the Capitol hill Seattle 'Cobra Lounge.' Epic!

It appear that the Capitol Hill lounge -- if it exists -- is connected to Paul Green and Erin Cobb's Cobra Lounge in Bellingham, infamously one of the last places in the state where it is legal to smoke inside:

The trick is that Green and Cobb actually opened two places. In one, they sell the tobacco (called shisha) along with private club memberships ($1 for life!). In the other, 10 steps along the alley, is the club. That's where the smoking happens. There are no workers there — it's like a co-op — so it's exempt from the ban.

"We studied this for a year to come up with this model," Green says. "I'd say it's got the powers-that-be irritated."

The Bellingham joint opened more than three years ago. Sounds like you can still puff a hookah there. We've sent mail asking the northern Cobra folks what they have in mind for the Capitol Hill venture. Here's how the Cobra Lounge owners describe their business philosophy:

We are two guys who have always liked to shake things up. In 2007 we had saved up (what we thought) was enough money to open up an awesome place for people that was anything but mainstream, we were 19. We now run this sweet little hookah spot in downtown Bellingham, it is the LAST LEGAL SMOKING ESTABLISHMENT in Washington, which means we have a good lawyer…

We are really quirky guys, (ask anyone) who shudder at the thought of normalcy and a status quo. When we decided to open, our first step was to make a list of all the things we hated about hookah bars. Instead of the usual overpriced pseudo Middle Eastern bullshit we tried to build memorable experiences for the members... from the nationally recognized graffiti art, down to the custom cobra hoses. We put fun little details into everything which is probably just a result of our personalities. Our non traditional way of going about business, has gotten us to over 4000 members. Every type of person feels comfortable kicking it at the lounge, which is exactly the idea. Our regulars understand the awesomeness and originality of the lounge as more and more Starbucks spring up. Fashionable people, college kids, artists, thugs, indie rockers, skaters, young adults, and sneaker heads all come down in droves to support this effort to resist conformity. This all didn't happen over night, we didn't get lucky with some random idea, we got off our asses and started something we care about.

Our names are Erin and Paul, at The Cobra Lounge it’s just us and a couple of our friends who like the idea that mainstream is boring.

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Barista Boyz off Broadway -- which replaced the old Buzz Stop back in January at 1122 E. Madison -- had their grand opening on Saturday. I took a stroll down the hill to pay a visit after my partner called and said, "You have to get down here, the Boyz are shirtless!"

Barista Boyz of Broadway, 1122 E Madison St

Following the trend to feature bikini clad baristas to attract business in other parts of the state, owner Dave Ray thought topless guys would do well on Capitol Hill. It seems his theory may be proving true, "today is the busiest day I've had so far, and it is only half over," Ray said with a big smile.

They were playing dance music and offering free samples and coupons for their kosher hot dogs to people passing by.

"It's funny," Ray said, "the women are doing a double take. One woman turned bright red as she pointed at one of the Boyz. She clearly wanted to stop by, but her boyfriend was not so interested," he laughed.

Barista Boyz is adjacent to the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences. Ray said he had a meeting with the principal prior to opening to share his business plan. He assured the principal that shirts would stay on until 3:30 PM well after school was over.  According to Ray, the principal was happy with that arrangement.

Coffee Cop froths some foam

One of the shirtless Boyz made my coffee. He was wearing hand-cuffs in his belt loop and aviator sunglasses. I asked him what his stage name was. "That's a great question," he pondered, "I don't have one yet. What do you think it should be?"

"How about Coffee Cop?" I suggested.

"Great! I'll go with that!" Coffee Cop said, while frothing milk for my latte. 

Meanwhile, Ray was talking to a guy with curly brown hair straddling a 10 speed bike. He was interested in a job, "We'll be hiring more Boyz soon. You should stop buy in a couple of weeks," Ray said.

If you missed Saturday's Grand Opening, don't worry. Dave plans to keep the festivities going for the next several weekends. They are open M-F until 6:00 AM -6:00 PM and they are open until 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

We're not sure any of the proposals before the City Council to curb aggressive panhandling were designed for a situation like this. A man who says he was attacked in the Dick's Drive-In parking lot by a panhandler who had asked him for $5 ended up with a 3-inch laceration on his abdomen but was able to drive away, according to a Seattle Police Department report.

According to the report, the man pulled into Dick's parking lot late last Sunday afternoon and walked down the street to use a nearby ATM. On his way back to his car, the man said another man approached him and started asking him for a handout and trying to block his path. The man said, "I don't got nothing for you," he told police.

As the man pushed by and opened his car door, he said he heard what sounded like the click of a folding knife opening. "I'll take all your money then," the man told police he heard the panhandler say. According to the report, the man told police the suspect then attacked him and tried to stab him 5-6 times with the...

Well, CHS, we made it through the first round, and I don't know about you (well, I sort of do; you know what I mean), but my brackets took some hits...

All in good fun.  Here are the current standings (note:  the Times system awards bonus point for upsets, so huzzah to those of you with the guts to pick the underdogs!)  I've put the alias, followed by points, and then the number of bonus points you've been awarded:

1. saranut 160, 25
2. dkmaestro 151, 21
3. jaywalk5000 151, 26
4. kcrobinson06 149, 19
5. yancy9 141, 16
6. christinabollo 139, 14
7. svaldezz 138, 13
8. emilydominick 136, 11
9. willch22 131, 16
10. jenn9 130, 15
11. reginaaletto 129, 19
12. moltamatic 127, 7
13. scoville 121, 11
14. justin_carder1 110, 0
15. zendragon0 103, 8

Way to go with the upset picks saranut!  Cornell, Washington, Georgia Tech, and ODU!  

On a related note:  no bonus points, eh, jseattle? :)

Round two begins this morning.  Hey, we still haven't tried to do a watch-party.  Any interest...

Lost Parrot - liquidnight

There is a lot going on in this Craigslist Seattle Pets posting that also qualifies for the Missed Connections section. An animal lover, a parrot, Capitol Hill, the '60s:

This is a very very long shot. But I worked at Jack's Aquiary that then became Ridlow's Pet Store on Capitol Hill from 1965-1968. There was a beautiful Double Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot there for sale named (of course) Polly.

She had belonged to an elderly lady who had to give her up. I loved her dearly and wanted to buy her but I didn't have the money. She was sold and I was heartbroken. I have never stopped thinking about her.

And now I just realized she might still be alive. I adopted a parrot a few years ago that lived to be 60 years old so it is possible Polly is still alive. I would love to find out what happened to her. She used to say "I love you darling" and she would sing a song and dance around in a circle. And she loved her head scratched.

I realize the odds of finding her are infinitesimal but thought it couldn't hurt to try. Thanks for any leads.

Anybody remember Jack's Aquiary? (Store that in your good name for a bar file) What about Ridlow's in its Capitol Hill phase? Sounds like it eventually moved to Ballard. But, most importantly, can anybody help this person find Polly?

[Full Disclosure: Josh is an officer on the Capitol Hill Community Council]

Seattle Trolley Bus. Originially uploaded by Jason Rodriguez

Thursday night was the monthly general meeting (3rd Thursdays, 7pm @ Cal Anderson Shelterhouse) for the Capitol Hill Community Council. With three major topics and a packed house, there was a lot covered and discussed in the two hour meeting.

As always, the meeting started with open floor, a time for any community member to make an announcement or voice their opinion. Five comments were made:

• Friends of the Volunteer Park Conservatory asked for support on their Opportunity Fund proposal to rehabilitate the Conservatory's East Greenhouse.

• SDOT is currently looking for ten more locations for on-street bike corrals. Unfortunately we were informed that plans to install a corral near Bimbo's and Cafe Vita has stalled.

• Sound Transit representative, Rhonda Dixon gave us the monthly light rail construction update: D. K. Pan was selected as sound wall artist

• Community Lunch will be hosting their Spring Fundraiser on May 8th at All Pilgrims Church. For more info: events@communitylunch.org.

There is worry that Broadway is dying. We need to work hard to ensure its survival, specifically by limiting building sizes to something similar to historic structures.

Trolley Buses vs. Hybrid Diesel Buses

First on the agenda was Johnathan Dong from SDOT who came to get feedback about Metro's proposal to replace the electric trolley buses (those with the overhead wires) with hybrid diesel buses. According to Metro the plan could save an estimated $8.7 million per year. Of course, the other side of the coin is that hybrid diesel buses produce more pollution and tend to be louder. While Dong has been going around to many neighborhoods, the decision could have the largest affect on Capitol Hill as The Hill has by far the most electric trolley lines.

During discussion community members resoundingly favored keeping the electric trolleys. With increased noise and air pollution one person said that there was "no question" to keep the trolleys. Another pointed out that the trolleys are a mainstay of the hill and contribute to the neighborhood character. Other commenters said that replacement was a "terrible idea" and "short-sighted". One community member suggested that metro should save money by simply stopping the study of replacement.

After the discussion, Dong said that he had heard similar comments in other neighborhoods (except West Seattle which was "lukewarm" but doesn't have any trolley lines). Metro's official study will take place this summer but Dong seemed confident that the Seattle leadership would support retention.

If you would still like to send SDOT your comments, you can fill out a short survey found here.

First Hill Streetcar Update

From trolleys it was on to streetcars with Ethan Malone coming to give the Council an update on the First Hill Streetcar planning process. The next big step will be the City Council's alignment decision, coming sometime this April. Since a loop around Cal Anderson has been almost definitively removed, the alignment decision will likely have little impact on the Capitol Hill section of the streetcar route on Broadway that SDOT is recommending.

Much of the discussion revolved around the North Broadway extension, part of the Community Council's bold vision for a Complete streetcar. Although the extension still lacks funding, Malone said that there are a number of good prospects federally. He also said that with a flexible construction process, building the streetcar "step-by-step" wouldn't be very difficult and pointed out that the Portland Streetcar was constructed in sections as small as 1/3 of a mile, based on when funding was available.

The Council's Proposal also included a number of streetscape improvements, including a possible bike boulevard along Broadway. Malone didn't have any additional information on the streetscape and said that after the alignment decision they could start developing "the next level of detail" for the project. He did suggest that the unconventional streetscape could be a pilot project for Mayor McGinn's "Walk, Bike, Ride" Initiative.

Creating the TOD Champion

One of the largest discussions on the hill these days is the future development of the empty 3-acres where Sound Transit is currently building the light rail station and tunnel. Commonly referred to as the TOD (transit-oriented development) site, community members have voiced interest in all kinds of community amenities on the site, from affordable housing, to a cultural center, to the Farmer's Market.

In order to push for these community amenities and ensure that the TOD site is developed with the highest civic principles in mind, the Capitol Hill Community Council and the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce have proposed a joint venture to form a group to work closely with Sound Transit and the City of this project. Tony Russo and Cathy Hillenbrand laid out the idea, referring to the recommendations laid out in the TOD Recommendation Report, a cumulative report on the TOD site put out earlier this month by Schemata Workshop and Makers and funded by the Cap Hill Chamber of Commerce.

Unfortunately, with such a packed agenda, no decision on creating the new group was officially made, but a straw poll showed that the majority of the present members were in favor of the group. Next month details of the group will be more clearly stated and a formal vote of its creation will be made.

Next meeting: April 15th, 7-9pm @ Cal Anderson Shelterhouse

More info at: www.capitolhillcommunitycouncil.org

Only one QFC employee's opinion, but this SeattleCrime brief on yet another QFC shoplifter caught in the act seems to put words to the anecdotal evidence we've seen that the store gets more than its fair share of freeloaders:

"QFC has been victim of more frequent shoplifts as of late," the QFC employee later told officers, adding that "shoplift suspects are becoming more bold."

One possible quibble in the 'more frequent' choice of language, though. Can't recall a time when we didn't see QFC shoplifters in the SPD reports. Here's a search on past CHS posts including the terms QFC + shoplift.

We already reported on one good reason to get your census survey response in the mail -- here's another. Organizers of Saturday's All OUT for the COUNT event say they are planning to fill Pike/Pine with fun and promotions to reward you for doing your part to be counted. We can't find a list of participating businesses but we saw the posters in a few windows around the neighborhood on Friday. If you know anybody behind the event, tell 'em to let CHS know what's up so we can spread the word -- we didn't even see anything (unless we missed it!) on our usual go-to for Seattle's LGBT events SeattleGayScene. We'll check in with the GSBA and Cap Hill Chamber of Commerce to see if we can find out more before Saturday night.

UPDATE:
It took a little doing, but we talked with the folks from the US Census who are behind tonight's event and finally have a roster of all participating businesses. Check out the attached map or the deal list below.

Here's more on the event and why this year's count is so important for...

Urban farming has been growing in popularity of late.  Four scores from now, historians may identify the apex of this trend as the year 2010.  I first became aware of the possibility of urban farming after reading Novella Carpenter's Farm City.  Now, we have Cherry Hill Urban Farm and Alleycat Acres bringing chickens and farming to Capitol Hill and bordering neighborhoods.  Another parallel trend that may hit its stride in 2010 has been restaurants sourcing their produce and herbs from their own gardens.  The originator and most notable practitioner of this trend in the Seattle area has been The Herbfarm.   More recently, Tamara Murphy's conception of Terra Plata for the Melrose Development (now facing a cloudy future) had included a rooftop garden. 

At the convergence of these trends lies Volunteer Park Cafe. Last week, they secured a free chicken coop (where else but) through Craigslist.   We asked them about their plans for the chicken coop, and here is what Kristen...

Seattle Police arrested a man this afternoon after an alert neighbor reported seeing the man breaking into a home in the 900 block of 19th Ave E.

Multiple patrol cars and officers descended on 19th Ave just before 2 PM after a man working on the building he owns next door called 911 to report the break-in at the neighboring home. The neighbor told CHS he watched the person who was arrested tap lightly on the door of the home to determine if anybody was inside before breaking in. Another witness reported seeing the man driving in the alley behind the home prior to the break-in.

At the home, officers were collecting evidence from the suspect and rounding up property collected at the scene to try to determine if it belonged to the homeowners or was taken from another burglary.

Earlier this week, we reported on residential burglary trends as part of our monthly look at Capitol Hill's crime hotspots. There were no reports of residential burglaries in this part of the Hill in February.

In 2013 there will be a new streetcar on First Hill, connecting the Capitol Hill light rail station to the International District light rail station. And it's looking more and more like that streetcar will be traveling on Broadway, and not on 12th Avenue to the east or further west on the First Hill.

We've learned that on Wednesday the mayor held a meeting that included all of the interested parties around the project, such as the hospitals, Seattle U, and community council representatives. In that meeting the mayor revealed that the city Department of Transportation has made a recommendation in support of the Broadway route, and attendees at the meeting report that the mayor indicated that he was leaning towards the Broadway route as well.

We've made an inquiry to the mayor's office to confirm this and get a better read of his position, but so far have not heard back.

UPDATE 1:38 PM:
Thanks to neighbor George for onpassing this presentation from the SDOT meeting with details of their recommendation. Make sure...

You know the drill.  From 5 to 7 PM today, Pike Street Fish Fry (on 10th Avenue East just south of Pike) is offering up Free French Fries and $2 Fat Tires and Mighty Ranger IPAs.  This offer is good at neighboring Moe Bar as well.  This promotion will happen every 3rd Friday of the month (until further notice), so you may as well put it on your calendar.  

At Streissguth Gardens, the bright purple rhododendrons shout loud and clear that a beautiful Capitol Hill spring is just around the corner. This lush and idyllic garden is tucked away in a small pocket of northwest Capitol Hill, an official part of St. Mark’s Greenbelt. The backdrop of the gardens is a stunning view of the Sound – on a clear day, the view extends from the skyscrapers downtown over to Gasworks Park and beyond. Tended with love by a local family, this park is open for public enjoyment but feels like the private backyard of an old friend.

The garden is city owned but family operated. Daniel Streissguth, his wife Ann and their son Ben have worked on the land for over 40 years and never imagined it would become what it is now, which inspired their new book “In Love With A Hillside Garden.”

“It had been such a wonderful experience to go through everything and develop the garden,” said Ann, a clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Washington....

Seattle’s Annual LGBT Pride Parade and PrideFest at Seattle Center will still be off of Capitol Hill but some of the formal activities of Seattle Pride and PrideFest are moving up to the Hill.

On Sunday June 27, 2010, buses will take festival-goers from Seattle Center’s PrideFest celebration up to the "momo" Street Party outside of Neumos. This inaugural street party, located at 10th Ave and Pike on Capitol Hill, runs from 4pm – 9pm and American Idol’s Kimberley Locke will be performing a few numbers for the crowd. Then at 8pm the party moves inside of Neumos for the Pride Closing Party. While Seattle Center’s PrideFest is all ages, the momo Street Party and Neumos' Pride Closing Party are for ages 21+ only. PrideFest just started selling what they call a “Prider” Pass for VIP access to all the PrideFest events. More details about this news and the VIP Pass are posted at Seattle Gay Scene.

The Seattle Pride Parade’s new theme is “Over the Rainbow” and that rainbow now reaches all the way...

In November 2009, we told you about Viper Creek Club inviting you all to appear in their video for "Eliza".  It was filmed at a house on 757 Broadway Ave E.  See if you or someone you know made the cut.

Viper Creek Club "Eliza" from Thomas Price on Vimeo.

SCRATCHMASTER JOE‘S INTERNATIONAL LOUNGE

BYPASSING TRADITIONAL CHANNELS TO DISCOVER NEW TALENT

For this fourth lineup of my International Lounge, I’ve booked the owners of Wall of Sound; Dave Segal of the Stranger; and Gro of Variations on 91.3 KBCS.

GRO is Gregory D'Elia, radio programmer of Variations on KBCS 91.3FM - Fridays.  From dub to reggae to IDM, Greg’s style is as unique as his glowing personality.

Dave Segal has better hair than anyone I know.  Whether long or short, his hair is sure to impress.  Dave, what’s your secret?  I know; you brush your hair with butter, right?

Michael and Jeffery of Wall of Sound consistently curate avant-garde, indy, art rock, and over 7,000 sub-genres of electronic music in their Capitol Hill record store for the last twenty years.  These guys knew grunge sucked before anyone else.  Show your respect. 

Also, I’m proud to announce that second Sundays will henceforth be known as “Garek Druss’...

Seattle may be the first city in the world to approve a completely self sustaining, environmentally sound and solar powered multipurpose commercial building – once the Capitol Hill Design and Review Board approves it. Wednesday night's meeting in Seattle University's Alumni Relations building was packed to capacity, signifying the importance of the project moving forward.

A potential 65 to 75 foot high, six-floor commercial building conceptualized and planned by the Living Building Pilot Program would live on the corner of 15th Ave. and E. Madison Ave. and could break ground as early as this November if permitted. Local groups PAE Consulting, The Bullitt Foundation, Point 32 and Miller/Hull have collaborated on a series of designs for a building that they say would function completely on its own energy and water systems while providing an “elegant” aesthetic that promises to engage McGilvra Park and one of the busiest hubs in Seattle. CHS offered up our analysis of the project's early design concepts here.

One of the biggest issues identified Thursday night: the building's height. Essentially, the building will overshadow its neighbors, who say they have enjoyed sunny decks and downtown views for years. As designed, the building will hit the edge of the property line and neighbors will have as little as five feet of breathing room or a maximum of 10 feet of space from the large building. Plus, some said their sunny decks will be overshadowed by the building, which will be taller than any other in the area. One concerned neighbor called it a "solar rights issue." Earlier building designs assured residents the building would be less than 65 feet tall, but now the project needs to reach up to 75 feet in order for its green systems to work.

"I don't think we can give any more [space] to get this to work," said Brian Court, Miller/Hull associate and last night's project presenter. "It's part of the unintended consequences of urban development."

The corner of 15th and Madison today. CHS has heard that CC Attle's has been offered a home in the new building when completed but the iconic bar's owners are looking for a new home. (Photo: Clara Ganey/Seattle University THE SPECTATOR)

The issue of space also extends to the sidewalks and how the solar panels will look from ground view. Pedestrians will be forced to walk directly under the solar panels along 15th Ave., and the wall of solar panels will be opaque and look like a blank wall from the street. Designers assured the board that the visual experience would be a pleasant one, but the board reps said they want more conscious thought put in maintaining the culture and feel of the neighborhood and not overpower it and at least make it an interesting to structure to look at.

"The historical and cultural importance of this neighborhood must be considered," said a local resident. "It is the gateway to the African American community and is also a historically Jewish and gay and lesbian community. We'd like to see those groups represented or celebrated in some way."

Also, the board asked the designers to consider what the building will look like at night.

"It could be a potential black hole at night," said Wolf Saar, community representative on the Design Review Team.

At the end of the intensive meeting, the board decided on a number of recommendations to the planning team before the project can move forward.

Those include:

• Reevaluating the solar panels and what will essentially look like a blank wall. The board's preference would be that it would go away, but they understand its necessity, so it must be hospitable.
• The greenhouse location should be more compelling - the board is not convinced of its location, it should be a focal point to the building, not hiding in the back corner.
• The building's public engagement level needs to be higher and the board requested that the designers think more about the pedestrian experience along 15th Ave., which has been a street singled out by the team as an opportunity for cultural growth in the neighborhood.
• They support the increased height departure but need to be more convinced on the design before they can commit.
• The board is not convinced on the E. Madison stairway - the overhang on to the street is debatable but it has to be bold and "done right."

“As a board member, it’s an honor to consider such a sustainable and progressive building,” said Evan Bourquard, Design Professional Representative on the Design Review Program Board. “We want this to be a showpiece of ingenuity but also respond to the needs of the neighborhood.”

The project overview and sustainability goals were presented by Jason McLennan, author of the Living Building Challenge and CEO of the Cascadia Green Building Council, the Pacific Northwest authority on green building and sustainable development. The Living Building Challenge is not a competition; rather, it’s a level of high standard that challenges the status quo of building codes and structures and encourage urban sustainability that can stand the test of time.

“It’s not enough to be less bad, it’s time to build buildings that are truly good… with a notion of beauty and good design,” said McLennan.

Presenters offered three building design concepts to the Design Review Board, but after much deliberation, the four hour meeting ended with the Board needing more information and requested another design presentation in order to move forward with a decision. Part of the issue was the presentation of the three designs - the two that included an inner open courtyard or atrium - were deemed incompatible with the project by the presenters. Their preferred design needs to be revisited and the suggestions made by the board must be answered before a building design can be decided.

CHS has compiled some of the main points from the presentation. 

Features of the preferred concept include:

• A vertical greenhouse with glass walls on three sides that will reach the roof, visible from the corner of 15th and Pike.
• An "irresistible" stairway with glass walls looking over E. Madison Street., with a direct entryway from the sidewalk. As you ascend, the stairs offer views of the surrounding hillside and downtown. Designers hope the views will encourage people to use the stairs rather than the elevator. 
• A ground floor with commercial businesses in a mezzanine-style courtyard, with office buildings on the top levels.
• A "transformation" of 15th Ave., encouraging people to use McGilvra Park and possibly reserving part of the street for pedestrian and bike access only, if permitted by Seattle Department of Transportation.

• A self-sustaining water and energy system that covers creation, use and discharge of all water in the building. 100 percent of water used in the building will be filtered and recycled on-site. Rainfall will hit roof panels which will collect in a cistern and then filtered. There will be a high filtration system for kitchen and drinking water and a low filtration system for the toilets, plant fertilizer and compost. The building will feature waterless urinals and toilet filtration system that will seperate waste and capture the urine from toilets, where it will be reused in the greenhouse as fertilizer. (The compost and urine systems will be on negative pressure so you can't smell them).
• Solar energy that will be captured on site with passive cooling. Huge photovoltaic panels will capture solar power and radiation that will heat the building in the winter and can cool it off in hot weather. The amount of photovoltaic power needed is greater than the amount of power available on-site, so much thought has been given to ensuring correct panel placement and coverage to capture the most energy possible.
• Wall slots and natural skylights that designers hope inspire the feeling of being under a large tree. As the days change, light will move and reflect in different areas of the building, encouraging natural ventilation and views in to the building from the outside.

Large terraces on the third level facing south that will feature vegetation and water irrigation systems.

Moving forward, the applicant team will further develop their plans in response to the Board’s guidance and submit a Master Use Permit application to DPD. Once that is submitted, there will be a 14-day public comment period.

I found Henry and Dejah on their way out of Cafe Presse yesterday.  Dejah made this necklace for Henry but has since found herself snagging it.  I wish I would have gotten a better shot of all the clever knick knacks she used to make it.   

Photo: It's My Darlin'

Photos: It's My Darlin'

For more street style photos from Capitol Hill and around the rest of Seattle check out It's My Darlin'.

Here is what we know from Izilla Toys: "Join us this afternoon at our Cap HIll store to make awesome giant paper flowers! It's free, fun and will help make your day even sunnier! 4-6pm"

We first learned about this unofficial memorial through a Line Out commenter on Monday.  FriendsOfSlats offered up this suggestion:

I think Linda's from 5-7 on Thursday the 18th is a good start...but Slats was everywhere, so the celebration should continue everywhere afterwards as people see fit. Bring a candle, bring pictures and stories...Chris was a nice guy and deserves to be remembered as such. We'll move on up the street at 7 to The Comet and then the Cha Cha, then down to The Funhouse...and if we really got punk rock and ambitious we would declare every day after St. Patrick's Day on the hill to be St. Slats' Day.

On Tuesday, The Stranger detailed the program further:

St. Slats Day, Thurs March 18, begins at Linda’s Tavern at 5 pm. Linda's will have $3 whiskey sours—Slat's drink of choice—and free pool from 5 pm-close. The procession will move, bar-crawl style, to the Comet Tavern, Cha Cha Lounge, and then The Funhouse, where The Lustkillers, The Greatest Hits, Broken Nobles, and Creem City play at 9:30 pm. Bring your Slats stories and photos, and hoist a toast.

On the topic of Slats, 10 Things Zine recently penned an unsentimental eulogy - have a read.

With funding for education under threat and cutbacks looming, Seattle Central Community College is moving forward with an ambitious addition to its Capitol Hill campus, according to an e-mail memo from a school official forwarded to CHS. According to the e-mail, the college has received bids that meet its budget requirements for a new Plant Sciences building and green house that will fill in an empty lot on Boylston just north of the SCCC parking garage:

Administrative Services at Seattle Central is pleased to announce we have successful bid results for the New Plant Science Complex planned for at the Boylston site north of the Parking Garage. This is a Capital Partnership/ Match Project that has taken a long time to develop and move forward. This new green house & outdoor garden spaces will complete the full complement of Instructional spaces as part of the Science and Math building on Harvard Ave.  This project will move forward in the coming weeks with completion later this Fall.  The...

the mambo close-up Originally uploaded by seasnow2007

When we first reported the case of artist Jack Mackie against photographer Mike Hipple, CHS wondered if the art at the middle of the controversy shouldn't be removed from the Broadway sidewalk to protect citizens from further litigation. Is that scenario possible? Unlikely, city officials tell CHS.

After speaking with the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Seattle Department of Transportation and City Council staff, CHS has learned that while the ongoing lawsuit has stirred up a great deal of controversy, it hasn't sparked any action for officials to change the situation around the Broadway Steps nor in the way the City of Seattle acquires public art.

“In matters of public art, it is standard to retain copyright,” said Ruri Yampolsky, director of the Public Art Program through the office of Arts & Cultural Affairs told CHS. “The city physically owns and takes care of the work but the copyright belongs to the artist. We respect the artist’s right to their own creative capital as defined by the law.”

Whether or not an artist decides to pursue legal action against anyone is up to them individually, not the city, Yampolsky said. Any questions regarding a potential copyright infringement are passed on to the artist individually.

If the City Council or SDOT receives any complaints, concerns or questions regarding public art, officials told CHS they refer the matter to Yampolsky's department. To date, Yampolsky says there have been no communication from SDOT or the Council regarding Mackie's Broadway work.

“Oftentimes what can happen is we get a call requesting use of an image, and we always defer those questions to the artist directly,” said Yampolsky.

It's a call that might have helped Hipple. In the meantime, the photographer continues to raise donations to help pay for his "defense fund." You can learn more and join his cause on his Mike Hipple Legal Defense Fund Facebook page.

Say goodbye to winter and hello to spring with a Spring Celebration at Miller Community Center, 330 19^th Ave. E. There will be a coloring contest, egg hunt, jump toys and Gymboree play time. This event will be held on Thursday, March 18, from 10 a.m. to noon. The cost is $2. For more information, call the center at (206) 684-4753. Sorry for the late word -- we just found out about the event too! Happy spring!