Monthly Archives: February 2019

Sawant plays density ‘swing vote’ as Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Affordability plan finalized

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District 3 rep Kshama Sawant played the swing vote Monday afternoon and into the evening as the Seattle City Council’s legislative tinkering on the city’s Mandatory Housing Affordability plan was finally completed.

The plan that ties upzones in 27 of the city’s densest neighborhoods to the creation of affordable units and will transition a reported 6% of Seattle’s current single family-zoned property will go to the full City Council for a final vote on March 18th. But that vote is mostly symbolic — all nine of the council’s members have been part of the MHA committee’s two years of meetings.

Sawant, Monday, took a swing at the overall legislation’s shortcoming despite joining her companions in unanimous committee approval of the plan.

“Those small affordable housing payments are the only part of this so called Grand Bargain that mitigates the rampant displacement and gentrification driven by the for profit real estate investment of big developers and other larger investors,” Sawant said. Continue reading →

Under pressure from the city, costs, and neighbors, Capitol Hill Block Party announces 2019 lineup

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(Image: Capitol Hill Block Party)

Seattle’s alt-weeklies are dead but Capitol Hill Block Party will live on in 2019. With an earlier than ever and quieter announcement than in past years, producers of the annual three-day music festival in the streets of Capitol Hill announced the 2019 full lineup Tuesday morning for the 23rd edition of the signature Pike/Pine event that is facing yet another new wave of criticism from the business community outside the festival’s fences.

“Providing a platform where local artists can continue to grow and organizations benefit from the additional exposure is an important way to unify the local community and preserve our fiercely independent and artistic nature,” producer and Neumos co-owner Jason Lajeunesse said in the announcement of the 2019 lineup.

https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/event/capitol-hill-block-party-2019/

The July 19th through July 21st festival will be headlined this year by “bass beacon” RL Grime, electro-pop duo Phantogram, and singer-rapper-flautist Lizzo. Single day, two day, three day and VIP passes go on sale Tuesday morning. Ticket prices were not included in the lineup announcement. Continue reading →

What’s next for Melrose Market under new owners? Tenants say maybe a breath of fresh air

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A Melrose Market view (Image: Sitka and Spruce)

In Seattle, everything’s for sale.

With every new announcement of a longtime business or building selling or making way for apartment buildings, the sense heightens that nothing is sacred.

So it was no wonder that after CHS reported that iconic Capitol Hill property Melrose Market sold to Regency Centers, a Florida-based real estate investment trust, for $15.5 million, many feared the worst for the preservation and locavore focused retail development home to Sitka and Spruce and Terra Plata.

“I got so many texts, it wasn’t funny,” says Terra Plata chef/owner Tamara Murphy, who says she’s had to calm down many people. Murphy’s not stressed, she says. “They’re not going to turn into a shopping center, at least not in ten years,” Murphy noted that the tenants in the building are safe until their leases run out. Many of the building’s tenants have long-term leases with renewal provisions. “They can’t turn around and say we’re out.”

No, Melrose Market won’t be razed to make way for a new condo building, said Craig Ramey, Regency’s managing director for the Pacific Northwest, Northern California and Colorado. “That’s not anywhere in anyone’s plans. [Regency’s] core business is retail.”
Continue reading →

22 projects that could make Seattle District 3 streets and sidewalks safer

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You have until Friday to help winnow the field of Neighborhood Street Fund community proposals for improving streets and sidewalks across District 3.

The annual process allocates funding to projects identified by citizens and often includes efforts with relatively significant budgets of $100,000 or more. Work to make John/Thomas intersections safer from Capitol Hill Station to Miller Park is one recent example of a Neighborhood Street Fund-boosted project. Continue reading →

Seattle’s alt-weeklies are dead (and thanks for subscribing to CHS)

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After this week’s edition, Seattle will no longer have a printed alt-weekly. The Seattle Weekly, already stripped down by new owners in 2017, will move “digital only” with a much-reduced staff.

Crosscut, powered by grants, corporate sponsorships, and its KCTS public television boosted “supporting members,” broke the news Monday on the end of the Weekly and the further downsizing of Seattle media.

“A series of ownership changes – including Village Voice Media and Voice Media Group – left Seattle Weekly on shaky financial footing by the time Sound Publishing acquired it in 2013,” a message sent to Seattle Weekly freelancers explaining the change reads. Continue reading →

Life on Mars will create ultimate Capitol Hill DJ mix: vinyl with cocktails, beer, and a plant-based menu

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The Capitol Hill Block Party-worthy bar bringing together two first families of Seattle independent music will be called Life on Mars, a nod to David Bowie, of course. But also to an intergalactic sense of belonging.

“Also just love the notion that we might not be alone out here,” Leigh Sims says of the name of the new venue set to open this spring at Pike and Harvard.

Sims and Steven Severin represent the Neumos side of Seattle rock royalty behind the project. Seattle’s king and queen of independent radio, Amy and John Richards –John in the Morning of KEXP — round out the new royal family. The bar will pull off the ultimate DJ mix: vinyl with cocktails, beer, and a plant-based menu.

“We still love the experience of holding an album, flipping a record, and gathering in a record shop,” the Life on Mars announcement reads. “The bar is a way to mix music and gathering friends that’s not than a live venue or a dj booth — and with drinking.”

John probably designed this part. Life on Mars will have a gigantic record wall with thousands of records.  “It’s also a super excuse to get more vinyl,” the announcement reads. Continue reading →

As Seattle ties up final Mandatory Housing Affordability loose ends, District 3 and Capitol Hill left out of ‘companion resolution’

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As the final knots are being tied in any remaining loose ends for Seattle’s long-awaited Mandatory Housing Affordability legislation that will tie developer requirements to upzoning in the city’s densest neighborhoods, District 3 covering Capitol Hill and the Central District will be playing catch up on one key component meant to recognize “challenges and opportunities raised by the community” during last week’s public hearing and in years of similar meetings, online surveys, and constituent emails.

A RESOLUTION calling for additional measures by the City and its partners that complement mandatory housing affordability (MHA) implementation to promote livability and equitable development, mitigate displacement, and address challenges and opportunities raised by community members during the MHA public engagement process.

The MHA companion resolution documents commitments and “additional measures” meant to capture possible issues of livability, equitable development, and displacement raised in recent weeks and over the years leading up to Monday’s expected vote to finally move the legislation out of committee.

It’s a bit of a kitchen sink resolution with citywide recommendations and a set of commitments and efforts for each district in the city — except for District 3.  Continue reading →

A Capitol Hill look at Olympia 2019: secure scheduling, vaccine exemptions, crosswalk traffic cams

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Rep. Nicole Macri (Image: Rep. Macri)

The 2019 session of the Washington Legislature is in full swing, with lawmakers considering thousands of bills. February 22nd was a key deadline for bills to pass out of their policy committee; any which did not get committee approval are considered dead (except the ones that aren’t, there are still ways to revive them). From there, bills with a financial implication are routed through a fiscal committee (Senate Ways and Means; House Appropriations) before going to the floor of their house of origin. Bills must clear their house of origin by March 13 before moving to be considered by the other house. This year’s session is set to end April 28.

Here is a roundup of bills moving through the Legislature that may be of interest to Capitol Hill with a focus on efforts from our state elected including Sen. Jamie Pedersen and Rep. Nicole Macri.

Anyone interested in discussing these, or any other bills, with Capitol Hill’s legislators can attend a town hall with the District 43 lawmakers at 1:30 PM March 16 at First Seattle Baptist Church:

https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/event/43rd-legislative-district-town-hall-4/

  • Statewide secure scheduling: Rep. Macri is the prime sponsor of legislation that would “ensure that people who work for large fast food, coffee, restaurant, and retail chains in Washington get schedules that are more predictable and balanced.” Macri says, “I’m working closely with business and labor representatives to find the best way forward to support workers and ease impacts on businesses.” The bill would is modeled after Seattle’s law and would help eliminate things like “clopenings” — when a worker works a late-night closing shift and is also directed to work a early-morning opening shift with only a few hours in between. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Historical Society | The Pink Dress from Boylston and Pine

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Recently a story of kindness on Capitol Hill emerged from America’s dark history of racist mass incarceration. Since February of last year, the curated history project 50 Objects has revealed stories of Japanese Americans illegally sent to desert camps. The 12th installment on closer inspection ties back to a lost part of our neighborhood.

Pink Dress

In December, 50 Objects ran an emotional story called Pink Dress. An autobiographical tale by Marge Nitta, it described a precious, embroidered dress given to her by a family friend during their imprisonment.

The friend had not yet met Marge. Marge’s mother was pregnant when America’s President, scared of immigrants and guided by racism, issued an executive order for the U.S. Army to imprison all West Coast ethnic Japanese.
Continue reading →