Would you like to see residential high rises (left) or low rises (right) with retail on the bottom around the new Northgate Light Rail Station? Take the online survey.
Although meeting attendees made their own notes about what they liked and didn’t like directly on the presentation boards, via the same site you also have an opportunity to comment on what kind of development you would like see for the future Northgate Light Rail Station, which is slated to open in 2020.
This was the scene Friday evening, Aug. 12, ago after a motorist smashed right over the speed circle at Northeast 88th Street and 12th Avenue Northeast.
Now the Maple Leaf Community Council says it will ask the city for help in stopping persistent speeders. “MLCC will request a speed analysis on 88th and ask SDOT if any additional traffic mitigation techniques are available,” writes Joshua Newman, council president.
Northeast 88th Street is the last through street on the north before the Maple Leaf Reservoir Park blocks east-west travel, and as a result gets heavier traffic. It’s also designated as a bicycle route by the Seattle Department of Transportation.
How’s it going? From our news partners at The Seattle Times:
Despite Seattle’s hotly debated tunnel referendum and candidate races around King County, returned primary ballots are coming in more slowly than elections officials anticipated. They earlier had projected countywide turnout of 52 percent.
As of Monday night, the county had received about 211,000 of the 1.1 million ballots sent out, or 19 percent.
The bank has announced that it’s opening a Northgate Homeownership Center at 155 N.E. 100th St., Executive Suite 120, with an official opening scheduled from 9-10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16. In a news release, Chase explains why it’s opening the homeownership center, which is the state’s second.
Chase continues its commitment to help borrowers who are struggling with their mortgage payments. A cornerstone of our foreclosure prevention initiatives is opening Chase Homeownership Centers in communities hit hard by the housing crisis. Open six days a week with day and evening hours, the Homeownership Centers reflect the bank’s commitment to families hit hard by the nation’s economic challenges. Please join us as we open this center, and fortify our efforts in your area.
The homeownership center offers trained advisers who can assist customers whose circumstances have changed and are no longer able to make their scheduled monthly payment, and who want to avoid foreclosure and stay in their home. The trained advisers will evaluate their finances, review possible workout options and answer any questions.
Customers are encouraged to set up appointments in advance, and to bring documentation, including recent W-2s and tax forms, recent pay stubs, bank statements and monthly expense documentation, as well as information such as a hardship letter to help explain their current financial challenges.
For more information, go to chase.com/myhome or call (206) 522-6654.
If you failed to scroll through today’s Seattle Groupon deal, you may have missed the 50 percent-off deal for classes at Glassique, Maple Leaf’s new architectural glass design studio at 9634 Roosevelt Way N.E.
The deal offers the following savings:
For $42, you get a 3.5-hour glass-fusing class (a $95 value).
For $55, you get a 4.5-hour stained-glass-making class (a $110 value).
For $180, you get a one-on-one private-instruction course (a $360 value).
And owner Richard Heath told us for an earlier post that the classes are available at the student’s convenience, and that he wants to make sure you get your money’s worth:
“We don’t teach little things,” Heath said, as he pointed at a stained-glass design that was created by a student and was at least 4 feet in diameter. “We teach the real art of stained glass.”
The deal is available through tomorrow, so you’ve got some time to think about it and even spread the word.
Found at the Maple Leaf Summer Social: “A fleece kid’s urban camo hoodie with Lightning McQueen (from the movie ‘Cars’) sunglasses. ” (Shown at right.)
David Miller of the Maple Leaf Community Council emails the hoodie was found when packing away social supplies for next year.
But that’s not all! “The other items are two wooden folding chairs that were left at one of the business tables.
The Aug. 16 primary and special election is quickly approaching. Remember to have your ballots stamped and postmarked, or dropped in a ballot drop box on or before Tuesday, Aug. 16.
The closest local ballot drop box location is at Magnuson Park, 6344 N.E. 74th St. Ballots taken to drop boxes must be deposited by 8 p.m. on Aug. 16. If that’s not convenient for you, see this map for a complete list of King County drop box locations.
For candidate statements, see the King County Elections Local Voters’ Pamphlet. And if you can’t make your mind up from reading those, let someone else help. Here are some sources for candidate ratings and endorsements:
Speaking of dogs, our neighbors in Ravenna are reporting a lost Havanese that they think might have wandered this way.
“I ask you to post a message about Buddy, the little Havanese that got away from his dog sitter on 65th. There’s a full post from the owner here , complete with a picture and a phone number - would you be willing to spread the word in your ‘hood?” - Jenny.
Update Aug. 19: Buddy is back home, according to a post on the Ravenna blog.
“A few kids playing soccer at Eckstein Middle School called with the tip, and my wife Susie went and scooped him up.”
Are you ready for the Maple Leaf Neighborhood Garage Sale? We never received a map from the organizers, but we received a couple of emails from readers who plan to participate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today:
At 1051 N.E. 91st St., items for sale will include a kayak, Yakima bike rack, miscellaneous outdoor clothing and equipment, and random household items.
And there will be plenty to choose from on Northeast 95th Street, between Roosevelt and 12th Avenue Northeast, where neighbors will be doing a block long yard sale as part of their neighborhood block program (it will end at 3 p.m.).
Donna Hartmann-Miller, of the Maple Leaf Community Council, tells us she talked with the project manager:
“I spoke with Stephanie Murphy last week and asked her about the painting of the water tank. She said half will be painted this year and half will be painted next year and she was expecting the painting would be happening soon.”
Updating our Thursday post on paying more to register your vehicles, the King County Council this morning announced an agreement to let a super-majority of the council increase vehicle licenses by $20, without going to voters.
The money will go to fend off cuts in service by Metro buses, including several routes serving Maple Leaf and the Northgate Transit Center. An official council vote is expected Monday.
The deal settles a standoff between County Council members from Seattle, which needs more bus service - or at least to keep the service it already has, and suburban cities, where buses often run with few passengers. Part of the deal eliminates the downtown free-ride zone for buses. Another part gives $20 in free bus passes to any taxpayer who gets hit with the $20-per-car charge.
Our news partners The Seattle Times are updating the story here. Erica Barnett at Publicola is updating here. There’s also a background piece on the issue in Crosscut last month here.
Still to come: How much more money will the Seattle City Council ask voters to pay for vehicle registration? That council is expected to vote Monday on an increase of up to $80 per vehicle - but this time it is expected to be on voters’ ballots.
Update: David Miller of the Maple Leaf Community Council is on the video (at the bottom of the post) at 48 minutes 48 seconds. Donna Hartmann-Miller, also on the council executive committee, follows him.
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We’ve had a couple of readers this week wonder about the additional car license fees that voters may face this fall.
1) Andrea wrote on Wednesday: “I saw a flier posted at the 72/73 bus stop on 15th Avenue Northeast at Northeast 75th Street today advocating for the $20 Congestion Relief Charge that needs to be adopted by King County Council in order to not lose our 72 and 73 buses.
“According to the flier, the final decision is to be made on Monday, and this website was named: www.stopbuscuts.com.”
The King County Council is now supposed to vote on that $20-per-car tax hike for buses on Aug. 15, according to our new partners The Seattle Times. That’s the day before the deadline to put the issue on the November ballot. We last reported on the issue, which could also affect routes 67 and 41, in July.
2) Today Louise took note of a story The Times published last night on a Seattle City Council board hearing on a different tax voters might be considering this fall.
That one relates to a fee of up to $80 per car that the City Council might put on the fall ballot, as Mayor Mike McGinn strongly urges.
Louise, a Lake City resident, quotes the Times story on last night’s public hearing: “The Cascade Bicycle Club also urged support of an $80 license fee and collected more than 800 signatures online.
“Some Maple Leaf residents urged the council to spend more on sidewalks so people could get safely to transit and to their local schools and shops.”
She says:
I’d like to get in touch with the Maple Leaf residents mentioned above who favor spending more on sidewalks. If the Cascade Bicycle Club can gather 800 signatures online to promote more bike lanes, those of us who favor sidewalks for pedestrians should be able to collect at least that many.
Want to watch the full (two-hour) hearing from Wednesday night’s meeting of the council’s Seattle Transportation Benefit District Board Public Hearing? Here’s a link. The video is below.
Barbara sent us this photo of Maple Leaf’s iconic water tower this afternoon.
She’s wondering: “Just curious to know what the workers are doing there today.”
We don’t know yet, but we’ve asked.
Remember that the water tower (which purists will point out is not a water tower but a water tank on top of a tower) is empty, but that we get to keep it anyway.
Update 1:40 p.m. Erika writes: “Just want to let you know that we found her! She was indeed up in Maple Leaf, near the reservoir.”
Update: Over the lunch hour the number of lost pets grew.
Erika emails:
My Black and white female great dane went missing from our house at 75 N.E. and 24Ave N.E. yesterday at about 5:30 p.m. She was seen running north on 5th toward 80th last night.
She is wearing a black collar with a red heart shaped tag. She is chipped and has a license but it likely to be difficult to approach, please call Becca at 206-369-4442 or Erika 206-369-4442.
Brian posted on our Facebook page: “Missing grey pit bull named Brooklyn in Maple Leaf/Roosevelt. I met the owner on the corner of N.E. 82nd St. and 8th Ave. N.E. He says she is a friendly and approachable dog. If found please take her to Rick’s Chevron on 5th Ave. N.E. in Maple Leaf.”
Finally, Fine Impressions Gallery emails to say the owner has lost her cat, Zelda (also responds to Kitty).
Zelda is “very affectionate and friendly, but shy. Last seen 8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug 9, at 834 N.E .84th St.
“Could be in your garage, shed, basement, tree …? Call 206-293-4276.”
In February, the biannual consignment and boutique fair moved to the Bitter Lake Community Center Annex, 13040 Greenwood Ave. N., and it’s scheduled to return there for the summer edition Aug. 20-21.
The event is organized by Roosevelt Ale House co-owner Michelle Simpson, who also will have a table featuring her own creations through The Chic Bambino. Other talented local moms will be offering high-quality, creative, handmade items from boutiques including:
In addition, expect thousands of new and gently used consignment items, including children’s and maternity clothing, accessories, strollers, toys, books, gear, furniture and more.
The event is open to the public from 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21. However, there’s a private pre-sale for consignors and volunteers from 2-4:30 p.m. Saturday, and Michelle says she’s still looking for volunteers if you want to get early admittance and a discount on sales. Sign up on the website, where you also can get more information on the event.
