We want to thank the approximately 300 people who attended our open house Tuesday in Montlake to learn about WSDOT’s construction plans for the next phase of improvements within the SR 520 corridor from I-5 to Lake Washington – the segment we call “the Rest of the West.” We’ve posted the meeting’s informational display boards online for those who couldn’t attend and want to know more about the highway work that’s ahead.

In addition, there’s still time to attend our virtual, online open house. Here you’ll not only find lots of information and conceptual design renderings about the Rest of the West, but you also can send us feedback on our plans. This online “meeting” will be open through July 8.

Information on WSDOT website

We received a lot of good questions and comments at last night’s open house at Saint Demetrios Hall. It’s clear that people want to know how their neighborhoods will be affected during all the upcoming construction, and what the end result will be when the work is done. A lot of information can be found in the SR 520: I-5 to Lake Washington section of our website, including on the project design page and in the published 2014-2015 West Side Design Refinements report. 

The Montlake Market

One frequently raised topic at the open house was the status of the Montlake Boulevard Market. We’re preparing a Q&A on this and other topics discussed during the open house. We’ll post the Q&A and send you a link in an upcoming email update, but meantime, here’s a brief bit of background on the market and SR 520 construction.

The market and adjacent 76 gas station lie directly along the south edge of the SR 520/Montlake Boulevard interchange. Following the Legislature’s 2015 approval of funding for the Rest of the West improvements, WSDOT furthered the project design and preconstruction planning. Through this effort, we determined that we’d need to acquire the property where the market and gas station are located. In early 2018, we’ll begin constructing an improved interchange and landscaped highway lid from Montlake Boulevard to 24th Avenue Northeast.

Why do we need to acquire the property?

• WSDOT needs the property to build some of the project’s planned improvements, such as retaining walls and fill, sidewalks, connections to shared-use trails, and utility relocations and modifications.  We also will use the property for construction staging and traffic shifts.
• We determined in the 2011 environmental impact statement that we’d have to close three of the four driveway accesses into the gas station. The gas station and market are business tenants on the property. The change in driveway access will affect the operations of both tenants.
• We are in discussions with the property owner regarding WSDOT's purchase of the site and the operations of the businesses.

We know these businesses are important to many people in the Montlake area. We’ll keep the community updated as this process unfolds.

Construction project time line

A number of individuals at the open house wanted to know when we will start constructing our west side improvements, and when we will complete the work. The schedule for big construction projects can shift for a variety of reasons, but here is our current time line for the Rest of the West:

Phase 1

• Montlake lid, West Approach Bridge South, land bridge over SR 520
• Construction to begin by 2018
• Estimated duration: 4-5 years

Phase 2

• New Portage Bay Bridge with regional bike-pedestrian path, Roanoke lid, improved I-5 interchange, bike-pedestrian I-5 crossing 
• Estimated to begin as early as: 2020
• Estimated duration: 6 years

Phase 3

• Second bascule (drawbridge) over Montlake Cut
• Estimated to begin as early as: 2024
• Estimated duration: 3 years

Thanks again for joining us at the open house.

On July 14, Madison Valley celebrates Bastille Day this year with two very special events. 

First, Thierry Rautureau, The Chef In The Hat will serve a delicious buffet, wine, beer and live music by Rouge. 

Buffet meals will be available for all attendees who purchase tickets. They are $25 for adults who pre-reserve before July 10th and $15 for children under the age of 12. There will also be tickets available at the door the day of the event for $30. Prices include sales tax.

Drink tickets will also be available for purchase for $7 (non-alcoholic drinks $3.50).

To reserve tickets, please RSVP by Sunday, July 10th.

More information here.

Second, the Arboretum Foundation is putting on ArbFest, a new outdoor summer party benefiting Seattle’s most spectacular green space. Experience this treasured 230-acre park in a unique and immersive way. Festivities include:

• Enjoy French-inspired cuisine from St. Clouds, cocktails by Batch 206 Distillery, and Chateau Ste Michelle wines along Azalea Way
• Bring your smartphone and hunt for geocached treasure
• Perfect your pétanque (a French twist on bocce ball) with Seattle Petanque Club
• Dance under the stars to the gypsy jazz of Pearl Django

Ticket prices
Patron: $175, Benefactor: $350
RSVP by July 5 

Buy tickets.

To buy tickets by phone, or for questions, call 206-325-4510.

All proceeds benefit Washington Park Arboretum

There were only 47 incidents in Madison Valley reported to the police during May, and as usual the decline from previous monthly totals was due to a smaller number of car prowls. There were eight completed or attempted burglaries and an armed robbery reported during May.

1. At about 3 AM on May 7 a highly intoxicated male wearing only shorts entered a condominium on 26th near Olive and woke the two residents. When one of them yelled at him to leave, he yelled back that it was his house and that he wanted her to leave. When she threatened to call the police he grabbed unsuccessfully at her phone, at which point both residents pushed him into a bathroom and then fled to their respective bedrooms and locked the doors. When the police arrived shortly afterward they heard sounds of things being smashed coming from the second floor of the building and found that the front door had been barricaded from the inside. The residents then emerged from their bedrooms and removed the items blocking the front door so that the police could enter. When the police went upstairs the intruder surrendered and was taken into custody. The intruder caused approximately $1500 worth of damage in the residence. When they questioned him, the police learned that the intruder had consumed a large bottle of vodka and believed that he was in Vancouver, B.C.

2. During the early morning of May 12 a burglar gained entry to a storage area at an apartment building on 20th near Republican and stole two bicycles worth approximately $16,000. The police were notified that evening and they found fingerprints at the scene.

3. Sometime during the evening of May 13 a burglar entered a business on Madison near 23rd through an unlocked back door and stole an employee’s backpack. The employee did not notify the police until he had returned to his home in the early hours of May 14.

4. On May 18 at about 10 AM a burglar attempted to enter a residence on 25th near Union by entering through a window covered by blackout curtains. His attempt was unsuccessful, however, because while reaching through the curtains he touched the head of a resident who was asleep on the other side. The burglar fled when he realized that there was someone on the inside of the house, and the resident saw him running north across his neighbor’s back yard when he opened the curtains. When the police arrived, they put a tracking dog on the burglar’s scent, and the dog led them to a bus stop serving southbound buses on MLK. The police found fingerprints on the window through which the burglar attempted to enter the house.

5. Also on May 18 at around 1 PM the landlord of a vacant residence on 24th near Highland found five people in the home. He told the people to leave and then quickly left himself. When he returned later in the day, he found that the burglars, described as three white men and two white women all in their 20s, had stolen power tools worth approximately $300.

6. Police were called to a vacant residence on 22nd near John on May 20 to investigate a break-in at a detached shed on the property. A real estate agent who was acting on behalf of the property owners found a woman in the shed on May 15, and after being told a suspicious story about why she was there, told her to leave. The agent then installed a padlock on the shed. On May 18 the agent returned to find that the padlock had been broken and that there was a sleeping bag inside. On May 19 the agent returned and found food, sleeping bags and backpacks in the shed. The agent informed the owners that there were squatters in the shed, but the owners declined to notify the police because they did not want homeless people to lose their property. On May 20 the agent found that the padlock had been completely removed from the shed and that there were numerous personal items inside, at which point the agent decided to call the police. The police collected the various items that the squatters had left behind and submitted them to the SPD property unit.

7. Also on May 20 police were called to an apartment building on 20th near Republican to investigate the burglary of a storage area. The burglar gained entry to the storage area, which is located beneath the apartments, by removing a venting panel in a door. Items worth approximately $4500 belonging to the occupants of three apartments in the building were taken but no fingerprints were found.

8. On May 24 at about 10:30 AM a burglar broke into a home on 19th near Harrison through a rear window and stole electronic and gaming equipment worth about $1000. The police were notified later in the day and found fingerprints on the window.

On May 6 at about 11:30 PM two men brandishing handguns and wearing ski masks and hoodies robbed a convenience store near Madison and 29th. Upon entering the store they demanded the money from the cash register and pointed their guns at the store attendant. The attendant opened the register and while one of the robbers took money from it the other shoved the attendant and hit him in the mouth with his handgun. When the attendant fled to the back of the store one of the robbers fired his gun, alerting a witness who was getting into her car across the street. As they left the store the robbers told the witness to “get down” and then fled east on E. Arthur Place. The robbers took approximately $1500 and the store attendant suffered four broken teeth and a lacerated upper lip. The incident was recorded on the store’s security camera.

Lowell Hargens is a Madison Valley resident and former University of Washington professor of sociology specializing in the statistical analysis of data.

Here are city planning items of interest and the Dept. of Construction & Inspections Land Use notices within the last few weeks for communities from 18th Ave. (note expanded area) to Lake Washington and E Union St. to SR-520.

2925 E Madison St

Design Review Early Design Guidance meeting for proposed 4-story mixed use building consisting of 26,600 sq. ft. of retail space and 75 residential units. Parking to be provided for 158 vehicles below grade. Existing structures is to be demolished.  Zoning: Single Family 5000, Arterial within 500ft., Steep slope  (>= 40%), Liquefaction prone soils, Neighborhood Commercial 2-30’ Pedestrian, Neighborhood Commercial 2-40’ Pedestrian

July 13, 2016 6:30pm  New Date!
Seattle University
1000 E James Way  New Location!
STCN Student Center #210

The Director will also accept written comments to assist in the preparation of the early design guidance through July 13, 2016 to [email protected]

Notice of Design Review Early Design Guidance Meeting

212 25th Ave E

The proposal is for two, three-story two unit townhouse structures (total of 4 units). Surface parking for four vehicles to be provided. Existing structures to be demolished.  Zone: Lowrise-3, Potential slide area, Scenic view within 500 ft., Arterial within 100 ft.

Notice of Streamlined Design Review

131 22nd Ave E

Land Use Application to subdivide one development site into seven unit lots. Development standards will be applied to the original parcel and not to each of the new unit lots.  Zone: Lowrise-3, Scenic view within 500ft., Urban Village overlay

Notice of Application

1415 19th Ave

Land Use Application to subdivide one development site into five unit lots. Development standards will be applied to the original parcel and not to each of the new unit lots.  Zone: Lowrise-1, Steep slope (>=40%), Arterial within 100 ft.

Notice of Decision

Seattle 2035

The Seattle City Council is considering amendments to the Seattle Comprehensive Plan and the City’s Land Use Code to implement the Mayor’s Recommended Comprehensive Plan, known as Seattle 2035. The proposed amendments are available at 2035.seattle.gov. Comments may be submitted to [email protected]

The Mayor’s Recommended Plan proposes to significantly rewrite the Seattle Comprehensive Plan. The City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee will hold a public hearing to take comments on the Mayor’s Recommended Plan.

Public Hearing
June 27, 2016  6:00 p.m.
Seattle City Council Chambers
City Hall: 600 Fourth Avenue, 2nd Floor. 

Written comments on the proposal can be made through 5:00 p.m. on June 27 to Councilmember Rob Johnson’s office via e-mail to [email protected]

Notice of Public Hearing

Short Term Rentals (AirBnb, VRBO)

The City of Seattle is proposing to amend the Land Use Code in order to define and add standards for short-term rental uses and modify the definition and standards for bed and breakfast uses.

The legislation would establish a new definition for “short-term rental” as a type of lodging use and establish standards for short-term rentals, including an annual limit of 90 nights for housing units that are not the primary residence of the short-term rental operator. The legislation includes requirements that all short-term rentals provided at the primary residence of the operator that rent more than 90 nights in a year have a short-term rental license from the City. The legislation would also modify the definition of “bed and breakfast” as a type of lodging use and modify the standards for bed and breakfasts as an accessory use in residential zones.

Public Hearing
July 20, 2016, 9:30 a.m.
Seattle City Council Chambers
City Hall: 600 Fourth Avenue, 2nd Floor. 

Written comment can be made to [email protected] and should be received by July 19, 2016, at 5 p.m.

Notice of Public Hearing

Resources

Land Use Information Bulletins
Property & Building Activity Interactive Map 
Design Review Board

Buildings in Design Review Map

Seattle In Progress

With the new State Route 520 floating bridge now open to traffic and a new West Approach Bridge North slated to open next summer, we’re gearing up for a 2018 start of construction on the next phase of SR 520 improvements in Seattle. Interested to know what is involved?

A rendering, looking east, of a new landscaped lid crossing over SR 520 at the Montlake Boulevard interchange in Seattle.

Please attend one of our open houses to find out what’s ahead for SR 520 construction between I-5 and Lake Washington – the highway segment we call “the Rest of the West.”  Our first open house is online, now through July 8, at sr520.participate.online. Just log in for overviews and design renderings of the next phase of corridor improvements in Seattle’s Montlake area.  This online “meeting” also allows you to provide feedback to WSDOT on the corridor plans.

Next week is the in-person open house

On Tuesday, June 28, we’re holding our in-person open house on the planned improvements to SR 520’s west side corridor in Seattle. Both the online and in-person open houses are focusing primarily on the first of three phases of west side construction. This next phase includes construction of:

• A landscaped lid and multimodal transit hub over SR 520 in Montlake
• A separate “land bridge” across SR 520 for bicyclists and pedestrians
• The West Approach Bridge South, which will carry eastbound Seattle traffic across Union Bay to the new floating bridge

Join us in person!

• When: 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 28
• Where: St. Demetrios Hall – 2100 Boyer Ave. E., Seattle, WA 98112

Peaches, the neighborhood cockatoo, is fully recovered and visiting again. He stopped by recently to say hello and pose for a photo.

The meeting minutes are available in this PDF.

The City Planning report is can be read here.

Here are city planning items of interest and the Dept. of Construction & Inspections Land Use notices within the last three weeks for communities from 21st Ave east to Lake Washington and E Union St north to SR-520.

2925 E Madison St

Design Review Early Design Guidance meeting for proposed 4-story mixed use building consisting of 26,600 sq. ft. of retail space and 75 residential units. Parking to be provided for 158 vehicles below grade. Existing structures is to be demolished.

July 13, 2016 6:30pm
Seattle University
1000 E James Way
Student Center 210- Multi-Purpose Room

View Permit Status | View Address Details

Seattle 2035

The Seattle City Council is considering amendments to the Seattle Comprehensive Plan and the City’s Land Use Code to implement the Mayor’s Recommended Comprehensive Plan, known as Seattle 2035. The proposed amendments are available at 2035.seattle.gov.

The Mayor’s Recommended Plan proposes to significantly rewrite the Seattle Comprehensive Plan. The City Council’s Planning, Land Use and Zoning (PLUZ) Committee will hold a public hearing to take comments on the Mayor’s Recommended Plan.

June 27, 2016  6:00 p.m.
Seattle City Council Chambers
City Hall: 600 Fourth Avenue, 2nd Floor. 

Notice of Public Hearing

Short Term (Vacation) Rentals

The City of Seattle is proposing to amend the Land Use Code in order to define and add standards for short-term rental uses and modify the definition and standards for bed and breakfast uses.

The legislation would establish a new definition for “short-term rental” as a type of lodging use and establish standards for short-term rentals, including an annual rental limit of 90 nights for housing units that are not the primary residence of the owner. The legislation would also modify the definition of “bed and breakfast” as a type of lodging use and modify the standards for bed and breakfasts as an accessory use in residential zones.

The legislation includes requirements that all short-term rentals and bed and breakfasts have a business license from the City, and that short-term rentals and bed and breakfasts that rent more than 90 nights in a year have a short-term rental license from the City.

Notice of Land Use Code Amendments

1821 29th Ave

Land Use Application to subdivide one development site with an existing structure that will remain, into two unit lots. This subdivision of property is only for the purpose of allowing sale or lease of the unit lots. Development standards will be applied to the original parcel and not to each of the new unit lots.  Zone: Single Family 5000, Liquefaction prone soils

Notice of Application

Resources

Land Use Information Bulletins
Property & Building Activity Interactive Map 
Design Review Board
Buildings in Design Review Map
Seattle In Progress

The Madison Valley Community Council will be holding its next meeting on June 14.

Arboretum Neighbors for Safer Streets will present an update of their project which includes a grant, traffic study, and engineering to reduce traffic speeds and improve bike and pedestrian safety on the north side of Madison St. The traffic engineers and representatives from SDOT will be present to share the results of the study.

Also, MVCC will be holding annual officer elections. If you’d like to learn more about becoming a volunteer officer of the Community Council, or simply being more involved in the community council please contact Lindy Wishard and/or attend the Tuesday’s meeting. Come out and vote! 

Read the meeting agenda at http://bit.ly/1PlSjf0

Read the Board Member Duties at http://bit.ly/1Yi8jFL

Tuesday, June 14 7:00 PM
Madison Valley Community Council Meeting
Bush School Community Room