Today/tonight: 5 neighborhood meetings – and more!

PARKS PROGRAM REGISTRATION: Noon today marks the start of sign-ups for spring courses at local Seattle Parks facilities including community centers and pools. To browse and register online, go here.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) invites everyone to its celebration today, noon-3 pm at Brockey Center. Details here.

And now, those five neighborhood meetings, in alphabetical order, including one that’s outside West Seattle but of importance to our area because of the topic:

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Admiral Congregational Church basement meeting room, 7 pm (California/Hill)

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, 7 pm (9131 California SW)

JUNCTION NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Ginomai at 42nd/Genesee, 6:30 pm. ADDED 11:23 AM: There’s a key item on the agenda, development design guidelines – Diane has added a letter from JuNO president Erica Karlovits in comments – read it here.

NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Youngstown Arts Center conference room by the main office, 6:30 pm (4408 Delridge Way) ADDED 10:13 AM: NDNC agenda info:

1) Update on the Brandon Natural Area
2) Streets Fund Projects Reminder
3) Update from the Transportation/Pedestrian Committee
4) Update on the Skate Park
5) Delridge Park Clean Up reminder, and P-Patch note

SOUTH PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Not usually on our list, but tonight it is, because this meeting will include an official King County update on the status of the South Park Bridge, which the county says it will have to close at the end of June unless testing shows it’s safe enough to leave open longer. The meeting starts at 7 pm, South Park Neighborhood Center, 8201 10th Avenue S. (map).

And if you’re looking for diversions …

EVERY TUESDAY: Regularly scheduled events at local nightspots includes rock trivia at Feedback Lounge, 8 pm, and open turntables at Skylark Café and Club, 6 pm (both are WSB sponsors), plus Starlite Singer Songwriter Night at Shadowland in The Junction, 9:30 pm.

Diane March 9, 2010 (11:20 am)

on this jam-packed meeting night; info re JUNO meeting, in email from Erica; I’m looking forward to this:
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Dear JuNO members and friends,
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Our next meeting will be held on March 9th at 6:30pm at Ginomai (corner of 42nd and Genesee). Our speaker will be Cheryl Sizov, Senior Planner of the Department of Planning and Development for the City of Seattle. She has recently been working on revising the Citywide Design Guidelines for new development projects.
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We have asked her to present some of the changes to the guidelines and how we can best advocate for our neighborhood. Here are some of the specific items that we hope she can address:
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1. How we can best understand the Design Review Process so our comments at the Design Review Board are appropriate, heard, and constructive to the deliberations.
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2. How can we as engaged residents ensure that our Neighborhood (Junction) Design Guidelines are followed by the developer, architect, DPD Planner, and Design Review Board. We are aware that the neighborhood guidelines supercede the citywide guidelines, but don’t feel these are always adhered to or even referenced by all parties. [Municipal code for Neighborhood Design Guidelines which amended the Multifamily and Commercial guidelines in 2006.: To the extent there are conflicts between neighborhood design guidelines and the “Guidelines for Multifamily and Commercial Buildings, 1998 (Amended 2006)” or “Guidelines for Downtown Development, 1999”, the neighborhood design guidelines shall prevail.]
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3. What steps can be taken by residents when we see a lack of enforcement around design guidelines and actual construction? An example – the Capco Plaza building on Alaska between 41st Ave SW and 42nd Ave SW – the community voiced concerns about the large facade along Alaska and asked for a large midblock entrance to break up the facade (big cement/brick wall) that could more engage pedestrians (a floral dept or cafe entrance to QFC to best utilize the space and create public interaction). This was discussed at all design review meetings. What we got was a small, tiny entrance with steps up to a cigarette counter – no interaction with the street, and the entrance does nothing to break the full block brick facade of nothingness.
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We are excited at the renewed interest that DPD has in seeing the Design Guidelines succeed. We feel that community engagement is essential to successful partnerships between developers and communities.
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This is an important meeting to show DPD how engaged our neighborhood is in the development that is taking place. We have has some slowing down of projects due to the economy recently, but I want to be sure we are prepared and knowledgeable about the process as the Junction has a lot of underdeveloped land that will surely be looked at in the years to come.
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Sincerely,

Erica Karlovits
President, Junction Neighborhood Organization

WSB March 9, 2010 (11:22 am)

thanks, Diane. That wasn’t on the JuNO website when we wrote early this am, got the reminder a short time ago but since you’ve beaten us to adding it we’ll link to this comment … tr

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