Shown off at the Highland Park Action Committee meeting last night – HPAC’s new info-card, which you’ll see at events like the upcoming Gathering of Neighbors – a quick way to find out more about the group and the neighborhood. Also from last night’s meeting, a crime-trends briefing, a “greenways” discussion, and the Highland Park Huddle – read on for the toplines!
CRIME-TRENDS BRIEFING: Community Police Team Officer Ken Mazzuca filled in for Officer Jon Kiehn. In terms of property crimes – burglaries, car thefts, car prowls – he says the Highland Park rate is currently running about the same as West Seattle. He was asked a question that’s come up before at HPAC – whether the “Nickelsville” encampment had been matched to any uptick in crime. The answer this time was the same as last time: No. Followup questions focused on transients living in the nearby West Duwamish Greenbelt; Officer Mazzuca said the population fluctuates with the weather and is bound to increase along with the temperature, so he listened to what attendees said they had seen in terms of “hot spots” on the hillsides. Concern also was voiced about people riding dirt bikes on the hiking trails in the greenbelt, and he promised to look into that.
WEST SEATTLE GREENWAYS: The guest was Jake Vanderplas from the North Delridge Neighborhood Council, who’s involved in the effort to get greenways – streets emphasizing non-motorized transportation – going in that part of West Seattle. He briefed the group on efforts to date, including the recent meeting with City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen (WSB coverage here). Highland Park resident Craig Rankin, who introduced Jake, said he’s been talking with neighbors about possibilities in HP and near South Seattle Community College. HPAC will form a committee to check out which streets might be optimal as greenways.
HIGHLAND PARK HUDDLE: HPAC co-chairs Carolyn and Billy Stauffer are hoping to organize this as an informal gathering one weekend morning in September, to talk about how people see Highland Park evolving over the next 20 years or so. That way, the reasoning goes, once the city gets around to talking about neighborhood plans and other big-picture scenarios, HP already will have its thoughts gathered.
The Highland Park Action Committee usually meets the 4th Wednesday of the month at HP Improvement Club, 7 pm.
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