Preservation of a 80-foot stretch of masonry wall qualifies this 14th Ave project for an extra floor of apartments (Image: CHS)

Meanwhile on E Pike, a leading Capitol Hill developer says his project will be a model for preservation (Image: Hunters Capital)

Last week, the final design plans were approved for the eight-story building at Melrose and Pine that benefitted from generous incentives for melding a modern apartment structure with two auto-row era buildings. One of Capitol Hill’s leading developers says he can do it better.

“It’s clear during the recent uptick in development, especially studying the larger projects going through [Master Use Permitting] that there are loopholes and shortcuts in how the current Pike/Pine Overlay language was written,” reads a statement from Michael Malone’s Hunters Capital sent to CHS about incentives in place since 2009 that trade the right for developers to build larger and higher in exchange for preserving the facades and basic dimensions of historical structures in the Pike/Pine neighborhood.

Malone says that the design for his eight-story project on E Pike that will soar above the CK Graphics/Dunn Motors building Hunters recently acquired can be a showcase for what is possible — and what should be expected of developers who want to develop within the conservation district. The project comes before the design review board on May 29th.

“In the case of the Dunn Motors site (the CK Graphics building) we will be taking advantage of the overlay bonus, abiding by the required setback, retail height, etc.” Malone writes. “Yet we would like to set the standard when it comes to building a mass out of/on top of a pre-1940s building. It is our intent that the additional mass over the building will be built of high grade finish materials, to a design that compliments and enhances the historic façade below it. Far too many times this additional mass carries none of the original design features into the upper levels.  Inside and out, the finished product will celebrate the unique history of a wonderful 1920s auto row building.”

The Studio Meng Strazzara-designed building at 501 E. Pike is planned to include 118 apartments above 4,000 square feet of commercial space and 6,000 square feet of offices. Parking will include 61 vehicle stalls plus another 31 for bikes. CHS wrote about the early plans for the building and the old Brocklind’s building across the street that Hunters also acquired earlier this year. The now-scuttled mayoral campaign for City Council member Tim Burgess had been putting the Dunn Motors building to some early office-related use, by the way, prior to last week’s announcement that his campaign was ending.

Hunters Capital has also been busy on E Pine with this multi-million restoration of the Colman Automotive building.

The CK Graphics/Dunn Motors building (Image: CHS)

City Council member Tom Rasmussen, who spearheaded the initial creation of the conservation district’s incentive programs, said that there are plans to strengthen the requirements for developments involving Pike/Pine’s character structures:

To be more certain that we will succeed in our goal  to retain character structures i.e. buildings that are at least 75 years old, I will be proposing some changes to the land use code and to the design guidelines for the Pike-Pine Overlay District.   Council staff and staff of the Department of Planning and Development have begun working on the changes and I anticipate that we will have those ready for public review late this spring.

Malone says that he is part of the discussion in shaping the updated requirements.

“Hunters Capital along with several other business and building owners in Pike/Pine are working to update the language in the overlay to try and help preserve as many pre-1940’s buildings as possible on Capitol Hill,” Malone says. “Just one example of a change we are pushing for is: If developers want to take advantage of the overlay bonus, [we] would like to see them forced to save all pre-1940s structures on sites with multiple historic structures on it. Currently this is not the case.”

In the meantime, Malone says this next big project for Hunters Capital on E Pike will represent the spirit of what the new rules need to do.

We’ll have more on the project prior to the May 29th review meeting.

“Some people dislike gays, others dislike guns,” one posted sheet reads. “We should not base our laws on personal dislikes.”

The rather large leap of an equivalency looks a little like a renewal of a national campaign from the mid-2000s that got some attention on Capitol Hill known as the Pink Pistols. We talked to one person familiar with the group from the days when Pink Pistols “first fired up” who says it is still active in the area but he is not sure if this is a case of old members reviving their efforts or a younger generation of gun activists picking up the torch. We have not yet heard back from our effort to reach a representative for the group.

The former Pink Pistol we talked with tells CHS that gay rights and gun rights are closely aligned and that there are “a lot of parallels between the two communities.” Both groups attract, he said, “wild eyed individuals” who believe there is one true way to do things.

The QR codes found on the posters distributed on Capitol Hill in recent days lead to a Web site. Here is what the Slog found:

The QR code on all of the posters lead to the same pro-gun website that prompts readers to decide whether guns are a liability or a useful tool. If you click on the “right” answer—useful tool—you’re directed to a series of pro-gun links that affirm your choice. If you click on the “wrong” answer—liability—you’re ushered through a series of increasingly paranoid and/or off topic questions that equate cyber crime and prohibition with gun crime, or hypothesize how many criminals you’ll have to fight off in your life time. Each question is multiple choice, like this:

 

The proper response to an arson is…

1) prohibit you and other law-abiding citizens from buying gasoline.
2) prohibit you and other law-abiding citizens from buying any flammable fluids, matches and lighters.
3) prosecute the perpetrator of the crime

 

The questionnaire is supposed to underscore how important it is for you to be armed to the teeth all times. The arguments aren’t new or particularly convincing, I just find it striking that a traditionally conservative movement is branching out to recruit gays and lesbians.

Some posters also sport the flag of the “Cascadia Bioregion” independence movement. Wikipedia it.

While violent crime in the East Precinct rose in 2012, recent events including two stabbings in Cal Anderson Park have helped spur an increase in calls for better public safety despite overall Seattle crime rates continuing to be some of the lowest in the nation — and dropping.

Meanwhile, despite incidents like the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, the state’s gun laws passed through the most recent legislative session in Olympia mostly unchanged.

According to the report on the Saturday morning incident, the driver said he was making a delivery after leaving his locked car in the 300 block of Belmont Ave E around 2:30 AM when he was returning to the vehicle and saw the driver-side door open and a woman rifling through the vehicle. The driver told police he yelled at the woman and began chasing her as she made a run for it.

The driver said he quickly caught the woman and was holding onto her when two men armed with a pistol and a bike chain arrived and yelled at him to let the woman go. According to the driver, he tried to make a phone call but one man pointed the gun at him as the other was swinging something that appeared to be a bicycle chain.

The driver said the men and woman then took his phone and fled from the scene “in all directions,” according to the report. The driver returned to his restaurant and called police.  A search of the area did not produce any of the suspects.

According to SPD, the PredPol software produces maps with red-line boxes to alert officers where crime hot spots are emerging.

Despite implementation of the technology in the East Precinct, there has been an increased concern about crime around Capitol Hill. This week, a rally and march is planned as a new “block watch” program is launched among Capitol Hill businesses. Police say the new software could eventually be extended to identify danger zones for increasing violent crimes like assaults and robberies.

The full announcement on the roll-out is below.

Weber Thompson’s design for 1321 Seneca

A group of neighbors has its turn in front of the Seattle Hearing Examiner in an attempt to scale back a 24-story apartment building planned for 1321 Seneca on First Hill.

The complaints and requested relief, below, call for additional conditions to be placed on the building, more study of the project’s potential impact on traffic and parking in the area, reducing the height of the building by shrinking rooftop amenities and changing the layout.

The neighbors also want construction work — currently permitted to go until 8p — to end at 6:

The appeal against the project’s land use permit was brought by lawyer and First Hill resident Steve Gaines. Despite the frequent outbursts of frustration and handwringing over the pace of development in the area, the Hearing Examiner appeal is one of the few brought against a major project in recent months.

CHS wrote about the Alecta-backed developments’ path through design review last year here and here. It’s a massive project:

Land Use Application to allow a 24-story building containing 215 residential units, 1,445 sq. ft. of commercial space (live/work units), five levels of below grade parking for 174 vehicles and storage for 80 bicycles. Project includes 27,700 cu. yds. of grading.

We’ll check in with the Hearing Examiner to find out how the neighbors fared later this week.

(Image: CHS)

We’re probably a little too eager to post this. After the burst of warm weather in April, May has been a reminder of what a Pacific Northwest spring is really like. Let us think of summer nights in the park. Also, Cal Anderson could use some hopeful love these days.

Three Dolar Bill Cinema has announced the first film in its summer “I Need A Hero!” series and the schedule for 2013 in Cal Anderson Park:

Look, up in the sky! It’s a small army of super iconic characters, swinging into action and coming to save your summer with FREE outdoor movies!

Three Dollar Bill Outdoor Cinema returns to Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park with “I Need A Hero!” — four nights of action-packed fun!

Friday July 19 – HAIRSPRAY (1988)

Hair hoppin’, booty shakin’ Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake) is breaking all the rules for the better and making heroic strides for civil rights in this bouncy & beloved John Waters classic starring Divine and celebrating its 25th anniversary! (92 mins.)

“I Need A Hero!” continues on Friday August 2, 9, 16.

All screenings are FREE and begin at sunset (around 8:30/9pm) at the southeast corner of Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park.

This is a smoke-free event. Bring low-backed chairs or blankets for seating, please.

Hot popcorn, cold drinks, candy and other concessions for sale on site. Limited lawnchair rentals available. Proceeds benefit Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s efforts throughout the year to provide voices and visibility for the LGBT community through film and video. More info at

www.threedollarbillcinema.org

Views of 12th Ave Fests past (Images: CHS)

It’s official—after three years of street-based revelry, the 12th Ave Festival will not be returning this year. Originally created as a way to brand and market the emerging 12th Ave business district, the festival brought together nascent upstarts in the area to celebrate the forming community.

Three years later, that goal has been accomplished.

“In meetings with the businesses after last year’s festival, people said they really liked it,” said Alex Brennan at Capitol Hill Housing, who helped organize the annual event. ”But we all agreed it felt like we achieved our goals that we set out in the beginning—great relationships between businesses had been formed, and a strong 12th Avenue identity had emerged.”

While the festival won’t be returning, Brennan says there are many more exciting 12th Ave happenings in store.

On June 11th, Capitol Hill Housing will be holding its annual Community Forum to discuss “neighborhood change, affordability, and the neighborhood character,” according to Brennan. “That’s the things that’s exciting about these new relationships on 12th—these new small business communities have informed much of that character we will be discussing at the forum, which is something we want to preserve as we continue to develop.”

On July 27-28, 206 Zulu will be hosting “Boogie Up the Block“ on 14th Ave between Spruce Street and E Yesler Way, and E Fir Street between 12th and 15th Ave. The urban arts festival will include soul, funk, hip hop and reggae music stretching across three stages, as well as a variety of food vendors and arts and crafts activities.

Also in the works for the fall is the grand opening celebration for the 12th Ave Square Park. The park, slated to open up next to Cherry Street Coffee and Ba Bar on E James Court, was funded by a Seattle Parks Levy. The intention is to turn James Ct. into a “woonerf” defined by the Parks Department as “a street where pedestrians and cyclists have legal priority over motorists.”

There are few details available yet in the holdup reported in the 300 block of Belmont Ave E just after 2:30 AM Saturday.

According to the preliminary report information on the incident, the robbery occurred on the street and reportedly involved a handgun. No medical units were dispatched to the area at the time.

We’ll update when we get more information from SPD on the incident.

Project/Description of Work: 
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews will install a red reflective ring on low-flow fire hydrants in your neighborhood. Low-flow hydrants are defined as those that deliver less than 500 gallons of water per minute.

The red ring provides a distinct and very visible way for Seattle Fire Department personnel to quickly and easily identify low-flow hydrants in cases of emergency.

Low-flow hydrants are fully operational, but output less water per minute than other hydrants. The clearly marked hydrants aid firefighters by helping ensure that the best fire-suppression tactics are chosen when operating a low-flow hydrant.

More than 18,000 fire hydrants are located throughout the City of Seattle of which about 70 are classified as low-flow hydrants and will be tagged with the red ring.

Dates/Times: Crews will begin installing the rings the week of May 20 and expect to have all low-flow hydrants throughout the city marked by the end of May 2013.

Contacts: If you have questions about this work, please contact SPU Hydrant Crew Chief Charles Jackson at (206) 396-1826 or charles.jackson@seattle.gov.

For questions about fire safety in your neighborhood, contact Seattle Fire Department Public Information Officer Kyle Moore at (206) 386-1679 or kyle.moore@seattle.gov.

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