Pinehurst Seattle

No more pedestrian or bicycling advocacy programs at the Seattle Department of Transportation?

The draft Pedestrian Master Plan is scheduled to be released this coming Monday, May 4th. The plan that was developed over the past two years, lays the framework for future pedestrian investment in Seattle. (Representatives from the Pedestrian Master Plan will be presenting about the Plan to the Pinehurst community on Monday , May 4th at our Pinehurst Community Meeting.)

However, due to budget cuts driven by the significant challenges to our economy, Seattle plans to consolidate the pedestrian and bicycling advocacy programs into the traffic management division.

I understand the need to conserve resources, but am concerned about the consolidation given the upcoming release of the Pedestrian Master Plan and the significance of the proposals in the Plan to neighborhoods like Pinehurst. If the divisions are consolidated, I hope that the City can continue the same level of effort toward making Seattle a more walkable city.

Drum roll please…

Thanks to Jodi and Karla and Rebecca in Pinehurst, Shauna Walgren at Seattle Department of Transportation and North District Council – here is the design for the 125th sidewalk between 5th Ave NE and Roosevelt Way NE. The sidewalk will be built on the north side of the street and will incorporate natural drainage.

I understand that construction will begin next week and that representatives from neighborhoods around Seattle and in nearby cities may be visiting the site because this project is viewed as a model for low cost, sustainable sidewalks.

Click on the images to enlarge, or e-mail me and I will send you the pdf images.

Seattle City Council candidates in orange safety vests

The Washington Bus and The Stranger hosted a meet and greet with Seattle City Council candidates last week. For those who missed the event (and that includes me), you can watch the candidates doing their pitches on the Washington Bus blog here.

The Hudson Public House @ 15th Ave NE and Lake City Way

I stopped by the new Hudson Public House at 8014 – 15th Ave. NE in the Maple Leaf/Wedgewood/Lake City neighborhoods last night. What a wonderful addition to our greater neighborhood and what a great asset to that small area of restaurants and shops. I am going back again and recommend it for others looking for a place to go for brunch or for dinner or to meet friends.

The Hudson is owned by Seth Howard, owner of Pioneer Square’s Collins Pub. I have been to Collins for lunch a number of times and always enjoy it. The food is good and the atmosphere is friendly. It is also a great place to go for a beer after work.

Seth Howard, the owner (Seth really did not want me to take his photo, but I forced him into it. He is a sweet guy.):

The menu (click to enlarge) with authentic pub grease. There are also always five specials. Note that they do have vegetarian fare!:

125th sidewalk update

From Jodi who has been working very hard to make a sidewalk along 125th between 5th Ave NE and Roosevelt Way NE a reality:

The city has been finalizing plans for a sidewalk on NE 125th Street, between 5th Ave. NE and Roosevelt NE. This sidewalk is being funded by a Neighborhood Street Fund grant, so it won’t cost us additional tax dollars. The sidewalk will increase the safety of the many pedestrians (especially the elderly, disabled, and children) who walk on this section of street every day.

I just spoke to Shauna Walgren from SDOT yesterday and she said the plans will be finalized tomorrow (Wednesday) and will be mailed to the homeowners. Most of the homeowner preferences for parking or landscaping were met, but they had to work around drainage considerations, so please contact Shauna with any questions (Shauna.Walgren@Seattle.Gov).

The work is actually scheduled to begin NEXT WEEK! Apparently, this project got moved ahead of another project, so we’re getting a quicker start on this than expected.

Also, we won’t know for certain until the project is finished, but they believe they will have enough money in the budget to include the landscaping costs as well. If that’s the case, we won’t need to apply for another grant for landscaping. We would need some volunteers to put in the plants, though. Thanks to the many of you who offered to donate time and/or money to the landscaping. We’ll know more as the sidewalk nears completion, so I’ll let you know as I get more information.

THANK YOU, Jodi, for all the work you have put into this project. This will make a difference for all of us.

Don’t mess with the San Marino

Thank you to those who helped with Saturday’s Pinehurst Pocket Park clean-up

From Garth Ferber:

About 15 people gathered to spruce up the Pinehurst Pocket Park on Saturday morning 25 April. Mother Nature cooperated by providing sunny weather and moderate temperatures. It is great how much can get done when a few people put their minds to it. We also got to meet a few new people. The main chores that were accomplished were some weeding, installation of a lawn barrier around the north side of the lawn, some new bamboo fence to keep folks from straying into tender areas, and planting some ferns in some sparse areas. The Pinehurst Pocket Park is looking great be sure to stop by and enjoy it. The Pinehurst Pocket Park makes me feel just as good today as the day it was finished. Garth Ferber

Seattle Drum School

One of the most respected music schools in Seattle is located in our neighborhood: Seattle Drum School. Don’t be led astray by the name. They don’t teach only drums. Seattle Drum School instructors also teach guitar, bass, piano, horns and other instruments. And, the instructors are working musicians. Students at the school range from beginners to professional musicians looking for additional training.

There are two Seattle Drum School facilities in Seattle. One is here in Pinehurst and the other is located in Georgetown. Also connected with the Pinehurst location is the L.A.B. (Little Auditorium in the Back), an all-ages, non-smoking, non-drinking performance venue / recording studio located in the back portion of the property. The L.A.B. hosts a wide range of shows featuring all genres of music in a safe, positive environment where kids and adults of all ages can feel welcomed and encouraged.

Learn more about Seattle Drum School here.

Landmark status for the former Lake City School building?

The Seattle Architectural Review Committee wil be reviewing the possibility of landmark status for the Lake City School building (2611 NE 125th Street) this Friday, May 1, 2009. The full meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. and the discussion regarding Lake City School is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held at: Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue, 40th Floor, Room 4070.

Meetings of the Architectural Review Committee are open to the public. Testimony on matters being considered may be presented at the meeting or by submission of written statement to the Historic Preservation Program, Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Ave, Suite 1700, P.O. Box 94649, Seattle, Washington 98124-4649, prior to the meeting.

Dreams of cupcakes?

I had coffee today with Danae of Lake City Live fame. She mentioned a post on a nearby Seattle neighborhood blog (that shall be nameless) in which a poster said that they will know their neighborhood has finally “made it” when they have a cupcake shop. I am not sure what I think of this. I know that most people in Pinehurst want to see more restaurants, pubs and shopping within walking distance and in the Pinehurst central business district on 15th Ave. But, I am not sure if people want the full on upscale shopping experience. What do you think?

Pinehurst Seattle

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