Coming right up: Chill 'n' Grill on the Hill

The neighborhood is invited Tuesday evening, August 4th 2009 to attend the newly renamed “Chill-N-Grill on the Hill,” formerly the Fifth Annual Olive-Howell Street Block Party. The event is organized by volunteers from Unpaving Paradise (that's me!), the Capitol Hill Community Council (hey, that's me too!) as well as local residents. The Chill 'n' Grill is sponsored again this year by City Market, Metropolitain Café and the Crescent Lounge.

It will be an evening of awesome, with free hot dogs, hamburgers and soft drinks and a line-up of diverse and talented local bands including Mighty Tiger, Eagle Seagull, Norey, Viva la Villain and The Autumn Electric. Local Artists are invited to participate by bringing pieces for display.

This is an all-ages event. Set up of the stage will begin at four p.m., and the event will start at 6:00 pm and run until 10:00 pm.

The event will be held on E. Howell Street, between the intersections of East Olive Way, and Bellevue Avenue E. For more information go to: http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/events/2009/08/04/chill-n-grill-on-the-hill/media/picture706.png/medium

Seattle Police Department's Drug Market Initiative

No, really, not a shop local campaign.

I'm not a fan of the war on drugs and all the criminalizing of addicts and spending money putting potheads into prison. I am a tentative fan of this new approach, especially because it involves intervention and community programs for the small time, non-violent drug dealers as an alternative for throwing them in prison. Street drug markets are notoriously bad for the neighborhoods in which they're located...I really hope this works.

June 14th: Seattle OUTProtest vs. Fred Phelps and The Haters

If you've got the time this Sunday, this is a worthwhile event to attend. The church that hates everyone is going to come to Seattle this on June 14th to protest at Mt. Zion Church and St. James Cathedral because they're anti-African American and anti-Catholic (respectively) along with being anti-gay. Seattle OUTprotest will be there to peacefully respond and celebrate being a decent person and not a bigot. They look serious about the celebrate part - there's going to be music and free food. OUTprotest will be at Mt. Zion (19th and Madison) from 10 - 10:45am, and then they'll be at St. James (9th and Columbia) from 11am-noon.

The more I think about it, the more I like this idea. Let's all show up and be happy - that'll show 'em.

UPDATE: Here's a full listing of The Haters Grand Seattle Tour, in case you have time on Sunday to have a party in front of them every step of the way. I definitely recommend the celebratory aspect - being angry and traditionally counter-protesty at people like this fuels their fire and just stresses you out. Having a party with other open-minded folks is a good way to spend a Sunday and a much more powerful statement against a cranky hate protest.

12th Ave. Community Meeting Update

Thanks to Kate Stinebeck for a great rundown of the 12th Ave Stewardship Council meeting for those who were too caught up in SIFF to attend (coughtsorrythatwasmecough). It's good to hear that CHHIP is going forward with at least one of their planned 12th Ave developments (the one on Jefferson). I hope that SPD will stop being greedy about parking spaces already so CHHIP can start up the development they have planned for 12th and Pine.

(You can read the minutes for the meeting here.)

Local News Links

Sign up for the 2nd Annual Cap Hill Garage Sale already! It's on June 13th!

Doug Schwartz reviews the new SU Master Plan

East Precinct Crime Prevention Update

Parking Demands from SPD puts CHHIP Development at 12th and Pine on Hold

Dan Bertolet of hugeasscity to go on blogging sabbatical - whatever shall we do?!

Seattle Metblog's review of the disturbing SIFF film Dead Girl

Hurray! Cupcakes for Everyone!

Neighborhood News Roundup

Tent City comes and goes, Capitol Hill does not put up a fuss

Tent City now at 22th and Cherry!

So that's why big tunnel projects (like the Viaduct replacement to be) always have cost overruns!

CD - Carmack House nomindated for landmark status, owner opposes

The City (ostensibly) wants to hear what you have to say about their new ideas for the Design Review of townhouses - tell them what you think on May 4th

Dearborn St. Goodwill Development Cancelled

The Central District News has the scoop. I know it's not the most mature statement of my position on development in Seattle, but I still say >:P to big box stores.

Massive pile of notes from CHHIP's Annual Meeting

Let's see if we can't sort through the scribbles and find some juicy neighborhood news:

• I was right - CHHIP is planning affordable housing developments at 12th and Jefferson and at 12th and Pine (East Precinct Parking Lot). It looks like 12th and Pine will be the difficult one to pull off. CHHIP is prepared to re-create all the parking spots that the East Precinct currently has in that lot in the form of bomb-proof parking underneath the building.
  
  The thing is, the East Precinct wants CHHIP to build them more parking spots than they presently have. At $30K plus per underground parking spot, CHHIP can't afford to build more than EP's already got. Stalemate.
  
  
• Why 12th Ave., why now? CHHIP got some city money to focus on developing a business corridor. They picked 12th because it's close to downtown, has undirected development popping up like mushrooms, and its characterized by a lot of "underutilized" (read empty) lots. A perfect place for planning guidance and some affordable housing developments.
  
  
• One thing I gathered from the panel discussion was that right now, any development that going right in the neighborhood is entirely due to the will and love of individuals in the community (including some developers). Market forces give us gigantic, cheaply made and faceless developments that are geared to maximization of dollars invested rather than to fitting harmoniously into the community they are placed in. And that needs to change.
  
  Liz Dunn referred to the Pike/Pine Overlay District as a possible agent of that change - a strong planning document equipped with width restrictions, transfer of development rights, and bonuses for historic building preservation. At least that's what the PPOD sounded like - it's still being developed, and the last time I heard about it PPUNC was peeved that it came back to them from the city all milquetoast. We shall see.
  
  
• Seattle University's long term development plan: 12th Ave. as the spine of the campus, including mixed use and other landowners among their parcels on 12th to encourage the vibrancy of the business corridor, and lots more student housing. The empty lot at 12th and Cherry is a future housing site for sure. The storage building at Madison and 12th - possibly, it definitely won't stay storage forever.
  
  
• Both SU and CHHIP want to see more transit service...make that any north-south transit service on 12th Ave. SU finds it impossible to reduce staff and student car use without it. CHHIP advocates for having the ID/Cap Hill streetcar run along 12th rather than Broadway in order to ameliorate the transit gap.
  
  
• King Co. is planning some redevelopment surrounding their Youth Detention Center on 12th - their administrative buildings are in poor shape and they'd like to better utilize the space that is presently their parking lot. Apparently they're thinking of putting up a residential building where their parking lot currently is. That seems like a rather hard sell - "Convenient location! Attractive views of detention facility!"

In case this pile of notes just isn't enough, you can go check out CHS' version of the night's events.

And we're back

Between park stuff and my laptop being in the shop, I haven't been online as much as usual - apologies to my loyal readers (hi Mom!). Below's a round-up of interesting things I've heard about but haven't had the chance to write about:

• Molly Moon's grand opening is this Saturday and they're giving away free ice cream. Sweet!
• The Capitol Hill Housing Improvement Project's annual meeting is tonight at the Northwest Film Forum - reception at 5pm, meeting starts at 6. I'm interested to hear about what they're planning for 12th Ave. - I've heard rumor of CHHIP developments at 12th and Jefferson as well as the East Precinct parking lot on 12th near Pine. I think they might have something to do with the possible park at 12th and Cherry. I'll tell you what I find out.
• Dodgeball has resumed at the Cal Anderson tennis courts, shhh, don't tell Parks. The friendly dodgeball player I talked to said that the alternate site that Parks recommended (at a school?) didn't work out as well so they've snuck back into Cal Anderson. If I remember correctly, the games are every Tuesday and Friday night and they start around 7:30 or 8, you know, just in case you feel like participating in our local subversive sport.
• Peter Steinbrueck is definitely not running for mayor. Damn.

I have some Boylston news too, but that'll get its own post.

This Sunday: Happy Pear Tree Day in the CD

From the Samuelsens of E Cherry and 27th St:

The 130 year old pear tree on the corner of 27th and Cherry has been recognized as "Best in City" by the Seattle Heritage Tree Program and its co-sponsors, Plant Amnesty and the City of Seattle. The tree has been featured in numerous books and is one of the largest in Washington State. It is fruit-bearing and is actually relatively young--this species (Pyrus communis) has been know to live for up to 650 years! It flowers out magnificently with white flowers that fill the intersection with radiance.

The dedication will have a few speakers, including the city arborist, and we will unveil a stone that we have had inscribed to honor the tree. As property owners for over twenty years of this special spot, we welcome everyone to this gathering and we can make pear cider toasts to the health of the tree, the neighborhood and all of those who attend. We'll have tables set up and a tent if it is raining, so if you'd like to bring a pear dish of some sort to share then please do! Sunday, March 29, noon.

Sunday, March 29th - Happy Pear Tree Day in the Central District :)

Eat Local: Clean Greens

I just found out about this awesome local food group via the Central District News: they've got a farm in Duvall and they sell their crops out of the New Hope Church in the CD. And they've got Central Cinema as a reference - CC uses Clean Greens' farm fresh organic produce on their pizzas. They're also pitching in to help out the neighborhood by putting out the word out about a work party on March 7th for the new Spring Street P-Patch.

Only question: when you gonna make with the fresh veggies?!

Park-to-be on 12th Ave

Delighted to hear that there's a new park going in on 12th Ave at E. James Court. I wish them luck trying to raise money for Parks amenities and working with the Parks planning process - it ain't gonna be easy.

Future site of Gathering Place Park:

Well, that's just great

They just fired our crime prevention coordinator. Thanks Chief Gil Kerlikowski, Mayor Nickels: now if you could just wish of our crime away, we'd be good.

P.S. In light of the recent Cap Hill and Central District gay bashings: Does this mean that the City and SPD don't think that the community needs a liaison to talk to about what they can do to prevent hate crimes from happening in their neighborhood?

Not good: SU Student Mugged at 18th and Cherry

Poor kids. At least nobody got shot.

Mischief Night - DIY Horror at Central Cinema (Thurs, Oct. 30th)

From CHS Blog to you, courtesy of Central Cinema.

Break out the fake blood and rattle some door knobs! Make a short horror film in any genre from Gore to Psychosis to Zombies. Keep it under 10 minutes-ish. Burn it on a DVD and submit it to Central Cinema before Midnight October 26th. Extra credit for including a STIFF Festival T-shirt, STIFF Poster, Central Cinema T-shirt, or Central Cinema Sticker somewhere in your movie.

Bring your friends ready to SCREAM on Mischief Night Oct 30th. The judging will be heavily influenced by the Scream-o-meter! Drink Beer! Eat Pizza! SCREAM! Win Fabulous Prizes!

Watch the trailer:
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2008/09/28/centralcinema/

I know what I'm doing the night before Halloween. You?