December 2008

After a little more than a year of doing business in Ballard, owner of the tex-mex restaurant Austin Cantina announced recently he may not reopen after closing for the holidays.

"Austin Cantina will be serving dinner only the week of Dec. 16 through Dec. 20, 2008, and then will be closing for two weeks to determine if there is enough interest, business and reserve cash to re-open for business on Jan. 6," said owner Jefe Birkner in an email release.

Several factors have led to the possible closure, he said.

908 N.W. 51st St.

Contact: Dan Duffus, 282-9270

Project 3009238

An application has been submitted to the city to allow four residential units of cottage housing. Surface parking for five vehicles to be provided. Review includes future unit lot subdivision. Existing single family residence to remain, for a total of five residential units.

No environmental review is required.

7219 Greenwood Ave. N.

Whole Foods Market is still in legal negotiations over its new Interbay store, which was set to open this month in the new Interbay Urban Center, according to a representative of the company.

Vicki Foley, a Whole Foods spokesperson, said the company is trying to downsize the size of the store from 60,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet.

"We are hoping to have a positive resolution soon," said Foley in an email response.

TRF Pacific, developers of the Interbay Urban Center, filed a lawsuit late September against the upscale grocery chain after the company anno

Ballard

Bad Albert's Tap and Grill

5100 Ballard Ave. N.W.

782-9623

Happy Hour: 3 to 6 p.m. daily, $1 off appetizers, beers and well drinks on special.

www.badalberts.com

Thursdays, 8 to 10:30 p.m. No cover

Taste of the Blues, featuring Annieville Blues and her special guests

Sundays, 5 to 8:30 p.m. No cover

Bill Chism, Jazz and guitar

Regarding the "road diet" for Fauntleroy Way, as a bicyclist, I would not use proposed bike lanes so close to a concentrated stream of traffic. The increased risk of a distracted cell-phone driver and the constant exposure to exhaust fumes forces me onto sidestreets. I recommend the road diet include a 2-way bike path on one side of Fauntleroy Way and a sidewalk on the other, since pedestrians don't like the noise/pollution/risk either, and hardly use two sidewalks. A bike path through the old Fairmount School/playground would be better.

How stupid can it get: none of the options regarding the viaduct will replace the capacity of the present structure! (Herald 11/26/08). All of these options will cost billions; none of the "guesstimates" can be relied on and have been changed many times by the Department of Transportation. All will result in years of traffic disruption-in a city that already ranks second or third in the nation for traffic congestion! All will eliminate thousands of jobs and result in billions of dollars in business losses.

None of these problems are necessary.

Help! Help! Help!

Mayor Greg Nickels and some city council members propose to take our tiny pocket park in North Admiral and turn it into a muddy pit filled with old logs and boulders.

We now have one of the few open spaces left in our neighborhood a teacup park surrounded by lovely trees.

He (and his wife) and a small contingent of parents of preschoolers and a daycare commercial enterprise have been meeting for months. They did not poll those of us that live on the perimeter of the park. They got themselves an architect, signs and funding.

On Sunday, December 14th, photographer Kim Robinson braved the biting wind and snowy weather in her Gatewood Hill neighborhood to shoot some photographs of scenes she encountered.

As much as we West Seattleites hate to admit it, the viaduct must be replaced. And when it comes to the pain of the commute, many of us remember what it was like while the West Seattle Bridge was being replaced.

The engineers tell us retrofitting is out. And while they have known this for years, it hasn't discouraged city planners, politicians, and developers from promoting growth. Growth is good, goes their illogical refrain. Bring'em in, more people, more condos, more cars clogging the streets.