March 2009

The Port of Seattle is considering changes to Fishermen’s Terminal that some say could deter fishermen from using the facility.

The Port is looking to charge a fee to fishermen selling their catches from their boats and is also looking to remove or replace the lockers used to store their gear.

There are 252 Port-owned storage sheds at Fishermen’s Terminal, and many of the fishermen have constructed lofts inside the sheds to increase storing capacity.

According to Port officials, these lofts were built without building permits and present a serious safety risk because they compromise the sprinkler system.

Fishermen have used the lockers to run an eBay auction enterprise, repair automobiles and to live in, according to the Port. This can be problem because it introduces highly flammable materials such as kerosene lanterns and gasoline.

Deputy Fire Chief Gary English said the lockers pose an extraordinary risk, and said the probable solution is to move people and gear out of the lockers for several months while changes are made.

The detour provided while the city does work on 14th Avenue South has been shortened and now uses Seventh Avenue South and Eight Avenue South between South Cloverdale and South 96th streets in South Park.

The city department of transportation is paving the southbound lanes of 14th Avenue South. During this work, the southbound lanes of 14th Avenue South, between South Cloverdale and South Director streets, are closed to traffic 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

One lane on 14th Avenue South remains open for northbound traffic.

The work is expected to be completed within two weeks, depending on the weather.

At a briefing for Seattle City Council members on the mayor's proposal to update the city's multifamily code, Mike Podowski with the Department of Planning Development, said changing the code would not increase capacity over goals established when it was adopted in 1989.

"We are not asking zones to accommodate more development than they reasonably can," Podowski told members of the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee March 11.

If the code change is approved, the expected capacity for multifamily zones, which make up about 10 percent of the city, will actually be less than what was originally intended when it was adopted in the 1980's, but more than if the code was left alone, he said.

Work on updating the multifamily code has been underway since 2006, and the council committee plans to tackle the mayor's 277-page proposal this year.

It's work that will take up much the committee's time this year, said committee chair Sally Clark.

"It's a large undertaking," said Clark. We are still strategizing how exactly we're going to tackle that work. We want to make sure we look through it very carefully."

In it’s third year, the "Spring Tree" is back at Northwest 75th and 1st Northwest.

“Three years ago we were so sick of all the snow and cold so we decided to decorate this tree,” said Ballard resident Gail Gensler, who helped start the tradition.

Passersby are encouraged to "take something and leave something" from the tree.

It's been decorated with ribbons, toys, dog treats and candy, and many other things over the years. Gensler said it’s just a fun part of the neighborhood because you never know what you’ll find.

The Compass Center, a low-income housing provider, wants to demolish a vacant building that sits on their property in Ballard but is running into resistance from the city.

Compass Center Executive Director Rick Friedhoff said the building, at 1753 N.W. 56th St., is not safe. Transients have been moving in and out of the property despite the Compass Center boarding the building up with the help of the Seattle Police Department, he said.

“The inside of the building is just totally trashed,” he said.

Friedhoff said the building is a serious fire hazard because cooking devices, cigarettes and other flammable items are being used inside with no easy way to escape for people in the building.

The city’s land use code states that the owner of a residential property can not demolish it until a permit has been approved for redevelopment on the site.

Friedhoff said he is wary of getting a master use permit for the site before he as all the financing in line for the project.

Bryan Stevens, a Department of Planning and Development spokesperson, said the other option for Friedhoff is to file an abatement application.

No one at last nights Board of Park Commissioners meeting spoke in opposition of a proposal to upgrade Seacrest Dock to allow the Elliott Bay Water Taxi to operate there year-round until a more permanent location can be found.

The board is scheduled to make a recommendation to the Parks Department at its March 26 meeting.

At its regular meeting on Feb. 26 the board was presented with a proposal that the Water Taxi begin operating year-round at Seacrest Park and that King County funds be used to improve conditions of the Seacrest dock. Plans for Seacrest include dock replacement to accommodate this additional service and much needed repairs to the site.

In 2008, after the King County Ferry District took over the Water Taxi, a record high of 182,000 riders used the service. Now, the district has recommended the service become year-round in 2010. Currently, the Water Taxi runs from April Through October.

The Elliot Bay Water Taxi has been operating out of Seacrest Park for 11 years. Until a permanent location is found for the service in West Seattle, the district says Seacrest is the only viable location where the water taxi can operate.

The Department of Planning and Development has created a new permitting option for contractors and developers to promote green building, decrease the amount of materials that are sent to landfills and speed up the deconstruction and reconstruction of houses in Seattle.

The voluntary permitting option will give the critical time contractors and developers need to salvage reusable building materials from housing that is being removed.

When housing was taken down in the previous code one would have to get a demolition permit at the same time they obtained a building or associated permit for new housing, said Sandra Mallory with the Planning and Development. Through Seattle’s legislation this ensures the city will have replacement housing, she said.

Previously, a demolition permit for housing could be issued only when an associated permit for new housing had also been issued.

Now, if housing is to be deconstructed and materials salvaged for reuse, the planning department may issue a demolition permit prior to issuing the associated new construction permit.

The Vietnamese Club performed a dance in their lunch room March 12 during the Chief Sealth Multicultural Night fundraiser. Money raised will go toward school programs.

Other performers included Latino dancing, breakdancers, poetry, Filipino dancing, Polynesian dancing, step, and krump-urban hip-hop.

Performances were also held in the gymnasium.

"It's really looking like a good evening, great turnout, " said John Boyd, Chief Sealth principal. "To see all the different types of performances out there, the students showing their unique talents makes me prouder than you can believe."

"This is a wonderful gathering of students, faculty and community," said Steve Sundquist, school board representative. "I am enjoying the variety of cultures and the students' energy brought to play."

Seattle Department of Transportation paving crews will be resorting concrete panels on Seaview Avenue Northwest, as a result, one travel lane will be open in each direction from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, March 13.

Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin met with the Ballard District Council March 11 to discuss the city’s goals during the budget crunch and to discuss questions and concerns brought forward by members of the council.

One of the major concerns brought forward by the council was the increasing homeless presence in the neighborhood.

Conlin said he had heard the same thing from the Lake City neighborhood, but the city council is so far not looking at the trends of mobile homeless populations.

The council is looking to update the Affordable Housing Levy, which expires in December, and is starting to get more help in funding for homeless issues from suburban cities, he said.

He said an increasing homeless population, as well as rashes of burglaries against small business, may be a rising trend.

“Given the current economic situation, it’s likely to get worse before it gets better,” Conlin said.

Rob Mattson, Ballard District coordinator, said Ballard was choking on building permits, but is now choking on vacant properties that are breeding public safety problems.