It’s tempting to simply slap up the CHS post from the last Sound Transit construction update meeting and call it a night — much of the content from Thursday’s meeting, we had heard before.

But there was some news to be had:

• Sound Transit will be applying for a noise variance ‘in weeks,’ Sound Transit deputy project manager Ron Endlich said. Oh, wait. He said the same thing in June. We assume this time he means it this time with preparation gearing up in November and construction slated to start 2010. CHS will follow up with the agency to find out why the delay occurred.
• ‘Variance,’ by the way, refers to the amount by which the sound levels can vary from the nighttime measured average for the area. CHS admits it — we thought the variance referred to requesting permission to vary from the city’s noise laws.
• Sound Transit will be seeking a variance for noise levels 6 decibels above average in the area supposedly bumping up levels to something around an ‘ordinary conversation’ according to this table ST provided:

---

• The variance process is owned by the city’s Department of Planning and Development. There will be a public hearing (guess where CHS will be that night). There will also be a built-in review process after one year to make sure any granted variance isn’t driving people nuts.
• A question from the crowd revealed an interesting tactic. When Sound Transit first recorded the noise levels for the residences on 10th Ave near the construction area, they measured at 51 decibels. Sound Transit decided to measure again post-demolition and measured 54 decibels on the new Broadway-exposed 10th Ave. So, the 6 db they’ll be requesting will actually bump that little chunk of Cap Hill up 10 points from where they were last year.
• Oh, and they’ll probably need to build the plywood walls on the 10th Ave side of the project eight feet higher than had been planned to help cut down noise. Here’s the old plan. Add eight feet on the east side.
• But you have to have the noise to get the station, ST reminds. For an overview of the content they repeated regarding noise and mitigation methods including tall plywood walls encircling the construction area, see our previous coverage of the June meeting.
• Ethan Melone from Seattle Department of Transportation was on hand again to talk about some of the pedestrian issues. While two other trouble spots remain unplanned for, SDOT is planning to repaint the crosswalk, restrict parking and install high-visibility crossing signs at Denny and Boylston. The issues on Olive await solutions. One audience member suggested speeding up the cross signal cycle in front of the Olive Starbucks because of its slow duration inviting people to risk a quick run across the street instead of waiting for the signal to change.
• Sound Transit was also squishy on specifics for any community events in the paved lot at Broadway and John and the plans to feature art in the space. Seems they may have learned a hard lesson about unveiling art projects without proper messaging. As George Bakan from Seattle Gay News who was in the audience asked, “I’m confused — Do you really want to use that paved site or don’t you?”
• Another audience question: Q: Why did you pave the lot? A: To control dust and runoff. Q: How will you control that once construction begins? A: We have contractor requirements.
• Sound Transit unveiled a new Capitol Hill ‘brand’ (sorry, no image of yet) that was the result of their business mitigation work with the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce. The new logo is part of a process CHS wrote about here. We were no longer part of the process once the workgroup settled on a design so the rest of the mitigation including a new Web site — yourcapitolhill.com (not yet live apparently) — was news to us.
• Also part of the seven year, $610,000 mitigation program:
  o A merchant marketing plan with contests
  o A walking map
  o Business technical assistance including partnerships with Seattle University and Seattle Central to pair students with local businesses. Here is an example of the program already in motion — it’s a listing for Seattle Central students or alumni to take on a paid project to build Broadway Grill a new Web site.

We’ll follow up with more about the marketing and business mitigation side of things and how the whole brand thing will play out when we have a chance to ask Sound Transit more about it. As Sound Transit’s Brooke Belman said during the meeting, “Capitol Hill isn’t really a neighborhood that wants to be branded.” CHS asked no questions Thursday night — we get plenty of opportunities to pester government employees without cutting into your time.