The London plane at the intersection of Belmont, Summit, and Bellevue Pl (Image: CHS)
Seattle tree protection advocates and city officials are celebrating a Seattle Hearing Examiner decision ending a group’s bid to hold up long-delayed new rules hoped to help preserve and grow Seattle’s urban canopy.
The examiner last week denied an appeal by the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish County over the city’s proposed updates to its Tree Protection Ordinance. Continue reading
(Image: Prospect Congregational United Church of Christ)
(Image: historylink.org)
This essay was created by historian and writer Dotty DeCoster. It was first posted to CHS in 2009. We remembered Dotty here on CHS after her passing in 2015.
Did the folks who began the church that is now Prospect Congregational United Church of Christ know that the property they bought was part of the site of the proposed state capitol?
The chapel originally faced E. Prospect on a lot that is now on the southeast corner of E. Prospect and 20th Ave E. The current church building, built in 1924, faces 20th Ave E., although the address remains 1919 E Prospect.
The site of the proposed capitol was a single large block, bounded to the north by E. Prospect, to the south by E. Helen, to the east by 21st Ave E. and to the west by 19th Ave E. Continue reading
Here are the top stories from this week in CHS history:
‘Encampment Fire’ — Why Seattle has a new 911 designation for homeless camps
15th Ave E goes it alone on ‘Business Improvement Area’ after failure of Capitol Hill-wide plan
By Hannah Saunders
While one classic Capitol Hill Italian restaurant prepares for an expansion, another with a long history in the neighborhood appears to be in good hands with new landlords after a $5 million land deal.
The 110-year-old auto row-era building home to Machiavelli and a collection of small businesses located on Pine at Melrose was recently purchased by San Francisco-based real estate company Prado Group for $5 million.
The 9,355-square-foot building houses five retail residents, including Ristorante Machiavelli, a Capitol Hill staple. Suzette Jarding has worked at Machiavelli for 24 years and took over as owner nine years ago. According to Jarding, no changes to the building or restaurant are expected.
“We plan to continue business as usual. We will be celebrating 34 years next month,” said Jarding, who mentioned how there are currently no official plans for the celebration.
Ristorante Machiavelli is an Italian restaurant has been situated in the historic Booker Building since 1988, and offers pizza, pasta, and a variety of veal and red vino.
“It is my understanding that they [Prado Group] plan to make improvements to the property but nothing that would impact our business at Machiavelli,” said Jarding. Continue reading
King County is pursuing a plan to create a new “regional network” of emergency mental health care centers that would give individuals, loved ones, and first responders including Seattle Police new, better options for helping people suffering crisis situations.
County Executive Dow Constantine announced the plan Thursday in advance of this fall’s coming budgeting efforts that will set the multi-million price tag and scope of the effort. He was joined by regional leaders including Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall, and Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda in calling for the new centers. Continue reading
The CHS Calendar is in full Capitol Hill summer mode with so many listings, you’re going to have to double book your social plans.
A scene from Capitol Hill Garage Sale Day 2018
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A Seattle City Council committee will begin work Thursday to shape a set of legislation proposed by the Harrell administration hoped to improve equity and inclusion in the city’s marijuana industry. A core element could be a new “social equity license” that would provide a new path to ownership for qualifying entrepreneurs hoped to even the playing field for those seeking the coveted permits.
Under the proposal, businesses would need to have at least “51% ownership” by individuals “who have resided in a disproportionately impacted area” where there have been factors like a high poverty rate or a “high rate of cannabis-related arrest, conviction or incarceration” to qualify for the special licenses. Other restrictions including state laws and city zoning would still apply.
The council Finance and Housing Committee is taking up the suite of three proposed bills that Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office says will “foster a more diverse industry” while supporting cannabis store workers. Continue reading
The Seattle City Council passed more legislation this week to help protect abortion rights and the rights of those seeking gender-affirming care.
One bill will add people who have received or are seeking abortions as a protected class in Seattle, ensuring their civil rights protections while the other creates a misdemeanor charge for people who “encroach on individuals seeking abortions or gender-affirming care.”
The newly approved bills follow passage of legislation from District 3’s Kshama Sawant last week directing the Seattle Police Department and the City Attorney Ann Davison “to refrain from cooperating with out-of-state law enforcement agencies or other entities about abortion-related matters,” according to a statement from the council. Continue reading
From the Cal Anderson Park Alliance
The Cal Anderson Park Alliance is thrilled to announce the triumphant return of the Capitol Hill Garage Sale Sunday, August 14, after a two-year hiatus. Residents all over Capitol Hill will populate their front lawns, apartment stoops and Cal Anderson Park with heirlooms, antiques, and bric-a-brac for sale as a part of the annual “CAPITOL HILL GARAGE SALE” from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Continue reading
Seattle’s process to redraw its City Council borders to better balance the population represented by each of its nine districts has reached an important milestone with a new “joint proposal” on the table.
The proposed map from the five members of the Seattle Redistricting Commission including former Mayor Greg Nickels would leave District 3 representing Capitol Hill and the Central District mostly as is with adjustments that carve off areas of southern Eastlake for downtown’s District 7 and a move of the neighborhoods along Lake Washington just south of I-90 into South Seattle’s District 2.
When initially adopted, each district was drawn to include roughly 88,000 people. Capitol Hill was placed in the 3rd district, which stretches from the Montlake Cut south to I-90, and then a bit farther south to include a piece of Mount Baker, and from Lake Washington to roughly I-5, though it extends over to include the northern part of the Denny Triangle. Seattle growth has not been distributed proportionately and each district this time around is likely to end up with a bit more than 100,000 people. District 3, including Capitol Hill, the Central District, and First Hill, has gotten proportionately larger than that and will need its borders to shrink. Continue reading
