Tag Archives: broadway hill

10 years of Broadway Hill Park, ‘last of its kind’ on Capitol Hill

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It has not been the most pleasant year for Broadway Hill Park — and Seattle parks, in general — but you should stop by the corner of Federal and Republican this month to celebrate.

Broadway Hill Park is turning 10.

CHS introduced the new, just over a quarter acre public space in late June, 2016 as the last of its kind — a complete park with 12,000 square feet of grass, benches, community gardening space, and a BBQ grill in the middle of Capitol Hill.

We thought the BBQ would be more popular but like many features of Seattle’s parks as the city’s addiction and homelessness crises continue, the amenity also became another symbol of the challenges faced by the city’s public spaces. Continue reading →

Woof — With fence to come down at Seven Hills, city safety plan for Capitol Hill parks includes human-canine workout installations

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Dog-human workout installations — as illustrated by this concept art featuring the CHS News Hound — are coming (Image: CHS)

Parks officials said Tuesday night that the dog and human fitness installations will use “natural features” like stumps and logs — Jones the CHS News Hound demonstrates the idea  (Image: CHS)

City officials say they are sticking to the plan to reopen a Capitol Hill green space that has been closed since September over “bouts of negative park activity” even though resources to help address public safety concerns will not be in place when the fences come down.

Parks department officials announced at Tuesday night’s community meeting that Seven Hills Park will reopen February 26.

“We feel confident about the partnerships we’re building,” Leigh Hindenlang, a planning manager with Seattle Parks told the crowd of park neighbors and supporters during Tuesday night’s meeting at Miller Community Center.

Parks representatives announced an artful “Rainbow Sign” from one new partnership at the 16th Ave at E Howell park will be part of the reopening.

Hindenlang also promised other investments are coming including “human & hound fitness installations” she and parks officials say will help link Capitol Hill-area parks with a circuit of low-cost, low-maintenance workout stations. A 3.1-mile “Healthy Capitol Hill Hike” campaign with signage and printed maps is part of the plan, Hindenlang said, as are hopes for more events and gatherings organized by community groups and parters like neighborhood Business Improvement Areas like the 15th Ave BIA.

While nobody woofed at the dog fitness plan, several neighbors at Tuesday night’s meeting barked at the city pushing forward with the February 26th reopening without more resources in place — not even the canine-friendly workout equipment. Continue reading →

It’s 2026 and Capitol Hill’s Seven Hills Park is still closed — Meeting planned for February

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Seven Hills on a sunnier day (Image: City of Seattle)

A new year, a new city council, and a new mayor did not bring a new start on public safety for Capitol Hill’s Seven Hills Park.

The Seattle Parks and Recreation Department has quietly extended the closure of the fenced-off 16th Ave public space through the end of February.

A parks spokesperson tells CHS the extended closure will give the city another chance to meet with neighbors and park users. Continue reading →

‘South Capitol Hill Parks Activation’ — Surveys, community meeting this week gathering feedback on permanent fence proposal as city extends Seven Hills closure

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The city has extended the closures of three city parks including Capitol Hill’s Seven Hills through the end of the year as it prepares to hear from neighbors and parks users about proposed changes including possible new permanent fencing to address concerns about encampments and crime.

With Wednesday night bringing a planned community meeting with city officials to discuss the possible changes to two Capitol Hill parks facing complaints over homelessness and drugs, Seattle Parks and Recreation has also launched surveys to gather feedback.

CHS reported here on the planned Wednesday night session “to discuss priorities and identify “community activation partners and new potential users” for Broadway Hill Park and Seven Hills Park which has been fenced-off since September. Broadway Hill Park remains open but has been a center of complaints and Seattle Police Department activity, officials say. Continue reading →

CHS Pics | Even more neighbors will come to E Republican’s block party next year

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The neighbors around E Republican between 10th Ave E and Federal Ave have been gathering together for Night Out block parties for a few years now. Tuesday night, CHS stopped by the party. Next year, there will be even more neighbors to join in.

“We need to have more housing but development in a way that kind of fits the neighborhood,” neighbor John Stuntebaeck told CHS about the four-story, 36-unit apartment building under construction on the block.

Continue reading →

Capitol Hill’s Lowell Elementary not to blame for disproportionate homeless student population

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(Image: Lowell Elementary PALS PTA)

“How do you deal with these children coming in with such highly traumatic home lives?”

20%. The problems behind Lowell Elementary’s disproportionate enrollment of homeless students are larger than just one school. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction shows 3,498 students as homeless in the district.

“That is not an SPS problem, that is a foundational problem,” Seattle Public Schools (SPS) spokesperson Kim Schmanke said. “A lot of the things we’re doing would be supportive of homeless students but are not solely targeted because we are not a social or counseling center for students.”

The district’s resources are stretched too thin.

Take it from Nick Hodges, the co-president of the Parent-Teacher Association at Lowell Elementary who just recently recovered from homelessness along with his wife and two kids who attend Lowell.

“The biggest problem has always been the structure of getting help in our school,” Hodges said. “How do you deal with these children coming in with such highly traumatic home lives? How can you bring them into a situation that’s going to be stable for them six to seven hours in a day, and make them feel comfortable and safe with the proper resources and send them back to a shelter secure and feeling better about themselves?” Continue reading →

Parks board to consider making shorter Broadway Hill hours permanent

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(Image: CHS)

(Image: CHS)

Following a nine-month pilot of shortened hours for Broadway Hill Park since its 2016 summer opening, the Board of Park Commissioners will consider making those hours permanent on Thursday.

Rachel Schulkin with Seattle Parks and Recreation said the pilot of opening the park at 6 AM and closing it at 10 PM was spurred by a mix of what parks employees were seeing in the park and complaints from area residents.

Staff reported finding beer cans and damaged benches in the park, graffiti had been an issue, 911 calls about loud, late-night activities were frequent, and members of the community reported feeling unsafe in the park in the evening. Continue reading →

Net-zero energy project will connect to an uprooted house behind Broadway Hill Park

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Screen Shot 2016-08-08 at 4.32.59 PMWe have seen old houses relocated to make space for a new apartment building, but linking the two structures to create a single property may be a first on Capitol Hill. Retrofitting the house and designing the new apartment building to meet some of the strictest environmental standards in the U.S. is definitely a first.

The unique plans for 11th and Republican Passive House Apartments faces another round of design review Wednesday night. The outcome of the meeting also carries a special significance for the neighborhood as the building will serve as the new backdrop to the recently opened Broadway Hill Park.

(Image: CHS)

(Image: CHS)

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Four-story near Seattle U, four-story near Broadway Hill, four-story… everywhere

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She's enjoying life at 1305 E Marion

She’s enjoying life, he’s still figuring it out at 1305 E Marion

Two more of those pesky four-story apartment buildings are slated to take the final step in the design review process Wednesday night. Information on the infill projects near Seattle U and Broadway Hill Park — plus a bonus item on an “administrative design review” later this week for a project at 10th and Aloha that inspired one of the best anti-development letters we’ve ever seen — below.

Screen Shot 2015-07-07 at 7.08.34 PM1305 E Marion
Land Use Application to allow a 4-story structure containing 18 residential units and storage for 14 bicycles. No parking will be provided. Existing single family residence to be removed — View Design Proposal  (7 MB)    

Review Meeting: July 8, 2015 6:30 pm — Seattle University, 824 12th Ave , Admissions & Alumni Community Building
Review Phase: REC–Recommendation  See All Reviews
Project Number: 3018035  View Permit Status  |  View Land Use Notice
Planner: Carly Guillory

This project just a block from Seattle U will trade an old apartment building and a single family home for a new apartment building with a planned 18 studio units. Continue reading →

50-unit small-apartment development lines up for 12th and John as microhousing regulation debate nears end

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Screen Shot 2014-08-12 at 10.31.34 PM12th and John is destined to be the next place Capitol Hill grows big and small. Wednesday night, the plan for a four-story, 50-unit microhousing-style apartment building will take its first turn in front of the East Design Review Board. Meanwhile, legislation intended to better shape its brethren developments is expect to move forward after months of negotiating and argument as the City Council prepares to pass new rules to legislate aPodment-style construction.

Here is how hyperactive Capitol Hill, Central District, and Eastlake developer and architect Bradley Kouri firm b9 describes its planned 121 12th Ave E project:

The proposed development will extend the desirable aspects of Capitol Hill while introducing housing density to one of Seattle’s most characteristic neighborhoods. The structure will provide approximately 50 units. The structure will be built to the maximum height allowed (44 ft.) with a partially below-grade story…

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