RAVENNA CREEK DAYLIGHTING GETS FUNDING IN COUNTY BUDGET
The Ravenna Creek daylighting
project received a big boost with the award of $2 million in funding
in the King County Capital Improvement budget, approved in December
1996. The money will be used to help fund the daylighting of
the creek upon approval of its route and design. Those issues
are the subject of the engineering feasibility study currently
nearing completion. A public meeting on the study will be held
in March.
Tremendous thanks are due
County Council member Cynthia Sullivan. Her tireless hard
work and support of the Ravenna Creek project resulted in the
funding of the project in the county's budget. Her support of
our community has been invaluable on other major issues as well,
such as keeping the Seahawks out of Husky Stadium, and protection
of the Arboretum from a major expansion of the Evergreen Point
bridge.
Many thanks as well to Kit
O'Neill, who has continually dedicated her time and efforts
to the daylighting of the creek. Her perseverance and persistence
have kept the creek project alive.
We'll continue to follow this
important project, and let you know how you can support it and
help it become a reality.
ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY SEEKS GRANT TO RESTORE COWEN PARK
By Penny Eckert, President,
Roosevelt Neighborhood Association
The play area in Cowen Park
is quiet. The tall swings and a concrete curb are all that is
left of the play equipment since the Parks Department found it
necessary to remove everything but the swings for safety reasons.
But there is excitement in the winter air as the neighbors' planning
efforts for Cowen Park approach completion. If the Department
of Neighborhoods funds our project in this next round of matching-fund
grants, there will be a whole new play experience in Cowen by
the end of autumn.
We will be presenting our
proposal to the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association at your meeting
on March 10. Randy Allworth, the landscape architect who is working
with us thanks to a Department of Neighborhoods Small and Simple
grant, will be on hand to show you the results of a six-month
community process that has seen neighbors from our four neighborhoods
meet many evenings over the drawings to share ideas.
We have exciting plans for
all of Cowen, ideas which will allow for many hundreds of volunteer
hours to match the expense of play area renovation, ideas which
will confirm Cowen as the informal jewel of a park it has been.
I hope to see you at the March 10 Meeting!
Many thanks to our Roosevelt
neighbors for their inspiration and hard work. To hear more about
this very important project, or to volunteer your efforts to restore
the park, attend our March 10 meeting.
CITY TO REPLACE RAVENNA PARK FOOTBRIDGES
Seattle Public Utilities,
successor to the Engineering Department, is developing a proposal
to replace the footbridges in Ravenna Park. The footbridges carry
sewer lines, and are in need of replacement to continue bearing
the weight of those lines, according to Colleen Brown of Seattle
Public Utilities.
The current footbridges are
of a trestle design. The new footbridges would be truss bridges.
They would be bulkier than the current structures, but would
not rest on the surface of the ravine, as do the current footbridges.
The new footbridges would be designed to be handicapped accessible.
Current plans will require the removal of several trees. New
trees of native species will be planted to replace them.
A representative of the city
will discuss the project ant take comments at our March 10 meeting.
For more information, contact Colleen Brown at 684-8596.
RAVENNA SPRINGS AND UNIVERSITY VILLAGE AREA RESIDENTS PROPOSE
PLANNING EFFORT
A group of Ravenna-Bryant
residents and business people who live in the "University
Village Urban Village" section of the University District
Urban Center have submitted a proposal for a neighborhood planning
effort that focuses specifically on their community. The area
includes Ravenna Springs, the area around 25th Avenue NE below
NE 55th street, and the area around University Village and NE
Blakeley Place.
The proposal has been submitted
to the University Community Urban Center Association for its consideration.
The planning proposal seeks funding for a study to produce a
community plan to include a comprehensive map, goals, and specific
detailed recommendations for addressing problems identified in
the community. Examples of such recommendations would include
sidewalks, street trees, open space corridors, or specific local
design guidelines.
The proposal envisions a separate
planning committee working as a satellite of the existing University
District Urban Center planning committee. The new planning committee
would conduct outreach activities such as interviews and surveys
of residents, merchants, and business owners, and property owners.
A series of workshops would be held, including workshops on housing
options and design visual preference.
Parts of the area in question
have been undergoing rapid development, for example, in and around
University Village. The planning group hopes to examine how to
encourage sustainable community development, and create coexistence
and proper transition between commercial and residential zones.
For more information, contact Pete Fiddler at 525-2012.
SAND POINT UPDATE: CITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT FLOUNDER, THEN
BLAME NEIGHBORHOOD
As the deadline for the School
District's decision about using Sand Point as a temporary home
for Ballard High approaches, the City and School District are
busy misrepresenting the position of neighborhood groups regarding
that issue.
The District must decide by
March 3 whether to locate Ballard High students at Sand Point.
The District has represented that neighborhood groups oppose
temporarily locating the high school at the former base. In fact,
the Sand Point Liaison Committee has supported temporary use for
the school since February 1996. What is really at issue is the
District's decision to permanently place its administrative offices
and support facilities at Sand Point after Ballard High leaves.
The neighborhood group opposes using park land for the District's
headquarters.
The Citizen's Sand Point Planning
Association, headed by Jeanette Williams, has filed an appeal
of the Environmental Impact Statement, which dies not proceed
to a hearing until after the March 3 deadline. In fact, it was
originally scheduled for January, but a series of errors and decisions
by City officials required a delay until late March. Now the
City, the District, and their allies in the daily newspapers want
to pressure the neighbors, by smearing them, to drop their appeal
and concede to permanent use.
If the District would agree
to drop its plan for permanent use, and agree to follow proper
planning procedures for considering future use, there would be
no disagreement. General Stanford and the district apparently
wish to hold Ballard students hostage in their attempt to grab
part of Sand Point away from use for park and recreation. One
casualty in this dispute has been the truth.
RBCA and its members have
been hard at work on many issues to preserve the things we all
value in our neighborhood, such as fighting cellular telephone
antennas, preserving our residential neighborhoods, and keeping
parks safe and clean.. Community groups such as ours are looking
out for what's best for our community. Annual dues are only $10.00,
and allow us to continue distributing this Newsletter and keep
you informed. If you haven't joined, or haven't renewed in a
while, consider doing it now! Return this form with your dues
to: Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Ravenna Eckstein
Community Center, 6535 Ravenna Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98115.
NAME __________________________________________________
ADDRESS ________________________________________
PHONE _____________________
AREAS OF INTEREST OR CONCERN:
March 10 - Ravenna-Bryant
Community Association Winter Membership Meeting. 7:30 PM, Ravenna
Eckstein Community Center, 6535 Ravenna Avenue NE.
March 29 to May 11 - Spring
Clean '97, sponsored by the Seattle Solid Waste Utility. Groups
of residents can get city assistance with clean up and beautifying
projects. For more information and assistance organizing a project,
call 233-7187
April 9 - Ravenna-Bryant
Community Association Monthly Business Meeting. 7:30 PM, Ravenna
Eckstein Center. Meetings are held every month, on the second
Wednesday of the month. All are welcome!1 For more information
call 526-1453.
April 19 - EarthWork Northwest
Earth Day Celebration and Restoration Project. Volunteers will
work on projects all over our area. For more information, or
to volunteer, call the Student Conservation association at 324-4649.
RBCA now has an e-mail address. Send us messages, announcements, breaking community news, or just good jokes, at rbca@scn.org. Board member Pete Fiddler launched us into the brave new world of electronic communication by setting up our e-mail address. He's also been working on a project to create a web page for the association. E-mail has become a quick and convenient way for many people to communicate, and we hope you'll take advantage of it to let us know what you think.
GET INVOLVED!!!!
If you want to make a contribution to your community, or have
an issue that's important to you, get involved with us. We want
your ideas, experience, and enthusiasm. Your efforts can make
a difference. To volunteer, or express your opinion on an issue,
call Eileen Farley at 526-1453, or contact us at rbca@scn.org.
RAVENNA-BRYANT COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Ravenna Eckstein Community Center
6535 Ravenna Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98115
WINTER MEMBERSHIP MEETING MARCH 10- MEET NEW COUNCIL MEMBER RICHARD MCIVER