Upzoning in Greenwood: How it can impact your home’s value.

Around 35 Greenwood neighbors showed up to the Greenwood Library on Tuesday night to discuss a new zoning proposal for the neighborhood’s urban core. Although the Greenwood Community Council has no power to change zoning on its own, it serves as liaison between Greenwood residents and the City Council. GCC president (and, currently, sole board member — contact him via the GCC website if you’d like to get involved!) Trevor Stanley emphasized the importance of getting input from the neighborhood before talking to City Council members.
The proposed rezoning plan would upzone the entire area around the planned Fred Meyer development project in Greenwood’s urban core, including some single-family houses that border the current Fred Meyer lot. Upzoning would mean taller buildings and more potential to bring new developers to the area, but it would also mean that those single-family dwellings could be replaced by Ballard-style townhouses.

Some neighbors expressed concerns that an upzone could also mean increased property taxes for residents who chose not to sell their lots to developers. Barbara L. Shale, of the King County Tax Advisory Office, addresse the issue by explaining that a jump from single-family to L3 zoning — L3 is the low-rise zone most commonly occupied by clusters of townhomes — wouldn’t increase anyone’s taxes overnight. She said that the value of a house often goes down when the value of the land itself goes up, and that taxes would likely stay about the same until the next physical property inspection of the area, in 2015 or 2016.

Although most of the debate was about the “buffer” of single-family homes, neighbors were also concerned about upzoning the commercial lots at the core of the Fred Meyer development. Proposed changes would allow buildings that currently top out at 40 feet to be raised to 65 feet. Although this is obviously attractive to developers, Stanley made it clear that the Advisory Group behind the zoning proposal was thinking about the future growth of Greenwood, not about Fred Meyer.

Fred Meyer’s plans for a new shopping center don’t actually include or require any zoning changes.
“I’m going to sorely miss Greenwood Market,” Stanley said, “but that’s not something [the GCC] have any control over. That’s not something we’re trying to have control over.”

The neighbors at the meeting felt they hadn’t been given enough time or information to make a decision about the new changes, so they unanimously passed Resolution 2. That resolution opposes the changes “at this time,” and urges the City Council to “demonstrate community support for [future changes] and the notify those impacted by the change.”

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Tree Risk Complaints at the Zoo

As the Woodland Park Zoo expands its West Entry, near Phinney Ave. and 55th St., some Seattle residents are concerned about what the new, improved gate is displacing: trees. The construction project required the removal of 14 trees, according to local arborist and tree advocate Michael Oxman.

Oxman has been keeping an eye on the project, and he’s concerned about the health and safety of the remaining trees. Construction may pose a threat to some of the Zoo’s old trees, and Oxman says he noticed trees that had not been properly fenced and mulched.

He filed a complaint with the City on December 31st, complete with photos of rebar and other construction material stacked against one tree, but he says inspectors didn’t find anything when they visited the site. The complaint is online, but still listed as “not resolved.”

The Zoo says their treatment of the trees has followed the tree protection plan they have in place, , although they did find and move the rebar after Oxman brought it to their attention. The Zoo has an arborist on site to make sure that its trees — some of which are over a century old — are properly cared for.

Although some trees were removed as part of the West Entry construction, Zoo spokesman David Schaefer said that the plans were drawn up with trees in mind. “We actually moved one building to protect a tree, so it didn’t come down,” he said

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Vote for change today. Wacktastic Light Show Greenwood-Phinney

It’s on. The two top homes for holiday lights in Greenwood Phinney are dominating the votes at the annual Wacktastic Light Show contest. Unless you make your voice heard – these homes will battle for the top prize. Check out what they have to offer – and contribute to our country’s democracy.

Awards Party

There will be a party at the Greenwood Collective (8537 Greenwood Avenue North) on December 20th 4p to 8p to honor the residents who won the community poll for favoritest lights!

4-6pm: Food and drink provided by lovely local Greenwood restauranteurs

Hot chai from Morning Glory Chai
a keg o’ beer from Naked City (we’ll have to make sure you’re over 21 for this goody)
… plus an ongoing slide show of entries and (if we’re really, really good) a roving Santa

… plus any donations to the Greenwood Food Bank collected

6-6:45pm: The Christmas musical stylings of band, Green Handshake

7 to 8p: Awards Ceremony and Prizes emceed by Rat City Rollergirl Mascot, Rocketman Houllahan. The results of the community vote revealed! The wackiest store display as determined by Esteemed Wacktastic Judges!

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Couth Buzzard Books – Opening Soon & Volunteers Wanted !!!

The new Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Café (8310 Greenwood Ave. N) is counting down the days to their grand reopening! The tentative debut is now set for December 16th, pending final passage of the Seattle City Health Department Inspection.

In preparation for the big day, Couth Buzzard is actively soliciting volunteer help for sorting and shelving thousands of books. This Saturday and Sunday, (December 12-13) the owners will be hosting all-day work parties, so stop by if you have a chance and lend a hand!

Contact Couth Buzzard directly at 206 436-2960 or call Theo Dzielak (206 418-9522, melodyplay@earthlink.net) for more information.

By: Alicia Craven

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Greenwood Arson Community Meeting Packs the House

Concerned Greenwood neighborhood residents packed the Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church this evening for a community meeting with city fire and police officials on the string of arson fires plaguing the community. The latest of these fires occurred late Sunday night, and early Monday morning, bringing the total to 14 since last June.

Assistant Fire Chief A.D. Vickery and representatives of the Seattle police department briefed the crowded room about the status of the investigation and answered community members’ questions about how to protect their homes and businesses.

A cooperative task force—the joint effort of police, fire, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) officials are conducting nightly patrols in the neighborhood, looking for suspicious activity. They’re encouraging local residents to help in the investigation and report any out of the ordinary behavior by calling 911, the Crime Stopper phone line (1-800-222-TIPS), or the Arson hotline (1-800-55-ARSON). The city is also in the midst of constructing a new webpage to coordinate the arson investigation between the Seattle Fire and Police Departments.

There is currently a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arsonist’s capture. The Greenwood neighborhood Taproot theater, itself a recent victim of one of the fires, donated $15,000 of its insurance money towards the fund.

Chief Vickery had a number of concrete recommendations for residents to decrease their fire risk such as removing combustible materials from outdoor recycling bins, and making sure all fire alarms and extinguishers were in working order. People can contact the fire department for additional fire alarm instillation if needed, he reminded the audience.

People should also contact the city to report potential fire hazards such as abandoned buildings, or overflowing dumpsters (206-386-1450), or to get streetlights replaced in darkened areas (206-684-CITY).

Vickery cautioned local business owners against sleeping in their businesses. He warned that many fire-related deaths result from smoke inhalation, which would be an increased risk to someone sleeping in a building an arsonist targeted.

During the question and answer period, the Seattle police department said they did not have a working profile of the individual or group of individuals perpetrating the fires. Chillingly, one audience member raised his hand to suggest that the arsonist was likely in the audience. Vickery responded by encouraging community members to adopt an attitude of trust towards one another, while remaining vigilant.

Another audience member announced that people looking to make donations to businesses impacted by the fires could contact the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce, or make donations directly through a relief fund at the Chase Bank on 8500 Greenwood Ave.

When the meeting ended, officials headed upstairs to the church sanctuary where an additional 100-150 community members who could not fit in the downstairs briefing room were waiting for information.

By: Alicia Craven

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Greenwood Arson Prevention Meeting Goes Over Capacity

Tuesday night’s community meeting about the wave of arsons plaguing Greenwood was so well-attended that the basement of Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church reached capacity. About 15 minutes into the meeting, city councilmember Jean Godden arrived, announcing that 100-150 more people were waiting upstairs. A second meeting took place later, to accommodate all the neighbors who showed up.

Chiefs from the Seattle Police and Seattle Fire Department weren’t able to tell the huge crowd — which included multiple city council members and mayor-elect Mike McGinn — what they came to hear: who might be behind the string of 14 fires set in Greenwood since June. The Police Department doesn’t have a true profile of the arsonist (or arsonists) yet, and they couldn’t say why small businesses seem to be the main targets. Visible and invisible police patrols have been stepped up around the neighborhood, and the fire department also now sends two trucks to every suspected fire, in hopes of catching it early.

Every speaker at the meeting emphasized community involvement in stopping the arsons. All of the fires so far have been set using readily-available combustible materials, and the fire department urged residents and business owners to clear trash from around their buildings. The combustibles in one of the fires apparently came from over a mile away.

The police aren’t discouraging citizen patrols, and they’re asking the community to provide extra eyes and ears. They are discouraging confronting any suspicious people. If you see anything out of the ordinary, call 911 instead. The fire department also addressed rumors about business owners sleeping in their businesses overnight. They strongly advise against it, saying it doesn’t protect your store, and only puts you at risk and makes it harder for firefighters to work.

The Police, Fire Department and mayor’s office all offered resources to help residents who want to do something about the arsons:

For help with dead streetlights or overflowing dumpsters, call the City’s general customer service line at (206) 684-CITY.

There will be a joint Police and Fire webpage with information about the ongoing investigation. Until then, the Police website lists some non-emergency numbers you can call with tips.

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Arson Prevention in Greenwood – Town Hall Meeting Tuesday

From the Greenwood Community Council:

Concerned Greenwood residents and friends,

For information about the recent arsons in our Greenwood neighborhood and to learn what you can do to help prevent arson, the Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Police Department will present during a community meeting at 7:00 p.m. this Tuesday, November 10, at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church at 7500 Greenwood Ave. N. It can hold more people and is ADA accessible. This is a public meeting and all in the community are welcome to attend. Keep in mind that seating will be limited.

The agenda will include introductions from Fire and Police officials, followed by each representative explaining what their department is doing and who they are coordinating with, and finally offering suggestions for the public that would be helpful for the particular department (possible involvement, steps to remain safe, etc.), the floor will then be opened for questions after they are finished.

If you have questions or concerns and are not able to attend the meeting, please email info@greenwoodcommunitycouncil.org and we will try to see that thoughts are included in the discussion.

In addition to this meeting, the Fire Department is distributing informational flyers to help prevent arson. Copies of the flyers, along with other information about the arsons, can be found by visiting Read More at GreenwoodCommunityCouncil.org

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Who will have Greenwood’s BEST Holiday Lights?

The Greenwood area hosts an annual holiday light contest and 2009 will be our best ever. This year Wacktastic Light Show is changing a wee bit to increase community participation even more. There will be two contests:

Contest 1: RESIDENCE WACKTASTIC LIGHT DISPLAYS
Folks can enter the contest at the Wacktastic website, and be placed on a map. Then, during the week of Dec. 10th thru 17th, anybody can vote online (once per household) for their favorite display and the top ten will be awarded prizes from esteemed Greenwood-Phinney businesses (i.e. you). We would like the prizes to be gift certificates to ease up our collection time (and backs–and if your business doesn’t have gift certificates, we will gladly supply you with Official Wacktastic Bucks). Then the prizes (and a slide show of all entries) will be presented at the Wacktastic Awards Party on Sunday 12.20.09 at The Greenwood Collective.

Boundaries from Aurora to 8th Ave between 105th and 65th.

Contest 2: RETAIL WACKTASTIC LIGHT DISPLAYS
This is where YOU can let your Wacky Flag Fly and win a free advertising package. Three local celebrity judge will travel from 65th to 105th and Greenwood and choose their top two favorite Business Light Displays that are The Most Wacktastic. Again, prizes will be awarded at the Wacktastic Awards Party, 12.20.09 at the Greenwood Collective.

There is also going to be food donation bins at local pubs Greenwood Pub Association for the Greenwood Food Bank.

Thank you for supporting Greenwood and power to the people! We cannot wait to see what your wacky minds dream up to display!

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Where do you want Greenwood-Phinney’s next park?

There’s a good chance that the Phinney-Greenwood corridor will get a new park in the next few years. The biggest question isn’t whether the neighborhod should get a park, it’s where the park should go. If neighborhood residents have their way, it will be on the northeast corner of 68th and Greenwood. The site was formerly a service station, and will soon become the temporary home of the Greenwood Fire Station. After that, though, it could become a centrally-located park with a great view.

Nearly 70 neighbors got together at the Greenwood Library with representatives from Seattle Parks and Recreation to voice their opinions about which parcel of land the City should buy for the park. The parks levy gave the City about $24 million to spend on new parkland, split between 20 different neighborhoods that were identified as lacking adequate park space, including Phinney Ridge-Greenwood.

The 11,000 square-foot spot at 68th was not the only option on the table. Four other sites were discussed, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

• Another 11,000 square-foot parcel at 83rd and Greenwood, which is currently a dry cleaner.
• .38 acres on 85th St, across from Fred Meyer. Formerly a Pizza Hut, now a chained-off vacant lot.
• 81st and Greenwood, across the street from the library. Currently home to three businesses.
• 87th and Greenwood, where there’s currently a wall, mid-block, that connects to a large parking lot in the rear of several businesses.

Of these other four sites, only the 81st and Greenwood location received significant support. As the Parks & Rec representatives pointed out, though, the City would prefer to purchase land from a willing buyer, and relocating three different businesses would be difficult.

68th and Greenwood seemed to be the overwhelming favorite because, aside from the fact that it’s not in use right now, it’s halfway between Greenwood and Sandel parks to the north and Woodland Park to the south. It also wouldn’t displace a current business, only a lot that several people described as “blighted.”

There was some concern about cleanup costs, because the site was formerly a gas station, but a neighbor who had looked into the matter told the audience that the underground storage tanks were removed more than a decade ago, and recent environmental assessments said the area isn’t contaminated. The assessed value of the land is just under $1 million, which probably falls within the city’s budget for Phinney-Greenwood parkland.

Parks and Rec stressed that they wanted to have a backup plan, but support for a park on 68th St. was nearly unanimous. There’s no official timeline yet, but the next step involves the City making an offer for the land.

More information about the parks levy is available from City of Seattle Parks, which should be updated as the project moves forward.

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Seattle’s Greenwood Fire Was Arson.

The Greenwood Fire which destroyed four Seattle businesses including the Taproot Theatre was declared an arson by the Seattle Fire Department today. Phinneyridge.org first began our reporting on the potential for arson on Sunday, October 25th, in a photo-essay linking the fire to four other arsons in the Greenwood neighborhood. Our hearts to out to the impacted businesses, particularly the Taproot Theatre. The Taproot Theatre confirmed their commitment to the Greenwood neighborhood in a statement released tonight:

Taproot Theatre Company is brokenhearted to learn that the fire that devastated four of our neighboring businesses and damaged our theatre was reported to have been deliberately set. When Taproot Theatre moved into Greenwood, crime in the neighborhood decreased almost immediately. In the years since, we’ve watched Greenwood blossom into a vibrant community that’s focused on the arts, promoting small businesses and protecting the environment—values that we promote, as well, and that represent the spirit of Seattle. Greenwood deserves to have a top-notch theatre in its midst, and we at Taproot Theatre love this neighborhood and will continue bringing people from across the region to Greenwood for years to come.

Over 100 Seattle firefighters bravely fought the blaze for over two hours to contain the damage and protect surrounding buildings, including the PAWS Cat City shelter for felines. The fire began at approximately 4am in the morning on October 23rd.

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