Crown Hill Center, Events, Volunteers

Playscape Install, Crown Hill Center

Date for the playscape install is the weekend of July 10 and 11.  We’ll need at least 25 volunteers that weekend so please mark your calendar for helping out, then contact Small Faces to let them know you will be coming.  The $17,000 grant the project received from the City is a matching system.  All volunteer hours will contribute to making the $17K match.

Food, tools and  child care provided.  No experience necessary!  Contact Johnny at johnny@smallfaces.org

Where:
Crown Hill Center Playground
9250 14th Ave NW
East Side of Building
Enter from NW 95th

When:
July 10-11
9AM – 4PM

Read about the new plans here, then save the date for a playful building experience!

Events, Sustainability, Transportation, Walkability

Health, Equity, & Transportation Forum

Health, Equity, & Transportation Forum

Wednesday, May 26th, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Yesler Community Center
917 E Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98122

This forum considers the impact transportation choices have on communities from a health and equity perspective. Moderated by C.R. Douglas, a panel of community members will discuss questions such as:

  • What do you see in your own neighborhood that makes you walk, bike, ride transit?
  • How do peoples’ neighborhoods/built environment affect their health?
  • How are different people affected differently? Why is this?
  • What does the future look like, if we do it “right”?

Panelists include:

  • Jen Cole is the director of the Safe Routes to School Program at Feet First. Safe Routes to School programs aim to increase the number of students walking and biking to school safely.
  • Dr. Ben Danielson is a pediatrician at Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic. Located in Seattle’s Central District, the clinic provides medical, dental and mental health care under one roof to all families regardless of their ability to pay.
  • Ed Ewing is the director of the Major Taylor Project at the Cascade Bicycle Club, which has the mission of creating a multicultural bicycling community where teenagers have equal opportunity to spend time outdoors and on a bicycle.
  • Carla Saulter, “Bus Chick”, blogs for www.seattlepi.com. Carla is a third-generation Seattleite (on her dad’s side) and is one of a growing number of Seattleites who have chosen to live without a car. She takes the bus everywhere she goes.
  • Anne Vernez Moudon, Dr. es Sc., Professor of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington. She also directs the Urban Form Lab, which studies neighborhood and street design, non-motorized transportation, and physical activity.
Parks & Greenspace

Crown Hill Park – update on design

At the Crown Hill Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting on May 9, 2009 Parks Department representative Donald Harris told neighborhood residents that we can expect the planning and design process for the Crown Hill Park to recommence at the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010. At this time Parks will meet with the community and revisit the plans that were put on hold over three years ago. The design process normally takes about a year, but because of the work that has already been completed, Harris estimates the timeline will be reduced to eight or nine months. Therefore, in the fall of 2010, at the same time the Fire Department vacates the property, the actual development of the park will begin.Some residents hoped that development could start sooner on areas of the park that are not being used by the Fire Department. Unfortunately, Harris explained, his Department does not have the design and engineering resources to focus on multiple projects simultaneously, and those resources are now fully occupied with economic stimulus projects. A 2010 start date would still place Crown Hill at the front end of projects funded by the six-year Parks and Green Spaces levy of 2008.

As for the chain link fence currently dividing the property, Catherine Weatbrook from the Crown Hill Project/Small Faces emphasized that the fence was a temporary measure without which Small Faces would not have been allowed to remain open. Small Faces intends to discuss options for a nicer looking, permanent fence with neighborhood residents, including where gates will be placed.

Announcements

Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting Wrap-up

Approximately 40 Crown Hill Neighbors came to our community meeting, on Saturday, May 9th, 2009. Announcements included:

  • In the long awaited first step toward official groundbreaking on the Crown Hill Park, Seattle Parks and Recreation Department has acquired the southernmost parcel of the former Crown Hill School Site. This parcel is approximately half of the site.
  • The Seattle Fire Department is leasing a portion of the piece now acquired by the Parks Department. This portion is in the ball field south of the two large poplar trees. The Fire Department has erected a pair of temporary buildings and a large tent garage which will be used to house Engine #35 and its crew while the fire station at 8729 15th Ave NW is rebuilt. This should not interfere with use of the ball fields.
  • The Crown Hill Project is moving rapidly toward closing the sale of the northern piece of the Crown Hill School Site. The appeal of the law suit against the sale of the Crown Hill and John Allen (Phinney) school sites was formally withdrawn by the instigator removing one obstacle from the purchase of the remaining portion of the site from the Seattle School District.
  • Crown Hill Neighborhood Association applied for and received 501(c)3 non-profit status from the IRS. This means contributions and memberships are now tax deductible.

It was exciting to see new people and old friends in attendance. There was a healthy representation of the next generation of Crown Hill residents with eight children.

We elected three members to the Board of Directors:

Continuing directors: