"You are the decision makers," Says Parks Dept on Playground Renovation

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Ryan

park renov01Twenty-four residents (plus many kids) crowded in to the preschool building last night during the Victory Heights Community Council meeting to hear and make comments about Seattle Parks & Recreation’s playground renovation project coming to our park in 2016.
Read the complete minutes from last night’s meeting.
Between 6 and 7 PM, representatives from Parks set up displays showing the various different styles and play elements that are possible for new playground equipment. At 7 PM the formal presentation took place, hosted by 20 years Parks veteran designer Frank Robinson. Among the highlights he proposed were a separate play areas for kids ages 2-5 and ages 5-12, a “plaza space” where parents will have clear sightlines to the play areas, and demolishing the wall next to the basketball court. The grassy area of the park will remain unchanged, as will the preschool building.
park renov02Tuesday night’s meeting was a chance for the public to have our say about what sort of play equipment should be installed and any else we would like to have done within the budget allowed. “This is an important night for us,” said Robinson (pictured here holding a proposed plan of the renovations). The next step will be talking with equipment manufacturers to get prices, draw up a design, and then come back in February for any final comments from the public. Work needs to be underway by the middle of 2016 in order for the project to be completed by the end of 2016.

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Parks' Playground Renovation Presentation December 15th

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Ryan

This month’s meeting of the Victory Heights Community Council on December 15th will feature a presentation by Seattle Parks about the Victory Heights Playground renovation project. After $893,000 was budgeted by the Seattle Park District Fund earlier this year, the project will install updated play equipment and improve access to the Victory Heights Park play area. The play equipment will include play structures and seating accessible to children of all ages and abilities and also other elements for play.
Currently the project is in the planning and design phase (with construction scheduled for the second half of 2016) and with that, Seattle Parks and Recreation’s in-house landscape architect and project planner will be holding an open house and presentation at Tuesday night’s meeting. Your ideas, comments and recommendations will assist them with creating a preferred design to renovate the play area.
The meeting will be held at the co-op preschool building in Victory Heights Park with an Open House starting at 6 PM to show design options and gather community input. At 7 PM a formal presentation will be made as part of the monthly community council meeting. Please make plans to attend and have your say about this exciting neighborhood improvement project. (Note: the chairs at the school are designed for very young children, so bring your own if you want maximum comfort)

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Events Calendar Late November/December

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Ryan

Upcoming events in and around Victory Heights
Thursday, Nov 26th: Thanksgiving! It also means the usual Thursday trash collection in Victory Heights will be on Friday this week.
Wednesday, Dec 2nd: 8th Annual Holidays at the Center.  Dickens Carolers, Pooky the Magic Elf, and Santa! Sing-A-Long Caroling, Cookies, Cider & Coffee, Music by Ingraham HS, Crafts for Kids. Lake City Community Center, doors open at 6:45 PM, tree Lighting at 7:30PM.
Thursday, Dec 3rd: Thornton Creek Alliance Meeting. Speaker will be Tom Speer of the Duwamish Tribe. Meadowbrook Community Center, 6:30 PM.
Saturday, Dec 5th: Annual Book Sale. A “huge” book sale to benefit the non-profit Lifetime Learning Center. 3841 NE 123rd Street, 10 AM – 2 PM.
Sunday, Dec 13th: “Jurassic World” screening at Northgate Public Library, 10548 5th Avenue NE. Space is limited, and free tickets will be available 30 minutes before the start of the film. 1 PM.
Tuesday, Dec 15th: Victory Heights Community Council Meeting. Representatives from the Seattle Parks Department will attend to hear your thoughts on the upcoming playground renovation project coming in 2016. Be sure to attend! Co-op preschool building in Victory Heights Park, 7 PM.
Saturday, Dec 19th: Caroling. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dark of night will keep these intrepid carolers from regaling households around Victory Heights tonight. More details to come, read about last year’s event.

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Free Little Free Libraries To Be Distributed

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Ryan

Little Library 3At last night’s meeting of the Victory Heights Community Council, Recology (formerly CleanScapes) has announced the purchase of 50 Little Free Libraries to be distributed to neighborhoods as part of its Neighborhood Waste Reduction Rewards Program (which you might remember from last year).
Read the complete minutes from the November Meeting.
Recology recently sent post cards out to residents to announce their program and a contest to receive a Little Free Library at your home (keep in mind Victory Heights already has two of them, one at NE 106th Street and 17th Avenue NE (pictured here), and at 23rd Avenue NE & NE 104th Way). To enter, email Erika Melroy (emelroy@recology.com) before December 4, 2015. Your email must include your name, mailing address, and why you’d like to receive a Little Free Library.
Other business at last night’s meeting included a reminder from the Seattle Police Department that when you see suspicious activity in the neighborhood to call 911 first, THEN post about it on social media sites like Next Door Neighbor. This is important for tracking crime statistics. If the police don’t know where the problem areas are, they can’t put resources there.
Victory Heights is the envy of other neighborhoods with the news of our $893,000 parks renovation project from the Parks Department. Speaking of which, representatives from Parks will be at the December 15th meeting of the Victory Heights Community Council to do a presentation and hear feedback about the project, so mark your calendars to attend.

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November Events Calendar

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Ryan

Here are events in and around Victory Heights that might be of interest in late October/early November:
Friday, Oct 30th: Lake City Fright Night Trick-or-Treat Walk. Get treats at local businesses in Lake City, then finish at the Community Center for games, food, crafts, a costume party, and a haunted house. 6:30 PM – 8 PM, 12531 28th Avenue NE.
Thursday, Nov 5th: Link Light Rail Drop-In. Project staff will be available to answer your questions about design and construction progress of the Northgate Link Light Rail. There will be no formal presentation. 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM, Northgate Public Library, 10548 5th Avenue NE.
Saturday, Nov 7th: Peddlers Village Holiday Faire. Start your Christmas shopping early by buying direct from these artists. 10 AM – 5 PM, Lake City Community Center, 12531 28th Avenue NE.
Sunday, Nov 14th: Seattle 2035 Open House. The Department of Planning and Development is hosting community meetings around the city to solicit public comment on the Draft City of Seattle Comprehensive Plan. 9 AM – Noon, North Seattle College in the old cafeteria, 9600 College Way N.
Sunday, Nov 14th: 50th Anniversary of the Lake City library! Meet City Librarian Marcellus Turner, enjoy lemonade and cake and share your memories of the Lake City Branch at the celebration. Noon to 3 PM, 12501 28th Avenue NE.
Tuesday, Nov 17th: Victory Heights Community Council meeting. The monthly meeting by and for the residents of Victory Heights. 7 PM, the co-op preschool building in Victory Heights Park.

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$893,000 Park Renovation Announced

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Ryan

Park RenovThe Seattle Parks Department has announced a $893,000 renovation project of the playground equipment in Victory Heights Park.
Read the entire minutes from last night’s Community Council Meeting.
The project, which is currently in the design phase, will replace the current 20-year-old playground equipment, make the entire area ADA compliant, and via the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design program (sometimes called CPTED), increase sight lines and removal of “hidden” areas. As part of the design, the Parks Department wants community input. The first way you can do that is by answering the survey on the project website. The second way is by attending the December 15th Community Council meeting, where the project designer will be there to make a presentation and listen to feedback.
Construction is scheduled for the second half of 2016. About half of the cost is earmarked for accessibility upgrades that will make the park Americans With Disabilities Act compliant. The project does not include any work on the building which currently houses the co-op preschool.  Earlier this year, the Parks Department had said Victory Heights was near the bottom of a 300-item list of “Things To Do” but apparently a combination of the aging equipment, recent criminal activity, citizen requests, and probably dumb luck (the right project size for what was left in this year’s “must spend” account) contributed to the project suddenly becoming viable and a done deal.

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Victory Heights Events Calendar

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Ryan

Here’s an updated calendar of September/October events in and around Victory Heights:
NEW ITEM: Tuesday, Oct 6th: Metro Transit Public Hearing. The county will be changing a number of bus routes around Victory Heights next year in conjunction with the opening of the Husky Stadium Link Light Rail station. Here is your chance to let King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski know what you think of the proposed changes. 6:30 PM, The Mountaineers Club at Magnuson Park, 7700 Sand Point Way NE.
Thursday, Oct 15th: Open House for Northgate Pedestrian Bridge. The Department of Transportation will update the public on the proposed pedestrian bridge across I-5 at Northgate. 5 PM, North Seattle College, College Center Building, Multipurpose Room.
Tuesday, Oct 20th: Victory Heights Community Council meeting. Residents are encouraged to get involved with issues affecting our neighborhood. 7 PM, Co-op Preschool Building in Victory Heights Park.
Saturday, Oct 24th: Emergency Preparedness Workshop. Learn how to be prepared for a large earthquake or other emergency here in Seattle, and the new AlertSeattle system. 10:30 AM, Lake City Branch of the Seattle Public Library. Register for a class by emailing your name and the presentation you plan to attend to snap@seattle.gov.
 

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What To Do About Drug Use In The Park?

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Ryan

Last night’s meeting of the Victory Heights Community Council focused on an increase in drug dealing and using in and around Victory Heights Park.
Read the complete minutes of the September meeting.
Neighbors have discovered used needles near the co-op preschool building in the park, and suspicious characters loitering in the park at night, and parked along 19th Avenue NE. Calls to the police seem to be responded to too late or not at all. And the city isn’t keen on signs, surveillance cameras or more lights in the park. What can concerned residents do? Well for starters, you should always call 911 when you see something suspicious. The city tracks crime statistics and if we start calling attention to this problem, this will get action in the long run even if the police don’t show up every time you call. There will also be an attempt to get the residents across the park along 19th Avenue to get organized and perhaps put up yard signs of their own saying the neighborhood is watching. If every yard had a sign, that would send a clear message. Crime happens when criminals think nobody cares. And finally, once district elections are over for city council, we will have a representative who we can go to (hopefully backed up with statistics–keep calling 911) and get them to grease the wheels of city government to make sure the park does not fall into ruin and neglect. Together we can make a difference!
The next meeting of the community council will be Tuesday, October 20th. Make a date to attend if you’d like to be part of the solution.
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Coyotes In Victory Heights

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Ryan

UPDATE: Reader John recorded the coyote early Monday morning. He thinks it “sounded like s/he was up on the hill between 98th and 100th, probably on the south side of Thornton Creek.”

Saturday night, a number of coyotes were heard howling near Thornton Creek by 21st Avenue NE. Occasionally coyotes have been spotted in Victory Heights in previous years, though they are mostly nocturnal. Those of you who let their cats outside at night are advised to bring them inside. Between coyotes and raccoons in the area, pet owners need to be cautious.

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September Events Calendar

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Ryan

Here are events in around Victory Heights in September:
Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 12-13. Arts North Studio Tour. 11 different studios around the north end will host open houses for the public “to chat with the artists and learn about the creative process while enjoying an assortment of snacks.” Three are located in Victory Heights: 2301 NE 115th St., 2020 NE 113th St. & 11301 23rd Ave NE, 10 AM – 5 PM both days.
Tuesday, Sept. 15: Victory Heights Community Council meeting. Discuss local issues with your neighbors including drug use in the park and changes in bus service. 7 PM at the Co-op Preschool building in Victory Heights Park.
Saturday, Sept 19th: District 5 Candidates Debate. Sandy Brown and Debora Juarez will square off at this event (registration required) at the Northgate Community Center, 7:30 PM.
Sunday, Sept 20th: Screening of “Secret of the Wings” (Rated G) at the Lake City library at 1:30 PM. Part of their “Directed by Women” series.
Sunday, Sept 27: Screening of “McFarland, USA” (Rated PG) at the Lake City library at 1:30 PM.
Don’t forget the Lake City Farmer’s Market every Thursday next to the library in Lake City.

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