As a part of the Engage Seattle initiative, Mayor Mike McGinn is coming to the Ravenna neighborhood for both a tour and a town hall with residents on Saturday, December 1.
The town hall/Q&A portion will be held in the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center gym (6535 Ravenna Ave NE) from 11 AM – noon. Everyone is welcome to attend. The mayor, members of his staff, and representatives from various city departments will be on hand to answer questions.
Prior to the town hall, from 10-11 AM, the mayor, members of his staff, and select community leaders and members will be touring parts of Ravenna both on foot and by bicycle (the latter for the first time for this type of event). Ravenna Blog is along for the ride, providing live coverage, and speaking at a couple of the tour stops.
Live coverage of the tour and the town hall can be found below, once the event starts. The Seattle Channel has recorded previous town halls in other neighborhoods, and should they do so for ours you will find the video embedded in this post once it becomes available.
Closing comments now. Opened with comments about economics, closed with more.
Mayor: There is a place for streetcars, in neighborhood-to-neighborhood transportation. In between level of transportation (slower than a tunnel, but priority over cars).
Edit to previous bit: Should read “I have not heard this rumor either.”
Rumor that reservoir at 15th and 75th to be surplused and become high-rises? Mayor: Um, no? I don’t think so. [I have. It heard this rumor either. My understanding is it's going to sit there until SPU decides that the Maple Leaf Reservoir cover works, then possibly do the same.]
Mayor says there will be and already are green standards in place that builders will have to follow. Woman wishes that Allen and Amazon would start talking about it and go further.
Woman wants to hear about more green buildings in SLU. All that Amazon square footage…no talk of making it green yet. Mentions the new Bullitt Center as a great model.
Resident not along on the walk asking about the very area we started the tour in: Blakeley/30th Ave NE/NE 50th St. How can we help this area.
Resident talking about some of Sisley properties now. Worth watching the Seattle Channel footage later for this interaction.
He’s talking about the 520 ramp area. Wants to make sure the land goes back to the arboretum.
“Hello. I’m Jorgen Bader. And I wanna get back to 520.”
There is a duo who apparently show up at every meeting. They are not Ravenna residents, as far I as I know. Among other things they have mentioned, loudly, they would like these town halls to be a requirement, by law.
Reminding a questioner about also talking to Councilmembers about issues as well: “I am not the sole person who makes decisions regarding mega-projects. I have discovered this.” Laughter.
First speaker concerned about billboards and advertising on bus shelters, and other city structures. Pedestrian-scale advertising. Next one mentioning the Do the Math tour the mayor appeared at (relating to fossil fuel companies and investing; learn more here: http://math.350.org/).
Seattle Channel is present and rolling.
About 40 folks in attendance. One with a poster board sign. One civically-minded toddler.
“What do you need, how can we help you” chats. With residents, businesses…putting it together into a larger vision for the city.
Mayor explaining the town halls and neighborhood tours. Eliminating the middle man and speaking directly to residents. “The little things matter.”
And now we’re at the community center. Sorry for the lag in blogging – turns out it’s tricky to bike and take pictures and type on an iPad. In the rain.
Talking 30th traffic issues, dumpsters at the north end.
Group headed up 30th Ave NE on bikes, got honked at by a motorist. We had a good laugh.
Mayor recommended working with SDOT and the OED of possible solutions for helping the area.
Counterbalance Bicycle guys talked about issues where B-G and Blakeley meet. RBCA president Sarah talking about Blakeley needing some love (“armpit of the U-Village”).
Mayor has arrived. Jenny Frankl from Department of Neighborhoods is the wrangler. Reps from Parks, SDOT, NE Greenways, and more.
Gathering now at Counterbalance Bicycles next to the Burke-Gilman Trail and Blakeley. Rain, rain, go AWAY.
Pictures from the Tour de Ravenna and a description of the rest of the day will be posted here later, as an update.