Downtown Alley Code Amendment: It’s really elementary my dear Watson.
We’ve had it with broken promises at all levels of city government. This Alley Code Amendment is not an unreasonable request. It’s something that is long overdue in order to have functional design of loading, waste, and delivery facilities in downtown Seattle.
For District 7 Candidates, you have no excuse for “waffling” on the issue unless you really don’t support us and don’t have the guts to say so.
The Downtown Alley Cat Is On The Prowl: Episode 12
I went over to the alley behind Escala to take a look at a big truck sticking out of their loading dock and blocking all alley traffic. And sure enough, a picture of this truck belongs right at the top of any list showing why a downtown alley code amendment is absolutely necessary here in Seattle; and why none of these new pending high-rise projects downtown should be approved without demonstrating that large trucks such as this one will fit completely in their loading berth(s) and not extend out into the alley right-of-way.
Revisiting the Question: Is Seattle Still a Great City?
“By my grading [2016], Seattle scores six out of 11, at best”, said Westneat. "At my kid’s middle school, this would prompt an after-school retake.” So how has this changed since 2016, for the better, or for the worse? We went through the same list again this week, and we could only give Seattle a four out of 11, at best. "Whether it’s poor leadership, misplaced priorities or just a temporary struggle with too much runaway success, something’s not quite right.”
The Downtown Alley Cat is On the Prowl: Episode 11
When will this human madness end? As I walk different alleys to try to find a safe place for my family and me, I just find more of the same. The proposed tower at 2nd & Virginia [#3033067] will hold 1,000 people in condos, hotel rooms, restaurants and offices yet it has no working loading berths and no space for trash collection on the alley. It will share the alley with two other recent developments with no loading facilities. Between the trucks that line the alley and drivers trying to access 461 parking stalls, a worker on the block calls this alley a "nightmare.”
The Downtown Alley Cat Is Now On The Prowl: Part 10
As I walk the alleys of Seattle every day, I see more and more evidence of why an alley code amendment is long overdue. When I heard that the design team for the high-rise proposal at 1516-2nd Ave [#3032531] said they wanted to make the already busy alley behind the tower the "front door" of the building, I meowed under my breath “you cannot be serious!!!”
The Downtown Alley Cat Is Now On The Prowl: Part 9
My dad, Dac*, started this series of posts three years ago. Now that he’s retired, I have decided to come out of the shadows to continue his good work and share with you what I see today walking the downtown alleys. And I’m afraid it’s not pretty. If the Mayor and City Council don’t “see the light” and make some meaningful improvements to Alley Code, you’re going to see some real “cat fights” in these alleys (See what we need and why we need it at the end of this post). --*Downtown Alley Cat
Another Terrible Traffic Study: C’Mon Man!
The original TENW Traffic Study for First Light #3026416 at 2000-3rd Ave. and its Update of 1/3/19 (posted 1/16/19) are incomplete and misleading. The foundation of the study’s projection of future traffic volumes (and cumulative impact) is completely invalid having excluded the project’s closest tower neighbors .
One small step for man; one giant leap for downtown livability.
Huge win in Superior Court for downtown livability, as the 5th and Virginia’s (Douglaston) Appeal of the Hearing Examiner’s Remand on Daylighting/health issues was dismissed in Superior Court today. This means that the Hearing Examiner’s ruling stands that the city/developer must dig deeper into the health effects issue to Escala residents.
