East Ballard Greenstreets Groundbreaking

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Dawn

Cari Simson and crew have done the official calculations, and according to the City of Seattle, The East Ballard Greenstreet swales and 9 newly planted trees will absorb and filter nearly 50,000 gallons of roadway runoff each year. This is equivalent to 1,000 bathtubs of polluted runoff captured each year.
This is no small feat for a grant-funded and community-led project developed through a $65,000 grant from The Russell Family Foundation. Once completed, the project will naturally filter runoff that currently flows unfiltered to Salmon Bay in Ballard.

Come join us at the Groundbreaking event on Monday Sept 21 from 9-10am on 11th Ave NW between NW 57th and NW 58th Streets to celebrate and learn more about green streets!

Come out to play and Do the ‘hood a solid on Saturday Sept 19

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Dawn

From 11am to 3pm, on Saturday September 19, 14th Ave NW between NW 58th St and NW 59th will be closing to vehicle traffic and open to a party in the street celebrating Ballard Summer Parkways.

Enter the Land of East Ballard, visit the 6 stations on “How to Grow a Park”.
Leave knowing how to git ‘er done in any ‘hood.

Share the idea – Become a part of park history by sharing your answer to “What’s the best thing about parks?” Decorate your answer to be displayed on the Idea Wall. Got a name suggestion for the new park? Share it here as well!
Team up – Browse the creative wonders of Blowing Sands Glass Studio, get to know uber-local artists, and acknowledge our community partners.
Be Tenacious – View the latest drawings for the 14th Ave NW Park, chat with our landscape architect from Mithun, and learn about the history of this 10-year-in-the-making park from neighbor, architect, and idea catalyst, Peter Locke.
Host events – Make a memory photo with friends and family faces poking through the Head-in-Hole Adopt-A-Street event scene.
Embrace change – We didn’t get what we asked for, but we want what we got.
Celebrate – Sit and chat over complimentary lemonade or coffee in the Celebrate Cafe’.

Heaps of time and resources have been donated already by skilled neighbors and generous businesses. To pull this off successfully on Saturday, we need your help.

Start accumulating points in the Solids Bank today. Pick a specific task at a specific time from the list below. Contact Shannon at shannon.meredith.dunn@gmail.com to make it official then head out to play in the land of East Ballard.

Day	Time	Task
Anytime!	Anytime!	Groom east & west bioswales and Median at 14th Ave NW and NW 58th
Thurs or Fri	bet 7am & 5pm	Pick up 12 delineator posts from National Barricade at 6518 Ravenna Ave, NE.
Fri	after 4pm	Sweep area around median and crosswalk at 14th Ave NW and NW 58th
Sat	8-9am	Pick up 24 helium balloons from Fred Meyer and deliver to 14th Ave NW and NW 58th
Sat	8-9am	Position 12’x6′ chain link fences for station displays
Sat	9-10am	Set up Celebrate Cafe’ – layout astroturf, set up cafe’ tables & chairs and position garbage/recycling/yard waste containers
Sat	9-10am	Balloon installation – distribute and attach per layout
Sat	9-10am	Sign placement – 6 station signs, Land of East Ballard entrance sign, signs for median memorial plaque and sculpture
Sat	3-4pm	Gather all mounted display materials from each station to central location
Sat	3-4pm	Gather all in-ground signs to central location
Sat	3-4pm	Secure all Alexander Rental equipment to central location: 6 cafe’ tables, 24 chairs, 2 bike racks, 2 pedestal tables
Sat	3-4pm	Gather all equipment borrowed from Kelly and Geoff: 2 folding tables, 10 folding chairs, 2 dog bowls
Sat	3-4pm	Gather 12 National Barricade delineator posts and return to 6518 Ravenna Ave NE
Sat	3-4pm	Take down canopies and gather in central location
Sat	3:30-4pm	Collect and secure fence panels when all mounted material has been removed
Sat	3:30-4pm	Tidy site and dispose of garbage/recycling/yard waste

Join neighbors Aug 22 to walk the proposed 6th Ave NW Greenway

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Dawn

West Woodland Neighbors & Seattle Neighborhood Greenways are co-hosting a walk along the proposed 6th Ave NW Greenway on Saturday Aug 22 meeting 9:30am at 6th Ave Pocket Park (NW 76th & 6th NW) *or* 10am at Cafe Bambino (NW 65th & 6th NW)

The purpose of this walk is to build enthusiasm and support for safety improvements along 6th Ave NW. Safety improvements serve everyone, but particularly children walking to the several schools and preschools located along this corridor and elderly people who have chosen to age gracefully in place in this neighborhood.

The three most difficult areas to address financially and from an engineering perspective are the street crossings at NW 65th, NW Market, and NW 43rd crossing at Leary Ave NW.

The walk will start at NW 76th and 6th NW and travel the Ballard Summer Parkways route that will go along 6th NW between NW 76th and 58th.

For those who prefer to start further south the group will meet up with people at NW 65th (Cafe’ Bambino) at 10am and will continue walking and talking down 6th Ave NW, pausing for a while to discuss crossing improvements possible on NW Market and on NW Leary. This 1.5 mile walk is downhill.

In order to build safe streets, people who live on the street need to advocate strongly for improvements.

Making 6th Ave NW safe for all ages & abilities is Seattle Neighborhood Greenways District 6 priority for 2015

Remember to vote by August 4!

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Dawn

Your ballot for this year’s August 4 primary election should have arrived and if you haven’t already filled it out and dropped it off at the Ballard Library drop box, then you better tear open that envelope, review your voter’s pamphlet, grab your pen and get going, cause time is running out!

Washington state had a disappointing 31% voter turnout in last year’s primary election, which is actually higher than the national average, but is that really something to be proud of? We can do better! Primary elections aren’t exciting, because you’re not directly voting anyone into office, you’re just helping decide who the top two candidates will be on the ballot for the November election. But, do you really want such a small number of voters making those decisions for you? We didn’t think so!

We’re not going to tell you who to vote for, but here’s some information about this primary election, in particular, the District 6 City Council election, that may help you better understand the significance of your vote in this election.

This year, voting for Seattle City Council positions will be by district, a result of a measure Seattle voters passed in 2013. In this primary and the general election in November, voters will elect seven out of nine councilmembers by district. The remaining two positions (8 and 9) will be elected “at large” (citywide).

If you live in East Ballard, then you’ll be voting for a councilmember to represent you in District 6, which covers Green Lake, Phinney Ridge, Greenwood, Ballard and Fremont. That’s a lot of neighborhoods with very different interests and needs! There are 4 candidates running to represent you in District 6 (3 of them live in Ballard). The top 2 vote-getters will appear on your November ballot:

City of Seattle Council Position No 6 Primary Candidates
Stan Shaufler (no campaign website)
Mike O’Brien
Jon Lisbin
Catherine Weatbrook

If you want to learn more about these candidates than what’s provided in the voter’s pamphlet or on their campaign websites, check out the Seattle Channel’s Video Voter’s guide for District 6 where you can view statements from the candidates. If you want to learn more (which you should), view the candidate forum that took place at the Phinney Neighboorhood Center on June 6. The forum will give you a really good idea on the issues that are important to your candidates and should help you decide who’s going to best represent what’s important to you when their in office.

Although this article focuses on the District 6 City Council primary elections, you will also be voting for the District 8 and 9 at-large positions, Director of Elections, and Commissioner Positions 2 and 5. Check out the Seattle Channel’s online voter guide for more information about these candidates where you can view individual statements and watch recorded forums for the at-large City Council and Port of Seattle races.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and make difference. Vote today (or at least by August 4!)

Support Groundswell NW at Reuben’s Brews this Thursday

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Dawn

Groundswell NW has been the fiscal sponsor and mentor for the East Ballard Community Association since our inception. By joining us at Reuben’s Brews at 5010 14th Ave NW between 3PM and 9PM this Thursday and raising a pint (or 2) in support of Groundswell NW, you’ll not only be supporting the East Ballard neighborhood, but also supporting the great Parks and open spaces in NW Seattle!

Bring the kiddies along as well. There’s usually a food truck right in front or order a pizza from Zeek’s from the taproom and you’ll get 15% off your order.

We’ll see you there!

East Ballard’s on the map for Ballard Summer Parkways

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Dawn

Mark your calendar for Sept 19 from 11am-3pm for a day full of fun and exploration of Ballard’s parks (present and future), greenways and even a festival!

Imagine… 7 miles of open streets and a beautiful Saturday afternoon to walk, run, play with the kids, ride bikes, and do whatever you want! Sound amazing? Well, on September 19 that’s exactly what you get. Explore streets being considered for bike and people-friendly transportation upgrades. Come walk and ride the loop and share your ideas for the future of Ballard.

From what we’ve learned, there are going to be a ton of activities across the different parks on the map, including chalk artists, buskers, puppets, clowns, plant giveaways, music stages, skating, food trucks, a climbing wall, petting zoo, ice cream, yoga classes, and so much more! Not to mention the big Sustainable Ballard Festival at Ballard Commons Park!

There will be a stop along the future 14th Ave NW Park. The EBCA will start planning activities for this site this week and would love to get your best ideas for what we can do for this event. Our first planning meeting will be this Wednesday July 22 at 7pm. If you’d like to join in, please contact Dawn at eastballard@gmail.com

UPDATE!
The volunteer portal is live via the Cascade Bicycle Club website’s Summer Parkways page.
Volunteers will receive delicious snacks, water and a cool Summer Parkways t-shirt! The City is also offering stipends to groups, teams, clubs, bands or other aggregates of people that would like to volunteer en masse. Know a team that needs some funds to support their cause? Please have them contact summer.parkways@cascade.org to arrange to volunteer as a group.

East Ballard GreenStreet planned for construction in September

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Dawn

Good things take time.
Cari Simson’s team has been persistently working to complete the East Ballard GreenStreet project since 2013, when The Russell Family Foundation made a generous grant of $65,000 to Antioch University Seattle to launch the project. The goals are to site, design, permit, and build one block of voluntary roadside rain gardens along 11^th Avenue NW at 58^th Street in the East Ballard neighborhood as a pilot demonstration for voluntary green stormwater infrastructure (GSI).

The East Ballard GreenStreet project seeks to:

develop a low-cost, replicable method for community groups, blocks of neighbors, or businesses to prevent pollutants from urban areas from discharging into nearby water bodies like Salmon Bay;
leverage community, government and NGO collaboration to create voluntary green stormwater infrastructure projects that capture, slow and filter polluted runoff via roadside swales planted with native vegetation;
develop best practices for implementing green stormwater infrastructure at the neighborhood scale, including guidance on design, construction and maintenance.

In September/October 2015 we intend to complete the project!
The original plan was to complete the Roadside Rain Gardens project by the end of 2014. However, there were significant delays in the permitting process, plus the project required a Street Use Street Improvement Permit (SIP); the project added complexity because this is a unique design project that the City previously has not done in partnership with community organizations. From 2013 through 2015, Cari’s team has been working with the City to clarify the steps needed for communities to voluntarily build rain gardens in the City’s right-of-way. City officials agree that there is a need for a cost-effective, collaborative, and streamlined permitting process and outreach protocol.

You are invited!
The project’s progress will be visible and educational at all phases and you are invited to participate. A local licensed/bonded excavation company will be hired to construct the roadside rain garden cluster along 11^th Avenue NW (September 2015). The tasks will include removing the eight ornamental pears, sod and some soil, and then placing rain garden soil to create the swales; Ballard neighbors and Plant Amnesty will be contacted to find a new home for the trees. 9 new trees will be planted in the swales, and we are seeking locations for an additional 9 street trees that will be planted in the neighborhood per the city’s 2-to-1 Urban Tree Canopy code. If you want to sign up for a street tree in front of your house, please contact Cari via the contact info below!

Volunteers of all ages and abilities are invited to plant the rain gardens and add mulch to stabilize the soil (October 2015). Cari’s team will also provide education as part of the volunteer work day about rain gardens, soil health, natural yard care, and NW native plant palettes.

There will also be a family-friendly “Discover your Neighborhood Watershed” walking tour of the 11^th Ave NW urban watershed in the blocks surrounding the project site, including how stormwater affects the health of Puget Sound, and how citizens’ direct actions can improve the health of our waterbodies, and showcase examples of green infrastructure, including cisterns, rain gardens, and natural yard care. So far, project partners include the East Ballard Community Association, Ballard High School, Surfrider Foundation, Stewardship Partners, and Sustainable Ballard. The Muckleshoot Tribe’s Preservation Department has also been contacted about the historic significance of the creek that used to run into Salmon Bay where 11^th Avenue NW is now located. We will also seek out partners to help during the final stages of the project to design and install interpretive signs that illustrate and describe how the project works, the native plants in the ground, and how residents can get involved to keep water clean in Salmon Bay.

Participate and stay in touch!
Facebook.com/Eastballardgreenstreet
Cari Simson, Project Manager 206-234-5102 / cari@urbansystemsdesign.com

This project is funded through a grant from The Russell Family Foundation with support from Antioch University Seattle, The Washington Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and East Ballard Community Association

Other GSI around you:
The City of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has been working on the Ballard Natural Drainage System (NDS) to site, design, and construct a much larger scale project in Ballard’s Loyal Heights neighborhood, which aims to help prevent an average of 1 million gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater per year from entering the Ship Canal and Salmon Bay. More info on the SPU project can be found here: http://www.seattle.gov/util/environmentconservation/projects/ballardnaturaldrainage/

King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD)’s RainWise rebates have also been available in the E. Ballard neighborhood, but are due to sunset later this year.

Check out the City of Seattle/King County GSI web page for more information on more GSI around you! http://www.700milliongallons.org/

Don’t miss the 8th Annual Phinney Ditch Block Party July 18

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Dawn

Have you heard about the Phinney Ditch Block Party yet? It’s only the talk of the East Ballard Neighborhood! Last year’s event brought neighbors, friends and family together along 6th Ave NW between NW 62nd and NW 65th for some good ole fun for everyone. There was live music, papier mache’d bikes for pie jousting, noodle fights, spam carving and lots of food and drink to share. This year’s activities are going to be a blast, so get this on your calendar today. Plan to just stop on by after 3PM on July 18 and join in on the festivities! Keep up on the latest updates for this event and RSVP on their Facebook page. Still not sure you want to go? Check out pictures from last year to see what the party’s all about.

Where to stay cool and things to do in Ballard this weekend

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Dawn

cool off this weekend at the Ballard Commons Spray Park. pic courtesy of seattle.gov

It’s going to be a scorcher this weekend with temperatures expected to be in the high 80’s by Saturday. The City of Seattle has even issued an Excessive Heat Warning, and in response has ensured that several public places will be open to the public to take refuge from the heat.

In Ballard, you can stay cool at these locations:

Ballard Library (5614 22nd Ave NW) – 206-684-4089
Ballard NW Senior Center (5429 32nd Ave NW)
Ballard Commons Park Water Spray Park (5701 22nd Ave NW, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

For a complete list of cooling centers open this weekend in Seattle and tips on keeping yourself and your pets cool, check out the City of Seattle’s website.

walk or ride your bike this Saturday visiting edible gardens! pic courtesy sustainableballard.org

Since it will be such a beautiful day on Saturday, what better way to spend it than taking a walk through the West Woodland/East Ballard neighborhood visiting edible gardens and supporting Sustainable Ballard? The 7th Annual Sustainable Ballard Edible Garden tour is a must attend event where you can get ideas from your neighbors on what could be possible in your own garden! Sign in anytime between 10am and 3pm and get your $10 ticket plus a map at West Woodland Elementary (5601 4th Ave NW).

Be sure to bring the sunscreen, a floppy hat and a bottle of water to stay cool on your walk or ride through the neighborhood, then, when you’re done, head over to Ballard Commons Park and cool down in the Spray Park!

Ballard Corners Park Work Party June 27

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Dawn

photo from the work party in Spring – photo cred to Ballard Corners Park

The Friends of Ballard Corners Park invite you to a work party!

Ballard Corners Park Work Party
Saturday June 27 9AM-12PM
17th Ave NW and NW 63rd
rain or shine!

Some tools and refreshments will be provided. If you have your own gloves and tools please bring them. Any questions, please contact Gabriella: gabriella@seanet.com. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!