Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

summary:

Plan a gathering/art/connection space to bridge the two 'hoods. More at: http://columbiacitizens.net/gateway:welcome

Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

MissJenn 1192575466|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

There have been a few grass roots neighbors spearheading this project. (Hurray, Marin, and the others!) Is there a webpage that is devoted to this project specifically? If so, please point me there.

If not, can this forum post be that?

There is a second community meeting coming up. Here are the details for that, which I got from Dylan's post to the Hillman City Yahoo Group.

Pomegranate Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project
Neighborhood Meeting
Tuesday, October 23rd
6:30-8:30pm
Whitworth Elementary School
5215 46th Ave South

Snacks & Childcare available

This is the second community meeting to plan a gathering/art/connection
space to bridge the two neighborhoods. All are welcome!

This project is organized through the Pomegranate Center:
http://www.pomegranate.org

As one member of the Hillman City list attested after the last
meeting: It should be fun!

Hope to see you!

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Re: Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

MissJenn 1192812099|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

The people closely involved with the project have given me info to get a page going. More to come…

Re: Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

MissJenn 1192915763|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Re: Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

MissJenn 1192916786|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

(The notes below were just passed along to me. I did not write this. Thanks to the person who did!) - Jenn

---

Meeting Notes from Sep 25 ad Sep 30, 2007:

Join in the fun! We will be clarifying the ideas that were brainstormed at the last community meeting. The Pomegranate Center will help us hone our collective thinking into a clear strong idea that will be “feasible, creative, and reflect our values. Help us figure out what that is. See you at the Whitworth School.

Below is a smattering of the ideas shared at Community Meeting on Sept. 30, 2007.

Traffic/Pedestrian Safety

1. Rumble strips @ crosswalks
2. Green-ing the street
3. Making rainier more walkable (art, structure, inviting to children)
4. Hand-touched & lit bus stops
5. Curb cuts @ 90degrees
6. Slow traffic down
7. Repetition, safety culture
8. Bike lane on rainier
9. Partner with road reconstruction (re-striping)
10. Widen sidewalks and slow traffic

Honoring Diversity

1. Design that requires participation of diverse groups
2. Faces & people of everyday
3. Make neighborhood stories more visible – daylight faces)

Interactive

1. Kinetic crosswalk
2. Inlaid mile markers w/ walking map
3. Meandering impact
4. Inlaid pavement stories
5. Treasure hunt a long rainier
6. Lights, storytelling , sound
7. Repetitions, performance art
8. Evolving, changing, living artwork
9. Physical space connections (pushpins)
10. Interactive, replay / focal points on rainier
11. Inter-gathering place communication (fire)

Identity Distinction

1. Permeable boundary between Hillman & Columbia city
2. Signs that orient people to their community
3. Repetition, safety culture
4. Zipper (pulling apart & joining)
5. Annual match up

Connecting 2 Neighborhoods

1. Inlaid mile markers w/ walking map
2. Continuing of banners for Columbia to Hillman
3. Series of gathering places
4. Rest area between Hillman & Columbia
5. Glowing orbs along rainier
6. Light totem artwork
7. Zipper (pulling apart & joining)
8. Series of youth art installations (high quality)
9. Inlaid pavement stories
10. Treasure hunt a long rainier
11. Meet me at the (identity piece)
12. Light element as art
13. Gateway joining neighborhoods
14. Banner that spans Rainier
15. Annual match up
16. Focus on area between Hudson /Brandon
17. Permeable boundary between Hillman & Columbia city
18. Signs that orient people to their community

Inclusiveness

1. Faces & people of everyday
2. Series of youth art installations (high quality)
3. Repetition embracing drivers and pedestrians
4. Symbolic visual message

Landmark

1. Banner that spans Rainier
2. Signs that orient people to their community
3. Restore Hillman city fountain (Orcas & Rainier)
4. Meet me at the (identity piece)

Honor History

1. Restore Hillman city fountain (Orcas & Rainier)
2. Daylight historic brick crosswalks

Alternative Transportation

1. Bus shelters, benches, bike path & flex car
2. Free bikes with space /racks
3. Bike lane on rainier

Urban Nature

1. Green-ing the street
2. Flowering plants off posts (plants that attract wildlife)

Evolution/ Transformation/ Flexibility

1. Evolving, changing, living artwork

Collaboration

1. Partnerships with storeowners and occupants of Rainier
2. Encouragement for store owners to beautify streets

Beautification

1. Beautification /maintenance along rainier

The next Meeting: October 23, 2007.

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Re: Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

MissJenn 1193016896|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Here's a wiki page to get the word out a bit more: http://columbiacitizens.net/gateway-project

Re: Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

MissJenn 1193166237|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I am told that there will be signs near the entrance of Whitworth School which is on 46th, more signs leading you up the stairs, then left down the hall, up some more stairs and left again a few doors to the 3rd floor Library.

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Re: Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

MissJenn 1193776981|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Nov. 6th : 6-8pm @ SEED, 5117 Rainier Ave S - Planning Group Meeting
Review 2nd Community Meeting experience/process/list of proposals generated.

Dec 4th : 6-8pm @ SEED, 5117 Rainier Ave S - Planning Group Meeting:
Plan Community Design Workshop / Charrette.

All interested parties are welcome to attend, even if you are not in the Planning Group.

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Re: Project seeks to unite Columbia and Hillman City neighborhoods

Anonymous (24.19.7.x) 1194130261|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

"Project seeks to unite Columbia and Hillman City neighborhoods"
in the Beacon Hill News & South District Journal
By Josh Sabrowsky
10/31/2007

In many ways, Columbia City and Hillman City exist as two unique and autonomous communities - bridged only by the lone road that connects them. Rainier Avenue South functions as the most convenient link between the two areas, yet community members are still hesitant to traverse the roadway on foot.

Read more at the Beacon Hill News & South District Journal online.

A few more ideas for the list

Anonymous (63.226.193.x) 1194737476|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Slow the traffic down.

Continuous street trees all down Rainier, and maybe box planters in the parking strip to give a feeling of some shelter from the traffic.

Slow the traffic down.

A neighborhood circulator shuttle bus from the light rail station to downtown Columbia City, Hillman City and Seward Park

How will the new developments make the street better? I hear concern about this. Maybe the Pomegranate folks could reach out to the developers and help influence their plans?

Street crossings like City Repair in Portland:
http://www.cityrepair.org/ir.html

How can the new transitional housing be made to feel less intimidating than it obviously does to some folks?

Is there some way to extend Beat Walk down the street? Is there a space for an outdoor stage somewhere?

Something with lights, lighting the way — maybe using solar lunar-resonant street lights (the kind that only come on when the night is dark, and stay dim when the moon is out)?

Create an annual neighborhood block party that shuts down Rainier and spans Hillman and Columbia Cities.

Widen the sidewalks

Add crosswalks and stoplights

Add street parking

Add a bike lane

Slow the traffic down! (which is really the biggest part of all this, I think. This is the elephant in the room — it's pretty unpleasant to walk on Rainier when the traffic's tearing by at 20 miles over the speed limit).

Re: A few more ideas for the list

MissJenn 1194936143|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Thanks for the ideas! A version of some of the thoughts above have been mentioned in the meetings, but other thoughts are definitely new and cool.

Regarding the traffic-specific comments: From what I am told, many of these were determined to be REALLY good ideas, but may be beyond the scope of this particular project, which hopes to focus on an artistic gathering space(s) of some sort. Traffic change along Rainier may have to wait until the MLK work is done or close to done.

(I have not been to all the meetings, mind you. Nor am I in the Planning Group. I'm just the megaphone.) :-)

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Re: A few more ideas for the list

scottplan 1195883852|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I LOVE this idea. Thanks for pointing to it.

double-click the image to run the video
If it doesn't render, check it out here instead.

You know, I understand that Rainier has been the focus here. But Columbia and Hillman neighbors generally walk to each others' neighborhood centers through the residential streets. Why not plant one of these in front of the Hillman City P-Patch and another over near Hitt's Hill?

Ian Gilman in Rainier Vista has posted some good ideas about traffic calming on his blog. He also mentions intersection repair.

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Re: A few more ideas for the list

Anonymous (70.58.72.x) 1200246240|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

"You know, I understand that Rainier has been the focus here. But Columbia and Hillman neighbors generally walk to each others' neighborhood centers through the residential streets. Why not plant one of these in front of the Hillman City P-Patch and another over near Hitt's Hill?"

That's a great idea. Maybe for a summer community project?

Summary of the Nov 6 Gateway Project meeting

MissJenn 1194937083|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Summary of the Nov 6 meeting (from Bree)

The goal: To synthesize all the findings from earlier meetings and identify a preferred approach.

Guiding Principles – reviewed the project criteria and explained how the values expressed by the community members should mold the final approach.

Refine Project Criteria - talked about the importance of defining short-term vs. long-term impact, originality vs. familiarity, and quirky vs. elegant design in addition to the guiding principles so that an early success could be achieved.

Review of Proposals that Emerged from Community Meetings - discussed the ideas that had emerged from previous meetings and challenged the steering group to brainstorm around these proposals. Encouraged the group to visualize specific concepts that would build on these suggestions instead of creating new ideas.

The two ideas that were presented were:

1. Dr. Suess Plant: an imaginary, created plant that would reside at 42nd and Rainier (the geographic middle of the project). Remnants of it could be scattered throughout Columbia and Hillman cities in some of the following ways:
   • Reflector pods stuck on buildings, bus stops, etc
   • Inlaid pods/shapes in the sidewalks
   • Other elements that could be incorporated
2. Alternative Powered Tree: a structure that would resemble a real tree featuring the following qualities:
   • Metal armature (pristine or recycled)
   • Lights (solar panels/leaves)
   • Interactive/kinetic elements

---

The concept of a zipper has been intriguing in these meetings:
- Imagine Rainier Avenue as a zipper.
- It connects the communities, block after block, all along it's length.
- It pulls the 2 sides (east and west) together.
- Conversely, it sometimes separates them.

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Gateway Project main web page

MissJenn 1196031711|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

The main page is now here:
http://columbiacitizens.net/gateway:welcome

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Re: Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

Anonymous (216.141.109.x) 1196273574|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

For more information about transportation improvments related to Rainier and other streets in the vicinity, check out the City's Southeast Transportation Study. While this is a long-range plan (20-years out), individual items may be completed earlier in that timeframe. I encourage the Gateway Project to stick with any recommendations regarding Rainier if they seem to be best for the project, while focusing more immediate action on smaller side streets. The more voices calling for action on Rainier, the more likely it is that these particular SETS recommendations will be implemented sooner rather than later.

—Pam

(The "project review package" available for download on the top right of the page is very large, but fun to browse through if you download. It's very graphic and easy to read.)

Re: Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

Anonymous (70.58.72.x) 1200246549|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Some people have talked about getting the city to take back all planning for Rainier from the state, and then working to systematically discourage the use of Rainier as a commuter route from the southern suburbs by slowing traffic down all along it's length, down through Rainier Beach.

Does anyone understand this process, and can they explain it?

Gateway Project: January 26 Design Workshop

MissJenn 1200370253|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Please come and join the Design Workshop on the schedule for January 26.
(Nice poster, Marin!)

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Re: Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

Anonymous (75.92.215.x) 1200983487|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Thanks to everyone that has been contributing to this discussion page,
attending the community meetings, and planning committee meetings!
I love what happens when people put their heads together.

There are so many great ways to improve the pedestrian experience along Rainier.
In the future there will be many opportunities to continue to impact what that experience is,
but in our efforts to shape an early success we have decided to focus on "The Spaces In Between"
as one of our predominant themes for our first pass.

Please join us on Saturday and help us refine the form as well as find/create the most compelling images to
translate the past view months of conversations into something tangible.

See you Saturday. (If you can't come during the day for the Design Workshop come for the Open House at 5pm.)

-Marin

Gateway Project Design Workshop and Open House

MissJenn 1201587026|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Neighbors got together and worked really hard this past Saturday during the design workshop which culminated in the open house, which was attended by more neighbors. Here are some photos, but there are more fun photos at Flickr. By following the link, you'll see captions with the photos and also notes embedded within some of the photos that provide more explanation. I think it is set up such that anyone can add more comments and more notes.

Good stuff!

.

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.

.

.

.

.

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Re: Columbia City / Hillman City Gateway Project

Anonymous (66.224.206.x) 1212597976|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Hello Gateway Project Participants –

After a bit of a break, we are ready to reconvene to talk about NEXT STEPS! We are hosting another group meeting at SEED (located at 5117 Rainier Ave S) on June 5th from 6-7:30pm to discuss the result of the community meetings and the recommendations made by Pomegranate Center (I will bring copies of the booklet they created – or you can contact me in advance to get a copy). Our goal for this meeting is to come up with a new/revised strategy for a project that focuses solely on the DESC site (for now).

I spoke to DESC and they are very amenable to us putting public art in the open area along 42nd, but thought that it might be better to approach doing the project as an add-on (ie. Not built into their current design due to permitting & construction schedule reasons). They also mentioned that the Rainier Valley Chamber of Commerce may be the new tenants for the corner space – and that they could potentially provide some new energy for this project!
If we can establish what kind of artwork we want on the site (something community designed/built, youth designed/built, or artist designed/built – decide on theme, functions, etc), I would be willing to write/submit a Small & Simple grant to the Department of Neighborhoods (due July 7th) with SEED as the project manager.

Please join us and help move this project forward!
- Abbey Norris, SEED Public Art Manager

PARK(ing) Day

Anonymous (66.224.206.x) 1215640466|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

SEEDArts and a group of volunteers from the “Gateway Project” are collaborating to participate in PARK(ing) Day on September 19, 2008. PARK(ing) Day is a “one-day, global event to highlight the need for more urban open space, rethink the way green space can happen, and improve the quality of urban human habitat”. For more information on 2008 PARK(ing) Day and to see some amazing pictures & videos go to: [http://www.tpl.org/parkingday/]

Our goal is to transform SEVERAL PARKING SPACES in along Rainier Avenue South in SE Seattle between Columbia City and Hillman City into temporary, urban mini-parks – and we need your help!

We are looking for TEAMLEADERS to lead a PARK-teams. TEAM LEADERS will be responsible for organizing volunteers to design, install, and monitor their parking space. Please email Abbey at [mailto:[e-mail]] by July 17th, if you are interested in being a TEAM LEADER. Think about ways to get your business or organization involved – there will be prizes! A meeting for ALL VOLUNTEERS will be held in early August – so start coming up with ideas!

We are also SEEKING CO-SPONSORS for this event to fund the cost of Street Use Permits, barricade rentals, and any supplies that are not donated. Please contact Abbey at gro.elttaesdees|sirrona#gro.elttaesdees|sirrona at [phone], if you would like to co-sponsor this event - you will receive LOTS OF RECOGNITION in printed materials & online!

Here is what needs to happen to make PARK(ing) Day a success!

1. Identify parking spaces to transform (in process, due to permitting)
2. SEED will apply for Street Use Permit from the City of Seattle
3. Design parks working with TEAM LEADERS
4. Find DONATED materials

• Cones/street blockade (rope, stanchions, caution tape, etc.)
• Astroturf/sod (tarps)
• Furniture (benches, lounge chairs, picnic blankets, plants, artwork, etc.)
• Activities (hula hoops, horseshoes, performers, wi-fi, etc.)
• Competition between Columbia City / Hillman City for the BEST PARK (with Prizes!?)
• Bring your ideas to the meeting in August!

5. Identify volunteers to help SET UP, MONITOR and CLEAN UP the parks
6. Distribute flyers and publicity materials about event
7. SHOW UP on September 19, 2008 and enjoy!

This project will receive city-wide and national publicity from it’s sponsor Trust for Public Land. They will be producing flyers to advertise the event in advance, as well as signage during the event and maps of “park” locations throughout the city.

WHO WE ARE:
SEEDArts [http://www.seedseattle.org/seedarts/] believes in the power of art in community building. We offer visual, performing and public art programs that inspire and connect residents in Southeast Seattle.

The Gateway Project formed out of a community-planning process with Pomegranate Center to design a gathering / art / connection space to bridge the Columbia City / Hillman City neighborhood.

Read other recent posts.