Read more about the article Rob Johnson Q&A on the HALA “Grand Bargain” Upzone of Wallingford
Rob Johnson

Rob Johnson Q&A on the HALA “Grand Bargain” Upzone of Wallingford

[Editor's Note: Thanks Eric, for this exclusive interview. For our readers, this post is longer than our usual format, but packed with a lot of good information.] Rob Johnson represents Wallingford on Seattle City Council and also leads land use issues for them, so nobody is more important in shaping how HALA ends up for Wallingford. The following Q&A is lightly edited for clarity. We very much appreciate Rob taking the time to address these questions with us, and look forward…

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Lincoln High School Community Meeting this Thursday

Seattle Public Schools will be renovating Lincoln High School and it will re-open as a permanent high school in September of 2019. Join Director Burke and SPS staff this Thursday, Oct 27 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM for a community listening meeting about the reopening. They will share plans have for the site renovation and restoration, while academic programming and student assignment plans are still developing. Come and share your concerns and ideas to help make Lincoln's opening a successful…

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Draft Zoning Maps Released for Wallingford

The city has released Wallingford’s draft MHA zoning map. Click here to download the PDF. Under this draft proposal, there would be no single family zoning left inside the urban village boundaries. The website includes instructions on how to interpret the map, which I recommend you read. In general, when you look at each zone on the map, our current zone is on the left and the new proposed zone is on the right. The most dramatic changes, where the city wants to…

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Hamilton Middle School portables – a student’s perspective

An article has already been written about Hamilton International Middle School's new additions, but here is an insider's perspective anyway. This is my third year at Hamilton. My experience has always been pleasant and the building itself, though somewhat annoying when I'm trying to reach faraway classes, has been a solid good. The portables that have taken over the Hamilton playtop have been designated for eighth graders such as myself. I have three classes in the portables as do many of my friends.…

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Join the Wallingford Community Council today!

The Wallingford Community Council (WCC) of Seattle is a neighborhood voice representing the greater Wallingford community through interactions with city government on land use, transportation, and parks. The WCC has monthly open meetings where all members of the community, including homeowners and renters, are encouraged to participate. Whether you are a novice or expert in city issues, we need your input and participation to make Wallingford a better place to live and work in. You already know what a special place the Wallingford…

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Another Look at the Proposed 2016 Housing Levy

On May 2, 2016, I posted an article on the proposed 2016 housing levy expressing my concerns about the rationale used to determine the amount of the levy, which was double the expiring levy passed in 2009. The mayor's proposal calls for $201 million vs. $104 million, which was the cost of the expiring 2009 levy. The proposed levy will only deliver 2,150 new units and 350 retrofitted units, which is less than the number of units delivered under the old levy (see…

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Backyard Mushrooms and More Urban Orchard Fun

Ruth from the Freeway Estates Community Orchard (FECO) let us know that fungi fun will be mushrooming at FECO this weekend when mushroom coaches help future backyard mycologists (that's you!) learn about the art of mushroom growing. Sound Transit recently removed two beautiful Scarlet Oak trees near Roosevelt High School in order to make way for light rail. Rather than let that wood go to waste (and since oak is perfect for growing several different varieties of edible mushrooms), FECO teamed up with Roosevelt…

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