Political Brief: December 4, 2012

By Michael Sarko
- The Capitol Hill Times -

It’s a sad week for people who like controversial establishments with names in poor taste. The Washington Court of Appeals has upheld the 2011 order by the City to shut down Jiggles, a strip club in the north side Roosevelt neighborhood. The club was shuttered in March of 2011 for being in violation of zoning restrictions related to its proximity to schools, public parks, and other family-oriented spaces.

It isn’t 100 percent confirmed, but it looks like Capitol Hill is about to get another tall neighbor. A rezoning plan for South Lake Union endorsed by Mayor McGinn and City Councilperson Richard Conlin would raise the district’s height limit from 85 feet to 400 feet. The deal will allow the Vulcan real estate firm, run by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, to build three towers in South Lake Union. In exchange for the right to rise, Vulcan will transfer an acre of land it currently owns in the area to the City for the development of workforce housing.

There’s no shame in being passionate about sidewalks, crosswalks, and streetlights. The Seattle Department of Transportation understands those who get giddy about strategic applications of concrete. SDOT is now accepting proposals for the latest round of Neighborhood Street Fund Large Projects. The forms are all available here (http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/btg_nsf_large.htm), but your best bet for getting your idea into the right hands is to contact the East Neighborhood District (http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/districts/east.htm), because they will be part of the decision-making process for the finalists in January.