From library’s non-book freebies to Permitting Division’s noise-fighting efforts @ North Highline Unincorporated Area Council’s May meeting
By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor
Discussion of fun freebies from the King County Library System opened this month’s online North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, facilitated by NHUAC’s Liz Giba.
FREE MUSEUM/ZOO/ETC. LIBRARY: Children’s librarian Destinee Sutton was the first guest. She showed everyone how the library offers more than just books – start with the “books and more” tab on the KCLS website, and you’ll even find access to free museum, zoo, and park passes! Just use your library card. MOHAI, the Seattle and Bellevue Art Museums, the Museum of Flight, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Aquarium, MoPOP, the Washington Railway Museum in Tacoma, the Rhododendron Botanical Garden in Federal Way, and many more. Tickets open daily at 2 pm for a day two weeks in the future, Sutton said. “Some of them go really really fast – by 2:05 they are gone,” she warned, so you want to be ready to start trying right at 2 pm. Most have rules such as one free pass per venue per person per 90 days. State-park Discovery Passes also can be obtained. Frequently asked questions include, what about student cards? You can use those to reserve passes too – go to kcls.org/students to find out about that.
LOCAL SERVICES: Permitting director Jim Chan and external-affairs director David Daw were the next guests. Giba asked about the ongoing noise concerns with live music at Tim’s Tavern in downtown White Center. Chan says Tim’s was cited for code violations and they’ve been working with the establishment, including “giving them options on how to address the violations” which include noise and operating late. They need to either “remove those violations or legally pursue a permit” for them, and Tim’s is finalizing a plan, Chan said. He said that the county looks at violations first in terms of whether they’re risks to life safety or doing environmental harm – but if neither is involved, the code “allows due process,” giving the business time to pursue fixing it. “So we have not taken any steps to stop (what they’re doing),” Chan said. Giba said outdoor live performances would not be eligible for a permit, according to a letter fro a county official, “so basically the sheriff needs to go there and issue tickets?” Chan said he’s not aware of what other actions KCSO could take, but he said that there are many venues in the county that pursue that nonpermitted use anyway – wedding venues, concert venues, etc. Tim’s could explore temporary permits, Chan said. Giba said it sounds like Tim’s has options but residents do not. Chan said “we know there’s impacts” but businesses are given the chance to “mitigate for them.” Those permits are good for up to 60 days a year, though permits can be granted for shorter periods of time: “We can limit them, depending on the impact.” So where is Tim’s in applying for a permit? “Ready for the pre-application process,” Daw said, any day now. “They’re looking at moving forward in making improvements to the property … related to the sound level of the music.” They’ve been promising mitigation for a year,” NHUAC’s Barbara Dobkin pointed out. Daw said they did install noise-muffling curtains. And the county is confident that further mandatory modifications could resolve the issue. “We are sympathetic to the noise, you are not alone,” Chan said. They try to work voluntarily with the property owner, which is what’s happening now – as opposed to “if both sides lawyer up, this could drag on for a very long time, with no mitigation.”
Then they moved on to other topics. One attendee wondered how to find out about special events coming up in White Center in general. Chan said they’re creating a calendar but in the meantime, if you email him, he can send the list of what they know of. The Permitting division is involved with private-property events; a special-use permit from another team would be involved in, say, a street festival.
NHUAC’s Pat Price asked about some beautification measures, like kiosks, that had been discussed for downtown WC. The county reps said they’d check on it.
They also asked about the microhousing demonstration project that was going to be allowed in WC; nobody pursued a permit, Chan said, so nothing’s happening. Dobkin recapped the potential proposal that one developer had suggested, 60 microstudios with shared kitchens/baths, and there was an “overlay” in which that could have happened on any purchased property. The allowance for this is expected to expire, unfulfilled, with the new comp plan, Chan added. Giba said the originally considered property was around 17th/106th.
Later in the meeting, the guests announced that a new economic development director has been hired, Jesse Reynolds, who has worked for the county in other roles. No permanent director for Local Services yet (following John Taylor’s promotion to head the Department of Natural Resources and Parks).
KING COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE: Det. Glen Brannon, guest at most NHUAC meetings, joined in. He too was asked about the Tim’s issue; “it’s been noticeably quieter [lately] – I haven’t been getting any complaints recently,” he replied. He said the operators have told him they’re ending their events at 10 pm, among other changes. … KCSO is working with Sea Mar to “toughen up” the parking lot at 15th/Roxbury that’s been a draw for troubling activities; that will include fixing the lighting. … There’ve been property cleanups at the ex-Bartell Drugs building with the help of the West Seattle-based volunteer group A Cleaner Alki … Det. Brennon said they’re also looking at a cleanup for the ex-Roxbury Auto Parts store (still for sale) site. He said he’s trying to find somebody to haul away trash when cleanups are done. Daw will look into it. … He was also asked about semitrucks parked on the street. They (and other vehicles parked on the street) have to be moved at least once every 24 hours.
WHITE CENTER KIWANIS: The Kiwanis’s annual community steak dinner is coming up May 17 (portabella mushroom if you want a vegetarian option) at the White Center Eagles, with a silent auction, raising money to help “the kids in North Highline.”
NEXT MEETING: First Thursday in June – that’ll be June 6 – online, 7 pm, last meeting before NHUAC goes on summer hiatus.
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