Meeting with Councilman Mark Soloman
Meeting Notes for Saturday, March 8, 2025
In person and on Zoom. Jefferson Park Community Center
Attendance: 24 in person and 9 On zoom
Meeting Notes:
10:00 BHC Chair Maria reported on 2025 goals adopted at BHC Retreat.
Consistent with BHC mission, 2025 goals are:
Welcoming:
Physical Safety
Psychological safety
Diverse
Keep low-income neighbors in place (anti displacement, Seattle Comp Plan)
NEW - Safety response to Anti-DEIA and Mass Deportation
Healthy:
Continue to work on Airplane air and noise pollution
Fix the harm/no added harm (environmental safety, health, response to climate change)
Bike Safety planning middle and south Beacon Hill
Cooling Centers
Trees
Stronger Outreach to Neighbors
Improve BHC website
Try posting zoom link so meetings are easier to access
Hold in person meetings
Recruit new members
10:13 Maria introduced new D2 Seattle Council Member Mark Solomon, a 6-year BHC Council member. Shared 3 Ground rules for discussion (Be respectful, Share time, ask the question and not state your position) We have 45 minutes with CM Solomon so polled group topics of interests (Safety 7, Trees 7 and Air & Noise pollution – 8) so set aside 15 minutes for each topic.
10:15 Opening Remarks by CM Mark Solomon
He was appointed Jan 27. Introduced Thaddaeus Gregory, who is a land use attorney and his Policy Director. Mark reinforced that he means to be a caretaker for this position, and that he wants to advocate for the district without the distraction of running for office.
Discussion by topics:
1) Safety - lots of community concerns
Scott: Question about an unhoused man in his neighborhood living in his RV, what are the alternatives. CM MS: What kind of outreach has been done with this person? He reinforced that the city does not authorize anyone to put up no parking signs. There is no law against people living in your vehicle. Scott will give information to Thaddaeus.
Alex: Is there any movement in the city to have a space that is a safe lot for people living in their vehicles? CM MS: It became so expensive because of security. MS suggests why not have something like a KOA campground. Is there space in the city, but don’t want it to go in a space that is environmentally unsound, has to have community involvement.
Betty Jean: Humanizing those people has an impact as well. CM MS: get their name and use it.
Amy: what is happening on 12th & Jackson? CM MS: This is a high priority. He has meetings scheduled with community Leaders, including the Indian Health Board. The Navigation Center is going to be closing down, relocating to Pioneer Square, and he is trying to get everyone talking to each other. Some of the businesses at 12th and Jackson are involved in EBT fraud, black market going on. REI theft in Bellevue- stuff wound up on 12th and Jackson, need to address the people that are buying the stuff. Trying to address the human suffering. He wants to try to activate more positive activities in Wah Mee Park.
He is also talking to Parks about closing the parking lot at Jose Rizal at least during the night, since there’s a lot of nefarious activities that take place there at night. There are some concerns about parking in the area around the Pacific Medical Tower, but there are 2 parking facilities there. A comment was made that we might not have to worry about parking if we can have better public transport.
2) Comp Plan and Housing
Cliff: is the area next to his house on 39th Ave S to be upzoned? MS: He didn’t think this was Neighborhood residential, but not sure how it meshes with HB 1110. CM MS: He has been hearing a lot about the Comp Plan -
Ellen O’Leary commented that there had been a lot of pushbacks in the neighborhood when they were going to build the apartments at El Centro. There was quite a bit of community engagement, and we wound up with a great site
Jo asked if there a website where we can look at zoning plan, Thaddaeus gave her the information.
Online question - A caller who had moved her last year experienced some very disturbing episodes, including crosses on the lawn. The neighbor reported it but got no response. MS suggested she contact Detective Elizabeth Waring, who is dedicated to bias crimes, at Elizabeth.Waring@seattle.gov. He noted that she is the only police officer in the country devoted to bias crimes.
Scott reported that for outreach about the trees around McClellan, he felt the signs on the trees with a QR code were really helpful.
MS reported that he has gotten a lot of communication about the street trees and street crossings at Lucile.
Daniel Lee reported that Comet Lodge Cemetery was vandalized, he got in touch with a community outreach person, never heard back. He also discussed the road line painting on Graham Street, which makes it difficult to see. SDOT would be the place to talk. Thaddeus suggested that this is a good option for Find It, Fix It
Betty Jean Commented that the multiple lights at Columbian Way and Beacon Ave and Columbian Way and MLK, are very confusing, especially now that left turns from eastbound Columbian Way to northbound Beacon Avenue are prohibited. MS: Agreed that this is very confusing.
3) Tree Protection Ordinance
CM MS Commented that he is getting a lot of feedback about the trees in McClellan and Spokane. He suggested that they try to relocate these trees. He continues to be concerned about the loss of tree canopy.
Maria - reported that money had been allocated to purchase the Brick Pits reverts back to the sources because the deal fell through. The City Council has agreed to the purchase of a block at 17th and Walker, which the neighbors have been working on for 12 years. She also reported that we had a meeting with Nate Moxley, or the Office of Sustainability and Environment, concerning the $12 million that had been granted to Seattle for reforestation. A Zoom meeting with Nate and Beacon Hill tree advocates is scheduled for 3/13.
Sam O’Reilly - Asked about the elm on 39th Ave S which fell over in the bomb cyclone and is obstructing the sidewalk, forcing people to walk in the street. MS recommended the Find It, Fix It app, also he can get in touch with someone at SDOT
Scott - Why is Jefferson Park so sparsely populated with trees? MS noted that Jefferson Park is on top of a reservoir, which may be one factor, but good to bring up.
Mark Holland noted that many trees had been removed. There are cherry trees there that were donated by Japan, but many have been damaged by the maintenance crew. He also noted that Jefferson park was designed to have 24” of dirt, but there’s only 9” of dirt. He also mentioned that trees are blocking the viewpoint, which has a protected status.
Mira - Would like some sort of tax or something to help subsidize tree maintenance. She also noted that Seattle is the only city that applies MHA (Mandatory Housing Affordability) to all sorts of properties. This prevents people from building ADUs and DADUs. She noted that In Chicago, they are encouraging people to build to increase density by providing a $25,000 forgivable loan. Zoning doesn’t matter, unless you actually have the money to build. MS: This is a good issue for Council Member Cathy Moore.
CM MS wondered if the City could buy some of the lots with big trees and make pocket parks to help preserve tree canopy.
Alex noted that in Portland; to incentivize trees, you get a discount on your storm water runoff
Cliff asked who is responsible for the tree on 39th Ave S? Is it the property owner’s issue or SDOT’s?
4) Gentrification/Anti Displacement
CM MS - important to build generational wealth, he noted that he is living in his grandparents’ house. He noted that the Office of Community Development already has a lot of plans in place to help people stay in their homes. Many people don’t know what is out there and he wants to really promote this.
Mark Holland referenced the Institute for Justice, which discussed a couple of stories when the MHA has prevented people from building
5) Air & Noise Pollution
Maria reported that the SeaTac Airport Master Plan, SAMP, wants to expand more than 87,000 flights. Earthjustice is representing BHC and the Duwamish River Coalition. We have formed STACC4J (SeaTac Affected Communities for Justice) and submitted 7,000 signatures, many from BH. Unsure how it is going to go with the FAA in the current administration. Maria is also on a work group. Want to make sure there is some climate justice incorporated. Can try to get more sustainable fuel, constrained capacity. Congressman Adam Smith put in a bill for us on Airport Impacted communities. The port’s mission is economic vitality. The law speaks to the people in the airplane, not those living/working underneath it.
6) CM MS also addressed the issue of Less Lethal weapons for crowd control. Prior to this it was totally unregulated, so we needed to have something to address it for crowd management. The legislation mandates that the permission has to come from the top and the person who decides to use the weapon is the incident commander. It brings us in compliance with state law. We were not in compliance with CS gas. He stated that no officer wants to use blast bombs, however if that’s the only option, if all else fails you can use it. This was one of the last things that had to be addressed to get Seattle in compliance with the consent decree. Next thing he would like to tackle is getting the police contract in place, which is finally finalized, including a retention bonus. Still down 400 officers from where we want to be.
Simon asked how the city is doing hiring people that are not officers? CM MS: We have community service officers who are doing a lot of work to relieve police officers. We also now have a care team, which has been expanded citywide.
Public Meeting Ended
Beacon Hill Council Board
Present: Maria Batayola, Amy Kaminishi, Adam Vance , Simon Knaphus , Kalia Carter, Gerry Chambers . Quorum established.
Discussion about the Less Lethal Weapons letter and response. Not clear if CM Solomon responding for Council when addressing the letter. Need to follow-up with Council.
Discussed sending a letter about balancing keeping trees and neighbor safety when prioritizing sidewalks on Beacon Hill through the transportation levy. This will also note that at 22nd and Orcas, there is a traffic circle and 2 large trees which we would like to preserve.
Moved by Simon, second by Gerry, unanimously passed.
Letter to SDOT -Letters about trees on McClellan and on Beacon Avenue south. Maria will work on a letter that will address concerns from Whit, Gerry and Simon and note concerns of Sandy Shettler and Kevin Orme.
BHC In-person Meeting Place. Maria talked to Paul Dougherty, the manager of Jefferson Park, about trying to get the room for a community meeting. Paul offered asking Parks if we can have a meeting room on a quarterly basis for in person meetings. BHC established
Writing Grants. Maria says there are 2 grants available, Verity Bank, $5000 and Department of Neighborhoods microgrant. Maria to start cross training Kalia and Adam on grant writing.
Amy brought up that we do not have insurance in the event of a problem, especially if we start having food.
Planned BHC meetings for 2025:
Tue April 1 Zoom, 6:30 PM
Sat May 3 In person 10 AM to noon
Tue June 3 Zoom, 6:30
Tue July 1 Zoom, 6:30
July 12 - Beacon Arts Outreach
August off
Sat Sept 6, in person 10 AM to noon
Tue Oct 7 Zoom, 6:30
Sat November 15 Holiday party 1:30 - 4
Dec. 2 - Zoom, Board only
(Dec 6 Maria does a Community Report back at El Centro)
Discussed outreach for BHC board members:
Kalia/Maria and all input on Poster BHC with meeting times, and Call for Board members
Amy and Kalia to send to email and put on social media.
Gerry to work on putting up posters north to south BH with community volunteer
Discussion of trying to find a vice president–Adam will talk to Whit
Meeting adjourned 1:05
