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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-03 Hazelnut Newsletter - Volume 9 No. 1H A LAT UT Volume 9 Number 1 GARY VAN DUSEN, MAYOR March 1988 Mayor Van Dusen welcomes you into his office. MAYOR REVIEWS STATE OF THE CITY As we begin 1988, the overall state of the City continues to be good. Our economic base has stayed strong and we are thus able to continue to provide a high level of munici- pal service to all of our citizens. There are a number of issues which the City will face this coming year, and I urge you to let me know your thoughts about any of them as they arise. Some of the major issues include: 1. The potential use of the Black River Quarry for a County solid waste incinerator plant. The City opposes this and will con- tinue to work against it. 2. Fire District No. 1 Annexation Petition. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement has been released. Citizens are urged to review and comment on it. 3. A transportation policy plan and compre- hensive transportation plan are both well under way. These plans will address the policies and projects the City should under- take over the next several years to meet transportation needs. 4. The Parks and Open Space Plan will be updated this year, including the priority list of park projects that the City should under- take in the coming years. These are only a few of the issues facing the City, and this list in no way diminishes the importance of other matters which we will consider, such as zoning revisions, park developments, intergovernmental coopera- tion, service and capital improvements. In addition to these policy issues, there are a number of major street and utility improvements which will be constructed this year. Some are already under way. (Continued on Page 4) MAYOR'S MESSAGE Many citizens have commented to me on several issues or problems they perceive within the City. Many of these concerns deal with future policies that will be formulated by the City Council. The impacts of these decisions may personally affect you or they may not. Have you had problems with dogs? A possible solution is a stronger animal control ordinance. We should all be con- cerned with the potential siting of a garbage - burning incinerator in the Black River Quarry. The impacts and questions related to the possible annexations to the City of the Allentown, Duwamish, Riverton and Sea - Tac areas are extensive and complicated. What are your concerns and comments? You now have a special opportunity. The City Council is having a Town Meet- ing/Open House on Monday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m., for you—the voters and taxpayers of Tukwila. It is your opportunity to become informed and make your input known on these and any other issues you want to raise. This is my message to you: Attend and let us know your position! Mayor Van Dusen Background is future home of Beyer sculpture BEYER SCULPTURE NEAR COMPLETION The Cougar at Hazelnut Park is slowly becoming a reality. The Arts Commission has received word that the Richard Beyer sculpture will be ready by the first of May. A dedication is being planned as part of Tukwila Days 1988. OPEN HOUSE MARCH 28, 1988 Are you happy with your City govern- ment? Are you satisfied with your City serv- ices? Would you like to ask the folks at City Hall questions you'd like answered? To find out, we're offering coffee, cookies and a receptive City Council at an Open House at City Hall, 7:00 p.m. on March 28. We want to hear from you! The City Council and Mayor will be on hand to meet, listen and talk with you and exchange views on what's going on in the City. This is a time to really find out about rumors you've heard, and to meet or get reacquainted with your Council and Mayor. The only agenda we'll have at the Open House will be the issues you want to talk about. Dangerous dogs, adult entertain- ment establishments, annexations, street repairs, garbage incinerators, recycling and neighborhood crime are all potential subjects. The Open House will also be a chance to meet our three recently -elected Council members. Our doors are always open, and were anxious to hear from you. Come down to City Hall on Monday, March 28, and let us know what you're thinking. Mae Harris, Council President IMPORTANT NOTE! At present there are no residents of North Hill (old Tukwila) on the Black River Quarry Coalition. Because this area of Tukwila overlooks the Black River Quarry and will probably be im- pacted the most, it is important that citizen volunteers from this area serve on the committee. Please remember that the ultimate decision factor in siting any incinerator is most likely to be political pressure. Tukwila citizens must be represented on any citizen task force. For further information, call Mayor Van Dusen (433-1805) or Rebecca Fox (433-1845). RECONSTRUCTION OF INTERSTATE 405 Interstate 405 widening project will affect all of us. The Washington State Department of Transportation has awarded a contract to reconstruct Interstate 405 between Tukwila and south Renton. The reconstruction will include the addition of transit/carpool lanes on 1-405 in both the southbound and the northbound directions, and the addition of collector -distributor lanes at the intersec- tion of I-405 and State Route 167. The transit/carpool lanes are being added to meet the growing transportation needs in the area, according to Project Engi- neer Terry Paananen. During the planning process, an assess- ment was also made of the existing 1-405 pavement near Tukwila and south Renton, and it was found that the existing pavement would soon need to be replaced. This recon- struction of the pavement was combined with the transit/carpool lanes project in order to concentrate the work, allowing crews to move in and complete the work all at once. The benefit is that neighboring com- munities and motorists will be inconven- ienced for a shorter period of time. Initial work on this project is expected to begin in early March, and will take at least two and one-half years to complete. The total project can be viewed in three major stages. During the first stage of work, crews will be building a new on-ramp between south- bound 1-405 and northbound 1-5, as well as widening the bridges at Lind Avenue South- west and at Christensen Road, which cross over 1-405. Both roads will carry traffic throughout the construction work. Also during the first stage, a new south- bound lane will be added to I-405 between 1-5 and State Route 167 (Valley Freeway). The second stage of construction will be the rebuilding of the northbound roadway of I-405 between Tukwila and south Renton. During this work, both northbound and southbound traffic will travel on the existing southbound roadway. During the final stage of construction, the southbound roadway of 1-405 will be rebuilt along the same section between Tukwila and south Renton. All traffic will be TUKWILA DAYS 1988 Mayor Gary Van Dusen has announced that Tukwila Days will be held July 9th through the 17th. A committee is presently being created and the Mayor invites interested members of the community to contact him. An organiza- tional meeting will take place in March and a tentative schedule of events will be avail- able in the next Hazelnut. Tukwila Days is an event for our commu- nity. Get involved now! CITY COUNCIL NEWS The City Council is moving ahead to meet the year's challenges and to make Tukwila one of the best cities for citizens to live and work in. We think we have a special place in the region and were working to keep it healthy, proactive and productive. Three new Councilmembers have joined us since last November. Joan Hernandez, Dennis Robertson and Clarence Moriwaki have already proven they're fast learners. They've brought with them many of the ideas and issues they heard in meeting citizens during their campaigns. In January the City Council met for a retreat to plan their year. In discussing is- sues, we listed about thirty subjects that we thought were important to the City and to citizens. We expressed support for annexations and for the possible purchase of park prop- erty. We also agreed that the City's Zoning Code and Comprehensive Plan need to be carefully considered for their applicability and appropriateness to today's standards, and that streets, sidewalks and street lights are all important to Tukwila's livability. In the months ahead well be looking at these and other issues, such as how to pay for our business district streets, what to do about garbage incineration and recycling, and how to manage our stormwater runoff. All of our City Councilmembers represent you. We're always happy to get your input in- dividually, at a committee meeting, or at our Council meetings. Your involvement in the City is crucial to its strength and vitality. Give us a call, and we hope to see you at our Open House on March 28th. Council President, Mae Harris 242-5359 Joe Duffle 244-4280 Ed Bauch 243-0774 Marilyn Stoknes 246-7235 Joan Hernandez 248-0260 Dennis Robertson 242-6373 Clarence Moriwaki 433-8539 switched over to the completed northbound roadway during this work. Kiewit Pacific Company of Vancouver, Washington, received the contract with a low bid of $38,250,528. The majority of the work is 90 percent Federally funded, with the balance being contributed by the state and some funding from the cities of Tukwila and Renton. CITY OF TUKWILA LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD Formed in 1987, the Library Advisory Board serves in an advisory capacity to the Mayor and City Council. The Board reviews all matters regarding library services and makes recommendations to the Mayor. These matters include promoting public awareness of library services, developing additional services, and library gift giving. All meetings of the Board are open to the public. Meetings are normally held the sec- ond Thursday of each month, at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall. The public is encouraged to attend and bring matters of concern before the board. City Hall may be contacted to obtain the exact date of the next meeting. The Board would like to make everyone aware that the Tukwila Library gladly ac- cepts all donations of books. City purchases piano for lobby of City Hall. Arts Commission welcomes you to enjoy playing it. ARTS COMMISSION MEETINGS The City ofTukwila Arts Commission has announced a change of their meeting days for 1988. Meetings will be held at 7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at Tukwila City Hall. Meetings are open to the public, and the commissioners would like to hear from the community. They are now in the process of setting up the 1988-89 "Music in the Cham- ber" series and their popular summer music series, "Peanut Butter & Jam". Your input is important. If you have suggestions for music or art for the City of Tukwila, please call Lynn Devoir at 243-5198. CHARITY FRAUDS The Police Department has received some recent complaints of possible chanty frauds where certain individuals are solicit- ing contributions over the phone for ads in a magazine to honor policemen killed in the line of duty or for contributions to such or- ganizations as the King County Crime Pre- vention Council. However, this is not a part of the King County Police Department but an individual using a similar name in order to solicit funds. CHECK FIRST! The charity swindler's pitch may be similar to the operation of a legitimate charity which is familiar to you. GET THE FACTS! Here are some ques- tions to ask: 1. Who is the solicitor? Get his name and address. 2. What is the full name of the charity? Is it affiliated with an organization you know something about? Can you contact someone at the parent organization about the solicita- tion? Get a name and number. What written information is available? Is there a financial statement? What is this organization's his- tory? 3. Where are the offices of the charity, the parent organization? Where are they regis- tered? With which agency? 4. When were they organized? How long have they been soliciting in your commu- nity? 5. How will the money be used? How much of your donation will actually go to the charitable purpose? If you suspect fraud, here's what you can do: 1. Don't donate! If the charity is legitimate, you can give later. 2. Make notes about what happened. Write down as many details as you can. 3. Ask the solicitor for a phone number where he can be reached. 4. Call your local police. The following are additional warning signals: 1. Immediate pick-up of donation follow- ing telephone solicitations. Most legitimate charities will let you mail in your contribu- tion. Suspect charities, using a "telephone boiler room" operation for solicitation, often send runners to pick up your money as soon as you agree to donate. 2. Cash only. No legitimate charity will refuse your check made out in the name of the charity. 3. High pressure tactics. Legitimate chari- ties don't twist arms. 4. Lack of information. If the solicitor is reluctant to answer questions and appears to know little about the charity, beware! 5. Name of the charity. Watch out for charities you've never heard of before, or those whose name is very similar to one you know about. 6. Lack of identification. If the solicitor won't tell you who he is, as well as his address and that of the charity, check it out! If you have any questions or desire more information, contact Crime Prevention Offi- cer Tom Kilburg at the Tukwila Police De- partment, 433-1808. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS UNDERWAY Macadam Road construction is under- way by the contractor, J.E. Work, Inc. Construction is on schedule, with the storm drain system completed and curb and gut- ter, sidewalk and paving about to begin. Southcenter Boulevard/Macadam Road signal is under construction by V&V Con- struction. All underground work has been completed and above -ground work is about to begin. Southcenter Boulevard reconstruction from 62nd Avenue South to the Christensen Road bridge will begin shortly. The con- struction contract has been awarded to M. A. Segale, Inc. Christensen Road bridge will be recon- structed with a new five -lane bridge by the Washington State Highway Department as part of the $38 million reconstruction proj- ect of I-405 from Tukwila to Renton. Strander Boulevard/West Valley Road intersection and extension is under con- struction by the developer which will pro- vide new signals and a Strander Boulevard extension east of the West Valley Highway to provide access to a new Jack -In -The -Box restaurant and another commercial devel- opment. Interurban Avenue between 56th Avenue South and 47th Avenue South is partially under construction by the devel- oper of the Ivy Hills apartment complex. This developer construction will be followed by a City project to complete the street improve- ments in that area. A new signal is being installed on Inter- urban Avenue at South 133rd Street by the developer of the Gateway project. This proj- ect should be completed by June. TOWN MEETING Open House City Hall March 28, 1988, 7:00 P.M. "ON-CALL" SECRETARIAL HELP WANTED • Do you want to earn some extra money? • Do you like to work occasionally, but do not want a full-time job? • Do you have clerical/secretarial skills? • Are you over 18 years of age? The City of Tukwila is establishing an "on-call" clerical/secretarial register. Indi- viduals interested in assisting with special projects, filling temporary vacancies, and assisting with heavy workloads are invited to call Personnel at 433-1831 or stop by Tukwila City Hall between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays. NO GENERATION GAP IN TUKWILA For the past several months the Seniors of Tukwila and the Preschool at the Commu- nity Center have been breaking the genera- tion gap. Every month the Preschool and the Senior Center staff get together and plan an arts and craft project that will be fun for both the Seniors and the Preschoolers. We have made placemats and pilgrims, decorated Christmas cookies, and made finger pup- pets. We usually plan it around a holiday so both groups can enjoy the festivities. This intergenerational program has proven to be a success and is enjoyed by all. We plan to coordinate it every month. For more information, call the Community Cen- ter at 243-5198. Reilly & Maloney will perform. MUSIC IN THE CHAMBERS The City of Tukwila Arts Commission has announced the final two performers for the 1987-88 "Music in the Chambers" series. April 19 - VIRGINIA MOORE Enjoy an evening of harpsichord music. She performed last year with the North - woods Wind Quintet. May 17 - REILLY & MALONEY We are fortunate to end the series with this popular Northwest duet. All concerts are free and are held at Tukwila City Hall, 6200 Southcenter Boule- vard at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please call Lynn Devoir at 243-5198. 11"liJ HAZELNUT PUBLISHED QUARTERLY By the City of Tukwila 6200 Southcenter Boulevard Tukwila, Washington 98188 BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID TUKWILA, WA. PERMIT NO. 12698 Black River Quarry site being considered by King County. SOLID WASTE REMAINS A BURNING ISSUE IN TUKWILA - CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT NEEDED! Despite what you may have heard, King County is still considering siting a large garbage incinerator at the Black River Quarry. Located in unincorporated King County, the Black River Quarry is immedi- ately across the Green River from Fort Dent Park, and Tukwila Hill. Tukwila considers the Black River Quarry a poor choice for a garbage incinera- tor due to the plant's environmental impacts on the large numbers of people who live and work nearby. As directed by the Mayor, City staff has been working over the past month to set up and facilitate a citizens solid waste group. Tukwila's primary goals in this regard are: 1) to have the Black River Quarry site re- moved from King County's list of possible incinerator locations; 2) to encourage waste -reduction and recycling efforts, and 3) to help develop a City-wide citizen group which will follow the solid waste process and communicate directly with King County. An organizational meeting was held on January 20, 1988. Since that time, the Black River Quarry Coalition (BRQC) has met several times with approximately ten citi- zens and a Tukwila staff person. The group is incorporating as a non-profit corporation. It is also forming subcommittees on educa- tion, governmental affairs and recycling. The BRQC's next task is to expand its organization and develop a funding base. MAYOR REVIEWS STATE OF THE CITY (Continued from Page 1) While they will be of great benefit to the City, they will inconvenience us during construc- tion. Patience and understanding is urged while these projects are in progress. They in- clude: Macadam Road widening and signali- zation; Southcenter Boulevard widening; North Hill water reservoir and pipeline con- struction, 56th Avenue South and 56th Place South; T -Line Bridge and I-405 Recon- struction (WSDOT); Foster Tennis Court re- habilitation; and South 180th and SR -181 intersection improvements. Reasonable actions have been taken to mitigate the negative impacts of these construction proj- ects on the community. I look forward to a productive 1988. As your mayor, I am committed to representing you to the best of my ability. The City of Tukwila has great potential, and I appreci- ate the willingness of so many citizens to pitch in and continue to improve the quality of life that we, as a community, have and enjoy. Sincerely, Gary L. Van Dusen, Mayor TOWN MEETING Open House City Hall March 28, 1988 - 7:00 P.M. Committee members are preparing a posi- tion paper to be used to contact business and citizen groups for ongoing support and membership. The Black River Quarry Coalition needs your support! Volunteers are sought from all of Tukwila, especially Tukwila Hill. It is important to have citizens like you and your neighbors involved, in order to affect decisions made by political bodies such as the King County Council. The City of Tukwila can voice its concerns on solid waste policies but, ultimately, the County decision -makers listen to you, the voting public. For further information, please contact Rebecca Fox of the Tukwila Planning De- partment at 433-1845. New entrance to Foster Golf Links REDUCED RESIDENTIAL GOLF FEES SET The City Council has a pleasant surprise for local residents. They have decided to provide City residents a reduction in the cost of greens fees at the City's Foster Golf Links. On April 1, 1988 , the present greens fees will increase to $10 for 18 holes of play and $7 for 9 holes. The special rates for residents of Tukwila will be $8 for 18 holes, $5.50 for 9 holes, and on weekdays for juniors and seniors, the fee will be $5 for 18 holes and $4 for 9 holes. In order to receive a fee reduction, each citizen must present a special "Tukwila Residential Golf Fee Card" at the time greens fees are paid. Each player must have his/her own card. They are not transferable to an- other person. The cards can be obtained only from the City Clerk's Office located at Tukwila City Hall, 6200 Southcenter Boulevard. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday except holidays. There is no charge for the card which will be valid for this calendar year only. Proof that the person is a resident of the City is required in order to receive a card. For the 1988 golfing year the cards may be obtained starting March 1, 1988. This is a special service to the residents of Tukwila only. If you have any questions, please contact Don Williams, Parks and Recreation Director, at 433-1843.