Someday we might see some Spring weather. But right now it seems like January on the streets of Seattle’s East Precinct:

The name came from a tongue-in-cheek pronouncement, as a group of neighborhood friends hoisted drinks at what had become a monthly dinner out in Madrona.

“We’re the ‘Madrona Dining and Sipping Society’,” someone announced in a mock-snooty voice.

More than four years later, the name is official, though the group remains low key. Once a month, the members of the MD&SS meet at a neighborhood establishment to sample a pre-fixe menu, catch up with old friends and make new connections.

“There’s a cohesiveness that happens that’s bigger than just food,” says Audrey Seale, who has coordinated the dinners from the beginning.

The meals occur about 10 times a year – plus the annual summer barbeque at St. Therese’s – and the devotees have hit up pretty much every dining spot in the area at least once and often several times, including St. Clouds, Bistro Turkuaz, Dulces, Café Soleil, the former Cremant and some places further afield on Capitol Hill.

Next month’s event, which is already booked solid, is at newly-opened June.

“It’s a nice opportunity is to try out a restaurant,” Seale says, “and for the restaurants, they can count on a certain amount of business.”

In a departure from most Madrona events, which tend to be kid-friendly to a fault, the MD&SS is primarily child-free, though well-behaved teenagers are known to attend.

Those interested in getting on the mailing list for future events can contact Seale at [email protected]. There’s no website, logo or official newsletter – which, Seale says, should show other pocket neighborhoods that the success of the MD&SS can be easily replicated.

“All it takes is one person and an email list,” she says.

Some day neighbors in Madison Valley will be able to take strolls through a block-long piece of nicely landscaped trails, with benches and a water feature for kids to play in. But it won’t be this month.

The city has announced that the construction fences will stay up around the stormwater detention pond at 30th & Denny as they re-seed the grass in some areas “that are not flourishing” and wait for it to take hold.

They’ll re-evaluate the lawn conditions at the end of June and may remove the fences if the grass is strong enough to handle foot traffic.

Hey Scott-

After years in the CD I have moved to Freemont/Wallingford to be closer to my partner’s work. I really miss the local news, from and about my neighborhood, posted by you here at CD news. 

Do you know of any blogs, as good (or trying to be) as CD news for this area? I’d appreciate any info.

CD news is by far my favorite neighborhood blog and I would love any recommendation.

I am still a regular reader. I care about, support the businesses of and my heart is in the Central District.

The community there is amazing- thank you for many great years.

-Taxidermist

New taco truck has opened on 23rd and Union.  I peeled it in there today on the way home from work and had a couple of tacos.  I had one Carne Asada and one Chicken taco – both had great flavor.  Owner seems to be real nice.   Between this and the bbq truck in the key bank parking lot on Friday’s we are starting to have a few nice options for a quick snack or meal!  Anybody else been to the taco truck yet?  Thoughts?

Last night there was a public hearing at city hall to gather public feedback on a proposed update to the city codes for multi-family development.

You might ask “What is multi-family development?”

• Typically the places where you see townhouses and small apartments

• 7% of all land in Seattle
• A big chunk of the Central District

The rewrite of the multi-family code came about after more townhouses started to pop up in recent years. Many people disliked their design, in clusters of 4, 6, or 8-packs, their tall front fences, and the way they didn’t seem to fit into the pre-existing space.

As we told you last fall, architects looked at the issue and said that we’re basically getting what we asked for. Current zoning codes, last written in the 80’s, are prescriptive in what multi-family developments must have:

• Big setbacks and limits on structure width & depth force multiple structures into a group in the middle of the property
• Height limits and bonus for sloped roofs encourage craftsman-esque rooflines
• Ground-level open space requirements create tiny fenced front yards
• Off-street parking requirements result in first floor of most structures being devoted to garage, organized around a central “parking court”

As Huge Ass City reported yesterday, the proposed code updates will add more flexibility in designs, allow some height increases, and remove strict parking minimums. It will also add a new design review process for townhouse developments.

The proposal has its share of critics here in the neighborhood. An email sent to a Madison Valley email list cites issues with increased run-off, easier up-zones, and lack of community input.

What is wrong with the Council’s Lowrise Amendments

• keeps townhouse problem of unenforced access requirements, adds toothless design review
• focus on “flexiblity” radically eliminates yards, shared inner block open space, natural infiltration of storm water, and ability to contribute to the urban forest on private property
• new version with entirely new concepts vetted for all of one month 
• contradicts the Comprehensive Plan goals and policies: principles of urban village strategy,compatibility with surrounding patterns, predictability, and environmental goals; incomplete, improper piecemealing of review of all related changes; 
• rushed, no time allowed to test if standards are balanced, nor to analyze and disclose impacts.extremely complex,claims is to simplfy, yet increases the sets of standards from 5 to 15.
• rezones without required involvement of neighborhoods and notice to property owners
• predicated on unvalidated assumption that increased density increases affordability
• prematurely removes parking requirement in designated neighborhood business districts without any fiscal plan for Comprehensive Plan’s transit links,
• in addition, removes mitigation of parking problems under SEPA, even in centers with usual draws and no fiscal plan for Comprehensive Plan’s high capacity transit. e.g. Uptown/Seattle Center

Wondering whether these changes affect your immediate area? Here’s a handy map to tell you. The blue areas are Lowrise Multifamily areas that would be subject to the new requirements. (Orange areas are Neighborhood-commercial):

View Central District Zoning in a larger map

From the dampish streets of Seattle’s East Precinct

Yesterday Hollow Earth Radio announced that they’re leaving their attic in Wallingford and moving into a spot in Jean Tinnea’s building at 21st & Union. The space they’re taking over is just west of 2020 cycles on Union

The team of volunteers are trying to raise $3,500 by July 9th to pay for renovations to the space, where they’ll build a sound booth and rooms to house their editing gear.

The radio station is online-only and plays bands and sounds that wouldn’t otherwise get attention from commercial radio. 

Hollow Earth Radio Kickstarter Video from Garrett Kelly on Vimeo.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, a donor-supported mentoring organization, is looking for girls ages 11-14 for its one-to-one Community- and School-Based programs. In School-Based programs, girls meet with a volunteer at their school to play games, do homework, make crafts, or just chat. Community-based Littles meet with their Bigs two to four times a month to do fun activities like seeing movies, shooting hoops, playing video games, or visiting a zoo or museum.

Girls in the Community-Based Mentoring program could greatly benefit from additional adult guidance. Girls are referred to the program for many reasons, and many of them come from homes where quality adult attention is limited by single-parenthood, many siblings or transitional housing (including foster care). Whatever the circumstances, these girls need an adult in their lives who is caring, consistent, knows how to listen, and a good role model. Research shows our programs are working: compared to their non-mentored peers, Little Sisters are less likely to use violence to solve problems and more likely to become more trusting of their parents and guardians. They are also more likely to resist substance abuse and improve school attendance.

For over 50 years, we’ve worked to develop a successful youth mentoring program. Our experienced approach to recruiting, screening, matching and supporting our Bigs and Littles has resulted in thousands of safe, lasting friendships and has helped change the lives of young people across the Puget Sound region.

Check out the website for more information about how to get involved! /” href=”http://www.bbbsps.org/”>www.bbbsps.org.

For those looking to get a head start on your Memorial Day weekend festivities, Wilridge Winery will be hosting their spring release party this Thursday from 5-9pm.

The winery in the lower level of their building will be offering tastes and bottles of a dozen wines from their own organic and biodynamic vineyard on Naches Heights near Yakima, one of only two vineyards in Washington to be certified biodynamic. They planted the vineyard back in 2007, and this year marks the first release of its wines.

According to owner Paul Beveridge (shown in the video above) most tastes are free, though for the limited edition dessert wines there will be a small fee. The newly-opened Bottlehouse upstairs from Wilridge will also be open, and local restaurants Dulces and St. Clouds are waiving the corkage fee that evening if you bring in a bottle of wine from Wilridge.