For those who are interested, the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association Transportation Committee meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 PM, at the newly refurbished Belmont Library (1038 SE 39th) will discuss infrastructure design associated with the Hawthorne Boulevard Plan.

Tom Badrick, Sunnyside NA President, hopes that interested folks from Richmond, the Hawthorne Business Assoc, and Mt. Tabor Neighborhoods will attend. Interest in these issues started last month with discussions of the design of the Hawthorne/ 50th intersection. Discussion has now expanded to include design of the rest of the boulevard.

The original Hawthorne plan did not address such specifics as street lights, benches, type of bus shelters and types of bike shelters (at ''bike oases''). The design of new traffic lights was also not addressed.

The ad hoc group of neighborhoods has now begun to discuss these issues, and this meeting will further that discussion. A later meeting in late September is also tentatively planned.

Doug Klotz

By richmondna

Hawthorne Plan Changes-12/18

Dear Richmond NA board members and folks concerned with 50th/Hawthorne:

The meeting of the 50th/Hawthorne subcommittee of the Hawthorne Advisory Committee took place tonight(Wed, 12-13). Whereas in the past six or seven people from many neighborhoods had discussed this issue, there were only three people there tonight: Myself, John Laursen, who owns a business at 49th and Hawthorne, and Dave Hilts, Mt. Tabor neighborhood association.

Whereas in the past I had thought that a consensus was building for some sort of ''gathering place'' in the design of the space to be developed in the new intersection design, John and Dave continued to espouse a different theme: They want there to be no ''gathering place'', no plaza, nothing that would encourage people to gather there, to stop there, or even to go there. They (especially John) are concerned that bar patrons will gather there at night.

Since the Mt. Tabor folks are apparently not now enthusiastic about
building basalt walls or anything else there, what these two, at least,
want, is the maximum amount of landscaping, and the least paving. What they envision is just a curb extension, with a paved walkway through the landscaping to reach the corner crosswalks. That's all they want. Even reshaping the paving, so there seems like a central place, where a couple of benches can be located, is not acceptable to them.

Since we could not come to agreement, they proposed that they (meaning Dave Hilt, who is an architect), and myself each do a drawing (plan view only) of the proposed layout, to present to the CAC on Monday night December 18,(at 7:00 PM, at Bueerman Hall, Room 101, at Western Seminary, at 55th and Hawthorne. It's the first building on the right, behind the big house.) The idea is to get CAC input on these two choices, and the subcommittee would meet again to put this input to work. This is apparently what will happen.

It would be helpful if those who would like to see this potential space
(which is a triangle 100 feet long by 30 feet deep) converted into something other than just another curb extension would come to the CAC meeting and speak up. Everyone is welcome at the CAC, and nonmembers are called on for their comments just as often as members.

The plan that Paul Niedergang and myself developed, and which many have seen (it was the drawings on the wall at the open house) has a small (12 to 15 foot diameter) central space, around which a few benches would be placed. Perhaps a fountain would eventually be placed in the center, or at least a city drinking fountain.

A space that has a roughly circular outline would feel like a ''room''
that you are in, instead of just sitting along the edge of the sidewalk. I had envisioned a few benches at the north edge of this circle, facing south, so one could soak up the sun on a fall afternoon. There would be three separate planter areas, with room for large trees.The residents of the apartment building right next to this would now have a ''front yard'' that they do not have now.

The plan Dave and John prefer, instead has a single sidewalk running
north to south from the existing sidewalk out to the new ''corner''. This sidewalk ''necks down'' in the center, and flares a little at the ends, and is thought to encourage people to move through the space, but not to stop. The rest of the space would be landscaped, which at this point seems to be the same large trees, and more ground cover. They thought that if a drinking fountain were provided at that intersection, it should be on a different corner.

Your attendance is encouraged Monday night, so that the subcommittee and the entire CAC can get an idea of some of the neighborhood feelings about this place, and what it can be.


Doug Klotz


By Doug Klotz

Hawthorne CAC Jan 8, 2001 7PM

The next Hawthorne CAC is Monday, Jan. 8, at 7 PM in room 101 of Bueerman Hall, at Western Seminary at 55th and Hawthorne. Discussion should include possible median islands at 47th and 48th AVe.

There is also a subcommittee meeting about the 50th and Hawthorne
''plaza'' on Tuesday, Jan. 9. This Plaza has become less and less of a
public space, as some committee members are concerned that drinkers at nearby bars will gather there at night. To this end, some folks don't want so much as a single bench in this space for anyone to sit it during the day. Although most of the space will probably be paved (with sand-set pavers), for maintenance reasons, any amenities are seen as an ''attractive nusiance''. If you are concerned about the design of this space, it would be useful to attend this subcommittee meeting. The meeting on Tuesday night is at 7 pm, at Paul Neidergang's building, at 50th and Hawthorne. This is the two-story building on the Southeast corner of the intersection, with the empty ground floor retail space. We will be meeting in Paul's office, which is entered at the ''rear'' of the building (off 50th), and is toward the far end of the parking lot.

For more info, call me at 503 233-9161.

Doug Klotz


By D. Klotz