RC Blog

Pioneer Square Community Association Says No to Real Change

posted by Tim Harris on Tuesday, March 30 at 12:09am

March 29, 2010

The Honorable Mike McGinn,
Mayor City of Seattle
Seattle, WA 98104

Dear Mayor McGinn:

Thank you again for taking the time to tour Pioneer Square on March 18th. Pioneer Square community members were encouraged by your comments and perceptions of the opportunities and issues facing our neighborhood. We look forward to working with your office on an ongoing basis to help revitalize the District.

As we discussed, Pioneer Square has been a generous host to numerous social service providers in our community. However, the neighborhood is extremely under resourced and a “fair share” saturation point of services was exceeded years ago. This fact has been acknowledged and a moratorium on new or additional services has been in effect since 1998 with the publication of the Neighborhood Plan. Unfortunately, Pioneer Square finds it must defend this position time and time again.

Presently, Real Change is planning to relocate to the Historic District. There are heightened concerns within the neighborhood that representatives of this organization have not approached the Pioneer Square Community Association nor have they conducted any outreach within the District.

We realize there are enormous needs, especially in this economy, and further we recognize that many clients may not have any other resources at their disposal. We have strong relationships with service providers in our neighborhood who work with community members to address problems when they arise. That said; Pioneer Square’s economic vitality is impacted by the publics’ perception of safety issues which are exacerbated by line queuing for social service organizations.

The Office of Economic Development, with numerous community stakeholders, is conducting a review to find ways to revitalize this Historic District. In 2002, Urban Preservationist and Principal of PlaceEconomics, Donovan Rypkema, visited our community after the Mardi Gras reveling resulted in a murder the previous year.

At that time, several points were made by Rypkema that referenced street disorder and the neighborhood suffering significant negative perceptions regarding public safety. In December of 2009 Rypkema returned and reiterated the 2002 summary and questioned the lack of progress.

Within the past few years, the neighborhood was tapped to accept the expansion of existing service providers and to absorb the expansion of services at the Morrison Hotel during the construction of Fire Station #10’s Command Center. Legitimate assessments of the projects predicted long term, negative impacts in the neighborhood. As a result the overall perception of safety in the square has diminished.

The moratorium of the Neighborhood Plan needs to be upheld in this case. We feel it is imperative that service providers seek out other neighborhoods of Seattle that have not exceeded their “fair share” of services. We urge you to respect and support our position on this matter.

We would like to work with your office on this issue by setting up a meeting with Real Change, MaKensay Real Estate and our neighborhood organization to provide assistance to Real Change to find other suitable offices outside the District. As the proposed move of Real Change is on a fast track, we hope to hear from your offices as soon as possible.

Sincerely, Leslie G. Smith Interim Executive Director Pioneer Square Community Association

CC: Darryl Smith, Deputy Mayor Neighborhoods Phil Fuji, Deputy Mayor Operations Sally Bagshaw, Council Tim Burgess, Council Sally Clark, Council Richard Conlin, Council President Jean Godden, Council Bruce Harrell, Council Nick Licata, Council Mike O’Brien, Council Tom Rasmussen, Council Steve Johnson, Director, Office of Economic Development John Diaz, Interim Chief, Seattle Police Department Stella Chao, Director, City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Frank Buchanan, MaKensay Real Estate

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Comments

unfuckingbelievable.  what can we do?

elizabeth | submitted on 03/30/2010, 7:54pm

SORRY!  I meant UNBELIEVABLE!  What can we do?????

elizabeth | submitted on 03/30/2010, 8:02pm

What can we do?

Make business owners in Pioneer Square aware that you support Real Change, and that you DO NOT wish to support the Pioneer Square Community Association under the present Interim Executive Directorship of Leslie G. Smith.  Who’s interim should soon be over.

Michael J Swassing | submitted on 03/30/2010, 8:18pm

Interesting that the letter to McGinn says “...Pioneer Square has been a generous host to numerous social service providers in our community…”  Host?  Sounds like Pioneer Square is a private residence and the Pioneer Square Community Association is the owner who decides who and who can’t visit their residence.  If their ploy to the City doesn’t work, they’re probably figuring that Burgess’ ordinance will work against the vendors.  Not that there’s a conspiracy here to sanitize downtown.  No, no.

Sally | submitted on 04/02/2010, 10:33am

I have spent many years in the Pioneer Square Historic District and even co-authored a book concerning Pioneer Square, Pioneer Square: Seattle’s Oldest Neighborhood. The book was co-sponsored by the Pioneer Square Community Association. That said, I also believe that Real Change provides an important service to the Seattle community at large and that the Real Change newspaper is well worth reading (not just because I support the homeless, when I spend a $1 on it).

Vendors can be seen throughout the city.  I do not think that allowing Real Change to have a base of operations in the New England Building would have a negative impact on the area. There is a big difference between people who are a real nuisance and threaten one’s existence and newspaper vendors. And, from my experience, all of the Real Change vendors follow fairly strict rules of conduct.

I do not know Donovan Rypkema personally, but have admired his work in the past. I question whether what he had in mind was keeping Real Change newspaper from having a base of operations in Pioneer Square. I urge the Pioneer Square Community Association to reconsider their rather severe assessment of Real Change newspaper and those associated with it. I would also like to suggest that Victor Steinbrueck, who had a great hand in saving what became the Pioneer Square Historic District, would also not agree with the PSCA’s rather severe view of Real Change.

Karin Murr Link | submitted on 04/02/2010, 11:33am

As a resident and owner of a condo in Pioneer Square I would like to say: welcome to the neighborhood.  The headquarters of the best newspaper in Seattle will be a fine addition.  The community association made an embarrassing mistake on this one.

Ann Bristow | submitted on 04/02/2010, 3:29pm

I want to address the situation concerning Real Change Office and the Vendors relocating to Pioneer Square.

For all you prejudiced, biased, and ignorant people who think because you own a business or condo, that we will demoralize you and ruin your beautiful reputation, hear what I have to say.

I am a Real Change Vendor and I am disabled, therefore, I look to Real Change to keep my sanity.
I was a working, taxpayer when I became disabled.  I abide by the law and I will not allow you to be discriminate towards me.

If not for Real Change, my life would be a lot worse financially, since President Obama is shoving everything down our throats with our resistance, you think you can also.

My voice is most times all I feel that I have that is in intact.  I will never allow anyone to squelch it.
I will always speak up and out whenever I feel you are trodding on the rights of the homeless, disabled, and disadvantaged, the mentally ill,etc.

You can not control my voice, ever. 

If not for Real Change you would have all of its vendors out there panhandling and trying to make an honest situation from becoming worse.
You really need to look at the services you do support, see their mistakes, and then ask yourself why it isn’t working.

You want to take money out of the hands of the Real Change Vendors and place it into a system that is not working, and then give us the bum rap for your mistakes.

Real Change molds and makes its vendors as we have regular meetings, we gain valuable support from the staff, we are a legitimate organization and we are most, and above, not least, beautiful human beings.

We are writers, poets, trustworthy, your neighbors, and your friends.
So please remember that, and back off of us.
We are here, we are to stay, in your neighborhood, in your streets, wherever we need to be.
We are not going away, we will stand up and fight to the end.

Please contact me you want to learn more. Been there, done it, survived it and still moving upward and forward.

Mona Joyner
PO Box 21493
Seattle, WA
98111-3493
(206)441-7441
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Mona Joyner | submitted on 04/03/2010, 11:55am

Pioneer square is a beautiful part of town, and this paper Real Change will add to its community culture. I can’t wait to buy one issue when I have the money.

blacklight | submitted on 04/09/2010, 2:15pm

I knew Leslie Smith when she was Executive Director of the Washington Initiative for Supportive Employment.

She took advantage of funds meant for people with disAbilities then.

Her position on Real Change News relocating to Pioneer Square saddens, but does not surprise, me. It is but one more example of the affluent having no clue of what it means to be in poverty.

John M. Denooyer | submitted on 04/16/2010, 6:06pm

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