Queen Anne Books, a popular neighborhood hub, shut its doors last November. Then, Easy Street Records closed after 12 years of business on lower Queen Anne.
Though Queen Anne Book Co. will open in the same storefront under new ownership this weekend, the closures spurred residents to rally together and discuss how they could help the neighborhood.
The group originally started as a Yahoo listserv of Queen Anne parents. Since then, the group has grown to more than 40 residents called Community Heart.
Suzi LeVine helped form Community Heart and is currently its facilitator. She said, “There was something much more that people were yearning for, and people were mourning the loss of that bookstore.”
She said most residents desired a sense of community, something they felt was hurt with the loss of the bookstore. “We decided at that meeting: What can we do to help our local businesses?” she said.
On Valentine’s Day, members of Community Heart started a “Cash Mob” to support Pistil Design, a newly opened flower shop on Queen Anne.
“Who better to help than the new kid on the block?” LeVine said.
“This is our fourth week,” said Laurie Gardner, owner of Pistil Design. “It was really kind of a crazy day. We think a lot of people were from the Cash Mob, and we actually physically counted at least 20 people.”
She continued, “With us losing a business across the street and one that was down the street, I think it was a great idea. I’ll definitely be a part of the next one.”
For future events, LeVine hopes they can be more prepared. However, nothing is decided yet.
LeVine said the group has yet to form any sort of structure and is quick to shed organizational labels. “I don’t know where things are going. Right now, it’s much more of a conversation, not an organization.”
Sharing community concerns
Typically, issues surrounding small businesses and neighborhood developments are routed through the 23 seats of the Queen Anne Community Council (QACC).
QACC president Ellen Monrad said, “We’re all volunteers and we have no official power, but we represent the Queen Anne community. So, with issues, we send letters and voice our opinions on issues that come up concerning the community.
“We’re the oldest community council in the city. We’ve been here for years,” she said.
However, Monrad admits that public involvement at council meetings is usually low. “If it’s an issue that the community gets involved in, there will be 30 to 40 people, but that’s rare,” she said.
Community Heart could represent a forum for personal desires and community interests, a conversation on what people want from their communities.
“It really is just a group of people from the community talking about what is it that we want,” LeVine said.
Some of the common questions in the first meeting centered on defining community ideals, the kind of questions that might not make the more government-oriented agenda of the QACC: “What is livability? What is safety? What is shared responsibility?” LeVine said.
The purpose and future of Community Heart is still unclear. “We haven’t talked about any semblance of governance or how we’re going to tie into the established governance at this point,” LeVine said.
Gardner heard of Community Heart through the Cash Mob push at her store on Valentine’s Day. “It was a new idea, they made it happen, the response was good. I think it’s a great way to support the community,” she said.
The next Community Heart meeting is scheduled Wednesday, March 6. For more information, write to QAHeart@hotmail.com.
QACC also will have its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. at Queen Anne Manor, 100 Crockett St.
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