The general feeling, as far as we can tell, is that 2016 can piss right off.
Yes, there were a lot of celebrities lost this year, a number of whom had made a social impact that went beyond their craft.
Then there was that election thing, which is probably the biggest argument for making up and tacking on a few more months after December.
Alas, 2017 is upon us, and while we can’t change what’s occurred this year, we can definitely jot down a few asks in our new year wish list.
First, the city can hurry up and get that navigation center open for the homeless; a throwback to last week’s editorial, but still very much a priority for Seattle.
Another redux ask is that Capitol Hill become a parking benefits district. The city is jacking the cost of parking in the neighborhood during peak times and taking away most of what is left of “free” parking options in the Pike/Pine corridor. There are also plans to extend paid hours later in 2017; hopefully cheap drunks don’t decide to drive instead of sleeping it off in the back seat.
It’s simple: The money made in Capitol Hill by squeezing drivers should go to improving the neighborhood and not be allocated elsewhere.
We’re also still waiting for those two safe drug consumption sites that were proposed to be opened in Seattle. Of course, this was something that came out of a joint county task force that formed in March. Considering the eight recommendations that came out of the task force were made in September — after just six months of discussion — we can only assume the city of Seattle will find a way to spend more money for more study, because this city can never have enough data or too little action.
And not to sound too greedy, but it would be great if funding were to materialize to implement the improvements identified in the Cal Anderson Park Lighting Master Plan. It sounds like the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict has secured some funding for planning, so we’ll look forward to learning more in the new year. It seems like there was a good deal of shenanigans going down there this summer, and the cold months should be an opportune time to rally the troops.
We’re also looking forward to an all-gender restroom remodel at Cal Anderson Park. Not only will this give people more privacy and safety, those restrooms just need a major upgrade. We don’t encourage people to urinate on the side of buildings, but it does seem somewhat preferable to using those facilities.
This last one is probably the most selfish, but it would also be very helpful in helping us achieve our mission of providing the most current and useful news to you, our readers. It’s very simple: Call or email us with your thoughts on what you want to see us cover in the new year.
We can’t be everywhere, but we’d sure like to be where we’ll be doing the most good. We’re always open to suggestions, and we rarely bite.