Blogs

Transpo Group, a Kirkland-based transportation planning and engineering firm and Northwest Hub sponsor, was recently recognized in CE News’ annual rankings, the “2009 Best Civil Engineering Firms to Work For.”

After considering the results of a study that examined cost-saving measures, Washington's Growth Management Hearings Boards are recommending consolidating into a single seven-member board. Their formal recommendation will be sent in a letter to Governor Christine Gregoire later this month.

Daniel Lowen, who most recently held the position of vice president for acquisitions at Kennedy Associates Real Estate Counsel, has launched his own real estate investment firm called Caerus Realty Capital. The firm will focus on office, retail and multifamily projects that have been hurt by the current economic climate.

Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), an organization that promotes walkable, neighborhood-based development as an alternative to sprawl, is holding its 2009 transportation summit at the Nines Hotel in Portland, Ore., from Nov. 4-6.

On Monday the Bellevue City Council learned more about a recently revised plan to bring light rail to the city via a downtown tunnel. (You can watch a video of the study session here.)

The Seattle Planning Commission met last Thursday with three items on the agenda: approving the discussion papers for the multifamily code update; a briefing on neighborhood plan updates with representatives from the Department of Neighborhoods (DON) and the Department of Planning and Development (DPD); and a briefing and discussion on the 2011 update to Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan with long-range planners from DPD.

There has been a gaping hole at the corner of Second Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Seattle for the last two years.

Sound Transit is holding the third in a series of community forums meant to explore future transit-oriented development (TOD) concepts at the Capitol Hill light rail station.

Rainwater Harvesting

Washington residents are now free to collect and store rainwater for use on their property without having to obtain a water-rights permit.

Swift, the state’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) line, is launching officially on Nov. 29. Community Transit is holding several public outreach events leading up to the line’s launch:

  -  Oct. 19 from 2-5 p.m. at Aurora Village Transit Center, 1524 N. 200th St.

  -  Oct. 21 from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave.

  -  Oct. 29 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at Snohomish County Campus, 3000 Rockefeller Ave.