Newport Hills Community Club

Hello Neighbors,
I wanted to let you all know that VP President Lisa Viereck and myself received a notification that Newport Hills Neighborhood will be receiving special recognition at the City of Bellevue’s Neighbor Link Picnic Concert and Celebration of Service. This yearly event is hosted by the City of Bellevue on the City Lawn to celebrate community and community service and is tied in with National Day of Service and Rememberance. This year will also have a special commemoration of those lost in the 9/11 tragedy.

Newport Hills Community Club is being acknowledged for the great 4th of July Picnic Event hosted this year and how it encourage a sense of community and giving back with our partnership Food Drive with the City of Bellevue.

This City event is a great opportunity to spend time with neighbors, family and friends in the Bellevue community and enjoy a concert, KidZone, food, collection of canned food for HopeLink, volunteer resource booths, and so much more.  All for FREE!

The event is Saturday September 11th from 12pm-2:00pm and is free. Limited free parking is available, but for those of you interested, Metro Bus 560 picks up from the Newport Hills Park & Ride and drops you off RIGHT across from City Hall. I strongly encourage you to take the bus if you are able, and to bring blankets/chairs to sit on while at the event.

We hope you can join the fun and support the recognition of the great stewardship and service here in Newport Hills!

See you there!
Michelle Hilhorst
NHCC President

All, here is the latest status from the City of Bellevue Project Manager for the renovation going on at the Newport Hills Park. At the end of the update, there is a flickr website that you can bookmark for all updates/status on the efforts as they continue. Great progress on our park!

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Here is your Newport Hills Park construction progress report and update for this week ending 8/20 and
up-coming week beginning 8/23.

Construction progress continues to track ahead despite a shift of tasks and schedules due to a delay in subcontractor availability to start ballfield fencing. Soccer field curbing and fencing work will be the projects critical path this week and next. These are important elements to have in place so the fields final grades can be set for the drainage work, which is expected to begin next week. The fields crushed rock under base will follow drainage and is expected to begin by end of August or beginning of September. Once the gravel base is complete the soccer fields synthetic turf surfacing installation will begin.

Work complete to date, underway, or expected to begin this week and next:
- site demolition complete;
- restroom renovation underway;
- soccer and baseball field subgrades complete;
- storm drainage complete;
- playground sitting wall complete;
- irrigation system and metering systems underway;
- synthetic field perimeter concrete curbing underway;
- field under drainage system expected to begin next week;
- backstop and ball control fencing expected to begin this week;
- concrete walkways and park access drives underway;
- pedestrian and parking frontage improvements along 120th underway.

If you would like to track construction progress we have a flickr web site set-up, here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellevuewashington/sets/72157624154285773/

Neighbors, please join us on Tuesday evening August 17th at 7:00pm for our monthly community board meeting. We look forward to seeing you there!

Everyone likes sidewalks and for good reason.  When you are walking or standing on a sidewalk, you feel a sense of security and safety.  Unfortunately, this was not the case of one of our long-time residents, living on 119th Avenue SE.  While waiting for the 240 bus to Bellevue, she was hit by a car traveling up the hill.  The driver had blacked out, crossed the median and hit our neighbor, sending her 50 feet away.  As of this writing, she is in the ICU at Harborview with a broken tibia, knee and pelvis.

We can use this awful situation to remind ourselves to be diligent and extra cautious when standing or walking anywhere near traffic.  We send positive thoughts to our neighbor and wish her a speedy recovery.

Neighbors, repaving efforts have now started at another major artery – SE 60th between 119th and 112th (Lake Washington). Traffic can be held up for up to 30 minutes. Please make sure you leave earlier to plan for holdups, or consider exiting/entering Newport Hills through an alternate route. Thank you!

During the July 20 board meeting, an update on the shopping center was presented:

Tom Boydell, Manager, Office of Economic Development.  Money has been secured to proceed on revitalizing the NH Shopping Center.

• Step 1:  A retail/broker consultant has been to analyze the space.  This consulant may be available to attend the September or October meeting.  Her work should conclude by mid-September.
• Step 2:  A different consultant will be hired to perform an in-depth analysis of market economics and feasibility.  What is expected to emerge is a report on cost benefits and some conceptual designs by late November.
• Step 3:  This design step is currently unfunded.

Community Feedback:  Tom requested that all surveys from the community be sent to him as soon as possible so he can share them with the consultant.  The owners of the shopping center and Stod’s properties are working with the city on moving this project forward with the community’s support and input.

Also present was Wes Williams, owner of the Stods and Sahara Pizza property and David Hsiao, part owner of the NH Shopping Center property.

Jim Granger, NH Swim & Tennis Club.  The Club has developed a three phase vision:

• Covering the five tennis courts for year-round use;
• Demolish and rebuild the locker rooms and the entrances;
• Remodeling the competition and recreational pools.

The Club has applied for a grant from the City but other organizations have also applied.  The project should cost between $1.5 and $2M.

Keep current on the progress of the park renovation.  The City of Bellevue is posting before, in process and after pictures as the work goes on.

But we already knew that, didn’t we!

Money Magazine recently put out its list of the 100 best places to live, and Bellevue was #4 based on location, incoming jobs and top schools, among others.  See the full article in Money Magazine online: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL5305210.html

We have our monthly board meeting tonight at 7:00pm at the Newport Hills Community Church. It will be chock full of information and with an update and renderings of the future buildout of the NH Swim & Tennis Club, an update by the City of Bellevue’s Economic Development dept and local property owners in attendance, it will be a meeting you WON’T want to miss!!!

In addition – if you did not complete a survey at the 4th of July picnic on what YOU would like to see and would suport in terms of retail in the Shopping Center, PLEASE come tonight to fill one in. This is YOUR opportunity for YOUR voice to be heard in terms of our shopping center future merchants.

SEE YOU THERE!!

The Car Show is coming BACK to Newport Hills! There is an open to community meeting on the show being held tonight – Tuesday July 6th at 7pm at the Newport Hills Community Church. If you would like to hear more, or provide input, you are welcome to attend!