BELLEVUE .com
REPORTER
NEWSLINE 425-453-4270
Q&A | Don Davidson talks about his plans for the future as he prepares to step down from the Bellevue City Council [5]
Sports | Bellevue returns with another cadre of stars in its quest for a sixth straight Class 3A FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013 state championship [16]
Arts | Flavors of India returns to Bellevue’s Downtown Park to showcase arts, culture [21]
520 bridge project may sink into the red Pontoon problems may cost taxpayers another $128 million to fix
A pontoon for the new SR 520 bridge moves under the Ship Canal Bridge in Seattle. COURTESY PHOTO, Washington State Department of Transportation
Problems on the new 520 bridge not only could wipe out the state's reserve fund for the project, but also send it into the red. New documents released Friday, Aug. 23, show that delays and the need to redesign pontoons could wipe out the final $100 million that's left in the state's $250 million reserve fund for the $4.18 billion project. Worse, it could cost another $128 million to fix the flaws. And, the the project is now estimated to be completed in April 2016, 490 days late from its original completion
date of the end of 2014. The state also said it only has money to continue to work on the project through mid2014. The bulk of the problem is due to design errors by the state Department of Transportation that results in cracks in pontoons and the need for costly fixes. DOT spokesman Lars Erickson, a spokesperson for the department, said the $228 million costs are only "planning estimates" and that the state would negotiate any new costs with the contractors. The state's estimates
Making nice with the neighbors
Bellevue to launch new social, emotional learning curriculum
Lake Bellevue community forms alliance with developer to monitor environment as Bel-Red grows BY CELINA KAREIVA BELLEVUE REPORTER
The Bel-Red corridor is slated for some big changes in the coming years. On Wednesday, Burnstead Construction’s Pine Forest Properties, Inc. held a public meeting to discuss a multi-use project that, if permitted, could result in six buildings and 2,172 new parking stalls. The space is just north of Lake Bellevue and a car dealership. City documents indicate that buildings would range from nine to 12 stories. When completed in 2023, East Link light rail will run through the newly minted transit-oriented corridor. Then of course is the long-anticipated Spring District, a 36-acre urban neighborhood spearheaded by Seattle firm
Michael J. Link, a resident of the Lake Bellevue Village Condos and real estate broker for Windermere, felt ‘that if people like myself didn’t start getting involved in creating a preferred alternative vision, this whole area would get run over.’ CELINA KAREIVA, Bellevue Reporter
Wright Runstad & Company and Shorenstein Properties of San Francisco, at the site of Safeway’s former distribution center. Modeled after Portland’s Pearl District, the site will include a hotel, parks, plazas, retail, business spaces and more than 1,000 new residences. The news has generated mixed re-
OMEGA DEVELOPS FILM – COLOR and B&W 210 - 105th Ave NE, Bellevue | 425.455.2126 www.OmegaPhoto.biz 105th Ave NE NE 2nd St
106th Ave NE
Bellevue Way NE
NE 4th St
Like Us On facebook.com/OmegaPhoto
vary by as much as $36 million. Complicating the state's position is that the Legislature didn't pass a new transportation package this year and lawmakers are uncertain if the new figures would help or hurt the state's efforts in the future. The failed package contained an additional $100 million for the 520 project. The new details about the additional costs came after KOMO News filed a public-records request. Previously, the state had been gone to releasing reports that didn't include dollar figures.
sponses from neighbors, many of whom are happy for the injection of money and business, but wary of its long-term impacts on traffic levels, livability and future construction. Kemper Development Company and Woosley Properties, SEE NEIGHBORS, 11
The Bellevue School District will launch a new social and emotional learning curriculum in grades three through five to help children work well together. Called the RULER approach – an acronym for Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing and Regulating emotion – the curriculum teaches skills to promote effective personal, social and workplace success. The idea is based on decades of research from Yale University, Research shows that emotional literacy skills support academic success and promote school engagement. school officials say. Data also shows that students who recognize and regulate their emotions are more focused on instruction and invested in their learning. Those social and emotional skills create a foundation for taking academic risks Over the school year, students and staff will learn four "anchor tools" to develop skills: ■ Emotional Literacy Charter: Students create and sign charters to describe how they want to feel in class, what needs to happen to support those feelings and guidelines for handling uncomfortable conflict. ■ Mood Meter: Students learn to use a tool for SEE CURRICULUM, 15
DANUBE BISTRO/RESTAURANT
The Eastside’s premier photo finisher for almost 50 years with:
ITALIAN & GERMAN CUISINE
• Fast in-house film developing • Highest quality prints • Reprints from negatives & slides • Enlargements up to 24” x 36”
11000 NE 10th St. Bellevue, WA
FREE Parking (Enter from NE 10th Street)
425-452-8722 | www.danubebistro.com
$
ava Win ilab e Di le A nne ug. r 29t h!
1000 OFF DINNER $ 00 5 OFF LUNCH
Bring in coupon. One per table. Not to be combined with any other offer.