Exact cause of Dammeier fire unknown
A report completed last week from Mercer Island Fire investigators announced they are unable to determine what caused a fire that severely damaged a waterfront mansion off East Mercer Way on the Fourth of July.
According to Fire Chief Chris Tubbs, the exact cause of the fire that sent flames hundreds of feet into the air as it engulfed the roof at the home of Islander Kurt Dammeier, the owner of Bennett’s Pure Food Bistro in the Town Center, could not be determined because there was no evidence of a manufacturer’s defect in the home’s heating components or equipment.
“Working with the manufacturers produced no information that can conclusively determine the exact cause,” Tubbs said. “The original preliminary report that included a determination of Accidental/Undetermined remains unchanged.”
Tubbs added that the investigation was “quite complex” and would continue as Fire Investigator Jason Cook processes evidence and other findings from outside forensics experts. The estimated loss from damages to the home is $2.75 million.
Art funding
Two county grants for art programs that were promised to the city in 2006 but were not given will now be forwarded to the Parks and Recreation department.
A total of $13,200 in grant money that was awarded to the Island’s Arts Council in March 2006 for programs such as Mostly Music in the Park, Shakespeare in the Park and the I-90 sculpture garden was not sent as it should have been. The county recently notified the Parks department of the goof and stated that it would be sending the promised monies soon.
The Arts Council plans to use the lost funds for site-specific art programs such as Third Thursday Art Walks, gallery receptions at the Community Center at Mercer View and the Firehouse Munch, among other public events on the Island.
Shorewood Subdivision
The City Council voted to approve the proposed subdivision of the 44-acre property of the Shorewood Heights Apartments on Monday night.
The subdivision enables the property owners, Security Properties Inc., to construct and sell 124 condos and townhomes in six new buildings planned for the site. The lot will now be divided into four separate parcels, with two for the new construction and the two remaining as the existing apartment buildings. The city’s Design Commission approved the 124 new units to be constructed last summer. The existing structures will remain as rental apartments.
In the summer of 2007, the Planning Commission denied a request for a variance to skip the Council’s approval process of the subdivision. The City Council must approve the subdivision of Island parcels over five acres, while the property owners sought final approval from the Planning Commission to speed up the project.
Security Properties bought the 646-unit apartment complex in December of 2005 for about $140.5 million. A new community center and major remodel of the complex was also completed in 2006. The apartments were originally built in 1949.
Island Park
trees to be cut
The city plans to remove a handful of roadside trees near Island Park Elementary this month that have been determined as unsafe.
New cedar trees, which are native to the region, will be planted in October to replace the cut trees. According to the city’s arborist, black cottonwoods grow extremely vigorously, have a reputation for root failure, and their large branches in the upper canopy are susceptible to breaking and falling with little or no wind. These trees are not usually recommended to be near homes or high-use areas.
For more information, contact the city’s Right-of-Way Arborist, John Kenney, at (206) 510-9005.
Council assist affordable housing project
The City Council approved a $20,000 contribution of funds that it earmarks for the Eastside’s regional affordable housing agency to go toward a new $1.3 million development with low-income housing planned for the Kenmore area of Lake Washington.
The new development will include up to 100 affordable homes, according to Arthur Sullivan of A Regional Coalition of Housing, or ARCH. In addition to the affordable housing, the project includes a 6,000-square-foot retail condominium as well as some market-rate homes. Sullivan also said the new affordable studios, one and two bedrooms will be available to people who earn between 30 and 60 percent of the area’s median income.
ARCH is a coalition of Eastside cities designated to create and preserve affordable housing in the region. Other cities besides Mercer Island include Bellevue, Woodinville, Issaquah, Newcastle, Sammamish, Kenmore and several other communities east of Lake Washington. Mercer Island allocates $20,000 annually to go toward ARCH projects.
