Seattle Daily Photo

God wants to sell you beer. The McMenamins who own Northwest pubs Dad Watson and the Six Arms want to turn St. Edward Seminary into another of their brewery-slash-hotels. St. Edwards Seminary is located in St. Edward State Park in the Juanita neighorhood of the city of Kirkland. The Park/Seminary is the largest undeveloped area of shoreline around Lake Washington with 3,000 feet of pristine shoreline and hiking trails. Currently the State lacks the funds to maintain the 316 acre site.

The McMenamins proposal lacks consideration of logistics. The proposed brewery’s location is just 100 yards from a new playground. Increased pub traffic flooding the area would be deeply at odds with the peaceful natural setting and surrounding neighborhood. Most unsettling of all the plan locks off currently public areas from any public use. The current residential State park ranger presence would be removed and no policing authority would be readily available to handle inevitable problems of alcohol in parks. Although the city of Kirkland does not have jurisdiction over the park, it must approve any zoning changes and permits. Currently the proposal is in review. But historically the McMenamins chain has shown troubling regard for following city codes and community ethics.

In Bend, Oregon the McMenamins opened the Old St. Francis School to an invitation-only crowd Nov. 15, one day before filing a request for a final building inspection. City of Bend officials had to force the company to correct 21 disability-access issues with the school.

The McMenamins chain famous for restoring historic buildings also may actually be suppressing history in Bend. A new Bend eatery chose the name “The O’Kane Grill” when it opened this fall in a building constructed in 1916 by Hugh O’Kane, a founding father of Bend’s historic business district. But McMenamins threatened a lawsuit, citing a violation of its trademarked “O’Kane” cigar room ensconced within the Old St. Francis School, its year-old Bend campus of pubs, a hotel and a theater. The Grill’s owners relented and renamed their place the “Bend City Grill.” Bend city planner Pat Kliewer, who oversees the preservation of historic properties, says, “It really is a shame,” noting that the grill’s location is much more closely associated with Hugh O’Kane than McMenamins.

Friends of St. Edwards State Park and concerned citizens may provide public comment at: Saint.Edward.Planning@parks.wa.gov. Local libraries also have information about the proposal concerning St. Edwards Park.

Going vertical. Beckoning a new Goldrush era and feverently anticipating a lucrative biotechnology industry, Seattle City Council removed the building height limits voters put into place 17 years ago. Our Mayor has a plan: for 1 + million you too can live in 1/4 the space of a house. This doesn’t include homeowner fees when your condo roof leaks because it was built so quickly on the cheap. You may (may) also slow (but not stop) suburban sprawl as it terraforms the foothills of the North Cascades Mountains into 2″ turf. But really, what native american wouldn’t be thrilled to give up family burial grounds for a kick-ass golf course?

Adopt a tower! New restrictions on proposals tout “affordable housing, environmentally friendly buildings and designs that make streetscapes livelier”. Have you hugged your 40-story tower, or neighboring 30-story, 20-story, today? C’mon, let them know how much you care! (Streetscape planners: please install handrails to assist with the 30-mile an hour wind tunnels you developers are creating downtown.)

Of Seattle’s 24 recently proposed highrises, 8 have the green light, the rest are pending approval. Developers: 142 highrises built. City Planners: 30 highrises unapproved. I haven’t been this excited about a new goldrush era since the dot-com boom.