Anatomy of a Cleanup - Bayview Stairs

The upper Bayview Stairs between 12th & 13th is one of two public stairways on an east-west SDOT right of way that bisects the East Duwamish Greenspace on the west side of Beacon Hill. These stairs are joined by a path west of 13th to the lower stairs, emptying onto public property south of Holgate.

These steps need friends. Neighbors complain of illegal activity. Ivy blows down trees.

In the 1960s and 70s, the stairs offered a well-used pedestrian path to SODO. Summer, 2007, they took another step on that positive path.

Community Court Joins the Effort

In May, 2007, Stephanie Tschida and Julie Taylor of the City of Seattle's Community Court program asked neighbors to sponsor service for Beacon Hill.  The program is a project of the City Attorney's office, funded by a federal grant. Low-level, non-violent, non-felony offenders work on public projects.

August 11, 2007 Cleanup

A group of five neighbors and service workers began restoring the Bayview Stairs. In 4 hours, they cleaned up the trash, removing 218 intact plastic, aluminum, and glass containers, plus a pickup load of smashed glass, metal, paper, plastic, assorted junk. Some bottles, especially at the top of the stairs, had to be dug from the dirt. A syringe and two crack pipes were safely removed.

Two important trees were cleared of English ivy. One is by the stairs; should storm blow it down, the steps would be impassable. The second, atop the SDOT right of way, has a root ball supporting 12th Ave. Saving these trees invests in the neighborhood.

The Cleanup and the Alcohol Impact Area

Here is a breakdown by brand of intact beverage containers from this cleanup. About 100 broken glass containers were disposed of as trash.

Beverages Covered by the Seattle AIA - 67

 1 Colt 45 Malt Liquor

 4 Keystone Ice

 8 Mickey's Iced Brewed Ale

 1 Mickey's Malt Liquor

 7 Miller High Life Ice

 5 Natural Ice

 4 Olde English "800"

 2 Pabst Ice

 1 Rainier Ale

 2 Red Dog

 2 St. Ide's Liquor and Special Brews

28 Steel Reserve

 2 MD 20/20

Beverages Not Covered by the Seattle AIA - 81

26 Budweiser

25 Corona

 1 Dos Equis

 1 Heineken

 3 Heidelberg

 5 Icehouse

 2 Michelob

 2 Negro Modelo

 1 Olympia

 4 Rainier

 1 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

 2 Smirnoff

 1 Sparks

 2 Tecati

 1 Tilt

 1 Tequilla (fifth)

 3 Unidentifiable beer bottles

Misc. Plastic, Glass, Cans: 70

Total: 218

Service Workers Begin on the Bayview Stairs

Refuse from Just Off the Top of the Stairs

Day's Total: To the Left, 218 Intact Containers; To the Right, a Pile of Trash (Furniture Not in Picture)

Ivy Removal: Tree to the Left Is Rooted Under 12th Ave., Tree to the Right Is Rooted Beneath Steps

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