| Vision 2014 |
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| The Capitol Hill community welcomes and supports families with children. New housing is constructed with families in mind and commercial areas provide shops and services geared toward the needs of children and families. There are neighborhood playgrounds for children and places for youth to socialize in the neighborhood. Families with children have the support services they need to live in the community. Neighborhood schools serve local children and also provide meeting places and services to the wider community. |
| Community Objectives |
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| Highest Priorities: • Retain neighborhood public schools. • Develop community programs in school buildings. • Support families with children. |
| Other Objectives: • Provide amenities and services for youth. • Provide amenities and services for children. • Increase the population of children on Capitol Hill. |
Retain neighborhood public schools. Many parents value the opportunity for their children to attend school close to home without having to rely on transportation to get to school. This walkability is especially important in Capitol Hill, where many residents do not own cars. Many Capitol Hill residents would like to increase enrollment in Capitol Hill public schools. However, the neighborhood trend has been for children who start out in Capitol Hill public schools to leave those schools as they get older because families either move out of the area or send their children to private schools. The result has been declining enrollment at Lowell Elementary School and Stevens Elementary School, the neighborhood's public schools. As a result of this decline, the Seattle Schools Superintendent recently closed Lowell as a public elementary school and established at the school an Accelerated Progress Program for highly gifted students.
Develop community programs in school buildings. Capitol Hill residents recognize that a school is not only a focal point of family life, but it is also an important community anchor. The senior program at Lowell School is one example of how a school can serve as a community resource. Another idea for community use of the Lowell School building stems from the "Powerful Schools" group in Seattle which supports keeping school buildings open in the evenings for a mix of activities and community uses. While there is great potential for further expansion of community uses of Lowell School, numerous impediments to new programming need to be addressed. These challenges include a lack of information about the community's needs, problems with getting insurance, and building maintenance and operation costs. Capitol Hill residents would like to work closely with the city to identify ways in which the Lowell School building can best serve the neighborhood's needs in the future.
Support families with children. Although Capitol Hill is largely populated by single adults, many Capitol Hill residents would like to retain families with children in the neighborhood. Some supporters of this goal are devoted Capitol Hill residents who want to remain in the neighborhood as their social status changes from being single to being a married parent. Others simply value the community diversity provided by a variety of age groups and household compositions. In any case, residents recognize that families with children have particular needs, such as housing with three or more bedrooms and play areas, daycare services, outreach services for single parents, and good neighborhood schools. See also: "Provide a range of housing options," p. 25, and "Preserve some single-family houses," p. 25.
Provide amenities and services for youth. The 1990 census identified a total of 192 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 and living on Capitol Hill. Many more teenagers are attracted to the community because of its youthful image. Often, these youth tend to hang out on the street. While not all street youth are "in need," they do all share a need for a gathering place on Capitol Hill. Residents noted that the neighborhood lacks legitimate gathering places for youth and suggested creating a permanent youth center, a youth shelter, or some other place in the neighborhood where young people can socialize independently and find refuge.
Tensions between merchants and street youth who hang out in business districts were identified as problems in the Broadway BIA and 15th Avenue surveys. Some merchants see street youth as a deterrent to business and have backed various measures to discourage them and the services that support them. Other community members view street youth as just another element of Capitol Hill's varied social scene. Currently, there are some mobile services provided to youth at Mercer and Broadway and a youth drop-in center at Pilgrim Church is open on a very limited basis. See also: "Provide human services for people in need," p. 20; "Increase open space on Capitol Hill," p. 45; and "Provide a range of recreational opportunities," p. 46.
Provide amenities and services for children. According to the 1990 census data, there are approximately 500 children under the age of 14 living in the Capitol Hill Urban Center Village. However, the neighborhood lacks playgrounds for younger children. Residents also noted that businesses on Capitol Hill are not geared toward children. In addition, the community lacks cultural programs geared toward children and families. Expanded library programs and arts opportunities for children were particularly requested. Enhanced safety precautions, such as pedestrian street lighting, are also important for creating an environment that is supportive of children. See also: "Provide a range of goods and services," p. 36; "Increase open space on Capitol Hill," p. 45; "Support literary interests," p.45; and "Provide a range of recreational opportunities," p. 46.
Increase the population of children on Capitol Hill. Community members have expressed interest in attracting more families with children to the neighborhood. There needs to be an assessment of what portion of existing households and of the additional 2,000 households predicted to be located in Capitol Hill over the next 15 years are likely to be families. What are the barriers to increasing the number of families on Capitol Hill? Does the community have the capability to overcome these barriers?