No bubble for the Tennis Club

Hearing examiner upholds decision

The City of Seattle's Hearing Examiner has denied the appeal by the Seattle Tennis Club of an earlier decision denying the the private club's proposal to add coverings (perhaps along the lines of the graphic above) to two tennis courts at the facility.  The coverings would have provided "seasonal weather protection" for the courts during the bad months each year.   Some neighbors whose views might have been impacted by the erection of a 'tennis bubble' at the Club (922 McGivlra Boulevard E.) were concerned that the Hearing Examiner might rule in the STC's favor.  That didn't happen.

The decision affirms the original conclusion of the Department of Planning & Development that because the Club is located in an Urban Residential Shoreline Environment (where clubs are prohibited), as well as in an area zoned for Single Family housing (where clubs are also prohibited), STC must go through a shoreline variance application to add a building to its already nonconforming site. It is unlikely that the STC will be undertaking that arduous process, though there was no comment from Club management today.

The Madison Park Times broke the original story concerning the Club's request to add the bubble.  The story was later picked up by KIRO-TV (to see that story, click here.)

Police beat, an update

Columbus Day burglary foiled by alarm

McGilvra’s Bar & Restaurant was on the receiving end of an unwelcome early morning visit by one or more burglars on Monday. At 4:40 am the perpetrator(s) removed the pins from two of three hinges and then ripped the back door from its frame. Apparently intent on liberating cash from what they thought was a safe near the bar, they entered the pub and quickly found and cut the wires to the alarm system. But from that point forward, it seems that things went awry. What might have looked a bit like a safe—at least from a distance—was really a mini-refrigerator. And that disabled alarm turned out to have a back-up system which, according to pub owner Peter Johnson, is very loud inside the premises and can also be heard outside.

It appears that the would-be burglar(s) panicked, leaving in a hurry when realizing their mistakes. Nothing was taken in the raid, says Johnson, though the mini-frige was moved a couple of feet from where it normally sits. Johnson says he’s surprised that they didn’t at least grab a bottle or two of booze. He figures he got off lucky this time. Most break-ins of businesses in the Village occur through the alley side, although there was one notable exception last year, when Madison Park Hardware was entered through the front.

KOMO manufactures some news

Although several neighbors have asked whether there’s been an uptick in residential break-ins recently, there doesn’t seem to be any statistical evidence to support their concern. Any generalized unease about home burglaries, however, has certainly not been assuaged by KOMO TV’s recent hyping of one particular example here in the Park.

On Tuesday evening, the TV station decided to play up the case of a supposedly suspicious man seen in the neighborhood, a guy who wore an orange safety vest as though he was some kind of worker but, in hindsight at least, seemed to have been a likely suspect in a residential burglary. KOMO trumpeted its upcoming coverage with “teasers” during the early portion of the news, implying that orange-vest-clad men were on a burglary spree here in Madison Park: news at 6:30!

When the “Live from Madison Park” story was finally reported at the top of the 6:30 news segment (with cameras and reporter positioned for full effect on McGilvra Boulevard), it turned out to be about an incident we reported on this blog many weeks ago. KOMO’s reporter didn’t mention that, by then, the case they were covering with so much fanfare was exactly a month old. The idea that homeowners should be suspicious of men in orange vests was a bit much, frankly, given that no one actually saw the burglary occur and no one at the time thought the vest-clad man was suspicious enough to warrant calling the police.

Which, of course, was the point made by the victim, who was interviewed for KOMO’s piece. She reiterated the comments she had made on this blog, namely that neighbors need to be more vigilant—and if they see something suspicious they should report it immediately.

In ending his story, the KOMO reporter stated that “Seattle police say they have not seen a pattern of thieves using vests to confuse neighbors,” a fact apparently overlooked by KOMO’s news anchors when hyping the story. We, at least, know better.

Referral made in sexual assault case

The Seattle Police have confirmed that the detective investigating the incident involving an alleged sexual assault at the Seattle Tennis Club this summer has now forwarded the case to the King County Prosecutor for consideration of charges against the alleged assailant.

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[Middle photo: the alley side of McGilvra's, located at 4234 E. Madison St.]

The police investigate, the Tennis Club acts

Members of the Seattle Tennis Club have received a letter from the Club disclosing that the STC has taken action in connection with the sexual assault which allegedly took place at the Club on July 7. As we reported last month, the incident involved two junior members of the Club and occurred in the boys’ locker room. In his letter last week, Board of Trustees Chairman Tonny Oswald states that the Club has expelled the offending member for “inappropriate” behavior and is also denying him any guest privileges.

Oswald notes that the Club “conducted a prompt and thorough investigation” before the Board acted in executive session. He also praises Club management for its immediate and professional response to the report of the incident.

The fact that the allegation is serious has been confirmed by the Seattle Police. I was told late last week by police department spokesperson Renee Witt that following an initial review the case was referred to detectives of the Sexual Assault Unit, who are currently investigating.

Report of sexual assault at the Tennis Club creates some buzz

The story went out over the air early Friday afternoon. A police dispatcher had requested that an officer proceed to 920 McGilvra Boulevard to investigate the report of a sexual assault at the Seattle Tennis Club. The Central District News, a neighboring blog which regularly monitors the police scanner, reported the call on its website the next day. So while the story became public in a kind of back-channel way, the details were not known.

Rumors about the incident, meanwhile, began making the rounds of STC members and the neighborhood in the immediate vicinity of the Club. Since the story first broke, I’ve been trying to find out whether this was an isolated incident that just happened to occur in Madison Park or something that the community as a whole should be concerned about. Not to minimize the situation—if it’s indeed true—but the incident doesn’t merit being sensationalized. Nevertheless, it is serious.

The Seattle Police have confirmed that there is an active investigation underway of an allegation that a minor was sexually assaulted at the Club on July 7, last Wednesday, two days prior to the date on which the incident was reported to the police. Beyond that the police would provide little information. They did acknowledge, however, that the alleged perpetrator was a known individual and certainly not some unidentified, on-the-loose sexual predator.

Club General Manager Silja Griffin was a bit more forthcoming when I spoke to her this afternoon. She told me that the incident involved two junior members of the Club, both male, and that it occurred in the boys’ locker room. Junior members are children between the ages of 9 and 21 of active club members, so the alleged perpetrator could therefore have been either a minor or an adult. Griffin told me that the mother of the alleged victim reported the situation to the Club and that she and the mother agreed that the police should be called in to investigate. The call was made from the Club. According to Griffin, the Club itself is looking into the episode, and she will be reporting about it to the STC board next week. Expulsion from the Club is one possible outcome, she said.

The police matter is quite a bit more serious. Detective Mark Jamieson of the SPD tells me that incidents of this kind will normally be handed over to the department’s Sexual Assault & Child Abuse Unit if the initial investigation shows there’s cause to do so. In this case, he believes, it is likely that the matter has already been referred to the unit. Once that unit has completed its work, the police may refer the case to the King County Prosecutor’s Office to begin criminal proceedings. It will take some time, he said, for the process to play out.

At this point all we have is an allegation, as both Jamieson and Griffin noted when I spoke with them. However, everyone is taking this matter very seriously—and that certainly includes the two Seattle Tennis Club families involved.

Happy Fourth of July!

Though the residential streets of the neighborhood seemed semi-deserted yesterday (most of the residents apparently having left town for the holiday) the beaches were packed. This was the afternoon scene at Madison Park:

And at the Seattle Tennis Club:

The Park scene will be even more lively next weekend, with the annual Children's Picnic Parade on Saturday (staging begins at 11:45 in front of the Wells Fargo branch). Madison Park Days and Sidewalk Sale begins on Thursday and continues through Saturday.