The Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center at 8515 Greenwood Ave. N. would close under Mayor Mike McGinn’s proposed 2011-2012 budget, announced earlier today.
Six of the city’s non-payment Neighborhood Service Centers, and the West Seattle payment and information center, would close; six payment Neighborhood Service Centers will remain open (the closest to us would be Ballard).
Janice Bellotti-Pace, the office assistant at the Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center for the past three years, says the office was aware that closure was a possibility. She said Neighborhood District Coordinator Beth Pflug was already contemplating retiring in January.
The Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce shares office space inside the service center, and a number of community groups meet there on a regular basis. The Chamber and all those groups would have to find a new space, and it would leave another empty storefront on Greemwood Avenue North.
The Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center provides information on neighborhood services and events, job opportunities, crime prevention and block watches, food banks, land use and zoning, bus schedules, heating bill assistance, weatherization services, plus a free legal clinic. It also provides forms on business licenses, the Neighborhood Matching Fund, voter registration, collision reports, property tax exemptions, U.S. passports, and provides public access to the Internet.
10 responses so far ↓
1 RR // Sep 27, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Passports? I had no idea! We’ve gone to Ballard and Lake City for those, despite living right here in Greenwood. Guess the word didn’t get out very well about the service center.
2 Tiktok // Sep 27, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Despite living here for five years, never set food inside it.
3 Rob // Sep 27, 2010 at 5:41 pm
The Crosscut article on this topic said: “seven Neighborhood Service Centers (West Seattle, Delridge, University District, Central District, Lake City, Southeast, and Ballard) will be closed.” I wonder why they have a different list?
4 Rob // Sep 27, 2010 at 5:48 pm
… and then Publicola says the budget will “close down six neighborhood service centers,” as opposed to the seven cited by Crosscut…
5 Rob // Sep 27, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Please note the Greenwood Service Center did not
issue passports. Per the City of Seattle and the US Passport office I had to go to Ballard.
As far as meeting space for the groups that used the Service Center – we have a lot of empty store fronts in the neighborhood.
6 Doree // Sep 27, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Rob – The number of neighborhood service centers closed is a bit confusing. The budget summary says six neighborhood service centers and the “West Seattle payment and information center” will be closed. So, somehow, the West Seattle office is not technically a neighborhood service center. But it’s easy to lump it in with the rest and say seven will be closed.
7 Doree // Sep 27, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Also, the Greenwood Neighborhood Service Center doesn’t issue passports, but provides application forms for passports.
8 Whopper // Sep 27, 2010 at 10:25 pm
“information on neighborhood services and events, job opportunities, crime prevention and block watches, food banks, land use and zoning, bus schedules, heating bill assistance, weatherization services, plus a free legal clinic. It also provides forms on business licenses, the Neighborhood Matching Fund, voter registration, collision reports, property tax exemptions, U.S. passports, and provides public access to the Internet.”
So basically things that can be done over the internet….close it.
“provides application forms for passports.”
You can download those for free from the State Department website.
9 Rob // Sep 27, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Just for the record, the third Rob is a different person from the first two Robs above (me). Not sure why that matters, it’s just interesting.
10 courtney // Sep 27, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Chocolati just expanded their coffee shop considerably (check out the back room — you could fit 15 in there very comfortably) and I know they need more business if they are to keep the Greenwood location open. Which I would prefer, because they are delicious.
The bottom line is, we have many local businesses in the area that could use the patronage that weekly meetings would bring to them. Why not spread those meetings hosted by the Greenwood Service Center out among local cafes? The price of a cup of coffee or tea once per meeting – I think that’s something most people could afford.
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