Of Houses, Hillsides And Lawyers

The way to raise blood pressures in the Denny-Blaine neighborhood is to propose building on one of the hillsides overlooking Lake Washington. Craig Palmer, an investment banker who has lived in the area for seven years, has been trying to construct a house on a site he owns at 525 Hillside Drive E.

The original proposal for the house, estimated to cost $1.5 million, dates from 1989. It's a three-story, 4,800-square-foot single-family dwelling. Imagine a Tudor on steroids.

In the past five years, Palmer and his architect, Dick Shavey of Axis Architects, have been working through what Palmer describes as "a laborious process." They were required to file a draft environmental-impact statement, an unusual step for a private residence.

Neighbors apparently are alarmed for a number of reasons, including the prospect of truck traffic (estimated at 200 two-way truck trips) on narrow, winding streets in the area. Also in question is the stability of the steep hillside.

The Department of Construction and Land Use has set a Feb. 25 date for a hearing on the draft impact statement. It may be a stormy session.

Why so much fuss over the home? Can't say for sure. Neighbors either have been out of town or couldn't be reached. Shavey says, "Two of the neighbors are attorneys."

Love medicine: University of Washington sociology Prof. Pepper Schwartz, author of "Couples," once again draws national attention to her love life. The Feb. 13 issue of People magazine names "The 10 Most Romantic Couples of 1995."

Schwartz and her husband Art Skolnik didn't make the top 10. But they are profiled in "Love Styles of the Love Advisers."

Schwartz is quoted: "Sexuality has always been important to me." Skolnik gets the final word. He says, "Living with Pepper is always a bit of a lab course."

Latteland crime: The Kirkland police blotter details a new crime: coffee assault. The incident happened Tuesday on Carillon Point Drive. A car with an Idaho plate pulled up in front of the Starbucks outlet.

A police officer accosted the woman driver, pointing out that she was parked in a fire lane. The woman said, "I'm a regular. This is fine."

But, when she emerged, coffee cup in hand, the police officer was writing a ticket. The woman reacted by hurling coffee at the officer, burning him on the leg. She drove off and is still at large.

Feelgood food: Have you tried "Prozac Pie"? Madison Park's new pizza house, Mad Pizza, serves the dish, which, they say, is "FDA approved" and "guaranteed to make you feel good." Ingredients: sausage, pepperoni, copacola, black olives, mushrooms and onions.

After thought: One of the KIRO-AM newscasters - haven't yet been able to pinpoint the guilty one - made an amusing slip Friday morning. Said the newsie: "President Nixon today proposed an increase in the minimum wage."

Hmmmm. One of Nixon's better posthumous proposals.

Dial 100: The latest Seattle Weekly carries an ad for "The Buzz," found at 100.7 FM on your dial. (Funny man Pat Cashman presides in the morning.)

But there is a bit of irony here. The radio shown in the Weekly ad appears to be tuned to KJR.

Jean Godden's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Local News section of The Times. Her phone is 464-8300.