West Seattle Blog…

Beach Drive slide update: Here’s what it looks like

December 3, 2007 at 1:27 pm | In December 2007 flooding, Transportation, West Seattle news, West Seattle weather | 11 Comments

As mentioned below, Beach Drive is blocked by a mudslide in the 6000 block. 1:40 PM: Photo just in from Dawson (thank you!), who confirms this is close to the area where the city granted a permit for slope-side trees to be cut earlier this year (previous WSB report here):

Here’s our photo, from a bit closer up:

11 Comments

1. There was alot of trees removed on that hillside, so Homeowners could enjoy a better view! I am not sure they caused this but if they did I hope they PAY FOR IT! People don’t seem to realize the Trees keep steep hillsides in place!

   Comment by Steve Klinkel — 3:40 pm December 3, 2007 #

2. Wow, I’m just shocked — NOT!!!!!
   What on earth did they think would happen?? I hope the City is held accountable for allowing that to happen. Even any lay-person in their right mind knew that was going to happen. Genius’….. I just love paying taxes to this City for these idiots’ salaries!!

   Comment by jissy — 4:06 pm December 3, 2007 #

3. It is better that you people get the facts instead of spreading unfounded rumors. This erosion and slide was caused by the new construction on Atlas Place (the warehouse looking house). The property where the trees were removed has been replanted and there is no erosion whatsoever. The tree removal was a benefit to the health of the slopes since most of the trees were diseased and ready to fall over.

   So you jerks get your facts right and get your personal agenda off this BLOG!!!!!

   Comment by Armand — 5:34 pm December 3, 2007 #

4. Oh Armand, how naive can you be? That’s all fine and dandy that things have “been replanted”, but you can’t tell me in 6 months they’ve rooted so deep as to stabilize that hillside. Come on.

   It’s all contributing…. the houses/remodels on Atlas, tree removal, lack of maintenance, the City’s lack of oversight and/or limiting the weight of what’s being build up there on that there hillside!

   Comment by jissy — 5:58 pm December 3, 2007 #

5. Note the slide was stated as being close to where the trees were cut, not where the trees were cut. Trying to give a geographical reference for WSB. No one said it was the same trees. You’re right. The new construction going in above is at least partly responsible although I would say the culprit is our soil structure moreso. Incidently, was at the Delridge Depot when these construction workers came in buying plastic to cover up the hill side. And removing trees from a slope doesn’t benefit a slope. If the trees were a danger to structures/people below then they should be removed.

   Comment by Dawson — 7:33 pm December 3, 2007 #

6. Really, very few if any of you have any scientific training or understanding. So if you do not, seek the advice of those who have this knowledge before you contribute your opinion. There are many factors contributing to erosion. The hillside where the trees were cut is heavily covered by undergrowth. The small area rendered bare from the tree removal has been replanted and is stable. Large trees that fall and become uprooted contribute more to erosion than cutting these down before they fall and expose large areas of bare soil to the elements. The roots of these trees still stabilize the hillside and the danger of damage from these falling trees has been eliminated. I am not saying this was the only motivation. Certainly, I have a right to improve my property value and the enjoyment of my property if I can do this without endangering the property and rights of others. I spent over $13,000 for engineering and arborist studies and city permits to do this thing right. So it really pisses me off to hear you people complain about something that is not even an issue here. I am an expert on this subject. If you want to know the facts, I have them! There are lots of problems on the slope between Atlas Place and Beach Drive. But my property is not contributing to these problems. There is a huge project north of the 6001 Beach Drive to stabilize the hill with a retaining wall. Some of you need to take a walk and have a look at this. It is very frightening to see what is being done. Without adequate anchoring of this retaining wall to the hillside, a good portion of the hill will destroy 2 or 3 homes on Beach Drive. And new construction on Atlas Place continues. Two new homes are being built. New construction is the real culprit here. The city government is in-bed with new construction. How else can you explain the mess in this city? This has to be the worse I have seen anywhere (except California). There are hundreds of new homes being built in West Seattle along Sylvan Way and the city had the street closed for months to install the utilities. Yet, the city, in its great wisdom, failed to take this opportunity to expand the width of the road to 3 or 4 lanes to handle the additional congestion from hundreds of new residences. After years of improper planning of the only two major highway arteries in the city (I-5 and I-405), how can the city planners continue to be so irresponsible? If you want to see an example of well run city, go to Portland, Oregon sometime. Seattle is an example of how NOT to run a city!

   Certainly, I applaud any effort to bring this city to bear more responsibility for unreasonable policies that have been lessening the quality of life in Seattle. But please direct you attacks to those who are responsible and not toward citizens who really do care and are really responsible in their actions.

   Comment by Armand — 10:38 pm December 3, 2007 #

7. So you cut the Trees for the People, We got it all wrong…

   Hows your view?

   Comment by Steve Klinkel — 12:45 am December 4, 2007 #

8. Wow, the hot air from these two posts could have easily blown more trees down!

   Comment by carraignasplinkeen — 7:09 am December 4, 2007 #

9. I’m not even going to jump into the tree/slope discussion since I’m not an expert, but I have to agree with Armand on the city planning debacle. It is totally irresponsible to build all of these new homes and make absolutely no improvements to the roads surrounding the developments. Delridge is a two lane road and it doesn’t seem like there are any plans to expand it, even though townhomes are going up like crazy on and around it. And nothing was done to 35th after High Point was completed; not a middle turn lane or even a traffic light! Nothing will happen until there are a bunch of accidents along those roads because this city is reactive instead of proactive.

   Comment by m — 8:19 am December 4, 2007 #

10. Armand, I’m impressed with your expert rhetoric, but it seems to me the proof is in the facts no matter how much you bluster and stomp your feet. The trees went down and now so has the slope. Common sense suggests a connection, regardless of how much money you spent to prove to yourself that you’re in the “right”. I’m also impressed with your finger pointing dodge about city policies and the Sylvan hill development and lack of freeways, nice try to change the subject.

    So, as Steve Klinkel asked, Mr. “Citizen who really does care and is really responsible in your actions”, “how’s your view??”

    Comment by WestSeattleMom — 3:29 pm December 4, 2007 #

11. just drove by this section of Beach Drive, and if you go by and take a look, you’ll be able to see the slides further off Beach Drive and to the south, closer to Atlas Pl. So, that slide might be the one that’s most visible and closest to the street, but there are others in the area.
    Seattle is built on hills of sand and clay, no surprise when things go downhill!

    Comment by Kathleen — 4:54 pm December 4, 2007 #

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