West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
A few more things of note, along West Seattle streets: The “rechannelization” – striping that’s part of the last phase of the road reconstruction – has begun along Fauntleroy Way; we spotted the striped-in bike lane tonight, as we headed northeast. SDOT announced recently that the work will be done by the middle of this month. And “sharrow”-painting continues to stretch further south:
We just noticed sharrows have been roughed in along Thistle between California and Delridge (map).Last but not least, Rhonda from The Mortgage Porter (WSB sponsor) called our attention this morning to this scene along Jacobsen Road just east of Beach Drive, south edge of Me-Kwa-Mooks Natural Area (map):
She wondered what was being cut and why, and so did we when we saw it, so we contacted the Parks Department – the crew had clearly labeled Parks vehicles – and Dewey Potter tells us:
This was a single dead alder tree that our Tree Crew Chief identified. It was hanging close to the road and the driveways of two houses. The bark was starting to fall off the stem and branches. The crew will leave a snag for habitat if possible. That is the only tree being removed.
From tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting, from which we’ll have more to report later – Alki Community Council rep Tony Fragada says the date is set for the placement of the new time capsule (with items collected late last year) at the Statue of Liberty Plaza: September 19th. We’ll be checking on other details of the event and will add them when we get them. ADDED 11:06 PM: Just found a mention of this event, along with other Alki news, in the new edition of the Alki News Beacon, which you can download as a PDF here.
If you haven’t passed them yet, note that radar-equipped speed-displaying trailers have shown up in recent days in and around Fauntleroy. The top photo is from the 9300 block of 45th SW (just south of Endolyne Joe’s [WSB sponsor]; map), photographed on Tuesday by Kevin McClintic, who decided to watch a while and see if it seemed to be having any effect:
The posted speed limit is 30 MPH. The average speed before the driver slowed down after seeing the radar speed displayed seemed to average around 32 – 36, with some of the higher speeds running in the high 30s. A couple of 40s, with a 42 being the record while I was watching. I even saw a bicycle coming down the hill at 37.
An interesting observation is that despite the fact there was no traffic officer waiting to write a ticket, the speed display almost always caused a significant slowdown. Even more interesting was that most folks in the low 30s speed range slowed WAY down to about 25 or so, while the faster drivers slowed down to 30 or perhaps 31, or 32.
Less than a mile northeast, we happened onto one this afternoon, on the southwest-bound side of California SW between Fauntleroy Schoolhouse and Fauntleroy Church (map):
In many cases, the speed trailers are in place at the request of neighborhoods and/or neighborhood groups who have monitored speeds and documented a problem, working with the SDOT Neighborhood Speed Watch Program – more info here. The neighborhood group overseeing the area where these were sighted is the Fauntleroy Community Association, whose next meeting is next Tuesday (9/9), 7 pm at the schoolhouse.
King County has certified the results of the August 18th primary. You can find all results here; we’re breaking out how West Seattle-residing candidates did in the final certified countywide vote totals – top three in each race (top 2 move on to November 3rd election), West Seattleite with asterisk before name:
COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Susan Hutchison 110052 33.05%
*Dow Constantine 89833 26.98%
Fred Jarrett 40527 12.17%
SEATTLE MAYOR
Mike McGinn 39097 27.71%
Joe Mallahan 37933 26.88%
*Greg Nickels 35781 25.36%
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 4
Sally Bagshaw 63348 51.01%
David Bloom 22690 18.27%
*Dorsol Plants 17822 14.35%
SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 4
Tom Albro 121518 41.86%
*Max Vekich 81362 28.02%
Robert Walker 61848 21.30%
Besides Constantine and Vekich, two other West Seattleites will be on the November ballot – their races only had two candidates, so it was an automatic pass to the general – Tom Carr, incumbent Seattle City Attorney challenged by Pete Holmes, and David Ginsberg, challenging incumbent City Council President Richard Conlin in the Position 6 race. Finally, a few turnout notes from the August primary: 31.5% participation countywide (percentage of ballots returned); 38.5% participation in Seattle; among the County Council districts, ours – District 8 – had the second-highest turnout, 37.2%, eclipsed only by District 4 (downtown/north end) with 38.2% (the lowest was District 3 [easternmost King County] with 24.6%).
Discovered this during our periodic peek into the online records for the various lawsuits pending related to what was the Fauntleroy Place site (map), 
nicknamed “Hole Foods” since currently it’s a huge excavation awaiting a development that’s still supposed to include a Whole Foods store (as well as Hancock Fabrics and residential units): The newest development is that a legal action seeking “judicial foreclosure” was filed in King County Superior Court last week, by a firm identifying itself as 3922 SW Alaska LLC (the official address of record for the site), as a third party intervening in the lawsuits and liens pending regarding the site. The documents say that new entity holds the note/deed to the site as of late June (with the note’s most recent valuation listed as $21 million).
You can read the “complaint for judicial foreclosure” here; here’s an associated document, an order putting off a motion for summary judgment by a party to one of the lawsuits, because of the “intervention.”
As soon as we found this, we sought comment from Foster Pepper, the legal firm representing the party seeking foreclosure. They have not called back.
So to make sure we’re interpreting the action as accurately as possible, we informally consulted a real-estate-transaction expert (not involved in the case) who tells us it’s not unusual for a new entity to be formed in a situation like this to take over the financial and other liability. He adds, though, it’s not so commonplace for judicial foreclosure to be sought instead of nonjudicial – this type, he says, tends to take longer.
Bottom line, though, it’s another step in the path to getting the site’s future resolved, but it’s the first time the word “foreclosure” has been formally raised in this situation, and it could lead to the property being sold at auction. As we reported two weeks ago, Whole Foods’ official stance is that they are still expecting to open a store there, but they are “watching (the project) closely” to see if the commitments in their lease will be met. (When ground was ceremonially broken in June of last year – WSB coverage here – a February 2010 completion date was projected.) Lots more to follow up on this, of course, as we have done and will continue to do.
We mentioned that Friends of Seattle Public Library will have a rep at tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting. One other FSPL note: Group rep Sarel e-mailed overnight asking that we share a link to their website – which has been chronicling the weeklong closure – and a request for you to take a survey about the shutdown. You’ll find the link here.
SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: Reps from community councils/associations and other major organizations in what the city refers to as the Southwest District section of West Seattle (map left) will gather in the board room at South Seattle Community College, everyone welcome, 7 pm. City Councilmember Bruce Harrell (who chairs the committee overseeing utilities and technology) will be a guest, as will reps from Friends of the Seattle Public Library and Southwest Seattle Historical Society to talk about the fire-damaged Alki Homestead.
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Neighbors from all around North Delridge are welcome – note that because of this week’s library shutdown, NDNC will meet at Olympia Pizza (5605 Delridge; map), 6:30 tonight. Lots going on in the neighborhood (including plans for another get-together at mid-month, following up on the ice-cream social success).
FUNDRAISER FOR FIRE VICTIMS: 4-8 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction (6451 California SW; map), you can bid on silent auction items to help out local musicians/artists affected by a July house fire near The Junction last month. More on the FL website.
Not West Seattle-specific but of potential interest here:
SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD: Last meeting before the new school year starts a week from today; agenda items include the new contract just approved by the teachers’ union. 6 pm, district HQ in SODO (2445 3rd S.; map)- here’s the agenda.
FINAL ELECTION RESULTS: The last few ballots are to be counted and the county will certify the August 18th vote today (watch for the final report here). The trends that took shape within the first week of ballot-counting haven’t changed – but now we’ll have the final numbers to read the tea leaves looking ahead to November 3rd.
More huge events coming up in West Seattle this month before a small pre-Halloween lull – and one of them is the 2nd annual West Seattle Junction Car Show, Sunday 9/20. WSB is proud to co-sponsor the show again this year; the official news release from the West Seattle Junction Association is out, so we’re sharing it here:
– Three blocks of downtown West Seattle at The Junction will be cordoned off on Sunday, September 20 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Second Annual West Seattle Junction Car Show (wsjunctioncarshow.com). This family friendly, community-oriented event will take place on California Avenue SW between SW Genesee and SW Edmunds streets and will feature classic cars and hot rods from the 1920’s to the 1970’s. Antique fire trucks from The Last Resort Fire Department, the Oh Boy! Oberto hydroplane and fire safety tips for kids from the fighters of the Seattle Fire Department will also be part of the festivities. Classic car enthusiasts can register their car on the day of the event for $20 and will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis.
Trophies will be awarded in several categories, including Best in Show, Best of Decade, Best Ford and Best of West Seattle. DJ Galen Suave will be spinning classic hits from the 1950’s and 60’s. A gas grill courtesy of Junction True Value ($350 value) as well as over 20 donated items from West Seattle businesses will be raffled off. Raffle tickets are one for $1, six for $5 or 13 for $10 and will benefit the West Seattle Helpline. Day-of coupons for many Junction merchants will be available at the Information booth, as will Car Show tee shirts and Junction bumper stickers. As always, parking is free in The Junction at four marked lots, one on 42nd Avenue SW and three on 44th Avenue SW.
“This event, sponsored by The Junction and the merchants of West Seattle, is a chance for us to give back to the community. Attendees are welcome to stroll along the street and enjoy the show with their families,” explains Michael Hoffman, owner of Liberty Bell Printing and event co-chair.
If you attended last year, you’ll note one major change – the streets will be closed in the same “footprint” as West Seattle Summer Fest, a wider closure than last year. Find out more at wsjunctioncarshow.com.
After a rainy morning and early afternoon, the sun showed up full force for Tuesday night’s community picnic on the playfield next to Alki Community Center. Rain or shine, they promised – in the end, it was even nice enough for the planned burger barbecue to be all sizzle, no fizzle:
Activities and entertainment included free live music: Presidents of the United States of America rocker Chris Ballew, now a West Seattleite, performed in his kids-music guise, Caspar Babypants. In our clip, you’ll see how he somewhat startled the youngest audience members toward the start of a tune about dust bunnies:
After CB, The Not-Its finished out the bill – they posted video of their own to YouTube (we got the link via Twitter):
Lots more going on at Alki Community Center as the fall proceeds – you can find the full program listing in the areawide “combined brochure” for fall programs and classes; see it here.
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