West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(UPDATED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: City confirms, comment deadline extended to Nov. 27th)
Last Saturday, we updated the saga of 6917 California SW, the 30-units, no-parking building proposed for part of what’s currently the site of three old houses in south Morgan Junction, with 2 houses and 4 townhouses on the rest of the site. The deadline for comments is Wednesday; formal requests have been filed for a two-week extension, but there’s no official confirmation yet. And neighbors are organizing: They are seeking signatures on an online petition via change.org – see it here – and also circulating a flyer:
The project currently requires no public meetings; that’s part of what neighbors hope to change. We first reported on the project four weeks ago, after discovering it in city files even before the land-use-application sign went up. Official comments on the proposal can be sent by following the instructions on the official notice
ADDED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: We now have multiple confirmations, including one from the city, that the comment deadline for this project has been extended to November 27th.
Just before sunset, one final solemn ceremony on this Veterans Day: Scout Troop 375, based in Burien, came to Alki for a formal flag-retirement ceremony. More than two dozen people joined them.
With flames and Taps, as per tradition, the flag was taken out of service.
The troop and Scoutmaster Mark Ufkes had invited community members to bring flags for a future retirement event; some did. (No date set yet.)
(WSB photo added 8:37 pm)
7:26 PM: Seattle Police say (via scanner) they’re closing Admiral Way between 47th and 49th after a vehicle hit a pole. No word of serious injuries, but “the pole is ready to come down,” one officer warned. More to come.
7:53 PM: Seattle City Light is on scene. The impact actually detached the pole at its base; no word how long the road will be closed. The driver apparently was not seriously hurt, but was being questioned by police.
11:29 PM: Still closed, per commenters.
Yet more updates on West Seattle development plans – this time, focused around the Design Review process:
3078 AVALON WAY ‘PACKET’ FOR NEXT DESIGN REVIEW: As reported here last month, 3078 SW Avalon Way goes back to the Southwest Design Review Board on November 21st, more than a year after its Early Design Guidance meeting (WSB coverage here). Today’s update is that the “packet” containing the newest plan for this ~100-apartment, ~60-parking-space project is now available online. Its text notes that the adjacent, almost identical project (3062 Avalon) has been canceled:
Soon after the September 13 [2012] EDG meeting, Caron Architecture was approached to design a second building on the three parcels to the north of this project. That project under DPD # 3014100, was slated to be designed concurrently with this proposal, 3013303. The schedule for this proposed project was slightly delayed so the two project schedules could synchronized. Both MUP sets were submitted within weeks of each other but the buildings were placed on hold by the owners during the MUP review period due to a myriad of factors, and the application for the other project was eventually cancelled. The decision was made late summer to continue the moving forward with this project only. Comments and concerns raised through the design review process for both buildings have been incorporated into this design, although only the EDG report for this project is specifically addressed in this presentation.
The review of 3078 SW Avalon Way is at 8 pm Thursday, November 21st, at the Senior Center of West Seattle, right after the 6:30 pm review of 3210 California SW (the meeting “packet” for that project is not yet available).
4535 44TH SW DESIGN REVIEW: Since our report that the city has scheduled a special public-comment meeting November 19th after being petitioned by neighbors concerned about this 36-unit, no-parking project in The Junction, there’s yet another date set: It’s going back before the SW Design Review Boardat 6:30 pm December 5th, also at the Senior Center of WS. The formal notice isn’t out yet but it’s listed on the city schedule. (Here’s our coverage of its previous SWDRB review back in May.)
3400 SW GRAHAM DESIGN REVIEW, BUT NO MEETING: We reported two weeks ago about the new development proposal for part of High Point’s long-in-flux site at 35th/Graham – 36 townhouses, 9 single-family houses. It is now scheduled for Administrative Design Review – which means no public meeting, but public comments will be accepted. The formal notice is scheduled to go out this Thursday, with comments accepted until November 27th. If you want to comment before that, send yours to the city planner assigned to the project, Tami Garrett, at tami.garrett@seattle.gov.
Thanks to Arrowhead Gardens for inviting WSB to their Veterans Day observance, which featured an Honor Guard from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Pierce County. The Honor Guard brought and raised a flag:
The event included residents parading around the grounds to and from the flagpole:
Their commemoration also included a poetry reading.
(P.S. In case you wondered – we did! – here’s how to ask JBLM about providing visitors like these for an off-base event.)
If you haven’t taken the quick and easy online step of checking to see whether your ballot from last week’s election was received and validated, you might consider doing it now. 
You’ve probably heard that one City Council contest has narrowed dramatically since the original Election Night count – Position 2 incumbent Richard Conlin and challenger Kshama Sawant are now 1,237 votes apart, – and the ballot-counting isn’t over yet, so it could come down to a handful of votes.
Both campaigns have suggested that while we await the next round of ballot totals tomorrow, you check to make sure your ballot has been counted. It can get lost on its way to Elections HQ; one West Seattleite tells us his was dropped into a box at the Junction post office on Election Day – but came back marked “return to sender.” He contacted King County Elections and received an e-mail reply explaining that he needed to bring it in ASAP; the reply included, “We have heard of this happening to other voters …” Other things that can go awry include the possibility your signature wasn’t validated (happened to us a couple elections ago). Don’t wait to see if yours turns up back on your doorstep. Just go here – it’s really quick.
On this day during which we honor those who have served – a nod also to those who supported their efforts back home, including the women who became known during World War II as “Rosie the Riveters.” Five years ago, West Seattle “Rosies” had their first meeting. 
Then, this past September, we reported organizer Georgie Bright Kunkel‘s search for more “Rosies”; today, we’re publishing her update:
The Rosie the Riveter group in West Seattle is up and running again. The announcement in the blog brought several new Rosies forward. Since not all Rosies are computer-techie, their offspring might have to reply. So if your mother was a Rosie the Riveter during WWII, please contact Georgie Bright Kunkel at 206-935-8663 for more information. Or e-mail gnkunkel@comcast.net.
*On Thursday, Metro went public with details on how it might cut bus routes if two types of funding that expire next year aren’t replaced (WSB coverage here).
*On Saturday, state legislators finished their latest special session with no action on transportation funding.
*Tomorrow (Tuesday), you can do something about it – join forces with the West Seattle Transportation Coalition. WSTC – an all-volunteer, grass-roots, not-government-affiliated group – has just announced its agenda, focused on organizing members into subgroups to take on specific aspects of the work of advocating for our area’s transportation needs. See the agenda here, and be there to help make it happen, 6:30 pm tomorrow at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way SW).
(SDOT camera view of West Seattle Bridge, looking west; more area cams here)
This morning, we’re combining our usual traffic/transit watch with our daily calendar preview, and mixing in the “what’s changed for the holiday” info:
TRAFFIC NOTES: Highway 99 is open again after a weekend closure that ended around 9 pm Sunday; at the Fauntleroy ferry dock, the holding lane north of the terminal will be closed today because of Barton Pump Station Upgrade work next door: “A large drill rig will be parked in the holding lane for most of the day, and a police officer will be directing traffic around the construction activities,” says the advisory.
TRANSIT NOTES: Metro is on the “reduced weekday” schedule (some routes aren’t running at all); the West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxis are not running today; Sound Transit and Washington State Ferries, however, are on regular weekday schedules.
PARKING PAY-STATION/METERS: If you’re going to an area of the city with on-street paid parking – it’s free today.
TRASH/RECYCLING/YARD WASTE: Regular schedule for Seattle Public Utilities, both pickup and transfer stations.
SCHOOLS: Closed.
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY: All facilities closed.
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: No delivery; post offices closed.
FOR VETERANS: Writer David Nelson has again compiled his citywide freebies list (with four West Seattle items). Also, Center Studio (WSB sponsor) at 9611 16th SW in White Center is offering a free class for veterans at 5:45 pm.
Also happening today/tonight:
‘GIRL RISING’: Still some tickets left for the 4 pm screening at Admiral Theater, according to the online-sales page linked in our original story. (2343 California SW)
FLAG-RETIREMENT CEREMONY: 4 pm with Scout Troop 375 on Alki Beach across from Duke’s; details are in our Sunday story.
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: The NDNC meeting is now permanently moved to Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, room 103, starting at 6:30 pm on second Mondays. Tonight’s announced agenda:
Election of 2014 officers
Bylaws change – length of officer terms
DESC building name
Greenbelt encampments
Neighborhood clean-up
Announcements
Youngstown is at 4408 Delridge Way SW.
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