West Seattle scenes: First real sunset of Daylight Saving Time ’14
Since the first sunset of Daylight Saving Time 2014 last night was out of sight behind thick clouds, tonight was the first REAL sunset since we set the clocks ahead for the spring and summer. And we have two beautiful views – from James Bratsanos, above, and Will Pro, below:
P.S. Check the sunset time – or sunrise, or moonrise, or moonset, or high/low tides, among other things – any time, via the WSB West Seattle Weather page.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Truck taken, followed, found
Thanks to everybody who tipped us about a big police response earlier this evening near Delridge/Thistle. It was about the pickup truck in the foreground. Police confirm it was reported stolen, and that they have a suspect in custody. Scanner traffic indicated that its owner had called police while following her stolen pickup southbound on Delridge.
4755 Fauntleroy alley-vacation showdown at City Hall tomorrow
(For perspective – top of graphic is east, Fauntleroy Way frontage; ‘not a part’ is the Masonic Hall site)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Phones have been ringing, mailboxes have been jumping. Few political-candidate campaigns have been as intense as the campaigning going on in West Seattle in advance of a City Council committee hearing tomorrow.
And it’s all over a bit of bureaucracy that seldom gets much notice – an “alley vacation” (a process explained here). When a private property owner/developer asks the city to “vacate” a part of a publicly owned alley or street, City Council approval is required, and if it’s given, the property owner/developer has to pay the city fair-market value for the land involved. Before the project gets that far, it also has to show “public benefits” that will be part of the project.
(Recent West Seattle projects for which alley vacations were approved include Spruce, the former “Hole”; Admiral Safeway; the Equity Residential project at California/Alaska/42nd; and Capco Plaza at 42nd/Alaska/41st.)
Tomorrow morning, the City Council’s Transportation Committee – chaired by West Seattleite Tom Rasmussen – will consider the alley-vacation request for 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW, recently named The Whittaker, a proposal for ~370 apartments, ~600 parking spaces, and a Whole Foods Market (in addition to other TBA retail). It’s asking to buy part of the alley on its site, while also dedicating space to a “midblock connector” that the city calls in effect a “private alley.” The application was filed in February of last year (here’s the story we published then).
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One more chance to party with the West Seattle Big Band and help local students: Denny-Sealth dinner/dance coming up
(Photo courtesy Denny-Sealth Performing Arts)
A major mission of the West Seattle Big Band is to support music programs in local schools, and once again this school year, its musicians have performed on the same bills as local middle- and high-school groups. Another one’s coming up in less than two weeks, as announced:
BIG BAND DINNER DANCE MARCH 22! Denny-Sealth Performing Arts presents an evening of great food and dancing to the sounds of the Denny International Middle School Jazz Band, the Chief Sealth International High School Jazz Band, and the West Seattle Big Band!
Dinner features Otis Pimpleton’s Louisiana-style BBQ chicken with baked beans, potato salad, and mixed vegetables; a vegetarian lasagna option is available upon request. A dessert dash will be included as part of the event which takes place in the Chief Sealth Galleria from 6-10 pm. Tickets are $25 for dinner and dancing and must be purchased in advance. A limited number of dance-only tickets will be available at the door after 7:30 for students with ID. All proceeds benefit the Denny and Sealth jazz bands.
Tickets are available online – just go here.
Viaduct to close March 22nd for ‘follow-up inspection’ after cracks found
(WSDOT photo, added 3:27 pm)
WSDOT has just announced results of the recent Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection, and says they’ll need a followup inspection as a result:
Washington State Department of Transportation bridge engineers have scheduled an additional in-depth inspection of the State Route 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct on Saturday, March 22.
During the viaduct’s most recent inspection on March 1, engineers observed new cracks, as well as movement and widening of existing cracks along girders and supports near Spring and Seneca streets. While the viaduct remains safe for travel, engineers need a second inspection to gather more information about the cracks before they can make repairs. The inspection requires a one-day closure that will take place Saturday, March 22. Details of the closure will be available soon.
During the March 22 inspection, engineers will conduct an in-depth evaluation of the area, perform tests to determine how the cracks respond to heavy loads on the viaduct, and look for other issues. They will also install monitoring devices on the columns to track the movement and growth of the cracks over time. They will use this data to help identify potential repairs. If additional work is needed, such as filling the cracks with epoxy, further closures will be required.
This section of the viaduct is more than a half-mile north of the current location of the SR 99 tunneling machine. While the cause of these cracks is still to be determined, it is not related to tunneling activity.
No other significant changes to the viaduct were observed during the March 1 inspection. …
Read the entire news release here; see the Viaduct’s inspection history here.
West Seattle Monday: North Delridge Neighborhood Council; Relay for Life; sale; studying…
Thanks to Matthew Olson for the photo of one of West Seattle’s wonderful waterfowl – a harlequin duck. Floating on into the calendar, we find:
TODDLER INDOOR GYM: If it’s rainy this morning/afternoon, this drop-in gym, 10 am-1 pm, might be a good alternative; at Hiawatha Community Center. (2700 California SW)
SPRING SALE STARTS AT WEST SEATTLE CYCLERY: Brad Loetel at West Seattle Cyclery (WSB sponsor) in The Junction says the shop’s spring sale starts today and continues for a week, with “great prices and discounts on everything in the store” (open today 10 am-7 pm):
50% OFF MSRP: 2013 Bikes, Sugoi Clothing and Closeout Accessories
20% OFF MSRP: All 2014 Bikes in Stock
20% OFF MSRP: All Clothing and Accessories in Stock
20% OFF All Tune Packages and Service Parts
20% OFF All Service Parts used for A La Carte Service
(4508 California SW)
HOMEWORK HELP AT LOCAL LIBRARIES: Three months left in the school year – if the student in your life needs some help, Seattle Public Library homework help might be in order. Today, it’s available at 3 pm at High Point Branch Library, 4 pm at Delridge Branch Library.
NORTH DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 6:30 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the NDNC’s agenda includes Giulia Pasciuto, city researcher on the study featured here a week ago about women and food access in the Delridge area, plus Seattle Police Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon, focusing on Brandon safety issues. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
RELAY FOR LIFE TEAM CAPTAIN MEETING: 6:30 tonight, it’s the first team captains’ meeting for this year’s West Seattle Relay for Life, the all-night event that raises money to fight cancer. It’s happening in the science lab at Seattle Lutheran High School – just look for the signs. (41st/Genesee)
Update: Emergency response at Spruce construction site
(Photo substituted 9:27 am for traffic-camera image that was here previously)
8:32 AM: Huge response, including units from across the bridge, rushing to 3922 SW Alaska – the Spruce construction site. The callout is for a “major natural-gas leak.” Updates shortly.
8:50 AM: Added the traffic camera showing emergency vehicles on the north side of Alaska.
8:58 AM: Our crew says Puget Sound Energy has just arrived, and workers from the site are across the street by Trader Joe’s until they get the all-clear:
Traffic IS getting by.
9:13 AM: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore says crews shut off the gas before PSE arrived. No injuries reported.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday updates; overnight 99 closures
(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Happy Monday! Traffic watch is under way. And we have major closures this week:
HIGHWAY 99 OVERNIGHT CLOSURES: Tonight is the first of four overnight closures for Highway 99, both ways between East Marginal Way and S. Atlantic, 9 pm-5 am, including the ramp from the West Seattle Bridge to northbound 99. This work will basically complete the Spokane St. Overcrossing (former Timber Bridge) south of the West Seattle Bridge, as explained here.
Speaking of Highway 99 …
TUNNEL-TOLL TALK TODAY: Aside from the ongoing tunneling trouble, WSDOT continues working on the issue of what toll(s) to charge once the tunnel is open. The committee working on that is leaning toward a recommendation that would be around $1.25 peak periods/$1 offpeak, and today, the concept will be presented to City Councilmembers in a 2:30 pm briefing. See the slide deck here. The briefing will be during the council’s meeting as the Committee on Central Waterfront, Seawall, and Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, and you can see it live via the Seattle Channel, online or on cable.
8:36 AM: As noted in a separate story, there is an emergency callout at the Spruce construction site (former “Hole,” 3922 SW Alaska), likely to mean backups right there at Fauntleroy/Alaska TFN.
11:15 AM: One more piece of Highway 99 news – a followup inspection will close the Alaskan Way Viaduct on Saturday, March 22nd, WSDOT has announced.
12:42 PM: Westbound lower bridge is backed up, according to multiple sources in Twitter – Steph says it’s a broken-down semi-truck.
We can’t pass up the chance to note that exactly two months from today, May 10th it’s the 10th annual 
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