West Seattle, Washington

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day : 16/06/2014 10 results

Alki tonight: Lady Liberty and one of spring’s final sunsets
June 16, 2014 10:31 pm
|    Comments Off on Alki tonight: Lady Liberty and one of spring’s final sunsets
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks to Craig Young for the sunset view looking across Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza! It was the fifth-to-last sunset of Spring 2014, with summer due to arrive at 3:51 am our time Saturday (June 21st).

P.S. Yes, Alice Enevoldsen WILL as usual preside over a Solstice Park viewing event for the first post-solstice sunset – she advises arriving by 8:45 pm Saturday.

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Alki Beach cleanup success – and what wasn’t debris after all
June 16, 2014 9:46 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

From David Hutchinson on behalf of Seal Sitters, a photo and update following this past Saturday’s community cleanup at Alki:

Saturday was a great success. This year’s event was co-sponsored by PAWS Wildlife Center and the Alki Community Council. Over 70 people turned out, and after a brief talk about the dangers of marine debris, they fanned out along the beach and street. Cleaning supplies were provided by Seattle Parks & Recreation. We want to thank everyone who participated in this worthwhile community effort.

For the complete story and to see what looks like trash, but is indeed part of the marine ecosystem, read our blog post here.

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Traffic note: Not West Seattle, but you might want to know
June 16, 2014 7:49 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | West Seattle news

7:49 PM: Since this might not be a time of day when you usually check out regional news outlets, we’re mentioning this too: I-5 southbound is closed at the Ship Canal Bridge because of a law-enforcement investigation. Vehicles that were on the bridge at the time are being turned around and cleared off, and radio discussion indicates it’ll be closed for quite a while. So if you are headed this way from north of downtown, make your way to 99, or else way over to 405 and 90. The investigation involves an incident reported to have started as a vehicle fire on that bridge and turned into a state trooper shooting a man – details are still emerging.

8:01 PM: WSDOT has opened the southbound I-5 express lanes to help with the traffic backlog.

10:07 PM: State Patrol tweeted a few minutes ago that the closure isn’t ending any time soon:

11:48 PM: That turned out not to be the case. Just reopened:

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen stroller; hit-run; vandalism
June 16, 2014 6:50 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council | West Seattle news

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports. First one’s from Johnali:

Our Bob Revolution jogging stroller (black), was stolen from our secured building between 6:30 pm last night and 7:30am this morning. We live on Delridge and Trenton. Anything would be helpful as we are still hopeful we will find it.

Let police know if you do. Second, Lynn‘s hoping to find the hit-run driver who damaged her car and another one just south of The Junction:

The 2 cars that were hit were parked 1/2 block north of Rite Aid, near a telephone and across the street from a large apartment building construction site (west side of California Avenue, SW). My car is a 2013 gray 4 door Nissan Altima. I do not know the make of the other car that was hit, but its owner told me that her left-side mirror was bent backwards and was missing most of the mirror glass. I didn’t find any paint from the car that hit mine. However, I did find a side mirror on the ground near my car that may have been from the car that hit mine. It appears from the damage my car sustained that the offending car came from the north, which would mean that their car would be missing their right side mirror. I’ve kept the side mirror, just in case.

Third, Kezia wondered if anybody else woke up Sunday morning in the Westwood area to find out their car had been vandalized – a crude drawing in black paint on a white car, in her case.

REMINDER: Bring community concerns to the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s meeting at Lincoln Park Shelter 1 tomorrow (Tuesday) night, 7 pm, map here.

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Another ‘unlawful detainer’ action pending for West Seattle Athletic Club
June 16, 2014 4:28 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

For the second time this year, an “unlawful detainer” action is pending against the ownership of West Seattle Athletic Club in North Delridge. That’s the formal term for a legal action that could result in eviction. As reported here in February, the first case was called off on the eve of a court hearing, and the lawyer for the club’s landlord, H-P Properties, told WSB at the time, that was because club ownership “came up with a payment sufficient to reinstate the lease.”

Documents available online showed that case was formally closed in early April. But court records show that a new “unlawful detainer” action was filed one month later, on May 2nd.

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How Highway 99 tunnel machine will be dug up, broken down, put back underground
June 16, 2014 1:57 pm
|      36 COMMENTS
 |   Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation | West Seattle news

Just last week at the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s monthly meeting (WSB coverage here), top WSDOT executives answered a few questions about the stalled tunnel machine and its pending repairs. Today, the contractor, Seattle Tunnel Partners, is out with its official repair plan, and animation (above) showing what’ll happen during its phases. According to the timeline toward the end of the plan, they’re still expecting to resume tunneling in late March of next year.

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West Seattle development updates, from Admiral to Westwood
June 16, 2014 12:15 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

Big stack of development notes/updates, all involving teardowns large and small:

First, the city has officially given a key land-use approval to The Whittaker, the 7-story, 389-apartment, 594-parking-space, Whole Foods-including project at 4755 Fauntleroy SW. It’s received a Determination of Non-Significance, meaning a full environmental review will not be required. Here’s the notice; here’s the decision. This is appealable until June 26th (this explains how). A project spokesperson tells WSB that they hope to start work at the site (which still holds five buildings, all to be demolished) this summer.

Next: The second Southwest Design Review Board meeting for 2626 Alki SW is on the schedule for July 17th (6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle). This is a three-story commercial/residential building planned for the corner of Alki and 59th, replacing three buildings that currently include a rental company, a retail store, a café, and a dispensary. The date is technically still temporary, so it has not yet appeared on the Land Use Information Bulletin. Here’s our coverage of its first Early Design Guidance meeting in February, when the board told it to give EDG another try.

Nor is a new lot-boundary-adjustment application we noticed in city files. The line adjustments proposed for 8437 41st SW in Upper Fauntleroy would make way for what are shown on a filed “site plan” as two houses, replacing the existing brick house on an 11,000-plus-square-foot site that was sold to a developer last month.

A one-into-two subdivision is being sought at 3036 Alki SW, turning one into two (2,663 and 4,049 square feet), with four townhouses and one single-family home proposed to replace what’s on the site now.

And one was recently approved at 1310 California SW, adjacent to Hamilton Viewpoint Park, splitting an 11,000-square-foot lot into two almost-equal-size parcels also bordering Donald and Palm. This review carried some controversy, according to the full decision document, saying that a surveyor determined the site to be about 50 percent larger than it was believed to be, which paved the way for the split. Two new houses are proposed, replacing a 79-year-old house; the appeal period on the lot split is open for one more week.

OTHER DEMOLITION/NEW-CONSTRUCTION PLANS: In Admiral, a demolition permit has been granted for 2600 45th SW, a 108-year-old duplex (County Assessor’s photo above) to be replaced by a two-unit townhouse (following a recent lot-boundary adjustment). … In Gatewood, one has been sought for 7931 California SW, a 64-year-old house slated to be replaced by a new single-family house. … And in Westwood/Roxhill, there’s one pending for 9411 35th SW, where an 89-year-old house is proposed for replacement by a three-unit townhouse … On Pigeon Point, 3816 22nd SW is proposed for demolition and replacement by a single-family house and a two-unit townhouse; we note that a separate application for 3806 22nd SW (no teardown, though) proposes four single-family houses nearby.

Wondering if anything’s planned near your home/townhouse/apartment/business/etc.? Browse the map on the DPD home page – and if you see something, follow the link to find out more. Caveat – we’ve noticed this map shows some idle/canceled years-old proposals as well as new and recent plans, though.

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West Seattle scene: New Junction-area mural
June 16, 2014 10:48 am
|      18 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Thanks to Chris at West Side Music Academy on the north end of The Junction for sharing a photo of the new art on their wall at 42nd and Dakota:

I thought people might get a kick out of this mural that local artist Andrew Miller painted for us last week. Note the “WS Junction Loves You” on the right side… Andrew does this in all his WS murals.

If anyone is still looking for summer activities for their kids, we still have room in some of our music camps and rock band classes.

WSMA is at 42nd/Dakota.

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West Seattle Monday: Pathfinder playground; World Cup; more
June 16, 2014 9:00 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Minette Layne for sharing the photo of an East Pacific red octopus – Octopus rubescens – seen in the intertidal zone, near Lincoln Park, over the weekend, only about 3″ long. Low tide tops our quick list of what’s up today/tonight:

TIDE’S STILL LOW: -2.4 feet at 1:59 pm, per the chart.

FIRST WORLD CUP MATCH FOR U.S. TEAM: 3 pm our time, it’s the U.S. vs. Ghana. Local venues reported to be showing all games include The Bridge, West Seattle Brewing, OutWest Bar, Celtic Swell, Skylark. Who else? Comment, or e-mail us!

PATHFINDER PLAYGROUND DESIGN: As previewed here over the weekend, tonight’s the night you can be among the first to see the design for a new playground at Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point. Ice-cream social, too! 5:30 pm. (1901 SW Genesee)

TRAVELING? The annual “sidewalk sale” continues at the West Seattle AAA HQ (WSB sponsor) in Jefferson Square: Travel books, luggage (up to 50% discount), AAA car accessories.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Mid-June Monday
June 16, 2014 6:07 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Welcome to the second half of June! A few notes as the day begins:

FERRIES ON SUMMER SCHEDULE: The Washington State Ferries summer schedule started Sunday; doublecheck your ferry schedule here.

ADMIRAL WAY BRIDGE WORK SCHEDULED TO START: For most of the next two weeks, repair work on the bridge over Fairmount Ravine will close a lane on Admiral Way above, as warned here.

7:12 PM NOTE: For anyone stuck in a backup north of downtown and wondering what’s up – all lanes of southbound I-5 are closed at the Ship Canal Bridge because of an investigation that is reported to be related to a shooting involving a State Patrol trooper. No other details but citywide media is getting onto this – just wanted to make note of it here.

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