day : 09/09/2014 10 results

Skies Over West Seattle, September 2014 edition: MAVEN near Mars; equinox ahead; ‘what’s that, up there?’ and more

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ever wish for advance alert of an upcoming meteor shower/eclipse/etc. – and/or wonder “What’s that bright ‘star’ up there?” This should help. It’s our periodic feature by West Seattle’s own Solar System Ambassador Alice Enevoldsen, famed for her solstice/equinox sunset watches, among other things.

(WSB photo: Last year’s fall-equinox sunset at Solstice Park)
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog

Although we still have some summer weather yet to go, I’ve started to notice the leaves begin to change, so get your cameras ready.

This month we have the fall equinox and associated Sunset Watch at Solstice Park (Monday, September 22), and we have just seen the Supermoon bringing in higher-than-usual and slightly-low tides these past two days.

Hey, what’s that?

Just before the Sun rises, you’ll be unable to miss Jupiter shining low in the East.

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West Seattle Transportation Coalition gets ‘prioritization’ promise from new SDOT director Scott Kubly; also hears about citizen’s T-5 idea, November ballot measures

September 9, 2014 9:06 pm

| 20 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news

(ADDED WEDNESDAY AM: Our video of SDOT director Scott Kubly’s hour-long Q/A)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

For the second time in a week, SDOT’s new director (confirmation pending) Scott Kubly was in West Seattle to answer questions – this time, from the West Seattle Transportation Coalition.

Among other things, Kubly said that one of the best ways his department can serve this area and others is to be clear about prioritization – what it can do, what it can’t do.

The 2 1/2-hour meeting ranged across a wide variety of other topics as well, including the two transportation-related measures on the November ballot, and a citizen proposal for the currently idle Terminal 5 site.

First, Kubly: After a brief introduction, he said that at any Department of Transportation, “safety’s going to be the first priority,” yet there have been five fatalities in the first three weeks he’s been on the job. “Where I come from is … wanting to protect the most vulnerable users of the transportation system. … I also think the city is growing tremendously quickly … it reminds me a lot of DC in that regard, similar sizes, similar growth rates.” Growth means the opportunity for more-walkable communities, he said, “but not without challenges … it stresses the transportation system, so what we need to do is .. how to make our transportation system work more efficiently.”

That means “giving people choices in how they get around the city.” People who walk to work, for example, have been shown in research to be the happiest people, Kubly said, but when in a car, he said, people somehow feel safe behaving aggressively, and he feels that’s because they don’t have a choice, so if they have a choice, they’ll feel happier. But he also recognizes that “most people are at one time or another going to have to drive someplace … it’s very rare that you can do everything (without driving).”

DC, he said, has more people but fewer cars than it used to have, he points out. And he talks again about options, enabling people to, for example, perhaps have one car instead of two. Regarding why people get frustrated with government services: “A lot of it comes down to choice.”

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Ex-restaurant site at 35th/Fauntleroy fenced off after neighbors point out unauthorized parking blamed on nearby microhousing

September 9, 2014 5:31 pm

| 84 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)
The new fence around the eight-months-vacant ex-Beni Hoshi Teriyaki site at 35th/Fauntleroy is NOT a sign of imminent change, according to the property owner, Seattle City Light. We noticed the fence last night, checked city development files but found nothing, then inquired with SCL today. Spokesperson Scott Thomsen tells WSB:

The land where the teriyaki restaurant had been located is a former substation site that we still own, but are not using. In addition to recent trouble with graffiti, a neighborhood group contacted the city with concerns about people who were parking on the site. The fencing was put up to deter additional graffiti and respond to the neighbors’ complaints about the parking.

(WSB photo)
We do not have any plans for the property at this time. It is one of the properties that is now considered surplus. As you are aware, we have been reviewing those properties a few at a time for possible sale.

(It’s not included in the current round of surplus properties under review, just to be clear.) Thomsen didn’t name the neighborhood group but unauthorized parking there was mentioned in a recent note to the city by SeattleNERD (Neighbors Encouraging Reasonable Development), which is based in the neighborhood north of upper Avalon Way. We were among the CC’s on a note from SeattleNERD’s Paul Haury that included a photo of vehicles parking in the ex-Beni Hoshi lot and attributed it to residents of nearby apartment buildings such as the recently opened no-offstreet-parking microhousing building at 3266 Avalon. The note focused on concerns about another microhousing building planned next door, 56 units at 3268 Avalon as reported here in March (a temporary power pole is at the site, suggesting work might start soon, though no other permits have been issued).

ADDED 9:44 PM: In a comment, SeattleNERD has published its full letter to the city and elaborates further on the resulting exchange. As noted above, the parking wasn’t the main topic of the group’s note to the city about the second microhousing project in the works nearby.

Side note about microhousing: New rules continue working their way through the City Council (next step is a possible committee vote on September 16th). They would not affect the 3268 Avalon Way project, though, because it’s already in the system.

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West Seattle traffic alert: Crash on 35th near Camp Long

September 9, 2014 4:50 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

@westseattleblog 5000 block of 35th sve sw pic.twitter.com/Ls0CLqVzQG

— Clark Gilbert (@coachclarkruns) September 9, 2014

Thanks to Clark for the photo from a reported car/motorcycle collision near Camp Long, in the 5000 block of 35th SW, northbound side. He says traffic is getting through, with only the outside northbound lane blocked. The SFD dispatch was for an “aid response,” lowest level of medic callout, so that likely means no major injuries; we’re checking.

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One more meeting tonight: Seola Pond drainage walk-and-talk

September 9, 2014 2:53 pm

| Comments Off on One more meeting tonight: Seola Pond drainage walk-and-talk

| Arbor Heights | Utilities | West Seattle news

(2010 WSB photo)
In addition to the meetings and events highlighted earlier in our West Seattle Tuesday preview, we just got word of this from Mike (thank you!) – relating to the area in the photo above, from WSB storm coverage in December 2010:

Learn about drainage in your neighborhood.

Tuesday, Sept. 9th at 6 PM
Meet at corner of 30th Ave SW and SW 104th, on west side of Seola Pond.

Seattle Public Utilities has made commitments to improve drainage in the Arbor Heights area near Seola Pond.

Debbie Harris is project manager: debbie.harris@seattle.gov

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West Seattle demolition watch: Genesee Hill school; 4535 44th SW apartment site

September 9, 2014 2:37 pm

| Comments Off on West Seattle demolition watch: Genesee Hill school; 4535 44th SW apartment site

| Development | Genesee Hill | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Two updates on West Seattle demolition sites:

GENESEE HILL SCHOOL: After a tip last Friday, we noted that some deconstruction was under way at the former Genesee Hill Elementary campus, where the current Schmitz Park Elementary program will move in 2016. Today, building teardown is under way in a big way, starting with the classrooms north/northeast of the main structure. That’s about one day behind the start of a similar phase at Arbor Heights Elementary, where Seattle Public Schools is also tearing down an old school to build a new one.

4535 44TH SW: While in The Junction a short time ago, we noticed the backhoe has arrived at 4535 44th SW, future home of a four-story, 36+-unit, no-offstreet-parking apartment building; we’d noted last week that its demolition permit was granted.

While it was described as “microapartments” when we first reported on the plan early last year, this is NOT microhousing – the units will be full-fledged studios with kitchens. (We’ll check back in a bit to see if the backhoe has started work yet.)

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Impact fees for Seattle developments? City Hall discussion tomorrow – public comment, too

September 9, 2014 11:52 am

| 8 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle news

The topic comes up at meetings … in online discussions (including here) … mayors past and present have been asked about them: Should/could Seattle charge “impact fees” in connection with development projects? Tomorrow, the City Council Transportation Committee plans a lunchtime discussion:

Impact Fees 101 — An opportunity for discussion related to impact fees in the City of Seattle. An examination of the different types of impact fees that exist, the history of impact fees in Washington State, how they are utilized by other cities in the region, their limitations, and other relevant information relating to impact fees.

It’s scheduled as an hourlong briefing starting at noon Wednesday (September 10th), followed by ~20 minutes of public comment, in the council chambers at City Hall downtown. At least one advocacy group says it’s hoping for a big turnout (while noting it hadn’t heard about this till the other day; we didn’t get an announcement until this morning).

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West Seattle Tuesday: New SDOT director @ WSTC; 47th/Admiral signal @ ANA; public/private ‘land swap’ meeting; more

September 9, 2014 10:08 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Fall = fungi! Nobody knows that better than West Seattle photographer Machel Spence, who shared the photo you see above. And speaking of the calendar … here’s some of what’s popping up from ours today:

MANDATORY FOOD-WASTE RECYCLING? As reported earlier this morning, the City Council’s Public Utilities and Neighborhoods Committee will take up the proposal this afternoon, 2 pm at City Hall downtown. Live on Seattle Channel, online and on cable, if you can’t be there in person.
http://clerk.seattle.gov/~public/meetingrecords/2014/spunc20140909_1a.pdf

TIMEBANK PICNIC: Members of the West Seattle Timebank and others in nearby communities will gather at Lincoln Park 5-9 pm – details in our calendar listing.

WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: Here’s the agenda for tonight’s WSTC meeting, 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House‘s High Point Center:

*6:30-6:40: *Welcome, Introductions, Community news, Updates, New Business from the membership.

*6:40-6:45:* Public Comment

*6:45-7:00:* Melanie Mayock, Field Director of Yes For Seattle Transit, will present to the WSTC about the upcoming November 2014 in-city ballot funding measure to save Metro service on the city level.

*7:00-8:00:* A discussion with new SDOT Director Scott Kubly about the state of West Seattle’s transportation situation.

*8:00-8:25:* A discussion with Thomas Linde about a proposed idea for utilizing the area around Terminal 5 of the Port of Seattle.

*8:25-8:30:* Last call for any new business.

Here’s our coverage of Kubly’s first West Seattle appearance at last week’s Southwest District Council meeting. (6700 Sylvan Way SW)

LAND SWAP NEAR PUGET PARK? Last month, the city announced a public meeting related to a proposed “land swap” involving parcels of Seattle Parks land near Puget Park, ultimately so that a nearby piece of private land would no longer have to have a driveway through public land. We researched the proposal beyond what was in the announcement and published this report. Tonight’s the meeting, 6:30 pm at Delridge Community Center, for anyone and everyone interested. (4501 Delridge Way SW)

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: 7 pm meeting, The Sanctuary at Admiral. Agenda:

Seattle Department of Transportation will be on hand to present and answer questions about the final design of the pedestrian-safety improvements and new traffic signal for the intersection of 47th Avenue SW and SW Admiral Way.

Construction is expected to begin before the end of this year and last about 12 weeks. During construction, there will be pedestrian and bicycle detours, and for motor vehicles, lane reductions or partial closures on 47th SW, SW Admiral, and SW Waite. We will also debrief our successful summer-concert series.

Here’s our August update on the signal plan. (42nd/Lander)

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm business meeting, all welcome, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse conference room. (9131 California SW)

LOTS MORE ON THE CALENDAR! See the full list here.

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Will the city require food-waste recycling? Council committee hearing this afternoon

September 9, 2014 9:18 am

| 29 COMMENTS

| Environment | Utilities | West Seattle news

The City Council is considering a change to the recycling rules – instead of just enabling food-waste recycling, they’re looking at requiring it. The next discussion of this proposal is on the agenda for the Public Utilities and Neighborhoods Committee meeting this afternoon at City Hall at 2 pm (here’s the agenda). The slide-deck presentation accompanying the agenda item (see it here or above) says the city will take too long to get to its recycling goal of 60 percent of all waste, without a requirement like this, because food waste and compostable (but not otherwise recyclable) paper are “the largest component of readily divertible material” in what both residences and businesses throw away. If the proposal is finalized by the council, the new rules would start next year, with warnings at first, and then in July, a residential violation would cost you $1, a dumpster violation $50 after 2 warnings.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch & notes

September 9, 2014 6:21 am

| Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch & notes

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! We’re watching traffic as always, and keeping track of what you need to know in the hours/days ahead:

*Lane closures are scheduled to continue on Highway 99 nightly through Thursday night (and that night, the West Seattle Bridge ramp to NB 99 is set to close too)

*West Seattle Car Show next Sunday in The Junction (closing California between Edmunds and Oregon to traffic, opening it to pedestrians and show participants – open to ALL vehicles!)

One more note: Wondering what’s up with the tunnel-machine-repairing project? WSDOT posted an update Monday.

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