UPDATE: Pole problem outside West Seattle PCC fixed, store open

(SATURDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Pole fixed, store open)

10:25 AM: Thanks for all the tips (and the photo!). Police and firefighters are at PCC Natural Markets-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) because, we’re told, a utility pole was hit by a truck and is in danger of toppling. The store is still open, we’re told, but Stevens is closed off at California on the south side of the store’s parking lot. We’re en route to find out more.

10:47 AM: Here’s what our crew found out: Until the pole problem (which is on the alley off the west side of the store and its lot) is fixed, much of the parking lot is blocked off, as is Stevens from the alley to 44th SW. Thanks to David Whiting from the Admiral Neighborhood Association for this photo:

The parking that remains open is on the east side (along California). The store itself is not affected otherwise. (Added: Here’s a photo from our crew, showing the entirety of the pole:)

We’ll check back again later.

1:20 PM UPDATE: The store confirmed, when we stopped by a short time ago, what commenter OVR said – they’ll have to close temporarily when the repairs are under way, because power will have to be cut. No ETA for that so far. More of the parking lot is open (about half), in the meantime.

6:23 PM: Went back to check. Store is temporarily closed while pole repair is under way.

6:59 PM: Back at HQ, added the photo of repairs under way. No ETA on reopening but we’re told the store does hope to reopen sometime this evening (midnight is the usual closing time), so we’ll update when there’s word.

8:23 PM: Now that the pole repairs are over, the store’s open, says Melissa via Twitter, but no hot bar/soup for the rest of the night.

10 Replies to "UPDATE: Pole problem outside West Seattle PCC fixed, store open"

  • pam March 21, 2015 (12:03 pm)

    Well, that’s a relief… we drove by earlier and saw fire department and police cars and everything taped off – were worried there was a fatality.

  • Jim March 21, 2015 (12:18 pm)

    I heard from a guy at Puget Power years ago, the expected lifespan of a utility pole is 40 years. For the first 20 years the pole holds up the wires, and for the next 20 years, the wires hold up the pole…

  • Ovrobinson March 21, 2015 (12:32 pm)

    I was just there and they mentioned they will close in an hour, as the police will cut the power, presumably to safely fix the pole. Anyone know if this will just affect PCC or the block?

    • WSB March 21, 2015 (1:18 pm)

      Thanks, OVR, we saw your comment just as we were about to drive by for an update and we instead went in and verified with the store that at SOME POINT this afternoon, when the pole repairs/swap-out happen, they will have to temporarily close. They did *not* know when that was going to be, though, and as of 15 minutes ago, we didn’t see City Light on site. Updates appreciated, and we will of course go back again to check, but probably not before 2:30 or so – TR

  • Scary B4Coffee March 21, 2015 (1:09 pm)

    Someone needs to direct traffic. It is a big mess. The cars can’t get around and the pedestrians are lollygaggin.

  • WestSide45 March 21, 2015 (4:12 pm)

    How’s the truck?

    • WSB March 21, 2015 (4:27 pm)

      Don’t know much about that part of the story. They don’t usually move too fast in that area, so I would bet the pole got the, um, short end of the stick …

  • ktrapp March 21, 2015 (5:20 pm)

    Ran by around 4:30. They’ve got people directing traffic in and out of the parking lot, and definitely appeared to still be open. Stevens was still closed between the alley and 44th.

  • hogfan March 21, 2015 (5:32 pm)

    any update on potential outages? SCL isn’t publishing anything.

    • WSB March 21, 2015 (5:34 pm)

      We’ll be checking again a bit later, on the way back from an unrelated breaking story we’re about to run to …

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