An update on the Morgan Junction Park expansion topped a busy-as-ever agenda for the quarterly Morgan Community Association meeting on Wednesday night:
(WSB file photo)
The city has owned the commercial site north of the park since last year and, according to MoCA president Deb Barker, hopes to have the current tenants, a mini-mart and cleaner, out by the end of May. A week or so of “remediation” (cleanup) work will follow. Development money was part of the plan for the Park District ballot measure, but design/development is still a ways off. One new possibility: Designating SW Eddy, which goes through the site, as a “festival street.”
Speaking of streets …
SURVEYING SIDE STREET TRAFFIC: MoCA has been working with SDOT to check perceptions of increased side-street traffic. Numbers attributed to SDOT’s Jonathan Dong:
37th: 150 extra cars a day, average speed of 20 mph
38th: 225, averaging 21 mph
39th: 365, averaging 24 mph
The typical nonarterial street carries about 500, and, MoCA was told, it’s not considered excessive until you get 1,000-1,200 vehicles a day. So SDOT recommended that 39th can pursue traffic calming. “The increase in traffic is real, but there’s no negative impact, according to the city, on the way the streets are supposed to work,” MoCA’s past vice president Chas Redmond said.
SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS: Full funding has been approved by the city for sidewalk repairs/improvements from California/Fauntleroy southward to the Ivy Court building (about a block). This will mean tree removal and replacement because the mature trees there now are “the wrong trees in the wrong place.” The project was pursued by Ivy Court’s owner “as a private citizen” applying for a grant, said MoCA president Deb Barker.
SETTLEMENT $ FROM ‘NO PARKING’ BUILDING FIGHT: A grant program is being set up to administer the $25,000 donation received in a settlement related to the 6917 California “30 units, no parking” apartment building, which is under construction. MoCA will vote on applications and manage them much as the city manages its neighborhood-grant programs. The money is being held by the Admiral Neighborhood Association as fiscal agent for MoCA, which is not an incorporated nonprofit.
CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE SITE PROJECT: A small update on the townhouse project planned for Church of the Nazarene-owned property next to the church at 42nd/Juneau, to raise money for its renovations. As previously noted, it requires a Comprehensive Plan change because the site is currently zoned single-family. This change is part of a citywide plan that has been appealed because of a different component, not related to this project, so that entire package of plan changes is on hold for a bit until the appeal is worked out.
NEW BIKE RACKS … Nine new bicycle racks are on the way to the business district, said MoCA’s Cindi Barker. Meantime, in the ongoing matter of whether a Morgan Junction Business Association might eventually be formed – MoCA’s Eldon Olson is point person and says it hasn’t quite started rolling yet, but local businesses are expressing an interest in some sort of frame work for them to work within.
PRECINCT ADVISORY COUNCIL: Cindi Barker mentioned that MoCA was not in the first wave of “neighborhood policing plans” but will eventually be in line for one.
MORE QUICK UPDATES (aka MoCA Moments): The new Little Free Library in Morgan Junction park was mentioned by Joe Paar, who built it … The 10th anniversary of the Morgan Junction Community Festival is coming up June 20 – the Bite of Morgan food tasting, the Bark of Morgan pet events, food trucks will all be part of it … April 25th, 1-3 pm, come help clean up Morgan Junction Park, followed by a post-cleanup celebration at Beveridge Place Park next door … …
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION HUBS: MoCA’s Cindi Barker provided a refresher on the hub set up for Morgan Junction. She says it’s no longer a matter of “be prepared for three days” – the city says, be ready for at least 7 to 10 days of self-sufficiency. The hub would be “a gathering place for information” among other things. Training is coming up – stay tuned. She also mentioned the city SNAP program’s upcoming training – two sessions in West Seattle about earthquake retrofits.
DESIGN REVIEW: The city is seeking to revise the Design Review program and the City Neighborhood Council was looking for some neighborhood input to give to the city as part of that – so it’s hoping to hear from district councils and neighborhood groups. MoCA feedback was sought on the spot – the first thing mentioned, it’s confusing that DR doesn’t accept feedback on parking and traffic issues. Also suggested: Avoid non-conversational terminology. P.S. If you have something to say about Design Review – take this survey ASAP.
YMCA EXPANSION: Josh Sutton from the West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) gave a quick update on the planning for expansion. He talked about the “festival street” plan for SW Snoqualmie along the Y site in The Triangle. The Y is seeking a $100,000 city matching-fund grant and MoCA voted to endorse that effort. He thinks the “festival street” might be used 15 to 20 times a year – not by the Y, but by organizations that would want someplace they could have a festival in the street.
LEARNING ABOUT THE CITY’S FINANCE & ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT: MoCA schedules periodic guest presentations for a closer look at various departments/agencies. FAS is the result of a merger between two departments a few years back and has 600 employees. They operate the Neighborhood Service Centers, for example (West Seattle now has one, at the Southwest Teen Life Center/Pool building in Westwood). FAS also operates the city hotline at 206-684-CITY. They regulate taxis, handle business licensing, fleet management, and more. And they handle building projects – such as the new Fire Station 37, complete almost five years ago, she mentioned, and new Station 32, about to be built, currently in the bidding phase, with construction expected to start in June, lasting about 13 months. Side note on that: MoCA president Deb Barker is on the art committee for the project and said that the artist chosen, Sean Orlando, who has a “‘Burning Man’-type background” and was chosen from among 400 applicants, has chosen a “toy fire truck that’s going to hang off the side of the building.” (See it here.) MoCA had asked about any surplus city parcels in the area and was told of one at 7018 Lincoln Park Way SW – north of the Murray CSO project – that includes a wetland and steep slope; it’s scheduled to be preserved as-is TFN.
ELECTIONS: City Council District 1 candidates Lisa Herbold, Phillip Tavel, and Tom Koch each got five minutes to speak to MoCA. If you’d like to hear from candidates between official forums, stop by just about any community-council meeting between now and the election.
MoCA ELECTIONS: A majority voted for the slate of five who stood for election or re-election: president Deb Barker, vice president Jason Wax, secretary Jennifer Whip, board members Cindi Barker and Tod Rodman (who also will represent MoCA at Southwest District Council). Chas Redmond was thanked for his years of service – he stepped down as vice president to focus on his City Council campaign.
WEST SEATTLE LAND USE COMMITTEE: Rodman reminded everyone that the WSLUC meets at 6 pm, last Wednesday of the month, this time at Southwest Branch Library (35th/Henderson).
NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION DISTRICT PROPOSAL: (We covered the West Seattle meeting about this last week.) “It’s all concept, but it’s on this fast track,” is how Deb Barker described it, as well as adding “like a homeowners’ association that’s regulated and administrated by the city.” But there was a caveat that this might not go forward because it could conflict with the affordable housing recommendations due out in May.
‘THINGS TO KNOW NOW THAT YOU’RE 50’: MoCA was one of several community meetings this week to get a pitch on this series of classes coming up at the Senior Center of West Seattle. Go here for information and registration.
The Morgan Community Association usually meets the third Wednesday in January, April, July, and October – between meetings, keep an eye on morganjunction.org. That’s also where you’ll find more information about the Morgan Junction Community Festival on June 20th when it gets closer!
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