day : 13/02/2017 11 results

(WSB photos from Sunday)

While on a walk from Lowman Beach into Lincoln Park on Sunday, we stopped for a few photos of the Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project, planning to check for an update this week. One arrived tonight, even before we could ask. The million-gallon tank at the heart of the facility has already functioned successfully, as the King County Wastewater Treatment Division told the Morgan Community Association last month, so now the project is down to the final loose ends:

King County’s contractor is nearly finished with landscaping on the County’s facility building site, including a green roof on the facility building and a rain garden north of the public staircase. Grading is also underway in Lowman Beach Park in preparation for landscaping installation.

When complete, the green roof on the facility building will absorb rainwater and improve the building’s energy efficiency. Excess water from the green roof and other parts of the facility will be directed to the rain garden, reducing runoff to nearby storm drains.

Schedule update

Landscaping and restoration activities on site are expected to be complete by the end of the month. Once restoration is complete, the project artist, Robert Horner, will install the remaining project art.

The contractor will wait to plant grass in Lowman Beach Park until the weather is warmer, likely during the month of March. Fencing will remain in place around the park until grass is established. The County anticipates the public staircase to be open to the public by early April.

To celebrate completion of the project, the County will host a ribbon cutting event and facility tours this spring. Keep an eye out for an invite in the mail!

The county also says it’s changing its hotline hours for the project “now that major construction is complete.” They’ll answer 9 am-5 pm Mondays-Fridays and will take messages the rest of the time, 206-205-9186. It’s now been three and a half years since major work began at the Murray CSO site, with demolition of the residential buildings that used to be there.

P.S. During heavy rain, check here to see if overflows are happening anywhere around the area.

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THURSDAY: See newest plan for Admiral’s biggest project before it goes to Design Review

February 13, 2017 8:47 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Development | Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

(UPDATED TUESDAY WITH MEETING LOCATION)

ORIGINAL REPORT, MONDAY 8:47 PM: Instead of meeting on the usual night this month, which would be tomorrow, the Admiral Neighborhood Association plans a special meeting this Thursday (February 16th), 7 pm, with a special agenda – the first look at the newest plan for the biggest project currently in the works for the area. That’s the planned mixed-use project on the current PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) site, with a new PCC store planned as the commercial tenant beneath more than 100 apartments. ANA president Larry Wymer says the meeting will also be at a special location – ~~likely the classroom space at PCC (2749 California SW)~~ – watch for location confirmation here in the next day or so. The project goes back to the Southwest Design Review Board on March 2nd, as first reported here last month, but first, the project team, led by Hewitt Architects, plans to present it to ANA and all interested community members, so save Thursday night.

UPDATE, TUESDAY AFTERNOON: The location for the meeting will be St. John the Baptist Church parish hall, 3050 California SW (across from PCC and just south of WSHS). Enter either from the church entrance on the north side, or from 42nd SW on the east side.

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West Seattle scenes: Mid-February sunset and moonset

February 13, 2017 7:56 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Two beautiful scenes to share tonight:

Above, Mike Jensen photographed tonight’s clear-sky, kayaker-enhanced sunset at Lowman Beach. Below, Kersti Muul photographed today’s post-sunrise moonset, and the frosted Olympic Mountains:

editor@westseattleblog.com when you have something to share – or text 206-293-6302 if it’s breaking news – thank you!

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COUNTDOWN: 3 months until West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day

February 13, 2017 6:15 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Community Garage Sale Day | West Seattle news

Days like this one – bright, almost warm – bring out the annual question: When is this year’s West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day? Just happens to be exactly three months away – May 13, 2017 (the second Saturday of May, as usual). This will be the 10th year that we’ve coordinated and presented WSCGSD, dating back to 2008; its creators at a community-connecting nonprofit called Megawatt launched it in 2005 and also ran it in 2006 and 2007. Registration will open in early April, as always, and we’ll announce that date when finalized. If you have a question in the meantime, we’ve just started monitoring our special mailbox – garagesale@westseattleblog.com – thanks!

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Seen from West Seattle: Boat fire off Bainbridge Island

February 13, 2017 5:07 pm

| 1 COMMENT

| Not WS but we're mentioning it anyway | Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Thanks to Dan Ciske for the photo of a boat fire off Bainbridge Island, visible from this side of the Sound. Here’s what the Bainbridge Island Fire Department says via Twitter:

Marine 21 and a Seattle fireboat are fighting a fire on a 40' boat off Rockaway Beach. One person onboard has been removed.

— Bainbridge Island FD (@bainbridgefire) February 14, 2017

A Seattle Fire Department fireboat is assisting, per the SFD 911 log and MarineTraffic.com.

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BASKETBALL: West Seattle High School’s opponents set for first district-playoff games

February 13, 2017 3:09 pm

| Comments Off on BASKETBALL: West Seattle High School’s opponents set for first district-playoff games

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Both the West Seattle High School girls (who took 2nd in the Metro League playoffs) and boys (who finished 3rd) have district-tournament games tomorrow, and we know today who they’ll be playing. The girls will play Garfield at 3 pm Tuesday at Bellevue College (3000 Landerholm Circle SE); the boys will play Ballard at 5:30 pm Tuesday at the Chief Sealth IHS gym (2600 SW Thistle).

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VIDEO: Here’s what happened at the Admiral edition of the HALA rezoning Community Design Workshop

February 13, 2017 1:03 pm

| 34 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Though both were billed as “Community Design Workshops,” there were major differences in the meetings about Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda-related rezoning for Admiral, held this past Saturday, and for The Junction, held last month.

Turnout was different – about 50 people for Admiral, more than 200 for The Junction – though that’s proportionate to both the areas’ population differences and their respective scopes of change proposed by the rezoning for Mandatory Housing Affordability, in which developers/builders will get extra capacity and in exchange will have to include “affordable housing” in their projects or pay a fee into a city fund that will bankroll some. The changes are proposed in the city’s Urban Villages (West Seattle has four) and for all commercial/multifamily property citywide (check this map to see how/if you’re affected).

Also different: The meetings’ format.

At The Junction’s meeting on January 26th (WSB coverage here), the initial explanatory presentation by a city Office of Planning and Community Development staffer was followed by a Q/A period, with slips of paper having circulated at the start of the meeting for participants to write down questions.

That didn’t happen in Admiral; a few questions were addressed when people spoke out during the presentation, but at its end, facilitator John Owen of consulting firm Makers Architecture and Urban Design pushed to get everyone into small-group breakouts, despite one attendee requesting a chance for Q&A so everyone could hear.

At Admiral on Saturday (a morning meeting at West Seattle High School), small groups were not preassigned as they had been for pre-RSVP’d participants in The Junction (an evening meeting at the Senior Center). Their work did conclude with another difference: At Admiral, each group presented a summary to the entire room; in The Junction, that didn’t happen – tables just wrapped up, left their notes, and departed.

We recorded the Admiral summaries on video, and you’ll see those relatively short clips later in this story. But first, toplines from the opening presentation: Read More

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Another Seattle Parks play area set for renovation: High Point

February 13, 2017 11:49 am

| 1 COMMENT

| High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

The next Seattle Parks play area set for renovation in West Seattle is in High Point. Two public meetings have just been announced so you can see and talk about the design options, and whether or not you can make one or both of those meetings, the Parks Department has an online survey up about the project right now. You can answer the survey here. The meetings are both at High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW), both on Saturday afternoons, 1-3 pm February 25th and 1-3 pm April 8th. The project – which is south of HPCC, near the tennis courts – has $700,000 in funding from the Seattle Park District levy.

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Options for your West Seattle Monday!

February 13, 2017 10:03 am

| Comments Off on Options for your West Seattle Monday!

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Townsend’s Warbler, photographed in Fauntleroy Park by Mark Wangerin)

From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPEN ENROLLMENT: Today’s the first day, if you are interested in a school that’s not the one to which your child will be automatically assigned. Here’s the info on the SPS website.

VALENTINE’S DAY EVE AT FLEURT: Though Fleurt (WSB sponsor) is usually closed Mondays, today it’s OPEN, 10 am-6 pm, to help you get ready with flowers and/or gifts for Valentine’s Day. Details here. You can order by phone – 206-937-1103 – or online (fleurtseattle.com) or go to the shop. (4539 California SW)

FREE TAX HELP: That time of year again! 2-7 pm today, free tax help at Delridge Library – full details in our calendar listing. (5423 Delridge Way SW)

TRIANGLE IMPROVEMENT TASK FORCE: Second meeting today for the citizens’ advisory committee tasked with coming up with some “quick wins” to help fix problems on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route. 4:30 pm at Fauntleroy Church. Here’s our report on the first meeting two weeks ago; here are the official WSF notes. (9140 California SW)

ROXHILL PTSA MEETS AT EC HUGHES: 6 pm, Roxhill Elementary‘s PTSA gets a look at the school’s future home, before major renovations start, at EC Hughes Elementary. (7740 34th SW)

HUDDLE FOR CHANGE: Organizers explain that this is “part of the 10 Actions in 100 Days movement – the Second Action is for community members to huddle together and come up with goals and an action plan for the next 100 days (and really, the next 4 years!).” At Proletariat Pizza, 6 pm, though some will show up as early as 5:15 to chat and get to know each other. (9622 16th SW)

PIGEON POINT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: 7 pm in the cafeteria at Pathfinder K-8 School. Everyone welcome. (1901 SW Genesee)

WESTSIDE ART CLUB: Bring your art project to Parliament Tavern, 8 pm-noon, and work on it with DJ Audrey Horne providing the soundtrack. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

CHECK OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR … for even more, and for tomorrow, next week, next month, beyond!

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen van to watch for

February 13, 2017 9:00 am

| 23 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Ron e-mailed to ask you to be on the lookout for that distinctive stolen vehicle:

Our 1985 VW Westfalia Van was stolen from 60th Ave and Admiral Way in Alki area. White van with black bra on front, roof rack (spare tire on roof) and side ladder. Black rims also. Driver’s side window broken out. WA plate ANJ9602. If seen or found, please call Paul at 206-295-9547 or email phuggett@mac.com.

They believe it was taken Friday afternoon, and yes, they have notified local shops and Vanagon groups.

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Monday updates

February 13, 2017 6:39 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

6:39 AM: Good morning and welcome to a brand-new week. No problems reported in/from West Seattle so far.

One on-peninsula traffic alert for today: Jay at the Hill Crest Apartments (east side of 35th SW between Holden and Webster) says crane work there (which you might have noticed on Thursday) is set to continue starting at 8 am today, possibly running until 6 pm but they “hope to be done much sooner than that.”

As for the weather – hard to believe it’s been just a week since our snow day; sunshine is forecast today and tomorrow, temps in the 50s.

And looking ahead: Mid-winter break for Seattle Public Schools and those who follow its calendar is NEXT week (February 20-24).

8:11 AM: Still relatively quiet. Traveled the bridge this past hour on an errand to downtown and back – busy, and bright, but nothing out of the ordinary. Leaving Upper Fauntleroy at 7:10, we got to the south end of downtown (via 4th Avenue S.) in half an hour.

8:20 AM: Traveling north West Seattle streets reminds us that people with Monday trash/recycling collection can put out double today because of the collections missed last Monday. That includes recycling even though today wouldn’t be a recycling day otherwise, SPU said.

9 AM: WSDOT says a stalled vehicle is blocking the right lane on northbound I-5 just north of the West Seattle Bridge.

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