West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(WSB photo: That’s the Delridge Grocery space at lower right, on the north side of Cottage Grove Commons’s ground floor)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The dream of a grocery store on Delridge is still alive and well, and closer than ever to reality.
How close? You’ll hear for yourself at Wednesday night’s “town hall” (6:30 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW).
The Delridge Grocery Co-op board will tell you what was revealed by a professional market study whose results are now in.
Two years ago, a lender who turned down the co-op for a loan cited the lack of such a study as one big reason.
Now its findings have news that should improve their chances on the next try.
Board members are optimistic enough that they’ve launched the process of applying for permits for the store buildout in the 1,500-square-foot space that’s been waiting for it ever since the Downtown Emergency Service Center opened Cottage Grove Commons (5444 Delridge Way SW) almost four years ago. (They are working with North Delridge architect Parie Hines of LD Arch Design, a WSB sponsor.) The project was not originally intended to have commercial space, but community clamor led to its addition, with the grocery store in mind from the start.
What a sunset! (Thanks to Jim S. in Fauntleroy for the photo.) This time, though, the wildfire smoke that reddened the setting sun wasn’t from British Columbia, but from Oregon, according to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. More than 300,000 acres are burning in Oregon, according to this update from The Oregonian; the biggest is near the southern coast, as shown on this map.
In West Seattle Crime Watch, three reader reports plus a court-case followup:
BURGLARY: From Wendy:
I live at 54th & Dakota on Genesee Hill. I was away from 10:30 am – noon this morning and returned to find my back door kicked in and my bedroom ransacked. We have a 6-foot fence and both gates were locked, so they must have scaled the fence. Many drawers’ contents strewn about, furniture stacked on the bed to facilitate closet access. So far it appears jewelry and cash were taken. Have not yet been able to do a complete inventory. Our neighbor noticed a red Camaro (guess) with two white stripes parked beside our house during the time – may or may not be related. The police officer investigating said it appeared that we interrupted them, based upon the scene – looked mid-ransack. One missing ring had huge sentimental value. They even tore the wrapping paper on the box containing my gram’s ashes. Gutted.
BICYCLE THEFT: Sonia just moved to Alki last month and has been “welcomed” by bicycle theft. Between August 18th and 21st, she says, “My bike was stolen from the back porch of my house (near Bonair/Alki) where it was locked up. Chain was cut. Cannondale Quik 4 women’s bike — black frame with blue and white accents and accessories as well (headlight, taillight, bell, and rack on the back) Worth about $750+ from REI. Reported to police and filed in their stolen registry. Police said if it turns up at a pawn shop they’ll know from the bike’s serial number.”
(added) PACKAGE THEFT: Marion reports that:
… package thieves hit us this morning between Brandon/Findlay just south of the Junction. Came home to find empty Amazon box on my doorstep – contents missing. Delivery tracking notes indicate package was “delivered” sometime around 9:30 am. Joke’s on them I suppose since box only contained cornhole game bean bags colors navy and gray (16 bags total). Guess it’s a reminder to switch to office or locker delivery if possible…
CASEY CARLSTEDT UPDATE: While we were at King County Superior Court this morning for the hearing that didn’t happen, we did get an update on another West Seattle defendant, Casey Carlstedt.
We last mentioned Carlstedt in April, when he was charged in a bicycle-theft case that had been featured here on WSB and was solved with readers’ help. By that time he had been in jail about a month, and he’s remained there ever since, also charged in misdemeanor cases from harassment to reckless driving, held in lieu of what the jail register lists as $6,000 total bail. Today his case came up for a status check – he wasn’t present, but lawyers told the judge that he is about a week away from a competency evaluation, and what happens next in his case depends on results of that.
Three West Seattle biznotes:
ELLIOTT BAY TWO-DAY CLOSURE: Elliott Bay Brewing Company in The Junction is closed today and tomorrow “for beautification and repairs,” and plans to reopen at 11 am Wednesday.
WAITING FOR MOD PIZZA? We checked to see if the pizza place signed last year for The Whittaker (WSB sponsor) is opening any time soon. The reply from spokesperson Charlotte Wayte: “This opening has been pushed out a few months, and we’re now looking at June 2018.”
NEW AT CHARLESTOWN CENTER: The second-floor corner space at 3727 California SW that housed West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) before their move to 2743 California SW a few years ago finally has a new tenant as of this month: Schoeb Chiropractic. The announcement from Ryan Schoeb, D.C., and wife Molly Schoeb says they have lived in West Seattle for more than 10 years, and he’s now moved his practice close to home, after 13 years on the Eastside. They are Genesee Hill Elementary parents and Dr. Schoeb has coached West Seattle Little League, West Seattle Baseball, and West Seattle Soccer Club teams.
(WSB photo: L to R, Lisa Gustaveson and Tom Van Bronkhorst from the city, Josh Castle from LIHI)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Camp Second Chance residents got the commitment Sunday that they didn’t get four days earlier – that the city-sanctioned encampment on Myers Way can keep its drug-and-alcohol-free policy, even under new city-contracted management.
It happened Sunday afternoon as the encampment’s Community Advisory Committee met at nearby Arrowhead Gardens.
Five committee members were in attendance, along with two city representatives, a representative of the Low-Income Housing Institute – which seems to have been all but finalized as the camp’s new city-contract-holder – and 20+ others, who, as self-identified during Q&A, ranged from CSC residents to Myers Way-area residents to Arrowhead Gardens residents to North Highline community advocates.
That was a much bigger turnout than the CAC’s last meeting in early July, but a lot has transpired since then, starting with the postponement of this meeting’s original early August date, for then-unspecified reasons soon revealed to be upheaval in camp leadership and management (as first reported here a week and a half ago).
The original contract-holder, Patacara Community Services, is withdrawing as of the end of this month, amid questions about the status of privately donated money, and its leadership did not have a presence at this meeting or last Wednesday’s city/LIHI briefing for residents at the camp (WSB coverage here).
The questions, however, have not gone away, as was clear during Sunday’s meeting, despite repeated declarations that the donations’ status was outside the purview of the Community Advisory Committee, as noted by its leader Willow Fulton.
(August 8th WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
We’ve just left the King County Courthouse downtown, where Gatewood stabbing suspect Ryan Cox was scheduled to appear for arraignment this morning. These are usually brief appearances, one in a long list of hearings brought sequentially before one judge, but by the time the 8:30 am arraignment calendar ended at 11 am, there’d been no sign or mention of him, so we checked with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Spokesperson Dan Donohoe tells WSB that Cox “refused to appear,” so the arraignment is rescheduled for the 8:30 am calendar on Wednesday. The hearing is for Cox to enter a plea to the charge of second-degree assault that was filed on August 14th, six days after the August 8th attack at California/Orchard that sent a 40-year-old man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. In the meantime, Cox, who is 39, remains in jail in lieu of $150,000 bail, which was set when he was charged, after he refused twice to appear for a bail hearing .
There’s one West Seattle project in today’s city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin – 4417 42nd SW [map]. We first reported on the plan last December; it passed the first round of Design Review in May (here’s the city report). It’s currently planned as a “four-story apartment building containing 58 units and 4 live-work units” with 26 underground parking spaces, to be built where three 1930s-built houses currently stand at 4417, 4421, and 4423 42nd SW. Today’s notice says you have until September 11th to comment on the land-use application for the project; here’s how.
(Osprey over the Duwamish River, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Last full week of summer vacation for many. Here are highlights for the rest of your Monday:
WATTS BASKETBALL CAMP: 9 am-3 pm every day this week at Delridge Community Center, for second through eighth graders. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
WADING POOL AND SPRAYPARK: The only West Seattle wading pool still open for the season – this is the last full week! – is Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way); it’s open 11 am-8 pm today, as is Highland Park spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale), both open daily (weather permitting, and today that’s certainly not an issue) through Labor Day.
FREE LUNCH FOR KIDS: From our ongoing listings for three West Seattle locations where kids can get lunch so they don’t go hungry while school’s out – noon-1 pm at Neighborhood House High Point, 12:30 pm-1:30 pm at Delridge Library, 12:30 pm-1:30 pm at High Point Library.
AGING WELL: 1-2 pm group meeting at Senior Center of West Seattle:
Are you feeling overwhelmed by changes in your health, relationships, housing, mobility, or income? Looking for ways to make new connections, communicate, increase self-esteem, manage anxiety, cultivate acceptance? You are not alone.
More info in our calendar listing. (4217 SW Oregon)
END-OF-SUMMER PARTY: High Point Library celebrates summertime achievements, 5-7 pm, starting with recognition at the library, and then a walk to the park to play a game created by program participants at the library. Ice cream, too! (35th SW/SW Raymond)
FALL YOUTH VOLLEYBALL: Ages 10-13. Practices are scheduled to start tonight at Hiawatha Community Center. If you’re not already signed up, contact the coach ASAP! Our calendar listing explains how. (2700 California SW)
MONDAY NIGHT PADDLEBOARDING: Every Monday night, 6-8 pm, Alki Kayak Tours offers a special round of paddleboarding, including a lesson. Details in our calendar listing. (1660 Harbor SW)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:28 AM: Good morning! We start with trouble on the bridge. NLB tweeted that a RapidRide C Line bus was broken down, and SDOT now says “a stall” is blocking the right and transit lanes on the eastbound bridge, with the camera image (currently the top right, above) including buses.
6:47 AM: All clear at that scene.
7:35 AM: No other incidents so far. Meantime, an advisory for Metro riders who travel to/from downtown:
During the week of August 28, the shelter, information kiosk, ORCA reader, benches and litter receptacle will be removed from the bus stop on Columbia St just east of 2nd Av in preparation for its September 23 permanent closure.
Prior to September 23, this bus stop will remain open at all times, and routes 21 Express to Arbor Heights, 55 to the Admiral District, 56 to Alki, 57 to Alaska Junction, 120 to Burien and 125 and the RapidRide C Line to Westwood Village will continue to serve this location as usual.
Beginning Saturday, September 23, all of the above routes will serve a new bus stop just east of this location, southbound on 3rd Av just north of Columbia St.
There is no change in routing. All of these routes will continue to operate on Columbia St to the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
8:24 AM: Had to head downtown for a court hearing this morning – bridge traffic wasn’t bad just before 8 am. On 4th Avenue South, the ongoing repaving project is entering its third week. Road crews had lanes blocked just north of S. Stacy St.
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