The rain falling right now reminds us of what’s coming up Sunday afternoon in the Sunrise Heights and Westwood neighborhoods – the King County Wastewater Treatment Division‘s celebration of the completion of the Barton Combined Sewer Overflow Control project. 15 blocks now have roadside raingardens after two seasons of construction; a ceremonial ribbon-cutting is planned at 1 pm Sunday at 32nd SW and SW Kenyon, and then from 1:30-4 pm, tours will be offered of “three recently planted blocks.” It’s also a chance to get updated information about the project, including the ongoing RainWise program, offering incentives for people in the target area to install rain gardens and/or cisterns. This project has been much-discussed, going all the way back to early meetings six years ago, so now that it’s done – whether you’re coming to the celebration or not – the county’s offering a survey for feedback – find it here.

If you live in or travel through Sunrise Heights or Westwood, you probably know the “roadside raingarden” construction for the first phase of the Barton Basin Combined Sewer Overflow Control project continues to intensify. The King County Wastewater Treatment Division is building “green stormwater infrastructure” in eight blocks this year, seven blocks next year – 91 roadside raingardens in all. En route to a meeting last night, we noticed the activity on one block, 34th SW north of Holden (map), so went back today for a closer look (above). The county is now publishing weekly updates on its website – including what’s happening in which blocks:

For any residents who didn’t get block-by-block informational flyers, those also are available online. This project is part of state-mandated work to reduce combined-sewer overflows into Puget Sound; in this area, it’s called Barton because the wastewater ends up at the Barton Pump Station north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock.

P.S. The county is scheduled to present an update on its other in-progress Combined Sewer Overflow Control project, the Murray-basin-serving storage tank across from Lowman Beach, at tonight’s Morgan Community Association meeting (7 pm, The Kenney [WSB sponsor], lower-level meeting rooms, 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW).

(Anna spotted the little rock with a big message in The Junction, and shared the photo)

Busy morning already – time now to look ahead to the rest of today and tonight. First, from the WSB Halloween (Etc.) Guide:

PUMPKIN-CARVING BASH: 6:30-8:30 pm, Pumpkin-Carving Bash raising money for the West Seattle Food Bank, co-sponsored by Origins Cannabis (WSB sponsor) at Heylo Cannabis in SODO. 21+. $10 tickets – treats, games, prizes, music by DJ Iggy – at this Eventbrite link. Meet at Origins in West Seattle, 4800 40th SW, at 6 pm to take their free trolley.

And from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (which you can use to look ahead days, weeks, even months at a time, any time):

UNDERSTANDING DEMENTIA-RELATED BEHAVIORS: Seminar presented by Quail Park Memory Care Residences of West Seattle (WSB sponsor) at Spruce Apartments, 2-4 pm – here’s how to RSVP. (4555 39th SW)

LONGFELLOW NATURAL DRAINAGE SYSTEMS DROP-IN MEETINGS: SPU is planning more “natural drainage” – such as roadside raingardens – in eastern West Seattle, and there are two locations for concurrent drop-in sessions 4-6 pm where you can get information and ask questions. (Corner of 30th Ave SW and SW Barton AND corner of 24th Ave SW and SW Kenyon)

UTILITIES & MORE @ HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: 7 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club, it’s the monthly meeting of Highland Park Action Committee, with agenda highlights including the Seattle City Light meter changes, Seattle Public Utilities’ West Marginal Way SW operations center project, and more, as detailed here. (1116 SW Holden)

POEMS AND STORIES: The monthly Poetrybridge event at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) is at 7 pm tonight, with featured readers Margaret Roncone & Sam Roxas-Chua. Plus, the community microphone! (5612 California SW)

MOSTLY ACOUSTIC MUSIC: 7:30 pm-11 pm at Parliament Tavern – King Moon, Whisperer, William Hall & The Raccoons. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)

The rainy season is here, and Seattle Public Utilities is getting to the next phase of deciding where to install 7-10 blocks of natural drainage systems – such as roadside raingardens – for the Longfellow Natural Drainage Systems Project. It’s hosting drop-in discussions at two spots next Wednesday (October 25th). From SPU spokesperson Brian Mickelson:

For these drop-in sessions, SPU is most interested in hearing from folks that live along the blocks we’re considering installing natural drainage. That includes 30th Ave SW between SW Barton St down to just below SW Roxbury St, 29th Ave SW between SW Barton St and SW Roxbury St, 25th Ave SW between SW Barton St and SW Roxbury St, and the area immediately surrounding 24th Ave SW and SW Kenyon St (we sent the attached postcard to those neighbors specifically). That said, we are of course happy to chat with anyone that wants to stop by.

The drop-in discussions will be 4-6 pm Wednesday at 30th/Barton and 24th/Kenyon. For more backstory, see the project FAQ here. The city announced the project back in May, saying that construction is expected in 2019.

1:44 PM: Looking for something to do this afternoon? After King County Councilmember Joe McDermott and project manager Mary Wohleb ceremonially cut a big yellow ribbon, raingarden tours are under way in Sunrise Heights and Westwood until 4 pm – find the map here. It’s all to celebrate the completion of 91 roadside raingardens in planting strips spread across 15 blocks in those two neighborhoods, to keep stormwater out of the combined-sewer system and, in turn, keep untreated wastewater from overflowing into Puget Sound when the Barton Pump Station in Fauntleroy is overwhelmed. This is one of two King County Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) reduction projects in West Seattle that date back to early public meetings in 2009, and it was the county’s first-ever project of this type (the other project is the million-gallon Murray CSO storage tank being built across from Lowman Beach Park).

ADDED 3:24 PM: First, our video of the short round of speeches that began the event – Kristine Cramer from the KC Wastewater Treatment Division spoke first, then Councilmember McDermott and Wohleb.

As McDermott pointed out, “Neighbors spoke up, and the county listened.” That hinted at the pre-construction controversy for both West Seattle CSO projects. After early meetings dating back to 2007, three options for reducing the Barton basin (map) overflow were presented in 2010, and this was one of them; the other two involved stormwater-storage facilities on the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse back lot, or under upper Fauntleroy Way across from the ferry dock, which generated much opposition, given the historic unofficial park status of the area.

Once the “green stormwater infrastructure” plan was announced in late 2010, that too generated skepticism – the city had tried it in Ballard and that did not go well, to say the least. In 2011, the county tried to calm the most common concerns with a special meeting to address them.

Before today’s ceremony, we talked with project manager Wohleb, who said none of the fears had borne out, so far. No ponding, for example – if anything, she said, the bioswales are draining water more quickly than expected. While this coming fall/winter will be the first rainy season post-completion, some raingardens were done before last winter, so we asked if they have any data. Not so far, in part because the Barton Pump Station itself has been out of commission for construction, too, KCWTD says.

Wohleb also had words of praise for the entire project team, including the contractors >Goodfellow Brothers and designers SVR. Also mentioned today: The copious amount of communication with neighbors (look at all the block-by-block updates on this page, just as an example).

WHAT’S NEXT: If the county needs more stormwater to be taken out of the system, four more blocks could get raingardens – shown in the project map above as “delayed”; they were designed and permitted, just in case. If you’re in the project area and interested in a home raingarden or cistern, the rebate program through RainWise is funded through next year; check it out to see if you’re eligible.

And note that projects like this are in the works for Highland Park and South Park – here’s the county project page for that.

Something to say about the Barton CSO project? The county has set up an online survey – just go here.

(Seen from Don Armeni Boat Ramp on Friday night – photo by Don Brubeck)

Happy Sunday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

PANCAKE BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER: 10 am-noon at Alki Masonic Center in The Junction, join Westside Wildcat Junior Football and Cheer for a benefit pancake breakfast, $6 per person or $25 for families for a breakfast including pancakes, eggs, bacon, turkey sausage, coffee; more info in our calendar listing. (40th SW & SW Edmunds)

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm in The Junction, year-round, with locally grown/produced fruit, vegetables, cheese, meat, beverages, more. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)

SECOND-TIME SALE, DAY 2: 11 am-1 pm, shop the gently used items you’ll find inside the Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy UCC Church: “Bargains on almost anything you could need or want, all clean, culled, and organized.” (9140 California SW)

GREYHOUND MEET-AND-GREET: 11 am-1 pm at Mud Bay in The Admiral District, come meet the hounds.

FAMILY FUN FESTIVAL: Noon-2 pm, come have fun inside High Point Community Center – details here – free admission with a nonperishable food donation for the West Seattle Food Bank. Hosted by Bethany Community Church. (6920 34th SW)

RUNOFF-REDUCING RAINGARDENS TO BE DEDICATED: 1 pm at 32nd SW & SW Kenyon, the King County Wastewater Treatment Division celebrates the completion of one of its two major Combined Sewer Overflow projects in West Seattle, the one for what’s known as the Barton Basin, because it feeds down to the Barton Pump Station near the Fauntleroy ferry terminal. This project resulted in 15 blocks of roadside raingardens built to catch and absorb or reroute rainwater that used to go into the “combined sewer” system, resulting in several overflows of untreated wastewater into Puget Sound most years. After the 1 pm ceremony, you’ll be able to tour three areas of the project, each with a different “palette” of plantings, 1:30-4 pm.

CIDER PRESS: It’s the annual cider-press event with City Fruit at West Seattle Nursery, 1-3 pm – bring your own growler or buy one at the event – and if you have fruit to press, bring that too! More info here. (California SW & SW Brandon)

JAMTIME, LIVE: At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 1-3 pm. (5612 California SW)

(Saturday’s sunset – photo by JayDee)

TRAFFIC REMINDER FOR TONIGHT: The city expects to continue working on the West Seattle Bridge eastbound bus-lane markings overnight tonight, as noted here.

MORE … on our calendar!

(Click image for full-size flyer also showing the South Park area and the explanatory legend)
With two major combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) reduction projects under way in West Seattle, the King County Wastewater Treatment District is looking ahead to its next one, in Highland Park and South Park. The most-recent HP Action Committee meeting got an update from KCWTD’s Kristine Cramer and John Phillips.

In addition to possible “roadside raingardens” along some streets in the area (highlighted above in yellow) – like the ones going into more than a dozen blocks of Sunrise Heights and Westwood – they also are looking at permeable (porous) pavement in some parts of the area, and possibly a runoff-control project using part of one of the Seattle City Light “surplus” ex-substation sites.

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Updates on both of our area’s King County Wastewater Treatment “combined-sewer overflow control” projects today:

(Click image to see full-size PDF)
MURRAY PROJECT ‘HAUL ROUTES’: Community members have long been asking which route trucks will use to get to and from the Murray (basin) CSO project site across from Lowman Beach, once excavation begins for its million-gallon storage tank. Morgan Community Association president Deb Barker got the word on Thursday that the routes had been finalized and published on the project website – see the map above. We asked KCWT when people along those routes will see the resulting truck traffic. From spokesperson Annie Kolb-Nelson:

Peak truck traffic is expected between April and December 2014 for the following activities: between April and July during the placement of secant piles that will act as support walls; between August and October for the excavation of the storage tank; and between October and December for tank construction (bringing in concrete and materials to the site.) During these time periods, the truck traffic will occur all day long. Work hours are 7-6 on weekdays. Any weekend work would be a special request by the contractor and if it was granted, King County would notify the community. Congestion at the site will be minimized by staging trucks away from the site and having them arrive at the site in a coordinated manner.

As for when the “primary” route would be used and when the “secondary” route would be used instead, that information isn’t available yet but we’ll add it when it is.

BARTON PROJECT PRE-CONSTRUCTION WORK: The Barton (basin) CSO project involves roadside raingardens on certain blocks in Sunrise Heights – and part of the support structure involves wells:

The construction was previewed during the recent pre-construction meetings (WSB coverage here). What’s being drilled at the south end of each raingarden block – 15 blocks getting 91 raingardens in the next year and a half – is a “deep infiltration well.” That’s considered pre-construction work; this year’s official construction schedule, block by block, is here.

Three years after King County announced two very different plans for reducing combined-sewer overflows at two West Seattle pump stations, both projects are about to go into the major construction phase.

The county hosted a pre-construction meeting back in November (WSB coverage here) for the CSO project in the Murray basin, a million-gallon storage tank across the street from Lowman Beach.

And now, the Barton basin project – 91 roadside raingardens on 15 blocks in Sunrise Heights and Westwood – has just had two pre-construction meetings. The project map has been updated, showing construction on eight blocks this year, seven blocks next year, and five more blocks in reserve if needed:

We covered the first meeting Thursday night at Westside School (WSB sponsor), which was followed by a Saturday morning session at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center.

Thursday night brought a scene very different from an early project meeting in the same room a few months after the plan was first unveiled.

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King County’s next major combined-sewer-overflow-control project, the Barton basin “green stormwater infrastructure” roadside raingardens on 15 streets in Westwood and Sunrise Heights, is close to starting construction. So the county has just announced two pre-construction community meetings:

Join King County at one of two community meetings to prepare the neighborhood for upcoming construction activities. At the meeting, you can:

· Learn more about the construction schedule and sequence of activities
· Meet representatives from the construction contractor, Goodfellow Brothers
· Hear how King County works with neighbors during construction
· Learn about anticipated construction impacts
· Bring the kids! A kids activity table will be set up in the main room both days

Thursday, January 23, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, Westside School, 7740 34th Ave SW
Saturday, January 25, 10:00 – 11:30 am, High Point Neighborhood House, 6400 Sylvan Way SW

Checking the project website, we also found this online survey for those in the neighborhoods affected.

Following up on last month’s meeting (WSB coverage here), the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council last night continued its discussion of Roxhill Park safety improvements. The line-of-sight blockage caused by Metro buses on SW Barton remains a major concern, as does the lack of light in the park – note our photo above, taken early this evening by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand, who was at last night’s WWRHAH meeting. One of the ideas that has picked up steam: Lights around part of the park’s perimeter. WWRHAH president Amanda Kay Helmick said she had talked with Chris Arkills, transportation adviser to County Executive Dow Constantine, about the possibility of at least illuminating Barton in the bus-stop areas. The park’s restroom/playground areas would be an area of focus, too. New Department of Neighborhoods district coordinator Jenny Frankl talked with the council about grants they might pursue for the park.

Another major item on the agenda: The latest on the Barton Combined Sewer Overflow control project. Mary Wohleb from the county Wastewater Treatment Division briefed WWRHAH, saying gas-line and tree-transplanting work is done. Work is still to come for the heart of the project, building raingardens/bioswales starting next year in planting strips along 15 blocks (see the map here). The county will maintain those raingardens, she explained, and has already worked on timetables of general and seasonal maintenance. Attendee Rory Denovan told Wohleb that the county should consider more native plants for the raingardens, saying that some of the plants mentioned on the project website are non-native and invasive. The county announced last week that it’s chosen a general contractor for the $5 million project, Goodfellow Brothers; the next round of public meetings is planned for January 23rd and 25th. Project planning and community discussion have been under way for more than four years; our earliest reports are from fall 2009.

For more notes from the WWRHAH meeting, check out secretary Joe Szilagyi‘s detailed summary on the WWRHAH website.

On the same day that one of King County’s two current combined-sewer-overflow-reduction projects in West Seattle will be the subject of a pre-construction meeting (see our West Seattle Wednesday preview), the other one enters a new phase. As part of the Barton CSO project in Westwood and Sunrise Heights, 24 trees that will be transplanted into new homes – some public right-of-way, some private property – over the next three weeks, as a three-person contractor crew works to dig them up and move them, starting today. The transplants are meant to ensure the trees won’t be destroyed to make way for the bioswales/raingardens that the county is installing, starting next March, to capture rainwater before it gets into the combined-sewer system, therefore helping to keep millions of gallons of raw-sewage-contaminated water from overflowing into Puget Sound when the Barton Pump Station gets overloaded during storms. As shown in the photo we took this morning, the trees that are to be transplanted have been marked with ribbons and notes.

Neighbors are invited to an open house on Saturday, October 13th, 10 am to noon to learn about design updates to King County’s Barton Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control project in West Seattle. The open house is set for 10 a.m. to noon at the Westside School, 7740 34th Ave. SW, Seattle.

Combined sewer overflows occur during heavy rain when stormwater fills sewers to capacity in older parts of the city. To comply with state water quality requirements, King County will control CSOs from the Barton Pump Station through a system of bioretention swales and Green Stormwater Infrastructure in West Seattle’s Sunrise Heights and Westwood neighborhoods.

Project staff will share a number of design updates that reflect new technical information and community member feedback, including:

·A reduction in the number of bioswales and impacted streets.

·Fewer and smaller curb bulbs to preserve parking.

·Preservation of property access and tree canopy.

·Rebates and financial incentives for residents to voluntarily install raingardens and cisterns through Seattle’s RainWise program.

Additional information is available at the Barton CSO Control Program
website: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/Construction/Seattle/BartonCSO-GSI.aspx, or by contacting Kristine Cramer at 206-263-3184 or
kristine.cramer@kingcounty.gov.

(Click image to see larger version as PDF)
If you’ve seen the term CSO (Combined-Sewer Overflows) go by here in the past three-plus years, it was likely in connection with the King County projects meant to reduce overflows at the county-run Murray (Lowman Beach) and Barton (Fauntleroy ferry dock) Pump Stations. However – the city of Seattle is under orders (as part of this agreement with the feds) to cut down on overflows from some of their pump stations too, and that includes two spots in West Seattle where overflows go into Longfellow Creek (see the map above). As was the case for the county, possible solutions might include “roadside raingardens” – the city’s term – in planting strips, or extra storage.

Tonight at the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting, as mentioned briefly in our morning preview, reps from Seattle Public Utilities will talk about its CSO challenges and possible solutions. As noted on this city webpage with an overview of the problem, the BIG discussion is coming up at an October 4th public meeting (6 pm at the Salvation Army, 9050 16th SW). But if you would like to get in on the start of this discussion, tonight’s District Council meeting is open to the public as always – 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).

This weekend, King County Wastewater Treatment Division will send staffers to Sunrise Heights and Westwood for 29 separate block meetings over the course of two days to discuss details of the plan for “green stormwater infrastructure” to reduce combined-sewer overflows (CSO) downhill – officially known as the Barton CSO Control Project. The schedule and locations are shown here, on a flyer distributed to residents recently to get the word out about the meetings, and listed in this news release. The county says the bioswale project will divert enough rainwater out of the combined-sewer system to reduce the number of overflows into Puget Sound from the Barton Pump Station in Fauntleroy – a reduction required by the state and federal governments.

Meantime, one group of skeptical Sunrise Heights neighbors has launched a website to spotlight their questions and concerns about how the bioswales will affect their neighborhood. We reported their story in March (our report details their concerns about the bioswales); last month, they met with county staffers downtown, at which time they were told these block meetings were in the works. Their new website is westseattleraingardens.com. Its front page exhorts neighbors, “If you have questions or concerns about the Barton CSO project, please don’t remain silent. Silence implies acceptance. Please attend the Open Houses, ask the hard questions and carefully note how your questions are answered – or not.” The site includes a “Take Action” page which links to an online petition asking King County Executive Dow Constantine to stop the project, currently scheduled to start construction next year.

(King County rendering from March community meeting in Sunrise Heights)
Wednesday night’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council includes an update on one of the most vigorously debated public-works projects planned for West Seattle, the Barton Pump Station basin combined-sewer-overflow-control project – “bioswales” (raingardens) in planting strips along multiple streets in the Sunrise Heights/Westwood area, to reduce the water going into the system and downhill to the pump station. The presentation, including project manager Mary Wohleb, is scheduled for around 7:20 pm during the DNDC meeting, which begins at 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW). The county’s most recent community presentations were in March; here’s our coverage.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

After two community meetings in the past five days, residents of Sunrise Heights and Westwood know exactly which planting strips the county is eyeing for potential “bioswales” to keep rainwater from causing combined sewer overflows (CSO) at Barton Pump Station, miles downhill – specific spots along the 31 blocks identified in early March.

They also know how the county hopes to keep them from “ponding” during all but the heaviest rains – through a complex underground “underdrain” system.

But some remain skeptical that the “green stormwater infrastructure” project will not be Ballard Roadside Raingardens, The Sequel, though the project manager insists it won’t.

The ghost of that problem-plagueed city project has long loomed over this county plan, despite reassurances, promises, and explanations of how the two situations differ. There were more of those Wednesday night at the first gathering inside Westside School (the second meeting was Saturday at High Point Community Center), even as project manager Mary Wohleb tried to keep Ballard from being the proverbial elephant in the room.

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(7900 block of 30th SW)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Tonight, Sunrise Heights/Westwood residents are expected to find out if the county thinks the planting strips in front of their homes are the best prospective sites for raingardens to reduce sewer overflows miles away.

The plan has been two-plus years in the making, as the county’s preferred solution to the problem of Puget Sound overflows from the Barton Pump Station near the Fauntleroy ferry dock – but only now is it becoming less abstract, more real, as final decisions get closer. And that is worrying the people who live in the 7900 block of 30th SW, who have asked County Executive Dow Constantine to stop the project.

After the county announced two meetings for tonight and Saturday morning, resident Sabrina Urquhart sent a “media advisory” to make sure the meetings would be covered.

We asked if she and her neighbors would be willing to talk in advance about their concerns. So a small group gathered in her living room Monday evening – joining Sabrina were neighbors Heather, Jim, and Kevin.

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From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

PUBLIC LIBRARY STORY TIMES: 11:30 am at Southwest branch (35th/Henderson), it’s Preschool Story Time; 5 pm at High Point branch (35th/Raymond), it’s Somali Story Time.

K-5 STEM AT BOREN DESIGN MEETING: It’s the second meeting of the Design Team – which includes community members – for this new West Seattle public elementary school. 6:15 pm at district headquarters in SODO; details and map in our calendar listing.

‘GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE’ MEETING: A meeting tonight will present the next steps in the county’s plan to reduce combined-sewer overflows (CSO) at the Barton Pump Station by building “green stormwater infrastructure” – raingardens, bioswales – uphill in some parts of Sunrise Heights and Westwood. 6:30 pm, Westside School (7740 34th SW); here’s our preview story from last week.

HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: Agenda highlights are here; the meeting’s at 7 pm (optional 6:30 pm potluck precedes it), HP Improvement Club, 12th and Holden.

LAST WEEK FOR ‘LITTLE VOICE’: Tonight at 7:30 pm, it’s the fourth-to-last performance of “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice” at ArtsWest.

Drill rigs and vactor trucks are now at work in the 17 blocks of Sunrise Heights/Westwood where King County is proposing “green stormwater infrastructure” to reduce “combined sewer overflows” at the Barton Pump Station by the Fauntleroy ferry dock. As noted here last weekend, this is part of the planning/testing/design process – to find out more about the groundwater in the area, before the rain gardens, street trees and other elements of the project are designed and built (assuming it passes environmental review and is finalized mid-year). They’re scouting spots now for groundwater-monitoring wells; the drill rig pictured above was working on 32nd SW alongside Westside School (WSB sponsor) this morning (and had an interested audience at times, we’re told).

The community-outreach manager for the project, Maryann Petrocelli, is also going door to door with flyers to the 500 or so homes in the 17-block area (see the map here) for which the project is proposed, and she tells WSB that as she talks to residents, she’s also finding out anecdotal information that will help – a spring in a backyard, a chronically flooded basement. Where they’re not sure about utilities or other underground complications, they’re using vactor trucks to look beneath the surface – this one was on 34th near Trenton:

Comments in our previous discussion brought up a troubled city raingarden project in Ballard; Petrocelli says the research and testing program for this one is designed to head off those kinds of problems. Meantime, the community meeting about what’s happening with the proposal is coming up at 6:30 pm April 6 at Westside School .

RainWise, a partnership between King County Wastewater Treatment Division and Seattle Public Utilities, has a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

The West Seattle neighborhoods around Sunrise Heights, Westwood, Fauntleroy, and Arbor Heights are eligible for RainWise rebates – again!

In 2013, King County joined the RainWise program, and parts of West Seattle became eligible for rebates that pay for rain gardens and cisterns on private properties. By capturing the rain that falls on roofs, these installations help keep stormwater out of the sewer system and prevent overflows at the Barton Pump Station near the Fauntleroy ferry dock. After five years in the program, almost 150 properties put in rain gardens and cisterns that manage the equivalent of rain falling on five acres of roofs. In addition, 15 blocks of highly engineered roadside rain gardens were put in to let rain washing down streets and sidewalks to soak into the ground. All of this has really helped but as we look to a future of heavy rains and atmospheric rivers, we would love more help to manage the rain in this area.

How does RainWise help? During heavy rains, the sheer volume of polluted stormwater can cause our combined sewers to overflow. This negatively impacts human health and the health of marine life, such as salmon and orcas. We can reduce this water pollution by installing green stormwater infrastructure solutions, such as rain gardens and cisterns. This is where RainWise comes in.

What is RainWise? RainWise is a rebate program jointly run by King County Wastewater Treatment Division and Seattle Public Utilities. RainWise rebates help property owners manage the rain by installing cisterns and/or rain gardens on their private property. This not only helps reduce stormwater pollution, but mitigates flooding, adds attractive landscaping, and can provide water for summer irrigation.

You can check your eligibility for rebates at 700milliongallons.org/rainwise/eligibility. And, for addresses not eligible for RainWise, Green Stormwater Mini-Grants are available as well at 12000raingardens.org/gsi-mini-grants.

To find out more, please attend one of our upcoming events to talk with program staff and RainWise contractors. We are excited about being back in this area and look forward to helping you get started on your RainWise project!

How to Get RainWise Webinar
Attend this online webinar and watch a short presentation followed by a Q&A with staff and a local homeowner.
Thursday, March 16th, 5 – 6 pm
Online.
Register at bit.ly/mar16RW

Join RainWise at West Seattle Nursery
Come visit our table while you shop for your garden!
Saturday, April 8th, 10 am – 12 pm
West Seattle Nursery, 5275 California Ave SW

Edible Landscapes with RainWise Webinar
Attend this online webinar to learn how edible rain gardens offer a green solution to pollution. There will be a short presentation followed by a Q&A with staff and gardening experts.
Tuesday, April 11th, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Online.
Register at bit.ly/ediblewebinar

RainWise Garden Celebration at Peace Lutheran Church
Come to our RainWise Garden Celebration where you can talk to an array of RainWise, sustainability, and garden experts to learn about the program. There will be tours of Peace Lutheran’s RainWise installation, refreshments, and activities. This is a family-friendly event!
Saturday, April 22nd, 10 am – 1 pm
Peace Lutheran Church, 8316 39th Ave SW
Register at raingardencelebration.eventbrite.com

Not eligible? Feel free to reach out to us! We are happy to help provide you with resources. Check out 12000raingardens.org/about-rain-gardens/incentives to see what other programs are available to you.
Contact us for questions, comments, and concerns at rainwise@seattle.gov.

For more info about RainWise, visit 700milliongallons.org/rainwise

(RainWise photo: Fauntleroy Schoolhouse rain garden)

Got room for a rain garden? A site for a cistern? You might be eligible for RainWise rebates to help you get them, depending on where you live, because they’re returning to some West Seattle neighborhoods. Here are the details sent to us to share with you:

RainWise, a partnership between King County Wastewater Treatment Division and Seattle Public Utilities, has a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

The West Seattle neighborhoods around Sunrise Heights, Westwood, Fauntleroy, and Arbor Heights are eligible for RainWise rebates – again!

In 2013, King County joined the RainWise program, and parts of West Seattle became eligible for rebates that pay for rain gardens and cisterns on private properties. By capturing the rain that falls on roofs, these installations help keep stormwater out of the sewer system and prevent overflows at the Barton Pump Station near the Fauntleroy ferry dock. After five years in the program, almost 150 properties put in rain gardens and cisterns that manage the equivalent of rain falling on five acres of roofs. In addition, 15 blocks of highly engineered roadside rain gardens were put in to let rain washing down streets and sidewalks to soak into the ground. All of this has really helped but as we look to a future of heavy rains and atmospheric rivers, we would love more help to manage the rain in this area.

How does RainWise help? During heavy rains, the sheer volume of polluted stormwater can cause our combined sewers to overflow. This negatively impacts human health and the health of marine life, such as salmon and orcas. We can reduce this water pollution by installing green stormwater infrastructure solutions, such as rain gardens and cisterns. This is where RainWise comes in.

What is RainWise? RainWise is a rebate program jointly run by King County Wastewater Treatment Division and Seattle Public Utilities. RainWise rebates help property owners manage the rain by installing cisterns and/or rain gardens on their private property. This not only helps reduce stormwater pollution, but mitigates flooding, adds attractive landscaping, and can provide water for summer irrigation.

You can check your eligibility for rebates at 700milliongallons.org/rainwise/eligibility. And, for addresses not eligible for RainWise, Green Stormwater Mini-Grants are available as well at 12000raingardens.org/gsi-mini-grants.

To find out more, please attend one of our upcoming events to talk with program staff and RainWise contractors. We are excited about being back in this area and look forward to helping you get started on your RainWise project!

How to Get RainWise Workshop
Attend this in-person workshop to learn about the program with a short presentation followed by a Q&A with staff and RainWise contractors.
Wednesday, March 1st, 6 – 7:15 pm
Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, 9131 California Ave SW
Register at RWworkshop1.eventbrite.com

Join RainWise at West Seattle Nursery
Come visit our table while you shop for your garden!
Saturday, March 4th, 10 am – 12 pm
Saturday, April 8th, 10 am – 12 pm
West Seattle Nursery, 5275 California Ave SW

How to Get RainWise Webinar
Attend this online webinar and watch a short presentation followed by a Q&A with staff and a local homeowner.
Thursday, March 16th, 5 – 6 pm
Online.
Register at bit.ly/mar16RW

Edible Landscapes with RainWise Webinar
Attend this online webinar to learn how edible rain gardens offer a green solution to pollution. There will be a short presentation followed by a Q&A with staff and gardening experts.
Tuesday, April 11th, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Online.
Register at bit.ly/ediblewebinar

(RainWise photo, cisterns at Peace Lutheran Church)

RainWise Garden Celebration at Peace Lutheran Church
Come to our RainWise Garden Celebration where you can talk to an array of RainWise, sustainability, and garden experts to learn about the program. There will be tours of Peace Lutheran’s RainWise installation, refreshments, and activities. This is a family-friendly event!
Saturday, April 22nd, 10 am – 1 pm
Peace Lutheran Church, 8316 39th Ave SW
Register at raingardencelebration.eventbrite.com

Not eligible? Feel free to reach out to us! We are happy to help provide you with resources. Check out 12000raingardens.org/about-rain-gardens/incentives to see what other programs are available to you.
Contact us for questions, comments, and concerns at rainwise@seattle.gov.

For more info about RainWise, visit 700milliongallons.org/rainwise

Two road/roadside-work alerts:

(WSB photo, 45th/Admiral work zone)

45TH/ADMIRAL CROSSING: SDOT continues to work incrementally on the long-promised crossing improvements at 45th SW and SW Admiral Way. Here’s what’s happening this weekend:

On Saturday, we’ll be installing a flashing crosswalk beacon on 45th Ave SW and Admiral Way SW to make it safer for people walking, biking, and rolling to cross the intersection. The flashing crosswalk beacon gives a flashing warning to people driving when someone is in or about to enter a crosswalk. We’ll begin this work as early as 7 AM and expect to conclude by 5 PM.

24TH SW ‘NATURAL DRAINAGE SYSTEM’: This alert is from Seattle Public Utilities, which is planning another round of what used to be called roadside raingardens:

SPU will install natural drainage systems in the roadway shoulder along 24th Ave SW between SW Thistle St and SW Barton St to help improve stormwater drainage, slow down traffic, and remove pollutants from stormwater runoff to improve water quality in Longfellow Creek, a salmon-bearing creek. As part of this project, SPU is partnering with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to install a sidewalk along the west side of 24th Ave SW from SW Thistle St to SW Barton St. Visit the project webpage for more information: seattle.gov/utilities/longfellowNDS.Construction for this project will begin as soon as mid-April and is expected to last through late 2022/early 2023.

Here’s the flyer for the project, which notes that some street trees will be removed; see the design for the project by going here.