(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.

METRO ROUTE 120 – OPEN HOUSE AHEAD: A team of Metro reps came to talk about Route 120, which travels the length of Delridge on its current route between downtown and Burien. They noted that it’s one of the system’s top-10 most-used routes, averaging 7,000 people a day. And there are changes ahead, they said, including: A northbound bus-only lane on Delridge between Oregon and Andover, for peak hours (off-peak, they said, it can be used for bikes and parking). They also plan to reduce the number of stops along the entire route, spacing them to a quarter-mile apart instead of an eighth of a mile, which they described as an efficiency issue. Most important: If you want to get full details of the planned changes and offer comments, Metro is having an open house in a month, 5:30-7:30 pm April 24th at Youngstown. (That news is so fresh, it’s not even on Metro’s website yet, but it will turn up there soon, they promise.)

(P.S. Another Metro open house of potential interest – downtown on March 29th, there’s one about the impending elimination of the Ride-Free Zone. Full details here.)

Also at last night’s DNDC meeting, City Council President Sally Clark – a note about her appearance, ahead:

COUNCIL PRESIDENT TALKS DELRIDGE ECONOMY: Clark was one of three City Councilmembers to attend the recent Brandon Node Visioning Open House presented by area leaders including the North Delridge Neighborhood Council (here’s their post about it), along with Tom Rasmussen and Richard Conlin. She said they’re all very well aware now of what local residents believe they need in order to help their area thrive economically – but she believes it needs to be a small step at a time, finding ways to bring more people to the existing business hubs on Delridge, including the Brandon Node. She thought a bigger transit stop there might be one way to attract more business and customers.

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The Delridge Neighborhoods District Council includes representatives from organizations around eastern West Seattle, and its meetings are always open to the public, usually preceded by a “Strategic Delridge” big-picture discussion of issues outside the topic/action-driven agenda that follows. 3rd Wednesday of the month at Youngstown.

The Delridge Neighborhood District Council is hosting an Unsung Heroes Banquet on April 20, 2012 at 6 pm to award one Outstanding Unsung Hero. Nominations are open for anyone who volunteers in the Delridge District. Do you have a neighbor who tirelessly serves the neighborhood picking up trash or fixing bicycles? Someone who works with seniors, or organizes for the neighborhood is an example for who would qualify. Any volunteer who serves within the Delridge District is eligible, whether working with an organization or as a neighbor. They must not be doing so in a paid position. The Delridge District borders are Spokane Street to the North, the Duwamish River to the East, Roxbury to the South and 35th Avenue to the West.

To nominate an Unsung Hero, please review the criteria on the application: Apply online (here).

The deadline for nominations is March 23rd. The top eight nominees will be invited to the Banquet on April 20th. One Outstanding Unsung Hero will be named at the event. They will be nominated for the following year’s Washington Jefferson Award, a Nobel Prize for public service..

Will you help make this event a success? The Unsung Heroes Planning Committee is still looking for financial support to create this first annual event. To help support the Unsung Heroes Banquet, we need $2,000.00 for us reach our budget of $2,500.00. Please contact Mike Shilley to become an event sponsor at michael.j.shilley@q.com or by phone at (206) 762-7111.

One major supporter of the concept is Delridge-area activist/advocate Pete Spalding, who explained to Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen and Sally Bagshaw that a median, trees, and pedestrian-friendly features could “make it feel more like a community than a piece of concrete passing through our neighborhood.”

Those types of improvements could have “a significant impact on the entire community,” added DNDC chair Mat McBride.

As Spalding said, this has been discussed “for a long time” – but new urgency emerged when it was discovered that the city has set aside “Bridging the Gap” levy money to pave a major section of Delridge Way. So they invited key people from the city to come discuss whether the boulevard concept could fold into that; besides the councilmembers – two SDOT managers (who also happen to be West Seattleites), community traffic liaison Jim Curtin and paving-project manager Jessica Murphy (who we saw a lot of during the Fauntleroy Way rebuilding project two years ago). The topic also was at the heart of last month’s DNDC meeting (WSB coverage here).

The boulevard features not only would “calm” traffic, supporters say, it also would be more conducive to business – friendly to those who stop and shop/dine, rather than the current “just keep driving” mood the street seems to encourage.

“The idea of a boulevard down here is very appealing,” Councilmember Bagshaw agreed. “Make it an environment where people want to be.” Just a few weeks earlier, she had been in Delridge to talk with neighbors about bringing the “greenway” concept to 26th, just west of Delridge. The discussion meandered off in that direction for a few minutes before returning to the boulevard.

The city’s Bicycle Master Plan calls for bike lanes along Delridge between Andover and Holden, said Curtin, in response to a question. Murphy added that even with those lanes and other “amenities,” Delridge is still wide enough to hold a boulevard. The SDOT reps also noted that “boulevard” doesn’t necessarily mean “island down the middle of the road” – the concept can involve improvements on the sides instead, or in addition to. And as for bike lanes – Curtin observed that if 26th becomes earmarked as a greenway, just to the west, that could mean omitting them on Delridge, in favor of directing bicyclists to the nearby greenway.

As other ideas started to percolate – including the need for a speed-limit-reminder sign just before Andover, to catch those coming off the bridge (Spalding said he’d once been told it could happen, but then the story changed to “no money for it”) – Councilmember Rasmussen suggested a community meeting with SDOT to talk “specifically about simple low-cost ideas that could make a difference.” That could be an “on-site” conversation, Curtin enthused.

Murphy interjected that the actual paving project that kickstarted the current conversation is currently on the docket for the narrower southern end of Delridge, “not wide enough for the true boulevard, but might still be opportunities for some of the boulevard feel,” from Orchard to Henderson. She said she’s hoping that by the time it happens, there might be enough funding to “continue a little further south, to Roxbury, to address some of the worst pavement needs.”

The project is currently at the 30 percent design stage, identifying pavement conditions and required drainage – stormwater-storage pipes will be put in during the work, which currently isn’t scheduled until 2014, but might – just maybe – move up to 2013, the SDOT reps said.

No time to waste, then, on getting the “boulevard” vision into the picture, it was agreed – especially if some city neighborhood-projects funding could be procured for projects as part of it.

Next steps: While SDOT continues to plan the basic project as it is now, the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council will continue to discuss and strategize, too. Watch their upcoming meeting agendas, as this may be the subject of an upcoming edition of the visioning discussion that precedes each monthly DNDC meeting (third Wednesday of the month, with visioning/strategizing at 6, business agenda at 7, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).

In early July, with the help of DNA evidence, police arrested a man who lived in the same home to which the victim had fled, 49-year-old Monty Richardson. Court documents say he broke into the victim’s home, dragged her into her basement, tried to strangle her, and beat, kicked, and jumped on her till she lost consciousness. Richardson pleaded guilty last Thursday to first-degree burglary and second-degree assault, with the third charge against him, unlawful imprisonment, dismissed. Prosecutors will recommend a sentence of 2 1/2 years on the first count, 1 year and 2 months on the second (to run concurrently with the first). According to court documents, he is entering the guilty plea as a so-called Alford plea – he does not admit guilt on either charge but believes the evidence is likely to lead to a conviction.

Richardson is scheduled to be sentenced December 2nd by King County Superior Court Judge Bruce Heller.

Don’t just patch up Delridge Way SW – transform it.

That’s the idea behind a discussion that took up most of last night’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting. The reps from eastern West Seattle groups and organizations were planning for November, when Seattle City Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw and Tom Rasmussen, as well as representatives from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will join DNDC to discuss roadway improvements to Delridge Way.

The council was recently contacted by SDOT about “spot paving” on Delridge Way, using money from the Bridging the Gap levy. But the council feels there is an opportunity to use the money in a more constructive way, and asked for the meeting with SDOT. “We don’t want (SDOT’s work) to be piecemeal,” said district-council member Pete Spalding. “We want it to fit the long-term vision the community has for Delridge.”

This meeting was an opportunity to build on ideas already out there about possible Delridge Way improvements, such as making more pedestrian-friendly and attracting more commerce to the area. Among the ideas presented:

-Rechannel Delridge Way to include a bus-only lane
-Turn it into a boulevard with trees and wider walkways
-Create better connections with east and west roadways
-Create more visible and protected crosswalks
-Develop a transit hub under Spokane Street

Want to be part of the discussion? Mark your calendar now for the council’s November meeting – November 16th, 7 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.

Also from last night’s meeting::

*The North Delridge Neighborhood Council has a number of council positions available. If you’re interested in joining, contact the NDNC (ndnc.org) before Monday, October 24.

*The city is finalizing its budget and the district council is encouraging folks to provide input before October 26th. “They tally the issues they hear about,” observed Spalding, so if there’s something you feel needs attention, this is a great opportunity to have Seattle City Councilmembers give it budget consideration. (City-budget info can be found here.)

*Another opportunity for input on city plans is to complete the city’s online Seattle Comprehensive Plan survey, which you can find here. This is the citywide version of a neighborhood plan, and because many plans are up for renewal in the next couple of years, it’s a good time to provide input for issues you feel are important to your community.

It’s no secret that DNDA has had money struggles; the organization sent out a fundraising plea last December (here’s our story, including an explanation of what DNDA does). Since then, it’s cut staff and vacated its Brandon Court offices, consolidating into space at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Acting executive director Patty Grossman came to DNDC to provide a general update, starting with, “DNDA is not dead, and Youngstown is not closing its doors,” in response to rumors apparently in circulation. However, that’s not to say everything is rosy.

Grossman acknowledged, “The last four years have not been good years,” but maintained there’s “no danger DNDA will go away,” though later in her relatively brief appearance, she said that it would, if the community didn’t see a need for it.

For now, “One of the major goals of the (DNDA) board is just to reach financial stability.” She said that while technically she is an “acting” executive director – previous ED Derek Birnie left for a new job a few months ago – “I will be in this position as long as it takes to either stabilize DNDA, or shut it down if that’s what the community wants.” Right now, though, Grossman said she’s “seeing a lot of community support.”

She says DNDA is maintaining “core projects” with the help of volunteers. Advocating for more healthy food in Delridge remains a core project, she said, inviting those on hand to “please stop by Delridge Deli-Mart” to buy the fruit, vegetables, and “healthier sandwiches” that DNDA worked hard to get the store to stock.

And Youngstown remains alive with activities, Grossman added, saying they’re hoping to keep the event schedule on their website more up-to-date so that information on those activities can be more easily accessible.

She didn’t get into details about status of current DNDA housing-development projects – past efforts are listed here; most recently, it’s been working on Strength of Place Village in White Center, in partnership with other community-development organizations.

ECONOMIC HEALTH: West Seattle Chamber of Commerce CEO Patti Mullen visited the DNDC to talk about possibilities as Delridge’s economic health continues to improve. Consensus was that some kind of economic survey would be in order, and Mullen offered ideas of how that could happen.

COMMUNITY POLICING: Resources and how to use them were also at the heart of a discussion about community policing, with Southwest Precinct operations Lt. Pierre Davis and Community Police Team Officer Jon Kiehn. Explaining the CPT role, Officer Kiehn said his job is to know what resources are open to people, and how they can be used to resolve some problems. Patrol officers’ focus is responding to calls, while his job is to follow back around with people to see how police can work with them to reduce and prevent crime. He and Lt. Davis also fielded questions about Block Watch and how to set one up for multifamily residences like townhomes and apartment buildings.

SPEAKING OF RESOURCES AND RESOLVING PROBLEMS: It’s been a little over two years since City Councilmembers Sally Clark and Tim Burgess, with other city officials, accepted then-North Delridge Neighborhood Council chair Mike Dady‘s invitation for a tour of problem properties in Delridge. NDNC’s Holli Margell told tonight’s DNDC meeting that Burgess and Clark will return for a walking tour of Delridge on June 11th, starting (like the one in 2009) from Uptown Espresso at Delridge/Andover.

BOREN SCHOOL: Pete Spalding is organizing a work party for June 4th to help with a solution to the ongoing tagging at the vacant Boren Junior High School site on Delridge (empty this year after housing Chief Sealth International High School the past two years). He says about 40 murals recently painted by volunteers in Mount Baker will be installed over the plywood window coverings at Boren, and the work party will put some “final touches” on them before installation, including painting the panels’ backs and sides “to increase longevity.”

DNDC’S ANNUAL JOINT MEETING WITH SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL: It’s set for July 20th at the Neighborhood House Neighborhood Center in High Point.

DELRIDGE DAY: Brainstorming is under way for the annual Delridge festival, which will be held late in the summer this year, tentatively set for September 10th (with hopes that the Delridge Skatepark will be up and running by then). A list of brainstorms for the festival was circulated, with hopes of games, vendors, entertainment, and food. If you’re interested in helping, contact NDNC’s Amanda Leonard, amanda.leonard.wa@gmail.com.

Story by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Interested in a crosswalk at Delridge/Findlay, a growing commercial district in the heart of Delridge? That was one of many topics of discussion as community leaders gathered Wednesday night for the monthly Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting, inside the theater at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, to discuss ways to improve public safety and increase involvement in local neighborhoods.

The agenda featured an update on the Elliott Bay Seawall Replacement Project, a discussion of Neighborhood Projects Fund ideas, and a presentation about Camp Long’s application for a Large Project Grant.

SKATEPARK CONSTRUCTION: Delridge community advocate (and past Council chair) Pete Spalding of Pigeon Point called the meeting to order (filling in for current Council chair Mat McBride). Spalding said the biggest news of the day was “happening right across the street,” referring to the long-awaited start of construction on the Delridge Skatepark project. Fences went up earlier this week and they’ve “started turning dirt,” Spalding said, noting that “we’ve been waiting for years for this to happen.” The $483,000 skatepark is being built by West Seattle-based Grindline (which also designed the project), and is scheduled to take about 4 months and be open in late summer.

SPD UPDATE: Operations Lt. Pierre Davis from Southwest Precinct was on-hand to give an update on the recent spike of burglaries in West Seattle over last couple of weeks. He said SPD has “a good idea who the individuals are,” and that they’re “hot on the trail.” He also talked about the continued instances of copper thefts, citing a somewhat humorous example of two individuals who tried to steal a “giant copper anchor,” most likely from a park, and were driving on Delridge Way “with the anchor dragging in the back.” Lt. Davis joked that for police officers, sighting such as these are “pretty good clues” that something is going on.

SW Precinct will also participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) second National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 30 from 10am-2pm. Anyone with an excess of prescription drugs can drop them off at SW Precinct (2300 S.W. Webster) for safe disposal.

Lt. Davis also noted that this year’s Southwest Precinct picnic will be the afternoon of Saturday August 20th (here’s WSB’s coverage of last year’s picnic).

AT THE CENTER: Derek Birnie, executive director of the Youngstown facility (which hosts the Delridge District Council meetings along with many other community events) said things have been busy lately at the Center. He added that some of the residents who live upstairs in ”artist housing” have expressed interest in coordinating a film series on the last Friday of the month, likely starting next month. No details have been confirmed yet, but Birnie said he’d be sure to get the word out.

DOWNTOWN SEAWALL: Jennifer Wieland from SDOT and Alexandra Sheldon from EnviroIssues were in attendance to give a presentation about the Elliott Bay Seawall Project. The goal is to repair the underground seawall protecting downtown Seattle’s waterfront – the existing seawall was built in the 1930s using wood pilings (from an estimated 20,000 trees) that have been deteriorating for many years,  and “it’s pretty clear we’re getting to the toothpick stage in some areas,” Wieland said.

The affected area runs from South Washington Street (south of Colman Dock) north to Broad Street (south of the Olympic Sculpture Park), divided into six “zones”  that are being evaluated based on the unique characteristics of each area. The width of the seawall (meaning, the distance it runs inland) ranges from 15 feet in some areas to 60 feet in others. The team said that the Seattle waterfront to the north and south of this area isn’t a concern, largely because of reinforcement that has been done in other ways.

The team has been evaluating various options for construction and design, taking into account numerous factors such as public safety, nearby business impact,  coordination with the viaduct and tunnel projects, waterfront aesthetics (including public access to the water, potentially), animal habitat, and continuation of vital utility services (there are utility pipelines under the waterfront that run “from Alaska to California” and serve much of downtown Seattle, Wieland said.)  Several “open houses” and presentations for the public were done earlier this spring (including the SW District Council meeting in early February; you can also view SDOT’s “virtual open house” here), and the next step is for the team to present its “preferred alternative” to the Seattle City Council on Monday April 25^th — their current timeslot is 10:15 am, broadcast on Seattle Channel, cable 21.  Once the preferred alternative is discussed and approved, additional planning will be done by the end of 2011, and the plan is to be in construction by 2013 and be finished in early 2016. The project is funded through 2012 (during design) and the team is seeking grant money, but additional funding will likely be sought in the form of a levy that would go to the voters. Because of the project’s partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, it’s possible that two-thirds of the construction costs could be covered by federal funding.

CAMP LONG’S ROPES COURSE: Next on the agenda was a presentation from David Kipnis and Sheila Brown from Camp Long , to provide an update on the “challenge-course / ropes course” project that has been the subject of much interest from the community. The official project website is here, and WSB has previous coverage about the project from last month’s Delridge Council meeting and from a January 27th community meeting.

The project is a joint venture involving Camp Long, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and WSU 4-H. Kipnis said the focus on the project is “experiential environmental education,” designed to get youth and other organizations involved in outdoor activities that foster teamwork.

Kipnis said the team has received letters of support from seven area organizations who intend to be involved with the effort, and they “have room for one more” as per their current plans:

• Southwest Youth and Family Services
• Safe Futures
• Projecto Saber  (SPS program for Latino youth)
• Hope Academic Enrichment Center
• West Seattle YMCA, Earth Service Corps
• Neighborhood House
• Mountaineers

The cost of a “low course” involving ropes and challenges that are lower to the ground is $37,000, but the team is seeking funding to help cover the $63,000 necessary to fund a “high course” that would feature more intense challenges. Groups who want to use the course would need a “trained facilitator” to accompany them, and part of the $37,000 would be reserved to pay for the 5-day “Leadership Academy” facilitator training for up to 16 people from area organizations, in the hope that this will foster increased interest in the facility in the future.

Kipnis said they’re optimistic that the “high course” funding can be obtained, and that Camp Long has a site selected that could become ”one of the best in the country.” He said the camp has a ”rich history with climbing” dating back to its founding 70 years ago, and the ropes course would be a great fit.

DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD PROPOSALS FOR CITY FUNDING: Pete Spalding led a discussion about 10 proposals that came in from the Delridge community. Here’s that list:

• Crosswalk at Delridge Way SW and SW Findley
• Traffic light with pedestrian crossing signals at SW Genesee and Avalon Way SW
• Crosswalk light on Delridge Way SW and SW Edmunds
• Sidewalks on SW Hudson from Puget Blvd SW to 26th Ave
• Trail crossing signs and “no parking” signs on SW Brandon west of 26th Ave SW (Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail)
• Curb for parking on SW Brandon St east of 25th Ave SW
• Speed bumps or traffic circles on 26th Ave SW between SW Hudson and SW Genesee
• Speed bumps and/or traffic circles on 26th Ave SW between SW Brandon and SW Juneau
• One-block section of sidewalk on the south side of SW Brandon to connect the 29th Ave SW and 30th Ave SW sidewalks
• Center lane island or planter island to provide crossing assistance at Delridge Way SW and SW Graham

Representatives from each neighborhood group in Delridge now has until close-of-business Monday April 25th to vote for their top 3 projects, which will then be submitted for further review. Spalding asked those in attendance if they had any initial reactions about which projects might “rise to the top,” and a couple of attendees called out the SW Genesee and Avalon Way SW crossing as being particularly necessary. There also was discussion about how this request might relate to a separate discussion/request regarding a possible signal nearby at Avalon and Yancy (WSB coverage here).

OTHER BUSINESS:

• Last weekend’s Delridge Green Up (WSB coverage here) was called a “big success,” with great weather and a great turnout.
• The group noted that Bernie Matsuno has been chosen by Mayor McGinn to have the “interim” title removed, to serve as permanent Department of Neighborhoods director (WSB coverage here).
• The June or July meeting of the council might be a joint meeting with the SW District Council. Details TBD.
• There is a need to have updated “display maps” to have at summer festivals in the area, to talk to residents about where they live and how they can get involved.
• West Seattle Summer Fest is looking for community leaders to help staff a table in the “hospitality tent” at the middle of the festival area. Spalding encouraged Delridge leaders to sign up.
• Spalding asked attendees to think about key agenda items for the group’s future meetings, and a few things were proposed: Light rail and east-west transit in West Seattle, transportation issues such as those discussed recently by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, fighting graffiti, and economic development (hotels, grocery stores, ecotourism, etc)

The Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meets on the third Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), all welcome – and you are also welcome to come early for the monthly Strategic Delridge meeting that precedes it at 6 pm. The next meeting is Wednesday May 18th.

As the Delridge District Council met tonight inside the theater at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, posters decorated the center’s walls, promoting its upcoming 5th-anniversary party. Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association runs Youngstown, and its executive director Derek Birnie announced the February 26th party to celebrate the Cultural Arts Center’s fifth anniversary, which also will be a sendoff for two longtime DNDA employees as well as an open house (all detailed here).

Also announced at tonight’s meeting – Mayor McGinn is tentatively planning a visit to tour the Westwood neighborhood, according to Delridge district coordinator Ron Angeles. The date looks like March 6th, and so far the starting point is expected to be the new P-Patch site at 34th and Barton. More to come on that.

Also discussed tonight – a new citywide project that could bring a rain garden to a Delridge business … read on for that and more:

SUSTAINABLE RAIN: Amy Waterman from Sustainable Seattle briefed the council on a rain-garden project called “Sustainable Rain.” Over the next year, they hope to install five rain gardens at businesses in five neighborhoods – West Seattle, Beacon Hill, Central District, Duwamish, and White Center are the neighborhoods. Right now, they are looking for potential participants – there’s some information on the Sustainable Seattle website, with more to come; you can e-mail amy@sustainableseattle.org to find out more.

WEST SEATTLE BE PREPARED: As council chair Mat McBride noted, Delridge was overdue for a briefing on this peninsula-wide preparedness effort. Cindi Barker made a guest appearance to talk about it – less than two weeks before the 10th anniversary of the Nisqually earthquake. West Seattle organizers are now involved at a citywide level too – but what you need to know is, there are nine “hubs” for the peninsula – places to go for communications coordination and information on how to get help, in case of catastrophe – explore the West Seattle Be Prepared site and find out how to make sure you’re ready; if you don’t think your neighborhood is adequately covered, step up and get involved! (Cindi noted she will be at the North Delridge Neighborhood Council next month, so you can mark your calendar for 6:30 pm March 14, Delridge Library, if you’d like to hear about WSBP in person, and ask questions.)

WEST SEATTLE TRIANGLE PRESENTATION: Susan McLain (a West Seattleite) is the city planner leading the planning process for The Triangle’s future; on the heels of last week’s community open house, she’s still making the rounds talking with community groups, and the Delridge council was the latest stop. She gave a topline presentation on what’s been discussed and what’s envisioned; if you missed last week’s coverage, the presentations from the community open house can be viewed here. Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding asked McLain how the city can assure the community that this process might not result in another stalled project like “The Hole”; her answer was that “The Hole” was something of a unique case, not necessarily a result of city policies, though she also said honestly, the city can’t do anything to reassure – but in this case, the policies are trying to get a little further out ahead of where things stand, to help direct future development “so buildings are consistent with neighborhood vision for the area … less antagonism between developer and community … in terms of encouraging good development happening.” The zoning proposal may go to the City Council in April or May, according to McLain.

Angeles asked McLain for advice on how Delridge could start the process of designing a gateway, since Delridge too is a gateway to West Seattle. She suggested that the first step might be talking to City Council members, since it does require “staffing allocation” from city departments, SDOT as well as DPD. DNDA’s Birnie also asked about connectivity between The Triangle and Delridge – maybe through Camp Long. McLain couldn’t make any promises but did see some possibilities for this being brought into the process.

DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS’ FUTURE: Chair McBride mentioned that the CIty Neighborhood Council has sent a letter to the mayor in search of clarification on the department’s future, which McBride described as – in light of recent changes – “very much up in the air.”

NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT DEADLINES: To summarize – many of them are coming up. Council leaders point out that these aren’t just paperwork projects – they have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of projects that improved local neighborhoods, such as traffic-calming measures. The district council also needs people to help vet proposals. Here’s more information on what types of grants are available and when their deadlines are.

BUSINESS-DISTRICT GRANT APPLICATION: Some discussion centered around the business district grants announced today by the city, and the fact that a Delridge application on which DNDA and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce had worked was not among the recipients. Brainstorming ensued on what might improve the area’s chances of getting a grant next time.

SENDOFF FOR RON ANGELES: Pigeon Point’s Spalding reminded all that a February 24th party is planned for the longtime community advocate as he retires from his Department of Neighborhoods position, and all are welcome. “Bring your community-building stories,” he exhorted council-meeting attendees.

DELRIDGE PLAYFIELD CELEBRATION: As noted here yesterday, the field’s renovations are officially complete, and a community celebration is planned for 12:30 pm March 12th.

The Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meets on the third Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), all welcome – and you are also welcome to come early for the monthly Strategic Delridge meeting that precedes it at 6 pm.

According to a memo from DON this afternoon, addressed to “community partners,” the 10 remaining coordinators will be organized into three teams, with each team having responsibility for a certain region of the city. The department calls this an “interim” model till it reports back to the City Council at midyear:

Neighborhood District Coordinators (NDC) Interim Service Model:

The 10 NDCs will serve the city through a team approach over three large geographic areas:

· The South area consists of 4 districts (Southeast, Greater Duwamish, Delridge and Southwest) and will be served by the South Team (NDCs – Ron Angeles, Steve Louie, Yun Pitre, and Ed Pottharst).

· The Central area consists of 5 districts (Central, East, Downtown, Lake Union and Magnolia/Queen Anne) and will be served by the Central Team (NDCs – Christa Dumpys, Tim Durkan, and Stan Lock).

· The North area consists of 4 districts (Northeast, North, Northwest, and Ballard) and will be served by the North Team (NDCs – Karen Ko, Rob Mattson, and Beth Pflug).

The remaining Neighborhood Service Centers are being reorganized for drop-in work space for the NDCs. They will also have drop-in work space in DON’s offices at the Seattle Municipal Tower.

The new team approach to serving neighborhoods and community partners is intended to continue providing the connection between you and the City. However, due to the fact that there are three fewer NDCs, there will be a decrease in the amount of time or depth of efforts any particular NDC will be able to spend with you and your group.

After reading this, we called DON’s Lois Maag for some clarifications. Since Lock, now on the Central Team, had worked out of the Southwest center, we asked who if anyone would be there; she says the South Team members will all be based out of Delridge, though they are expected to be “on the road” a lot.

Second question: Since previously one coordinator was assigned to each of the District Councils – which meet monthly and include reps of area organizations and community councils – how will they be staffed? Maag says that’s still being worked out, and she’ll have details on Monday, which is two days before the first potentially affected District Council meeting here in West Seattle, the SWDC, which meets Wednesday at 7 at South Seattle Community College.

The final budget vote is slated for Monday. Meantime, the leader of one of the council’s member organizations, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA), presented a primer on what DNDA is all about. In the above-right clip, you can see/hear DNDA executive director Derek Birnie‘s presentation. He explained that the organization’s about projects big – like affordable-housing developments – and small – like the Delridge “Night Market” events this summer and fall as part of the campaign to make healthier food more available in the area. In addition to listening to the presentation, you can find out a lot about DNDA at dnda.org.

Another huge topic of the night – Mayor Mike McGinn‘s impending visit to Delridge for a Community Forum on December 2nd (first reported here 2 weeks ago). DNDC attendees last night worked on ways to ensure the mayor would hear about central topics of community concern – maybe even preparing a briefing paper to get to him. The Delridge-area concerns that were mentioned last night included the need for an east-west transit connection, economic-development funds, and greenbelt protection. The mayor’s event is set for 6-8 pm on December 2nd at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, and it’ll include a chance for you to learn about local community organizations as well as Q/A with the mayor..

The Delridge Neighborhoods District Council includes reps from community councils and major organizations around what the city calls the Delridge Neighborhoods District – mostly east West Seattle, from 35th SW eastward. Its December meeting will be a mostly social potluck, but business meetings are usually on the third Wednesday of the month, 7 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).

DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS: The presentation that director Chao gave was the same as the one heard by the Southwest District Council two weeks earlier (WSB coverage here). Though, unlike the Southwest (western West Seattle) District, Delridge is not facing the loss of its Neighborhood Service Center or Neighborhood District Coordinator, council members still offered their concerns about the idea of losing any of them around the city – saying the centers are often citizens’ first stop to find out, or get questions answered about, what services the city offers. (Wondering about the budget status? After the final public hearing next week – Tuesday at City Hall – councilmembers start getting closer to identifying potential changes to the mayor’s plan. The hearing schedules and other resources are here, and the holding spot for agendas is here.)

PARKS AND GREEN SPACES LEVY OPPORTUNITY FUND PROJECTS: Council member Pete Spalding, who’s on this levy’s Oversight Committee, talked about the two local citizen-proposed projects still in the running (here’s the “draft final list“) for the first round of the levy’s Opportunity Fund money – Puget Ridge Edible Park and an expanded plan for the forthcoming Highland Park Spray Park (wading-pool conversion). The next step for these projects is a public hearing next week before the Oversight Committee; it’s a citywide hearing, and not in West Seattle, but showing support for local projects can make a big difference – be at Miller Community Center (map), 7 pm next Monday (October 25th). If you want to speak, sign-ins start at 6.

GATHERING OF NEIGHBORS: As reported here a week ago, this event for local businesses and organizations to connect with citizens (and vice versa!) is coming up quick – November 6th, 11 am-4 pm at Chief Sealth International High School. Councilmembers got a peek at the official postcard for GON. October 29th is the registration deadline for groups/businesses; download the registration form here.

RAPID RIDE: This was one of two RR presentations in West Seattle on Wednesday night – we’ll have a detailed report later today on the one given to the Morgan Community Association. Delridge District Council heard from Metro’s Jack Lattemann, who as a side note lauded the Delridge Council for its role in creating the 120 route, now the most-used in West Seattle. (Find out more about RapidRide, scheduled to debut in West Seattle in September 2012, by going here.)

The Delridge Neighborhoods District Council, bringing together reps from community councils and other major organizations around eastern West Seattle, meets the third Wednesday of each month, 7 pm, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.

POLICE UPDATES: Door-to-door surveys were among the topics addressed by Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James. You might recall first word of SPD surveying households, reported here in June, during an early test of the program. Now they’re expanding, asking people how SPD could improve, asking what they fear – remember that “reducing fear” is one of the department’s new goals – and how the police can help. Lt. James said they’ll start in Pigeon Point and South Park in mid-October, for about a week. … Meantime, crime in Delridge overall is down, said Lt. James. He also mentioned the upcoming change of command at the precinct (first reported here Wednesday morning), with newly promoted Capt. Steve Paulsen returning to the SWP as its commander, while 2 1/2-year commander Capt. Joe Kessler takes over the West Precinct.

SPEED ALERTS? A suggestion came up about signs needed to remind drivers coming off the West Seattle Bridge at Delridge about the speed limit change – while it’s 45 on The Bridge, it’s 30 once you’re on Delridge.

SCHOOL TRAFFIC: Pigeon Point neighbors of Pathfinder K-8 at Cooper are reporting heavier-than-ever traffic going into the school – few kids appear to be using the buses, but many are being driven, and the already-tiny parking lot is overflowing. Neighborhood leaders plan to meet with school leaders and SDOT, hoping that perhaps some solutions can be found, such as more carpooling.

P-PATCHES: After a city reminder about P-Patch van tours citywide starting later this month – with one in West Seattle on September 25th (meet at the Delridge Neighborhood Service Center, Delridge and Brandon, 1 pm) – council chair Mat McBride noted that there are concerns about P-Patch pilfering in West Seattle and elsewhere. Features such as gazebos might make them more park-like and discourage stealing.

CITY BUDGET: Another reminder – the mayor’s going public with his budget proposal at 2 pm September 27th, and that’ll be followed by City Council public hearings around the city, including one here in West Seattle on October 13th (as noted here last week) at South Seattle Community College‘s Brockey Center.

SPEAKING OF THE MAYOR: A city rep at the meeting said the Q/A that ended Mayor McGinn’s recent Delridge tour (WSB coverage here) was such a hit, they’re hoping to incorporate it into future walking tours around the city.

The public’s always welcome at Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meetings, which include representatives from community councils and other major organizations/institutions around Delridge, third Wednesday of the month, 7 pm @ Youngstown.

Our final report from last night’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting: The chance to hear more budget-crunch thoughts from a city councilmember, days after the announcement of how the city’s going to save $12 million the rest of this year – and going to have to cut about 5 times that for the next budget cycle. Councilmember Sally Clark was the guest – read on for what she had to say:

First she had words of admiration for those who spoke out before the midyear cuts were settled: “There was a really good turnout at the budget hearings, particularly by Parks advocates, advocating for some programs I didn’t even know we had!”

But there’s only so far you can go with cuts, Clark warned … then it’s time to figure out how to bring in more money, since some of the longrunning sources aren’t yielding as much any more. She expects you’ll see proposals for a higher commercial-parking tax. North Delridge resident Nancy Folsom wondered what the future tax structure might be with so much depending right now on cars, gasoline, parking, driving – Clark answered, “By then we will have come to our senses and totally reformed Washington’s tax structure” – she foresees an income tax for “higher earners” plus a “reasonable mix of property and sales taxes.”

“You’re a dreamer,” Folsom smiled.

Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding, chairing the meeting, observed that Initiative 1098 is gathering signatures and “we’ll see how far (that) gets.”

Clark said that when the next budget proposal is delivered the mayor on September 27th, it will reflect the results of what he sees in three “pools” of cuts that she says departments have been asked to make: 1 percent-5 percent cut in the “public safety” pool (percentages are from the city’s General Fund); 4%-9.5% from “human services”; other departments such as Parks, Transportation, Neighborhoods, 9.5% to 14.5%.

Where might those cuts come from? She said, “I’d be worried about basic paving, potholes, crosswalk work” so far as transportation goes – the “bread and butter” areas, as she referred to them.

What about a Metropolitan Park District to raise money for the Parks Department, as some have suggested? “I don’t think we’d (do that) this year, but it should be talked about within the next two years,” Clark said.

Many city facilities have capital – as in, building and repairs – needs as well, she reminded, including Seattle Police facilities such as the Harbor Patrol headquarters on Lake Union and the North Precinct.

And that’s far from the only police-related issue she’s concerned about – she mentioned that she and her fellow councilmember are “most concerned about” the midyear cut that will “pause” the hiring of 21 new police officers called for in the city’s Neighborhood Policing Plan, which pre-dates Mayor Mike McGinn. Clark observed that it’s difficult to carry out a plan like that without the right number of officers to handle the workload. But they also would most like to know, she added, more about his longterm thoughts: “He hasn’t come out to the public and said, ‘let’s talk about this,’” regarding the policing plan’s future. “We look forward to having that conversation in the fall.”

One other topic: Spalding asked where the council’s pledged $15 million for the South Park Bridge replacement will come from. Clark’s explanation: “The thing is, we don’t have to write them a check for 15 million dollars …
we’re negotiating, when you get approval for federal money, how much do you need to finish design, how much do you need for (other parts of the project), and when … it’ll be spaced out over a period of time … could come out of bond proceeds if we package that with other transportation needs.” She predicted that a state commitment in “two digits” (millions) will be forthcoming regarding the bridge.

With that, she said she was off to dine at Pegasus Pizza on Alki. (After she left, meeting attendees said, in good humor, that maybe next time she might consider Delridge’s own eateries, like Olympia Pizza and Pasta.)

The Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meets on the third Wednesday of the month, 7 pm, Youngstown Arts Center. It’s preceded TFN by the hourlong Strategic Delridge discussion, 6 pm, same location. The public’s welcome at both.