West Seattle, Washington
18 Friday
11:45 PM: Thanks for the photo and tips about that crash in the 4800 block of Delridge Way. It’s blocking both ways. We are on the way to find out more.
12:05 AM: Here’s what we found out at the scene: The driver was headed north on Delridge and lost control, hitting at least six other vehicles (parked, as far as we know) before ending up at Delridge and Alaska. The driver and passenger are expected to be taken to the hospital by private ambulance – no major injuries.
12:55 AM: Went past the scene again a few minutes ago; the road is still blocked both ways. Meantime, thanks to Patrick O’Connor for more photos, including some of the other cars that were hit:
1:12 AM: SDOT says the road has reopened. Meantime, Patrick O’Connor also sent security-cam video in which you can hear – and somewhat see – the collision:
ADDED THURSDAY AFTERNOON: The 19-year-old driver was booked into King County Jail for suspected DUI, according to police, jail, and court records.
The Delridge Business Survey and Outreach Project is on!
The goal: Reaching, engaging, and learning from Delridge’s many businesses, to gather information that will support “community-led business development in the area,” which hasn’t before had a “shared Delridge economic development vision.”
The project is an offshoot of the Delridge Action Plan, and funded by a city grnat, but, Delridge-area businessperson Parie Hines of LD Arch Design (WSB sponsor) tells us, it’s “led by neighborhood residents and businesses, in addition to the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce.”
If you have a business in the Delridge area, between SW Spokane and SW Sylvan Way (South Delridge is not included in this project) – they want to hear from you. “Neighborhood ambassadors” will be making in-person visits in the weeks ahead, and you might get a phone call, but even before someone contacts you, you can answer the survey right now or as soon as you have a few minutes to spare – find it here.
Once the survey is complete, Hines says, the project report, summarizing findings and priorities, will be public in August. Project background is also viewable on the DNDA website and the West Seattle Chamber website.
We’re at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, where an open house continues until 9 pm, first public review of the design alternatives for the Delridge Wetlands Project. If you can get here by 7 pm, project leader Willard Brown tells us, you’ll see the official presentation by the Pomegranate Center designers who are presenting three alternatives. This project involves a site at 23rd SW and SW Findlay that includes a former City Light substation; the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association and its Nature Consortium affiliate are partnering to turn it into a park and educational site, which it’s already been for students from nearby Louisa Boren STEM K-8:
Even if you can’t get here for the presentation, stop by before 9, have a look at the designs, share your thoughts on what’s meant to be a community resource. The open house is in the south classroom on the ground floor at Youngstown, which is at 4408 Delridge Way SW.
(WSB photo, April 2016)
That’s one of the scenes we showed you on Duwamish Alive! day in spring of last year, when the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association and its affiliate Nature Consortium held an event at the site that’s home to the Delridge Wetlands Project. It’s another one of Seattle City Light‘s no-longer-needed former substations, and this one, instead of going up for sale as real estate, has a different future, in a public/private partnership.
(WSB photo of site’s unfenced north side, June 2017)
You can be part of it by dropping by Youngstown Cultural Arts Center between 6 and 9 pm Thursday (June 15th). It’s a chance to see the design planned for the site, in its future as:
…a project spearheaded by DNDA to protect, restore, preserve and expand the existing wetland to improve water quality in Longfellow Creek, meanwhile developing the space as a public park for all to enjoy. Beside wetland restoration, other plans for the park include the creation of an urban garden, community orchard, as well as developing the space as an outdoor classroom for local students and the community to learn hands-on environmental science and wetland stewardship.
Youngstown CAC is at 4408 Delridge Way SW; the Delridge Wetlands Project site is at 23rd SW/SW Findlay.
8:50 PM: A rescue response is headed to Fire Station 36 on the north end of Delridge for a rollover. Everyone is reported to be out of the vehicle.
9:14 PM: Adding a photo. The flipped car really is right in front of Station 36. One person in the car suffered non-life-threatening injuries and will be taken to the hospital by private ambulance. A tow truck and SDOT cleanup crew are already on scene.
Two microhousing (aka “small efficiency dwelling units”) notes:
8600 DELRIDGE WAY SW: City files reveal an early-stage proposal to replace a 77-year-old single-family house on a 4,327-square-foot lot at 8600 Delridge Way SW (map) with 10 “small efficiency dwelling units.” The tentative site plan shows them all at street level; the lot is zoned Lowrise 2. Documents in the file indicate the developer is talking with the city to clarify issues including lot coverage and zoning before making a formal application for the project.
SMALLER UNITS? This week’s first Land Use Information Bulletin included a notice about a proposed “director’s rule” change that would allow smaller SEDUs. The summary:
The draft Director’s Rule 9-2017 for Small Efficiency Dwelling Units (SEDU) outlines criteria that allows design flexibility to create living spaces smaller than required by Seattle Building Code (SBC) Section 1208.4 for Efficiency Dwelling Units (EDU), commonly called studio apartments, and provides a method for developers to achieve the 220 SF minimum unit size specified by the Seattle Land Use Code.
Here’s the detailed explanation. The bulletin notice says written comments are being accepted through June 19th.
Thanks to the Smiths for sending photos of this new “temporary art installation” in the park outside Delridge Community Center. The sign says it’s the work of local artist Yeggy Michael, part of the city’s Arts in Parks program, and that you’re invited to contribute your story:
These maps are part of it:
We’ll be checking to find out how long it’ll be on display – the Smiths believe it just went up in the past day or so.
ADDED: We’re told it will be there until July 20th, and after that, your next chance to see it is at the Arts in Nature Festival August 26-27.
Back on Monday, we mentioned a collision on Delridge that sent a bicyclist to the hospital. Today, she e-mailed to ask if we would share this:
I wanted to say thank you to everyone who came to my assistance on Monday.
I am the bicyclist that got hit at Delridge and Willow. It was a very scary situation made much better by the bystanders and first responders that came to my aid. It was incredibly kind of the complete strangers who brought blankets and jackets out to keep the rain off me. And special thanks to one woman who came over to check on me and helped keep me calm. And of course, all the first responders were unbelievably professional and kind. Just wanted everyone to know how much it meant to me.
– Kristen
11:54 AM: Seattle Fire has sent a “full response” to a possible house fire in the 9200 block of Delridge Way SW. More to come.
11:57 AM: The first arrivals in the area have downgraded the call, canceling most of the dispatched units. Scanner discussion indicates steam from shingles might have been mistaken for smoke.
4:46 PM: Thanks for the text – a traffic incident at Delridge and Willow (map) is detouring vehicles. We’re on our way to find out more.
5:11 PM: By the time we got there, SFD was leaving and the scene was completely clear. We’re told by witnesses that it was a collision between a bicyclist and driver, and the bicyclist was transported by private ambulance.
5:28 PM: Via e-mail, SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley confirms this was a bicyclist/driver collision, and the rider, a woman about 30 years old, was transported to a hospital via AMR, in stable condition.
In the ongoing saga of 9029 16th SW, site of three house-fire calls in five years, demolition is finally under way right now – a week and a half after the heavy equipment arrived. We first went by around 9 this morning; workers were at the site for the first time we’d seen since the backhoe’s arrival two Fridays ago, so we made a note to go back at noon, and that’s when we recorded the short clip above, as work had finally begun.
(WSB photo from February 25th fire)
After the big fire back in February, the city had ordered the owners to do something about what was left of the house; the detached building behind it is boarded up but otherwise untouched as of noon, so we’ll check on it later. The owners have a redevelopment plan in the permit pipeline, for what’s described only as a “mixed-use building.”
Eight days ago, we reported that demolition equipment finally arrived at 9029 16th SW, the scene of at least three fires in five years, including one this past February. After that, the city had finally ordered its owners to do something about it, eventually extending the deadline to April 21st; when the demolition equipment arrived on Thursday, May 4th, we actually had an inquiry out to the city about what would happen if nothing happened. SDCI told us they had been informed the fire-gutted house would be torn down the next day.
That was a week ago. We’ve gone by daily. No activity. A new complaint is still pending. So we will renew our inquiry with the city on Monday.
Meantime, we’ve noted in our previous followups on this property that the city is considering new rules regarding what owners of structures like this can be required to do. They’re going before the Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee at 9:30 am next Tuesday (May 16th). The slide deck for the hearing contains a lot of alarming stats – and photos of derelict properties that actually look better than 9029 16th SW.
(If you can’t spare 3 minutes, the stop-sign-running is particularly prolific in the final minute-plus)
That video was recorded in November at 17th SW and SW Trenton by area resident Darryll Wolf. He sent it to various city reps then – and sent it again yesterday, after a close call. This time, we were on the CC list. His e-mail:
Dear SDOT, SPD, and Councilmember Herbold,
(Thursday) morning, as I was running to catch the bus to work at 7:53 am, a driver accelerated into and through the intersection at SW Trenton Street and 17th Ave SW, refusing to stop at the stop sign while I was in the lane! She did this as I was in front of her car, forcing me to run backward to avoid being hit. I’ve reported rampant violations at this intersection before and was even hit by one car (hit and run) and nearly hit by several others in the past several months. I shared this 3-minute video in this same email thread in November showing fully 85% of drivers fail to stop or yield right of way at this clearly signed intersection.
The incident this morning felt like a deliberate attempt by the driver to threaten or injure me with her car. I am very worried about my own safety as well as the safety of my family and neighbors who live, work, and play along the 17th Ave SW greenway.
In 2016, the Seattle Greenways project team created this new sanctioned pedestrian and bicycle greenway on 17th Ave SW north of SW Henderson Street and then placed stop signs at each of the east-west intersections along the greenway where no stop signs had ever existed for likely near 100 years. But they and SDOT failed to do any awareness campaign or enforcement follow-up to ensure the safety of those who use the greenway. I am disappointed that after having reported the frequent violations and one known hit and run at 17th and Trenton in the past few months to SPD, CPT, and the Greenways project team, we have only seen about an hour of SPD enforcement at this intersection with no ticketing for violations, and the Greenways team and SDOT have been a complete no-show here.
I have been documenting the continued pattern of violations at the 17th and Trenton intersection since last November and will continue to report this problem to SPD. I have reported similar incidents of speeding and aggressive or threatening driving through school crossing zones, and the general failure to yield to pedestrians along 16th Ave SW, and along SW Trenton Street from Delridge to 16th Ave SW. But I have seen zero SPD presence in those areas during rush hour and have never seen a single person ticketed for this blatant and common recklessness.
As the increased densification under HALA upzoning increase car, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic in our area, it is my hope that SPD, SDOT, and the City will take this seriously and do real traffic calming, enforcement, and ticketing before we see people killed by reckless drivers. Throughout the area from 16th Ave SW to SW Delridge, between Holden and Roxbury, there are many children and public transit users who are vulnerable to death and disfigurement by reckless drivers every day. And these drivers must be shown that traffic laws are not optional and that drivers cannot threaten and maim pedstrians with their cars with impunity. We need your help to send this message!
I look forward to hearing from SPD, CPT, SDOT, and the City in the near term on how each of you plan to address this very real public safety issue in our area. I am happy to discuss this in person or over a phone call if it will result in quick action.
From the list to whom Wolff sent the video, the first response (at least, the first to the entire CC list including us) was from Councilmember Herbold:
I watched your video and I’m aghast that of a dozen cars going through that intersection over the 3 minutes you filmed, only two cars made a complete stop at the stop sign. By the way of this message, I’m asking that Chief Davis consider an enforcement at this intersection. Thank you for your advocacy on behalf of pedestrian safety.
As mentioned here Thursday morning, SPD’s Traffic Unit chief, Capt. Eric Sano, is the scheduled guest for the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council next Tuesday (7 pm May 16th), so if you have neighborhood concerns, it’s a good time to bring them up.
We often get asked about rental/event spaces in West Seattle. Here’s a new one: Muse Gallery and Studio, in North Delridge. It’s a new venture by the proprietors of The Skylark next door. Matt Larson explains:
We are trying to provide a space for artists and artisans to show/sell/teach their craft in West Seattle. It also makes for an affordable and spacious photo studio as it includes seamless backgrounds and tall ceilings.
Muse Gallery and Studio is available to rent for a wide variety of events. Pop-up art shows, photo studio rental, private parties, classes, recitals, etc. can all be held in this warm, open space. Gallery lighting, wood floors, open floor plan, and seamless backdrops make it versatile for a number of uses. There is also plenty of free parking, and catering available. First and foremost, Muse is about finding inspiration and making connections in our art community. Our goal is to draw attention to and promote artists, studios, and collectives from all the neighborhoods in Seattle by showcasing them here in West Seattle.
Larson says you can get a firsthand look at Muse (3801 Delridge Way SW) during two upcoming events: Night Circus #5, an “art and social gathering” 6-9 pm this Thursday (May 11th) followed by music next door at Skylark, and a one-night art show May 20th by Casey Brookbush, with live acoustic music by Jake Carden, 6-10 pm May 20th, with music afterward at Skylark.
(WSB photos, added 8:08 pm)
7:22 PM: Thanks for the texts. The big police response in North Delridge (and beyond) has to do with a search for a suspect and at least one of two vehicles reported to be involved in some kind of incident at Delridge and Findlay. The vehicles were described as a blue SUV and a Mustang. This is from the scanner – we don’t know yet what started all this but at some point along the way, one of the drivers was reported to be trying to run over officers. More as we get it.
7:48 PM: The search for one suspect who reportedly bolted toward the Longfellow Creek greenbelt continues, with K-9. (Other areas are being searched too.) The Mustang is being towed from the gas station on Delridge north of Findlay.
We just talked with police, who say the suspect they’re seeking was associated with the Mustang and is being impounded because there might be a gun in it. And that, they tell us, is how this started – a gun-flashing incident involving a confrontation between people in the 2 cars. No gunfire or injuries reported.
By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Two veteran bartenders are working to bring a neighborhood bar to an evolving stretch of South Delridge.
West Seattle residents Andrew Spence and Ed Wheeler have worked in bars and restaurants throughout the city since moving here from Oakland, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, respectively. Now the two have become business partners working toward a summertime opening of 2 Fingers Social at 9211 Delridge Way SW, a site that has seen a variety of businesses come and go in recent years, as noted here when we first mentioned an early-stage plan for the site in March.
Spence and Wheeler hope their experience in the food-and-beverage industry will help them establish their bar as a fixture in a rapidly changing area, where neighbors have already been working hard on improvements.
“It will be a place where people can come socialize with their neighbors and feel connected. It will have an old-school feel with a very old-fashioned aesthetic to it,” says Spence in describing the overall concept for the space. “It’s going to be a ‘bar’ in the traditional sense of the term, like what you would expect to see in a classic movie. It’d be a place where you would see Humphrey Bogart sitting next to Elvira.”
Beer and wine will be available at 2 Fingers Social, but the full bar will be the primary star. Spence and Wheeler are still putting their liquor lists together, but already have ruled out any cut-rate labels.
“Our well liquors are going to be what other bars serve as their calls,” says Wheeler. “Our prices may reflect that a bit, but people will quickly recognize that they’re getting quality drinks.”
Between the bar seating and tables, 2 Fingers Social will seat 50 people upon opening. The owners plan to eventually add outdoor seating on a patio in front of the building.
Though there is a heavy focus on the bar, Spence and Wheeler say their food offerings will be just as compelling. The menu will consist of hot sandwiches and sides. They plan to keep selections fairly limited and “off the beaten path.” Wheeler says they hope to work with the nearby shop Meat the Live Butcher on sourcing quality, local meats for their sandwiches. They will also have vegan and vegetarian sandwiches on the menu.
Both fathers themselves, Spence and Wheeler are dedicated to making the atmosphere of 2 Fingers Social as family-friendly as possible so that everyone feels welcome, whether they are coming for cocktails, dinner, or both.
“We want people to come into what would be an extension of our living room . . . if we could have a bar in our living room,” says Spence
The two are working hard on renovations and paperwork in the hopes they will be able to open within a few months, though typical delays in processing could push them into August before they could open their doors.
Once open, 2 Fingers Social will be open from 4 pm to midnight, seven days a week, with the potential to expand in the future into both the lunch and late-night hours.
(Click for full-size PDF version of map)
If you live in the highlighted areas of eastern West Seattle – this is for you. Seattle Public Utilities is launching the Longfellow Creek “natural drainage systems” project – meant to find ways to keep runoff out of the creek, via raingarden-type installations, among other things. Here’s the announcement we received today, including a survey:
Seattle Public Utilities is working to reduce polluted stormwater runoff from entering the Longfellow basin water system. As part of this effort, we are designing and constructing 7 – 10 blocks of Natural Drainage Systems (NDS) in the Longfellow Creek basin.
SPU is currently working to determine where we can partner with other city departments on related projects and which blocks will be technically feasible for NDS placement. While SPU can only build these systems where it is technically feasible, we would like to incorporate community input into the final decision. (Please see the map for our initial analysis of potentially feasible areas in your neighborhood, where input from the community is needed.)
As part of this effort, SPU is sending a mailing (the attached letter, project brochure, and survey) to residents located on these potentially feasible blocks. We need input from folks who live directly on these project blocks to help inform our final NDS siting decisions. The cutoff for the survey (linked here) is May 26, 2017.
Please feel free to contact Luis Ramirez, project manager, at Luis.Ramirez@seattle.gov or 206-684-3660, or April Mills, Line of Business Representative, at April.Mills@seattle.gov or 206-733-9816 for eligibility requirements or our survey outreach approach. Visit our SPU project page for additional information.
As the brochure says, construction is expected to happen in 2019. City and county “natural drainage systems” projects are already in place in other parts of West Seattle including Highland Park, South Delridge, Sunrise Heights, and Westwood.
Just announced – and you’re invited:
This Friday, May 5th, from 5-9 pm, the West Seattle Chapter (#23) of DAV (Disabled American Veterans) is hosting a community potluck at their Chapter Hall, located at 4857 Delridge Way SW. The potluck is open to all. DAV provides services for men and women who were injured or disabled while serving our country. The warm people at DAV offer a welcoming place for vets and their families to connect with each other and receive support. Feel free to come and enjoy the food and community at this special West Seattle gathering in support of our local heroes.
5:19 PM: A big Seattle Fire response is arriving at a vacant building in the 9200 block of Delridge Way SW, where they’re finding smoke but so far no obvious source.
5:27 PM: Most of the responding units have been canceled.
5:37 PM: Photo added. SFD says the fire started in a trash can or similar receptacle outside the house. Firefighters also confirm a fire here a few years ago – (update) our archives show one person died in that fire in June 2014.
5:53 PM: The 2014 fire also killed four puppies, as noted in a followup. We’re checking records for the address, 9222 Delridge Way SW, and have found only two items, both 2015 complaints about alleged unspecified violations of the city’s vacant-building ordinance.
No holiday for criminals – a texter reports a vehicle theft on SW Dakota near Delridge Way [map] overnight: White Ford 350 Econoline work van, marked “Valley Electric.” Plate C59814B. If you see it, call 911.
(Photo courtesy Elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Seattle)
Elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Seattle (WSB sponsor) in North Delridge is offering another free self-defense class for women and girls, ages 10+, this Saturday (April 15th). It’s a three-hour clinic “about awareness, empowerment, setting boundaries, having confidence … finding your voice and believing in yourself … a three-hour clinic where our goal is to leave you with more knowledge, feeling more empowered, and understanding what self-defense really means (both mentally and physically).” Noon-3 pm. RSVP by going here. While there’s no charge, donations are always welcome to support women’s shelter New Beginnings, cash or check. Elite BJJ is at 5050 Delridge Way SW.
(Delridge Community Center file photo from seattle.gov)
4:40 PM: Heads up if you use Delridge Community Center – it’s closed through Friday, according to Seattle Parks, which says the closure is for “routine maintenance.” But the center is scheduled to reopen by Saturday, when its annual egg hunt is set for 10 am. (Here’s our list of all this week’s egg hunts, services, and other seasonal activities!)
ADDED MONDAY NIGHT: Delridge CC’s Angie Ramirez tells WSB that the maintenance includes refinishing of the center’s hardwood floors in the gym and multipurpose room, and “other deep cleaning of the center.”
Live jazz and treats await you at the grand-opening celebration for the BlueStone Apartments (9051 20th SW). The music continues until 4, the party until 5, including tours.
The 40+-unit complex, built by STS Construction Services (longtime WSB sponsor) and managed by North Pacific Properties, has variety. First-floor units, including a handful of live-works, have high ceilings (16 feet). The building includes 2-bedroom apartments (not always easy to find in new construction) as well as 1-bedrooms – more than a dozen floor plans, even 2 bedroom/2 baths. Each unit has its own laundry room. And there are unexpected touches such as built-in connections for portable air-conditioning units.
The four-story building includes some views of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains, and some units have terraces or balconies.
The lighting is all LED.
BlueStone is leasing now – another tenant was moving in while we were visiting – and we’re told one of the live-work units is expected to soon have a small café. If you don’t get to stop by today, you can inquire online.
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