By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

With no guest speakers at this month’s Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council meeting, plus a sparse turnout with potential factors including the crab-truck-crash traffic snarl and evening sunshine, the result Monday night at Southwest Library was a fast-moving mélange of mostly brief items.

Except for:

NEIGHBORHOOD STREET FUND: Less than two weeks remain until the application deadline for this city grant money. While on one hand WWRHAH co-chair Amanda Kay Helmick said it was angering to have to apply for grants to get safety improvements on city streets, on the other hand, it’s time to go with the process. She is hoping the area will generate many proposals by the deadline. Her biggest idea, “Barton Complete”: A project to address crosing safety of Barton, including the area by Roxhill Park and the “wall of buses” zone – “you have buses lining up, cars coming, people trying to cross,” and a pedestrian was hit not that long ago. She’d like to see the crosswalk at the bus stop with flashing beacons as well as crosswalks at 25th and 29th, plus slower speeds between 26th and 29th on Barton. Co-chair Eric Iwamoto brought in the even-bigger picture of safety for Chief Sealth International High School students walking in the area, including across Trenton, and using bus stops.

Another potential site for a project: The park-like triangle in South Delridge, Another attendee said that features dropped toward the end of the Delridge-Highland Park Greenway route need to be pursued. Some discussion centered on how unfortunate it is that so many worthwhile projects are placed in competition with each other.

INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE: Chris Stripinis had an update on the big issue discussed last month – pavement damage and residential concerns in the Westwood area because of the huge increase in bus traffic since it became a “transit hub.” New temporary signs are up labeling 26th SW a 20 mph zone – very small signs, Stripinis pointed out. A discussion of bus speeds ensued. Stripinis also mentioned communication from Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s office regarding pavement repairs in the area and the city telling Puget Sound Energy it’s up to them to make repairs happen by mid-April or else SDOT will do it and bill PSE for the costs.

ROXHILL PARK LIGHTS: Likely on track for fall, said Helmick.

ROXHILL-AREA FIND IT FIX IT WALK: One is in the early planning stages, Helmick has heard from the Department of Neighborhoods – no date yet. North Delridge hosted one last year. (Here’s what they’re all about.) Helmick noted that the multiple walking tours with various officials in the area

BOG COMMITTEE: Not represented at the meeting but a 12-page report was presented to the co-chairs. Grant-writing is what’s next, so they can “hire a consultant.”

ELECTIONS NEXT MONTH … for WWRHAH board positions – step up if you’d like to run!

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL … Wednesday, 6:30 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle, will include a guest with info about the latest plans for a ~2-week Highway 99 closure once the tunneling machine starts going beneath it.

SOUND TRANSIT 3 … A reminder that it’s time for input; besides the survey you’ll find at soundtransit3.org, remember the 5:30-7:30 pm April 26th open house at West Seattle High School, and the discussion at 6:30 pm April 28th @ Neighborhood House’s High Point Center, with the West Seattle Transportation Coalition.

DESIGN REVIEW CHANGES COMMENT DEADLINE … coming up this Friday; go here to find out more about the proposed changes and find the survey link for commenting.

CAMP LONG … Advisory Council needs new members – go here to find out how to apply.

CITY NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TALKS BUDGETING … 11 am April 24th at City Hall.

WWRHAH meets on first Mondays, 6:15 pm, Southwest Library; watch for updates at wwrhah.org.

Live and/or work in Westwood, Roxhill, Arbor Heights, vicinity? Tomorrow (Monday, April 4th), go see what your community council is up to. The agenda includes updates on WWRHAH‘s committees – including Metro, Infrastructure, Roxhill Bog, and Roxhill Park – and new/old business including brainstorming ideas for seeking Neighborhood Street Fund money – two weeks left to apply! “Bring Your Thing,” exhorts co-chair Amanda Kay Helmick. Also planned: Talking about what’s next for ongoing issues including the Roxhill Park fen, the pavement problems along the Westwood-area “bus loop,” and lighting for the RapidRide stop across from Westwood Village. Just go grab yourself a seat in the upstairs meeting room at Southwest Library (35th SW/SW Henderson), 6:15 start, 7:45 end (no overtime because that’s when the library closes).

(Photo courtesy John Lang)

Before the weekend ends – one last event report: Results of the Fairmount Ravine community cleanup. Again this year, we have the wrapup from John Lang, who is handing over the job of coordination from hereon out.

The 24th annual Fairmount Ravine Cleanup was a success on Saturday 3/12. Thank you to the 18 hardworking volunteers of all ages who participated; most of the group removed trash under the Admiral bridge, primarily the west side, and six others removed invasive ivy from the mature trees. The morning started damp but Mother Earth must have been pleased with the community’s effort because the cleanup ended in sunshine.

(WSB photo: Volunteers cleaning under the bridge)
The weather-protected area under the bridge continues to attract the homeless and partyers. It is the Admiral district’s version of the Jungle. They bring third-world sanitation with them as all their garbage is thrown downhill. Between 80-90 large garbage bags were filled with trash! This includes a couple hundred beer bottles, many broken, large furniture, broken bicycles etc. There was enough to fill up the DOC flatbed truck twice. We post signs a week in advance warning that the area will be cleaned and to have personal possessions removed.

(WSB photo: John Lang & Officer Flores)
Once again, we appreciate participation by [Community Police Team] officers Jon Flores and Kevin McDaniel, with the Seattle Police Department, providing security and helping with traffic control. Three cheers to our local merchants, Metropolitan Market and Starbucks, for their generous support of this community effort.

Thank you to everyone who made this year’s cleanup a success. A special shout out to Matt Algieri, who is taking over leadership of this annual event. The Fairmount Ravine cleanup is a great example of community pride and putting into action the teamwork necessary to tackle a difficult situation to generate positive results.

Not sure where Fairmount Ravine is? It goes beneath the Admiral Way Bridge, between Admiral and East Alki (here’s a map).

ADDED MONDAY: John just sent word that the total weight of what they picked up was 3,740 pounds … close to two tons.

The question came in via the WSB Forums as well as via e-mail: Why were trees planted, and then removed, at the city-owned triangle in North Admiral that recently served as the temporary location of Fire Station 29?

(WSB photo from late Sunday afternoon)

Here’s what we’ve found out: SDOT urban foresters chose and planted the trees without knowing a key part of the site’s backstory – what was discussed with neighbors last year about the site’s future, after a last-minute city turnabout put the temporary station there in the first place.

SDOT’s Shane Dewald responded to our inquiry today:

Seattle Department of Transportation Urban Forestry staff are so often asked to plant more conifers in the street ROW. We strive to do so when we have adequate space to accommodate them in a manner that is compatible with public safety standards for sight distance. The California/ Hill / Ferry site appeared to be well suited for conifers, which were planted based on species selection and placement by a Forester for my office – before he or I were aware of the strong community interest in the use of this site as open space, or the extent of outreach that had conducted before the recent temporary use as a fire station (including the proposed layout of new trees in the plan that I have attached to this message).

SDOT was immediately contacted and we met on site with a neighbor representing the community interests and aware that the conifers were not compatible with the use of the site. We understood from our meeting that the conifers should be removed and replaced with deciduous trees for consistency with the restoration plan discussed during an outreach effort by FAS prior to the temporary use for fire station 29. Though SDOT asked if there might be a possibility that one of the conifers could remain, we were asked to find a new location for them all.

So what’s next for the restoration? Dewald says SDOT wondered about fruit-bearing trees, but the neighborhood wants to see “non-fruit bearing deciduous street trees … for minimum maintenance and optimum compatibility with the community use of the site.” They have a “hybrid variety of Tupelo” available, “tolerant of urban conditions, has relatively small leaves with an open growth habit that allows sun to filter through etc. If this tree sounds like a good option, I expect the installation of the new trees can be done as early as this Thursday!” But – given what’s happened so far – they’re checking with the neighborhood spokesperson first.

The self-storage project proposed for 3310 Harbor SW – first reported here last March – is moving ahead. That’s what the Alki Community Council heard at this month’s meeting, from an executive of the company pursuing it, West Coast Self-Storage.

They’ll be seeking a street vacation for part of what would be 29th SW (map), and they’re still putting together the documentation for that, so they don’t expect to be having formal hearings with the city before fall.

The company says West Seattle is underserved in terms of storage space, and that this industrial-zoned site is a place to provide some. The proposal is now envisioned for the area that currently holds a warehouse building and the now-vacated GT Towing lot.

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We’ve already published our video from the HALA and “backyard cottages” presentations that comprised the second half of Wednesday night’s quarterly Morgan Community Association meeting. Before that, a quick MoCA meeting included these neighborhood updates:

SIDEWALK WORK TO CONTINUE IN SPRING: The grant-funded work to repair/replace the sidewalk on the west side of California SW south of Fauntleroy Way will continue “in late March to April.” The sidewalk in front of the commercial building on the southwest corner of the intersection was completed last fall (our photo is from Thursday).

PARK-EXPANSION UPDATE: The city has owned the commercial building north of Morgan Junction Park for more than a year and a half, and demolition is now “guesstimated” for next July, according to MoCA. The cleaners closed earlier this winter and the convenience store is expected to be out by May. Park design hasn’t begun yet, though.

LINCOLN PARK PLAY AREA MEETING REMINDER: As noted here last week, Seattle Parks has set February 2nd as the next meeting for the renovation of the north play area at Lincoln Park, 6:30 pm at Gatewood Elementary (4320 SW Myrtle).

MORGAN JUNCTION BUSINESS MIXER: Area businesses are invited to network and mingle at the next mixer – 5-7 pm April 28th at Zeeks Pizza (WSB sponsor) on the northwest corner of California/Fauntleroy.

P.S. MoCA (an all-volunteer group) also elected this year’s officers/executive board members: President Deb Barker, Vice President Phillip Tavel, Recording Secretary Jennifer Whip, Treasurer Eldon Olson, Public Information Officer Cindi Barker, Southwest District Council rep Tamsen Spengler.

Thanks to Patricia for the heads-up on this – SFD confirms that an open house 11 am-1 pm on Saturday, January 30th, is planned at Fire Station 29 (2139 Ferry SW), now that firefighters have moved back in after 9 months of seismic and other upgrades. (See before/after views here.) Patricia also reports the temporary structures are now gone from the triangle of city-owned land used as the temporary FS29.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Updates took centerstage, rather than any major new issues, at the Alki Community Council‘s annual meeting.

And as is often the case at local neighborhood-council meetings, the first round came from police:

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Three notes from last night’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting:

EMERGENCY HUB: JuNO has been working on setting up another hub for the West Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs, closer to the heart of The Junction, and its thousands of apartment residents. Ellen West from the JuNO board is working on the project. While they’ve obtained a city grant to help start and equip the hub, they’ll be looking for donations to cover the rest of the cost. West and JuNO director René Commons plan to talk to some of the new buildings’ managers/owners in hope they’ll want to chip in. West also will be talking with building managers about their emergency-response plans.

STREET LIGHTING: One of JuNO’s 2016 priorities, according to Commons, will be a followup on lighting concerns along the west side of 42nd SW. She’s had a walking tour with a Seattle City Light representative but hopes to keep up the pressure for improvements; JuNO had been working with Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and now will need to work with whomever is elected in the too-close-to-call District 1 City Council race.

CRIME STATS: In the first round of the city’s development of “micro-policing plans,” The Junction was lumped in with a few other neighborhoods, but Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith says that will change, and soon The Junction will be broken out into its own plan area – which also means its own distinct set of crime stats on the new SPD “Dashboard.”

PUBLIC-SAFETY SURVEY: Researcher Jennifer Burbridge, who’s been working with the Southwest Precinct on projects including the micro-policing plans, is circulating one more reminder: If you haven’t already answered the citywide Public Safety Survey, please take a few minutes to do it – start here.

To join the JuNO mailing list for updates on meetings and projects, e-mail wsjuno@yahoo.com.

If you live in east West Seattle, that unfamiliar person who looks to be checking out your residence might just be a King County Assessor’s Office appraiser doing her/his job. This announcement explains:

The Assessor’s Office annually values over 700,000 properties in King County, and physically inspects 1/6th of all properties.

Starting this fall and continuing into Spring of 2016, appraisers from the Assessor’s Office will be conducting physical inspections of properties (existing residences, residences under construction and vacant parcels) in East West Seattle, Georgetown, South Park. Appraisers generally conducts physical inspection from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM four days per week, Monday thru Thursday and are identifiable by their County ID badges.

This annual process allows appraisers to verify and update any property characteristic changes that might have occurred since the last physical inspection. For information on your property, please visit the Assessor’s eReal Property Search at www.kingcounty.gov/assessor

We’ve already reported two of the many topics covered at the quarterly Morgan Community Association meeting this past week – but there was much more.

Those topics included the recent arsons – the most recent one had happened in Morgan Junction earlier that day, so everyone was on guard. Engine 37 firefighters came to share fire-deterring tips (as circulated here earlier in the week); Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis came with an update on the investigation (we recorded it on video and added it to the update we’d published a few hours earlier).

SPD was originally on the MoCA agenda to talk about the area’s “micropolicing plan” and the new citywide Public Safety Survey, both with Seattle University involved, so Seattle U research intern Jennifer Burbridge, who’s been working with the SW Precinct and neighborhood groups, joined the presentation.

Morgan’s key areas of concern:

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Two hot topics brought a big turnout to last night’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting – about 50 people at the start.

SW ADMIRAL WAY SAFETY PROJECT: As shown here earlier in the day, SDOT has revised its plan for rechannelizing SW Admiral Way west of California SW. The original proposal, introduced at April’s ANA meeting and discussed at an at-times-raucous “open house” in May, included removal of more than 200 parking spaces, and drawn howls of protest from some who live along the stretch, not just because of the reduction, but because it would have left some stretches with parking only on one side. The new configuration would remove the center turn lane in spots instead.

Dawn Schellenberg and Sam Woods from SDOT led the presentation about the revised version, going again through contextual information about collisions and bicycle use, with questions that had emerged before emerging again from attendees – how many collisions were the fault of drunk drivers, how many bicycle riders are using the road, etc. Numerous documents are now online – scroll down this page to find them.

The new plan includes a reduction of lane width – SDOT says wider lanes encourage speeding. Currently, between 63rd and 60th, the drive lanes are 12 feet wide, and will be narrowed to 11 feet. Between 60th and Stevens, there will be a “door zone” buffering drivers from the new bike lane (and vice versa) on the downhill side. Going uphill, the buffer will be between the bicycle rider and the driver. Between Stevens and Lander, the lanes are 11.5′ and will narrow to 10.5′; between Lander and 47th, “where we didn’t see a lot of parking no matter what time of year we studied it,” … and between 44th and 47th, standard bike lanes, and between 44th and California, no changes, to maintain the left-turn lane.

Additional safety features are now under study on the west end – maybe an all-ways stop at 59th/Admiral, which currently only has a pedestrian signal, leaving people to be confused about traveling in the non-controlled directions when someone is using the signal.

On first take, the revisions did not seem to be receiving rave reviews.

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Two reader reports to share:

ALLEY VANDALISM ALERT: A neighbor near this alley between the 3200 block of California SW and of 44th SW wanted to warn people about that knocked-over-by-vandals portable toilet, the contents of which subsequently spilled onto the alley. It’s a busy alley, the neighbor says, used by residents and their pets, but no cleanup yet.

ILLEGAL OFF-ROADING: From a Riverview resident, who’s asking neighbors to be watchful:

This afternoon, I was out walking when at least four young kids on dirt bikes rode down 12th Ave and into Riverview Playfield. As I walked, I noticed they were going up and down to the Pee-Wee fields. There were families in the park at the time. These are kids that are too young to have drivers licenses, on vehicles that are not licensed for street use, riding not only on the street but into parks and greenbelt where they are not allowed. One was carrying a shovel.

On the walk back, I saw two ride through the pee-wee fields and into the greenbelt, NE of 12th & Holly. I could also hear a shovel being used. I called 911 and reported it. They seemed responsive, but I don’t know if the kids will be there by the time the police get there. Also, they can easily scatter, so likely will get away. The thing to do would be to have a few police officers up in the Riverview Playfield parking lot waiting and then have an officer approach from the utility road off of West Marginal Way. The kids would ride back toward the parking lot and home.

I would like to encourage my neighbors and anyone using the park to call 911 if they see anyone going on dirt bikes into the greenbelt. You aren’t even supposed to be in the greenbelt on a bicycle, let alone a dirt bike. They were riding on crushed rock trails that Parks is working on, likely causing damage to them. Nature Consortium has had plantings destroyed by these kids on their bikes.

The forest in that area is part of the West Duwamish Greenbelt, which the NC works year-round to restore.