West Seattle, Washington
29 Friday
One day before state officials meet with Arrowhead Gardens residents about the encampment across Myers Way from their homes, WSDOT put up warning notices – telling the campers to get their vehicles out by Wednesday, because that’s when they’ll be blocking access. The notices that went up Monday followed an update sent to Arrowhead Gardens residents last week, including these promises of action, though not a full site clearance:
Restricting access – WSDOT, in coordination with service providers and the city, are planning to set barrier along the east side of Myers Way to eliminate vehicle access on and off the site and prohibit parking on the shoulder. The goal is to better manage ingress and egress to the site and ultimately restrict growth.
Site clean-up and planning for reduction in footprint – There are a number of abandoned tents and vehicles on site and we are working to identify and tag those items for removal. Outreach providers are also working with those living onsite to do a major trash/debris pick-up.
The WSDOT update also talked about efforts to house the campers:
Service providers have identified 48 individuals living unsheltered at the site and housing and service efforts will focus on placing these individuals. New people are being turned away. Resolution of the entire site won’t commence until we have identified adequate viable housing and shelter resources for the remaining individuals staying at the encampment. We have some, but not all, of those housing resources in hand, and are establishing a plan for site resolution based on when the needed resources will be available. From experience, we’ve found that relocating the majority of residents at the same time minimizes confusion and anxiety and is safer for the outreach teams. Outreach continues to regularly work with the people at the site to focus on understanding the dynamics and needs in the encampment which informs the housing placement plan.
Later today (Tuesday), WSDOT will meet with AG residents; the last meeting two months ago was with city officials (WSB coverage here), and the camp has continued to grow, with some elaborate additions such as fencing and an inflatable pool.
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While we await responses from SDOT among others regarding the status of more traffic calming on Alki in the wake of last night’s high-speed crash, we have news of what’s ahead for two more school zones. We received this information after our inquiry last week about speed humps/cushions coming to the Chief Sealth International High School/Denny International Middle School area (here’s that story). While researching that inquiry for us, SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson also found, and told us about, plans for new stop signs by Pathfinder K-8 and new speed cushions by Genesee Hill Elementary – here are maps:
These will be installed before summer’s out; SDOT says mailers have been sent to nearby residents, and they’ll see signage before installation: “Neighbors should look for ‘no parking’ signs at least 3 days before construction, which usually takes 1 day to add stop signs or 2 days to add speed cushions.” (Again, this info came in after a request days before the Alki crash, so it’s not related, and we’ll have that followup whenever the response comes in.)
(April photo of encampment, taken by an Arrowhead Gardens resident)
The encampment on the east side of the north end of Myers Way hasn’t been cleared yet – in fact, WSDOT acknowledges, it continues to grow – but the state says a “site resolution plan” is still in the works. An update circulated today to area residents including the senior-living complex across the street, Arrowhead Gardens, also says they are considering “potentially placing [a] barrier to prevent more RVs and vehicles moving onsite” and taking steps to “identify and tag … abandoned tents and vehicles.” From the update sent by WSDOT assistant regional maintenance/operations manager Morgan Balogh:
… This encampment remains our top multijurisdictional priority site to address and the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Washington State Patrol, the state Department of Commerce, King County Regional Homeless Authority, and the City of Seattle are working together to finalize a site resolution plan. Actions currently underway include:
Site stabilization
Vegetation clearing and removal, improve access control – WSDOT, in coordination with partners, will do additional assessment of the location this week to finalize a plan to remove vegetation as this helps improve sightlines to allow for better visibility. This assessment will also look at potentially placing barrier to prevent more RVs and vehicles moving onsite, to better manage ingress and egress to the site and to ultimately restrict growth.
Site clean-up and planning for reduction in footprint – There are a number of abandoned tents and vehicles on site, so we will start work to identify and tag those items for removal. Outreach providers are also working with those living onsite to do a major trash/debris pick-up.
Trash pick-up – The City of Seattle is onsite providing litter pick-ups and trash mitigation several times a week.
Outreach, Housing, and Shelter
We are aware of the fact that the site has experienced recent growth in terms of number of people and vehicles. We estimate the current number of people between 40-45 and are working with outreach providers to make sure we have an accurate number.
Expanded outreach – Outreach staff have increased their presence and are onsite daily to assist in making connections, learning about needs and sharing resources with those living onsite while work also continues to identify available shelter/housing options. This intensive outreach work takes time, but it has been shown to be the best way to achieve meaningful, long-term improvement rather than displacing people living homeless to another nearby location. The goal of this work is to put people on the road to safe, stable shelter/housing so they will no longer be living outside and have a chance to rebuild their lives.
Personal hygiene – This week’s assessment will help determine if temporary placement of portable toilets and hygiene stations to mitigate public health concerns and improve site cleanliness is possible while we work toward resolving the site.
Assistance to remove housing barriers – Outreach staff continue to provide assistance to ensure that any barriers to housing, such as obtaining identification documents, are addressed ahead of time so that people may move into housing immediately when resources become available.
As Brian shared in his previous message, housing and shelter outreach at this site are in alignment with state legislature requirements that WSDOT, and its partners in the Right of Way Safety Initiative, work to “transition persons residing on state-owned rights-of-way to safer housing opportunities, with an emphasis on permanent housing solutions,” and that the housing offered is a “meaningful improvement over the individual’s current living situation” and “well-matched to an individual’s assessed needs.”
On behalf of WSDOT and our partner agencies — the Washington State Patrol, the state Department of Commerce, King County Regional Homeless Authority, and the City of Seattle — we are committed to sharing the parameters in which we operate transparently and to share updates on activities happening at the site to ultimately resolve the encampment. Site resolution is very much a shared goal for all of us to include those of you living in proximity to the encampment.
The WSDOT message says they’re also working to meet the request for another community meeting soon; it’s been two months since the last one at Arrowhead Gardens with a group of city officials (WSB coverage here). What some thought was the start of “resolution” in mid-June was not.
(Reader photo of fireworks debris at a local park in 2020 – one that did NOT have lights on)
Here’s the annual announcement – the list of fields where Seattle Parks will turn on the lights for a few hours on the Fourth of July – and, this year, the preceding night – in hopes of discouraging fireworks use. Below, you’ll see the West Seattle list (for the full citywide list, go here):
Seattle Parks and Recreation will turn on field lighting on ballfields throughout the city on the evening of Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4 to protect the surfaces. The ballfield lights will be turned on at approximately 8:30 p.m. and most will be turned off at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the field.
The lights will be turned on to discourage the use of fireworks. Fireworks are illegal in the city of Seattle and will destroy the artificial turf on the fields or surrounding facilities. The approximate replacement cost for the synthetic surface based on per average full-size field (110,000 square feet) is $1.2 million. All the fields have been renovated in the past several years and benefit field users including players of soccer, football, baseball, Ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse.
The fields will be monitored from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Lights at the following fields will be turned off at 11 p.m.:
Delridge Playfield, 4458 Delridge Way SW
Hiawatha Playfield, 2700 California Ave. SW
Walt Hundley Playfield, 6920 34th Avenue SW
West Seattle Stadium, 4432 35th Ave. SW
(Last year, Parks turned on the lights for three nights.) As for Seattle Public Schools fields, they have not historically had a similar plan, but we’re checking. Also of note: Though the Parks news release doesn’t mention it, Hiawatha is currently undergoing a field renovation, and Delridge is just starting one.
We have several upcoming big events to remind you about today – starting with the one night each year that neighbors get together to focus on crime prevention, community-building, and fun: Night Out. We are now exactly one month away from this year’s Night Out – Tuesday, August 1st. If you want to close your non-arterial street for a neighborhood block party, register via SPD’s Night Out page – find it here. West Seattle alone usually has hundreds; this year there’s a map, which will list yours only if you agree to be listed – go here to see the parties already mapped.
10:14 AM: Thanks to Dina Johnson for the report and photos:
At 6 am today a “clunk” sound alerted us to a snapped utility pole/street light, leaving a live wire across the sidewalk on SW Henderson street between 12th & 13th Aves.
Passersby called it in to the city.
The impact miraculously caused no damage to the property, but the pole remains across the sidewalk, wedged against a retaining wall.
The rotted utility pole had been marked by the city several years ago, but never replaced.
SCL says it’s “accelerated” its pole-replacement program recently, and through April had replaced more than 560 citywide.
11:13 AM: Dina says the wire has been removed; the metal part of the pole is now wrapped in “caution” tape.
A big cleanup is ahead after that crash a short time ago outside the Southwest Teen Life Center/Customer Service Center building in Westwood. Police say an “inexperienced driver” crashed a family member’s Mercedes into the wall and ramp railing near the center’s front entrance. Two other people were in the car and one was being checked out for minor injuries. An SDOT response team is being called in to help clean up a large fluid slick that resulted from the crash.
(Map of where SDOT was considering medians and a raised crossing)
Three weeks ago, we reported that SDOT was proposing landscaped medians in a stretch of West Marginal Way SW and asking for feedback. This afternoon, they say the idea of medians and a raised crossing has been “paused” as a result of what they heard. Here’s the announcement:
After gathering initial feedback on Phase 2 of the West Marginal Way SW Safety Corridor Improvements project, we have decided to pause on moving forward with the proposed median islands. We have decided to wait until after we have completed a post-project evaluation on Phase 1 of the project, which included installing a protected bike lane (PBL) and pavement markings and signs at the Duwamish Trail crossings, to determine what next steps are needed.
We have determined that is important to highlight the trail crossing across SW Front Street (near the Highland Park Way SW intersection) to increase visibility and safety, but we heard concerns about how a raised trail crossing may impact freight movement. Therefore, we are planning to look at other options, like pavement markings or green paint, to delineate the Duwamish Trail.
Next steps:
· Design a non-raised option for the Duwamish Trail crossing on West Marginal Way SW at SW Front St.
· Conduct a project evaluation of the PBL and Duwamish Trail crossing improvements with input from West Marginal Way SW stakeholders, including local businesses, trail and bike lane users, and the freight community.
· Collaborate with stakeholders to determine next steps based on the data findings.
We appreciate all the feedback we have received and will continue to seek input and share information along the way.
Back in April 2020, SDOT announced West Seattle’s first “Stay Healthy Street,” in High Point and vicinity. Now it’s planning to downsize. Here’s the announcement sent this afternoon, with word of a chance to talk with SDOT about it next week:
Over the last year we’ve been doing additional reviews and updating our Healthy Streets across Seattle based on community use trends and public feedback. For the High Point Healthy Street, we plan to remove the Healthy Street designation for some of the route while making another section permanent.
Permanent: Segment A – on 34th Ave SW, between SW Holden St and SW Graham St – is proposed to become a permanent Healthy Street. We plan to install permanent signage with a concrete block base and new painted curb space around it at each intersection. There is an option to replace the concrete base with a planter barrel if a neighbor wants to maintain it. Our Healthy Streets webpage has more information about adopting a planter.
Removal: We will be removing Segments B, C, and D and returning them back to a Neighborhood Greenway.
Segment B – SW Graham St, between 34th Ave SW and High Point Dr SW
Segment C – High Point Dr SW, between SW Graham St and Sylvan Way SW
Segment D – SW Holly St, between 34th Ave SW and 31 Ave SW
Please see the map (above) for your reference on the segments.Join us June 27 for an Open House. We will have light refreshments to share and staff will be available to listen to your feedback regarding this update.
When: Tuesday, June 27, between 5:30 pm-7 pm
Where: High Point Neighborhood House, 6400 Sylvan Way SW, Room 207
They’re also asking your opinion on what type of permanent signage a Healthy Street should get – this SDOT photo shows the two “main options,” planter or signpost:
More info on the options is here. Meantime, we’ll be following up with SDOT Monday on whether other Healthy Streets are in for changes.
Half a dozen Alki-area residents told city councilmembers today that they support a proposal that would be a ‘first step” toward automated speed cameras on three streets that would be designated as “racing zones.” We first reported last week on the proposal sponsored by West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold and co-sponsored by Councilmember Alex Pedersen. Today the Transportation and Public Utilities Committee, chaired by Pedersen, got its first look at the proposal – just a briefing, not a vote; you can see it in the video above, starting 47 minutes into the meeting. This proposal would align city code with state authorization for additional uses of automated enforcement cameras and would designate certain city streets as “racing zones” eligible for them.
The supporters comprised the entirety of commenter turnout for the meeting – five in person at City Hall, one by phone, speaking right at the meeting’s start. The in-person comments were led by Mike Gain, one of the leaders of an Alki/Harbor Avenues resident group that, as he told the councilmembers, has been working with city reps for months on solutions to street disorder including racing/speeding. He said cameras would be a “safety tool” and would be “incredible” to get. Other speakers talked about the racing and stunt driving they see regularly, and the dangers it poses, along with the noise.
The briefing yielded little new information beyond what we previewed here last night, aside from stressing that if cameras are eventually deployed, state law requires half the revenue from citations to go to the state, for the Cooper Jones Active Transportation Safety Account.
What was not discussed, because it’s still several steps down the potential path to camera installation, is where they would be used and how they would be used. Even if this bill is passed, it wouldn’t happen fast – an equity analysis is required, and then SDOT and SPD would have to come up with an implementation plan, and the mayor would be expected to specify funding. An already-authorized plan to double the number of school-zone speed cameras around the city is still in the planning stage.
By the time this committee votes on the “first step,” the list of potential “racing zones” around the city will likely be longer than the initial six (Alki, Harbor, West Marginal, plus three in Northeast Seattle) – during the briefing, Councilmember Dan Strauss, whose district includes Ballard, said he intended to propose two streets including Seaview from the Ballard Locks to Golden Gardens, and Pedersen said he expected other proposals. July 6th is the date he set for that; the committee could vote on the idea July 18th. A full council vote would follow that. How long the subsequent steps would take after that – the time that would elapse before potential camera installation – too soon to say.
The map is from the presentation that members of the City Council’s Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities Committee will see tomorrow morning, their first look at the proposal to designate six streets – three in West Seattle, three elsewhere – as “restricted racing zones.” As we reported last week, this would be necessary before speed-enforcement cameras could be set up. The presentation explains that what’s being proposed now is a potential prelude to cameras, but does not authorize or fund them:
Here’s what that new state authorization means:
The council staff memo also prepared for Tuesday’s briefing has no price tag or other specifics about the potential speed cameras, noting, “This legislation anticipates that the [mayor] will propose implementation measures as part of a future budget proposal, including progress on the required equity analysis. … The financial and other implications of implementing additional camera enforcement will be dependent on the specific implementation measures proposed.” Tomorrow’s meeting starts at 9:30 am and will not include a vote on this – it’s just a briefing. But the meeting will start with a public comment period for this item and anything else on the agenda, which explains how to comment either online/by phone or in person at City Hall downtown.
One of the Pride events yet to come in West Seattle is happening Friday in North Delridge – a self-defense seminar. If you haven’t already seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here’s the announcement:
We are organizing an LGBTQ+ Pride Self-Defense Seminar, scheduled to take place on 6/23/2023 at 7 pm.
The seminar aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for members of the LGBTQ+ community to learn valuable self-defense techniques from instructors who are also part of the community. We believe that self-defense skills are essential for empowerment, and this event aims to equip attendees with the knowledge and confidence to feel safer in their daily lives.
In addition to empowering our community, we have chosen to make this event donation-based to support a worthy cause. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Lambert House in Capitol Hill, a local organization that provides housing for transitioning youth. By attending and making a donation, participants will not only enhance their personal safety but also contribute to the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth in need.
The seminar will be held at Combat Arts Academy, located at 5050 Delridge Way SW. We have selected this venue for its commitment to creating an inclusive environment and providing a suitable space for our event.
After the seminar, we have organized a special gathering for participants at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW). As a gesture of support, Ounces has graciously offered our group a $1 off deal on drinks and reserved space for us to socialize and celebrate the strength and unity of the community.
To register, sign up here, and then go donate to Lambert House here; forward your receipt to CAA at events@caaseattle.com.
(April photo of encampment, taken by an Arrowhead Gardens resident)
Back on Tuesday, we told you about reports of cleanup activity on the east side of Myers Way, though people and vehicles remained visible in the northeasternmost encampment area, on state/city land. We had asked local and state departments/agencies for updates. We’ve also gone back the past two days and seen no signs of further activity; this morning, the “no parking” signage along the city stretch of the street was gone. Meantime, a statement was sent to us and others, including Arrowhead Gardens resident groups and the Highland Park Action Coalition; it indicates that any further activity is still in the planning process. The statement is from Brian Nielsen, WSDOT Northwest regional administrator, who explains that he is “responsible for overseeing all aspects of state right of way within the Region”:
Dear Arrowhead Gardens Senior Living community and Myers Way neighbors,
I want to share with you information and next steps as it relates to the encampments on Myers Way. The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Washington State Patrol, King County Regional Homeless Authority and the City of Seattle collectively agree that this site is our top multijurisdictional site to address. Operational teams are coordinating a site resolution plan.
Our teams are working together to determine next steps to address the site and those living there unhoused. This work requires a multi-agency approach as the encampment is spread across both WSDOT and City property and we know from experience that close coordination is the best way to resolve these sites for the short and long term. Actions currently underway include:
Site stabilization
WSDOT, in coordination with partners, will assess the location to determine where we might make changes to better manage ingress and egress to the site to prevent further growth and better manage access.
The City of Seattle is onsite providing litter picks and trash mitigation at this site several times a week.Outreach, Housing, and Shelter – KCRHA will:
Assess housing and shelter availability and options within the current system.
KCRHA’s outreach providers are onsite regularly to engage and work with the people experiencing homelessness, ensure connections with services and prepare for housing when resources become available.Outreach staff will also provide assistance to ensure that any barriers to housing, such as obtaining identification documents, are addressed ahead of time so that people may move into housing immediately when resources become available.
Housing and shelter outreach at this site are in alignment with state legislature requirements that WSDOT and its partners in Right of Way Safety Initiative work to “transition persons residing on state-owned rights-of-way to safer housing opportunities, with an emphasis on permanent housing solutions,” and that the housing offered is a “meaningful improvement over the individual’s current living situation” and “well-matched to an individual’s assessed needs.”
Although the circumstances and conversation regarding the encampment are challenging, I am committed to sharing the parameters in which our agency operates transparently. I also very much appreciate your concerns and understand that you have questions. Please know that we hear your concerns and are working with urgency. We are not currently in a position to share a definitive timeline for site resolution, but we would like to provide timely updates for your community as they are available. I will share more information next week.
City Councilmember Lisa Herbold had said last week that the resolution was “planned.” But we haven’t heard back from her office, the city’s homelessness-response spokesperson, or the state regarding exactly what it was that happened this past Tuesday. Meantime, no arrest reported yet in the Myers Way murder and assault cases from earlier this month.
(WSB photo from aftermath of 2016 West Marginal crash blamed on racing)
Less than a week after the latest meeting between city officials and Alki/Harbor neighbors concerned about street disorder and dangerous driving, a new proposal is in the works. City Councilmember Lisa Herbold is introducing a bill that would open the door to automated speed-enforcement cameras on Alki Avenue, Harbor Avenue, and West Marginal Way by designating them as “racing zones,” along with a few other areas of the city. This is a new use of enforcement cameras, authorized by the State Legislature. From the summary of Council Bill 120600:
As authorized by recent changes in Washington State Law (RCW 46.63.170), this legislation authorizes the expansion of camera enforcement to detect speed violations in walk areas, public park zones, hospital zones, and restricted racing zones. This legislation also designates the specific racing zones where camera enforcement is authorized, including:
Alki Avenue SW between 63rd Ave SW and Harbor Avenue SW.
Harbor Avenue SW between Alki Avenue SW and SW Spokane St.
West Marginal Way SW between SW Spokane St and 2nd Ave SW.
Sand Point Way NE between 38th Ave NE and NE 95th St.
NE 65th St between Sand Point Way NE and Magnuson Park.
Roadways inside Magnuson Park including, but not limited to, NE 65th St and Lake Shore Dr NW.State law (RCW 46.63.170(1)(d)(ii) requires an equity analysis that evaluates livability, accessibility, economics, education, and environmental health when identifying camera locations using this new authority.
Councilmember Herbold’s legislative assistant Newell Aldrich tells WSB that this would give SDOT the “authority to install speed cameras, but not immediately: “There are steps that must be taken in the state law before installing cameras, e.g. an equity analysis.” Previously, speed-enforcement cameras were only allowed in school zones, and the city is already pursuing doubling those (from 35 citywide now, to 70). Aldrich says the racing-zone camera proposal will be the subject of a briefing one week from tomorrow, 9:30 am June 20th, in the Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities Committee, whose chair Councilmember Alex Pedersen is co-sponsoring it. A vote could happen in mid-July. Meantime, we’re seeking some followup information, such as the potential cost of these cameras (which of course would be revenue generators as well) and whether they’d be in use 24/7, not just “racing” hours (West Marginal has been much-discussed as a speeding zone around the clock).
After a murder and other incidents, “resolution” is planned for the encampment on the east side of the north end of Myers Way, according to City Councilmember Lisa Herbold. From her newest weekly newsletter:
… On May 31st, I requested that the King County Regional Homelessness Authority consider this location for its State-funded work removing encampments in State Right of Way. The funding supports shelter and services to people living at a site. I’ve also learned that last week the Executive [mayor] also reached out to WSDOT (which owns most of the land under the encampment), also recommending the site for joint resolution. I was told that the decision was made recently to move forward with that joint resolution at Myers Way, which I fully support.
Because this work is supported with blended funding, both from the State Right of Way program, King County Funding, and City of Seattle funding, the LEAD Policy Coordinating Group, of which I am a member, also has to agree that LEAD should take on the project. The City contract for LEAD services requires resources focused on geographic areas. So, we have LEAD resources specifically focused on South Delridge and Highland Park, you may remember the work they did at the Rosella Building in December and the Roxbury/Delridge Triangle before that. The Myers Way/Arrowhead Gardens area is not currently included as a focus area, but that will hopefully change. On Friday, I requested that LEAD refocus its District 1 specific work to Myers Way. I hope to have an outcome of that request to report out next week.
The City’s Unified Care Team, which responds to encampments, reports it’s been a complex site for the City to work in for several reasons: because the majority of the site is not City property, and the site has challenging topography and requires an in-depth safety plan that take into consideration EPA regulations in run-off areas, soil saturation levels that affect use of heavy machinery used in site resolutions, and land inclines and soil shifting.
Nonetheless, the UCT has been on site providing trash mitigation and geo cleans for RVs; along with 3-4 visits per week from outreach workers who also mitigate fire hazards and conduct needs assessments for residents.
It’s been a month since Arrowhead Gardens residents met with city reps (WSB coverage here) who agreed that removal of the encampment was needed, but had no firm commitments. That was three weeks before the shooting that killed 35-year-old Reginald Moore.
4:47 PM: Thanks for the tip! That’s one of two new stop signs on 44th SW where it meets SW Findlay [map]. This is just west of California/Findlay, where SDOT installed a pedestrian-activated “half-signal” last October. The reader who emailed us about this earlier today said “yield” signs had been there previously, adding, “Not sure why the change – no recent increase in accidents or near-misses. Also, when traveling north on 44th, the new stop sign is obscured by a tree.” Same tree that’s in our photo, but the sign only comes into view when you arrive right up to it. We have a question out to SDOT about the rationale for the installation.
6:50 PM: SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson responded, “This was a standalone project. The new stop sign is intended to enhance safety and provide clarity for people traveling through this intersection.”
(WSB photos. King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall at Greenbridge event)
Greenbridge Plaza (8th SW just south of SW Roxbury) is one of five places where Public Health Seattle & King County is giving away 100 gun lockboxes right now as part of a Gun Violence Awareness Day event.
As noted in our daily preview and calendar, the giveaway is happening until 5:30 pm, in partnership with YMCA Alive and Free. PHSKC’s announcement explains:
Safe firearm storage is the best way to reduce the risk of unintentional shootings and injury, and prevent firearms from being stolen and misused by others. In order to help increase safe firearm storage, Public Health runs the Lock It Up program. Everyone who owns firearms can take action by locking up their guns. For more information about gun lockboxes and related resources, visit Public Health’s Lock It Up program webpage.
That page includes a list of retailers where storage/locking devices are available if you miss today’s giveaway.
Thanks for all the tips! Multiple emails alerted us to the new all-way stop configuration for 25th/Trenton, with marked crosswalks, on the northeast edge of Westwood Village. We asked SDOT about it; their reply: “This is a new all-way stop. The goal is to improve safety for everyone but especially pedestrians. There are a relatively large number of pedestrians crossing, including high school and middle school students. The new stop signs will also help transit make the left turn from Trenton to 25th.” It’s been five years since pathway improvements were built just north of the intersection.
As reported here Tuesday, part of the under-construction 4-story apartment building at 5952 California SW fell onto the property next door during windy weather Monday night. No one was hurt, but the fallen material did some damage. A complaint was subsequently filed with the city Department of Construction and Inspections. We asked SDCI if an inspector had been to the site, and if so, what was the result. Here’s what spokesperson Bryan Stevens tells WSB today:
We completed a site visit yesterday morning and saw that most of the fallen material had been removed and cleaned up. Some damage occurred to the neighboring property and was actively being repaired by the builder. We spoke with the contractor from the site, and they increased their temporary bracing to ensure the wall framing is supported per best practices.
The Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries has been contacted and will be visiting the site to do an investigation of worksite safety and best practices.
We went back to the site Wednesday and took this photo:
Side note: While checking SDCI’s website, we noticed this is Building Safety Month.
(April photo of encampment, taken by an Arrowhead Gardens resident)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The growing encampment in the woods east of the north end of Myers Way [map] is currently the Southwest Precinct‘s second-highest call-generating location, police say. And that’s a major reason why it’s high on the priority list for a future site cleanup.
That’s what a room packed with dozens of concerned residents at Arrowhead Gardens – the senior-living complex across the street from that encampment – heard from a panel of city reps in a meeting Monday afternoon. You can see it in its entirety in the video below, recorded and provided by AG resident John Walling.
Resident Diane Radischat facilitated the meeting, with a city panel including Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner and Operations Lt. Dorothy Kim, the precinct’s City Attorney liaison Joe Everett, Tom Van Bronkhorst from the city’s homelessness-response-focused Unified Care Team, and another UCT rep, Marta Idowu, the Civil Rights Advisory Commission Liaison for the Mayor’s Office.
Danner began with a reminder of when to call 911: “SPD is very data-driven … we rely on our community to make sure the data is accurate … if you see any kind of criminal or suspicious activity, we want you to report it.” She said that in many cases, the “data” – records of 911 calls – doesn’t match what they hear at meetings like this, and indeed as the meeting went on, several people mentioned incidents that they hadn’t called in at the time.
But it was stressed that aside from criminal or suspicious activity, SPD is not the agency to call just to report an unauthorized encampment’s existence.
Discussions of the hole that shut down the state-owned ramp from the West Seattle Bridge to Highway 99 (reopening tomorrow) have swerved into concerns about the condition of the city-owned Spokane Street Viaduct. (That’s the formal name for the east half of the West Seattle Bridge, from Highway 99 to I-5.) Those concerns also came up during the 2 1/2-year repair closure of the west half of the West Seattle Bridge. The eastbound Spokane Street Viaduct, not part of the repair project, did close for work including pothole repairs multiple times during those 2 1/2 years, and SDOT did deck scanning for a more extensive assessment. Then in July of last year, the city announced it had received a $5 million federal grant to resurface the entire eastbound side of the SSV. At the time of that announcement, SDOT told us that resurfacing would happen in “the next few years.” So we asked last week where that plan stands, and got this answer today from SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson with a somewhat speedier timeline: “We are currently in the design phase of this project, and anticipate starting construction as soon as next year. The construction work will address the frequent overlay issues that we have been encountering on the eastbound lanes of the Spokane St Viaduct.” The eastbound lanes are on the original 1940s-built SSV structure; the westbound side was built a decade-plus ago to widen it
2:52 PM: Six days after that hole forced the Washington State Department of Transportation to close its ramp connecting the eastbound West Seattle Bridge to northbound State Highway 99, here’s the latest:
As reported over the weekend, crews poured concrete on Saturday, and now it’s curing. WSDOT spokesperson James Poling explained why the schedule remains the same as announced last week (which would reopen the ramp by this Saturday): “The concrete curing process requires our offsite materials lab breaking test concrete cylinders from the pour at certain time benchmarks (24 hours after pour, 48 hours after pour, etc.). Once a test cylinder reaches a strength to safely reopen traffic, the bridge ramp will reopen. The timetable remains the same at this time as our crews await a test cylinder to pass that strength benchmark.”
Meantime, since there was initially much public confusion over who’s accountable for the ramp, and some commenters said they had filed ramp-pothole reports with the city, we asked the Seattle Department of Transportation if they’d received such reports about the state-owned ramp and what happened to them. Spokesperson Ethan Bergerson replied, “When the public reports a pothole which is outside the city limits or not on SDOT’s right-of-way, it will be routed to the correct transportation agency. Over the past few months, we notified WSDOT of several public reports of potholes in this location.” We’ll follow up on that, as WSDOT had said previously they weren’t aware of the hole – at least at the magnitude that forced last Tuesday’s closure.
4:28 PM UPDATE: Just got another update – the ramp concrete “has cured more quickly” than expected, and the ramp will be open by 5 am tomorrow (Tuesday).
The Washington State Department of Transportation says its crew made more progress today toward repairing and reopening the ramp between the West Seattle Bridge and northbound Highway 99. It’s been closed since Tuesday night, when a 5′ x 4′ hole in the 64-year-old ramp caused tire blowouts for at least five drivers. WSDOT’s latest update: “Today we’ve poured concrete. It usually takes a few days for this type of concrete to cure properly in order to safely reopen the ramp.”
We’ll find out on Monday if that’s altered the schedule – originally announced as 10 days, which would mean reopening by next Saturday. In the meantime, your options for getting to Highway 99 are the 1st Avenue South Bridge or via the 1st Avenue exit on the eastbound bridge, leading you into SODO, where you can get onto 99.
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