West Seattle, Washington

24 Wednesday

54℉

Spotlight Stories


  • Closure

    LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE: Continues today

  • Comeback

    DOUGHNUT COMEBACK: West Seattle return

  • Sale day

    WS GARAGE SALE DAY 5/11: Register by Thursday 4/25!

Next goal for West Seattle Junction FC: Host families for out-of-state players
April 24, 2024 2:40 pm
|      0 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

Less than four weeks until the first match for West Seattle’s new pre-pro soccer club, Junction FC. The schedule and roster are set. One ball still in play – housing for players! Junction FC sent this announcement in search of hosts:

In the spirit of community engagement, West Seattle Junction FC is reaching out to our vibrant community for assistance in identifying and acquiring volunteers who are willing to open their homes to provide temporary housing for each of the out-of-state players who are on our roster for the season. The dates needed for temporary housing are May 3, 2024, through August 4, 2024. By offering a comfortable and supportive living space, volunteers play a crucial role in helping our athletes thrive both on and off the field.

Interested in hosting a player? Learn more here: wsjunctionfc.club/housing-program

The season starts at 2 pm Sunday, May 19, at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex.

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SUV on sidewalk after crash across from Jefferson Square
April 24, 2024 1:20 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

(Texted photo)

Thanks for the tips and photos. Close call in The Junction about an hour ago – what was dispatched as a two-car collision left one of the vehicles up on the sidewalk and against the exterior of Season’s salon on the ground floor of Mural, across 42nd from Jefferson Square.

(Photo sent by Mike)

The other car was a Camry. No serious injuries reported, nor was anyone reported hit on the sidewalk, but we’re following up with SFD to verify.

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CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Help find vehicle in deadly hit-run; victim identified
April 24, 2024 11:29 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

11:29 AM: That’s the vehicle whose driver hit and killed an 81-year-old man at 15th/Roxbury on Monday night, as previously reported here., according to the King County Sheriff’s Office, which just released the photo with this request for help:

Case#: C24013796

On Monday, April 22nd, just after 10:00 PM, the King County Sheriff’s Office received 911 calls reporting a hit and run just south of the intersection of SW Roxbury Street and 15th Ave SW in unincorporated White Center.

On arrival, deputies located the victim, an adult male in his 80s. The victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center, where he later was pronounced deceased.

KCSO’s Major Accident Response & Reconstruction (MARR) detectives are asking for the community’s help in locating the fleeing vehicle. The suspected vehicle (picture attached) is described as a silver, 2007-2016 Jeep Compass with front-end damage to the grill and hood.

If you have any information about the incident or were in the area and may have dash camera footage, call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit P3Tips.com, or use the P3 Tip App. Tips are anonymous.

4:12 PM: The King County Medical Examiner’s Office released the victim’s name this afternoon: Thomas J. Garrett.

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Catch up with Fauntleroy ferry-dock replacement project via ‘online open house,’ just launched
April 24, 2024 11:20 am
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 |   Fauntleroy | Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo, Fauntleroy WSF terminal)

We’ve been reporting for three years on planning for Washington State Ferries‘ upcoming replacement of the Fauntleroy dock/terminal, but with construction not planned until late in the decade, it’s still in a relatively early stage – multiple alternatives are under consideration, all bigger than the current dock, by varying degrees. WSF is offering you the chance to catch up via an “online open house” that just launched, as well as two online meetings in early May. The “open house” includes this review of the dock-design alternatives currently under consideration. You can visit any time for the next month. You’re also invited to an online meeting – two options for attending what’s promised to be the same meeting – 6 pm Tuesday, May 7 (register here), or noon Wednesday, May 8 (register here).

Meantime, the planning process we’ve been covering continues with the next Community Advisory Group meeting, online at 6 pm Wednesday, May 15 (here’s our report on their most-recent meeting, in March). The public is welcome to observe those meetings (register here).

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HPAC and more on the list for your West Seattle Wednesday
April 24, 2024 10:08 am
|      0 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news

(Photo by Rosalie Miller, who explains: “Cornflower [before its showy reveal]”)

Here’s what’s happening in the hours ahead:

EXPANDED FAUNTLEROY YMCA HOURS: Fourth week for the Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) expanded hours – 9 am to noon and 4 pm to 7 pm, Mondays through Thursdays – now with classes (schedules are linked here).

TODDLER READING TIME: 10:30 am Wednesdays at Paper Boat Booksellers (6040 California SW).

SECRETS TO AFFORDING SENIOR LIVING: 3 pm, free presentation at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).

FIX-IT WORKSHOP: DO fix what IS broke, to reconfigure the saying. Weekly event, 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).

FREE ART CLASS: Watercolor mixed-media class, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), 6-8 pm.

FREE GROUP RUN: Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for the weekly 6:15 pm group run. All welcome!

TRIVIA x 4: Four places to play tonight. At 6 pm, Locust Cider (2820 Alki SW) offers trivia … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night begins at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and at 8:30 pm, trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW).

HPAC MONTHLY MEETING: What’s the future of the Delridge/Highland Park “Healthy Street”? That’s the spotlight topic when HPAC – the community coalition for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge – meets tonight at 6:30 pm at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) – here’s the full preview.

LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)

PARENT EDUCATION EVENT POSTPONED: “Parents Engaging with Anti-Bias Education” has been postponed, according to the RSVP page.

DUELING PIANO: Live music at Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way), 7 pm.

MUSIC BINGO: Play weekly at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.

SKYLARK OPEN MIC: 7:30 pm signups for West Seattle’s longest-running open mic. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

If you’re planning a presentation, meeting, performance, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, etc., and it’s open to the community, please send us info so we can get it onto West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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MUSIC: The Byrd Ensemble sings Saturday in West Seattle, with a ticket deal
April 24, 2024 9:22 am
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 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

That’s a brief preview of The Byrd Ensemble‘s concert this Saturday night at Holy Rosary (42nd/Genesee). They’re an internationally acclaimed chamber-vocal ensemble, performing for 20 years and recording for more than a decade, sponsoring WSB this week to be sure you know about their West Seattle concert. It’s at 7:30 pm Saturday (April 27) and you can see the program here, summarized as follows:

The centerpiece of this program of Renaissance and modern music is Allegri’s Miserere. The work was exclusively sung by the Sistine Chapel Choir, though legend says that a 14-year old Mozart visited Rome and wrote out the piece perfectly from memory after just one hearing, sending the Vatican’s guarded secret into the world. The psalm setting is famously known for a high C, sung by a soprano soloist.

The program also features two elaborate psalm settings by English Renaissance composers Robert White and John Sheppard and motets by modern composers John Tavener, Eric Whitacre, and Arvo Pärt.

Tickets are available online here, and you can get a 30 percent discount on general, senior, and student admission with the code WSBLOG30.

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Wednesday watch, on day 5 of low-bridge closure
April 24, 2024 6:01 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Wednesday, April 24.

LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE

The West Seattle low bridge is closed for a fifth day, expected to reopen by Monday morning; here’s SDOT info about the closure, including how to get free bus or Water Taxi trips.

ROAD-WORK ALERTS

*The Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project is now fully under way at Delridge/Oregon.

Delridge will be narrowed to two lanes through the work zone for up to one year. We’ll take a closer look at the project later today.

*Final work on the permanent Highland Park Way/Holden signal is under way, as previewed here.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Chance of rain, high in the upper 50s. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:02 am, sunset at 8:12 pm.

TRANSIT NOTES

Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here.

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.

Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route. Check WSF alerts for last-minute changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.

High Bridge – the main camera:

High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):

1st Ave. S. Bridge:

Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are open for vessel traffic.

If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Weekend robberies; hammered car
April 23, 2024 10:38 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

In West Seattle Crime Watch:

WEEKEND ROBBERIES: We hadn’t heard about these two holdups within a matter of minutes early Sunday until Seattle Police released weekend summaries today. Both were reported to police around 4:30 am, and investigators believe the same robbers might be responsible for both. One robbery happened at the 35th/Avalon 7-11; seven people entered, approached the register and demanded that the clerk open it. They took money and merchandise and left in “an unknown vehicle.” The other robbery happened at a bus stop at California/Fauntleroy; the victim said a black sedan pulled up and five people got out. One showed a gun; the other punched the victim in the face. They took his belongings, got back in their car, and were last seen westbound on Fauntleroy. No descriptive info on the robbers. The store robbery is case 24-107877; the bus-stop robbery is case 24-107875.

HAMMERED CAR: This one is a reader report about a vandalism attack on 45th SW in Fauntleroy:

At around 10 AM this morning, a tall slender blonde-haired male looking to be in his 20s was seen putting a hammer through the windshield of my Mazda Miata and walking away. This happened nearly at the corner of Director St and 45th, and very close to Wildwood Market. If anyone saw anything, any information would be helpful. This act appears to be random as (the victim) has no known contacts in Seattle and is very new to the area.

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UPDATE: Big callout, small fire in High Point
April 23, 2024 8:36 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

8:36 PM: Seattle Fire is on the scene of what’s described as a fire in a townhouse in the 3200 block of SW Graham [vicinity map]. Updates to come.

8:39 PM: SFD says it’s a dryer fire that hasn’t spread. They’re going to start dismissing units.

8:44 PM: No injuries reported, and the big task now is ventilating the townhome to clear out the smoke.

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Two more days to register for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2024, and other updates
April 23, 2024 8:10 pm
|      0 COMMENTS
 |   Community Garage Sale Day | West Seattle news

With two days of registration remaining, West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2024 on Saturday, May 11, is already set to be the biggest yet – 410+ sales signed up as of tonight! From individual houses, townhouses, and apartments, to block/building sales, to business sales, it’s an lively list, and we’ve only read through the first 300 signups so far. Among those signups is Hotwire Coffee (4410 California SW), which is again offering parking-lot spots to small sellers who don’t have their own spaces – go to hotwirecoffee.com to see if they’re still signing up people for spaces. Otherwise, if you are planning to be part of West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (an annual tradition on the second Saturday of May since 2005, coordinated by WSB since 2008), be sure to register by 11:30 pm this Thursday, April 25 – that’s when we have to start work on the map and guide, so they’ll be available a week in advance for shoppers to start planning! Ready to register? Got your 20-word sale listing? Here’s where to start!

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HAPPENING NOW: Bidding underway in online auction to support two Delridge preschools
April 23, 2024 6:45 pm
|      0 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Your bids are welcome right now in the 11th annual auction to benefit two local nonprofit bilingual preschools on Delridge, Southwest Early Learning and the Refugee and Immigrant Family Center. Here’s the announcement we were asked to share:

For the past 15 years, RIFC & SWEL Bilingual Preschools have provided high-quality, culturally enriching preschools, serving families in and around our West Seattle community. Many of the children we serve come from lower-income families that do not have the resources to go on field trips, learn a second language, or explore their interests. The money we raise through this Silent Auction will significantly benefit the children, providing enriching learning.

Our auction this year is virtual and will run until Friday, April 26th. We have many great items like self-care kits, homemade food, museum passes, and gift cards to many local shops and restaurants. All the proceeds from this auction go right back into our classroom to support our two non-profit preschools. We will coordinate pick up with the winner of our items at the end of the auction.

To browse and bid, go here!

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BIZNOTE: Top Pot Doughnuts returning to West Seattle
April 23, 2024 3:42 pm
|      47 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

As noted in the newest West Seattle Junction Association newsletter, Top Pot Doughnuts is returning to West Seattle, three years after they lost their lease and left Alki. When we contacted Top Pot to ask, a spokesperson replied, “The future is very exciting for Top Pot — and we are thrilled to return to West Seattle. While we do not have anything specific to announce … let’s just say that the dough is in the proofer!” They wouldn’t confirm a location, but sources tell WSB it’s believed to be the former Wildflour/Flying Apron space, which recently posted LEASED signage:

Top Pot’s Alki space, open for almost six years, was the eastern half of where West Seattle Arcade is located now.

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen gray Ford truck; abandoned bike
April 23, 2024 3:06 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Found bicycles | West Seattle news

Two reader reports:

STOLEN PICKUP TRUCK: From Ketsy:

Our locked gray Ford F-350 diesel truck was stolen from in front of our home this morning. Near Morgan and 38th Avenue. License plate D27510A. Police case # 24-110012.

ABANDONED-PROBABLY-STOLEN BIKE: From Mark:

We found an abandoned bike in our alley near Solstice Park, I would guess stolen but looks to have been used hard recently as both tires are now flat. If there is an owner out there, would love for them to get it back.

If it’s yours, contact us and we’ll connect you.

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FOLLOWUP: Somebody drove it in. But nobody knows how to get it out.
April 23, 2024 1:33 pm
|      33 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(Friday photo, sent by Craig)

Back on Friday night, we reported on that Jeep Compass that turned up on a rocky stretch of shore in southwesternmost West Seattle, between the dead-ends of Seola Lane and Arroyo Beach Place [map]. Last night, via an update from tipster Craig, we learned it’s still there. We asked Seattle Police why. Thanks to Officer Brian Pritchard for giving us an update via reports that tell a tangled tale. In short, Seattle Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Ecology have all been to the site, and private salvagers have been consulted, but no one has been able to figure out how to get the vehicle out, via land or sea, either towing it out, pulling it out, or even floating it out. So far, the only major action taken is that Ecology removed the fuel that was in the SUV’s gas tank.

(Monday photo, sent by Craig)

So what about the person who owns it? Apparently that’s not the person who showed up on a nearby resident’s doorstep asking for a ride early Friday. Police say they’ve spoken to the resident and they weren’t aware the vehicle was on the beach at the time. The vehicle wasn’t reported stolen, Officer Pritchard just told us, until a short time ago, when its owner contacted police to tell them her vehicle had been taken while she was visiting friends last Thursday in North Seattle. So it might be her responsibility – or her insurer – to figure out how to get it off the beach. We’ll continue following up.

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Parks Board to hear presentation on ‘pickleball and tennis vision’ Thursday
April 23, 2024 12:55 pm
|      26 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Just received the agenda for the next meeting of the Seattle Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, and it includes one item of potential West Seattle interest – a presentation on the department’s “pickleball and tennis vision.” A proposal to convert a former Lincoln Park tennis court into pickleball courts sparked a significant amount of controversy last year, and the department has yet to officially update its status. The last Parks official to address the plan at a West Seattle meeting, deputy superintendent Andy Sheffer, is listed as co-presenting the briefing; we don’t yet know if it will include specifics on locations or will be just a policy overview. It’s on the agenda for 6:30 pm Thursday (April 25); the board meets in-person at Parks HQ downtown, and you can also attend online – info is in our calendar listing.

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VIDEO: West Seattle High School students join statewide pro-Palestinian walkout
April 23, 2024 11:08 am
|      114 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle protests | West Seattle schools

11:08 AM: That was the scene a short time ago outside the north side of West Seattle High School as more than 50 students gathered for what social-media announcements declared as a statewide student walkout supporting Palestinians affected by the Hamas-Israel war, now in its seventh month. They headed out to California SW shortly thereafter, walking south. We have not heard of any other schools in West Seattle participating.

11:32 AM: Walking off campus, the group crossed California and passed the McDonald’s across the street, chanting an accusation that the company supports genocide, a disputed allegation that has circulated on social media. (Video added above.) Our photographer has moved on but we just heard an FYI on police radio that the group is continuing southbound toward The Junction.

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14 options for your West Seattle Tuesday
April 23, 2024 9:54 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Monday morning moonset, photographed by James Tilley)

Here’s what’s happening today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

EXPANDED FAUNTLEROY YMCA HOURS: Fourth week of the Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) operating its newly expanded hours – 9 am to noon and 4 pm to 7 pm, Mondays through Thursdays. Classes have been added, too.

FREE PLAYSPACE: Drop in Tuesday mornings until noon at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd/Juneau).

KNIFE SHARPENING POP-UP: As previewed here, by-hand sharpener Kneighborhood Knives is popping up at Hotwire Coffee (4410 California SW) until 4 pm, $10 per knife.

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE: Could derelict buildings get demolished sooner? That’s one of the issues on the agenda for the City Council Public Safety Committee meeting that began at 9:30 am. Watch live here.

CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon). All levels welcome. (Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.)

CITY COUNCIL MEETING: Regular weekly meeting of the Seattle City Council, 2 pm. There is a public-comment section – in person or by phone – if there’s something you want to tell the council. The agenda explains how. You can watch live via Seattle Channel.

DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration continues at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t have your own.

FREE INTRODUCTORY ASL CLASSES: New series continues, 6 pm at the West Seattle Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (4001 44th SW), info here.

SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm tonight, play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).

FREE TRACK RUN: Run with your neighbors! Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for this free weekly run at 6:15 pm.

MAKE POTTERY: 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), sign up in advance to work on your project(s).

BINGO AT THE SKYLARK: Play – free! – Belle of the Balls Bingo hosted by Cookie Couture, 7 pm Tuesdays. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

TRIVIA X 4: Four places to play Tuesday nights – The Beer Junction (4711 California SW) has Sporcle Pub Quiz with David at 7 and 8 pm … 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink; 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).

BINGO AT TALARICO’S: You can play 8 pm bingo every Tuesday. (4718 California SW)

What are YOU planning? Are community members invited? Tell everyone via our event calendar – please email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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BRIGHTEN THE JUNCTION! Flower baskets arrive next week. Still time to ‘adopt’ one
April 23, 2024 9:00 am
|      0 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, 2023)

The bright and beautiful season of hanging flower baskets in the West Seattle Junction is about to begin – the baskets arrive next Monday, according to West Seattle Junction Association executive director Chris Mackay. For a second year, you’ll see bigger, reusable baskets that use less water. And community members are helping cover the costs again this year by “adopting” baskets; Chris tells WSB that about 20 of this year’s 95 baskets are still awaiting “adopters.” For $189, you’ll be adopting a basket for the entire season, including a plaque displaying your name and message; that counts as a donation to the Junction Association, the nonprofit that’s not only the merchants’ association but also the engine that powers Junction events including West Seattle Summer Fest (happening July 12-14 this year). To adopt a basket (or two!), just go here.

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TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: Tuesday info and alerts, plus low-bridge closure, day 4
April 23, 2024 6:03 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, April 23.

LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE

The West Seattle low bridge is closed for a fourth day, expected to reopen by next Monday morning; here’s SDOT info about the closure, including how to get free bus or Water Taxi trips.

ROAD-WORK ALERTS

*As previewed here, the westbound West Seattle Bridge’s off-ramp to Admiral Way will be closed around 9:30 am for urgent tree work. (Update: SDOT says the ramp should reopen by 3 pm.)

*SDOT confirms that the Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project is now fully under way at Delridge/Oregon.

Delridge will be narrowed to two lanes through the work zone for the duration of the project – up to one year.

*Final work on the permanent Highland Park Way/Holden signal is under way, as previewed here.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Mostly sunny, high near 70. Today’s sunrise will be at 6:04 am, sunset at 8:11 pm.

TRANSIT NOTES

Metro today – Regular schedule; check advisories here.

Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is.

Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route. Check WSF alerts for last-minute changes. Use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Orchard), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.

High Bridge – the main camera:

High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):

1st Ave. S. Bridge:

Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.

BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are open for vessel traffic.

If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!

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Will more vacant ‘derelict’ properties get demolished? City Council discussion this morning
April 23, 2024 2:18 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Beyond that map, the city won’t get any more specific about which vacant “derelict” properties could get speedier demolition approval if a proposal from Mayor Bruce Harrell gets City Council approval. Its first official discussion is this (Tuesday) morning, when the council’s Public Safety Committee meets. In the announcement of the “emergency” legislation, the mayor’s office said that there’ve been 30 fires in vacant buildings this year as of last Monday, adding:

SFD has identified over 40 vacant buildings in the city that are potentially impacted by this legislation and estimates that up to 10 properties may be addressed by this legislation each year. Depending on the degree of damage, the size of the building, the construction type and materials, the presence of asbestos, and other site-specific conditions, fencing and demolition costs will vary significantly. Property owners will be responsible for work to make the building or property site safe. In extreme cases, the City will be authorized to do the necessary abatement work and then place a title lien on the property to recover costs.

So which buildings are they talking about? We asked on Friday and got this response today from SFD spokesperson Kristin Hanson, to whom the mayor’s office forwarded our request:

There is not a public database that lists which properties are on SFD’s dangerous/derelict buildings list. SFD has a list that we use internally as we work with the Law Department to determine enforcement activities. Buildings on the SFD list are flagged derelict for multiple reasons to include structural issues, history of illegal or unauthorized entry, damage to the exterior that may have allowed further structural compromise due to exposure to winds and rain, and other similar reasons. SFD’s list is a subset of the Vacant Building Monitoring List, which is managed by SDCI.

If you want to check on whether a particular vacant property is being monitored by the city, you can check the address in the Seattle Services Portal. Meantime, you can watch this morning’s 9:30 am meeting via Seattle Channel; here’s the agenda, which also explains how to comment. This is one in a long line of city attempts to deal with the problem of vacant properties; we’ve covered several dating back 15 years, including expansion of the monitoring program five years ago.

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UPDATE: 81-year-old man killed by hit-run driver at Roxbury/15th
April 22, 2024 10:20 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Updated screengrab from nearest SDOT traffic camera, looking east toward scene)

10:20 PM: According to SPD radio, King County Sheriff’s Office deputies are closing Roxbury at 15th, after a collision reported as a driver hitting a pedestrian – reportedly a hit-run with life-threatening injuries. The driver was last seen heading eastbound on Roxbury. One officer says a witness believes the vehicle was a gray Mazda SUV.

10:38 PM: SFD medics are taking the victim to Harborview.

11 PM: Roxbury has reopened. We have followup inquiries out but may not hear back until tomorrow morning.

8:30 AM TUESDAY: SFD says the victim is an 81-year-old man who was in critical condition when transported.

10:56 AM: KCSO tells us the victim has died, and a spokesperson adds, “Preliminary investigation says the suspect vehicle was a silver SUV, possibly a Mazda. The vehicle would have front-end damage to the grill and hood area.” They are hoping to get more information about the suspect out later today in hopes of public help in tracking them down.

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Don’t toss your dull knife – sharpen it! West Seattle pop-up Tuesday
April 22, 2024 8:22 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

That’s Genevieve, who rejuvenates knives by “traditional hand-sharpening on whetstones.” As listed in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, she’s having a pop-up tomorrow (Tuesday, April 23) at Hotwire Coffee (4410 California SW), 9 am-4 pm. $10 per knife. Here’s the FAQ on her Kneighborhood Knives website, in case you have a question before just showing up.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: Westbound West Seattle Bridge offramp closure Tuesday
April 22, 2024 6:36 pm
|      0 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

ORIGINAL MONDAY ANNOUNCEMENT: We received this Tuesday traffic alert from SDOT late today:

Tomorrow morning, the Seattle Department of Transportation’s urban forestry and signs and markings teams will be closing the westbound off-ramp to SW Admiral Way from the West Seattle High Bridge at around 9:30 a.m. This closure is necessary due to a broken limb that requires removal, although our team has already stabilized it earlier today.

Detour signage will be in place to guide drivers to SW Admiral Way. The designated detour route is as follows: continue on the West Seattle High Bridge onto Fauntleroy Way SW. Then, turn right onto SW Oregon St, followed by another right onto California Ave SW, which will lead you to SW Admiral Way.

They’re not sure yet how long the work will take.

TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE: SDOT says the ramp should reopen by 3 pm.

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