“Micropermitting”: From the pixels to the airwaves
Remember West Seattle architect and Design Review Board member David Foster’s beef about — 
and investigation into — so-called “micropermitting,” the loophole through which some big (and sometimes not-so-lovely) townhouse developments escape design review? Two weeks after the original WSB report (and followups here and here), KUOW picked up on it today, featuring Foster and someone who’d taken a different viewpoint in our original comments thread, High Point resident and real-estate agent Wendy Hughes-Jelen. Read the story and get audio links here.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Mail-forging, converter-cutting…
From our most recent round of report-reviewing at the Southwest Precinct: A couple in the 2600 block of 52nd SW called police after discovering an alarming anomaly in their bank account: 
In late January, they wrote a $30 check to their newspaper carrier, put it in the self-addressed envelope he provided, and put it in their mailbox for pickup. Unfortunately, someone else apparently got to it first; in early February, they discovered their bank account was running a lot lower than it should have been. Checking online, they discovered the $30 check had been forged into $800, and that the payee name had been altered too. Next: Car-cutting, indecent exposure, and more:Read More
More signs of change: Ex-dealership signs down and gone
Caught that photo late morning while en route to the Viaduct event posted below – sign removal under way at the ex-Huling/Gee dealership location on Fauntleroy south of Alaska. Then before we could even post it this afternoon, we wound up hours later alongside the truck carrying the signs away:
Haven’t done a check on that property yet today but as we reported over the weekend, Huling land a couple blocks east is slated for a mixed-use project (we expect to talk with Harbor Properties tomorrow to find out more).
School district staff recommendation: Denny-Sealth Option 2
(rendering as shown at last week’s district-sponsored meeting)
ORIGINAL 3:17 PM REPORT: The agenda for Wednesday’s school board meeting has been updated with the district’s Denny-Sealth recommendation: Option 2, which means combined campuses, but more money, specifically $10 million added for Sealth renovations. This will be officially introduced at the Wednesday board meeting and voted on February 27. 5:10 PM UPDATE: At saveseattleschools.blogspot.com, Melissa Westbrook breaks down the info on the supplemental agenda documents that lay out where the extra $10 million is to come from. As of this writing, we haven’t seen an official district news release, nor anything new posted on the Sealth or Denny websites, regarding the decision to recommend Option 2, so the agenda info is all that’s on the record at this point. Here’s the direct link; side note of interest, that document from superintendent Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson is dated January 31st, so she appears to have made her decision several days before last Tuesday’s public meeting at Sealth (WSB coverage here). Next steps: Tomorrow night (7 pm @ Chief Sealth HS), the Westwood Neighborhood Council has its moderated-panel public meeting regarding the project; Wednesday night, school-board members meet and the Option 2 recommendation will be “introduced”; they will vote yay or nay two weeks later. Since the final say is in their hands, if you want to express an opinion on the newly released recommendation, contacting board members is likely your best course of action; their contact info is here.
The Viaduct: While you drive over it, what’s going on under it
Those are our first clips from a media tour this afternoon of ongoing Viaduct strengthening work that’s been under way since fall beneath the section of the Viaduct that’s just south of Columbia. This is the part – site of the old Yesler Mill, long ago, according to WSDOT’s Matt Preedy – that’s settled several inches, and WSDOT isn’t sure why this section settles more than the rest, but they’ve got a couple months more work to keep it from getting worse. Here’s his progress overview:
Another WSDOT spokesperson told us this event was meant not only as a media update on the work but also as a reminder of tomorrow night’s meeting at Cooper Elementary, which will focus on the big piece of the Viaduct puzzle – what might be done with the “Central Waterfront” section. WSDOT confirms that it will be open-house format 5:30-6:30, then open mike @ 6:30 for you to have your say on what you hope will happen. (And another reminder, the next weekend closure of the Viaduct is March 22-23.)
Speaking of keeping kids out of trouble …
It’s been on our Events list page but in case you missed it, the Seattle/King County Gang Prevention and Outreach Group will be at Delridge Community Center 6-8 pm tonight for a community forum. Be part of the solution. Here’s the flyer; here’s the agenda.
Admiral rock-throwing arrests: How police cracked the case
What you see in that photo is the aftermath of one of dozens of rock- and brick-throwing incidents that targeted residents and drivers in West Seattle, mostly the Admiral area, over the past few months – in this case, the brick was thrown through the glass door of a home, causing almost a thousand dollars damage, as well as a psychological toll. The victim tells WSB, “The greatest impact was not the financial aspect but the random act of vandalism and violence. The sound of the brick through the glass and not knowing what it was. Then the fear and uncertainty. My poor dog was traumatized and has been jumpy since.” It’s a miracle none of these incidents hurt anyone; in past cases in other areas, this sort of attack has been deadly. We told you about the first two arrests; now we know that Southwest Precinct police have identified and talked with four suspects in all — three are 13 years old, one is 14. But what we didn’t know till talking further with the folks at the precinct is the backstory of how Officer Patrick Chang cracked the case, if you’ll pardon the phrase – it involves confessions, MySpace bragging, and more:Read More
Taking care of business: Time to choose “Business of the Year”
From Shannon Felix at Avalon Glassworks — which was honored as the 2007 West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year — it’s time to nominate the West Seattle business you think deserves that award next:
We ask your readers to promote their favorite local businesses by nominating them for this award!
The Chamber is now accepting nominations from the public for the local businesses that exemplify innovative and ethical business practices and contribute to the greatness of the West Seattle community. One business will receive this exclusive honor at the Chamber’s Annual Awards breakfast on April 9, 2008. Print a nomination form at www.wschamber.com or e-mail your nomination directly to pmullen@wschamber.com. All nominations must be received at the Chamber office by March 7, 2008. Nominations may be submitted by any individual … you can even nominate yourself. Visit the Chamber web site for more information, www.wschamber.com, or phone 206-932-5685.
By the way, the Chamber’s monthly lunch meeting this Wednesday (11:30 am, The Hall @ Fauntleroy) has an intriguing program focusing on transportation — with guests from Metro and the city Transportation Department. This will be the day after Tuesday night’s communitywide public meeting (5:30 pm, Cooper Elementary, but public comment doesn’t start till 6:30 so you can be “late”) about the fate of the “Central Waterfront” section of The Viaduct, so there’s much important info bound to emerge in the next few days about future transportation challenges — and opportunities.
A tale of two sales: Shoremont and Cal Ray
Someone on the Alki Beach Community Yahoo! group asked this weekend about the status of Shoremont, the old brick apartments at 57th/Alki (photo above) proposed for teardown-to-townhomes as first reported here last summer. We just happened onto new information about it, while researching a different apartment-complex sale that’s now the second half of this post. A recent list of “weekly top King County property sales” posted here says Cobb Construction just sold the Shoremont site to Lead Construction, for $2,200,000 (verified in county records). Further research doesn’t bring up much about “Lead Construction” but crossreferencing suggests it’s related to this firm (whose site mentions a “Lead Consulting” on this page). Meantime, this too has sold:
We mentioned back in October that this 18-unit apartment complex, the Cal Ray at 6000 California, was up for sale. The latest areawide sales report (scroll down to West Seattle) shows it’s sold, for a bit more than its listing price ($1,995,000 at the time of our original report; the sales report says it sold for $2,000,000, county records say $1,998,000). The listing flyer had mentioned “strong redevelopment potential” – but nothing’s been applied for at the site, so far. (Meantime, if you missed it over the weekend, we’ve learned of at least one more new apartment building in West Seattle’s future.)
Thanks to the folks at 
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