The map in the background of that photo from a recent meeting in West Seattle may show the world, but the gathered group was there to focus on one little corner of it: Fauntleroy. As part of the ongoing West Seattle Trails Alliance/Feet First project (notice the distinctive green maps, published last year, in front of participants), three wayfinding kiosks will be placed in Fauntleroy (with other neighborhoods slated to get them as well), and project leaders are meeting with neighbors to get direct local input on where those kiosks should go, what they should point to, and what kind of art they should showcase – read on for more:

The wayfinding project – including dozens of kiosks/signs in various West Seattle neighborhoods – is being paid for by a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant of nearly $100,000 (WSB coverage here). From westseattlewalks.org, here are the areas in which kiosks are slated to go (provided a later grant is obtained for the ones dotted in blue):

The proposed locations for Fauntleroy’s three kiosks are by the ferry dock, at Lincoln Park, and in the Fauntleroy Church/YMCA area.

Discussion included having signs pointing out the area’s rich wildlife population, particularly the birds.

Key decisions to be made include where the kiosks/signs will point walkers. Chas Redmond sends this section of the West Seattle Walking Trails map with orange lines showing where people would walk if they were heading for one or more of the destinations suggested by a breakout group at the meeting:

Chas adds, “The arrows show where they would be heading for a destination further away (like Alaska Junction or Westwood Village).” His list of the potential destinations includes:

Ferry Dock
Fish Ladder
Colman Pool
Fauntleroy Park
Lincoln Park
Fauntleroy School
Fauntleroy Church
Cove Park
Arbor Heights
Westwood Village
White Center
Southwest Library (at 35th & Henderson)
Roxhill Park
Alki
Fauntleroy Business Triangle (Endolyne)
Duwamish Waterway
Westcrest Park
Solstice Park (P-Patch & Tennis Courts)
Lowman Beach
Morgan Junction
Alaska Junction
Some stairs (Thistle, for instance, and 39th Ave. down to Fauntlee Hills)

According to Chas, “The next step could be to mark up 20 spots along these orange lines and figure out what the blades would say and which way they would point.”

The discussion about possible art at the recent design meeting included Fauntleroy-based historian Ron Richardson saying it should not only celebrate the history of the area, but also demonstrate the nature of the Fauntleroy neighborhood, whose residents have always come together to do whatever needed to be done, with examples including the work to restore Fauntleroy Creek as an urban salmon stream.

Next steps, according to Seth Schromen-Wawrin from Feet First, will include more discussions and neighborhood outreach – each neighborhood, he says, knows best about where the markers should be and what they should say/point to. He says walking tours will be planned as well. You can find out more about the project by exploring westseattlewalks.org; we’ll also let you know here when those future meetings/tours are set.