West Seattle, Washington
31 Saturday
From page 19 of a 25-page PowerPoint scheduled to be shown to the City Council’s Transportation Committee tomorrow, those are some of the “streetscape amenities” promised as part of the 2-building Conner Homes development planned along SW Alaska, between 42nd and California, in the heart of The Junction. Tomorrow morning at 9:30 at City Hall downtown, the committee holds the official public hearing on the “alley vacation” that requires city approval to proceed with the development’s current plan; the actual section of public right-of-way to be “vacated,” if the full council approves, is actually underground, facilitating one large parking garage beneath the two 7-story buildings – the alley will remain an alley at the surface.
As we reported here three weeks ago, Conner negotiated changes to the project with a group of concerned citizens that met with him for more than a year before signing an agreement eventually not to oppose the “alley vacation.” Our earlier story featured highlights of their agreement, which can be read in full on the last page of the presentation to be shown tomorrow; SDOT recommends approval – you can read the department’s official memo here. If the committee approves the proposal tomorrow, it will go next to the full council for a vote. As for the project timetable – Conner told us earlier this month that construction wouldn’t start any sooner than year’s end (existing businesses on the site have leases running till then).
In West Seattle’s Westwood neighborhood, the Parks and Green Spaces Levy is already paying for a new P-Patch – but there’s also the potential for a new park somewhere in the area. This Saturday at 1 pm, the Westwood Neighborhood Council invites you to Southwest Community Center to talk about that possibility. The levy passed by voters in 2008 includes money for acquiring new park land in “underserved neighborhoods” – and Westwood is one of the neighborhoods identified as “underserved.” Parks’ Chip Nevins will be there – not just to talk, but to listen – so if you have an idea about what might make a good park, and/or where, be there on Saturday.
Another day, another Aggressive Drivers Response Team report on SPD Blotter. This one was an “early morning” patrol (borne out by a tweet we received very early this morning). Beyond what our headline mentions – read the details here.
Need someplace to get online with a publicly accessible computer, besides library branches? Here’s a new option – Southwest Community Center (2801 SW Thistle) has just announced classes as well as a couple hours a day of “open” use time. Read on for the announcement, with details:Read More
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
With the auction coming up Friday for what’s left inside the Charlestown Street Café, less than a month after it closed, we have new information about the future of its site.
In our first report on its then-imminent closure, we mentioned spotting a “mixed-use” development proposal in the city files. And now we’ve finally spoken to the developer who is working on it.
His name is Lobsang Dargey. His firm, Dargey Enterprises, is based in Everett, where they built Potala Village – not unlike, he told WSB, what’s envisioned for the California/Charlestown site (if you check their website, you will see this project identified as Potala Village-West Seattle).
But before the project ramps up – a change, he says, is needed:
Thanks to Lynda B for the photo, verifying that the asphalt-removing Phase 1 of Sylvan Way “spot paving” is under way, despite the rain. As SDOT had promised, the road isn’t completely closed, but it is making things tough around the Vietnamese Cultural Center, El Rey de Taco, and the north side of The Home Depot‘s lot. Phase 2 – new asphalt – is planned tomorrow, if the weather cooperates.
Never, ever, a dull moment in West Seattle (and vicinity) weather. Don’t put out Tuesday trash/etc. cans early – there’s a wind advisory for noon-9 pm today, with gusts possibly up to 45 mph, says the National Weather Service.
Today was tentatively scheduled to be the grand reopening of Zippy’s Giant Burgers in its new White Center location – but burger fans are going to have to wait another week or so. We checked with Zippy’s proprietor Blaine Cook after noticing early this morning that the countdown clock atop the Zippy’s website had changed from counting the seconds till April 25th (it’s now counting to May 1st). He explains, “The permit required for us to replace the fire suppression system has not gone through. Our current best case is a week. Might be a week and a half.” Zippy’s closed its original Highland Park location nine days ago for the move, which was made necessary by the fact their ex-landlord lost the building to foreclosure last fall (which also led to the ex-landlord’s own business, SeaMart, closing, as well as the third business on the site, JoJo’s Espresso). The new location is at 9614 14th SW in White Center, with more room and parking. (April 12th photo by Deanie Schwarz for WSB/White Center Now)
(Saturday photo from West Seattle’s Sunset SW, shared by Jeff Johnson)
One more weekend photo just to keep those memories alive till the next warm day … Here are a few highlights from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
BACK TO SCHOOL: Seattle Public Schools classes resume today after a week of spring break.
ROAD WORK: If the rain doesn’t get in the way, today’s the day SDOT was scheduled to grind off the old asphalt on Sylvan Way (at the Home Depot curve), with new asphalt to follow tomorrow. (If rescheduling eventually ensues, we’ll add the update here.
BOOK-IT AT LIBRARY BRANCH IN ADMIRAL: As part of “Seattle Reads ‘Little Bee’,” you’re invited to the West Seattle Library Branch (2306 42nd SW) at 7 tonight as Book-It Repertory Theatre presents staged readings from the book by Chris Cleave.
WEST SEATTLE SEE DOGS: Find out about raising a guide-dog puppy at the local club’s semimonthly meeting, 6:30 pm, lobby of Merrill Gardens-Admiral Heights (WSB sponsor), 2326 California SW.
SING IT: Karaoke with Kelli at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), 9 pm.
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