1st open house July 19th for Fauntleroy Way ‘Green Boulevard’

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(Rendering of potential Fauntleroy Way ‘green boulevard,’ from June 2011 Triangle open house)
FIRST REPORT, 10:05 AM: Thanks to Sharonn Meeks of the Fairmount Community Association for sharing a photo of a postcard she just received in postal mail at her home, so we can share the info with you – we have not seen any other mention of this yet, and it’s less than a week away: The city has scheduled its first open house on the Fauntleroy Way “Green Boulevard” concept – after including $250,000 in this year’s budget to study the idea of turning Fauntleroy Way into a “boulevard,” with a treed median, through The Triangle, between 35th SW and SW Alaska. Love the idea? Don’t like the idea? Want to know more? We’re asking SDOT when some kind of formal announcement is forthcoming, but the postcard Sharonn received says the open house is at 4 pm next Thursday (July 19th) at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon). It also includes a city website address that as of this writing doesn’t appear to be working yet. We’ll update when we get more info from SDOT.

4:41 PM UPDATE: Some more info from SDOT re: the open house:

The open house will provide community members an opportunity to provide input on conceptual design alternatives for the Fauntleroy Way SW Green Boulevard Project. The project itself is between 35th Ave SW and SW Alaska Street on Fauntleroy Way SW and seeks to transform this section of the corridor into more of a gateway into West Seattle. The alternatives could include elements such as a landscaped boulevard, planted medians, better pedestrian zones, lighting and better crossing movements. This is all part of a larger plan that originates from the West Seattle Streetscapes Concept Plan.

We are inviting community members to come to the open house to review the alternatives, share their thoughts on the conceptual design plan and generally let us know what is most important to them about this section of the corridor.

SDOT’s Marybeth Turner also points out that “funding right now only allows for a conceptual design (10 percent) and a proposed alternative to be selected this year. Funding would still need to be secured to move this project into a design greater than 10 percent and then into physical construction.”

sidewalk-less in seattle July 13, 2012 (10:12 am)

SDOT- spening money on a beautification project when there are areas throughout the city that don’t have sidewalks?
didn’t the current mayor start out as a community organizer to get sidewalks in his neighborhood? wasn’t he on the bridging the gap oversight committee?
thanks City of seattle…….

CanDo July 13, 2012 (10:40 am)

That’s nice, but I wish they’d spend a little money fixing up a few alleys. Just running a grader through the unpaved ones would help smooth out deep potholes. If they get much worse, delivery trucks, mail and garbage trucks are going to stop coming down some of the alleys in West Seattle and City keeps telling us they can’t afford to do anything about alleys.

Pleased July 13, 2012 (10:44 am)

While I sympathize with sidewalk-less, and have probably knocked loose a few filling with all the potholes on Delridge, I think this is a great idea. It reminds me of Ravenna Blvd in the North end heading from UW towards Greenlake.
Seems like it could beautify and prevent runoff.

Brian M. July 13, 2012 (10:51 am)

I love the idea, but I agree with the others … there are more basic needs that should be met first.

AnneT July 13, 2012 (10:53 am)

It is a nice beutification project. I am not available on July 19th to attend the meeting, but thought that the group should look at the 108th Street Project in Houghton/Kirkland, the City elected to use, synthetic grass for maintainance and safty issues. It always looks great, year around.

Diane July 13, 2012 (10:54 am)

thanks; got my pc last night; had not looked at it yet; why so little notice? why 4-6 when most are still at work?

Kirk July 13, 2012 (11:04 am)

I don’t understand. They just reduced this same stretch from four lanes down to two, and added bike lanes. Now they are thinking about tearing that all out and starting over?

Also, I agree, there are so many bad streets in Seattle that need attention more than this (such as SODO crossing the railroad tracks to get to Alaska way from 1st Ave…)

WSB July 13, 2012 (12:13 pm)

Kirk – this stretch was NOT what was affected in the rechannelization – that was from Alaska south to California on Fauntleroy – and now the rechannelization of SW Alaska from 35th to California is kicking in … the stretch that is the focus of this, was not affected by either of those… TR

wsgolfer July 13, 2012 (11:10 am)

Love the idea! The current entry/first impression into West Seattle, for folks coming off the bridge is ugly as all get out. It’s mostly dry cleaners, auto repair shops and a big river of asphalt/tarmac. Adding a central boulevard with plenty of trees will help soften the industrial appearance of that area, and be a welcoming entry into our wonderful neighborhood. Kudos, SDOT.

Grundle July 13, 2012 (11:23 am)

This looks great! Can’t wait for the Delridge redo as well.

I. Ponder July 13, 2012 (11:34 am)

This looks amazing. Too easy to be a critic. I bet neighbors could fill some of those potholed unpaved alleys. Waiting for the mayor to fix your woes is sad.

Roundthesound July 13, 2012 (11:36 am)

$250,000 for the study, I wonder how much the actual project will cost if approved. If it’s going to look anything like Harbor Ave SW I would say no. You can’t see anything around those little trees, it would hurt the small business around the area if you couldn’t see their store fronts easily.

quiz July 13, 2012 (11:39 am)

Looks great! Yes, please!

Norma July 13, 2012 (11:41 am)

It’s beautiful!
Will there still be a parking lane.
Will there be enough money to maintian the landscaped areas?
Will they paint bicycles in one of the driving lanes, call it a bicycle lane and consider it safe for bicycle travel?
Thanks WSB for publishing the proposal.

Jim Clark July 13, 2012 (12:23 pm)

Ok so wasn’t it not long ago that the city was complaining that they didn’t have the money to trim the trees on 35th? So we are adding more maintenance work we can’t pay for?

maxine July 13, 2012 (1:14 pm)

Agree with Roundthesound. The boulevard along Harbor Ave SW is a mess. The city has not maintained the landscaping that they put in. The trees need pruning, and the weeds and blackberry vines are growing like crazy. Don’t waste money on landscaping if you don’t have the funds to take care of it!

Jack Spara July 13, 2012 (1:23 pm)

Yeah…they don’t have enough money to keep our Park but do for a street extravaganza? Argh…

Krystal July 13, 2012 (2:29 pm)

Beautiful.

Now, if we could first fix the potholes and horrible paving jobs and alleys, I *might* be able to get behind this project.

C July 13, 2012 (4:09 pm)

Looks good. The entrance to West Seattle is ugly and in need of an update.

cascadianone July 13, 2012 (4:09 pm)

Why does every bit of information I read about our city’s leadership only further reinforce my belief that they are unfit to manage a fast-food franchise, let alone a government?

They seem totally incapable of prioritizing basic necessities or making even the simplest and most obvious of value judgements.

PS July 13, 2012 (4:19 pm)

Forget the frills – fix the roads!!

Nick July 13, 2012 (4:21 pm)

Hmm, no parking? Sure looks like it.

raincity July 13, 2012 (4:54 pm)

I don’t see a bicycle lane as part of this – bummer

boy July 13, 2012 (6:53 pm)

Every time the city opens it’s mouth it is screaming how broke the are. Hec they were willing to put a zip line in L park just to make 65 gs. In better economic times this might work. Use the money to fix whats broken. With all the new condos going in it seems nuts to reduce lanes for cars. Let the mayors war on cars continue.

Mat July 13, 2012 (7:44 pm)

Looks great, but I’m with a lot of other commenters… there are a lot of functional items that should be dealt with before “beautification”… How about dealing with making 35th safer? How about fixing Delridge… that road is a mess!

Rob July 13, 2012 (11:00 pm)

This is cool, but a zipline? NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

maybe July 13, 2012 (11:56 pm)

I think West Seattle needs jobs. This sort of project could pay off in attracting high-tech employers to the Triangle area.

Ray West July 14, 2012 (5:36 am)

The state, county, city, and the country are in financial crisis, basic needs are barely being met, education funding has been drastically cut, but yes, I think we should spend $250,000 just “to study” putting in a treed boulevard. There are better and less costly ways to upgrade this area, and the existing businesses there could do a much better job of improving and maintaining the areas just outside their properties. Alki Lumber and others are a mess.

KatieH July 14, 2012 (9:15 am)

I’d love a greenway, except that that more critical services need funding.

themightyrabbit July 14, 2012 (9:19 am)

Darn. No bicycle lane. It’s the most direct way to get up to the junction from my neighborhood. Which means backroads instead.

Would happily scrap the center median for something more usable for all road users. Shame. Waste of $250K.

marcus ativalu July 14, 2012 (9:20 am)

very stupid!
so where are the thousands of displaced cars supposed to park?
will you design artards just fix the roads!
yeah ok i get it you can make everything pretty and bike friendly but for just once can you guys just pave some darn roads!!!
i hate what these guys have done to my city!

george July 15, 2012 (10:14 am)

More lipstick on a pig.

Triangle Neighbor July 15, 2012 (10:49 am)

Finally, the city and some residents of West Seattle are getting the picture that if you don’t clean up the entry, no one wants to move their business here. Clean up the stretch and those businesses will have the incentive to do the same. No different than when I go the extra steps to make my home the best on the block and then the whole block got transformed. Clean up the graffiti and low and behold, they stop tagging. If it’s lipstick at first, fine, just apply enough that it makes a difference.