West Seattle, Washington
29 Thursday
Three development updates in our continuing coverage of what’s being built/planned:
WEST SEATTLE’S SECOND FOOTPRINT: The second “microhousing” – studio apartments clustered around shared kitchens/gathering spaces – complex to open in West Seattle apparently will carry the same brand as the first. This weekend, 3266 Avalon Way SW – the tall skinny building one door east of the 35th/Avalon 7-11 – appeared online as Footprint Avalon I (the corresponding webpage has been gutted since we saw it Saturday night). That would make it a sibling to Footprint Delridge, the two buildings that started renting recently across from Southwest Youth and Family Services, now now advertised as renting for $855 (with the footnote, “Not aPodments”). To the Avalon I name – that could mean 3050 Avalon Way SW, the only other microhousing project on the drawing board for that apartment-lined street, will turn up as Footprint Avalon II (it’s still in the permit process). Footprint also is behind the microhousing building in the works for 5949 California SW.
JUNCTION FLATS DESIGN: Another doubleheader when the Southwest Design Review Board meets this Thursday night – 3078 Avalon Way at 6:30 pm (as previewed here a week ago), 4433 42nd SW at 8 pm. The latter project, Junction Flats, now has its design packet available for public preview; it’s proposed for 78 apartments, two live-work units, and 52 parking spaces, on the site of three old houses across 42nd from Hope Lutheran.
See the full packet here; public comment is welcome at the meeting, which will be steps away from the project site, Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon).
FROM THE LAND USE INFORMATION BULLETIN: Two decision in on smaller projects previously mentioned here – a four-house project has won land-use approval at 4522 Delridge Way SW; here’s the decision. And the lot split at 3947 SW Kenyon, where two homes are proposed to replace one, has been approved; here’s that decision.
P.S. After a break, work resumes tomorrow (Monday, January 13th) on the California/Alaska/42nd Equity Residential project. There’s still a lot of excavating to do, so the tower crane for that site isn’t due until March.
In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight – we start with two reader reports. First, from Nerissa:
Around 12:15, my house was broken into. We are on the corner of 47th and Andover. [map] My roommate was downstairs watching the game and the people or person must have only been in for a minute or two. They came in through the back door which *was* a half-glass French door with what looks like a crowbar. They took laptops, iPods, iPod chargers, and some jewelry. They may have left out the front door and were quiet and quick. We didn’t notice until I got home since my roommate assumed it was me walking around upstairs.
We checked the SPD map; the burglary rate is back down, eight mapped in the past week in West Seattle.
From Joleen in Westwood:
My bicycle was stolen within the past week. It’s a white women’s bike, 18-speed I think. It was locked to the beam in my carport. The bike lock was cut, likely with bolt cutters. My back gate was left open as well…
If you’re wondering what brought police to West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) this afternoon:
(Photo added 8:57 pm, courtesy Brian Allen)
After a reader tip, we went to check, and learned on scene that it was another case of liquor shoplifting, which has plagued so many stores since privatization. One suspect was taken into custody.
Finally – we got a note from neighbors at 40th/Findlay (map) who wondered if anyone else has been hit by tree vandalism/theft. Three “young trees” were cut down in a planting strip and front yard – not lost to stormy weather, we’re told; saw marks were visible on the stumps. We haven’t heard of any trees targeted since the holidays, in a couple cases that appeared to be thieves seeking free Christmas trees (which they could have instead gotten from at least two local lots that wound up giving away remainders).
Our stormy weekend hasn’t been kind to trees. The one in Benjamin Hutchinson‘s photo, above, toppled onto an Alki sidewalk overnight. Our Saturday coverage showed several cases of sizable trees or branches falling in the wind – bringing down wires in The Junction, mashing a car on 40th SW in Morgan Junction. Trees are a big part of what makes our city so beautiful – Seattle has seven times as many trees as people! – but you might wonder sometimes which one(s) are at risk in the next 45+-mph gust. We took the tree-safety question to arborist Mark Harman from longtime WSB sponsor Stonehedge Tree Experts, who is also a certified tree-risk assessor. Here’s his reply:
With these strong winds recently and the accompanying damage that may result from trees or their parts flying off or falling on your car or home, it makes one take a second look at the large trees around us. Should we be worried about the trees in our yards or the neighbors’ yard? Here is my opinion from a guy who has been working with trees for the last 30 years from Washington to Idaho.
Around here in the Seattle area, it is very unusual for a healthy tree to totally blow over. Of those trees that do blow over or those trees that lose the top part of the tree, almost all of those episodes could have been predicted if an experienced Arborist had looked closely at the tree prior to it falling apart. There are almost always signs on the tree that show its problems. Trees have “body language” – they can tell us if they are sick, hollow, rotten, twisting, failing, or tipping over. We just have to be educated to read those signs.
Every tree species has its own problems:
From new Senior Center of West Seattle board member Nichole Casado, word of two volunteer positions the center needs to fill, fast:
At our recent meeting I learned the Senior Center is in urgent need of a volunteer to pick up food at the Food Bank located at Morgan and 35th and drive it to the Senior Center around 9:30 am every Tuesday. An SUV or regular-sized truck is a large-enough vehicle. The Food Bank has staff to load the vehicle and the Senior Center has folks lined up at drop off for the unload.
Also, the Senior Center is looking for a volunteer who would like to work in the Café on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30-1:30. This person would prep and serve soup-and-sandwich-type meals. Anyone interested in either of these much-needed roles should contact Karen at the West Seattle Senior Center – ksisson@seniorservices.org
The center’s number is 206-932-4044. It’s in The Junction at California/Oregon.
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Totems)
A new round of congratulations today for members of the West Seattle Totems, whose coach Joe Matter shares periodic updates – like this one, including news of state-championship winners and national-level competition ahead:
The West Seattle Totems, the junior rifle team located at West Seattle Stadium, wrapped up a successful December schedule of 4 matches.
The US Army sponsored the Washington State Air Rifle Qualifier in West Seattle, where 19 members of the Totems competed in a 60-shot standing match. Alec Patajo led the field with a 573 out of a possible 600 point to win the state individual championship. The Thunderbirds, consisting of Alec Patajo, Corinne Blair, Casey Iwamoto, and Owen Yeasting, shot a combined score of 2238 to finish 2nd in the state and 11th in the country. Alec will receive an invite to the finals to be held in Ft Benning, Georgia, at the home of the Army Marksmanship Unit. The Thunderbirds missed a team invite by just a few points.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program sponsored the Washington State Three Position Air Rifle Championship, also held in West Seattle. The Thunderbird team won the state title, shooting a 2304 out of a possible 2400 points. The win guarantees an invite to the regional championships to be held in Layton, Utah, in April. The Chiefs, consisting of Sierra Avril, Jack Ellis, Sumner Ames, and Katelynn Brown, shot a 2236 to finish 4th in the event. Alec Patajo shot a 583 to capture the state individual championship.
USA Shooting, the Olympic governing body of the shooting sports, sponsored two matches in December:
(Micro-scene in Schmitz Park, photographed by Machel Spence)
Happy Sunday! Today’s calendar is a little busier:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Year-round – 10 am-2 pm today; see the produce calendar here, but remember it’s more than produce. Cider, meat, fish, baked goods, cheese … (44th/Alaska)
REMODELING/CUSTOM-BUILDING WORKSHOP: 2 pm at Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor), free workshop – but call to see if there’s room, and if there’s not, get on the list for the next one! (California/Findlay)
STRAUSS, DEBUSSY, CHOPIN, PIAZZOLA … are the composers whose work is set to be featured today at 3 pm, West Seattle (Admiral) Branch Library, by the Ladies Musical Club. Free concert! (2306 42nd SW)
WEST SEATTLE GREEN SPACE COALITION: 3 pm, Delridge Branch Library. As most recently mentioned here, this is the citizens’ coalition asking Seattle City Light for more time to be part of determining the best plan for the future of former substation sites in West Seattle and vicinity. All welcome. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
COOK SOMETHING FRENCH … and bring it to today’s West Seattle Cooking Club meetup, 3 pm at Beveridge Place Pub. (6413 California SW)
GO SWIMMING! Various public swim sessions are on the Sunday schedule at Southwest Pool. (2801 SW Thistle)
You’ve seen the pups onshore, you’ve seen the adults briefly peek from the water before submerging … but unless you’re a diver, you just don’t get this kind of look at harbor seals. The occasion was somber – “Diver Laura” James was back off Seacrest, checking on the dying sea-star population – but she and her diving companion were delighted by the harbor seals who joined them, as their video shows. While to the untrained eye, the seals might seem to be looking for something they’re just not finding, Laura says that’s not it at all: “Very typical for the West Seattle harbor seals. They were hunting for the little golden fish that are illuminated by our dive lights. They’ve learned through the years that divers are great as ‘hunting assistants’ and they utilize our dive lights to help them capture shiner perch for dinner. They actually teach their offspring (or the smaller seals) to do it.”
As for the sea stars – no good news, nor even answers, yet; separate update to come.
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