WSB Q/A with the mayor: #4 – ‘No parking, there’s transit’
“I think we need to take a look at that.”
We heard that response a few times during our recent one-on-one interview with Mayor Ed Murray, including when we asked about a development-related issue that has roiled some neighborhoods around the city, including here in West Seattle: No offstreet parking required for housing built within a few blocks of “frequent transit.” That’s led to plans including the just-approved 6917 California SW 30-apartments, no-parking-spaces building whose land-use sign drew a frustrated scrawl last fall:
The no-parking (or handful-of-spaces) trend has been especially noticeable in the medium-sized projects lately, such as 40 units and 5 spaces at 4439 41st SW. But even as the city says “OK, there’s frequent transit, you can do it,” the transit agency – Metro – is warning of cuts. So, we asked the mayor, what does he think about the city allowing parking-free projects without being able to guarantee transit availability?
Previous installments in our Q/A with the mayor:
Question #1 – West Seattle Bridge traffic
Question #2 – SPD’s not-yet-activated surveillance cameras
Question #3 – About that alley vacation …
West Seattle restaurant owner Eduardo Morales-Cardenas pleads guilty to two stolen-property charges
Almost five months after being charged with trafficking in stolen liquor, Puerto Vallarta Restaurant owner Eduardo Morales-Cardenas has pleaded guilty to two charges. We have been checking the online files weekly and found out today that he appeared before Judge Monica Benton yesterday afternoon to enter the pleas: Guilty to one count of first-degree trafficking in stolen property, guilty to one count of attempted trafficking in stolen property. In the documentation, he acknowledges buying what he said he knew was alcohol stolen from Safeway and QFC; he was arrested last September, but charges weren’t filed until November. Morales-Cardenas is scheduled for sentencing on April 11th before Judge Carol Schapira; the prosecution, which says they found no prior criminal history for him, is recommending a sentence of 364 days in work release/electronic home detention.
Checking on the status of the others who were charged at the same time, accused of stealing and selling liquor in the same case, here’s what court documents show: One co-defendant, Eric Olson, also pleaded guilty yesterday and will be sentenced at the same April 11th hearing; a 43-month sentence will be recommended. Another, Amber Vincent, pleaded guilty last month to organized retail theft and trafficking in stolen property, and was sentenced to three months of work release; Shaye Glenn-Nitschke also pleaded guilty last month, to one charge, and was released from jail because he’d served more time than he had been sentenced to. A fourth defendant, Michael Jensen, is scheduled for a plea hearing next week.
West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 local phone stores burglarized
Two West Seattle stores focused mostly on phone sales are taking stock today after overnight burglaries. We heard this morning about the AT&T store in Morgan Junction getting hit, and before we could publish a story, we found out that Sound Advice, the Verizon dealer in The Junction, had an overnight break-in too. So far, it appears that store suffered the most extensive losses – virtually cleaned out, manager Mike Ellis told us when we stopped in a little while ago, even the monitor in the window that played promotional videos. They are open, but it’ll take them a day or so to recover on inventory; they are still taking stock. As for the AT&T store, Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson told us it too was taking stock after initially reporting a window was broken and about half a dozen phones taken from a display. Jana tweeted this photo after passing by early this morning:
No word so far if the two break-ins are believed to have been the work of the same burglars; in both cases, as you can see in the photos, they smashed glass doors to get in.
Happening now: ‘Vactoring’ cleanup at Fauntleroy ex-substation
After cutting trees as part of a soil cleanup at two of West Seattle’s six “surplus” ex-substations, over the objections of community advocates including the WS Green Space Coalition, City Light said it would try a different technique at the Fauntleroy and Genesee Hill sites – “vactoring” contaminated soil in a way that WSGSC was told should make cleanup possible without destroying the trees. Thanks to a reader tip, we learned this work is happening at the Fauntleroy site (just around the corner from the Endolyne business district-let) right now. Meantime, as noted in our most recent report, the Green Space Coalition is continuing to advocate for a larger community role in determining the sites’ future – rather than what has been the usual past path of seeing them sold for housing development. City Light has said it could send disposition-plan legislation to the City Council – which has the final say – as soon as the third quarter of this year.
Walk, run, ride, roll along Harbor Avenue? Curb-ramp work soon
You might have noticed preparation for this work – and now we have details: SDOT is putting in curb ramps at two spots on Harbor Avenue SW:
Starting the week of March 31, Seattle Department of Transportation crews will be installing curb ramps at two locations with marked crosswalks on the Alki Trail in West Seattle. The curb ramps will improve safety and accessibility for everyone using these crosswalks.
One of the crosswalks is located at Harbor Avenue Southwest and California Way Southwest. The other is a midblock crosswalk on Harbor Avenue Southwest near the Don Armeni Boat Ramp. The crews expect to complete the work by the middle of April.
The city’s announcement continues ahead: Read More
West Seattle Wednesday: Highland Park Action Committee; live in-store at Easy Street; poems/stories at C & P
World Water Week continues at Chief Sealth International High School – teacher Noah Zeichner shares that photo from an art project that is part of today’s student conference on plastic pollution, this year’s theme (“Don’t Throw the World Away”). No public events today, but what the students are learning will certainly reverberate in our community in the years ahead.
Meantime, some of what’s happening elsewhere in West Seattle today/tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
HIGH POINT SUMMER RESOURCE FAIR: Early-release day at school is the occasion for this 2-4 pm event with info on options for what youth can do this summer. Details in our calendar listing. At Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. (6400 Sylvan Way)
SUPERSUCKERS @ EASY STREET: 6 pm, live in-store performance at Easy Street Records by Seattle’s own Supersuckers. (California/Alaska)
LASER OPEN HOUSE: Well Medical Arts (WSB sponsor) invites you to visit for an open house about SmartSkin (CO2) Laser rejuvenation. 6-8 pm. (9025 35th SW)
HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: Tonight’s agenda – 7 pm meeting after 6:30 pm potluck – shared by co-chair Carolyn Stauffer:
*Homestead Community Land Trust:* We’ve been getting inquiries about properties for sale around the neighborhood with “Homestead” signs, so we’ve invited a guest speaker from Homestead Community Land Trust to come tell us what they do (www.homesteadclt.org).
*Neighborhood Park and Street Fund:* overview the projects submitted for grants in our district
*Highland Park Playground:* A Seattle Parks representative will be present to update us on the schedule for the Opportunity Fund Grant awarded to the park to create better access from 10th Ave and Thistle Street.
*HPIC Courtyard*: come hear and see what’s going on…. and help us name the new space!
We’ll also have some folks speaking about the *Tree Ambassador Program*, and the *Green Home Tour* coming up in April.
The meeting is at Highland Park Improvement Club. (12th/Holden)
POETRY & STORYTELLING: The monthly event is back at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm – details in our calendar listing. (5612 California SW)
West Seattle biznotes: Amante Pizza announces new interim location; U-Frame-It update
ORIGINAL REPORT, 10:19 AM: Starting today, Amante Pizza and Pasta is operating temporarily out of Bamboo Grill on Alki, according to the two establishments’ owner. We first reported in December that 3239 California SW, home to Amante and U-Frame-It, was slated for demolition to make way for townhouses/single-family houses on the site; one month ago, U-Frame-It announced it was seeking a new location, and now we’ve heard for the first time about Amante’s plans. Owner Plamen Stoyanov says, “We will continue to serve our customers regular hours (11 am-11 pm) every day. The phone number stays the same, 206-933-7555. This is just temporary and we are looking for a new place!”
ADDED 2:49 PM: After publishing this, we went over to check with U-Frame-It. They say they have found a new location, at Jefferson Square, but they don’t have a moving date set yet.
More microhousing for Avalon: 3268 SW Avalon Way, next to almost-complete building
Brand-new in the city’s building-permit application file: A microhousing building proposed for 3268 SW Avalon Way, next to the one that is being finished at 3266 Avalon, with the 35th/Avalon 7-11 on its other side. There’s a four-plex on the site now (top photo); documents available online say it will be replaced with what is described as a “new 7-unit apartment building with 56 sleeping suites.” The “7-unit” description would refer to shared kitchens – 8 sleeping rooms for every kitchen. A site plan on file adds one more line of description – a five-story building atop a “pedestal story.” At least one of the people listed on the documents visible so far, Randall Spaan, has been involved with other microhousing developments – including the one next door.
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates & notes
(WS Bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:12 AM: Welcome to Wednesday; our traffic/transit watch is on.
EARLY DISMISSAL FOR SPS: Two-hour early dismissal today for Seattle Public Schools.
WEST SEATTLE WATER TAXI: Thanks to Carolyn Newman for this view of the WSWT under the Tuesday afternoon rainbow:
The WSWT will be back to seven-day-a-week operation in just a week and a half, starting Monday, April 7th. You can preview the schedule toward the bottom of this page.
8:26 AM: Steve reports in comments, “There is a disabled SUV in the right lane on the Spokane ST Viaduct right at the I-5 North exit. Not causing problems when I passed it.” Your editor here is about to catch a ride downtown for today’s court proceedings so we’ll see firsthand if any trouble has ensued.
Morgan Junction murder-trial defense continues with five witnesses in one day, from SPD to DNA
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Between the start and finish of proceedings on Tuesday, five witnesses had spent time testifying for the defense at the murder trial of Lovett “Cid” Chambers – one of his friends, one of his relatives, a bartender, a DNA analyst, and a police officer.
Tuesday began with cross-examination resuming for the defendant’s older sister Betty Wynne. Prosecutor Mari Isaacson first offered something of an apology for the concluding moments on Monday, when Wynne seemed distressed and confused by the questioning.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” she offered.
Wynne, for her part, again contended she hadn’t opened up to the prosecution during an earlier phone interview “because I didn’t know you and I don’t usually talk about family things over the phone, and I really didn’t know who I was talking to …”
Regardless, Isaacson had to press on, so she did, somewhat gently, while Wynne replied somewhat more testily than the day before.
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