day : 14/10/2014 13 results

Gunfire suspect now in jail and other investigation updates at tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting

(October 9 photo by Christopher Boffoli; suspect Daren Atwood at center, khaki pants)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The man arrested after last Thursday’s gunfire incident near Fairmount Ravine was booked into jail this evening and is charged with a misdemeanor.

That case topped crime updates from Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Jon Flores during tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, held at Hiawatha Community Center (a last-minute move because of a conflict at regular venue The Sanctuary at Admiral).

We had been checking on the suspect’s status; as reported during our coverage on Thursday, he was initially taken to Harborview for a 72-hour mental evaluation. That has since ended and as of this evening, King County Jail records confirm that the suspect, 30-year-old Admiral resident Daren Atwood, is there, charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm, a gross misdemeanor. No bail amount is listed on the jail register so far, but Atwood is due in the city’s Mental Health Court tomorrow, according to online records.

Ahead: Other crime incidents/issues discussed at the meeting, plus two other major topics, including presentations on both preschool-related measures you’ll see on the November 4th ballot:

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Update: West Seattle Transportation Coalition votes to endorse transit-funding measure, but no position on monorail

October 14, 2014 9:06 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Two toplines so far from tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting: WSTC voted to endorse the bus-funding measure on the November 4 ballot, officially Transportation Benefit District Proposition No. 1. And it voted NOT to endorse the monorail measure on the ballot, officially Seattle Citizen Petition No. 1. More to come.

ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: More toplines from the WSTC meeting:

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West Seattle weather: Rainbow before sunset

October 14, 2014 7:41 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks to Carolyn Newman for sharing the beautiful photo from just before tonight’s sunset – she said it’s the first time she’d seen anything like that in 40 years of living on Harbor Avenue!

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Update: About the helicopters near east West Seattle …

October 14, 2014 5:46 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

(Added: Guardian One video from the arrest scene)
5:46 PM: We’re getting a few questions about helicopter activity near east West Seattle. KIRO TV says it’s a search by the 1st Avenue South Bridge related to a stolen car, and that three people have been detained. Aerial pictures show a King County Sheriff’s Office vehicle, so we’re trying to contact KCSO for more information.

6:34 PM: KCSO confirms 3 – all the suspects they had sought – are in custody.

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West Seattle scam alert: Fake ‘City Light’ callers, again

October 14, 2014 4:03 pm

| 8 COMMENTS

| Crime | Utilities | West Seattle news

Thanks to community advocate Tracy Dart for sharing the word that another local business (not hers) has been targeted by the bogus “City Light” telephone-call scam. We’ve reported on versions of this scam at least four times in the past year, most recently here. Bottom line, whether you’re a business or a residence, if you get a phone call from someone claiming you’re facing imminent disconnection, DON’T FALL FOR IT – if you aren’t sure of your billing status, hang up and call the utility directly yourself to check. (And call the police!)

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West Seattle road-work update: 35th SW paving, round 2

October 14, 2014 3:01 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Added: Photo courtesy Deb)
The second round of 35th SW repaving has been accelerated – the Morgan-to-Juneau plan originally mentioned for next week – according to this update just in from SDOT:

Paving crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation are working on 35th Avenue Southwest between Southwest Morgan Street and Southwest Juneau today and tomorrow, weather permitting.

They had planned to close part of the street, leaving one lane open in each direction from 8:30 a.m. 5:30 p.m. each day. They have now decided to keep one southbound lane on 35th Avenue Southwest closed overnight for safety reasons. One southbound lane will remain open. If weather allows, they plan to complete paving the street tomorrow.

P.S. While we’re on the topic of 35th – next week is the meeting launching the safety project, 6:30 pm October 22nd @ Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (backstory here).

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Charge a development fee to encourage ‘affordable housing’? Seattle City Council committee says yes

October 14, 2014 1:45 pm

| 16 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

(Click the image to go to the full-size map on the city website)
Would a new type of development fee lead to more affordable housing in the city? The City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee has just voted in favor of a proposal for a so-called “linkage fee” intended to make that happen. If it became law, it would affect commercial and multifamily development in certain parts of the city, shown on the map above – including parts of West Seattle:

A City Council committee today recommended approval of a plan to create an affordable housing linkage fee to preserve and create affordable housing in Seattle. The resolution directs City departments to develop legislation whereby new construction in multi-family and commercial zones would mitigate the cost of increasing rents by funding housing affordable to those households making $45,000 – $65,000 per year, which is 60% – 80% of area median income (AMI).

“If we want Seattle to be an inclusive city for people of all incomes, then we need to see more housing produced that’s affordable to more people. Up until this point, the market has clearly not given us the housing we need,” said Councilmember Mike O’Brien, chair of the Planning, Land Use and Sustainability Committee and the legislation’s sponsor.

Developers could either pay a per-square-foot fee, which is variable based on project’s location in the city, or avoid the fee by dedicating at least 3% – 5% of the units in their project to households making less than 80% AMI. The money generated from fees would be invested in workforce housing.

“Our expert economic consultants suggest that at this fee level, development would absorb the fees without constricting new supply or significantly raising rents,” Councilmember O’Brien added.

The (above) map illustrates where the linkage fee would be applied in multi-family and commercial development in the city.

Full Council is expected to vote on the resolution on Monday, October 20. Draft legislation for Council consideration is expected by June 1, 2015. The final legislation is anticipated to gradually phase-in over a three year period and would not affect existing projects or new projects with permit applications already submitted.

Additional information about O’Brien’s proposal for an Affordable Housing Linkage Fee in Seattle is available online.

This is separate from the city’s Multi-Family Tax Exemption program, which enables a partial tax exemption on projects that commit to below-market rents for part of their units. The city’s current list of projects in that program includes nine buildings in West Seattle.

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Congratulations! West Seattle Thriftway’s Paul Kapioski accepts Grocer of the Year honors

October 14, 2014 12:42 pm

| 25 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Congratulations to Paul Kapioski, owner of West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) in Morgan Junction, just honored as the Washington Food Industry Association‘s 2014 Grocer of the Year. The award was announced in a surprise presentation at the store this morning; Kapioski said his staffers are the people who “make the store happen”:

WFIA says the award is given for “lifetime commitment to the independent grocery industry and exemplification of business leadership.” WS Thriftway celebrated its 25th anniversary just last year. The store’s ongoing campaign of community giving includes donations to the West Seattle Food Bank as well as summer-long series of benefit barbecues every year, with proceeds going to community nonprofits.

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West Seattle Tuesday: Pink & Blues; child safety; Sealth PTSA; Admiral, Fauntleroy councils; WS Transportation Coalition; more

October 14, 2014 11:24 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle Tuesday: Pink & Blues; child safety; Sealth PTSA; Admiral, Fauntleroy councils; WS Transportation Coalition; more

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(October 7th photo by Ilona Berzups – see it full-size on Flickr)
The photo (Kim Archer on guitar, Polly O’Keary on bass) is from last week’s edition of tonight’s spotlight event – Blues to Do, Tuesday nights at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), is spotlighting female blues musicians all month long during Breast-Cancer Awareness Month (therefore, the theme “Pink & Blues”). Tonight’s announced lineup: Kim Archer, Patti Mey, Kelli, Teri Anne Wilson, Erin Rubin-Tate, Marilyn Beebee, Sheryl Clark, and Antoinette Truzito, 8 pm. (6451 California SW)

Also ahead for today/tonight:

WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRAS: Second week of the season; new prospective members welcome. Rehearsals are at various times, starting at 5:30 pm, at Chief Sealth International High School – details in our calendar listing. (2600 SW Thistle)

FREE CHILD-SAFETY WORKSHOP: 6 pm tonight, “Savvy Parents/Safe Kids,” all invited, at Hope Lutheran School. Details in our calendar listing. (42nd/Oregon)

CRIME STATS, PRESCHOOL BALLOT MEASURES @ ANA: Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Jon Flores is on the agenda for tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, as is a discussion of the two preschool-money measures on the November ballot (ANA president David Whiting elaborated on that in this comment). 7 pm, The Sanctuary at Admiral. (42nd/Lander)

WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: Will the West Seattle Transportation Coalition endorse Seattle Transportation Benefit District Proposition 1? That’s the big agenda item tonight, 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)

TUESDAY TUNEUP FUNDRAISER: Starting at 6:30 pm, enjoy live music at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) with a chance to donate to Cancer Lifeline in tonight’s Tuesday Tuneup. (1936 Harbor SW)

CHIEF SEALTH PTSA: 7 pm in the school library at Chief Sealth International High School, get to know this year’s “community partners”! Details on the PTSA website. (2600 SW Thistle)

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm tonight, the Fauntleroy Community Association has its regular board meeting (all welcome) at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. Long list of agenda topics including plans in the works for a community-wide meeting about traffic issues. (9131 California SW)

COLLAGE WORKSHOP: Also at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, a collage workshop at 7 pm – sign-up info is in our calendar listing, so check ASAP to see if there’s still room. (9131 California SW)

NEED LEGAL ADVICE? Free community clinic @ Senior Center of West Seattle, appointments starting at 7 – our calendar listing includes info on how to get one. (Oregon/California)

MORE NIGHTLIFE: Bingo, karaoke, trivia, more music – and quilting! Lots of listings on our calendar.

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No, it’s not the storm: City Light maintenance outage in Fauntlee Hills

October 14, 2014 10:33 am

| Comments Off on No, it’s not the storm: City Light maintenance outage in Fauntlee Hills

| Utilities | West Seattle news

Just got a call from someone wondering – understandably, in light of the overnight weather – if the power’s out in part of Fauntlee Hills right now because of the scheduled maintenance announced last week, or something else. According to the SCL outage map, it’s the start of planned work, and the power will be out for those 50+ homes until early evening.

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West Seattle development: ‘Streamlined design review’ proposals for townhouses at 3811 California

October 14, 2014 9:16 am

| 9 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle housing | West Seattle news

The latest plan for 3811 California SW is advancing, with a plan now in city files for “streamlined design review” (SDR) – which means public comments will be accepted, but there’s no Design Review Board meeting. The site is currently home to Charlestown Court, the brick fourplex that has been rejected twice for landmark status. The proposal, as first reported here in January, is to replace it with four 2-unit townhouse buildings and eight offstreet-parking spaces on the alley. Here’s what architect S+H Works has filed with the city for the SDR process:

(If you can’t see the embedded document, try this link.) If you’re interested in commenting on the proposal, this page on the city website explains how.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stabbing; robbery; stolen stereo, signs

October 14, 2014 9:04 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

Four West Seattle Crime Watch notes this morning:

FIGHT LEADS TO STABBING: Police say “a fight over a bag of pot” was behind a stabbing inside a house in the 8800 block of 36th SW early today. The suspect is 15; the victim, 26, and expected to survive the wound to the torso. Police say additional details on this might be available later in the day.

PHONE ROBBERY: We’re hoping to find out more about this too; it hasn’t shown up in online records yet, but we have a reader report, from Jennifer, of another street robbery over a smartphone, Monday morning around 8:20 am at Delridge/Croft. The victim was a teenage girl and the robber is reported to have flashed a gun.

ALKI CAR PROWL: Also a reader report, from Ryan: Sometime Sunday or Monday, a Honda Prelude was broken into in the 6100 block of SW Stevens, and $2500 worth of stereo equipment was stolen, described as “a Pioneer AVH P3200BT with two JBL 10″ 1000w subs and 2 Kenwood amps.”

YARD SIGNS STOLEN: Three weeks until Election Day, and we’ve had multiple reports of yard-sign theft. Yes, it’s illegal. Might just backfire; one victim writing in the WSB Forum says it’s made them mad enough to step up their donations for the cause espoused by the stolen signs.

P.S. Live or work in the Admiral area? Crime/safety is on the agenda, with guests from SPD, for tonight’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting – 7 pm, The Sanctuary at Admiral (42nd/Lander).

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday transportation watch

October 14, 2014 6:21 am

| Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday transportation watch

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Welcome to Tuesday! Notes as we start our traffic watch:

SIDEWALK ALERT IN THE JUNCTION: Last time we checked on Monday, it hadn’t started yet, but the contractor for the California/Alaska/42nd two-building project has warned that it will be putting up new covered walkways this week, and while the work is under way, sidewalks will be closed alongside its site on California and Alaska. The alert says the work should be done by week’s end.

WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: Monthly meeting tonight, 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center, with a big decision to be made – endorse Seattle Transportation Benefit District Proposition 1 or not?

REMEMBER, THE VIADUCT … will be closed 6 am-6 pm both days this weekend, as part of an intricate Highway 99 closure scenario detailed here.

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