day : 04/01/2015 7 results

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Arbor Heights already has two school-construction projects under way – and might soon have a third.

Reviewing city permit application files today, we discovered a just-filed early-stage proposal to remodel and add to what is currently the Jesus Center/Freedom Church building at 35th/Roxbury, in the name of Los Angeles-based Pacific Charter School Development.

The one document publicly visible in the Department of Planning and Development system so far, dated December 31st, is a roughed-out site plan, showing the addition primarily along the Roxbury side of the 2 1/3-acre site.

In addition to the land-use permit filing, we’ve also found a one-month-old LLC filing listing the site’s official address – 9601 35th SW – and listing PCSD’s Washington branch, Washington Charter School Development, as the sole member. The company’s website says it works with charter-school management organizations, so it may not necessarily be the potential operator.

We can’t find any record of a past application for a charter school at this site, or anywhere else in West Seattle, but the next application period is just a month away, opening in mid-February, according to the Washington Charter School Commission website. Of the 10 charter schools approved since a statewide vote legalized them two years ago, the list includes approval for a charter-management organization called Green Dot to open one at an undetermined “South Seattle” site in fall 2016 (added: Green Dot had an informational event in West Seattle last summer). And a charter middle school called Rainier Prep, says it is planning to open in the Highline area this fall, but has no location finalized yet, according to its online FAQ.

Freedom Church bought the site, a former supermarket, for $2.8 million in 2008, according to county records. The 2 1/3-acre site is zoned NC3-40, meaning it could be developed up to four stories, though this proposal mentions only the two-story addition, and renovation of the one-story existing building.

We’ll be following up on this tomorrow, seeking answers to a variety of questions.

SIDE NOTE: The site has four current/future schools within less than a mile – Roxhill Elementary at 30th/Roxbury, the Arbor Heights Elementary rebuild on 104th west of 35th (opening fall 2016), the starting-this-fall campus of Westside School (WSB sponsor) at 37th/104th, and Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) on 28th south of Roxbury.

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West Seattle development: 2015, Year of the Busy Backhoes?

January 4, 2015 6:10 pm

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| Development | West Seattle news

With demolition expected soon at already-approved project sites such as the block-long 3210 California SW and numerous smaller projects, this is likely to be the Year of the Busy Backhoes in West Seattle development, more than another Year of the Crane. Here are recent filings we found in the city permit system:

MORGAN JUNCTION TEARDOWN: 6715 California SW (photo above; map), 97-year-old house. To be demolished and replaced by three single-family houses.

ALKI TEARDOWN: 3054 Alki SW (map), 94-year-old house. To be demolished and replaced by duplex and single-family house.

CHARLESTOWN COURT TEARDOWN: After two rejected landmark nominations, it looks like Charlestown Court, the brick fourplex at 3811 California SW (map), is coming down this time at age 88. To be demolished and replaced by four 2-unit townhouses.

NOT FAR SOUTH OF THERE, ANOTHER CALIFORNIA SW TEARDOWN: 4031 California SW (map), 97-year-old house. One 4-unit rowhouse, one 2-unit townhouse, and one single-family house are planned to replace it after demolition, per the city files, following a lot-boundary adjustment.

BEACH DRIVE TEARDOWN: 6021 Beach Drive SW (map), 89-year-old house. To be demolished and replaced with new single-family house, following recent lot-boundary adjustment that turned three parcels into two.

FAUNTLEROY WAY TEARDOWN: 5008 Fauntleroy Way SW (map), 73-year-old house. We’ve written about this before – but the demolition permit hadn’t been formally applied for at the time. To be demolished and replaced with what’s described as a rowhouse proposal, though only two units are mentioned; this one also follows a lot-boundary adjustment.

NORTH DELRIDGE TEARDOWN: 2838 SW Genesee (map), 35-year-old duplex. To be demolished and replaced by three new houses.

HIGHLAND PARK TEARDOWN: 7621 8th SW (map), 96-year-old house. To be demolished and replaced by a new house.

SIDE NOTE: One teardown of note just outside West Seattle – the eight-years-vacant ex-Wendy’s/ex-Ezell’s/ex-El Chalan on 16th SW south of the White Center business district was demolished on Friday; a 42-unit apartment building is planned for the site.

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Update: Hazmat response at West Seattle’s Southwest Precinct

January 4, 2015 3:19 pm

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| West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(WSB photo: Some of the many SFD units that staged on SW Webster alongside the precinct)
3:19 PM: If you’ve seen the fire units rushing by – it’s a hazardous-materials (hazmat) response to 2300 SW Webster, which happens to be the Seattle Police Southwest Precinct. Updates to come.

3:29 PM: From our crew at the scene as well as scanner traffic: This will all be clearing soon – no hazmat, nobody sick/injured. Someone dropped off an unknown substance at the precinct; turned out, apparently, to be a solvent and/or paint thinner (or something similar), according to early assessment.

P.S. We don’t know the exact circumstances of how/why the substance was brought to the precinct, but if you have “household hazardous waste,” here’s info on how to dispose of it safely.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen truck; stolen/found car; casing

January 4, 2015 1:47 pm

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| Crime | West Seattle news

A truck just stolen in Gatewood tops this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup:

STOLEN TRUCK: Within the past hour or so, a black 2001 Ford Ranger, single cab, Washington plate B74060R, was taken from 37th/Thistle (map) in Gatewood. Its owner says police have already been there to take a report. If you see it, call 911 ASAP.

STOLEN/FOUND CAR: That wasn’t the only daytime car theft this weekend – Rob e-mailed us Saturday mid-afternoon about a blue 1993 Honda Civic taken from in front of his house in the 3300 block of SW 100th (map) in Arbor Heights, and just 20 minutes after his note, before we could even publish an item about it, he e-mailed again to say it had been found (he didn’t say where) and that they were off to retrieve it.

CAR CASING: Around 10:45 am Friday morning, a neighbor on 44th SW between Dakota and Andover (map) saw “three young teenage boys walking down 44th Avenue SW between Dakota and Andover checking all the car/vehicles’ doors. I opened my front door and hollered, ‘I’ve taken your picture,’ and they ran north on 44th.”

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Summer fun starts with winter volunteering! West Seattle Hi-Yu & you

January 4, 2015 12:56 pm

| Comments Off on Summer fun starts with winter volunteering! West Seattle Hi-Yu & you

| West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, July 2013: Hi-Yu float work behind the scenes – it’s not just about parade waves!)
The arrival of January puts us midway between the last round of summer fun and the next one. Festivals, parades, concerts … none of it happens without a lot of planning and preparation, most if not all thanks to volunteers who are busy all year long. If you haven’t jumped in to help yet – maybe this is your year. One of the first opportunities comes tomorrow night, as all-volunteer West Seattle Hi-Yu meets for the first time in 2015, with a big agenda item: Choosing this year’s theme, the one you’ll see on the parade float and benefit buttons. All are welcome, 7 pm at Admiral Congregational Church (4320 SW Hill, just west of California SW), and the announcement from new Hi-Yu president Jay Murray notes, “The new officers are excited with the possibilities of having wonderful events throughout the year for the community. Your participation will help to make it possible.”

Two other/additional ways to get involved as the new year begins:

MEMBERSHIP: Support Hi-Yu by becoming a member, $20/year. (You can even pay online.) Money raised by the nonprofit organization not only supports the events it presents, but also scholarships for the Junior Court (just chosen!) and Senior Court (see below) who serve as its youth ambassadors each year.

SENIOR COURT APPLICATIONS: Students ages 17-22 will be able to apply soon, as applications will be made available for starters via local high schools and South Seattle College (WSB sponsor).

(WSB photo from 2014 West Seattle Grand Parade)
And a P.S. about the float, from Hi-Yu: “The budget for this upcoming year includes a covered trailer for the float. It will be possible to purchase one with the help of the West Seattle Service Clubs as sponsors with their logo printed on the sides of the trailer. This will allow our Hi-Yu float to be able to travel to parades more safely and with less set-up and take-down work for the parades, and advertise the service clubs.” Thanks to Hi-Yu, West Seattle is the last city neighborhood with its own float. Last year (above), the theme honored Hi-Yu’s 80th anniversary; in 2013 (top photo), it was “Alki Deep”; in 2012, “Secret Garden“; in 2011, “Sparkling Seattle“; in 2010, “Dreams Do Come True.” This year? Be there tomorrow night!

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West Seattle Weather Watch: Heavy rain could bring slide risk

January 4, 2015 11:01 am

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| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Though right now it just looks like nothing-out-of-the-ordinary rain, the National Weather Service has a “special weather statement” in effect for our area and much of the region, warning that this could bring two to four inches of rain to the lowlands today and tomorrow. Despite the recent dry spell, the NWS warns, “the predicted rainfall by itself will be enough to raise the landslide risk to ‘moderate’.”

P.S. Think you’re totally slide-savvy? Check this city info-sheet, which includes maps of the 8.4 percent of Seattle that is slide-prone, as well as factoids (January is the month with the highest slide risk). The image at left is taken from that map – the dots show the locations of past slides, while the salmon-shaded areas show what are considered to be “potential slide areas.”

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West Seattle Sunday: What’s up as the weekend winds down

January 4, 2015 6:52 am

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| Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Delridge Skatepark after the rain, December photo by Laura Goodrich, shared via WSB Flickr group)
Good morning! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY SOCCER: Rain, shine, frost, fog, whatever the conditions, this pickup game hits the field, 7:30 am at Delridge Playfield. Check the FB page for updates. (Delridge/Alaska)

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: First Sunday of the year, last Sunday of the year, and all the Sundays inbetween, you’ll find the market open 10 am-2 pm. WSFM says today’s new items will include another egg vendor, spot prawns, and sauerkraut. (44th/Alaska)

WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FAMILY FRISBEE: 11 am is the scheduled weekly game at Walt Hundley Playfield – check here in case of changes. (34th/Myrtle)

SEATTLE GREEN SPACES COALITION: 3 pm at High Point Branch Library, you’re invited to find out what’s going on – maybe even help, if you are so moved – with the grassroots campaign to preserve greenspaces around the city, particularly surplus substations. Details in our preview. (35th/Raymond)

WEST SEATTLE YULETIDE FINALE: Tonight is the last scheduled night for the synched-to-music West Seattle Yuletide holiday-lights show, ~5-10 pm. (38th SW between Genesee and Dakota)

NIGHTLIFE: Trivia, live music, karaoke – see who and where, here.

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