West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
9:31 PM: Just wrapped up at Highland Park Improvement Club, the first forum of a campaign season which will result in West Seattle/South Park electing its first District 1 City Councilmember. Participating were the four candidates who have officially declared so far – from left to right in our photo below, Phillip Tavel, George Capestany, Amanda Kay Helmick, and Chas Redmond.
(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
If you couldn’t be there, you’ll be able to watch it all on video, thanks to Edgar Riebe from West Seattle-based Captive Eye Media, and we’ll publish that in another report when it’s ready.
Thanks to HPIC for allowing us to have the event there, and thanks to the 80 or so people who came from all over the city (including some of the at-large candidates that West Seattleites also will vote on – we noted Councilmember Sally Clark, Bill Bradburd, Alex Tsimerman – sorry if we missed someone). The candidates answered about 20 questions, two-thirds asked by us (many suggested by readers) and one-third in the audience-asked final half-hour, wide variety of topics. Next forum we know of is planned for Saturday morning, March 14, presented by VIEWS – we’ll publish more about it when their official announcement is out.
ADDED 10:56 PM: Thanks to Michael Oxman for a snippet of video – this was a question asked by Hildegard Nichols from the local Green group, asking the candidates about their grass-roots cred.
11:46 AM FRIDAY: First version of the video is up. (Added: Also published to YouTube:)
We still intend to post a separate story later (report #2) with embedded video as well as more text highlights as well and a few additional photos. It should be noted that the filing deadline is still a ways off – May 15th – while the primary election is August 4th.
The first Design Review date is set for the CVS drugstore project at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW. We broke the news of the proposal a year and a half ago; after the initial “site plan” filing, it sat dormant for a while. Then back in December, we talked to a CVS rep who said the project was proceeding but not expected to open this year. Now, it’s on the way to Design Review – tentatively set for a March 19th meeting – and the packet just turned up online. Above is the site layout described as the one preferred by the project team (while not labeled as such, the top square labeled “parking” is the Les Schwab lot, not part of the CVS plan). The project now has two numbers and addresses in the city system, one for the building and west parking at 4722 Fauntleroy Way, one for additional parking off the alley, at 4721 38th SW. Here’s the packet currently in the city system (keep in mind, it might be revised before the meeting next month):
The packet put together by architects Schemata Workshop describes the proposal as “a single-story CVS retail building with a pharmacy and a loading mezzanine. The project will include parking and a drive-through for the pharmacy. Loading will be accommodated in the alley.” That’s the alley east of the 4700 block of Fauntleroy, where the drugstore is planned to replace the building that currently houses West Seattle Produce and the consignment store Suite Arrangements. While the site is primarily zoned for development up to 85 feet high, the packet notes that there is a covenant for no building higher than 30 feet. It also notes that the land is being leased, not bought. The Design Review schedule says this project will take up both potential meeting slots on March 19th, starting at 6:30 pm.
SIDE NOTE: If you missed the earlier coverage, the West Seattle plan is part of CVS’s expansion into this state; it has stores open now in Burien and Renton, and others planned in Seattle including Wallingford and lower Queen Anne – some of those designs are shown in the packet you can browse above.
If you follow WSB on Twitter and/or Facebook, you might already have seen that photo; we posted it while in transit this morning, after stopping on Harbor Avenue for this rescue in process, which only lasted a moment. We were en route to a potential breaking story and couldn’t stop to find out what happened – nor did we see what preceded this, just that it looked like a young seagull, hurt or at least stunned, and that the person in the green jacket knelt to pick it up, and carried it off to the water side of Harbor, by Seacrest Park’s east end. If you are the person in the photo and/or know what happened, consider a comment, or e-mailing us – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you.
P.S. If you aren’t sure what to do if you encounter injured wildlife – in response to this photo, Lesley tweeted this link to info from PAWS.
A reader question last week resulted in this short story about work starting soon on pedestrian and drainage improvements along the north end of Delridge Way. SDOT promised more information – and now we have it:
Beginning Monday, February 16, SDOT will begin construction to build curb ramps at the intersection of Delridge Way SW and SW Andover Street, widen the sidewalk along the east side of Delridge Way SW and install storm drainage improvements. This project will help improve safety and access for all roadway users in the neighborhood.
Crews have set up construction barriers near the work area to facilitate the installation of new Seattle City Light poles. Leading up to construction, you will see increased pre-construction activities, construction equipment and crews, and placement of temporary “No Parking” signs.
Below is information regarding the construction schedule and impacts that will take place in the project area. Please note that this schedule is dependent on weather and may change.
2/16 – 3/6 Construction will start at the intersection of SW Andover Street and Delridge Way SW as crews remove existing asphalt and install new storm drainage and curb ramps. You can expect curb lane restrictions, parking restrictions, transit stop relocations, pedestrian and bicycle detours around the work area.
3/9 – 3/27 Work begins north of SW Andover Street to extend the sidewalk, rebuild the 23rd Avenue SW/Delridge Way SW intersection, and install storm drainage. You can expect temporary driveway and parking restrictions, lane restrictions, and pedestrian detours around the work area. Access to the West Seattle Bridge Trail will occasionally be restricted; bicyclists and pedestrians may detour around construction activity via 23rd Avenue SW or use an alternate route. At times, 23rd Avenue SW at Delridge Way SW will be closed to through traffic. Local access will be maintained. We will provide additional advance notification before driveway access is restricted.
More information on the project background, funding and schedule can be found at the project webpage at seattle.gov/transportation/DelridgeImprovements.htm. Construction information will be posted here as it becomes available.
As for construction itself, during this work you can expect:
· Temporary driveway closures of up to 7 days; advance notice will be provided
· Closure of 23rd Avenue SW at Delridge Way SW
· Parking and lane restrictions near the work area
· Construction during normal work hours, between 7 AM and 6 PM, with possible weekend work
· Noise, dust and vibration associated with concrete removal and paving
· Impacts to bus stops
· Restricted access to the West Seattle Bridge Trail (see note above)
· Pedestrian and bicycle detoursWe expect construction will be complete in April 2015, depending on weather.
(Tree silhouetted against the fog, photographed by Long Bach Nguyen near High Point Library last weekend)
Two months in the making – with the candidate lineup changing up to the last minute – tonight’s the night for the first District 1 City Council forum. That starts our look ahead to tonight, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar!
DISTRICT 1: FIRST LOOK: 6:30 pm doors, 7-8:30 pm forum at Highland Park Improvement Club – WSB is presenting the first candidates’ forum of the history-making first-ever District 1 City Council race. Voters approved a monumental change, 7 district-elected councilmembers and 2 at-large as of this year, instead of all 9 at-large, and now we see how that changes city leadership. As of right now, four candidates are vying for the West Seattle/South Park spot – in order of declaration, Chas Redmond, Amanda Kay Helmick, George Capestany, Phillip Tavel – and this is your first chance to see and hear them on a shared stage. (12th/Holden, with overflow parking suggested at Riverview Playfield a block north)
DESIGN REVIEW X 2: Two developments are on the Southwest Design Review Board agenda tonight: 6:30 pm, the fourth review for 4505 42nd SW; 8 pm, the second review – six years after the first one – for 4106 Delridge Way SW. Both are mixed-use projects; click either aforementioned address for a direct link to the “packet” showing you project graphics and information. Both reviews are upstairs at the Senior Center of West Seattle. (Oregon/California)
‘4,000 MILES’ AT ARTSWEST: 7:30 pm curtain for this Pulitzer-nominated dramatic comedy at ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery (WSB sponsor), whose artistic director Mathew Wright is directing. (4711 California SW)
COUNTRY AT THE BENBOW: 9 pm, the Benbow Room bill includes Darci Carlson and Burley Mountain. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
THE REST OF THE CALENDAR … for today, tonight, and beyond is here.
(January 2015 photo by James Bratsanos – cargo ships anchored off Manchester, a holding zone for Tacoma)
Depending on how you interpret what the two sides in the Seattle-and-beyond West Coast dock talks are saying right now, a deal – or a port shutdown – could be close. It’s been more than half a year since the International Longshore and Warehouse Union‘s contract with the terminal operators, under the umbrella of the Pacific Maritime Association, expired. The PMA says it made an offer Wednesday that it calls “all-in” – detailed here. The ILWU describes the two sides as “extremely close” and says it’s “dropped” some issues in hopes of a resolution. But the organizations’ respective statements indicate continuing disagreement over what’s led to loaded freighters waiting at anchor and trucks backing up from the docks – the PMA continues to allege “ILWU slowdowns” while the union alleges the problem is an “employer-caused congestion crisis.” In a video linked from the PMA website, its president James McKenna claimed West Coast ports are as little as a week from “collapse” and says the offer is “as far as we can go at this time.” ILWU president Robert McEllrath, meantime, says, ““Closing the ports at this point would be reckless and irresponsible.”
Spotlight topics at this week’s Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council meeting included how the area’s “urban village” has fared in city spending, plus, potential White Center/North Highline annexation.
(WS high/low bridges and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
The big commute news so far this morning is the rain, which means slow going – be safe.
METRO SURVEY: Among the transportation stories reported in the past day – Metro’s on the road to a long-range plan, and as part of it, invites you to take an online survey. The link’s in our story.
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