West Seattle, Washington
13 Tuesday
(Added: 3050 Avalon site, photographed Friday morning)
Another chapter in the saga of 3050 Avalon Way, a vacant lot proposed for a 104-unit microhousing building. As reported here in September of last year, it was one of two West Seattle microhousing projects told that it would either have to make changes or go through Design Review as a full-fledged apartment buillding. That was the result of a Department of Planning and Development interpretation related to a lawsuit involving a Capitol Hill microhousing building. Less than two months later, we reported that the developer planned to make the changes that would keep the 104 units from being considered as separate apartments.
Subsequently, the nearby neighborhood group Seattle Neighbors Encouraging Reasonable Development asked the city for an interpretation on whether the city would view the plan as 104 apartments or 14 – and today’s Land Use Information Bulletin brought the notice of that interpretation, summarized this way:
The question raised for interpretation was whether the 104 bedrooms in the proposed building should be regulated as separate dwelling units. Each of the bedrooms has a private bathroom. Early versions of the plans showed counters with sinks in each bedroom, outside the bathroom, but those features were eliminated before the plans were approved. The interpretation concludes that the individual bedrooms are not designed and arranged as separate dwelling units, and that the proposed building is appropriately regulated as a 14-unit apartment building based on the plans as modified.
See the full interpretation here.
We first made note of a potential project on this site three years ago, when it appeared on our “West Seattle development in the works” map as a “14-unit boarding house.” Along with the 104 “sleeping rooms,” the newest plan set for the building continues to show it without offstreet parking – not required because it is in a “frequent transit” area (with RapidRide running along Avalon) – and with a basement level plus 6 stories and a “mezzanine” top level.
Accompanying the interpretation today is a key land-use approval for the project, a determination of environmental non-significance (“environmental” in land-use decisions includes factors such as traffic and noise). You can read that decision here. Its publication opens a two-week appeal period; anyone who wants to appeal the “interpretation” can only do that in connection with an appeal of this approval. The process of filing an appeal is explained here.
While the repaving work in the 1300 to 1700 blocks of Alki Avenue SW has wrapped up (we drove through this evening to verify, about eight hours after taking the photo above), the Beach Drive work that was supposed to start has instead slid back a bit. SDOT says it’ll start tomorrow:
Seattle Department of Transportation crews will pave Beach Drive Southwest between Southwest Spokane Street and Southwest Orleans Street, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, on Friday, Aug. 7 and again on Tuesday, Aug. 11. During this time, the street will be closed to through traffic but open for local access. People may enter and exit driveways, but they may need to wait at times for up to 15 minutes. On-street parking will be restricted in the work area. Due to equipment issues, the schedule for this paving project has been changed from its original schedule for Aug.6-Aug.7.
6:45 PM: If you’re not already at Hiawatha Community Center park – grab a folding chair and get over to the east lawn while blues/folk/rock artist Star Anna is onstage! Her show is the third of six in this year’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series (presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association with co-sponsors including WSB), on until about 8 pm, along Walnut south of Lander.
7:03 PM: Added a quick Instagram clip (mouse over the image to find the “play” button); more photos/video later. She’s warming up, as she put it, with solo songs, and says her band will join in after the upcoming break – “then you can really start dancing,” she said, perhaps to the small children swarming in front of the stage.
Good crowd here as usual but still lots of room to pull up your own corner of the lawn and settle in for some good music.
7:49 PM: One more Instagram clip, from Star Anna’s rockin’ set with the band.
ADDED: A full song, above, and a few photos inline. Next week, Modern Relics (August 13th).
Maybe you saw the flyby too – Rosie asked about it via the WSB Facebook page, almost concurrently with that photo arriving in the WSB inbox courtesy of Keefe Leung. That was the Europe-based Breitling Jet Team, which performed at Seafair last weekend, leaving around 4:45 today. Keefe reports, “They did a couple photo-op passes in formations with the downtown skyline before continuing north.” They fly seven Czech-made L-39C Albatros jets; read about the team here. Next stop: Abbotsford, British Columbia.
If you were waiting for the third round of primary-election results – it’s in. For Seattle City Council District 1 (Seattle/South Park), Lisa Herbold‘s lead over Shannon Braddock has widened to more than 300 votes. Phillip Tavel is a relatively distant third:
Herbold – 30.07% – 4870 votes
Braddock – 27.97% – 4530 votes
Tavel – 18.07% – 2926 votes
Top two go to the November general-election ballot. We’ll be adding more results-update notes shortly.
Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
BAIL INCREASED FOR VANDALISM SUSPECT: We reported early Wednesday on 31-year-old Yonas Berhane, arrested near California/Raymond after allegedly vandalizing at least 10 vehicles and harassing/threatening people. At a hearing this morning in a King County Jail courtroom, Berhane’s bail was increased to $10,000, and additional charges were filed, according to the docket – he now faces two charges of harassment and eight charges of vandalism. He is due back in court on August 17th.
TODDLER’S STREET SIGN STOLEN: You wouldn’t expect to see a street sign for Corliss Avenue in West Seattle – it’s way up by Northgate. If you do, it might be the one Justin is looking for:
Last night, someone walked off with our decorative street sign (purchased from the city of Seattle). Our son shares the name.
It happened in the southeast Gatewood area. If you find/see it … let us, and police, know!
(ADDED: WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
2:29 PM: A major Seattle Fire response is on the way to the 3700 block of Beach Drive [map] for a rescue response – a report of an overturned kayak, 300 yards offshore. Units are being sent by land and sea. More to come.
2:37 PM: A fireboat is reported to be making contact with a kayaker and trying to determine if anyone is actually in need of help.
2:42 PM: The Coast Guard subsequently reported that another kayaker might have helped someone in trouble, but right now it’s being concluded there is no (longer an) emergency. Some of the responding units are being dismissed.
2:47 PM: Our crew is there now and has been told the same thing on shore – one paddler assisted another and everyone is OK now.
(ADDED 1:06 PM: WSB photo)
Thanks to the tipster who let us know about a crash at 8th south of Barton. We just got to the scene; 8th remains blocked south of Barton while tow trucks are awaited. Police tell us one person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The tipster says a Route 131 bus has been stuck at the scene too.
Four food-and-drink-related West Seattle biznotes:
QUADRATO CLOSES: Michael sent the photo and wondered about the status of Quadrato at 4302 SW Oregon, saying it hadn’t been open for a few days. We e-mailed proprietor Cary Kemp, who confirms this morning: “Due to the recent addition of two West Seattle eateries offering the same menu items within a stone’s throw of Quadrato, we have been forced to shutter our establishment. We are grateful to our customers who supported us the last 2 years and thank you all for keeping us in business.” Kemp also owns Pizzeria 22 in The Admiral District, which WILL continue in operation. Quadrato opened in October 2013.
RENOVATIONS AT HARRY’S CHICKEN JOINT: We heard from a few people worried about Harry’s Chicken Joint at 6032 California SW, closed and papered. Just a TEMPORARY closure, we’re told by proprietor Bruce Cougan, who says it’s a round of renovations they’ve been planning for months. “We wanted to paint the whole place, including the back prep areas. We are also repairing one reach-in and adding another. The countertop is getting replaced and we are adding new touches to the dining room and removing the large table.” They’ll be done and ready to reopen in another week.
WEST SEATTLE BREWING COMPANY: We’re asked periodically about the 4415 Fauntleroy SW establishment that had just reopened after one mystery closure, only to shut down again on June 22nd, when King County ordered it to close for “operating without a valid permit.” You might have noticed work going on there again; on the WSBC Facebook page, owner Drew answered a “When are you reopening?” question on FB with “We’ve hesitated to provide any kind of timeline, because the timelines we have been given are vague at best & between 3 separate government entities, rarely, if ever accurate. Last thing we want is to put any of you through the repeated disappointment & frustrations we’ve had to & continue to crawl through. If it were as simple as picking a date, I promise we most certainly would have done so, & of course would have passed along that information to all as well. Instead, bureaucracy, or “beer-ocracy” as we call it, continues to be a battle, of which very little is in our control.”
FROM JUICE TO NAILS: The ex-Jamba Juice space at Westwood Village, empty a year and a half, will be the new home of NK Nails, moving from its current spot next to Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) elsewhere in WWV. We’d received a tip to that effect a while ago; now it’s confirmed by a construction-permit application and other documents in the Department of Planning and Development files.
Last night, we mentioned a barge full of trash including tsunami debris was expected at Waste Management Northwest‘s South Park dock in time for a media event tomorrow morning. Looks like it’ll be there in plenty of time:
Steve just sent these photos from the low bridge as a barge matching the WMNW photos went through, headed southbound on the Duwamish River:
Here’s more backstory – including some details we didn’t have in last night’s story – the barge is the Dioskouroi.
Forecast for tonight – “mostly clear”! Good news for the outdoor events on our list of highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
DELRIDGE GROCERY COOP FARM STAND: We’re welcoming the Delridge Grocery Cooperative Farm Stand as a new WSB sponsor, as they get ready for this week’s session – fresh-picked vegetables and fruit, in partnership with The Little Red Hen Project. Visit the farm stand to see what’s fresh this week, and meet more of your neighbors! 4-7 pm in the Super 24 parking lot. (5455 Delridge Way SW)
ROOT BEER FLOATS @ DELRIDGE CC: From the summer brochure for Seattle Parks, the Delridge Community Center Advisory Council is offering you a treat tonight – root-beer floats and games, 6-7 pm. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
STAR ANNA AT SUMMER CONCERTS @ HIAWATHA: 6:30 pm on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, West Seattle-based star musician Star Anna takes the stage in the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s concert series. Free; bring chair, blanket, family, friends, picnic … (Walnut/Lander)
3RD DESIGN REVIEW FOR 4515 41ST SW: 6:30 pm, upstairs at the Senior Center of West Seattle, the memory-care center planned at 4515 41st SW is back before the Southwest Design Review Board. Public-comment opportunity included – review the design packet and other info here, then come see the presentation. (Oregon/California)
HIGH POINT & ALASKA JUNCTION ‘FOCUS GROUP’: Live/work in High Point? The Junction? Both areas’ crime/policing are at centerstage at tonight’s researcher-led “focus group” at the Southwest Precinct – backstory here; 6:30-7:30 pm. (2300 SW Webster)
JIM PAGE @ C & P: 7-9 pm at WSB sponsor C & P Coffee Company, see and hear the musician once called “a lyrical genius with a guitar.” (5612 California SW)
EMMET CAHILL @ YOUNGSTOWN: Irish singer and former Celtic Thunder member Emmet Cahill performs a solo concert at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 8 pm – details in our calendar listing. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
HEY! That’s not everything. Look here.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:30 AM: All’s quiet on the traffic front so far. Alerts and Throwback Thursday photo to come.
7:44 AM: Today’s alerts:
SW ORCHARD AT DELRIDGE: For Seattle Public Utilities‘ project at Delridge/Orchard – “Between Thursday, August 6 and Tuesday, August 11, SPU crews will grind, pave, and stripe SW Orchard Street. This work will require the closure of the westbound lane on SW Orchard Street (east of Delridge Way SW). The westbound lane will be opened to traffic during non-work hours. During the closure, all westbound traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lane with the assistance of a traffic flagger.”
ALKI AVENUE & BEACH DRIVE PAVING: Lane closures are expected between 7 am and 7 pm for the SDOT paving project announced for Alki SW between the 1300 and 1700 blocks and for Beach Drive/61st/Spokane.
ADDED 7:59 AM – TRAFFIC THROWBACK THURSDAY: A century ago, in the 3100 block of Admiral Way:
That’s from the Seattle Municipal Archives – click the image to go to a page with a larger view. If the numbering is the same, that would have been right about here, toward the bottom of the east Admiral hill.
No revelations Wednesday night when the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board was briefed about the Admiral Way Safety Project, but the briefing did contain a few small updates.
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