How do West Seattle businesses view our area’s ‘growing pains’? See results of a Chamber of Commerce survey

Last Saturday at the 2016 Gathering of Neighbors, breakout discussion groups included one led by reps from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce – our photo above was taken just as participants were settling in. Before the event, the chamber did a quick online survey of its membership to ask their views of our area’s “growing pains,” the focus of this year’s GoN (which itself is an event organized by the community group VIEWS, “Visualizing Increased Engagement in West Seattle”). This morning, the results have been made public, including the raw responses to these two open-ended questions:

“If you could change one thing about transportation in West Seattle, what would it be?”
“If you could change one thing about development in West Seattle, what would it be?”

You can read all those responses, as well as the results of the yes/no questions (including “Has the recent growth in West Seattle generally helped your business?” – 61 percent said “yes”), by going here.

P.S. Chamber CEO Lynn Dennis tells us 75 responses were received; the Chamber has 200+ members (including WSB). Responses weren’t sorted for size or type of businesses. So we’re not saying this is scientific, but it’s an undeniably interesting snapshot.

SIDE NOTE: The Chamber also just announced that former mayor Norm Rice will keynote the May 4th Westside Awards breakfast – ticket info and more is here.

Trickycoolj March 18, 2016 (12:39 pm)

In recent months reasons I have turned down WS businesses as a patron: too long of a wait (x4), closed before I could get there after work (x2), parking impossible (x1). Love supporting them when I can but realistically it has been very challenging. Would love to see more businesses on 35th or at The Morgan Junction (besides the current restaurants) but I’m sure that would require zoning changes.

lookingforlogic March 18, 2016 (12:45 pm)

The game of business is to make more money and that includes all of the players, from banks, restaurants, landlords, government………………everyone is maneuvering their chess pieces to make more money and since it is a game there will be losers. Is it fair? Not my call, we have sanctioned winning at all costs in this country so while some of us are playing a simple game of life, quite a few are playing a blood and guts game of winner take all. This will result in small players losing the ability to play in this state and large organizations will eventually be smothered from lack of heart.

Joe March 18, 2016 (12:51 pm)

I’ve had similar results as Tricky. When the city allows 2-4 projects at the same time for one block, it doesn’t help. Sidewalk closures, parking restroctions, construction workers parking all day, etc. not consumer friendly. When you add this going on, on multiple blocks, it’s a huge problem.

wsea98116 March 18, 2016 (1:36 pm)

What is the alternative? You certainly can’t hold one project in limbo subject to the constant fluxing of another’s unrelated project.

All the roads and businesses and services you enjoy have to come from somewhere. What is convenient to you today, was an inconvenient construction process to others in the past, and on it goes.

John March 18, 2016 (1:23 pm)

Tricky & Joe,

Most business owners disagree per the poll and business is up. The days of driving to and expecting room for your single occupancy vehicle directly in front of your Junction restaurant with empty tables awaiting are over.

Many complaints are temporary like those about reducing transit during growth (remember?) Construction projects are done as quickly as possible due to expense and the barricaded sidewalks soon emerge better than before.

In recent years the Junction and West Seattle has actually become a food and drink destination. It is not uncommon to find tourists who have treked all the way to West Seattle for our famous Bakery Nouveau and Easy Street Records.

Personally I have never had trouble parking, never consider it when going to the Junction and I appreciate having to wait a bit for a seat at an establishment over not having any seat at any establishment.

Gene March 18, 2016 (4:45 pm)

I think for every person that says they have never had a problem finding a place to park in the Junction – there is someone like me who has OFTEN gone there to eat & have driven around & around 2-3 blocks in each direction trying to find a place to park-( & this is on a weeknight- have long since given up going there on Fri- Sat) I don’t mind parking & walking – but 10 minutes driving around to find that parking spot is my limit- then I go elsewhere. Maybe Burien or White Center- just last week had awesome pizza at Proletariat!! Whoever owns/ manages Westwood Village might take notice & look to add some new eateries- I know Wing Stop is due soon- but it would be nice to have a few other options too.

Shopping in the Junction is another matter- can go during the week- during the day & find parking- although this past Tuesday I actually found a spot right in front of Click( where I was going) on California Ave! That doesn’t happen often anymore-& I don’t expect it either.

KM March 19, 2016 (12:51 pm)

You’d spend another 10-15 minutes traveling to your second choice rather than just spreading your search a block or two further?

MJ March 18, 2016 (4:45 pm)

I agree with the comments about parking. It’s easier to drive to U Village with tons of covered parking and everything I need to shop for, plus it’s spotless. And what’s with traffic signals? Walk all way crosswalk is nice, but they need left turn arrows on Cali/and 35th ave esp. I know it’s not Bellevue and not designed as a massive suburb but we could make driving around here easier.

Joe Szilagyi March 18, 2016 (5:33 pm)

The days of driving to and expecting room for your single occupancy vehicle directly in front of your Junction restaurant with empty tables awaiting are over.

This right here. There was a nonsensical editorial piece along these lines just recently lamenting this very thing — but about downtown. It was the absolutely brazen height of absurdity. The guy was complaining that he couldn’t trivially park in front of places like Macy’s. Entitlement gone mad.

It’s 2016, not 1976, let alone 1986. I recently rewatched part of the film Singles and guffawed at how trivially Campbell Scott and Kyra Sedgewick parked right in front of the Virginia Inn. That film was from 1992. A literal generation ago.

jt March 18, 2016 (7:47 pm)

It’s a shame that WSeattle-ites, whom I’ve always thought as a bit more eco-conscious and less prone to hyperbole, would lament such a first world concern as the time lost in searching for a close parking space or not getting served right away. And then suggest it would be better to drive farther away in search of these things?!

May I suggest calling one of the almost 10,000 uber or lyft drivers roaming our city? For almost the same cost as 2 grande moccachinos you can have the door-to-door convenience which you seek and to which you are entitled. As an incentive to get you started, do a search on craigslist or google for the widely available promo codes allowing free ride credits from $20-50 for all new riders.

MJ March 18, 2016 (8:23 pm)

No thanks not with kids with me. And the buses around here have too many ill behaved passengers to take my kid on it. I’m not exposing them to the too frequent drunk or foulmouthed passengers that don’t pay and metro drivers can’t kick off.

MJ March 18, 2016 (8:49 pm)

An easy fix would be to put a multi level garage in the lots behind husky deli. Also could double as a park and ride for those wanting to meet a bus going downtown.

John March 19, 2016 (10:49 am)

MJ,

Your easy fix of adding a parking garage would be immediately filled with park and riders, leaving no room for Junction shoppers.

Virtually every study confirms we will not be able to build our way out of traffic and parking concerns.

Our only options exist in changing our attitudes and practices.

Gene’s “Oh please” response is exactly the attitude that needs changing. The main drag of White Center is also congested. The back-in angle parking stops all traffic and parking is slim with all of the new eateries and services.

If we really wanted to have parking available in the Junction, we simply need to charge for all street parking as is done downtown.

It is now possible to modulate parking fees to maintain availability. Of course that parking fee might exceed the cost of Ubering to and fro.

Joe, you are referring to ‘movie magic’. Unless it is germane to the story, movie productions always portray available parking directly in front of a destination. They are able to close off the streets and control everything in the viewfinder at service to the plot.

.

Gene March 18, 2016 (9:59 pm)

Oh please – I live in WS & am not calling Uber/Lyft-or a taxi to take me & my family to the Junction for dinner & home again. I might do that to go downtown – but not here. I don’t consider my comments a ” lament” just a statement of fact- for me. It actually moves me out of my comfort zone – to discover new places to eat- that aren’t in my own backyard. Didn’t say it was necessarily better to do that- just another option.

P.S. I don’t feel ” entitled ” to park in front of anyplace- don’t even feel ” entitled ” to park in any of the lots – but would like to be able to find something within 2-3 blocks N-S-E-W of Junction.

Joe Szilagyi March 19, 2016 (11:23 am)

“would like to be able to find something within 2-3 blocks N-S-E-W of Junction.”

When can’t you?

wsea98116 March 19, 2016 (2:23 am)

Well, get ready- because parking is going to become far crunchier in the very near future! You know all those new apartments, and condos, and micro-podments? with no dedicated parking? Most of them are not even occupied yet! And even if these new tenants use transit to and from work, most of them still own cars! Not only will they sit parked on the street, but they’ll take up even more parking space (relatively) as they rarely drive away!! And guess what? They have friends who visit! Friends with cars that need parking spots!?!

Joe Szilagyi March 19, 2016 (11:23 am)

And those people have as much lawful right to street parking as I do, or you do, or anyone else does. No one has lawful claim over even 0.001 inches of the street in front of their house. By law, we don’t. If someone parked in front of my house every night, I can’t legally do a thing about it as long as they’re not within five feet of my driveway entrance.
- KM March 19, 2016 (1:00 pm)
  
  Bingo. And I would love to see parking enforcement grow to the needs and structure of a more dense city as we become one. Pay for street parking, neighborhood parking passes allotted to bypass the expanded time limits for local residents on streets without meters.
- John March 19, 2016 (1:36 pm)
  
  So right you are Joe.
  
  But having no legal claim on the street in front of their homes does not stop homeowners from confronting people who park legally. This has happened to me in Pigeon Point. A neighbor saw me park legally and followed me to the friend’s house I was visiting where he requested that I move my car. To my regret, perhaps to avoid more of a confrontation, I returned to 23rd and moved my car to another open space.
  
  Allowing residents to ‘claim’ their spots just reinforces their illegal entitlement.
John March 19, 2016 (11:32 am)

WSEA98116,

“And even if these new tenants use transit to and from work, most of them still own cars!” How did you come up with this claim? I am not familiar with any reports or studies supporting that.

It is true that a percentage of apartment dwellers do not own cars, but must pay for a unit with parking.

Joe Szilagyi March 19, 2016 (11:26 am)

For the curious still reading these comments with a Facebook article, take this simple survey here to say how fast you can “usually” find Junction parking:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/seattledistrict1/permalink/989341111102880/

wetone March 20, 2016 (3:28 pm)

West Seattle junction is becoming a zoo. More of a singles young persons place, as family’s are going elsewhere for the convenience, prices, parking and friendliness. As rents of storefronts continue to rise business owners have few choices but to charge more or change quality of services if they plan on making payroll. With all the apodments and new units going in with no parking, junction area will soon be a parking mess. You can’t add 1000’s of units and not have impacts to area. The new apodments being built or soon to be built around and on 44th, west side of junction will have substantial impacts to area with close to 200 units including live and work spaces and less than a dozen parking spots. Anyone that thinks this won’t add a 100+ plus cars filling neighborhood streets is not being realistic. I give Alaska junction less than 10yrs before I see nothing but franchises, expensive boutiques, expensive restaurants and no sunhine . Oh and on the question to Chamber members of (“Has the recent growth in West Seattle generally helped your business?” – 61 percent said “yes”), It seems their Q & A sort of contradicts that……

Sorry, comment time is over.