West Seattle, Washington
12 Thursday
(UPDATED 11:25 am Wednesday with clearer version of map as sent by city, embedded and linked below)
(Direct link to draft West Seattle Junction rezoning map)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“This has been brewing for a long time, but what’s been missing has been the community outreach,” observed Junction Neighborhood Organization director René Commons as her group began tonight’s meeting, with more than 50 people there to hear the first West Seattle briefing about the rezoning proposed as part of the mayor’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA).
Commons explained that she had expected JuNO would have been contacted by the city about a briefing once the proposal was ready to go public – but that didn’t happen, so JuNO had to request this briefing, on relatively short notice. She mentioned the “focus groups” that the city set up to work on this (when she asked if anyone from the focus group that included The Junction was here, no hands went up).
Who WAS there: Nick Welch (above) from the Office of Planning and Community Development, the staff person who had led the meeting of the Junction-included focus group that we covered downtown last month. (We recorded his presentation and the ensuing Q&A on video – 12:21 am update, see it below:)
While there still wasn’t a neighborhood-by-neighborhood review of the proposed Junction rezoning map, there was a lot of new information: Toward the start of his presentation, Welch said, in response to a question, that the final HALA maps weren’t likely to go to the City Council before “June at the earliest” – which is months later than we’d heard previously. Read More
If and when you have a few minutes for a survey:
The Southwest Seattle Prevention Coalition is a committed group of volunteers from the local community working with the County to provide funding towards youth substance abuse treatment and prevention in the community. We look to promote health and well-being, foster a sense of love and belonging, and prevent and reduce youth substance abuse through compassionate and culturally appropriate collaboration, which is a fancy way of saying we care about our kids!
Part of our work is understanding the diverse needs of our community, and there’s no better way to do that than by asking. The survey below shouldn’t take more than ten minutes to fill out, but every one that we receive gives us a better picture of what we need to improve on. It relates to concerns about the substance abuse of youth in our community and what should be done to address it, and is available online in both English and Spanish (links below), with translations in 18 other languages available in hard copy that we would be happy to get to you! Please let us know if you have questions or comments, and thank you for your contribution!
English: surveymonkey.com/r/KICHON2016
Spanish: es.surveymonkey.com/r/KICHSP2016
(King County Assessor’s Office photo)
Two and a half years ago, a two-building, 80+-apartment proposal for 3257-3303 Harbor Avenue SW [map] sailed through its first Southwest Design Review Board meeting. But it never came back for round two, and now city files indicate the plan has been scrapped entirely. A newly filed, early-stage plan for the site calls instead for 32 townhouses, in two rows between Harbor and 30th SW. Documents indicate the project will go through Administrative Design Review – no meeting, but a chance for public comment via e-mail, once the project proceeds further into the system.
This site already had a history before the now-dead apartment proposal – it had been owned by fugitive real-estate investor Michael Mastro, and had a development plan when it went on the market in 2007 under the working title Aqua Bella. County records show a bank took it over in 2010 and sold it to a real-estate firm in 2013.
P.S. Immediately west of this site, there’s a new proposal at 3239 Harbor SW for four townhouses and four live-work units.
ADDED: The new architect for 3257-3303 is Lemons Architecture, which also is part of the team for the not-yet-begun project at the former Alki Tavern site.
If you have had a bicycle stolen, we hope you have reported it to police – online or otherwise – to increase the chances it will find its way back to you, if found. Meantime, we publish reports of found-and-likely-abandoned-after-being-stolen bikes; here are four more:
FROM TT: Abandoned bicycle in the Roxhill area:
“There has been an abandoned bike in my alley for the past few days. It’s at the alley entrance on Cambridge Street, between 34th and 35th Avenues.”
FROM TP: Three abandoned bicycles on Pigeon Point:
“The pink and purple bikes are off to the side of the Andover stairs between 21st & 22nd Aves SW. The green bike is at 19th & Andover.”
IF YOU FIND A BIKE: Please let police know, and then tell us so we can get the word out too. If SPD can’t trace a bicycle through its serial number and a theft report, the bicycle might turn up on its @getyourbikeback Twitter feed.
The City Council is close to making final decisions on the city budget. Some of the changes proposed in recent weeks have been scrapped, and some new ones have been added. Tomorrow morning at 9:30 am, the council will go through the newest list of changes still on the table. See the current full list here; ones of potential interest in our area include:
(WSB file photo by Christopher Boffoli)
WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CORRIDOR STUDIES: Our area’s Councilmember Lisa Herbold proposes spending $100,000 on two studies:
This proposal would provide one-time funding for two traffic management studies: (1) evaluate the feasibility of traffic management modifications to improve the eastbound Spokane St Viaduct connection to I-5; and (2) initiate an SDOT/WSDOT Peer Review Team to review traffic operational and safety improvement opportunities on upper and lower roadways and make recommendations.
These were originally proposed in last year’s West Seattle Bridge Corridor “whitepaper.”
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE’S 13TH-YEAR PROMISE PROGRAM: This proposal from Councilmember Bruce Harrell would allot a quarter-million city dollars to support the SSC program that provides a year of free tuition to any interested graduating senior from designated high schools:
The 13th Year Promise Scholarship program provides all graduating seniors from Cleveland, Chief Sealth International, Rainier Beach, and soon West Seattle high schools with one year of free in-state tuition at South Seattle College. Additionally, the program offers students a variety of workshops during their senior year to prepare for college enrollment and to improve math and English skills if necessary.
The funding provided in this green sheet is intended to assist South Seattle College in expanding the reach of the 13th Year Promise Scholarship program by funding non-tuition components of the program, freeing up existing resources to be used for the tuition expenses. This funding may be used for the Readiness Academy, COMPASS Improvement Workshops, and the 13th Year Bridge Program
TERMINAL 5 QUIET ZONE: Also from Councilmember Herbold:
The Port of Seattle is considering improvements to Terminal 5 to modernize the facility. As part of this project, the Port is considering implementation of shore power, a Terminal 5 quiet zone, and broadband back-up alarms to reduce the noise emitted from Terminal 5.
This Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI) requests that SDOT work with the Port of Seattle, the Federal Railway Administration, and the railway companies doing business at Terminal 5, to extend the quiet zone from Terminal 5 to the Delridge Way/W Marginal Way intersection.
The SLI requests that SDOT provide quarterly reports on this work to the Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee.
SOUTH PARK PUBLIC-SAFETY TASK FORCE: Proposed by at-large (and WS-residing) Councilmember Lorena González:
The Council requests that the Executive convene a Special Task Force of South Park residents to formulate and report to Council recommendations regarding the public safety and vitality of that neighborhood. It is the Council’s understanding that the written report of the Special Task Force would, as a general matter, accomplish the following:
1. Identify strategies for a new model of neighborhood policing, which will build on the micropolicing plans and community policing plans initiated by Chief Katherine O’Toole. The strategies should be replicable in other neighborhoods throughout the City, while flexible enough to reflect the unique situations or dynamics of other diverse neighborhoods; and
2. Identify strategies for a culturally and linguistically responsive data-driven approach to improving the City’s relations to and effectiveness with the South Park neighborhood, which will also inform the City’s engagement with all other neighborhoods.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COMMISSION: The final step toward creating the mayor’s proposed Community Involvement Commission – to be a liaison group instead of maintaining ties to neighborhood district councils in that role – is spelled out in this item (PDF), which also redefines the Department of Neighborhoods’ role. It strikes out the word “neighborhood” in many cases, although one amendment is proposed: ” Subsection G would add support for neighborhood-based community-building to the list of functions of the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods.” Each City Council district will have one representative on the group; 7 other members would be appointed by the mayor.
The list of proposed changes will itself change before tomorrow’s meeting – while we were writing this story, it grew to 143 items – but you can review the titles and brief descriptions and look at others that might interest you by going here. If you have strong feelings, pro or con, about any of them, contact councilmembers ASAP – the info is all here (our area’s rep is at lisa.herbold@seattle.gov, and she’s been providing budget-process explainers on her website).
10:57 AM: Big Seattle Fire response for an “assault with weapons” call in the 9200 block of 17th SW [map]. According to the scanner, the weapon in question was a knife and the victim has a hand injury. We’re on the way to find out more.
11:09 AM: Our crew has arrived. All but one of the SFD units have been dismissed – the victim did not require a medic unit. Police, including a K-9 team, are looking for a suspect who is described in part as wearing all red and toting suitcases, last seen southbound on 17th SW.
11:15 AM: All we know about the circumstances: “Domestic-violence incident,” per police.
(Western Grebe, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Highlights for the rest of today/tonight:
DROP-IN CHESS: 4:30-5:30 pm at High Point Library, kids/teens welcome, all skill levels. You’ll find chess sets and guidance from an adult chess coach. Free. (35th SW/SW Henderson)
BRIEFING/Q&A ON JUNCTION-AREA REZONING: 6:30 pm at the Senior Center/Sisson Building, as previewed here – tonight’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting is the first time a city staffer will be presenting a briefing and Q&A on one of the draft rezoning maps made public last month as part of the mayor’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda. (4217 SW Oregon)
HOPE LUTHERAN SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6:30-8 pm, all prospective Hope Lutheran School (WSB sponsor) families are welcome to visit this open house “to learn more about our academics, specialists, sports, and extracurricular activities.”
FUTURE COLLEGE STUDENT IN THE FAMILY? 6:30 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, financial planner Albert Israel presents a free college admissions/financial aid workshop. RSVP requested – 206-926-5398 or timothy.r.walsh@ampf.com. (2306 42nd SW)
WSCPC CANCELLATION REMINDER: As mentioned last night, this month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is canceled; next scheduled meeting, January 17th.
LIVE MUSIC: Jukehouse Hounds, 8 pm at Parliament Tavern in The Admiral District. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
SEEN THE WSB WEST SEATTLE HOLIDAY GUIDE YET? Much more to be added, but there’s plenty in it already – so browse westseattleblog.com/holidayguide when you get a chance. And if you are planning a public holiday-season event, now through New Year’s, please send the info ASAP – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
Changes are proposed for the Seattle Public Schools Assignment Plan starting next year, and the first of five briefings around the city is set for next Monday (November 21) at Chief Sealth International High School. The district announcement says that “the plan for 2017-2018 continues most of the assignment rules in effect during 2016-2017.” Three items on the list of proposed changes are outside West Seattle, but these others might be of interest:
Modifying Highly Capable Cohort pathways;
Adding Chief Sealth as the southeast dual language immersion pathway high school;
Removing conflicting assignment guarantees for new-to-the-district 6th-8th grade students;
Moving the date when waitlists are dissolved from August 15 to August 31; and
Updating school and program names and locations.
The School Board Operations Committee is supposed to get the first full look at the proposal this Thursday; the agenda is not on the district website yet, so we’re checking to see when it will be. Monday’s community meeting is at 6:30 pm in the library at CSIHS (2600 SW Thistle).
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
7:02 AM: Good morning. So far, no incidents in/from West Seattle. It rained all night, so watch out for standing water.
One road-work alert for later this week: Paving on surface Spokane St. Thursday, if rain doesn’t get in the way again.
8:37 AM: Still no incidents but we’ve heard more about early-morning “puddle” problems by clogged drains. Check the ones near you when you can, since we still haven’t gotten past leaf season.
The King County Council has finalized its budget. Back in September, we mentioned two items in County Executive Dow Constantine‘s original proposal, so here’s an update on how those fared:
The first was a plan to cut the KC Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit, which would have meant no more helicopter availability for Seattle Police as well as other agencies assisted by the KCSO helicopters. The final budget did NOT include that cut, so the helicopter will stay in service.
Second, the proposal to provide “stable funding” for the King County Water Taxi (West Seattle to downtown and Vashon Island to downtown) stayed in the budget, according to a statement from King County Council chair Joe McDermott, who represents the areas served by the Water Taxi. As we reported in September, the funding will come from a levy that is already in place, originally intended for the Water Taxi, then shifted to buses, now shifted back.
| 24 COMMENTS