West Seattle, Washington
11 Thursday
The snowy Olympics were photographed earlier this week by David Hutchinson. Within a few days, we MIGHT see snow here at sea level. Right now, the National Weather Service doesn’t envision that any sooner than Sunday night – we’ll be tracking it all weekend, of course, here on your 24/7 local-news site. But first – the highlights for today/tonight. First, from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:
ART SALE/OPEN HOUSE… at Brace Point Pottery in Arbor Heights. 4-9 pm preview party tonight. (4208 SW 100th)
MENASHE FAMILY LIGHTS: Our photos are from last night,when the Menashe Family Lights – biggest and brightest display in West Seattle – went on for the season. They’re on nightly, starting around sunset (4:15-ish):
(5605 Beach Drive SW)
WEST SEATTLE LIGHTS + DONATION DRIVE: Music-synched West Seattle Lights, 5-10 pm tonight, is collecting cash donations through Sunday night for the family of the Tacoma police officer killed in the line of duty this week. (3908 SW Charlestown)
WEST SEATTLE YULETIDE: 5:30-10 pm, this music/light show is on too. (38th SW between Genesee and Dakota)
HUSKY DELI OPEN HOUSE: The wildly popular annual Husky Deli Holiday Open House is tonight, 6-9 pm. Taste catering items, meet vendors and taste what they have to offer. (4721 California SW)
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT AT OLG: Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish & School invite you to “Light Up the Night,” with Christmas caroling, and of course, lights! Bring nonperishable food donations to fill the sleigh. 7 pm. (SW Myrtle just east of 35th SW)
DROP-IN SHOP: Drop-In Shop with Stella & Dot and Lularoe – sipping, shopping, and styling. 7 pm. Enter through the side and “follow the bling-bling lights.” (2932 Walnut SW)
And from our year-round WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WORDS, WRITERS, WEST SEATTLE: Arleen Williams (“The Alki Trilogy”) is tonight’s featured author:
5-7 pm at Barnes and Noble/Westwood Village. (2600 SW Barton)
DENNY FUNDRAISER: Barnes & Noble/Westwood Village fundraiser continues for Denny International Middle School PTSA. Part of the proceeds will benefit Denny if you mention at checkstand – or buy via bn.com/bookfairs and enter (UPDATED NUMBER) Bookfair ID 12049292. In-store event at 5:30 pm tonight, featuring Denny’s orchestra. (2600 SW Barton)
CORNER BAR: Highland Park Improvement Club‘s monthly pop-up bar starts at 6 pm. Tonight’s music features DJ Dr. Lehl. More info on the HPIC website. (12th SW/SW Holden)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Chief Sealth International High School hosts Rainier Beach at 8:30 pm (2600 SW Thistle) … Seattle Lutheran High School is on the road, playing at Friday Harbor … West Seattle High School is on the road too, playing at Nathan Hale, 8:30 pm.
(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)
6:52 AM: New trouble on the northbound 1st Avenue S. Bridge – half an hour after an early-morning crash cleared, a new one is partly blocking the right lane, according to WSDOT.
HOLIDAY EVENT REMINDERS: Tonight SW Myrtle will be closed for the block east of 35th SW during the Our Lady of Guadalupe “Light Up the Night” celebration, approximately 6-8 pm … Saturday night, the West Seattle Junction Tree Lighting and Night Market will close SW Alaska between California and 42nd SW approximately 3-9 pm (the market is 4-8 pm, tree lighting starts 4:30 pm). That means a reroute for RapidRide C Line – here’s the info from Metro.
7:09 AM: WSDOT says the 1st Avenue S. Bridge is clear again.
7:48 AM: After Kathleen pointed out on Twitter that the bus she had been waiting for never showed, Metro sent an after-the-fact alert & tweet:
Transit Alert – Rt 55 due to leave California Av SW & SW Atlantic St at 7:18 AM did not operate this morning.
— King County Metro (@kcmetrobus) December 2, 2016
8:45 AM: No new trouble for today but a reminder that snow MIGHT be a factor for Monday’s commute, per the National Weather Service …we’ll be tracking it all weekend and if it does happen, coverage will start extra early.
The last major project on the drawing board right now in the heart of the West Seattle Junction passed its final test before the Southwest Design Review Board tonight.
The 6-story, 74-apartment mixed-use building at 4532 42nd SW is expected to be under construction starting next spring, according to the project team. Its site is between Capco Plaza (Altamira Apartments, QFC, Petco, etc.) and a single-family home; part of the site was cleared eight years ago, when a different project, under different ownership, was planned, then shelved.
Board members said architects Clark Design Group had succeeded in incorporating the feedback from the previous review back in April. The building is now of uniform height and has a green roof.
Some of the final concerns voiced tonight included landscaping; some trees are to moved from the south end to the north end to enhance pedestrian safety and visibility. More visibility into the proposed retail was advised, as well as more space for sidewalk seating.
In the public-comment period, Cindi Barker called attention to the official design guidelines for the Junction area. Board members focused on a few components of those guidelines including the need for more lighting along the front of the building, and the requirements to which its signage will have to confirm. Currently the project team is looking at a blade sign around three stories in height but without interior lighting. (The project is as-yet-unnamed; what you see in the rendering above is a placeholder.) Board members requested that the sign’s colors stay consistent with the building’s look
They also were pleased to see how the north side of the building now responds to the house next door, including more of a buffer – previously a major point of contention – and more “blank wall” space facing toward it. And they suggested moving the building’s “amenities room” to the top floor to reduce noise.
You can still comment on the project until it gets final city approval; that includes comments about what are considered “environmental” aspects such as traffic, noise, parking. The assigned city planner is Joshua Johnson – joshua.johnson@seattle.gov.
P.S. The “packet” used for last night’s meeting, with renderings from various angles as well as other information on the project, can be seen here.
WSB readers got Doug’s bike back. Tonight – take a look at Rich‘s bikes:
Here’s what happened:
I live on Beach Drive and had two high-end bicycles stolen from an underground, gated/lock garage shared by 11 residents where I live . The bikes were locked with a thick steel cable lock to a bench. The cable was cut clean with cutters, very professional. The theft was committed over the Thanksgiving holiday. I just noticed the theft (Wednesday). I have contacted the police and have the incident record.
One bike is a road bike, a “Softride” ROCKET. It is distinctive in that there is no seat tube and has custom “Aero: bars, for comfort. There is not another one like at all, anywhere! Dark blue with Mavic Kryserium wheels, bladed spokes. Custom risers for the aero bars.
The other is a mountain bike. The brand is a “Niner”, a hard tail bike with fenders, carbon handlebars and seat tube. The wheel sets are from “Bontrager” E.M.O.-Color black with Bontrager RXL wheels, Shimano Deore XT crankset, Bontrager carbon handlebars and seat tube.
Needless to say, these are very expensive bikes and a great loss to me. I’m 67 and these bikes were totally dialed to me and my special needs.
If you see one or both – call 911 and refer to case 2016-431160.
Two events happening right now in The Junction:
JOHN L. SCOTT GRAND OPENING: Until 9 pm, it’s the grand-opening celebration for the John L. Scott Real Estate office that is now in the former JF Henry building at 4445 California SW:
In our photo with West Seattle JLS owner Tyler McKenzie (left) and wife Marguerite Carlson (right) are the Marine Corps’ Sgt. Adriana Perez and Corporal Takalee Pierce, on hand to collect new unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots.
CLICK! POP-UP SHOP: Until 8 pm at Click! Design That Fits (4540 California SW; WSB sponsor), it’s a pop-up shop with Madi May Design:
In the photo shared by Click! are Madi and Quincy, with their handmade-in-Seattle waxed canvas bags.
P.S. The next three weeks, you’re invited to The Junction for Shop Late Thursdays as part of Hometown Holidays, with many shops open until 9 pm.
(UPDATED 6:30 PM with comment from City Councilmember Lisa Herbold)
(Photo by Cory Bagley – aerial view of western Myers Way Parcels land, from this past July)
4:44 PM: A month and a half ago, during the uproar about whether camping would be allowed in city parks, Mayor Murray promised to announce four new authorized encampment sites. Since then, city staff has been reviewing locations, and has just announced three sites – including one in southeast West Seattle, part of the city-owned Myers Way Parcels. Here’s the announcement just in:
Today, the Human Services Department announced the siting of three new temporary sanctioned encampments for individuals living unsheltered in Seattle. This action is part of the Bridging the Gap plan, announced in October, to better address the immediate needs of people experiencing homelessness while the City fully implements its long-term plan, Pathways Home.
Together, the following three new sanctioned encampments will serve more than 200 people starting in early 2017:
1. 1000 S Myrtle Street will contain up to 50 tiny houses serving 60-70 people.
2. 8620 Nesbit Ave N. will contain up to 50 tiny houses serving 60-70 people.
3. 9701 Myers Way S will contain up to 50 tents serving 60-70 people.
“Today’s announcement recognizes our need to provide safer alternatives to the people living unsheltered on our streets as we work to implement Pathways Home,” said Catherine Lester, Director of the Human Services Department. “We remain committed to our long-term plan to transform our homeless services system and focus our investments on getting people off the streets and into housing. In the meantime, we will continue the work of increasing our outreach efforts, implementing a more compassionate set of protocols when cleanups are necessary and offering trash and needle pickup services.”
In October, Mayor Murray announced the Bridging the Gap plan, which recognizes that the City should not displace unauthorized encampments that do not pose an imminent health or safety risk or do not unlawfully obstruct a public use, unless the City can offer those living there a safer alternative place to live. The plan reflects the principles laid out by the Task Force on Unsheltered Cleanup Protocols.
That announcement came a month after Mayor Murray announced Pathways Home, Seattle’s plan to transform our homeless services system by focusing our investments on the goal of getting people into stable housing. The plan aims to eliminate barriers to better meet the individualized needs of those experiencing homelessness, shift investments where necessary to achieve the goal of moving people into housing, and increase accountability to this goal through performance-based contracting.
The first of the authorized encampments is scheduled to open in early January.
Additional information about the Mayor’s actions to address homelessness can be found here.
There’s already an unauthorized encampment – Camp Second Chance – on part of the Myers Way Parcels (it was slated for eviction four months ago but that was shelved indefinitely). We have asked the Human Services Department to clarify if that camp is included in this plan or not. (ADDED: Spokesperson Chelsea Kellogg says this is the same site CSC is on.)
BACKSTORY: At one point, the mayor planned to sell part of the Myers Way Parcels to raise money for homelessness-related programs. Then he announced in mid-July that most of it would be kept for open-space purposes, except for a section to be used to expand the Joint Training Facility that borders it to the north.
Related to that – and immediately preceding this announcement – local advocates had learned that the site had yet to be transferred to the Parks Department, as the mayor had indicated it would be, and instead remains in the portfolio of the Department of Finance and Administrative Services, which remains accountable for its maintenance. Councilmember Lisa Herbold subsequently learned of this and asked Parks Superintendent Jesús Aguirre about it. His reply to her: “Although the property has been committed to and designated to be transferred to SPR’s inventory, the official transfer has not yet happened. Finally, since we do not have the funds to maintain the property, FAS has agreed to continue doing so. We will update our maps listing the land-banked sites to include the Myers Way site moving forward, with the caveat that there is not yet funding available for the development of the site.” (“Land-banked” refers to sites Parks owns – such as the Morgan Junction Park expansion site and the Charlestown and 40th SW sites in West Seattle – but has not yet developed with park facilities.) How, or whether, this relates to the encampment announcement is not yet clear.
The Myers Way Parcels have had other proposed uses in the past, including, in the late 2000s, consideration as a possible site for a new city jail that ultimately wasn’t built.
ADDED 6:30 PM: From Councilmember Herbold:
Because I know Highland Park residents have expressed concerns about equity with the rest of District, I asked what criteria HSD used to select the approximately 50 sites throughout Seattle that were deemed eligible for consideration. Here is what I was told:
Urgency: The primary review focused on city-owned parcels that could be activated quickly based on site conditions and current use of the property.
Geographic distribution: They primarily focused on parcels located in different areas of the city from the 3 existing authorized encampments.
Authorized Encampment Ordinance: They prioritized sites based on how they met the requirements of the authorized encampment ordinance, including location in non-residential zones, availability of transit, minimum lot size of 5000 sf, adjacent uses, etc.
Underlying Financing: As a budgetary consideration, they evaluated the underlying ownership/financing of sites to determine the amount of required compensation for the use of the site (e.g. utility ownership or gas tax financing).
Given these criteria, they evaluated about 50 possible sites for the new authorized encampments and of those sites, 5 were located in West Seattle. I’ve asked what the other 3 sites were. One of those was the old Nickelsville site. Specifically, I’d like to be able to explain to the community what made the other two sites in West Seattle less desirable.
The Mayor’s Office has told me that they will pledge to work closely with the surrounding communities to make the Myers Way site a good home for encampment occupants and a good neighbor to the surrounding communities.
We have additional followup questions we’ll be pursuing with the city tomorrow.
Thanks to Alan for the photo – an SDOT snowplow-equipped vehicle by Riverview Playfield today. Rehearsing, perhaps? The afternoon “forecast discussion” is out and the National Weather Service is talking a little more about possible snow:
There has been very good agreement in the models that it will be about as cold as it gets aloft Sunday and Monday in an upper trough. That means at 500mb, where nobody lives, it will be -38c. But at the surface, that means that as showers move through the area, the snow level will fall to near sea level. Looking at 850mb — at first wet snow showers would probably only stick to the grass, but as you get out into Monday and Tuesday as colder air comes down the Fraser — then colder weather and a hard freeze become likely. Of course it often happens that the moisture is gone by the time the coldest air arrives. For now the forecast is light on details and light on snowfall. By the time you get out to Wednesday, the GFS suggests an overrunning snowfall that turns to rain later in the day, but the Euro is slower–holding that off til Thursday.
Bottom line, too soon to say, but snow is a distinct possibility. So this is the perfect time for getting familiarized with SDOT wintry-weather resources – all collected in this recent post. Metro‘s snow/ice info is here. (If and when wintry weather arrives, of course, we’ll deploy those resources in our 24/7 coverage too.)
(Tuesday night photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
As noted in the newest comments following WSB coverage of the Admiral District crash that sent a woman to the hospital Tuesday night, an online fundraiser is now set up for her. Via this GoFundMe page, organizers identify the victim as Britt Russell. She is an employee at Mission Cantina, and was headed to work when hit by a driver at/near California/Walker. According to the fundraising page, she suffered numerous serious injuries but has been “stabilized.” The fundraiser is meant to help with an expected long path to recovery:
Britt is strong. While being such a kind and loving person she also has a fighting spirit. She will eventually recover but we know she will be in the hospital or in rehab for most of the next year. We are looking to support Britt and her family’s medical expenses outside of insurance as well as travel for her family living outside of the country. Her entire immediate and extended family live in Australia and airfare is quite costly. We know how important having family close by is to the healing process.
Meantime, we are still following up with Seattle Police regarding the investigation; no new information is available so far.
That’s the official West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays Christmas tree at Junction Plaza Park, awaiting Saturday night’s lighting ceremony, which will be accompanied by a Night Market on SW Alaska, closed for the occasion between California and 42nd. Here’s the lineup for both events, courtesy of West Seattle Junction Association executive director Lora Swift:
TREE LIGHTING
4:45 pm start with the West Seattle High School Marching Band
Emcee Dolly Madison
Performance: Endolyne Children’s Choir
Speaker: Nancy Woodland of WestSide Baby
Performance: ArtsWest
Performance: Sundae + Mr. Goessl
Tree lighting: Jack Menashe
Santa Claus will be at the Night Market 4-6 pm, and Sundae + Mr. Goessl will perform 5:45-6:30 pm there too. Otherwise, here’s the market lineup:
NIGHT MARKET
Holy Rosary wreath and tree sales
Bakery Nouveau
West Seattle Cyclery
Seattle Logo Pro
Alki Beach Glass
Turned Wood
Dandy Stitch
Uphill Designs
J Mccormick Designs
Linda McClamrock Arts
The Globetrotting Artist
See you in The Junction on Saturday, 4-8 pm!
11:37 AM: When 135+ people showed up for Tuesday night’s unofficial community-organized workshop about proposed Mandatory Housing Affordability rezoning (WSB coverage here), that raised capacity concerns about next Wednesday’s official city open house – concerns that community leaders voiced to the city weeks ago, after getting early word that the 5:30-7:30 pm event on December 7th was booked for Shelby’s Bistro and Ice Creamery (4752 California SW) in The Junction rather than a large meeting venue.
Now, to try to add room for a prospective sizable turnout, the city has just confirmed via Twitter what commenter Kay posted last night – it’s booked space across the street at Uptown Espresso (California/Edmunds) too, so this is now a two-location open house. The marquee topic is your chance to comment on and ask questions about the draft rezoning maps for West Seattle and South Park, but the city also is offering “casual conversation” on other topics (we hope to get the full list soon) This is a drop-in event, so go whenever you can on Wednesday, to either site, between 5:30 and 7:30 pm (and be sure to sign in, because that’s where the city gets the official count).
ADDED 12:49 PM: The open house has long been billed as including “other topics” but no list has been made public yet. However, we now know another long-term city plan will be among those topics you’ll be invited to comment on next Wednesday – Seattle Parks‘ “2017 Development Plan, Gap Analysis and Long-Term Acquisition strategies for open space.” We missed the reference to the December 7th open house (and others around the city) when this news release arrived yesterday. You can read more about this here – if there are parks/future parks/possible future parks in your neighborhood, you’ll want to weigh in on this too.
ADDED 3:58 PM: And we’re continuing to get more information about what other city programs/services will be featured at the open house. This is the official lineup, but we’re still seeking specifics. (The first one, of course, involves the rezoning we’ve been reporting on.):
Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda: DRAFT Neighborhood proposals to create more affordable housing. See a city-wide map HERE.
Parks and Recreation: Come and learn about using walkability and other transportation metrics to map how new parks and green spaces will be chosen in the future.
SDOT: Learn about how Move Seattle is shaping transportation projects and programs in your neighborhood. Learn more about Rapid Ride, what it is and what to expect. Also, shape your Greenway by telling us where you want to see new connections and safer crossings for people walking and biking.
SDCI/SDOT: Parking Reform are in the works. Learn more about flexibility and sharing off-street parking, on-street parking, carshare and bicycle travel choices and frequent transit service.
We’ve also heard directly from SDOT that the re-activated Fauntleroy Boulevard project – funded in the mayor’s new budget – will be part of what it’s showcasing. Still checking for more specifics!
Welcome to December! Here’s what’s ahead for the rest of your Thursday. First, from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:
HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Bridge Park in High Point invites you to shop the bazaar there today, noon-4 pm. (3204 SW Morgan)
MENASHE FAMILY LIGHTS: The biggest and brightest display in West Seattle is expected to be up and running tonight – we’ll be checking later. (5605 Beach Drive SW)
From the year-round WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, plus our archives and inbox:
DENNY FUNDRAISER: Barnes & Noble/Westwood Village fundraiser starts today for Denny International Middle School PTSA. Part of the proceeds will benefit Denny if you mention at checkstand – or buy via bn.com/bookfairs and enter (UPDATED NUMBER) Bookfair ID 12049292. (2600 SW Barton)
GET HELP APPLYING FOR COLLEGE $: College Goal Washington offers help in filling out the financial-aid application that needs to be turned in no matter where you’re going to college. 2-7 pm drop-in event at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – details in our calendar listing. (6000 16th SW)
BUILD A ROBOT AT THE LIBRARY: Today’s drop-in Tinkerlab at High Point Library, 3:30-5 pm, involves Cubelet Robot Construction. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
GRAND OPENING IN THE JUNCTION: 6-9 pm is the grand-opening celebration for the John L. Scott Real Estate office that has remodeled and moved into the former JF Henry building in The Junction. (4445 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL INFO NIGHT: For 8th graders and their families – come to tonight’s event and learn about what West Seattle High School offers. 6:30-8:30 pm. (3000 California SW)
DESIGN REVIEW BOARD: 6:30 pm, the Southwest Design Review Board takes another look at the mixed-use project planned at 4532 42nd SW in The Junction, currently described as six stories with 74 apartments, 71 offstreet-parking spaces, and 5,200+ square feet of commercial space:
That rendering by architects Clark Design Group is from the full “packet,” which you can see here. The meeting will include a public-comment period. It’s happening at the Senior Center/Sisson Building. (4217 SW Oregon)
NORTH HIGHLINE UNINCORPORATED AREA COUNCIL: The community council for White Center and vicinity meets at 7 tonight at the North Highline Fire District HQ, with an agenda including the new plan for a King County-operated shelter. (1243 SW 112th)
LOTS MORE HAPPENING … including nightlife! Just go check our complete calendar.
How can South Seattle College Cooperative Preschools better serve West Seattle families? The nonprofit system that has worked with so many local families is trying to find out through an online survey. They’ve already asked current co-op families but also want to hear from potential and past families – not just their thoughts about preschool options but also about opportunities for parent education, which is a big part of the co-op program. Find the survey here.
(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)
7:11 AM: No incidents reported in the area so far this morning.
WEEKEND REMINDER: The West Seattle Junction Tree Lighting and Night Market on Saturday night will close SW Alaska between California and 42nd SW approximately 3-9 pm (the market is 4-8 pm, tree lighting starts 4:30 pm). That means a reroute for RapidRide C Line – here’s the info from Metro.
8:59 AM: Water is bubbling up on Delridge at Myrtle, reports Julia, who says SDOT told her they had already had calls about it – she wanted to share the news so you’re aware a crew might be working in the area soon. (We’ll be checking with Seattle Public Utilities.)
Seven notes in tonight’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup:
BURGLARY REPORTEDLY INTERRUPTED: From the scanner – officers rushed to a home in the 3500 block of Admiral Way SW tonight after a report that a resident was “holding down” someone described as a burglar. We have no access to followup information tonight but will be checking with police tomorrow.
BURGLARY SUSPECT ARRAIGNED: 29-year-old Garrett Cimmery, the burglary suspect arrested at Hiawatha Playfield two and a half weeks ago, was back in court today for arraignment on charges related to a home burglary near Me-Kwa-Mooks Park. He pleaded not guilty and remains out on bail as the case proceeds.
PACKAGE THIEF ON VIDEO: From Stacey:
Unfortunately there was some package thefts in the Westwood area today around 3 pm. Multiple homes were visited by this tweaker on Trenton through Cloverdale, then they opened all the packages and dumped the empty boxes in an alley down the street. The guy enters through the alleys in West Seattle and has a silver Ford Explorer.
He only got a rocketship tent, which can be replaced.
PROWLERS STOPPED BY POLICE: From Sue:
Seola Beach was cased today by a couple in a beat-up red Chevy pickup. They drove up at 4 pm, parked in front of a neighbor’s house and the woman boldly went down their stairs in broad daylight, looking in the windows. He stayed in the truck while she came down the beach, into two other backyards and then back to Seola Lane. We have had a lot of problems down here and three neighbors watched, recorded, and asked them questions (stalling while the police came). They took off and were stopped by the police at Seola Beach Drive and 106th.
Sue says her neighbors reported at least one of the suspects was taken into custody for outstanding warrants.
CAR PROWLED AGAIN: Kevin says this is the 4th time he’s been hit:
We had 2 vehicles broken into late Monday night, early Tuesday morning 45th and Hill in Admiral. Both vehicles parked on street in well-lit visible area. As reported by others, it appears to be by an electronic device. Both vehicles were locked and neither had signs of forced entry. Ransacked and some tools stolen that had been left in vehicle overnight after returning late from trip.
CAR PROWLERS, INTERRUPTED: From Mike in North Admiral:
I live on the 1600 block of Palm Ave. At 6:50 this morning I found a young Caucasian male in the driver seat of my car (parked on the street). He was pulling papers out of my glove compartment. The young man got out of the car saying “you got me.” I stood in front of him and demanded he drop everything he was holding. He eventually dropped everything on the grass parking strip. He then pressed his chest against me and said “you better let me go, there are 3 of us.” I stepped out of his way and he left, walking north on Admiral and periodically whistling. I called the police. Then as I began chasing my papers that were blowing down the street, a car halfway down the block pulled out and speed away heading south on Palm. The police arrived promptly, took a report and collected evidence.
PLANT THEFT, AGAIN: From Phoebe in the 3000 block of 37th SW:
Someone decided that my Picea Orientalis Skylands needed to be taken from my parking strip on Thanksgiving or the day after (we noticed it was gone on that Saturday)
I would love to get it back (not an expensive plant but was special order) and have folks keep an eye out for it. The West Seattle Nursery only got in a couple this last spring.
No photo, but we found this online. Phoebe says hers was smaller – less than three feet tall.
Thanks again to everyone sharing Crime Watch reports so your neighbors all around the peninsula know more about what’s happening – hope crime does NOT happen to you, but if it does, once you’ve reported it to police (911 if it’s happening now or just happened), let us know … 206-293-6302 if breaking, editor@westseattleblog.com if not — thank you.
For almost three months, via our partner site White Center Now, we’ve been tracking King County’s proposal for a shelter in a former county clinic building at 8th SW/SW 108th. A tense community meeting in mid-September led to the creation of a community task force to work with the county on potentially modifying the plan – and late today, the county confirmed that’s happened. The building still will be used as a shelter, but it will be for families. Read the full story on WCN.
(Photo sent by Al)
5:41 PM: We’re on our way to Highland Park Way/2nd SW [map] to check on a crash that has drawn a big Seattle Fire “automobile rescue” dispatch. That’s east of West Marginal Way and most likely to affect traffic headed toward the 1st Avenue South Bridge-bound onramp near the transfer station. More when we get there.
5:51 PM: Eastbound traffic on Highland Park Way, and southbound on West Marginal Way, both at near-standstills as we attempt to get to the crash scene.
(Added: Photo tweeted by SFD)
Via scanner, we heard a few minutes ago that SFD had extricated two people, but we still have no other details on the circumstances. Police are heading back up the Highland Park Way hill so you might be facing traffic closures.
6:01 PM: We’ve gotten closer and can now see that HP Way is closed both ways just west of the 509/1st Avenue S. Bridge approach overpass. Al has sent a photo that we’re adding atop the story, while our photographer sees how close he can get on foot to try to get more information. Again, avoid Highland Park Way east of the hill TFN.
(WSB photo)
6:12 PM: Our photographer just spoke with SFD/SPD at the scene. It’s a three-vehicle collision. The two people who had to be cut out of the car on the left in our top photo were taken to the hospital but neither had life-threatening injuries. The driver of the other car involved was checked out but did not need to be hospitalized. And the truck driver is OK. Police hope to clear the vehicles from the scene before too long.
(Photo by Jim Borrow)
4:34 PM: Thanks for the rainbow photos you’re sending! Beautiful sight, just before sunset, after some golden afternoon sunshine. But it’s the long-range forecast that’s drawing attention right now. The National Weather Service continues to see the possibility of snow showers toward the end of the weekend. There seems to be no doubt that cold air is on the way in – the main question, as noted in the NWS’s newest “forecast discussion,” is whether the cold air will coincide with enough moisture for snow showers. At this point, it’s not expected to be possible any sooner than Sunday night.
7:58 PM: Adding a few more of your photos. First, from Max:
And from Michael – that’s Jefferson Square under the rainbow:
Chris took the next photo from the Admiral Way Viewpoint and observed, “I was so impressed with how many people decided to stop and do the same thing. I’m glad to live in a community where people appreciate these kinds of things.”
So are we!
EARLY THURSDAY: Adding even more rainbow photos. From Carol Wagener:
From James Tilley:
And from Chuck Pliske:
One year ago, Seattle voters approved Initiative 122, 63 percent yes, 37 percent no. A major component: A tax levy to pay for “democracy vouchers,” a step toward campaign-finance reform. Starting tomorrow, you can apply for your share of the vouchers, to be spent on qualifying city campaigns next year. If you’re already registered to vote, you will get them automatically – if you’re not a registered voter, today’s city announcement explains, you’ll have to apply:
Democracy Vouchers are a new way for Seattle residents to become more active in city government by donating to candidate campaigns and/or running for elected positions themselves. Beginning December 1, Seattle residents may apply to receive four $25 Democracy Vouchers to give to candidates running in the 2017 City of Seattle elections.
Registered voters in Seattle will automatically receive $100 in Democracy Vouchers by mail after January 3, 2017. Seattle residents do not have to be registered voters to receive Democracy Vouchers.
To be eligible to use the $100 in Democracy Vouchers, residents must:
Live in Seattle;
Be at least 18 years of age; and
Be either a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident “green card holder”.If residents meet the eligibility requirements, they are encouraged to apply for Democracy Vouchers. The application is available in 15 languages [Amharic, Cambodian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, Lao, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Thai, Tigrigna, Vietnamese, English] at www.seattle.gov/democracyvoucher.
Seattle residents may only give Democracy Vouchers to participating candidates running for City Council or City Attorney. The program will expand to include the Mayor’s race in 2021. Residents may give participating candidates one ($25), two ($50), three ($75), or all four ($100) of their Democracy Vouchers.
Next year, two City Council seats will be on the ballot citywide, the “at-large” positions, currently held by Councilmembers Tim Burgess (P. 8) and Lorena González (P. 9). The other seven, elected by district, will not be on the ballot until 2019.
P.S. The city says it’s sending an “informational mailer” about this to every household in Seattle in about a week. Meantime, if you want to read the full initiative that created this – it’s here.
Story by Tracy Record
Photos/video by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
“We didn’t make this stuff up, but we’re here to help you know about it.”
That’s how Deb Barker introduced the standing-room-only workshop that she and Cindi Barker led last night at Highland Park Improvement Club, with more than 135 people there to find out more about the rezoning proposals that are part of the city’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA).
(Deb Barker, foreground; Cindi Barker, background)
Deb and Cindi – which is how we’ll refer to them due to the surname coincidence – are both with the Morgan Community Association, one of West Seattle’s many all-volunteer community councils, and both have long been involved with land use-related issues. In recent years, they have offered several workshops and briefings to help their West Seattle neighbors make sense of major projects and/or processes, and last night’s workshop was one such case.
The city went public a month ago with draft rezoning maps for the “urban villages” around Seattle, five of which are in West Seattle/South Park. (Here’s our first report, published October 20th.) But no major official announcement accompanied the maps’ online release, and the only official city meeting scheduled in West Seattle so far is an “open house” one week from tonight, for which some postcards have been sent out promising “conversation” on a variety of city initiatives but not including any mention of “rezoning.”
Cindi and Deb stressed repeatedly last night that the intent of the workshop was to prepare people for that December 7th open house, which includes an official chance for feedback on the draft rezoning maps, as well as to offer guidance on how to read the maps, how to efficiently comment online, and other information including the rezoning proposal for areas outside the “urban villages.”
Basically, the city is proposing to upzone “urban villages” – and multifamily/commercial properties citywide – for a HALA initiative called Mandatory Housing Affordability.
Our video below, of the hourlong presentation at the heart of the meeting, picks up after the introduction by Deb Barker (who is retired from a land-use-planning career in a nearby city, and also has served on and chaired West Seattle’s all-volunteer Southwest Design Review Board).
Cindi Barker – who has been involved as a citizen volunteer with the HALA process going back about two years – first offered a primer on MHA, with the help of city-provided slides (again, this was NOT an official city-organized meeting, though Brennon Staley from the city Office of Planning and Community Development was on hand to answer questions as needed). Here’s the full slide deck that she and Deb used through their hour-long presentation (embedded below, or review it as a PDF here):
MHA basics: The city is offering more development capacity via upzoning, in exchange for developers either building a certain percentage of “affordable” housing in their projects, or paying fees to fund it to be built everywhere. “The city believes it will increase housing choices through the city,” Cindi added.
“Affordable” per the MHA definition means a rent that would represent about a third of the monthly incoe of someone making no more than 60 percent of the Area Median Income (half make more, half make less). Right now, that would be $1,009 for a one-bedroom unit. 6,000 of those units are to be created via MHA (which is just one part of HALA itself) in the next 10 years, contributing to a total of 20,000 affordable homes that the mayor is hoping will be created through a variety of programs.
Cindi went on to explain the volunteer citizen “focus groups” whose members were involved in the runup to the maps’ release, working with “principles that guided (the) zoning changes” (read them here). She then explained the types of zoning – residential small lot (“very much like cottage housing”), Lowrise 1, Lowrise 3, Neighborhood Commercial – with a diagram showing details of height, density, and other characteristics that would be allowable under each one. (Look for “MHA Development Examples” halfway down this page for more background on the zoning types.)
Continuing to explain how to read the maps – she pointed to the titles in each area, “existing zoning” on the left side of a vertical line, followed by “draft zoning,” and then a designation such as (M) or (M1) showing how much affordable housing it’s expected to produce. In some cases, as she explained, the zoning will leap more than one level.
If you’re in an urban village on a single-family lot, “residential small lot” is likely what you’re proposed to be upzoned to. You could have two homes on the lot instead of one, if it’s a 5,000-ish-square foot lot. Now that you’ve gotten a crash course in map-reading, here are the four West Seattle maps again:
(Direct link to draft West Seattle Junction Urban Village rezoning map)
(Direct link to draft Westwood-Highland Park Urban Village rezoning map)
(Direct link to draft Admiral Urban Village rezoning map)
(Direct link to draft Morgan Urban Village rezoning map)
And here’s an interactive map you can use to see other areas proposed for rezoning, as well as to zoom all the way in to your street.
Back to the meeting. As it moved into an early round of Q&A – there was an early question about “how does parking play into this?”
“Parking is not what we’re here about tonight – (though) parking is what we ultimately all care about,” Cindi said. She noted that the Environmental Impact Statement would have to address that topic. “That process is going to start (in the first half of next year).” Deb added that there will be parking topics at the city’s December 7th open house (we’ve talked about that before too – here’s the page for what the city is currently considering).
Highland Park Action Committee chair Gunner Scott added at that point a suggestion to bring that up with your city councilmember (District 1 rep Lisa Herbold was not in attendance, as she is traveling, but at least one of her legislative assistants, Andra Kranzler, was announced as present).
Next question, from Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council chair Amanda Kay Helmick, wondered about the chance to comment on the “livability” portion of HALA. That too is part of the early Environmental Impact Statement “scoping,” Cindi said. “Plug into your community associations and media” to watch for deadlines and opportunities.”
Another question: “Where did ‘mandatory’ come from?” Cindi’s reply: “Mandatory for developers.”
Then: “How many trees are we going to lose?” The workshop leaders did not have an answer for that.
Following that, concerns about the size of the venue the city chose for the December 7th meeting (Junction restaurant Shelby’s), given that 130+ people showed up just for this informal briefing. Cindi and Deb noted that they told the city as soon as they heard of the venue that it would be too small “but we were shot down.” Some attendees vowed to call the city and voice their concerns.
Continuing the presentation, Cindi said the Morgan Community Association has some questions they are pursuing with the city: “We need affordable housing, but it is not clear if the Grand Bargain is “the best bargain” – is 7% enough to ask from developers? Also: “Can the 6,000(-home) goal be reached without ‘double-plus upzones’?”
She also pointed to a chart just posted to the city’s website, showing that it only expects 1,000 units to be built “on site” among the projects – if you divide that by the 38 urban villages, that’s 27 affordable units for each one – and the rest elsewhere, “in much larger chunks of buildings” via the fund that will be overseen by the city Office of Housing, “centralizing it … and they’re going to build it where the nonprofit organizations can find the land to build it.”
They also have concerns about how MHA upzoning relates to existing neighborhood plans (linked here), created in the late ’90s to “guide the livability of growth anticipated in the new Urban Villages.” Each of those plans, she pointed out, “provides the goals and policies the city committed to in support of the Seattle Comprehensive Plan.” And the proposed upzoning is being done outside the context of the neighborhood plans. In Morgan Junction, for example, the zoning changes “are in direct conflict with our Neighborhood Plan,” she noted.
An attendee then wondered, “How do we find out who the HALA focus group (members are) and how they were (chosen)?” Cindi said, “They put out a call for volunteers.” (We published it, as did many others – here’s our story from February.)
Helmick asked the next question: “Is this a new form of redlining?”
Another good question to officially bring to the city, Cindi replied.
“If the city wasn’t willing to listen to you guys to change the venue – if I write to Lisa Herbold and, oh say, 90 percent of us decide they aren’t thrilled with this – is the city really going to listen to us and make changes in this program?” asked the next person.
“It feels like this program is going to happen – the mayor is very supportive of it – but … you’ve got to get there and give them input” to potentially have some effect on the details, Cindi stressed.
Deb noted that other neighborhoods around Seattle are affected too – Google some of them and you might see an “interesting yard sign,” she said.
Next question observed that, considering the HALA plan was set into motion before the presidential election, is the city taking into account possible changes in the federal government and funding?
OPCD’s Brennon Staley answered that one: “Obviously the changes in federal policy might affect (the non-MHA 14,000 units of “affordable housing”) … this (MHA) is probably not going to be affected by federal policy all that much.”
How does this affect people outside urban villages? Answer: All multifamily/commercial property is affected citywide, not just in the UVs, it was stressed. (Here again is the new interactive city map, which was included in our Monday night story preview.)
After the presentation and Q&A, the second phase of the meeting was freeform – going over to tables and looking at the urban villages’ maps.
The organizers put together some multi-dimensional renditions, and advised that people write questions down so they are prepared to ask city staffers questions at the city Open House next week.
Right now, you can offer feedback by choosing (from the dropdown) a map at hala.consider.it – not a popular option, apparently, as Cindi observed that only 11 people had done that for Morgan.
Besides the December 7th meeting, the only other official meeting expected in this area is one in South Park for which a date is not yet set – likely to happen in January.
Just before everyone headed over to the maps, Phil Tavel, MoCA vice president, urged people to attend the December 7th meeting no matter what: “If you have any issue with feeling that you were left out … show up, be heard, be seen.”
WWRHAH’s Helmick then took the microphone and told people to please understand that everything happening here tonight is all-volunteer. Her organization, WWRHAH, meets next Monday night, 6:15-7:45 pm at the Southwest Library, and will be looking at the Westwood-Highland Park Urban Village draft rezoning map (one of the four we included above) as part of the meeting.
MORE RESOURCES
*The links mentioned by Deb Barker and Cindi Barker last night are now in this post on the MoCA website.
*The city’s page for the HALA focus groups also has many direct links you might find of interest.
WHAT’S NEXT BEFORE ANY REZONING BECOMES OFFICIAL
*The December 7th city “open house” in West Seattle
*Continued comment on the draft rezoning maps, via hala.consider.it (and e-mail, halainfo@seattle.gov)
*The city will revise the maps and come out with “final” versions next year that will require City Council approval; the latest estimate for that is next June
Following up on the Luna Park-area water break reported here last night – here’s how Seattle Public Utilities spokesperson Ingrid Goodwin replied to our inquiry this morning:
Water crews are back out this morning repairing the 8-inch water main. Last night crews responded to the break and throttled the main until they could return today. Customers may have noticed a diminished volume in their water service last night.
Currently water is shut down and crews are fixing the pipe. We expect to have the repair complete and water back on by 3 pm today. About 9 water services are impacted by the shutdown.
We just checked with Luna Park Café and they are open, no water trouble, so it’s apparently NOT affecting the mini-business district there.
P.S. Thanks to original tipster Stephanie for the photo above.
(Sharp-Shinned Hawk, photographed on “the edge of Fauntleroy Park” by Mark Wangerin)
Nothing in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide for today/tonight (aside from ongoing listings for all-season-long happenings like tree sales and light shows), so everything below is from our year-round WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
BABY STORY TIME: 11:30 am-noon, bring your 4- to 12-month-old(s) to High Point Library for a fun, free story time. Remember that this branch will close for renovations starting next Monday, so drop by while you still can! (35th SW/SW Raymond)
LUNCHTIME NETWORKING: Noon-1:15 pm at West Seattle’s only coworking center, Office Junction, you’re invited to bring your lunch and meet other nontraditional workers/entrepreneurs/etc. (6040 California SW)
DINE OUT FOR ALKI ELEMENTARY: 2-9 pm at Shelby’s Bistro and Ice Creamery in The Junction, 10 percent of proceeds go to help Alki Elementary School. (4752 California SW)
DINE OUT FOR WSHS ASB: 3-10 pm at Chipotle in The Junction, part of the proceeds go to help the West Seattle High School ASB. (4730 California SW)
OPEN MICROPHONE: 8:30 pm at The Skylark in North Delridge – details online. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
LOTS MORE … for today, tonight and beyond … on our complete calendar!
Though Giving Tuesday is over, you still have many ways to help others this holiday season, and beyond. A first-of-its-kind West Seattle holiday event is coming up with a one-stop chance to do it in a big way. Here’s the announcement, from Judy Pickens:
Maybe you’re thinking about including gift donations in your holiday observance. Mark your calendar for a unique “shopping” opportunity to do so at the West Seattle Alternative Giving Fair on Saturday, December 10, 10 am to 2 pm in Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW).
Co-sponsored by Fauntleroy, Admiral, and Alki United Church of Christ congregations, the fair promises to be a joy-filled place to use some of your gift dollars to keep on giving. Area nonprofit and charity representatives will outline what they do, provide a card for you to give to the loved one in whose name you make a donation, and even suggest volunteer opportunities.
In one room, you can learn about and give to nearly 20 proven programs that are feeding the hungry, supporting elders, caring for creation, strengthening communities, and building a kinder world for all. The list includes Reading with Rover, a children’s literacy program with dogs as the audience; Heifer International, which helps farm families around the world become self-reliant; and the White Center Food Bank, currently serving more than 4,300 people a month.
See the list of participating programs here.
Questions? 206-932-5600 or info@fauntleroyucc.org.
(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)
7:26 AM: Good morning. A crash on NB 99 just past the bridge has cleared into the transit lane, and that’s the only problem in the area right now.
BUS NOTE: As reported last night, the main bus stop at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) is back to normal as of today.
SATURDAY REMINDER: The West Seattle Junction Tree Lighting and Night Market on Saturday night will close SW Alaska between California and 42nd SW approximately 3-9 pm (the market is 4-8 pm, tree lighting starts 4:30 pm).
7:43 AM: Problem on the EB bridge, tweeted by SDOT:
A stall is blocking the center lane on the EB West Seattle Bridge. Expect delays. pic.twitter.com/6jCd2ENoW8
— seattledot (@seattledot) November 30, 2016
7:48 AM: SDOT says the bridge and 99 problems have both completely cleared.
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