By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

When city staff booked a Queen Anne movie theater for a doubleheader public hearing before the City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee, they seriously underestimated the amount of time and space they would need.

Last night’s hearing at SIFF Cinema Uptown was scheduled for an hour and a half of public comment on the HALA upzoning proposal for the Uptown area, and then two hours of public comment on proposed changes to the city’s Design Review program.

The former turned out to be the hottest ticket. When we arrived around 6:40 pm, planning to cover the Design Review hearing, we found dozens of people waiting outside the theater – not for one of the movies in the other two auditoriums, but for the upzoning hearing. The theater had declared Auditorium 3 at capacity and was only letting people in to replace those who left; we had to argue our way in.

As it turned out, though, we might as well have waited, as the Uptown hearing ran an hour extra. It was a standing-room-only crowd, with four councilmembers – committee chair Rob Johnson, vice chair Mike O’Brien, Tim Burgess, and Sally Bagshaw – present for that hearing, while only Johnson and O’Brien stayed for the Design Review hearing. (West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who is a member of the committee, was not there.)

Uptown testimony finally wrapped up just after 8 pm, and Johnson ordered the proceedings to move immediately into the Design Review topic. A very quick overview was given by Christina Ghan from the Department of Construction and Inspections, and then it was on into the ~40 people who had signed up to speak. Seattle Channel was there, recording, but as of this writing, its video of the marathon hearing hasn’t appeared online, so here’s what we recorded. There’s literally nothing to see after the first couple slides, as our angle didn’t get the speakers (who were almost all down on the auditorium floor anyway), but you can play it as audio in the background.

Below – highlights of each speaker. Not full transcriptions – you’ll want to listen, to get the entirety of what was said. In summary, the criticism was wide-ranging, and not necessarily along the lines you’d expect. Criticism of the proposed “early community engagement” component ranged from leaving the fox in charge of the hen house to adds even more unpredictability for project teams; last-minute amendments led to a variety of concerns about changing the thresholds for design review, either raising them or lowering them. And several people suggested that adding staffing to SDCI would be the best way to speed up project reviews, expressing doubt that the design-review process was really a major factor in delays. Only a few people alluded to the amendments brought up last Friday (see them here). Ahead, the toplines:

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SOCCER: Chief Sealth IHS girls host West Seattle HS

September 12, 2017 6:41 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

A week of crosstown competition between Chief Sealth International High School and West Seattle High School teams continued this afternoon with soccer at Walt Hundley Playfield in High Point. The Seahawks were the home team.

The visitors dominated the game, and the Wildcats went away with their first win (after two draws), 8-1.

West Seattle’s next match is 4:30 pm Thursday at Ingraham; Sealth’s next match is at home, also 4:30 pm Thursday, against Cleveland.

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READY TO RECYCLE? 2 West Seattle events now ahead

September 12, 2017 5:29 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Environment | West Seattle news

We’ve already previewed the next Recycle Roundup at Fauntleroy Church – just a week and a half away, 9 am-3 pm Sunday, September 24th – and now a second West Seattle event is set for this fall: The West Seattle Junction Association has announced a recycle/reuse event for 9 am-1 pm Saturday, October 14th (in the parking lot on 42nd SW just south of SW Oregon).

The two events are complementary to some degree – while the Fauntleroy event has a long list of what will be accepted, it also has a short list of what won’t, and some of those items WILL be accepted at the Junction event – clothing, Styrofoam, wooden furniture, for example.

Both events are free!

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UPDATE: About the police response on Delridge

September 12, 2017 3:11 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

3:11 PM: If you saw the police response on Delridge – with Guardian One overhead for a while – a short time ago, here’s what we know so far: They were following a vehicle, described as a gold or beige pickup truck type of vehicle, that did some sort of damage outside Home Depot. Per the scanner, the driver headed onto the eastbound bridge, then Northbound 99, and into downtown. A different precinct picked up the search there, so we don’t know if the driver eventually was stopped; meantime, we’re off to look at the reported local damage.

3:33 PM: Photos added, above. The damage was primarily to plants and shrubs that were on display outside the store.

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BULLETIN: Mayor Ed Murray resigns after more abuse accusations, saying ‘it is best for the city if I step aside’

September 12, 2017 1:22 pm

| 44 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

1:22 PM: Just in via e-mail:

Today, Mayor Murray released the following statement:

“I am announcing my resignation as mayor, effective at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

“While the allegations against me are not true, it is important that my personal issues do not affect the ability of our City government to conduct the public’s business.

“I’m proud of all that I have accomplished over my 19 years in the Legislature, where I was able to pass what were at the time the largest transportation packages in state history, a landmark gay civil rights bill and a historic marriage equality bill.

“And I am proud of what we have accomplished together at the City during my time as mayor, passing a nation-leading $15 minimum wage, and major progressive housing affordability and police accountability legislation, as well as negotiating an agreement to build a world-class arena that I believe in time will bring the NHL and NBA to Seattle.

“But it has also become clear to me that in light of the latest news reports it is best for the city if I step aside.

“To the people of this special city and to my dedicated staff, I am sorry for this painful situation.

“In the interest of an orderly transition of power, Council President Bruce Harrell will become Mayor upon my resignation, and will decide within the following five days whether he will fill out the remainder of my term. During this time Director of Operations Fred Podesta has been tasked with leading the transition.”

The announcement was made hours after The Seattle Times reported new accusations of sexual abuse by Murray, this time from a cousin.

Four months ago, Murray gathered supporters at the Alki Bathhouse – noting that it was near his boyhood home in West Seattle – to announce that he would not run for re-election, but until today, he had continued to insist that he would finish out his term.

1:54 PM: As noted in the comment section, Council President Harrell circulated this memo a month ago, regarding succession if the mayor resigned. (Thanks to SCC Insight for making the memo easy to find.) It elaborates on what Murray’s statement mentions – that Harrell becomes acting mayor but can decide within five days whether he wants to keep that role until a new mayor is elected in November. If he declines it, the council would elect someone else from its ranks to serve as acting mayor, and then would have to fill that councilmember’s job.

2:41 PM: And if you’re still confused – a statement just e-mailed by City Attorney Pete Holmes says he’s helping to sort it out:

“As City Attorney, my number one priority is maintaining continuity of government operations for the people of the City of Seattle. My office is advising the City Council and the Mayor’s Office on next legal steps forward under the City Charter.”

3:54 PM: Council President Harrell isn’t saying yet whether he’ll keep the interim mayorship beyond a few days. In this statement, he says, “I intend to make an announcement within the five days on my intentions and will talk to my family, my colleagues on the Seattle City Council, and trusted members of our city on this decision with the understanding that the City and continuity of governance comes before all other factors.”

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2 THURSDAY NOTES: Community centers closed; Delridge business-survey meeting postponed

September 12, 2017 12:11 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Delridge | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Two notes about this Thursday (September 14th):

COMMUNITY CENTERS CLOSED: Citywide, Seattle Parks‘ community centers will all be closed this Thursday. The note on the Parks website:

All our Community Centers will be closed Thursday, September 14th for a division retreat. School Age Care programs will be open as normal.

(Added – we verified with Parks that Southwest Teen Life Center will be part of the day-long closure, too.)

DELRIDGE BUSINESS-SURVEY MEETING POSTPONED: The event to release results of the Delridge Business Survey, originally announced for this Thursday, has to be postponed due to a key participant’s illness. No new date yet; we’ll publish an update when one is announced.

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West Seattle Tuesday: Hurricane relief; Fauntleroy, Admiral, & South Park community meetings; soccer; more…

September 12, 2017 10:44 am

| Comments Off on West Seattle Tuesday: Hurricane relief; Fauntleroy, Admiral, & South Park community meetings; soccer; more…

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Victoria Gnatoka for views of West Seattle from the air, photographed while she was flying out of Sea-Tac last week. Here’s what’s happening on the ground for the rest of your Tuesday:

DINE OUT FOR HURRICANE RELIEF: 4-10 pm, half the proceeds at Mioposto Admiral (and its sibling restaurants elsewhere in the city, if you’re off-peninsula tonight) go to hurricane relief, as do all proceeds from $5 raffle tickets. (2139 California SW)

HIGH-SCHOOL SOCCER: 4 pm at Walt Hundley Playfield in High Point, the Chief Sealth International High School girls-soccer team hosts West Seattle High School. (34th SW/SW Myrtle)

FREE IRISH-DANCE LESSON: 4:45 pm at the VFW Hall in The Triangle, it’s the start of a new round of Comerford School of Irish Dance lessons for new beginners, and the first lesson is free. (3601 SW Alaska)

‘SCHOOL YOUR PARENTS’: 5-7 pm at High Point Library:

Learn about great resources that the High Point Library presents during the school year for students and families

Scavenger Hunt Fun!

Refreshments

School Supplies Giveaway

West Seattle Helpline Clothesline Program will be giving out gently used clothing to all

Come join us!

(35th SW/SW Raymond)

JUSTIN KAUSAL-HAYES: Live music at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), 5-8 pm. No cover; happy-hour specials available until 6 pm. (1936 Harbor SW)

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: 7 pm board meeting – everyone welcome – at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. The agenda is in our calendar listing. (9131 California SW)

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: 7 pm general meeting – everyone welcome – at The Sanctuary at Admiral. Guest speaker is Karen Berge from West Seattle Be Prepared – always a timely topic, but even more so right now with the hurricanes and Mexico megaquake affecting millions. (42nd SW/SW Lander)

SOUTH PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: 7 pm general meeting – everyone welcome – at SP Neighborhood Center. (8201 10th Ave. S.)

MAX CRUMBLE ORCHESTRA: “Homage to elevator music,” 7:30-10 pm at Parliament Tavern. No cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral)

THERE’S ALWAYS MORE … for today, tonight, and way beyond, on our complete-calendar page, where you can also find out how to get your event listed (hint: the earlier we get the info, the better!).

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