West Seattle, Washington
14 Wednesday
While the next major step in citywide HALA (Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda) upzoning is not expected until the final Environmental Impact Statement comes out next month, you’re being asked at a West Seattle meeting this Tuesday night (October 17th) to weigh in on what ultimately is a proposal to override parts of three local neighborhood plans to pave the way for upzoning.
The city wants to put language in the Comprehensive Plan affecting parts of the West Seattle Junction, Morgan Junction, and Westwood-Highland Park Urban Villages, to remove language that calls for protection of current single-family zoning in those areas. The HALA upzoning proposals so far already had called for changing those areas in urban villages, but that raised a conflict with parts of the existing neighborhood plans which were included when the comprehensive plan was recently revised. So the proposed “comprehensive plan amendments” are an attempt to replace the existing language, and they are asking for opinions at Tuesday night’s meeting – 6-7:30 pm at High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW), “open house” format before and after what’s described as a short presentation at 6:30 pm.
The city’s materials for the meeting are now available online, and while they offer an option for writing your own language, they very specifically suggest not saying you want to preserve any particular kind of zoning, single-family or otherwise. From the last page of the document:
Policy Language to Avoid
Direct references to specific zones. New policies should avoid references to all specific zoning
designations in a neighborhood plan policy. General discussion of housing types, land uses, scale, and
character effectively communicate a neighborhood’s vision.Protection. The Comprehensive Plan’s goals and policies focus on shaping and guiding change for the future. Policies that emphasize protecting or preserving existing conditions limit our ability to reach these goals.
Superiority of single-family housing or zoning. Policies that connote the superiority of single-family housing compared to other types of housing should be avoided. Terms calling for maintaining qualities such as “integrity” of single-family areas should be avoided.
Here’s what they do want you to focus on, if you want to suggest your own comprehensive-plan language:
Examples for Revised Policies
Focus: Character and scale. Modify the policy language to focus on maintaining compatibility with or complementing the character and scale of single-family housing areas, rather than calling for preservation of single-family zoning.
Focus: Location and development pattern. Modify the policy language to describe the preferred general pattern for land use or urban form. This can include identification of certain areas that are relatively more appropriate for certain kinds of development.
Focus: Housing choices. Modify the policy language to emphasize housing choices or opportunities, such as housing for families or ADA accessible units.
Since the meeting document includes pages for other neighborhoods outside West Seattle, with the current language and suggested replacements, we’ve broken out the local pages below, each one with three city-suggested options plus the possibility of crafting your own. First, for the West Seattle Junction:
Next, for Morgan Junction:
And for Westwood-Highland Park:
If you can’t get to Tuesday night’s meeting – which, as previously previewed, is also addressing “backyard cottages” (a citywide issue, not just urban villages) – here’s how you can still participate, with the city taking comments on this through December 8th – use seattle2035.consider.it.
P.S. Again, the urban-village-specific pages above are taken from the full city document prepared for upcoming meetings. You can see it, including an introductory page, in its entirety by going here.
Thanks to Michael Schutzler for tonight’s sunset view above, and Danny McMillin for this morning’s crescent-moon view below:
Savor the clarity while you can – the National Weather Service warns that a “wet and windy pattern will develop over Western Washington starting Monday night and will continue through the upcoming weekend.” That’s from a “hydrologic outlook” alert that, as @WestSeaWx warns, might be followed by other alerts if the pattern continues to develop that way. So – as noted in this WSB report back on Monday – it’s a good time to get your fall/winter storm readiness routine going … at least, keep everything charged, keep flashlights handy, and as the NWS suggests, check your nearest storm drain(s). (The weather isn’t supposed to start turning until late tomorrow night, so there’s still time.)
After the three bicycles we showed last night, more reports of dumped-and-possibly-stolen items.
Someone dumped those items – including photos and a purse – in Salle‘s yard-waste bin. The photo at right has a frame from the Museum of Flight and is dated November 2015.
After a different discovery, Darin sent this photo:
Darin explains, “Very odd shoe collection on display just off 41st Ave at the Northeast corner of 41st and Alaska. Many still have store’s security tags on them.”
Any of the aforementioned items potentially yours? Let us know.
P.S. The next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is just two nights away – the focus is on neighborhood concerns – bring yours! – Tuesday night, October 17th, 7 pm, at the Southwest Precinct .
2:24 PM: If you’re not already here, you have until 5 pm to get to this year’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival – an awesome autumn all-ages celebration that’s under way on both sides of the 9100 block of California SW (around Fauntleroy Church and Schoolhouse). Above, Ladybird the Eurasian Eagle-Owl is one of the birds here as part of a new festival participant – The Falconer – find her and the other birds with their handlers in a garden area behind The Hall at Fauntleroy‘s courtyard. Here’s the schedule of everything that’s happening:
(Or see it here in PDF.) The Cake Walk (and cake-decorating judging) inside The Hall is not to be missed. Just a few entries:
You can vote until 3 pm, when the winners will be announced; then the Cake Walk is 3:15-4:15 pm, with your chance to win a cake! Back outside, over in the church parking lot – music, bouncy toys, birdhouse-making, salmon-hat making, pumpkin-painting …
Seattle Fire and Police are there too:
2:44 PM: This is a festival with something for the very littlest visitors, too. Like “Baby Dino Lake” for 4 and under:
And for those bringing babies/toddlers, there’s a diaper-changing station inside Fauntleroy Children’s Center on the north side of the schoolhouse. It’s not all kid stuff, though. We’ve been enjoying awesome jazz by the Jump Jazz Trio behind the schoolhouse:
Jump Jazz Trio behind the historic schoolhouse @ Fauntleroy Fall Festival (which is on until 5) pic.twitter.com/nWeo6RORag
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 15, 2017
And the West Seattle Big Band plays inside The Hall starting at 3.
3:11 PM: Bronwyn Edwards‘ ferry cake won the “experienced” category in the cake judging. And now, the cake walk is under way:
Speaking of food, vendors (all listed here) include Endolyne Joe’s (WSB sponsor) with sliders:
Back over in the church lot, you still have time to paint a pumpkin:
4 PM: Final hour of the festival has just begun. Still lots of people having lots of fun. Music outside…
And more Fauntleroy Fall Festival music… pic.twitter.com/Xg5aFNXVp9
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 15, 2017
…where it’s mixing with the hammering of birdhouse-makers. Inside, it’s the big sound of the WS Big Band:
And now @wsbigband at Fauntleroy Fall Festival pic.twitter.com/c8NCozSv0G
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 15, 2017
Jim Edwards directs the WSBB, and the vocalist in our short clip is Sarah Ackers. As you arrive/leave, you might notice the donation stations … this is an all-volunteer, all-community event, and if you can spare a few $, those donations help it stay free and fun every year. They’re also collecting socks for people in need:
That bin is by the walkway up to Fauntleroy Church on the south side of the lot.
5:04 PM: Festival’s over! Spectacular afternoon. We expect to add a few more photos later. (added) From the back lot – the ponies and the petting farm:
We couldn’t leave without one more look at the birds:
The painted pumpkins are guarding the treats at the Forest Lawn Cemetery and Funeral Home (WSB sponsor) Fall Festival, on until 3 pm on this sunny afternoon. The main attraction: A horse-drawn carriage for hayrides:
Forest Lawn fall festival until 3 pm. Free rides from parking lot at 6701 30th SW, circling cemetery across the street. pic.twitter.com/4WKqGE7P8x
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 15, 2017
The rides are looping around the cemetery, but the carriage is loading outside the Forest Lawn building at 6701 30th SW, steps away from the treats (including caramel apples and popcorn) and beverages. All free!
Family and friends will gather next Friday (October 20th) to remember lifelong West Seattleite Greg Ericson. Here’s the remembrance being shared with the community:
Greg Ericson passed peacefully at home surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with cancer on October 10th.
He was born January 14th, 1950, and grew up in West Seattle where he resided his entire life. He graduated from West Seattle High School in 1968, and shortly after launched a successful real estate business. Greg was an incredible handyman and businessman, who built houses from the ground up and could fix absolutely anything. He met the love of his life Sue in 1980, and they had three children which were the light of Greg’s life. He was above all a family man, and also enjoyed rounds of golf, Monday nights with his buddies, playing practical jokes, boating around Puget Sound, tending to his plant collection, cooking, and traveling all over the world, especially to visit his favorite country, Italy.
Greg was an incredible husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend, and will be deeply missed. He has left behind his wife Sue, his daughters Nicole (Scott) and Noelle, son Nolan (Amanda), grandchildren Emily and Owen (and another grandson arriving in November), brother Bill, aunt Sister Imelda, and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his parents Olga and Bill, & sister Dini.
A funeral mass will be celebrated in Greg’s honor on Friday, October 20th at 11:00 AM at Holy Rosary Church, 4210 SW Genesee St. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donations to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Fred Hutchinson, or a charity of your choice.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Fall colors of the Farmers’ Market kind – photo by Sean O)
Today’s a day to celebrate fall! Highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – after a traffic alert:
PAVING REMINDER: The closure of SW Edmunds is scheduled to continue at 40th SW for repaving, until ~5 pm today.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm – see what’s fresh this week in the heart of The Junction. (California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon)
WEST SEATTLE SKI SWAP, DAY 2: Shop 10 am-4 pm for skis, snowboards, and all your winter-gear needs. Presented by Mountain to Sound Outfitters at American Legion Post 160 next door. (3618 SW Alaska)
WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FAMILY FRISBEE: All ages welcome, 10 am at Walt Hundley Playfield in High Point. (34th SW/SW Myrtle)
FOREST LAWN FALL FESTIVAL: Noon-3 pm at Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Cemetery (WSB sponsor), as previewed here, free family fun including “hay rides, face painting, balloon artist, pumpkin decorating, photo booth, caramel apples & popcorn, giant games for kids.” We’re told most of the activities will be in the Forest Lawn parking lot next to their main building, but the hay rides will go around the cemetery across the street. (6701 30th SW)
FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: If you’re bringing a cake for the Cake Walk, drop it off between noon and 1 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. The festival officially runs 2-5 pm. Our first preview is here; you can see the full entertainment/activities schedule and food lineup in our second preview. You’ll find everything in and around Fauntleroy Church and Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. And bring socks to donate to the collection drive for people in need. (Both sides of the 9100 block of California SW)
SILENT MOVIE WITH LIVE MUSIC: “Phantom of the Opera” with Dennis James and Connie Corrick, 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall. Details including ticket info, in our calendar listing. (7904 35th SW)
MORE FOR TODAY/TONIGHT/TOMORROW/BEYOND … on our full calendar!
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