West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
The Fauntleroy Community Association board just wrapped up tonight’s monthly meeting at its usual location, the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, where more than 15 people crowded into the conference room, several drawn by the biggest topic on the agenda – this site about a block west:
REZONE PROPOSAL: We broke the news two weeks ago about an early-stage proposal to rezone and redevelop 9250 45th SW in the heart of Fauntleroy’s Endolyne business district. Since then, two FCA board members have talked with the site’s owners to find out more.
(Photos courtesy Kol HaNeshamah)
Looking for inspiration? You’ve heard of TED Talks … here in West Seattle, progressive Jewish community Kol HaNeshamah is presenting a series of FRED Talks (Fresh, Relevant, Educational, Dynamic). This Saturday (November 18th), you are invited to hear “Stories From Remarkable Volunteers in Our Midst,” 12:30 pm-2 pm. Featured speakers:
*Craig Greenberg is an airplane pilot with Angel Flight, a group of volunteers who fly their own planes and pay for flight costs to help families make critical journeys. Craig will share some of these heroic stories.
*Everyone knows breastmilk is the most superior food for babies, but breastfeeding doesn’t necessarily come easy to everyone. Betsy Hoffmeister has spent more than 15 years as a volunteer leader and an on-call specialist for La Leche League, an international organization with the sole purpose of helping families and their babies.
*Henry, a clever canine and certified therapy dog lives with Lou and Janet Manuta and volunteers by bringing joy to people of all ages. He visits schoolkids, seniors, and so many others, sharing his tricks. Henry has agreed to do some tricks while Lou talks about how Henry got so good at what he does.
Refreshments will be served in the lobby prior to the FRED talks.
Suggested admission is $18, or $12 for seniors/students. Kol HaNeshamah requests that you RSVP online, by going here.
(WSB reader photo by Candace from Christmas Ship’s past visit)
As we continue assembling this year’s WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide – we’ve received this announcement of a brand-new West Seattle holiday event, a fun(draiser) for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. Reservations required, and the announcement explains how:
If you have ever wanted to watch and listen to the Argosy Christmas Ship Cruise in comfort and hang out with some super-awesome people, please join with us for “Seasonal Sounds On The Sound” at Harbor Park Condominium complex, 1727 Harbor Avenue SW, on Saturday, December 9th, 2017!
This 21-and-older event is from 3 pm – 6:30 pm and includes live holiday music on site, beverages, and food, along with a FRONT ROW seat for the Argosy Christmas Ship stop along Harbor Avenue!
This hosted holiday fundraiser benefits the SW Seattle Historical Society.
You may know about the Log House Museum on Alki Beach, but there are many other things that our local historical society does to promote the heritage and history of this area. (Most recently, think “We ❤ The Junction” campaign which successfully landmarked both the Campbell and Hamm buildings at the Alaska Junction, “Words, Writers & West Seattle” on the first Friday of each month at Barnes & Noble, ongoing school assembly programs, and more.)
A suggested donation of $50 per person is appreciated and will be a wonderful opportunity for you & a date to ring in the holiday spirit and still leave time to enjoy other holiday activities that day!
Details below – and remember… all proceeds benefit the SWSHS! Space is limited so RSVP by emailing director@loghousemuseum.info right away!
While “Seasonal Sounds on the Sound”is a special one-time only event, December 9th is one of two days this season with Christmas Ship stops off the West Seattle shore – three stops that night, one stop on December 14th, all listed on our calendar and on the official Christmas Ship website.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports today:
STOLEN CAR: Mariana reports her silver ’99 Honda CR-V, with Yakama Nation plate 2535, has been stolen from the 7300 block of California SW, where it was last seen at 9 pm Sunday.
She adds, “Unique plates, but my original Washington plates are in car and could have been switched out. I don’t know my WA state plate number. It has studded snow tires, painted feather and beaded bag in window. Police Incident Report # 17-422184.” Call 911 if you see it.
MORE GAS-TANK PUNCTURES: We’ve published previous reports of gas tanks being punctured, apparently to steal gasoline. Now the thief/thieves are hitting schools. Sometime between last Wednesday and Sunday, they hit Hope Lutheran School‘s bus: “One of our teachers went to fill the bus and realized at the gas station that there was a pencil sized stream of gas from the tank. We took it to West Seattle Autoworks and it was the 4th incident they had seen of this type this month.” The Seattle Lutheran High School bus parked next to Hope’s bus (on the north side of The Junction) also had gas stolen, but via siphon, not puncture. (We had multiple gas-tank-puncture reports last month, including this one.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Though we’re almost three years from the expected launch of the RapidRide H Line – which will be a conversion of what’s now Route 120 – the process requires that some key decisions be made soon, Metro says, so the next round of feedback is launching now.
First: A brand-new online survey for you.
Next: Community meetings are planned in White Center and Burien during the second week of December (exact dates, times, locations to come).
Just before the survey was announced today, we talked with the project manager for the H Line development, Jerry Roberson, and Metro spokesperson Jeff Switzer. Roberson, a West Seattle resident, says the new round of feedback is to “find out what issues we should be addressing” before they wrap up the “planning phase” next spring, getting ready for construction in 2019 and launch in 2020 (likely with the September service change).
We asked about a key issue that’s resurfaced repeatedly in community-group discussions about the impending conversion: Concerns that RapidRide is geared toward getting people downtown quickly, but Route 120 is used much more for point-to-point transportation on Delridge.
That’s what they hope to learn more about during this feedback process, said Roberson. And because there will be no “underlying local service,” he acknowledged, “we’re going to have to be flexible.” That means instead of the standard RapidRide half-mile spacing, stops will likely be closer together, “especially in the more urban areas of the corridor – which is much of the corridor. … There are areas where we may have as close as quarter-mile (spacing),” though he expects the average will be more like a third of a mile. “That’s one of the things we’re going to take to the public.” Your feedback, Metro insists, will be vital. “Maybe the public will point out, here’s a critical stop, and here’s the reason why.”
They also want to hear exactly how you use transit and where it falls in your transportation usage – and find out where they might need to upgrade pedestrian connections to get people to RapidRide stops from home, school, business, etc. Where you start your trip and how you connect with transit are big questions they want you to answer, “so we can understand the needs,” Switzer explains.
Speaking of “where,” the final alignment of the H Line has not yet been settled, and they are looking at some alternatives in White Center – between 17th and Roxbury and 16th/107th – and in Burien, as circled on the map above. (That’s why Metro was collecting traffic data in WC recently, as we reported two weeks ago on partner site White Center Now.)
The feedback obtained from the new survey and at December open houses will be incorporated in time for follow-up meetings early next year, and then, Roberson says, their “target date to start design” is April 30th.
P.S. The project is a partnership with SDOT in part of because of the funding the city contributes to service; here’s our report from last spring on feedback that the city collected for H Line planning. That followed this Delridge Neighborhoods District Council discussion.
Seattle City Light still has 13,000 customers without power right now – and has warned that since most of the remaining outages are small, progress will be slower. And in fact, most of the West Seattle markers on the screengrab of the SCL outage map shown above represent one-customer outages – with a few exceptions: 19 customers in the Seola Beach area, 15 each near 34th/Morgan and at 39th/Dakota, and 14 each near 21st/Roxbury and 36th/Webster. If you are still out but NOT shown on the map, you’ll want to check in to be sure SCL knows that – 206-684-3000.
(Tuesday morning photo by Jim Borrow)
An abundance of rainbow sightings after and before the windstorm – thanks to everyone who shared photos! We are featuring four with the list of Tuesday highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
DINE-OUT BENEFIT: 4-10 pm, Mioposto in Admiral is part of a chain-wide dine-out benefit tonight for refugee assistance, with a percentage of proceeds going to World Relief Seattle. Pickup/delivery counts too. (2139 California SW)
STATE OF THE DISTRICT: 5-7 pm in the West Seattle High School Theater, a public event is centered on Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland‘s “State of the District” speech. It begins with a 5 pm reception, and the program’s at 5:30 pm. (3000 California SW)
(Tuesday morning photo by Al)
FRIENDS OF ROXHILL ELEMENTARY, RESCHEDULED: 6 pm tonight, Friends of Roxhill Elementary meets at the school, rescheduled from last night because of the windstorm power outage. (9430 30th SW)
‘SCREENAGERS’: See the film during Gatewood Elementary‘s Parent Education Night, 6-8:30 pm. With Spanish subtitles. All welcome. (4320 SW Myrtle)
HOPE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 6:30-8 pm, you’re invited to preK through 8th grade Hope Lutheran School (WSB sponsor) in The Junction for an open house. Tour the school, meet staff, learn about programs. (4456 42nd SW)
(Tuesday morning photo by James Bratsanos)
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION’S HALA FOLLOWUP: As previewed here, everyone who lives, works, and/or shops/dines in Morgan Junction is invited to this meeting that’s a followup to a component of the HALA process in which the city is seeking to override part of the area’s neighborhood plan. 6:30 pm in the downstairs meeting room at The Kenney. (7125 Fauntleroy Way SW)
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Tonight’s FCA board meeting at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse includes a discussion of the proposed 9250 45th SW rezone/redevelopment. 7 pm; full agenda’s in our calendar listing. (9131 California SW)
REMINDER – NO ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING: Canceled for this month. Next meeting December 12th.
(Monday afternoon photo by Jen Popp)
Something for our calendar? And/or the forthcoming WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide? E-mail is the best way to get us the info – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
ORIGINAL 10:38 AM REPORT: We’ll be checking on various aspects of the windstorm aftermath throughout today. First: While walking through upper Lincoln Park this morning, we saw numerous downed branches and tree limbs, large and small. With so much parkland in West Seattle, many others might notice cleanup and/or repair needs, so we asked Seattle Parks spokesperson Rachel Schulkin the best way to report what you see, today and beyond. She advises calling the Parks maintenance-request line – 206-684-7250.
ADDED 12:47 PM: A damage report from Hiawatha Playfield – a bench taken out by a madrone tree/branch:
Thanks to Erika, who sent that photo, and Max, for both e-mailing about this.
ADDED 2:50 PM: From Seattle Parks via Twitter: “Camp Long’s Ridge Trail is currently closed. Crews are removing a downed tree in the area. We expect the trail to be closed through tomorrow. Call Camp Long for more info: 206-684-7434.”
(SCROLL DOWN for afternoon & evening updates)
(Video of today’s committee meeting)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The City Council’s final budget decisions are getting closer.
In a two-session review today, at 9:30 am and 2 pm, councilmembers will start voting on changes to the budget presented by the mayor last month. As Budget Committee chair, West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold has come up with the almost-final list of changes, formally known as the “revised balancing package.” The proposals are all linked from the agenda.
One potential showdown is over the “head tax,” a per-employee tax for businesses with a certain level of revenue. In her newest online update, Herbold calls the proposal “exciting” and says it “would provide sustained, ongoing funding for addressing the homelessness emergency and related items” and that “because it is an ongoing revenue source, the City could bond against this new revenue in the future.”
Opponents include a coalition of 90+ businesses, including a half-dozen-plus from West Seattle, that sent a letter (see it here) to the council on Monday, saying, “We need a compassionate and effective approach to solving homelessness. This proposed tax on jobs is not that, and comes on top of significant increases in business taxes, fees and utility rates that the Council has adopted in the last three years.” (Added 10:22 am: In opening remarks at today’s meeting, Herbold explained changes in the proposal, including a doubling of the threshold for the revenue level at which businesses would be affected, now $10 million.)
The items listed for discussion/votes today include an alternative proposal from Councilmember Bruce Harrell proposing that “the Executive work cooperatively with the Council to develop and participate in a community-led stakeholder engagement process around the establishment of an Employee Hours Tax and/or other revenue source.”
Also likely to be a hot topic, the topic of encampment removals. The “proviso” that has made it onto the list for discussion is Herbold’s alternative, which spells out accountability for determine where the city is removing them and why, not others’ proposals to all but shut them down.
And there’s a proposal from Councilmember Mike O’Brien to set aside $750,000 for at least 13 “safe parking” sites for people living in RVs and other vehicles.
The dozens of other potential budget changes that made this list also include two we’ve mentioned recently that specifically relate to West Seattle, including one related to noise/cruising violations on Alki:
By March 16, 2018, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) is requested to submit a report to the Councilmember representing Council District 1, the Chair of the Gender Equity, Safe Communities, and New Americans Committee, and Council Central Staff Director on SPD’s enforcement policies and practices with respect to vehicle noise and cruising in the Alki neighborhood during the warm-weather months.
And then there’s the item related to the forthcoming Delridge RapidRide conversion. Herbold staffer Newell Aldrich clarified for us that this is intended to add a greater level of transparency earlier in the process.
Again, the full list of what will be discussed in 9:30 am and 2 pm sessions today is here – each item in blue links to the document summarizing the proposal. You can watch live via Seattle Channel, online or channel 21. A final budget vote is planned next Monday; any last-minute thoughts, e-mail councilmembers at council@seattle.gov.
ADDED 2:32 PM: The first budget meeting of the day ran four hours, to within half an hour of the scheduled start of the second one, so the council decided to reconvene tomorrow morning instead. Among the decisions made: The “head tax” was voted down, with Councilmembers Bruce Harrell, Debora Juarez, Lorena González, Rob Johnson, and Sally Bagshaw voting “no.” There was a general commitment to bring back another version soon.
ADDED 6:14 PM: We’ve replaced the no-longer-needed live video window above with the archived video of today’s meeting. As you’ll hear in the final minutes, the rest of the reason they adjourned this afternoon to regroup for tomorrow is because the rejection of the “head tax” meant some subsequent proposals no longer had funding. Tomorrow’s agenda calls for a public-comment session at 9:30 am, then adjournment until 11 am.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:03 AM: Good morning. The Seattle City Light map shows most West Seattleites affected by outages have their power back – but not all; a pocket of 400+ customers is shown as still out in the Delridge area just north of Orchard/Sylvan, and there are still smaller pockets elsewhere. Please let us know, when you can do so safely, if you see a stoplight that’s not working or a tree/pole/etc. still blocking a road or path. First report in is from Al, who says a streetlight’s downed on the Harbor Avenue trail across from 7-11.
And of course any major hazard should be reported to authorities first if you’re not sure they know – 911 before business hours, then 206-684-ROAD for SDOT.
6:42 AM: Scanner confirms what the outage map suggests – the signal at Roxbury/Olson/4th is still out, so plan on extra time getting through that area (and stop all ways when signals aren’t working).
7:15 AM: Per e-mail, on 36th SW between Andover and Dakota, the downed streetlight shown in last night’s coverage is still down across the sidewalk. … On 41st SW between Manning and Hinds, a tree is still down across the street, Terri tells us this morning.
8:18 AM: Still incident-free. As for the outages, City Light warns that as it takes on the smaller outages – which is what’s left in West Seattle, between 1 and 411 customers – its pace of repairs will slow (160+ outages remain citywide, affecting 6,300+ customers).
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