DEVELOPMENT NOTES: Admiral, Pigeon Point, Delridge, Alki
A few notes on what’s planned where:
ADMIRAL TOWNHOUSES: The photo is from Graham, who says his neighborhood has long been watching to see what will happen with 2329 48th SW, where the sign has now gone up for a project that will replace a 59-year-old house with seven townhouses – one 5-unit building, one 2-unit building. The site is zoned Lowrise 1. This address hasn’t yet shown up in the city’s Land Use Information Bulletin, which is usually the announcement of a 2-week comment period.
PIGEON POINT TOWNHOUSES: A notice of application that was published today in the aforementioned LUIB opens a comment period for a 6-townhouse, 6-parking-space project at 3850 22nd SW. The notice explains how to comment by the April 23rd deadline. This is one of multiple development proposals on the block, as we mentioned last month.
SOUTH DELRIDGE TOWNHOUSES: A demolition permit is being sought for 9025 17th SW, which went through Streamlined Design Review (the no-meeting type of DR) for the 4-townhouse, 2-parking-space plan.
MORE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD MEETINGS AHEAD: The formal notices are not out yet but here’s what’s been added to the online schedule: The Lam Bow Apartments building to replace the one demolished after the 2016 fire will go to the SW Design Review Board on May 3rd. Here’s the “design packet”:
Then on May 17th, the board is scheduled to take another look at 1250 Alki SW, the downscaled SolTerra project, where one house was moved offsite and 4 remain, facing demolition. The project is currently proposed for 40 units and 76 offstreet parking spaces; that’s fewer units and more parking than when the revised project went before the board for Early Design Guidance last May.
Remembering Robert J. Ross, Jr., 1955-2018
Family and friends are remembering Robert J. Ross, Jr., and sharing this with the community:
Robert J. Ross Jr. 2/05/1955 – 4/01/2018
Beloved son, brother and uncle.
Rob graduated from West Seattle High School in 1973 and worked for several years before attending college. He graduated with a double major from the University of Washington. Rob worked with at-risk youth in Seattle at SEAMAR. An avid snow skier, bicyclist, soccer and baseball player in his younger years, Rob had lots of friends. Later in life he liked his solitude, but still attended Mariners games as well as local high-school games. He lived in and around West Seattle all of his life, coining himself “The Mayor of Alki.” Rob was a funny, kind, sensitive man who will be missed by all who knew him.
Rob was preceded in death by his father Robert J Ross. He is survived by his mother Frances Ross, sisters Kris Peterson and Megan Ross, niece Brynne Kelly (Pat), and nephew Sean Donovan. A celebration of life will be held in his honor this summer. Friends and family will be notified of date, place and time. RIP Robbie. We miss you.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
No more Pastry and Baking Arts at South Seattle College? Cancellation considered; meeting Tuesday
(March photo courtesy South Seattle College)
You might remember that creative cake we featured last month, a commissioned creation of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Pastry and Baking Arts program. This month, students, instructors, and supporters of the program are dealing with some not-so-sweet news: The program may be on its last legs. After getting word of this a few days ago, from a student who said, “The chefs told us … and it was a room full of crying people. A program that has been around for decades will be gone.” We sought confirmation from the college and received this statement today as confirmation:
After completing a program viability process, South Seattle College’s Vice President of Instruction (VPI) has made the recommendation to close the Pastry & Baking Arts program.
The VPI’s recommendation is based on low enrollment and high costs to administer the pastry program as the college addresses a challenging budget environment. The recommendation is not a reflection of the quality of the program or instruction provided to our students.
If the decision is made to close the program, the Office of Instruction’s main focus will be supporting currently enrolled students. Options to be considered include running the program until current students are able to complete their degrees or certificates, and transferring students to similar programs in the area. Human resources will provide support to impacted faculty and staff.
The VPI’s recommendation is made to the college president, who then makes the decision on whether to recommend program closure to Seattle Colleges’ chancellor. The chancellor makes the final determination.
Special Cabinet Meeting on April 10
South Seattle College’s president and cabinet are holding a special meeting from 2 to 3 p.m. on April 10 in the President’s Boardroom (RSB 30) to hear from Pastry & Baking Arts faculty, students, alumni and supporters. The meeting is open to the public. That feedback will help inform the president’s decision on making a closure recommendation to the chancellor.
A program graduate who contacted WSB says supporters plan to be there en masse to make the case for keeping the program. This is not the only manifestation of budget challenges at the college – before spring-quarter enrollment, some planned classes in unspecified areas were canceled, the college confirmed to us. Communications director Ty Swenson had told WSB at the time, “Looking at the big picture, South and many other community colleges have seen declining enrollment over the past several years with a strong economy and low unemployment (which typically drives potential and current students into the workforce instead). At the state level, funding for the community and technical college system has steadily declined. Locally, we’ve seen the cost of living rise dramatically in our service-area neighborhoods, causing lower and middle-income families we traditionally serve to move out of the area (which can also impact enrollment).”
Change the encampment time-limit rules? That and more @ Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
While the decision on another year for Camp Second Chance at the Myers Way Parcels is pending, sentiment is swirling about changing the city rules that currently limit encampments to two city-sanctioned years.
That was one of the notable side issues that arose during the monthly meeting of the C2C Community Advisory Committee on Sunday afternoon.
The camp, you might recall, is currently waiting to hear from the city on whether its permit to be at the city-owned Myers Way Parcels will be extended for what the city will consider a “second year,” though the first year didn’t start until the camp had already been there nine months. The one-year-with-one-possible-year-of-renewal was a promise made before the city funding was finalized last year, and it’s the current rule for all of the city’s sanctioned encampments.
When Sunday’s meeting got to open-discussion time, a resident of Arrowhead Gardens – the senior-living complex where the committee meets, a few blocks north of the encampment – asked who “absorbs the expense” if and when the camp has to be relocated.
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West Seattle Monday: Books, music, crafts, college…
(Cooper’s Hawk, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
A few things you might want to know about, before the day’s much further along:
SOUTH SEATTLE COLLEGE PRESIDENT FINALIST FORUM: The first of four public forums with finalists for the presidency at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) is today, 1:30 pm-2:30 pm in the Olympic Hall auditorium on the south end of campus. Today’s forum features Dr. Tod Treat, currently Executive VP for Academic and Student Affairs at Tacoma Community College. (6000 16th SW)
TINKERLAB: School’s out for many and it’s a good time to dive into the spring Tinkerlab STEM-themed-craft series at Delridge Library, 4 pm. Free, all ages. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
EVENING BOOK GROUPS AT 2 LIBRARIES: At Southwest and West Seattle (Admiral) branches, it’s Evening Book Group night, 6:45 pm start for both. At WS (2306 42nd SW), this month’s book is “The Bookseller of Kabul” by Asne Seierstad. At SW (9010 35th SW), this month’s book is “Etta and Otto and Russell and James” by Emma Hooper.
FREE IN-STORE CONCERT: 7 pm at Easy Street Records in The Junction, all the way from France, it’s Les Lullies in concert, all ages! (California/Alaska)
FAUNTLEROY DOCK PAVING PROJECT BEGINS: We reminded you during the morning traffic coverage but here’s one more reminder – 6 weeks of what’s expected to be noisy nighttime work at the Fauntleroy ferry dock starts tonight, 7 pm-4 am, as previewed here.
LOOK INTO THE FUTURE … on our complete calendar page, covering days, weeks, months ahead!
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