What West Seattle gets in the City Council’s final budget

The City Council passed next year’s budget today, finalizing its changes to the plan Mayor Jenny Durkan proposed in September, and including some changes championed by West Seattle/South Park (District 1) Councilmember Lisa Herbold. We’ve reported on most of them previously in the process. They include, as listed in her budget-wrapup announcement:

DISTRICT 1 CAPITAL PROJECTS:

*Adding the Highland Park Way SW/SW Holden Street Roundabout project to the SDOT Capital Improvement Program

*Adding 35th Avenue SW road paving to the SDOT Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

*Seattle Parks Department planning to enhance Trail Access on SW Brandon Street

*Adding the South Park Playfield to the CIP, noting $1.8 million in funding

The roundabout and 35th SW items don’t guarantee funding for those projects, but they’re a key step toward moving them toward the SDOT front burner. Meantime, Herbold also notes in her announcement:

… “funding to maintain a public safety coordinator for South Park, funding for RV Remediation, and enhancing and adding three inspectors to the Vacant Building Monitoring Program, so more vacant properties are monitored and don’t become public safety nuisances for the neighborhood. … $60,000 in funding for Concord Elementary’s Community Learning Center, Citizenship Program funding for Neighborhood House at High Point, funding to allow Colman Pool stay open for an additional 4 weekends a year.”

Herbold’s announcement also mentions nine other “citywide wins” among her proposals that made it into the final budget.

9 Replies to "What West Seattle gets in the City Council's final budget"

  • Question Authority November 19, 2018 (7:32 pm)

    I don’t understand how the RV remediation will increase being that a fellow CM helped to gut the Navigation teams budget.  I doubt that each CM’s area gets specific treatment depending on their pro or con opinion of each City Department function.

    • WSB November 19, 2018 (7:49 pm)

      The Navigation Team reduced increase that was discussed last week did not happen in the end – money was shuffled from elsewhere, as was suggested (during last week’s hearing) would happen. You can follow the links in the story to see what specifically each item noted, including the “RV remediation,” means and costs – they all link to the specific items’ “green sheet” explanatory documents – TR

  • M November 19, 2018 (8:55 pm)

    Shame on Lisa Herbold for allowing the SHARE activist to bully their way back into the budget. 

  • Colin November 20, 2018 (4:23 am)

    What cross street on Brandon SW is the funding intended to support the public planning process? There are existing trails and opportunities for new ones at several sections of this road.

  • MrB November 20, 2018 (7:49 am)

    What a joke. We “might” get funding for repaving 35th Ave SW.  What about all the other roads crumbling in West Seattle?   This is yet another example of poor leadership by our CM.   Time for a change.  

    • Jon Wright November 20, 2018 (9:37 am)

      Curious to know how this “poor leadership” supposed manifested itself and what should have been done differently. FYI, short of increasing taxes it is a zero-sum game and there are 6 other geographic districts full of constituents complaining about crumbling roads in their neighborhoods, too.

  • CandrewB November 20, 2018 (8:38 am)

    So basically nothing

  • 1994 November 20, 2018 (9:18 pm)

    We have some road surfaces in West Seattle that desperately need repaving but while we wait in WS the following is getting underway just east of I-5. Swift Ave is in fairly good shape in my humble driver’s opinion.  From SDOT road project web site:Construction has begun on the Swift Ave S / S Myrtle St / S Othello St Paving Project. Early work includes improving drainage and upgrading curb ramps and sidewalks.Pavement grinding and paving work is expected to begin in spring 2019. We’ll be sure to notify you with any schedule updates as construction continues.

  • Scott Batson November 21, 2018 (11:15 am)

    Unless you manage roads for a living, the roads chosen for maintenance can be confusing.It’s best to spend limited resources where you get the greatest return.  Bringing a road up to almost new is much less expensive than a full rebuild or even patching a street in bad condition, since the patching work won’t last very long on a street near failure.  Keeping the busy streets up extends their lifespan and delays the full rebuild where the impact of a closed street is significant.In many cases streets near the end of their life are best delayed for full reconstruction, especially if they still have some useful life left. 

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