Somebody needs to take over the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council.

Longtime chair Mat McBride (right, WSB file photo) announced at this month’s DNDC meeting that it’s time for him to step away.

Three other people were at the meeting, held last Wednesday in the lobby of Neighborhood House High Point due to a key snafu. None of them volunteered on the spot to take over. One, in fact, said she had moved out of east West Seattle.

McBride’s long been a cheerful and energetic neighborhood advocate, with his 11 years of work including helping get other efforts launched, among them the now-dormant Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council. He coordinated the volunteers who built a new Roxhill Park playground in 2012. Three years ago, on short notice, he turned a scheduled DNDC meeting into a defiant rally of neighborhood district council reps from around the city after then-Mayor Ed Murray announced he wanted to cut official ties with the groups.

Many of the NDCs kept going anyway, including Delridge – but now its future is uncertain. McBride planned to talk with at least one longtime member who wasn’t there Wednesday night. In the meantime, here’s what else he and the attendees discussed:

Three groups were represented, and each had updates.

WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: Chair Michael Taylor-Judd said the group‘s meeting this Thursday (September 26th, 6:30 pm, Neighborhood House High Point) expected guests from Sound Transit and SDOT. They’re also expecting to hear an update on safety improvements near Westwood Village, where a 78-year-old driver hit and killed a 77-year-old pedestrian in July.

DELRIDGE GROCERY: Doris Rahmig elaborated on the co-op’s recent announcement that it has signed a lease with DESC, which has long held its future store space at Cottage Grove Commons (5444 Delridge Way SW). They’ve tentatively set November 2nd as the annual meeting, and are hoping to be able to have an open-house-style gathering in the future store space. Construction will take three months, she said, so they are hopeful of opening the store around February. They’re interviewing candidates for general manager. And they’re still seeking more co-op members and other suppoters.

PUGET RIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL: Amanda Kirk recently moved to north West Seattle but came to the DNDC meeting with an update anyway. PRNC, a relatively new group, has switched to quarterly meetings. Next one will be a pizza party on October 7th. Big news on Puget Ridge includes the “tot lot” playground overhaul and Seattle Public Utilities work to improve drainage in the area. Otherwise, the water “covers half of 21st when it rains,” Kirk explained.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR DNDC: With McBride’s announcement, that remains to be determined. We’ll announce the next meeting whenever we get word of one.