West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Sometimes it takes a while to get information. Here’s one such case. In the 8 am hour Wednesday, we got some questions about a low-flying Alaska Airlines jet that some said “buzzed Admiral.” Flightradar24 showed Alaska flight 676 looping back to Sea-Tac shortly after takeoff (here’s a screenshot). We asked the airline what happened. This morning, we got the answer:
Alaska Airlines Flight 676 Seattle-Omaha returned to Sea-Tac Airport shortly after take-off due to what was ultimately a faulty indicator light. Our standard operating procedure is to return to the departing airport. The aircraft landed safely without issue. We swapped planes and got our guests back out about 3.5 hours later. We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused our guests.
We continue highlighting ways to help those in need – this Saturday in The Junction, you have two opportunities:
DRIVE-UP FOOD DRIVE: Atticus, an 8th-grade student at Hope Lutheran, is hosting this 10 am-3 pm Saturday in the Hope lot off SW Oregon east of 42nd SW:
I am doing a Covid-safe food drive to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank during the holiday season. Just drive up and pop your trunk! Monetary donations are also appreciated. Thank you for helping me support the members of our community during these times.
Also on Saturday:
FOOD/BOOK DRIVE FOR FARMWORKERS: ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery is “accepting masked, contactless drop-offs at both the front and back entrances of our building from 12 pm-5 pm Saturday” for this drive:
Since launching in May, WashMasks has collected more than 17,600 masks, over $10,000 in school supplies, 20 full shipments of food, bedding, infant care, and paper goods; and $1,000 in cash donations for farm-working communities affected by Covid-19 and this summer’s wildfires.
This December we are having the Heart of Washington Drive: Food & Books for Washington Farm Workers. The food drive shall address the food scarcity that many of these communities face, while the books shall be an expression of love and support to migrant youth, reminding them that they matter. We have a specific book list (all with BIPOC protagonists and many bilingual or in Spanish) set up through the Bookshop website so all proceeds can benefit an independent bookstore (we are encouraging people to buy through Estrelita’s Library so it also benefits a Black-owned bookstore).
The food list is here. ArtsWest is at 4711 California; its back entrance is in the 44th/Alaska parking lot just south of KeyBank.
6:07 AM: It’s Thursday, December 10th, the 262nd morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
SPEAKING OF BRIDGES
Low Bridge: Camera installation today, which means some lane closures 9 am-3 pm.
South Park Bridge: A second inspection closure is planned for tonight, 10:30 pm-6 am. For bus riders, here’s the Metro advisory:
From Wednesday evening, December 9, through Friday morning, December 11, overnight only from 10:30 PM until 6:00 AM each night, Metro Route 60 will be rerouted in both directions due to the closure of the South Park Bridge for routine operational system testing. During this time, Route 60 heading toward Broadway or Westwood Village will travel via alternate roadways and will not serve the stops on 14th Av S at S Cloverdale St and the stops on 16th Av S at East Marginal Way S.
Terminal 5 Bridge: The Port is live-load testing, continuing today. This weekend, that will affect part of West Marginal Way. Details, with maps and times, are here.
OTHER ROAD (ETC.) WORK
(added) California/Raymond: Utility work today, possibly related to water outage scheduled for tonight. Raymond is closed at California. (Thanks to WSB sponsor Ventana Construction for the tip!)
Delridge project: Here’s what’s planned for this week, including closing SW Thistle between Delridge and 20th (which hadn’t happened yet as of Wednesday night).
TRANSIT
Metro – Regular schedule.
Water Taxi – Back on regular schedule after last weekend’s dock work.
CHECK TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO
West Marginal Way/Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am) low bridge (note: camera ticketing will NOT start today):
The main detour route across the Duwamish River, the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here are two cameras:
The other major bridge across the river – the South Park Bridge (map) – see the closure advisory above. Here’s the nearest camera:
Going through South Park? Don’t speed. (Same goes for the other detour-route neighborhoods, like Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge.)
Checking for bridges’ marine-traffic openings? See the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
Dick’s Drive-In fans were excited to hear that the local burger chain chose West Seattle as one of the first five places it will bring its new food truck. Tonight, Dick’s revealed the date and time – this Friday, 11 am-2 pm, outside Easy Street Records in The Junction. This will be the fourth stop, after Bellevue (last Friday), Everett (last Saturday), and Renton (yesterday); the stops were the result of voting, as we reported in September. The truck will sell burgers and shakes – no fries.
Here are the local/state pandemic-related toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: First, from the Seattle-King County Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:
*50,970 people have tested positive, 644 more than yesterday’s total
*920 people have died, 15 more than yesterday’s total
*3,523 people have been hospitalized, 37 more than yesterday’s total
*699,809 people have been tested, 37,323 more than yesterday’s total (data catchup continues)
One week ago, the four totals we track were 45,811/878/3,247/628,477.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
PARK WEST OUTBREAK: The skilled-nursing/rehab center in North Admiral tells WSB that 4 patients have died recently of COVID-19; 34 patients and 8 staff members have tested positive.
VACCINE UPDATES & MORE @ STATE BRIEFING: This afternoon’s weekly briefing by state health officials included these notes: If the US’s first vaccine approval happens this week as expected, vaccinations could start in our state next week. By the end of December, our state expects to receive 222,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 180,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine. 189 providers are already signed up and more applications are being reviewed … 1,125,000+ WA Notify downloads so far … Statewide, the hospitalization-rate increase has slowed … You can watch the briefing here.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Thanks to Marc for tonight’s photo, as we continue showcasing Christmas lights around West Seattle. At 6007 36th SW [map], this display features “an inflatable Santa, lit-up playhouse, and illuminated sidewalk.” We’re adding it to the lights/decorations section of the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide; thanks to everyone who’s been sending suggestions, with or without photos – westseattleblog@gmail.com – enjoy this season of light!
(Reader photo)
A week and a half ago, we reported that the low-bridge enforcement cameras would be installed this week. SDOT says that’s happening tomorrow (Thursday, December 10th), and that means a traffic alert:
New cameras will be installed Thursday, December 10. On Thursday, the Low Bridge will be reduced to one lane (so that vehicles can travel in only one direction at a time) from as early as 9 a.m. to as late as 3 p.m. A flagger will be present to guide people who are authorized to drive on the Low Bridge. Please be aware that the flagger is present and be prepared to stop if you are driving in either direction.
The cameras are expected to be activated in January. Here’s an update from SDOT on exactly how the camera enforcement system will work, as well as a refresher on current rules regarding low-bridge use.
We’ve learned of another local COVID-19 outbreak. Word of the outbreak at Park West Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in North Admiral came from relatives’ tips. Today a spokesperson for the center confirmed it, with this statement:
We grieve with all families who are dealing with loss. At Park West Nursing and Rehabilitation Center there are 4 residents whose recent deaths are attributed to Covid-19.
There are 34 residents on-site who have tested positive for Covid-19. Residents who have tested positive for Covid-19 are in cohort and resting in a designated area of our facility. There is a dedicated team of clinical care professionals and support staff tending to the group of residents who have Covid-19.
There are 8 staff members who have tested positive for Covid-19. The staff members who tested positive are off-site and in quarantine.
Updates about each resident’s health status are being provided by our nursing care leaders directly to each resident’s primary contact. …
In addition, we are in communication with Public Health – Seattle & King County, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Washington State Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Our care teams participate in ongoing training. Since April, we have trained regularly to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and we continue to apply infection control protocols. Our facility is supplied with personal protective equipment (PPE) and staff is trained in PPE usage for themselves and to help residents.
At this time, we have a No Visitors policy in place.
Park West is a rehab facility as well as a skilled-nursing center. It’s in the 98116 zip code, which has recorded 9 deaths so far in the pandemic.
Last week in West Seattle Crime Watch, we published a short SPD “Significant Incident Report” summary about an alleged hate-crime incident that ultimately involved SWAT officers. Today, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced that a felony charge is filed against the suspect in the case, 34-year-old Keeley A. Brown. Both Brown and the victim are described in court documents as residents of the microhousing building where it happened, near 35th/Avalon, the night of December 1st. The victim said Brown confronted her while she was cleaning up items in a common area and called her a “terrorist” as well as a racial slur, telling her “go back to your country” and adding that people like the victim are why gun rights are needed. Brown then allegedly hit the victim in the head with a crock-pot lid. Another resident told police that Brown had long been harassing other residents, sometimes with racial slurs, but that they believed nothing could be done because of the current eviction moratorium. Brown went into her apartment before police arrived and would not come out; a two-hour standoff ensued, ending with SWAT officers entering Brown’s apartment to arrest her. Court documents say Brown, released from jail the next day on personal recognizance, has no criminal record. She is charged with one count of what is now statutorily described as a “hate-crime offense.”
SIDE NOTE: This is another category of crime that’s been on the rise this year. The day before this incident, the KCPAO held a media briefing about hate crime, saying they had already filed charges in 51 cases this year, compared to 38 last year and 30 in 2018.
(Photo by Stewart L.)
We’ve been reporting for almost two years on advocates’ hopes of saving “Eva’s Stone Cottage,” the little rock-covered house across from Don Armeni Boat Ramp, on a site set for redevelopment. Today, they have launched a community campaign – here’s the announcement:
The stone-studded cottage at 1123 Harbor Ave SW has been a beloved and legendary landmark in West Seattle for 90 years. The wrecking ball is looming and we need help to save this piece of Seattle history.
(Stone Cottage, circa 1940s)
Eva Falk built the cottage in the 1930’s and her children came up with its unique façade of more than 15,000 beach stones. The stones were carried from the beach near the Alki Lighthouse, and each stone was thoughtfully placed by hand on the exterior of the building. Eva told her daughter Carmecita Munoz that “This house is for giving shelter to anybody and anything.” For good reason, one stone placed prominently near the cottage’s front door bears the shape of a heart, welcoming all who entered. Eva passed away in 1997 at age 92.
The Stone Cottage is now surrounded by condos and townhouses and is slated for demolition in January. For more than two years, a group of West Seattle neighbors, Save The Stone Cottage LLC, has joined forces with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and Historic Seattle, to develop a plan to save the 90-year-old beach home. These community volunteers, working in conjunction with the new property owner, Chainqui Development, have developed a three-phase, adaptive-reuse plan, and have until mid-January 2021 to move the house off the site before the wrecking ball arrives.
The plan involves securing and transporting the structure into temporary storage, siting and selecting its final location, and eventual site placement and structure restoration. Our vision is to preserve the cottage and keep it in the immediate Alki neighborhood, as a place for the community to gather. “Old buildings matter because they tell the story of the city. Once they’re gone, that’s it. You can’t build an old building,” says John Bennett, owner of Bennett Properties and historic-building consultant.
Save The Stone Cottage LLC seeks to raise $110,000 in donations to execute the plan to rescue, relocate, and restore the Stone Cottage. Donations are being accepted through the website www.savethestonecottage.org and a GoFundMe charity account. The Southwest Seattle Historical Society, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, is serving as the fiscal sponsor of the Save the Stone Cottage Project, and has no operational role in this project.
Save The Stone Cottage plans Friday media briefings at which volunteers will talk more about the plan. (That’s also when they expect to launch the crowdfunding page.)
They’re back! West Seattle’s most famous handmade wreaths have returned in the heart of the holiday season. The announcement and photo are from the Pathfinder K-8 Wreath Team:
For the past fifteen years, Pathfinder PTSA has sold homemade holiday wreaths at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. In recent years we have been in front of Key Bank with our smiling kids, and we know that some community members and parent alumni return each year to purchase one.
Due to the pandemic, we are not at the Farmers’ Market this season, but we are carrying on with the tradition and are wreaths in a socially-distanced way. Each wreath is 100% unique and made from foraged materials from our yards and tree lots. This year’s wreaths are some of our finest!
We’ve set up a Wreath Store online where you can choose your own beautiful wreath. Once purchased, we are asking folks to do a contactless pickup at one of our five mini-workshops in West Seattle.
We thank you for your support! All proceeds will benefit the students at Pathfinder K-8 school.
Adding to the trees/wreaths section in our West Seattle Holiday Guide! westseattleblog@gmail.com if you have holiday info to add.
(WSB photo, South Seattle College, 2018)
One of the achievements touted by Mayor Jenny Durkan in her not-running-again announcement back on Monday was expansion of the Seattle Promise program, which now offers two years of community college to any Seattle Public Schools graduating senior, and is still accepting applications for next year. The program has its roots at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) on Puget Ridge, which Durkan has visited twice to celebrate the program – in 2017 on her second day in office, and in November 2018 after voters approved the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy to expand the program. It was originally known as the 13th Year Promise when it launched at SSC more than a decade ago. It offers two-year Seattle Colleges (three campuses including SSC) scholarships to students once they’ve exhausted other private and public funding possibilities, and it now not only covers graduates of all SPS high schools, but also all Seattle Colleges campuses. The city says 846 Seattle Promise students are now enrolled in the SC system – 699 first-year students and 147 second-year students. SSC tells WSB that 225 of them are studying here, 145 first-year students, 80 in their second year. If you are, or know, a Class of 2021 student who wants to join them – you can find out more here.
Two West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays updates:
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Junction Association)
HOLIDAY PLAYLIST: The Junction welcomes your suggestions for the “Accidental Island” holiday playlist on Spotify:
Join in the easily accessible music playlist you can use as a backdrop for all your winter holiday celebrations. The Junction would love to know what your favorite holiday song is, and songs by local artists are definitely encouraged. Drop your song/artist suggestions in email. The Junction can’t wait to hear your suggestions! Four lucky winners will receive a Hometown Holidays box too!
Email song suggestions to admin@wsjunction.org.
SHOP ‘LIVE’ ONLINE: Instead of Shop Late Thursdays this season, The Junction is spotlighting local retailers in a live Holiday Gift Guide event the next two Thursday nights. Here’s what you’ll see tomorrow night:
Personal gift guides straight from your favorite Junction business owners to you – on your couch! It’s the holiday shopping event of the season – the virtual Junction gift guide. Get your favorite beverage, then sit back and enjoy the absolute best of the best gifts brought to you by the people who hand-curated them – the business owners!
Tune in to hear all about gifts from:
5 PM to 5:30 PM Lika Love Boutique
5:30 PM to 6 PM Carmilia’s
6 PM to 6:30 PM CAPERS
6:30 PM to 7 PM Fleurt
7 PM to 7:30 PM Mystery Made
7:30 PM to 8 PM bin41
Watch live via the Junction Facebook page or each business’s Instagram TV feed. During the event, you’ll be able to shop via comments, direct messages, and/or email.
P.S. If Thursday night doesn’t work, dozens of local independent businesses offer online shopping 24/7 – see the list in our West Seattle Holiday Guidel
6:03 AM: It’s Wednesday, December 9th, the 261st morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
SPEAKING OF BRIDGES
South Park Bridge: Inspection closures are planned for tonight and tomorrow night, 10:30 pm-6 am each night. For bus riders, here’s the Metro advisory:
From Wednesday evening, December 9, through Friday morning, December 11, overnight only from 10:30 PM until 6:00 AM each night, Metro Route 60 will be rerouted in both directions due to the closure of the South Park Bridge for routine operational system testing. During this time, Route 60 heading toward Broadway or Westwood Village will travel via alternate roadways and will not serve the stops on 14th Av S at S Cloverdale St and the stops on 16th Av S at East Marginal Way S.
Terminal 5 Bridge: The Port plans live-load testing starting today. This weekend, that will affect part of West Marginal Way. Details, with maps and times, are here.
OTHER ROAD (ETC.) WORK
Delridge project: Here’s what’s planned for this week, including closing SW Thistle between Delridge and 20th (which hadn’t happened yet as of Tuesday night). According to project-team texts, Hudson and Puget will reopen today, while Brandon on the east side of Delridge will close.
TRANSIT
Metro – Regular schedule.
Water Taxi – Back on regular schedule after last weekend’s dock work.
CHECK TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO
West Marginal Way/Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am) low bridge (note: camera ticketing will NOT start today):
The main detour route across the Duwamish River, the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here are two cameras:
The other major bridge across the river – the South Park Bridge (map) – see the closure advisory above. Here’s the nearest camera:
Going through South Park? Don’t speed. (Same goes for the other detour-route neighborhoods, like Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge.)
Checking for bridges’ marine-traffic openings? See the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
An extension for the latest restrictions tops tonight’s roundup of pandemic news:
THREE EXTRA WEEKS: Gov. Inslee opened his media briefing this morning with news that he would extend the newest restrictions – no indoor dining, movies, fitness, and more – until January 4th. But he also said there’s a chance he could end them earlier, depending on how the next few weeks go. The restrictions were originally set to expire in about a week. He also announced more money for business-assistance grants. Here’s his news release; here’s our coverage, with video.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Now, on to the numbers, as shown in today’s daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health – the cumulative totals:
*50,326 people have tested positive, 587 more than yesterday’s total
*905 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*3,486 people have been hospitalized, 37 more than yesterday’s total
*662,486 people have been tested, 4,483 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 45,138/868/3,235/627,813.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 68.2 million cases worldwide, 15.1 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.
BRIEFING TOMORROW: State health experts continur their weekly Wednesday afternoon briefings. You can watch at 2 pm tomorrow – here’s the link.
SAFETY GRANTS: SDOT is reminding nonprofit organizations, Seattle schools, and school-oriented community organizations that they can apply for $1,000 grants to help kids get around safely.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
A Habitat for Humanity homebuilding site near Westwood Village is the only West Seattle project on a list of new affordable-housing investments announced today by the city. The “additional investments of $55.8 million to support 840 low-income and affordable rental and homeownership opportunities” touted by the mayor at a media briefing include $400,000 for the four-house project at 2117 SW Trenton [map]. The Habitat for Humanity project webpage describes the plan as:
-4 units, three 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1130 sq. ft.; one 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 1300 sq. ft.
-Homes will be owned by families earning <80% AMI [area median income] -Homes will be resale-restricted to provide for permanent affordability -Buyers must be willing to partner and complete sweat equity hours -Buyers must meet lender requirements and secure financing to meet minimum mortgage amount -Buyers must reside or be employed in King County for 1+ years
Another webpage for the project says they expect to start taking applications from prospective buyers next spring.
Tonight’s spotlighted Christmas lights are simple but powerful. Catherine sent the photo taken somewhere “near Lincoln Park” – as she notes, it’s a “message for the season.” (For the year, really.) Thanks to everyone who’s been sending tips, with or without photos, so we can continue featuring lights each night through Christmas (and maybe beyond) – westseattleblog@gmail.com.
(Added: WSB photo)
5:27 PM: Thanks for the tips. SDOT says there’s a crash at Delridge/Findlay; we have reports that Delridge is blocked further north, at Hudson. One report is a possible driver-vs.-pole crash – on our way to check. Avoid tbat section of Delridge in the meantime.
5:50 PM: Delridge is blocked north of Brandon.
6:10 PM: The crash is by the P-Patch. Closure starts at Hudson. SPD tells us the car was stolen; the driver is not seriously hurt, and is in custody. Adding photo. They’re awaiting City Light to deal with the pole, so this might be closed a while.
7:43 PM: As noted in a comment below, Delridge is still closed. Metro also is continuing to reroute the 120 off Delridge between Oregon and Orchard.
8:35 PM: City Light is there now – a reader texted this photo (thank you!):
By the way, this isn’t the first driver-vs.-pole crash SCL had to deal with today/tonight – on Capitol Hill, a crash is reported to have taken out TWO, and caused an outage (which this did not).
1:03 AM: Metro has texted/tweeted that the 120 is back to its normal Delridge routing, which means the road has reopened.
Spend local! Not only can you support local independent businesses that way, you can also support local students, families, and PTAs with your holiday-shopping dollars:
HOLIDAY EMPORIUM: The Alki Elementary PTA is offering online opportunities to support area businesses AND local students – plus drive-thru Santa photos:
Alki Elementary PTA is dedicated to partnering with local businesses during these unprecedented times, while offering community members the option to shop from the safety and comfort of their own homes, with no-contact pick-up and delivery available. Priority Mail Shipping available for the “Best of Seattle” curated gift pack. Order here. (That’s where you will see what’s offered – candy, coffee, candles, more.)
In addition to no-contact pick-up offered in West Seattle (Genesee & 54th), we are offering photos with Santa Claus! Santa will be taking holiday photos with families at the North Pole Express FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18th! (Kids/families in car windows, Santa outside.) Santa’s bright red mailbox will also be available for drive-thru letter dropoff for all. Please do not hesitate to reach out to info@alkipta.com with any questions.
Our Holiday Shop is currently open and runs through December 13th! Shop at >alkipta.square.site.
Quantities are limited, so make sure to shop early while supporting locally!Alki Elementary is also offering a way for individuals to sponsor local families in need this holiday season through purchasing a gift card with our Giving Garland at alkipta.square.site/giving-garland. Gift cards will be provided to families in need to help supply groceries, household items and toys.
VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR: Lafayette Elementary‘s PTA just launched this opportunity to buy books online. Through December 21st, you can shop here and support the PTA. As with all online shopping/shipping, the sooner you do it, the better the chance your order will arrive in time for holiday gift-giving.
(WSB photo, 2018)
Another high-profile departure announcement today – Seattle Public Schools will be looking for a new superintendent, again. After 2 1/2 years, Denise Juneau has just announced her plan to leave after her three-year contract is up next year:
It has been the greatest honor of my professional journey to serve Seattle Public Schools students, families, school leaders, educators, and staff.
While the past two and a half years have been extraordinary and deeply fulfilling, I am today announcing that I am leaving Seattle Public Schools. I will not seek a new contract and will not be serving the district beyond the conclusion of my current contract, which finishes at the end of June 2021.
Her statement continues with a mention of the pain caused by the pandemic – including losing her father to the virus recently. And she seems to acknowledge recent calls for her resignation, as well as a report that the new school board president was not certain the board would support renewing her contract:
And now, there has never been a more important time for unity and healing. For progress to continue in Seattle, the full-throated support of a united school board is essential. This school board must choose a superintendent with whom they can co-lead and move forward together.
The board approved Juneau’s hiring in April 2018. She succeeded Larry Nyland, who had been superintendent since 2014, following José Banda, who had the job for two years. Juneau had previously been state superintendent in Montana, before an unsuccessful run for Congress.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Even before its “realignment” decision, Sound Transit has slid West Seattle-Ballard light rail back a year, telling the Avalon Neighborhood Group that WS is now set to open in 2031 instead of 2030, Ballard in 2036 instead of 2035.
This neighborhood group has been meeting regularly with ST, and invited us to cover its online meeting last night. We previously reported on the group in July, when they held a fact-finding meeting to learn more about the Yancy/Andover Elevated option added relatively late to the list of options being studied.
Last night’s meeting began with a status report from ST’s Zack Ambrose, going through where the planning process stands. In addition to the pushed-back launch date – pending “realignment” decisions for the entire ST3 plan next year – they’re saying that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) won’t be released until mid-2021, and the final EIS won’t be out until 2023.
One attendee asked if the timeline always had called for two years between the DEIS and final EIS; ST said yes, but past presentations we’ve covered (such as this one in February) suggested otherwise, with the DEIS due in 2021 and the final EIS in 2022.
10:39 AM: At a media briefing that’s just begun (click into the video above), Gov. Inslee says he’s extending the newest restrictions – originally set to end in mid-December – for three more weeks.
He says there’s a chance they could “recalibrate” before that time, though. But he says the pandemic is currently presenting a “dire situation.”
He’s joined by Commerce Department leader Lisa Brown, who says they’ve already had 16,000 applications for the newest round of business grants (Working Washington), with prioritizing planned for the most-hard-hit businesses, such as restaurants and bars (which now will not be able to resume indoor service before early January). The state will now offer $100 million in grants – apply here ASAP.
10:53 AM: The governor says the extension does not include any new or changed restrictions – just the ones in place now, lasting three weeks longer. It’s “the right thing to do’ to keep hospitals from being “overwhelmed,” he says. He also says that if Congress doesn’t take action to help with extending pandemic-related unemployment benefits beyond their December 26th sunset, the state will.
In Q&A, the governor is asked whether schools will be able to open in January “for the youngest students.” Inslee says they have “increasing confidence” that some of that will be possible – if. among other things, “strong hygiene protocols” are in place. … He’s also asked if any new non-business restrictions are being considered. Short answer: No. He says the recommendation against travel appears to have gained a significant amount of voluntarily compliance, for example. “Washingtonians are really making good decisions,” he says. … He vows enforcement for the scattered scofflaw businesses, but stresses that the “vast majority” are complying, and adds that “what we do in our own homes” remains a key factor in “our ability to restrain this pandemic.”
11:14 AM: Several questions regarding the vaccines – the state is expecting to first get 62,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine (which requires two doses, 21 days apart) and 182,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine (which requires two doses, 28 days apart). Certain health-care workers, and long-term-care patients, are at the head of the line. … What proof does the governor have that the restrictions are working? He says it is a “scientific reality” that fewer people are infecting each other because fewer people are sitting across a table from each other “for an hour, hour and a half.” He says again that “this extension could end up shorter if there is significant improvement, or it could end up longer if there is deterioration.”
11:37 AM: The governor has just wrapped up, stressing the hope offered by the vaccines. The video window above should soon recue to the archived recording of the briefing. We’ll add links from the governor’s website when they’re available.
SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES: We have lists to help – we’re continuing to refresh our first-launched-in-March food/drink-businesses list here (please let us know about your current status/changes), and our Holiday Guide has a list of local independent retail businesses and artists/makers with online shopping, so that, if you don’t want to shop in person, you can still keep it local.
12:16 PM: Here’s what’s just been posted on the governor’s website.
Two development notes from the city’s latest Land Use Information Bulletin:
1606 CALIFORNIA SW COMMENT TIME: This site in North Admiral has had redevelopment plans for seven years – but they’ve changed over time, from a small apartment building, to the current plan, an 8-unit rowhouse project, 3-stories with 8 offstreet parking spaces in “basement garages.” Its developers have now applied for a land-use permit, and that’s opened a public comment period through December 21st. This notice explains how to comment.
6940 25TH SW: The city has denied a developer’s request to be exempted from a requirement “to extend the public drainage system across the full frontage of the property.” specifically, extending “a 12-inch diameter storm drainage main … from an existing 18” storm drainage main in SW Myrtle St north along 25th Avenue SW approximately 300 feet to the north boundary of the property.” A representative of the developer, who was considering buying the 22,400-sf site to build at least three houses, said the requirement would “caus(e) a severe and unexpected financial hardship.” In a written decision, the city disagreed:
Since this property has not even been purchased … it cannot reasonably be claimed to meet the test of 22.800.040.C(a) as a severe financial hardship, and as the requirement was communicated to the applicant during the City’s first notification of the proposed project on 8/5/2019, neither can it be considered unexpected.
It’s not clear whether the proposed project is still active; county property records show the land is still in the same ownership as it had since long before this proposal, and there were no permit applications since the aforementioned 2019 date.
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