Toplines from the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s March board meeting ranged from ferries to police to a spring celebration:

WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES: WSF’s Hadley Rodero was there to talk about the kickoff of the planning process for the replacement of the circa-1950s Fauntleroy ferry terminal.

(WSB photo – maintenance work at Fauntleroy dock last month)

The current dock’s problems include deterioration and its low level. She memtioned next week’s public meetings (March 17-18, details here) and a process that will follow to recruit Community Advisory Group members for the project.

It’ll include members from all three Triangle Route communities (Fauntleroy, Vashon, Southworth). Timeline? The process starting now starts with about two years of planning, to be followed by design and environmental review, then construction. An attendee wondered which way WSF is leaning – repair and replacement, or enhancement, such as a higher dock, or expansion, with overhead loading and another slip? He said he’s obtained public records that suggest WSF is “all over the map” with possibilities for the project. He said he wants to see the documents that WSF submitted to the Legislature for funding, as well as the Type Size Location study that WSF has done. Rodero said, “We don’t know what we’re going to build – it’s very early in the process.” First, that process will address the need; what the ferry system’s long-range plan identifies is a “preservation” need, but exactly how that’ll be done is yet to be determined. It’s a “multi-layer process,” she said.

Another question: How is the project going to address the changes in the work world and daily life, and their effects on WSF usage? One key thing they have to consider, Rodero noted – the dock does not meet the system standard for capacity; it holds 80 vehicles, but the standard is “one and a half boatloads,” which with 124-car ferries on the route means the optimum capacity should be more like 180, more than double what it is now. Recalling a brief recent mention of a possible location change, one attendee tried to get Rodero to acknowledge that wouldn’t be a serious option. She would only say it’s too soon to rule anything out.

SPD UPDATE: Lt. Dorothy Kim was there on behalf of the Southwest Precinct. She said that West Seattle-wide auto thefts are up 23 percent year to date, 95 percent in the past four weeks. Several thefts and recoveries each day – so it’s a priority to get SPD’s Automated License Plate Recognition vehicles fully up and running; they try to keep one staffed around the clock, 24/7, and a second is due in mid-March. There are “certain places” where stolen vehicles are often dumped, so they are focusing “directed patrols” in those areas. Highland Park and The Junction are hot spots for theft; Seola Beach and South Park are hot spots for recoveries. Burglaries are up 21 percent over last year but consistent with the five-year average; North Delridge and The Junction are the hot spots.

She also mentioned West Seattle’s top five repeat 911 call spots:

Westwood Village (“mostly for shoplifting,” she said)
Stewart Manor in High Point
Cottage Grove Commons in Delridge
The Whittaker on the east edge of The Junction
South Delridge 7-11

As for Fauntleroy-specific stats: Thefts are down a little, including auto thefts. Last 28 days in this district, 45 crimes reported – 42 property crimes, 3 assaults. Asked about the most-stolen types of vehicles, Lt. Kim replied – anecdotally – Hondas.

What about catalytic converter thefts? (Our block’s two-in-one-night theft, for example, was in Fauntleroy.) Lt. Kim didn’t have West Seattle-specific numbers but said 2020 had 700 catalytic converter thefts citywide – a big increase from double digits in 2019 – while in 2021, 123 have been reported around Seattle in January alone.

Domestic violence? Violent crimes are up 51 percent in West Seattle, and domestic violence represents most of that. This precinct has had more “barricaded people” incidents than other precincts so far this year, and those tend to involve domestic violence, she said.

What’s being done about the Delridge/Roxbury sidewalk encampment? Lt. Kim said that’s up to other departments, as SPD remains under orders not to intervene with encampments: “We’re just not going to be in the homeless business right now.”

EASTER EGG HUNT: Board members are going to hide non-perishable eggs around their neighborhoods and Fauntleroy businesses on March 27-28. They discussed non-plastic options to minimize environmental damage from plastic eggs getting into waterways (with Puget Sound and Fauntleroy Creek in the neighborhood). Watch for more details on this.

ANNUAL MEETING: April 13th will be the night for FCA’s annual meeting, which includes the annual vote for board members. Watch fauntleroy.net (and here) for details.