West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
After the Southwest Design Review Board took its first look at the 4448 California SW proposal last week, we wondered about the status of other planned West Seattle Junction projects that have long since finished Design Review but aren’t under construction yet. Our first followup is about 4747 California SW, with a development team including Husky Deli proprietor Jack Miller, whose legendary Junction shop would be the building’s major commercial occupant.
(Rendering by Ankrom Moisan)
The SW Design Review Board gave its final thumbs-up to the project in a meeting two years ago tonight, on July 19th, 2019. At the time, Miller told us that if all went well, they might be able to start construction about a year later. But now two years have passed. Miller’s partner in the project, West Seattle-residing developer Ed Hewson, told us last September that the project was still “moving forward,” albeit “slowly.” We just checked in with him again. “Our project is definitely on the shelf for a little while but certainly not cancelled,” Hewson told WSB. “Currently this is a casualty of the bridge and Covid, which has put enough of the dent in the West Seattle rental market for anyone to start any new apartment projects of any size.”
There’s one major project close to wrapping up, Legacy Partners’ Maris at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW, but Hewson notes it “probably started just in time to get a construction loan, but might not have been feasible after January 2020. We are hoping they have great success and make our neighborhood attractive to lenders again despite the slow-go on the bridge repair.”
The 4747 California SW plan was approved as a proposal for 73 units, 45 offstreet-parking spaces, ~5,000 square feet of retail, in a 7-story building (though the site is zoned for 9). Hewson added, “We love the Husky Deli plan and can’t wait to get started when the West Seattle world gets back to normal!”
From Derek McCloud, manager of the Seattle Public Schools-owned Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex:
Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex had the locks cut to the equipment shed and had a chainsaw, two weed-eaters, a hedger, and possibly more (taken). If anyone sees power tools with an SPS logo that would be from the complex.
This Wednesday, SDOT has promised to answer your questions during an online community meeting about the West Seattle Bridge, closed now for 16 months. When the meeting was first announced, some readers wondered if Q&A would be handled like some past meetings, with questions sent off into the ether, most unseen by other participants, most unanswered. So today we asked SDOT how Q&A will work at this meeting. The reply from spokesperson Ethan Bergerson:
There will be time set aside for panelists to answer questions after the overview presentation. Participants will be able to ask questions either by typing them into the Zoom Q&A box for the duration of the meeting, or by using the hand raising function to ask a question verbally during the Q&A session. We will switch back and forth between written and verbal questions.
The meeting starts at 5:30 pm Wednesday (July 21st); while it’ll also be streamed to YouTube, if you want to ask a question, you’ll have to be participating via Zoom. All the info is here.
(Sunday photo of Elliott Bay, sent by Mark)
Seattle’s been seemingly awash in cruise ships for days now, so you might be surprised to hear that the official Seattle-to-Alaska season starts today. Around 5 pm, Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas is scheduled to leave the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal in Magnolia, and that’ll be this year’s first boatload of paying passengers (previous voyages have been “test cruises,” explained here). To mark the occasion, the Port of Seattle invited the media to a dockside briefing this morning. It included a ceremonial moment – the ship’s Captain Stig Nilsen presenting port executive director Steve Metruck with a plaque and a model of the ship.
(WSB photos from here down)
Metruck declared that cruising is returning with improvements. Ships have implemented stringent COVID protocols, for one. But after our previous mentions generated reader discussion about environmental concerns, we asked Metruck what’s changed along those lines, He mentioned that the terminal at Smith Cove is equipped with shore power, and that it’s in the works for Pier 66 downtown. We learned from another port official, however, that this particular ship is not shore-power-ready, so it’s not plugged in, though the other ship currently berthed at Smith Cove, Majestic Princess, is. Maritime Managing Director Stephanie Jones Stebbins also told us that shore power capability for Pier 66 is scheduled to be ready for the 2023 cruise season – the problem until now, she said, is that they would have had to run a line from the Denny substation about a mile east, requiring a lot of road demolition, but instead, they came up with a way to route it via an underwater cable from Pier 46 to the south.
The emission situation, said Jones Stebbins, is not only a matter of plugged in vs. unplugged. She said exhaust scrubbing – explained here – is being used. Environmental advocates, however, say that just swaps air pollution for water pollution; Jones Stebbins says ships cannot discharge the scrubber water while berthed here. The state has a Memorandum of Understanding with the cruise industry on multiple environmental issues.
P.S. After today, the next official cruise departure is on Friday; here’s this year’s schedule.
(Added 7:15 pm: Serenade of the Seas departing Elliott Bay)
4:12 PM: Just in from Seattle Public Utilities, for a project starting tomorrow:
Starting as soon as Tuesday, July 20, Seattle Public Utilities will be working on a drainage structure in the 2600 block of SW Genesee Street. SW Genesee Street will be down to one lane as crews remove soil and material from a nearby drainage structure; flaggers will control alternating one-way traffic.
LOCATION
2600 block of SW Genesee Street between 26th and 30th Avenues SW.SCHEDULE
Work hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Work is expected to start July 20 and take about a week to complete.ANTICIPATED IMPACTS
Traffic on SW Genesee Street will be reduced to one lane; flaggers will control alternating one-way traffic. There will be parking restrictions in the area and construction-related traffic, noise, dirt and vibrations. Lane closure information may change based on project needs.
ADDED 8:32 PM: Here’s more information on the reason for this work – maintenance of what SPU calls “Genesee Pond.”
The photo and report are from LL:
Just wanted to shoot out a warning for people to check their tire; somebody tried to slash 2 of my tires.
Happened sometime between Saturday midnight and this morning. In the alley 42nd & Raymond.
If your family includes a baby and/or toddler, the South Seattle College Preschools in West Seattle would love to meet you – virtually – this Wednesday! Here’s the invitation:
SSC Cooperative Preschool and Parent Education Program invites you to learn more about preschool for your toddler and growing your own skills as a parent!
Do you have a little person in your life who will be under two as of 8/31/21? Come find out about our Infant (0-12 months) and Toddler (12-24 months) parent-child cooperative program! You’ll learn about the children’s program, the parent education & coaching component, hear from previous families, and have a chance to ask questions.
Choose from one of two sessions (9:30 or 10:30) for each age band by visiting our Eventbrite page here.
The co-op preschools are at five locations.
Bee Organized Seattle is one of our newest sponsors. Here’s what proprietor Suzanne Allbee would like you to know about what she does:
I am “buzzing” with excitement to officially announce the launch of Bee Organized Seattle, a professional home and life organizing company. As a 20+-year resident of West Seattle, and Mom of a very active family, I can attest firsthand to the benefits of organization. Bee Organized Seattle specializes in Home Organization (we can restore order to any space in your home from garages to kids’ playrooms to home offices), Moving and Life Transitions (we can manage your move, help seniors downsize, and even navigate your space during a remodel), and Concierge & Event Planning (we’ll take on that to-do list or plan your next family celebration). No matter what is needed, our core values remain – compassionate, confidential, and judgement-free service. Our paramount goal is to help people get organized so they can be more present and enjoy their daily lives.
As we’ve all spent more time than ever at home this past year, we’ve become acutely aware of how important our home environment is to our peace of mind. I cannot think of a better time to transition my love of organization and many years in the event planning, tourism, and hospitality industries into helping others in such a personal and life-changing way. I’d love to learn more about a project you might want help getting started. Please give me a buzz at 206-627-0957 or suzanne@beeorganized.com and we’ll set up a complimentary assessment. It would be an HONOR to work with you.
Bee Organized Seattle is a Franchise of Bee Organized Enterprises, and Worker Bees are thoroughly screened, insured, and trained. As members of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, Bee Organized adheres to the Code of Ethics for Certified Professional Organizers, committing to higher standards of professionalism and results. Learn more at beeorganized.com.
We thank Bee Organized Seattle for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
What you don’t see in this photo along the east edge of the city-owned Myers Way Parcels in southeast West Seattle is part of what this story’s about. It’s a restored wetland area, tens of thousands of square feet previously choked by blackberries and other weeds, in the watershed of salmon-bearing Hamm Creek.
Those piles are just part of what was removed in a yearlong project led by the nature-steward organization Weed Warriors, including help from residents of Camp Second Chance, which is also on the Myers Way Parcels, where more than 50 tiny houses shelter people experiencing homelessness. On Saturday, several of the camp residents who participated in the restoration project joined Weed Warriors leader Grace Stiller in a celebration at the site, just outside the encampment’s north fence.
Stiller marshaled assistance from organizations including the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, National Wildlife Federation, and Puget SoundKeeper to underwrite the restoration project, which also included instruction for the participants. Along with working on the land, they took online classes on topics including plant identification. Saturday’s celebration was a “graduation” too – with certificates, and a chance to sign a new plaque marking the restored area, where project participants planted 175 new trees along with native shrubs.
Weed Warriors teaches a “Code of Environmental Chivalry,” and during Saturday’s event, Stiller ceremonially pronounced program participants to be “Knights of the Living Forest.”
Attendees read aloud from the code – one tenet is “Show courtesy and consideration for the native habitat and wildlife that surrounds us.” Along with certificates and cake, the Saturday celebration also included the presentation of stipend checks – the grants covered $15/hour for work on the site. Stiller hopes to launch the next phase of restoration in the fall, provided the permit process with the city goes as planned. (She also is a member of the Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee; we cover its monthly meetings, and that’s where we heard about this.)
Family and friends will gather Saturday to celebrate the life of Charlie Nickels. Here’s the announcement and remembrance they are sharing with the community:
Charles Peter Nickels (Charlie)
May 22, 1995 – January 22, 2021Please join us in Celebrating Charlie’s life.
WHEN – Saturday, July 24, 11 am-2 pm
WHERE – The Lodge at Fall City Farms, 3636 Neal Road, Fall City, WA 98024
For more info, contact Pete Nickels at nickels1@outlook.com or text at 206-707-2016
Charlie was a son, a brother, a cousin, a new uncle, a nephew, and a friend to all that knew him. Most of his friends called him their best friend. He was beloved. Charlie was also a proud, recently enlisted National Guard recruit. We lost Charlie unexpectedly on January 22 and for a moment, our world stopped. Charlie was the youngest of three sons. As a child, he was the comedian, the too adorable to get into trouble boy who managed to charm everyone with his beautiful smile, big blue eyes, and loving nature. He grew into a young man with unlimited\ potential, impeccable character, and an unwavering moral compass, like his dad. He was the peacemaker, the joy bringer with a fantastic sense of humor, like his mom, which he would use in helping his brother Bobby on film projects, and to send hysterical and obscure texts to his friends and family. Charlie was relentlessly curious, like his brother Zack, and loved to ask questions on every topic. And was genuinely interested in others' points of view. He was kind and generous with his time. Many of his friends have a story of how Charlie helped them through a tough time. He was their rock. And they are shattered to have lost him.
We, his family, parents Pete and Laurie and brothers Bobby and Zack, will miss him every day for the rest of our lives. We will miss his daily texts that said “I love you,” his big hugs, his humor, his sense of fashion (he loved his shoes), his dance moves, his love of music, the Mariners, the Seahawks, watching movies, WSU, his ability to be a best friend to many, his smile, his intense dislike of vegetables, his questions, how he loved his family and his friends.
Most of all, we will miss the continuing impact he could have and would have made on the world. We also know that Charlie loved us so much and would want us not to feel pain or sadness. So, in time, we will find our path forward and try our best to honor him. We love you to the moon and back, Charlie.
(Originally published on February 14, 2021)
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Pacific-slope Flycatcher, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:
SWEDISH CLINIC MOVE: As noted here last week, today is the first day for Swedish Primary Care in its new location at 4100 SW Alaska.
WEST SEATTLE SKYLINK PRESENTATION: 10:30 am at the Senior Center of West Seattle, learn about the proposal for gondola transportation instead of light rail. Our calendar listing explains how to RSVP.
SCHOOL MEAL SITES: School’s out but meals are available 11 am-1 pm today and each weekday at these four schools:
Arbor Heights Elementary – 3701 SW 104th St.
Denny International Middle School – 2601 SW Kenyon St.
Highland Park Elementary – 1012 SW Trenton St.
Roxhill Elementary – 7740 34th Ave. SW
TODAY’S AQUATIC SCHEDULE: Highland Park spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) is open 11 am to 8 pm, Delridge wading pool (4501 Delridge Way SW) is open noon-5:30 pm, Colman Pool (on the shore at Lincoln Park, 8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) is open noon-7 pm.
COMMUNITY SUP NIGHT: Alki Kayak Tours (1660 Harbor Avenue SW) is offering stand-up-paddleboarding discounts and group rentals every Monday night through the summer – details in our calendar listing.
CHAMBER MUSIC IN THE GARDEN: 7 pm at the Seattle Chinese Garden (6000 16th SW), free music courtesy of the Seattle Chamber Music Society!
QUIZFIX TRIVIA: Monday night trivia is back at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 7:30 pm. Prizes!
6:07 AM: Good morning, Today’s forecast includes sunshine and a high temperature that might get into the low 80s.
ROAD WORK
Roxbury repaving – Today and tomorrow, 7 am-4 pm, crews are scheduled to repave Roxbury between 24th and 25th.
Delridge project – Southbound Delridge remains closed between Holden and Trenton. Other closures are ahead, per this week’s update from SDOT.
TRANSIT
Buses are on their regular schedules – except for the Route 120 reroute because of the southbound Delridge Way work and the Route 128 reroute because of the SW Henderson closure east of Delridge. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations.
For ferries, regular schedule. Watch and @wsferries for updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
483rd morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available for some categories of drivers.)
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden (note, the light here was flashing red on Sunday night – let us know if that’s still the case Monday morning – 206-293-6302):
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
And the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:
Are draw/swing bridges opening for boats or barges? See the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed. (1st Ave. South Bridge openings also are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.)
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.
Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
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