West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
One of West Seattle’s biggest future transportation projects, replacement of the Fauntleroy ferry terminal, was at centerstage during this month’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting.
Washington State Ferries‘ David Sowers and Hadley Rodero were at the online meeting this past Tuesday night to talk about it. Much of their slide deck was a recap of information presented previously:
As noted toward the end, the next meeting of the Community Advisory Group for the project is not likely to happen before early November. They’re also promising a general public meeting about the project before year’s end. And meetings of the other advisory groups – Technical and Executive – will be publicly accessible as they happen, which wasn’t originally the case. (Video recordings of all three groups’ meetings are linked here.)
A key feature of the early planning stage is development of a Purpose and Need Statement for the project; WSF presented a “preliminary” draft to the Community Advisory Group in July (WSB coverage here). They told the FCA board that they’re now revising it to incorporate the many public comments they’ve since received. The FCA board had some suggestions too, such as looking at ways to reduce dock traffic, creative ways to discourage single-occupancy vehicles, for example.
TRAFFIC: Speaking of traffic – at the next meeting, FCA hopes to invite Fauntleroy community members to join them for a conversation about traffic issues, with SDOT and SPD among others. Traffic was a top issue in FCA’s recent community survey, and they hope community members can contribute constructive suggestions about trouble spots and how to address them. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for 7 pm Tuesday, October 12th – stand by for more as it gets closer.
POLICE: Lt. David Terry, the third watch (night shift) commander, represented the Southwest Precinct. He announced that Lt. Dorothy Kim is now the precinct’s Operations Lieutenant (second in command). He mentioned that SPD has had officers on “emphasis patrol” at Westwood Village, usually on overtime, and that seems to have helped reduce crime there. Overall, staffing is still a concern – he said he has “a heck of a time” meeting what’s supposed to be the per-shift minimum of nine officers, and said the precinct “may lose two or three more officers in the next month.”
FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: We reported on this separately – a drive-up/ride-up version is planned 2-5 pm October 24th.
NEXT MEETING: October 12th – watch fauntleroy.net for updates.
That’s some of the damage left behind by a burglar who broke into Arthur’s in The Admiral District early today, Arthur’s proprietor Rebecca Rice tells WSB, “Lots of damage to equipment and small electronics and liquor stolen. We are safe, which is the most important thing.” Here’s a security-camera image:
The SPD incident number is 21-259252. Arthur’s remains open.
2:38 PM: Thanks for the tips. Police tell us they are dealing with a person in crisis, possibly armed, near 36th/Roxbury, and have blocked Roxbury in that area. They tell us nearby Summit Atlas middle/high school is in lockdown as a result. No injuries reported thus far but avoid the area.
3:27 PM: Not resolved yet. A dispatcher recapping the situation described it as having started when the person “brandished a rifle at a neighbor’s window” and was then seen by officers with “a pistol.” They are reported to be inside a house.
4:06 PM: As noted in comments, Summit Atlas has since let out for the day. Meantime, SWAT team officers have joined the response. The person who’s the focus of all this is reported to be a man in his 60s.
5:04 PM: Not resolved yet. Note for traffic purposes that Cambridge also is blocked west of 35th SW.
5:34 PM: Officers are continuing to use a PA system to ask the man to surrender.
5:58 PM: If you just heard an explosion in the area, that’s a “flash-bang” deployed by SWAT. … Shortly after that, another one.
7:13 PM: They’ve now advised the man via the PA that they have obtained a search warrant and if he doesn’t come out, they’re going in.
7:31 PM: Still trying to convince him to surrender, with another flashbang, in the standoff’s sixth hour.
8:01 PM: Now seventh hour. Police report the man has been firing a “pellet” gun among other erratic behavior.
9:01 PM: Eighth hour. SWAT officers are continuing to try different tactics, and continuing to tell him via PA that he’s under arrest and needs to surrender.
10:02 PM: Ninth hour. No change.
10:14 PM: SWAT officers reported to dispatch that they’ve moved in and are taking him into custody. They’re calling for SFD to come check him out for exposure to gas (which they used multiple times earlier) and for “Taser deployment.”
10:26 PM: Officers tell dispatch he’ll be taken to the hospital.
Thanks to Mike Munson for the photo from Lowman Beach Park, where crews are in their third week of what’s expected to be an eight-month project, removing the failing seawall and the adjacent tennis court, and restoring a more natural shoreline, as was done on the south end of the beach years ago, We asked project manager Janice Liang about this work, and she explained that it’s related to another component of the project, daylighting the end of Pelly Creek: “The Contractor is currently installing new storm drain structures (as seen in the photo) to connect to the existing 18″ Pelly Creek storm drain on the uphill side. The pipe will be daylighted at a pipe outfall midway of the site, with exposed stream beds connecting down to the beach.” For a view of what the finished project is supposed to look like, you can find design documents here.
11:14 AM: Washington State Ferries has just taken M/V Cathlamet – #3 boat on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run – out of service because of “oropulsion issues,” That’s the ferry that just went back into service three weeks ago after a month-plus of repairs and maintenance. Updates to come.
ADDED SATURDAY: The Cathlamet returned to service early this morning, so the run is back to three boats.
(Thursday photo by Troy Sterk)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:
CITY COUNCIL BUDGET PRESENTATIONS: City departments continue presenting their proposals to the City Council. Today’s agendas for the morning (under way now) and afternoon (2 pm) sessions include SDOT and Seattle Parks. You can watch via Seattle Channel.
OKTOBERFEST AT OUNCES: 3-10 pm, the start of a big weekend at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), including live music starting at 6:30 pm.
BINGO: Usually on Thursday nights at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW; WSB sponsor) but this time it’s on Friday night, 7 pm.
HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Tonight’s Chief Sealth International High School game vs. Franklin at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) will start at around 7:45 pm – after the Lincoln/Cleveland game, which starts at NCSWAC at 5 pm. … Other games tonight, from the Metro League schedule – West Seattle High School plays on the road at Bishop Blanchet, 7 pm … That’s also the start time for O’Dea vs. Seattle Prep at West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW);
FIREFIGHTERS ‘LIGHT UP THE NIGHT’: Happening tonight, as announced by SFD:
Seattle Fire will join fire departments from across the nation to honor all firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice. From 8-8:15 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1, all of Seattle’s 33 fire stations will “Light the Night” in red to honor fallen firefighters by pulling fire engines, ladder trucks, medic units and aid cars out in front of the apparatus bays and turning on the emergency lights. Neighbors are invited to observe this remembrance event from the sidewalk at their local fire station. All fire apparatus will stay in-service to respond to incidents during this event, and may not be present during the time period allotted if units are on an emergency response.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE BEACH: 8 pm at J&J Public House (2808 Alki SW), live music led by Grammy winner Andrew Gouché. $10 cover.
LIVE MUSIC AT DRUNKY’S: 8 pm doors, 9 pm show, $10 cover at Drunky Two Shoes BBQ (9655 16th SW) in White Center.
Learn! Build! Compete! If you have an 8th- through 12th-grader in the family who is interested in robotics, SkunkWorks Robotics invites you to an open house Saturday afternoon.
Skunk Works Robotics is a team for 8-12 graders who want to work hard, have fun and build competitive robots. We are having an open house on October 2nd at 1 pm at the former Beverly Park Elementary at 11427 3rd Ave S. in north Burien.
Skunk Works has been competing for 16 seasons and has won multiple awards including 3 last season: Excellence in Engineering Award, Designer’s Award and the Skills Competition Award.
The organization draws from all over the region and usually has participants from several school district. Here’s the open-house flyer.
6:03 AM: Good morning!
WEATHER
Sunny, cool, breezy – with yet another 60-ish high (yesterday’s high was 62)..
ROAD WORK
26th SW – The closure between Roxbury and Barton is expected to shift to southbound next week.
25th SW & Barton – More county-led RapidRide prep work.
Delridge project – Some work remains but nothing big.
(added) This weekend and beyond – Rescheduled work on I-5 southbound, Friday night through Monday morning, between Yesler and I-90 … Work on West Marginal both days this weekend, plus work at the east end of the Roxbury corridor on Sunday – details on both of those are here. … Next week, the county’s RapidRide work will close 15th SW south of Roxbury.
TRANSIT
Buses are on regular schedules today – except for the rerouting in RapidRide H Line work zones. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of canceled trips. Reminder – the fall “service change” starts tomorrow; here’s our report on West Seattle changes.
For ferries and water taxis, regular schedule today. Watch @wsferries for ferry updates.
HIGHWAY 99 TUNNEL
Tolls have just gone up.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
556th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are 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 here for some categories of drivers.)
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden – Note: Thanks for all the comments about the camera angle; we mentioned it to SDOT and it’s been fixed:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:
Are movable bridges opening for boats or barges? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed will tell you. (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.
Thursday night’s second online city-candidate debate on homelessness featured the two candidates for Seattle City Council citywide Position 9, the spot that Lorena González is leaving to run for mayor. The event concluded the series presented by The Seattle Times and We’re All In. Here’s what Sara Nelson and Nikkita Oliver had to say, in response to questions asked by Times reporter Sydney Brownstone. Note that everything below is our paraphrase/summary, not a direct quote unless it’s within quotation marks.
With two weeks until voting begins, the candidates are in the midst of a blitz of campaign forums. Candidates for Seattle city offices appeared in two more Thursday night – both specifically to address the topic of homelessness, On Wednesday, Seattle Mayor candidates debated the topic twice. We covered the first one, presented by the Resolution to End Homelessness; the second one, Wednesday night, kicked off a two-night series presented by The Seattle Times (here’s their coverage) and We’re All In. On Thursday night, the series included two half-hour forums. We watched both. Below are our notes on the first one, with Seattle City Attorney candidates Ann Davison and Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, moderated by Times reporter Sydney Brownstone. (We’ll have a separate report on the second one.) Note that everything below is our paraphrase/summary, not a direct quote unless it’s within quotation marks.
QUESTION: What role should the City Attorney play in addressing homelessness?
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