day : 05/01/2022 11 results

Throughout the fall, SDOT ran a survey, floating possible designs for the future of the Stay Healthy Street (aka Keep Moving Street) around Alki Point. Tonight at a joint meeting of the city’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Boards, an SDOT rep presented part of the results. SHS program manager Summer Jawson first gave the toplines of how many responses they got, and how people were reached:

She said the results from the Alki Point survey, which closed two weeks ago, are still being “processed,” but two questions relevant to the boards’ focus areas turned out this way:

In both those questions, 40 percent of respondents said they felt safe in the street’s current configuration while getting around a non-motorized way. Another 40 percent said they’d prefer to have separate paths for people walking/running and riding/rolling, Less than 20 percent favored a “multi-use trail” for non-motorized users.

Jawson did not offer a timetable for deciding the future of the Alki Point stretch. She did say that the Stay Healthy Streets program citywide has almost $2 million in funding, from a program earmarked for COVID relief. The rest of West Seattle’s Stay Healthy Streets -the Delridge/Highland Park stretch and the High Point stretch – were mentioned only briefly, but Jawson said that recommendations are expected “soon” regarding what should be made permanent. Some decisions about the east West Seattle SHS were announced last month.

Also shown tonight, the potential gateway/signage for SHS, same renderings shown at this West Seattle meeting in October. (See the full slide deck from tonight’s presentation here.)

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CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: ‘Halloween shooter’ not identified yet

January 5, 2022 8:33 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

The case of the “Halloween shooter” remains unsolved, and the victim asked us to republish the photo in another attempt to see if someone can identify him:

We first reported on the case in early November. It happened on 34th SW in Sunrise Heights; the victim and a neighbor spotted the man prowling their street and called 911 while the man was walking away. An hour later, he was back again, this time with a gun in his hand. The victim yelled at him – then, he says, his wife opened the door of their home, thinking her husband was in trouble, and the man fired at her. Bullets were found lodged in their house, and a casing and unspent bullet outside their house.

The victim tells WSB, “We met with the detective researching the case just prior to Christmas and he thought it would be helpful to see if the story could be posted again since 1) the shooter has yet to be identified and 2) the original story did generate a lot of tips. Any tips should be sent to the detective at spd6864@seattle.gov and the incident number should be referenced — 21-290133.”

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SNOW AFTERMATH: New potholes? Here’s how to get them fixed

January 5, 2022 6:24 pm

| 12 COMMENTS

| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB photo – Sylvan Way, this afternoon)

One more post-snow problem – more potholes. So we asked SDOT about what’s planned and what to do if you notice new/renewed potholes. The email reply from SDOT’s Mariam Ali:

SDOT crews work year round to fill potholes, and filled over 14,000 potholes in 2021. But winter storms cause substantial damage to our roads and cause previously filled potholes to reappear throughout Seattle. We are expecting to receive a surge of requests to fill potholes in the coming weeks, and ask for the public’s patience as it will take us longer than usual to respond as our crews continue to work day and night to respond to a large number of storm-related issues.

Last year, we filled 85% of potholes within three business days after they are reported to us, however, with the recent snow and ice this may take longer than usual. The crew members who fill potholes are the same people who have been working day and night for the past 12 days on storm-response activities like driving snow plows and shoveling walkways. We’re still working incredibly hard to deal with multiple challenges and are prioritize our work based on public safety.

Snow and ice causes damage to our roadways as water finds its way into cracks in the pavement. Freezing temperatures causes the trapped water to expand into sharp ice which cuts through the pavement and forces apart fissions in the roadway. When heavy vehicles like trucks and buses drive over these fissures, pieces of pavement break loose and form larger holes.

The weather will continue to be a big challenge all winter long, as future storms may cause more potholes to form. Repairs that we make in weather like this don’t always last because the asphalt won’t bind to the surrounding pavement well when it’s too cold or wet. So many of the potholes we fill today will likely need to be repaired again over the next few months until the weather is warmer. 

New potholes appear all the time, and we can only fix potholes that we know about. If you see a pothole, report it on the report it on the FindIt FixIt App, submit an online report, email 684-ROAD@seattle.gov or call us at 206-684-ROAD [7623]. To learn more about where potholes have been reported and filled, check out our interactive Pothole Repair Status map. This map shows the locations of all the potholes which have been filled in the past 90 days (one dot may represent up to 30 potholes on a single block):

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UPDATE: Car fire at 38th/Juneau

January 5, 2022 4:59 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

4:59 PM: Thanks to Shaun for the tip and photo. That car fire happened at 38th SW and SW Juneau [map] – avoid the area for a while. Seattle Fire is still there, according to the log, 15 minutes after the dispatch. No word on cause or injuries – but no medic unit has been dispatched, suggesting no major injuries.

5:40 PM: The call is now closed, meaning firefighters have left the scene. We’re following up with SFD.

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DEVELOPMENT: New plan for long-stalled site at 5249 California SW

January 5, 2022 2:07 pm

| 10 COMMENTS

| Development | West Seattle news

(WSB photo this morning, with tagging pixelated)

What might be the longest-stalled development site in West Seattle has a new plan. At 5249 California SW [map], the small commercial building that was previously on the site was demolished almost a decade ago. The foundation for a new mixed-use building was put in six years ago, and some framing followed. After that, the site went dormant, and as reported here a year and a half ago, the property went up for sale. County records don’t yet show an ownership change, but city records show a new early-stage proposal – nine townhouses, with five offstreet-parking spaces. The site plan shows that two of the townhouses would face California SW, with the other seven lined up in north-south orientation, rowhouse style, behind them, and parking off the alley.

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FOLLOWUP: Where residential garbage, recycling, yard-waste collection stands on catch-up day 3

January 5, 2022 12:10 pm

| 60 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

That’s a Waste Management truck seen this past hour in Gatewood. We’ve heard from some readers whose neighborhoods have had solid-waste pickup so far this catch-up week and some who haven’t. We asked Seattle Public Utilities this morning for an update on where things stand – here’s the reply we received from spokesperson Sabrina Register:

Waste Management reports they had good success yesterday picking up scheduled garbage, recycling, and yard waste in West Seattle in neighborhoods, with the exception of customers located on hilly, icy streets where it remained unsafe for 25,000-pound trucks to operate. They also collected approximately 50% of ‘off-week’ recycling in West Seattle.

On all of their routes in different Seattle neighborhoods yesterday and operating on the announced one-day delay, they collected waste from 95% of Monday customers.

For customers in West Seattle who were missed both last week and this week, they can take their garbage, recycling and yard/food waste to one of our transfers station at no charge through January 9. They need to let staff at that transfer station know that they have been missed two times consecutively.

Seattle Public Utilities thanks customers for their patience as we and our contractors, Waste Management and Recology, prioritize safety to staff, customers and private property.

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VIDEO: Cougar sighting reported in West Seattle

January 5, 2022 10:48 am

| 50 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | Wildlife

Watch the lower left of that enhanced security video and you’ll see what is reported to be a cougar (aka mountain lion), caught on camera near Westcrest Park in September. The video has just surfaced along with word of other suspected sightings – not on camera this time. We received the video and information via community naturalist Kersti Muul. She tracked down the video and the person who recorded it after first hearing about it earlier this week. After talking with him, she reports, “He has lived there for 40 years and has never seen anything like this. His house backs up to the greenbelt; a good travel route for the cougar.” She added in our email exchange, “I am assuming the cougar has moved on, which is good for all involved. It is my understanding that they don’t stay long when in urban areas. There were a few more sightings in the same area (Olsen Place SW/Westcrest Park/Roxbury) but none recently. To my knowledge, this is the FIRST confirmed Mountain Lion sighting in West Seattle.” Not the first in the city, though – for example, our friends at My Ballard noted one in Discovery Park a year ago. Find out more about mountain lions via the official state Fish and Wildlife Department page about them.

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WEST SEATTLE WEDNESDAY: District 1 Community Network, Washington State Ferries, Stay Healthy Streets, more…

January 5, 2022 9:54 am

| 1 COMMENT

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to the texter who sent that photo from the Alki seawall, taken during this morning’s high tide – highest predicted high tide of the year, as previewed here. Now on to what else is on the calendar for today/tonight:

GOVERNOR’S PANDEMIC UPDATE: The state’s COVID-19 response is part of what Gov. Jay Inslee will discuss in a media briefing at 2:30 pm. You can watch the livestream on TVW.

‘STAY HEALTHY STREETS’ UPDATE: That’s part of what’s on the agenda for tonight’s joint meeting of the city Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Boards, 6 pm online. The agenda explains how to watch/listen/comment.

WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES COMMUNITY MEETING: Also online at 6 pm, the first of two chances to hear Washington State Ferries updates. Viewing/listening information is in our calendar listing.

DISTRICT 1 COMMUNITY NETWORK: This monthly gathering of West Seattle and South Park community advocates is also online, at 7 pm. Our calendar listing has viewing/listening information.

(added) LIVE MUSIC AT C & P: At C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), Seattle folk musician Jim Page from 7-9 pm. Note from C & P: “All customers and musicians will be required to show vaccination verification. Dress warmly because some windows are open with fans to circulate the air. We do have HEPA filters in place.”

OPEN MIC: Weekly open mic at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW) – signups start at 7:30 pm.

Event coming up? Email us so we can add to the calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you.

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Funeral Mass on January 15 for Helen G. Neudorfer, 1929-2021

January 5, 2022 9:00 am

| 7 COMMENTS

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends will gather January 15th to remember Helen Neudorfer, and are sharing this remembrance with the community:

Helen G. Neudorfer
5/29/21 – 11/28/21

Helen was born May 29, 1929, to William and Gertrude Hensleigh in Jordan, Montana, where she was the youngest of 7 children. Helen attended Carroll College of Nursing, earning her Bachelor of Science degree. After graduation, she moved to Seattle and, while working at Marine Hospital, met the love of her life, Bob Neudorfer, who swept her off her feet – and the rest is history! They were married September 19th, 1953 and raised their four children in West Seattle.

Bob and Helen started Neudorfer Engineers in 1970 and Liberty Bell Quick Print in 1972. Helen continued running the print shop until her retirement. She was a very active member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in West Seattle for over 65 years, being involved in ministering the eucharist to the homebound, volunteering with the soup kitchen, and giving eye and hearing exams to the children of Holy Rosary School. Helen, being a devout Catholic, attended daily Mass and was a faithful woman who loved the Lord, her family, church, and community.

Helen continued living in West Seattle until her recent move to Sequim in 2020. She returned to her heavenly home on November 28, 2021. Her devotion to her family and her firm belief in God, supported her in her illness and ultimately gave her peace. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, in 1986 and by her son, Scott, in 2009. She is survived by her sister Marion Shelton of Montana and her children Teresa (Don), Bill (Margaret), Mike (DeAnne), and daughter-in-law, Gail; six grandchildren, Greg, Morgan, Brad, Kelsey, Jenny, and Megan; and two great-grandchildren, McKenna and Wolfgang.

A funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, January 15th at Holy Rosary Church in West Seattle, with a reception to follow at Lanigan Center.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

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PLAY BALL! West Seattle Baseball registration begins

January 5, 2022 8:28 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | WS & Sports

With the new year here, it’s not that long until spring … and baseball! Starting today, registration is open for West Seattle Baseball. Here’s the announcement:

West Seattle Baseball is excited to announce the opening of player and volunteer registration for the 2022 spring season!

Registration will be open through February 16 at the league’s new website. An early-registration discount is available to all registrations completed by January 20. [UPDATE: If that link doesn’t work, use this one.]

West Seattle Baseball offers six different divisions for players ages 4 through 18, with tee-ball and coach-pitch divisions for younger participants.

Prices start as low as $130 for the season. Registration costs include a ballcap and team jersey for each player, in addition to a full season of baseball with events three times per week from mid-March through early June.

West Seattle Baseball is a 100% volunteer-run, non-profit youth baseball league. Our goal is to provide comprehensive baseball programming which appeals to kids of all levels of enthusiasm and ability. The league prides itself on being a fun and enjoyable program that our players, their families, and their coaches want to participate in again each succeeding season. If you have questions about the league, please contact league president Peter Parker at president.wsbb@gmail.com

We hope to see you at the West Seattle PeeWee Fields soon. For the love of the game . . .

Practices Begin
Practices are set to begin on March 13 for the Pinto, Mustang, Bronco, and Pony divisions. Shetland players will begin practices on April 5.

Opening Days
Barring unforeseen delays, league play for Pinto, MuStang, Bronco, and Pony divisions will begin the same day Shetland begins practice, April 5. Shetland will begin on either April 17 or April 24.

The Big Pee-Wee Clean-up Day
Every year, volunteers gather at our baseball venue to help get the fields prepared for the season. There is plenty of work needed to have the fields and surrounding area ready for even the start of practices and tasks available for any and all levels of experience and capabilities. So please, if you are able, be ready to come to the fields on March 20th to help in any way you can!

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TRAFFIC, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Wednesday notes

January 5, 2022 6:01 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:01 AM Good morning!

WEATHER

Showers are in the forecast again, maybe with some snow as well as rain.

WEEKEND REMINDER

This Sunday (January 9th) is the first of four Sundays this month with low-bridge closures for pre-repair testing.

BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES

West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi routes are back on their regular schedules.

Metro is on its regular weekday schedule. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of trip cancellations.

Ferries: WSF continues a two-boat schedule on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Check here for alerts/updates.

BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES

652nd morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Traffic cams are working again:

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.)

The 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):

South Park Bridge:

West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:

Highland Park Way/Holden:

The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):

Are movable bridges opening for vessels? The @SDOTBridges Twitter feed can tell you; 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings are also tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.

See all local traffic cams (when they’re working) 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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