West Seattle, Washington
11 Thursday
One more day for the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s egg hunt – hundreds hidden all over the greater Fauntleroy area. We even spotted one in the shrubbery near our HQ:
Volunteers placed the eggs after filling them with non-candy surprises. That was just one topic at the FCA board’s April meeting, held in-person and online this past Tuesday night. Major topic continued to be the Fauntleroy ferry dock/terminal replacement project, now in the planning stage. The FCA is organizing a community meeting for May 24th at The Hall at Fauntleroy (time TBA) to give people from all over West Seattle a primer on the dock and the project, which will be the biggest transportation project in West Seattle post-bridge and pre-light rail. They’ll include Q&A, with Washington State Ferries reps invited to participate in that. They’re hoping to have elected officials present too.
In the meantime, as the dock project goes forward, they’re hoping to get WSF to survey drivers about their final destinations, as they don’t believe WSF has enough current data on that, though it’s critical information for planning.
Current dock-related issues of concern include traffic control; the FCA is still working on bringing together all the involved agencies – SDOT, WSF, WSP, SPD – to talk about traffic and line-cutting. They’re also working on getting collision data both for that meeting and for the upcoming community-wide dock discussion.
Before that meeting happens, the FCA’s annual general meeting will be May 3rd, 6-8 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy, which will include a chance to mingle as well as the annual board election.
Watch fauntleroy.net for updates between meetings, which happen on second Tuesdays most months.
It’s the fifth week of what’s supposed to be a six-week experiment with “driver report card” signage showing what percentage of drivers stopped for pedestrians at two crossings in High Point, and things haven’t gotten any better. The signs are updated on Fridays, so that’s when we’ve been checking them. The one above is the sign at an unmarked crossing on Sylvan Way, and this week’s check showed only 9 percent of the drivers stopping, down from 17 percent last week, which is as good as it’s gotten at that spot. At the westbound sign, a marked crosswalk at 34th/Morgan, the 27 percent count was up a bit from last week’s 22 percent:
SDOT says the counts are taken midweek by student interns working with the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. The announcement of the project said it’s based on one in St. Paul, Minnesota, that “led to more drivers following the law.” (We found a slide deck from that city suggesting it was part of a broader pedestrian-awareness program; SDOT says there’s more to come in theirs too.)
One of West Seattle’s unique seasonal businesses is about to open its doors for the year. The photo and update are from Gill at Alki Kayak Tours: “Just wanted to let you know that Alki Kayak Tours is opening this weekend for the season! We’ll be open for Kayak, Paddleboard, and Bike Tours and Rentals, Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays 10-6.” AKT is at Seacrest (1660 Harbor SW), same place you’ll find the West Seattle Water Taxi dock and Marination Ma Kai.
The latest Andover RV-encampment “remediation” cleanup is over, so we asked Seattle Public Utilities about the results. Spokesperson Sabrina Register says crews working there, primarily this past Tuesday, “collected and disposed of 15,000-thousand pounds of trash and debris.”
We asked about plans for six other RV encampments around West Seattle. None are “currently scheduled for remediation,” Register replied, adding that “Sites considered for remediation include locations where five or more RVs are present, and public health and safety-related factors are assessed.” So here’s what has happened/will happen at the six sites about which we inquired:
We have performed intense, one-day cleans (called geographic or geocleans) at the following locations:
Barton (east and west) of 16th SW (1/3)
SW Brandon west of 26th SW (2/14, 4/4)
SW Juneau near 26th SW (3/3, 4/4)
West Marginal Place (1/10, 3/16)The following two locations are scheduled for geocleans in the near future:
1st Avenue South in the SW Detroit vicinity
2nd Avenue SW south of Highland Park Way
The amount of trash and debris that SPU reported removing in this Andover cleanup is double the total from four months ago.
Three development notes from the West Seattle Junction area:
4508 CALIFORNIA SW: First, a reminder that the first of the next wave of major projects in the heart of The Junction is expected to start soon. This is the mixed-use project that will replace the building that housed recently closed restaurants Lee’s and Kamei as well as the former Naked Crepe/West Seattle Cyclery space. It finished Design Review more than three years ago – here’s our report on the final review meeting in January 2019, at which time it was described as 58 apartments, 12 lodging units, 17 underground parking spaces, and ground-floor commercial space. When we asked property owner/developer Leon Capelouto about the timeline recently, he said work could start by month’s end; the most recent permit filing for the project, related to use of the alley behind the building, suggests an early May start is expected.
CHURCH-PROPERTY REDEVELOPMENT: An early-stage filing with the city this week proposes 30 townhouses for the parking lot and former school building that West Seattle Christian Church owns to the east of its main building, 4401-4425 41st SW. We asked WSCC’s Pastor Worth Wheeler about the plan; he explained that the filing is part of a feasibility exploration for a potential buyer, but both sides have two months to consider it, so it’s not finalized yet. The church also formerly owned land across 42nd SW, including the 42nd/Genesee corner where a new owner is currently developing an apartment building.
MICROAPARTMENT PROJECT: Several blocks south on 41st, it’s been five years since we first reported on a plan for 22 microapartments at 4807 41st SW. Last time we made note of it was when the site went on the market in 2020. The building-permit file showed activity on the project recently, so we checked out the site and noted that work is under way (below is the view eastward from the alley).
We don’t know how long the work’s been going on, as we weren’t tracking this one closely. County Assessor records do not show an ownership change having resulted from the aforementioned 2020 listing.
A local nonprofit that helps thousands of families every year just got a boost from one of our area’s biggest businesses – here’s the announcement and photo sent by Nucor:
Today Nucor Steel Seattle, Inc. presented WestSide Baby with a check for $9,260.
This check was the result of an semi-annual behavior-based safety Observation Blitz, which is coordinated with the plant’s regular maintenance outages. During the Blitz which ran for three weeks, Nucor challenges their teammates to complete as many safety observations as possible and donates $5, for every observation completed, to a local charitable organization. For the first time, Harris Seattle also joined in on the safety challenge. Between the combined efforts of Nucor’s 1,255 and Harris’s 617 observations, Nucor was able to make this donation today.
WestSide Baby will be able to take that donation and turn it into approximately 65,000 diapers for families in need. In 2021, WestSide Baby provided approximately 2.5 million diapers, along with 1,612 car seats, and 2,075 clothing bags to our local community. Nucor is proud to partner with WestSide Baby as they work to meet the local needs.
Pictured in the check presentation are, left to right: DJ Williams, Observer Champion (127 observations), a Nucor Mobile Equipment Operator; Carina Schubert, WestSide Baby Director of Development; Samantha Steffeck, Observer Runner-up (55 observations), a Nucor Safety Engineer; and Oliver Lyles, Nucor’s Safety Director.
You can help local families too, by helping WestSide Baby – here’s how. You also can help by attending WestSide Baby’s spring fundraiser, set for May 10th.
(SDOT photo)
12:06 PM: During the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force‘s February meeting (WSB coverage here), we got first word of a plan to repair a hole in the pavement on the ramp to northbound Highway 99 (which has remained accessible via eastbound Spokane Street). The ramp is a state structure, not a city structure, so we asked WSDOT for details, but at the time they had few. Now they do. The ramp is scheduled to close next Monday (April 18th) for about two weeks, explained by WSDOT as follows:
We are going to break up and remove the concrete around the hole all the way through to the girders underneath the surface to expose the rebar. The rebar strengthens the concrete under the tension of vehicles driving over it. Once we chip the concrete, we will repair the rebar and then pour concrete to fill the void where the hole in the deck used to be. That process will take about a week. To finish, we’ll need an additional week while the ramp remains closed for the concrete to cure. We need dry weather in order for the concrete to cure properly so the schedule may change depending on the weather.
So far, next week’s weather looks rainy.
3:30 PM: As commenters pointed out, this will affect Metro buses. There were no reroute advisories when we published this, but after we inquired with Metro, an advisory went out – see it here. Rerouting, but no missed stops, Metro says.
Kirke hopes you might be able to help find his stolen SUV:
My SUV was stolen last night in the middle of the night. It was parked in front of my house in the 3100 block of 61st Avenue on Alki. 2002 black Cadillac Escalade. Plate #AUJ9073. The police report filed this morning is incident #22-093845.
(Fan moss flower, photographed at Schmitz Park by Rosalie Miller)
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
GOOD FRIDAY: Our list of West Seattle churches that sent info on their Holy Week services is here.
FIRST NIGHT OF PASSOVER: Starting at sundown; no community events tonight but see the calendar for West Seattle synagogue Kol HaNeshamah for what’s planned in the nights ahead.
DEADLINE FOR ART-WORKSHOP SIGNUPS: Registration deadline is today for a new series of pop-up art workshops starting in West Seattle later this month.
FAUNTLEROY EGG HUNT CONTINUES: Two more days to look for eggs hidden around the area by the Fauntleroy Community Association.
TWO CLEANUPS THIS MORNING: As previewed yesterday, you can join in the High Point Community Cleanup, 10 am-noon (starting from the Neighborhood House back lot at 6400 Sylvan Way SW) or the Seal Sitters/SR3 Alki Beach cleanup, 10 am-noon (starting from Statue of Liberty Plaza at 61st/Alki).
YOUTH APPRECIATION WEEK: Free fun events wrap up today/tonight at Southwest Teen Life Center (2801 SW Thistle).
FREE LUNCH: All welcome for free community lunch at the Junction Church at noon. (4157 California SW).
WINE TASTING: Visit West Seattle Liquor and Wine (4714 42nd SW; WSB sponsor) in outer west Jefferson Square between 4 and 6 pm to taste award-winning Gorman Winery wines.
3 BANDS @ THE SKYLARK: Foul Blooded, Vanilla Abstract, Rabbit With A Number, doors at 7, show at 8. $10 at the door. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Family and friends are remembering Paul Randall and sharing this with his community:
Our beloved Paul has left us far too early. He passed peacefully, and painlessly, in his sleep.
For those that had the privilege of living life with him, he was known for his unmatched humor, his servant leadership, his passion in each endeavor of his life, a vast appreciation for music, and adoration for his cats. He is survived by his wife Vicky, his parents: Mike and Becky Randall, and Joan and Mike Miller, in addition to his sisters Christa, Lyndzie, and Aubree, as well as his brother, Joel and all of siblings’ spouses. He had 12 nieces and nephews that he loved very dearly. His large extended family will miss him intensely. Many friends and family will find celebrating life more difficult, but will no doubt meet the challenge, because that is what Paul would have wanted from us. He would ask that all of us raise a glass of our favorite beverage, and love each other well.
A celebration of life will be planned in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to kexp.org/donate or paws.org/donate
(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)
6:05 AM: Good morning. It’s Friday, April 15th – also Good Friday, and Passover starts at sundown.
WEATHER
(Texted photo, Thursday afternoon clouds)
After another cold night, the forecast suggests we might see snow/rain showers again, and a high near 50 (Thursday’s high was 48, warmer than Wednesday but still 11 degrees below normal).
ROAD WORK
One weekend alert – flashing-beacon installation at 45th/Admiral on Saturday, as previewed here.
IN THE STADIUM ZONE
Seattle Mariners‘ first home stand of the season starts tonight at 6:40 pm vs. Houston, with games at 6:30 pm Saturday and 1:10 pm Sunday.
BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES TODAY
Metro is on its regular weekday schedule. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of reroutes/cancellations.
Water Taxi‘s on its regular schedule. Check its status via Water Taxi Vessel Watch.
Ferries: WSF is still using the two-boat schedule for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth. Check here for alerts/updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
753rd morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
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.)
1st Avenue South Bridge:
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? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed; 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings are also tweeted by @wsdot_traffic.
All city traffic cams can be seen here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are also on this WSB page
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
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