West Seattle, Washington
29 Monday
Thanks to Eddie for sending the photo. A “ghost bike” memorial is now up over the site where a hit-and-run driver killed a 63-year-old bicycle rider Friday night, along SW Spokane east of the West Seattle low bridge. The two-decades-old tradition is explained here – hundreds have been placed around the world to “serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel.” Police have not yet reported an arrest in the case; on Friday night, they said the driver was in “a white or silver sedan” and that they “fled the scene” eastbound after hitting the victim. If you have any information for police, you’re asked to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000. The incident number to refer to is 2022-183308.
Now that West Seattle Summer Fest has wrapped up, time to start counting down to two big in-the-street events next Saturday (July 23rd) – the Float Dodger 5K and West Seattle Grand Parade. Both happen on California SW, from The Admiral District to The Junction (and back, for Float Dodger).
(WSB photo, 2019 Float Dodger 5K, organizers Lori McConnell & Tim McConnell at left)
The 5K is coordinated by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) and starts on the field at Hiawatha (2700 California SW) with a free Kids’ Dash at 9:15 am 8:45 am preceding the run/walk at 9:30 am. Runners head out onto California SW, run/walk down the parade route to The Junction, turn around and head back. You can register online until Thursday – do it here!
(2017 West Seattle Grand Parade WSB photo, All-City Band)
The West Seattle Grand Parade follows at 11 am, also starting in the 2700 block of California and heading south to The Junction (California/Edmunds). The parade is presented by the West Seattle Rotary Service Foundation. Parade chair Keith Hughes says more than 60 entrants are confirmed so far – including longtime favorites including the All-City Band plus classic cars, antique fire trucks, community organizations. Two announcing stations this year – California/Charlestown as well as California/Alaska. It all starts rolling southbound on California at 11 am Saturday, so grab your spot on the curb and cheer the parade’s return. More previews to come as the week goes on!
(QUICK INFOLINKS: Farmers’ Market here, food here, vendors here, kids zone here, bus reroutes here)
11:11 AM: If you haven’t been to West Seattle Summer Fest yet, you have six more hours – or, even if you have, come back and see what you might have missed the first time, browse the year-round merchants’ sidewalk sales. Some FAQ here in the Info Booth:
*Where’s the Farmers’ Market? One block north.
*What bands are playing today? None – this year, music was scheduled just for Friday and Saturday.
*Where’s the face painting? Mid-block raised crosswalk on California between Oregon and Alaska.
*Where’s the cotton candy? Food zone, south side, toward the east end.
*Where are the Whale Trail scavenger-hunt maps? Here in the Info Booth.
We’re on the north side of the Info Booth today; on the east side until 2 pm, Seattle Police Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner (just a little over two weeks until Night Out!).
Lots of free swag, too – coloring books, pencils, tote bags. … An SDOT12:06 PM: The free “big games” got a late start but they’re now up and running on the east end of the Kids Zone (SW Alaska between California and 44th):
The Seattle Kraken have free games right next to that:
12:35 PM: Without bands today, the only schedule note we have for you is the 3 pm Whale Trail presentation about Springer the orca’s rescue – just go to the Senior Center (California/Oregon). … Breaking news: It’s National Ice Cream Day! You can celebrate with a West Seattle vendor in the Food Zone (Alaska west of California) – the Shug’s Soda Fountain cart!
They’re on the north side of the food zone, by Junction Plaza Park.
1:30 PM: The sun has returned! Just half an hour to get to the Farmers’ Market (one block north of its usual spot). That’s one more place you can get lunch and snacks – as we reported earlier, almost all the regular vendors are there, including those that are preparing food for you to enjoy on the spot.
2:01 PM: Surprise guest here at Summer Fest – Seattle Fire Ladder 11. It’s currently parked on Alaska close to 42nd, and since we took the photo above, a firefighter has climbed up to the end of the ladder.
(Reader photo)
You can also stop by and say hi to the firefighters on the ground. …. Farmers’ Market has closed, but the festival has three more hours. We’ve heard there’s an afterparty at Shadowland with live bands; first report said 5 pm, but the Shadowland staff told us, when we went up to ask who’s playing, 7 pm. We’ll be checking back.
2:55 PM: The sun is coming and going.
And time is going fast, with two more hours left in the festival. Thanks again to all the people who have stopped by to say hi! Also your final hours to get a Summer Fest T-shirt:
See the Junction Association volunteers on the southwest side of the Info Booth. The T-shirt design is something of a souvenir marking a historic moment in time, too, with this year’s logo incorporating the orange traffic cone and the almost-fixed bridge – the only (here’s hoping) Summer Fest to be held with a closed bridge. (Although if you look back 40 years to the roots of Summer Fest, that would take you to 1982 – two years before the current bridge fully opened.)
3:20 PM: Another FAQ: “Where’s the beer garden?” None today since there’s no music because of the Farmers’ Market moving into that space for the day. But certainly you have options for beer – like Elliott Bay Brewing (east side of California between Alaska and Edmunds, celebrating 25 years), and The Beer Junction (west side of California, not far south of Oregon) among them.
3:40 PM: Most attention-grabbing vendor name at
the festival:
In festival-food names, we’d give the award to the sushi burrito and light-bulb boba tea.
4 PM: The final-hour rush is on! Lines for fair/festival food – and the elephant-ears booth just announced they’re sold out.
4:25 PM: Still a lot of wandering going on. We’ll be here until the close at 5; festival staff starts breaking down immediately, but it’ll likely be some hours before the streets reopen. One more note about the Shadowland afterparty – it starts at 5, and the bands are playing indoors, not outdoors. … Update, just found out more. Five bands, 5 pm until close. Shadowland is on the northeast corner of California/Oregon – 21+.
4:53 PM: The Info Booth is being folded up around us – so that’s a wrap. Thanks to everyone who came down to celebrate the return of West Seattle’s biggest party of the year – from WSJA organizers to volunteers to production crew to sponsors to vendors to performers to festivalgoers! More summer fun to come.
That’s the north end of the relocated-today-only West Seattle Farmers’ Market, by the Post Office in the 4400 block of California SW. In past years, the third day of West Seattle Summer Fest has seen the market relocate to its old spot behind KeyBank, but this year the West Seattle Junction Association – which presents the festival – is trying something new: Dropping music on Sunday (which tended to be lightly attended anyway), so the market could stay on California SW, one block north. We stopped by the market-management booth to ask about the vendor response; 46 vendors are here today, which is only five fewer than usual. Hours are the same as usual – so get your shopping and snacking done before 2 pm!
The final day of the return of West Seattle Summer Fest – and the Farmers’ Market one-day relocation – start our Sunday list:
It’s been a fun festival; our Saturday coverage is here and here, and our Friday coverage is here and here. Today’s festival hours are 10 am-5 pm; we’ll be back on the north side of the Info Booth (California/Alaska), which is also where you can buy Summer Fest T-shirts, get and turn in your Whale Trail maps, and solve problems from first-aid needs to lost-and-found. Other Summer Fest basics:
Vendor booths: On California between Oregon and Edmunds
Sidewalk Sale: Outside many year-round Junction shops, including some on 42nd, 44th, Oregon
Music: None today, a change this year
Kids Zone: SW Alaska west of California (free games, plus 5 inflatables accessible for $20 daily pass)
Food: SW Alaska east of California (plus year-round restaurants/bars, some of which have added sidewalk cafés)
Whale Trail activity for kids: Get and return your card at the Info Booth – also see the Springer presentation at the Senior Center (4217 SW Oregon) at 3 pm
Bus reroutes: Follow that link to see route-by-route info on where the stops have moved to until the streets reopen Sunday night
Because of the festival …
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, the market is happening at its usual time, but at a DIFFERENT location for today only – one block north of where you’ll usually find it – north of SW Oregon. First time ever in this spot – past years have relocated the market elsewhere for the day.
Here’s what else is happening today:
CHURCHES WITH ONLINE SERVICES: We’re continuing to list these – see today’s list here.
TAILS TO ASTONISH ANNIVERSARY SALE: Last of three days you can shop the first-anniversary sale at West Seattle’s comics-and-toys store (4850 California SW; WSB sponsor). Open today 9 am-2 pm – just south of The Junction, so you can visit on your way to Summer Fest.
WHITE CENTER LIBRARY GUILD SIDEWALK SALE: 11 am-4 pm, at White Center Library (1409 SW 107th): Second and final day for this sale offering books and “gently used household treasures.”
LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL: If the city opens wading pools today, the only one open in West Seattle will be the one in central upper Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), noon-7 pm.
COLMAN POOL: The outdoor pool on the Lincoln Park shore (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) is back open to the public, noon-7 pm.
COLMAN POOL RENOVATION MEETING: Swimming or not, you’re invited to visit the pool noon-2 pm to learn about a future renovation project. As reported here, Parks says the work is not expected to start before 2024.
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society museum< is open on Alki, and you can visit noon-4 pm, (61st/Stevens)
ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE: Weekly tours are back, as reported here. First tour at 1 pm, last at 3:45; here’s how it works.
LOW TIDE: Out to -1.5 feet at 2:19 pm, which isn’t mega-low, but Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists will be out today, 1:15-3:15 pm at Lincoln Park (they’ve canceled Constellation Park because of the ongoing pollution concerns).
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK X 2: 3 pm and 7 pm at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), GreenStage presents a “Pericles” matinee and “Henry V” evening performance. Free!
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P COFFEE: 3-5 pm, Paradise Drifters play country/honkytonk music at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
BACHATA AND SALSA ON ALKI: Wear all white. Lesson at 4:30 pm, dancing until 9:30 pm. Info here.
NEED FOOD? White Center Community Dinner Church serves a free meal (take-away available) at 5 pm Sundays at the Salvation Army Center in South Delridge (9050 16th SW).
MEDITATION AND MORE: Kundalini Yoga, Meditation, Gong Bath at Solstice Park (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW) with Inner Alchemy, 7-8:30 pm.
SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.
SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE: 9 pm to 1:30 am at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW).
Have an event to list for our calendar? Please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN WINNEBAGO: Via text:
Stolen 1999 Winnebago Minnie, white
Reported to SPD
Incident number 22-183417
Last seen July 14th on corner of Hudson Street and 51st Avenue SW
Plate number 911 VBD
Distinct lettering on spare tire cover with the name “Helga”
Lettering on back of vehicle “There And Back Again”
MONDAY UPDATE: Found, on Beacon Hill.
CATALYTIC-CONVERTER THEFT: Via text:
Another catalytic converter – happened yesterday at 1:30 in the morning across from Westwood Village. Incident 22-183706
DUMPED-LIKELY-STOLEN BICYCLE: Michael discovered this abandoned bike:
He found it east of Fairmount Playfield. If it’s yours, email us – westseattleblog@gmail.com – and we’ll connect you.
(QUICK LINKS: Music here, food here, vendors here, kids zone here, bus reroutes here)
3:27 PM: Flash-mob-style synchronized show just happened at California/Alaska in the middle of West Seattle Summer Fest day two:
DancePowered is putting on a tour de force in the heart of Summer Fest. pic.twitter.com/uBXVzvBEY5
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2022
Jennifer Cepeda‘s fitness classes have been wildly popular for a long time. Jennifer tells us she’s been working on that since January!
Also big this afternoon – quite the crowd for West Seattle’s own THEM:
THEM on the Summer Fest main stage! pic.twitter.com/3SKKgA7Idr
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2022
Here’s the music lineup for the rest of the day/night:
3 pm – Rub (replacing Emily Stranger)
4 pm – Johnny Nails
5 pm – Mark Pickerel & the Peyote
6 pm – Mala Suerte
7 pm – Chong the Nomad
8 pm – Battlestar Kalakala
9 pm – True Loves
And at 7 pm at Elliott Bay, Down North. Also happening: come meet Seal Sitters here in the Info Booth. … More coverage to come; the festival continues until 8 pm tonight (music until 10)!
4 PM: Breaking weather news – it’s now partly sunny, after a mostly overcast day. …. As you wander Summer Fest, you’ll notice that the booths are a mix – some fair/festival stalwarts, but also some local businesses whose stores/offices are elsewhere in West Seattle, here to introduce themselves to more neighbors. Among them, several West Seattle sponsors – Camp Crockett is a home away from home for your dogs, with locations including Delridge and Upper Morgan:
That’s Vanessa from Camp Crockett. We also said hi to Ramone and Alice from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Northwest, which serves West Seattle and vicinity from offices in Jefferson Square:
Nina is at the festival for Canna Culture Shop, between The Junction and Morgan Junction:
Longtime WSB sponsor Click! Design That Fits is having a sidewalk sale outside its shop at 4540 California SW – including these West Seattle = Best Seattle T-shirts in partnership with Alair (we reported previously on their intent)
The sidewalk display at Click! also includes earrings, which along with the T-shirts are part of a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of co-founder and artist Frances Smersh. … Another WSB sponsor with a special feature for Summer Fest, Verity Credit Union (4505 California SW) has a drawing you can enter:
Not far north of us at California/Alaska, meantime, the trombone-playing busker is back for a second day …”
Favorite busker so far. pic.twitter.com/B3rh67fXwC
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2022
… as is what we could call the proselytizing busker. Though Summer Fest planning has been under way for months, there are always some surprises along the way.
5:51 PM: (Added) Here’s a clip from Mark Pickerel’s set earlier this hour:
Close to dinner time. Judging by what people are carrying, looks like roasted corn and the light-bulb boba tea are very popular. Also of note, the sun went back into hiding and it’s a bit breezy, so you might want a sweater tonight. Festival maintenance is happening too – takes a lot of behind-the-scenes help to power an event of this magnitude:
Here at the Info Booth, we have info about more than what’s happening at the festival – we have a poster for the return of West Seattle Outdoor Movies too – they start next week, five Saturday nights in a row:
There’s a change since first word of the series – the July 23rd movie will be at Camp Long, then the subsequent four at Hotwire Coffee’s courtyard (long-ago longtime home of the series) – see you next Saturday!
6:54 PM: Lot of interest in the late-substitution band Down North performing at Elliott Bay at 7 pm, judging by inquiries here. Also, we’ve continued a long tradition … any candidate who stops by the info booth gets a photo – first and only candidate we’ve seen is State Sen. Joe Nguyen, so here’s the pictorial proof:
This year’s primary is just 2 1/2 weeks away – anybody running for office, come see us at the Info Booth during the festival (we’re here again tomorrow). … Other sightings in the past few hours included Lori McConnell and Tim McConnell, proprietors of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), who are a week away from presenting the return of the Float Dodger 5K, before the West Seattle Grand Parade. Still time to register to walk/run in it (go here to sign up) – proceeds benefit the West Seattle Food Bank.
8:24 PM: Back at HQ, we’re adding some music clips from earlier – some in line above – but first, here’s Down North at the Elliott Bay stage:
One more time … festival music is done after tonight … the stage/beer garden zone north of SW Oregon will hold the West Seattle Farmers’ Market 10 am-2 pm tomorrow.
(Photo sent by Carol)
1:52 PM: Thanks for the tips and photos. Seattle Fire has a big response at SW Roxbury/20th SW, across from Holy Family. Updates to come.
1:55 PM: As shown in the photo sent by Carol, this is a new-construction development. SFD says the building is “fully involved,” so crews are fighting in a “defensive” mode because of a chance the building could collapse.
(Added – photo tweeted by Genna)
2 PM: Update from SFD – now they’re back to “offensive” mode because: “Crews have water on the fire and have made significant progress knocking down the exterior fire.”
(WSB photos from here down)
2:14 PM: Our crew at the scene says Roxbury is closed from 18th westward. Adding more photos. No injuries reported.
2:46 PM: Investigators are at the fire scene trying to find out how it started.
3:51 PM: Roxbury has reopened. Meantime, SFD says a firefighter had to be taken to the hospital for “medical evaluation” but is in stable condition.
10:04 PM: SFD tells us the fire is still under investigation. Online records show the site is being built as townhouses.
More West Seattle Little League teams are headed to state competition! Here are updates and photos from WSLL:
Two more West Seattle Little League All-Star teams win district title
Little League WA District 7 tournaments wrapped up this week with West Seattle Little League (WSLL) 10s Baseball and Softball teams taking the district title win to secure their spots in the WA State tournament.
10s Softball All-Stars
The WSLL 10s All-Star softball team beat Seattle Central on Tuesday after being down 21-20 in the top of the fifth inning. The team rallied to turn the game around and take home the District 7 championship win 35-28. Isabella Vann swung for the fences in the third inning with an inside-the-park home run.
Manager – Kevin O’Donnell
Coaches – Josh Snyder and Tony Colagrossi
Players are alphabetically – Camryn Duty, Charlotte Buckley. Eilidh O’Brien, Emme Dupille, Hayley Johnsonl, Isabella Vann, Josey Sullivan, Katy Snyder, Maya Purcell, Naomi Decker, Nichole Tucci-Ringstad. Nora O’Donnell, Poppy Sheaffer, Serena Colagrossi10s Baseball All-Stars
The 10s took the District 7 championship on Thur in dramatic walk-off fashion, thanks to a walk-off single at the end of the game to topple South Highline National. The game was tied at 7 with WSLL batting in the bottom of the 6th when Julian Patino singled on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring the winning run.
Manager – Nick Datz
Coaches – JP Patino and Stuart Widman
Players – Ben Datz, Cal Reed, Cameron Widman, Duncan McKinney, Everett Harkins, George Faull, Henry Corr, Julian Patino, Keanu Ignacio, Lex Townsend, Nathan Shafi, Patrick Bowen. Ryker WadeIn all, WSLL is sending 4 teams to the state tournaments to represent District 7: 10s, 11s and 12s baseball and 10s softball. The 12s and 11s baseball All-Stars kick off their state run this weekend. WSLL 12s take the field on Sat at 4:30 pm in Lynnwood and the 11s at 9 am on Sunday in Federal Way.
To continue following along on their All-Star journey, visit the WSLL All-Stars News page.
(QUICK LINKS: Music here, food here, vendors here, kids zone here, bus reroutes here)
10:43 AM: Day 2 of West Seattle Summer Fest has begun! This is the big day – booths are open for 10 hours, until 8 tonight, and music runs for 10 hours too – noon until 10 pm. First up will be School of Rock. Meantime, we’re back in the Info Booth (California/Alaska), where you also will find volunteers from the West Seattle Junction Association (which presents Summer Fest) – they’re also selling festival T-shirts ($25). On the east side of the Info Booth, if you have questions about the West Seattle Bridge, SDOT has a rep here today – yes, they’re still on track for the week of September 12th, with more details when the opening is one month away. Just to the west of us is the Kids’ Zone, with Hope Lutheran volunteers staffing the free games today:
Just west of the games are the inflatables (and the booth where you can buy a pass for them). A few other kid-geared vendors are scattered throughout the festival zone, including face painting:
That face painter is on the midblock raised crosswalk between Oregon and Alaska.
11:20 AM: Another type of painting is happening here – artist Stacey Sterling is leading another community mural:
Painting of the sea-life mural will resume today at California/Oregon – you can sign up for a time to join in. While you’re in The Junction, check out Mural Alley – the breezeway on the west side of California, midblock between Alaska and Edmunds – to see past community-created murals. Another participatory activity involving sea life – the orca scavenger hunt continues, with the maps here at the Info Booth:
This is also where to turn in the completed maps. And then go see The Whale Trail‘s presentation about Springer, the orphaned orca rescued 20 years ago, at 3 at the Senior Center (California/Oregon).
12:39 PM: The main-stage music kicked off with School of Rock:
School of Rock starting today's music lineup at Summer Fest pic.twitter.com/cGa3E1JIp9
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2022
At 1 pm, more talented young musicians take the stage – from Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) – and the rising stars of THEM follow, at 2 pm. One more music note – a substitution for tonight’s 7 pm band at Elliott Bay (as part of its anniversary bash) – Down North.
1:26 PM: In the merch booth up by the stage (which is near the Post Office), we caught up with THEM, performing in just half an hour:
Reminder that if you love festival music, soak it in today/tonight – no Sunday music because the Farmers’ Market will be in that area north of Oregon. And if you’re interested in making music – go see the West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ “instrumental petting zoo” inside ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) until 3 pm:
(added) Here are two clips from the Mode set – first, Mari Littlefield:
And K.A.M.P.S.:
2:52 PM: Our second report starts shortly. If you’re at the festival, a dance demo, flash mob style, is moments away here at California/Alaska. More festival coverage to come!
In addition to businesses and artists, booths at West Seattle Summer Fest include local nonprofits there to meet you and explain what they do.
(WSB photos)
Among them this year, a new local nonprofit, Beloveds Animal Rescue Relief Foundation. In an email exchange, founder Rachael Morris told us what Beloveds is about:
Beloveds Animal Rescue Relief Foundation is a West Seattle-based nonprofit that collects donated pet supplies and distributes them to local nonprofit pet organizations based on need and specialty of service. Our motto is “There is always something we can do to help.” We officially became a business in February of this year but I’ve been doing something similar, periodically through COVID as a donation drive and then gave it to some rescues I knew. I realized the need was greater than anticipated and decided to make it a nonprofit, starting at the beginning of the year.
We have distributed at least $150,000 worth of items this year already, all donated from the community, businesses, and distributors. We take literally anything cat- or dog-related, including open bags of food and some broken items (cat trees, wheelchairs) as we have an upcycle component to what we do as well. Rescues get creative when finding cheap solutions to problems so while I don’t take rusty wire cages, I can take cat trees because components can be used in catios. Wheelchairs can be broken down and built new to order through a really amazing resource, stuff like that.
The goal is to have separate chapters in other states within 5 years, either as an extension of what we do or we (I) teach them how to build a version in their state. So, kind of like a nonprofit franchise with the sole intention being to support local nonprofit pet organizations so that they can focus on the care/adoption of animals and spend their money on medical care, transportation, and other needs, not food, beds, medicine, etc.
Right now, we are pending our 501c3 application and hope to have that done by late fall but this process takes anywhere from 4 months to a year so we are working to garner sponsorships and donations to pay for our start up costs through the public. We have a raffle set up to help collect donated funds, which is effective throughout July.
We have several items available including light-up shadow boxes, gift baskets with donated items from Dog Baby Collection (BIPOC women -owned WS based online retailer) and other local service providers. We are at West Seattle Summer Fest, sharing a booth with Dog Baby. And we JUST landed an arrangement with Junction 47, to have a donation box set up in the apartment building for Beloveds! This is part of our pilot program to collect donations in apartment buildings, as most buildings are pet friendly but folks in these buildings might not have storage for their unused pet supplies, cars to drive them to a donation location, etc so we are working to come to these pet parents and collect donations!
Our claim to fame will be our online inventory available to the nonprofits. This inventory will be the live inventory representing all of our storage locations, and will allow the nonprofit pet organizations to review, reserve and schedule pick up or delivery of donations. They can also submit special requests for things that we will either buy ourselves through Beloveds or try to source through the community. This inventory system will allow us to have predictive reporting, ensure our donations are being spread fairly amongst organizations and ensure that we can do our best to provide needed supplies to those groups that are in the greatest need.
Morris is applying her skills as a business analyst specializing in IT to work on that aspect. You can find out more about Beloveds and enter their raffle – plus meet the crew from Dog Baby – on the east side of the south block of Summer Fest, between Alaska and Edmunds. If you don’t meet them at the festival, here’s how to contact Beloveds.
The biggest day of the first West Seattle Summer Fest since 2019 tops our list for today:
Our coverage from Friday is here and here. Today’s festival hours are 10 am-8 pm (music until 10 pm); we’ll be back in the Info Booth (California/Alaska), which is also where you can buy Summer Fest T-shirts, get and turn in your Whale Trail maps, and deal with minor emergencies from first aid to lost-and-found. Other helpful Summer Fest info:
Vendor booths: On California between Oregon and Edmunds
Sidewalk Sale: Many year-round Junction shops, including some on 42nd, 44th, Oregon
Music: Noon-10 pm (main stage on California north of Oregon, plus 7 pm outside Elliott Bay Brewing)
Kids Zone: SW Alaska west of California (free games, plus 5 inflatables accessible for $20 daily pass)
Food: SW Alaska east of California (plus year-round restaurants/bars, some of which have added sidewalk cafés)
Whale Trail activity for kids: Get and return your card at the Info Booth – also see the Springer presentation at the Senior Center (4217 SW Oregon) at 3 pm
Bringing your baby? Nursing/diapering area open at Nurturing Expressions (472 42nd SW), 10 am-5 pm today
Bus reroutes: Follow that link to see route-by-route info on where the stops have moved to until the streets reopen Sunday night
See you in The Junction! Also today/tonight:
TRAFFIC ALERTS: SDOT will be paving near the intersection the intersection of Myers/Olson Pl SW, reducing northbound to one lane, 6 am to 2 pm; also, in South Park between 7 am and 5 pm, they’re doing more work on the 7th/Cloverdale signal, which will be turned off for a while. Meantime, southbound I-5 lane closures continue as part of the “Revive I-5” project.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST: 8 am-noon, the White Center Kiwanis is serving up pancakes at White Center Eagles (10452 15th SW), $10, kids 5 and under free with paying adults.
BIRDS OF ROXHILL PARK: Join two master birders for a free presentation and walk to learn more about local birds, 9 am. (29th/Barton)
FREE YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP: 9 am-11 am for K-8 students. At Hiawatha Playfield (2700 California SW) – info in our calendar listing.
BEIGNETS: Jet City Beignet is popping up at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) 10 am-2 pm today.
OUTDOOR MARKET: 10 am-6 pm at The Heron’s Nest (4818 Puget Way SW) – info’s in our calendar listing.
BASEBALL: The West Seattle Baseball 10U Red All Stars have big games, though not in town. From a supporter:
They are participating in a tournament in the Tacoma area this weekend called Battle of the Bats, July 16th and July 17th. There are 16 teams from all over the region coming. Both games on Saturday are at Heidelberg Athletic Fields in Tacoma, WA (1902 S Tyler Street). First game is against the Gig Harbor Shockwave at 10 am, the second game is at 12 pm against the Vancouver Aces. These two games will determine their tournament bracket seeding for the games on Sunday. If anyone wants to come down to cheer on this group of talented young West Seattle baseball players, they would love your support! They are going for back to back tournament championships.
Players are Oliver Busey, Isaiah Williams, Teyton Le, Malcolm Lindsey, Bryant Rodriguez, Cooper Beman, Theo Ninburg, Joseph Menashe, Sam Weymueller, Liam McAuliffe, Beckham Sizemore, Mac Waskowitz.
MORNING MUSIC: Marco de Carvalho and Friends, 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
PARK CELEBRATION: Grand-opening event for the new Duwamish River People’s Park in South Park, 11 am-3 pm. (8700 Dallas Ave. S.)
TAILS TO ASTONISH ANNIVERSARY SALE: Second of three days you can shop the first-anniversary sale at West Seattle’s comics-and-toys store (4850 California SW; WSB sponsor). Open 11:30 am-7 pm today – just south of The Junction, so you can visit while you’re at Summer Fest.
WADING POOL/SPRAYPARK: With a warm day expected, the city is likely to open the wading pools (check after 9 am at 206-684-7796), so the pool in central upper Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) would be open noon-7 pm. Also, Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) will be open 11 am-8 pm.
COLMAN POOL CLOSED: You can’t swim at the outdoor pool on the Lincoln Park shore today because of a swim meet.
VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: Open to visitors noon-3 pm, as noted here. (2234 SW Orchard)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: The Southwest Seattle Historical Society museum is open on Alki, and you can visit noon-4 pm. (61st/Stevens)
WINE TIME: The Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) tasting room – selling wine by the glass or bottle – is open 1-6 pm. (5910 California SW)
LOW-LOW TIDE: Out to -2.8 feet at 1:31 pm. Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists are out again today, too. (But note that the stretch from Alki Point to Andover still is posted for contamination concerns.)
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK X 2: 3 pm and 7 pm at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), GreenStage presents a “Henry V” matinee and “Pericles” evening performance. Free!
POP-UP VACCINE CLINIC: 3-6 pm, COVID vaccinations are available at the Community School of West Seattle (9450 22nd SW).
BARTON P-PATCH PIZZA NIGHT: Fresh-made wood-fired pizza plus music, 4-7 pm (or “until the dough runs out”), 34th/Barton.
DUBSEA FISH STICKS: See the DubSea Fish Sticks at 6:05 pm vs. NW Honkers, at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd) – ticket info here.
ROO FORREST AND FRIENDS: Live music at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. No cover.
AT THE SKYLARK: Live music from James Carr Band, Montlake Traffic, doors at 7 pm, music at 8. 21+. $10 cover. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
AT DRUNKY TWO SHOES: Nothing’s Shocking (tribute to Jane’s Addiction), doors at 7, music at 8. $12 cover. (16th SW & SW 98th, White Center)
MUSIC UNDER THE STARS: Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s in-person/streamed event at Seattle Chinese Garden (6000 16th SW), 8:30 pm. Free.
DRAG SHOW AT ADMIRAL PUB: Saturday’s the night for Dolly Madison‘s show at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), 9 pm.
Something to add, for today/tonight or beyond? Email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(Reader photo)
7:28 PM: Thanks for the tips. A crash involving a bicyclist has an investigation under way just east of the West Seattle low bridge. Mike Lindblom of The Seattle Times reports via Twitter that the bicyclist has died. SPD says the low bridge is closed because of the investigation. More when we get it.
7:52 PM: Police confirm the rider was killed.
8:55 PM: We tried from both sides to get to the scene but could not. SPD spokesperson Det. Valerie Carson tells us this was a hit-and-run, and that the victim is a man.
9:22 PM: More information just posted by SPD:
Detectives are investigating after the driver in a hit and run collision struck and killed a man riding a compact electric bicycle Friday evening near the Spokane Street Bridge.
At 6:55 p.m., police and firefighters responded to SW Spokane Street and Klickitat Avenue SW for a collision. According to witnesses, the driver of a white or silver sedan traveling eastbound on SW Spokane Street struck a bicyclist that was crossing the road. The driver then continued eastbound and fled the scene.
SFD medics attempted life-saving measures on the bicyclist, but the 63-year-old-man was declared deceased at the scene.
Detectives with SPD’s Traffic Collision Investigation Squad responded to process the scene and begin their investigation. They are asking anyone with information about this collision to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.
9:56 PM: The scene is cleared and the low bridge has reopened.
11:32 PM: Joseph, who sent the top photo, was among those who spoke to detectives at the scene and said they’re interested in any cameras near where it happened – refer to case # 2022-183308.
(QUICK LINKS: Music here, food here, vendors here, kids zone here, bus reroutes here)
5:54 PM: As previewed a bit earlier, that’s Caitlin Sherman on the West Seattle Summer Fest stage, introduced by Troy Nelson. The first day/night of festival music is now at full speed – the main stage is on California north of Oregon, near the Post Office. Here’s the rest of tonight’s lineup:
6 pm – Smoker Dad
7 pm – Acapulco Lips
8 pm – Spirit Award
9 pm – Naked GiantsAlso, 7 pm outside Elliott Bay Brewery, Urban Achievers
Doing some main-stage emceeing is a local musician who played Summer Fest himself a few years back – Brent Amaker:
One more reminder – no music Sunday, just today and Saturday; on Sunday, the space north of Oregon will be occupied by the Farmers’ Market (10 am-2 pm). More festival coverage to come!
6:10 PM: Here at the Info Booth, we’ve had a lot of questions today about the food providers. The visiting vendors are all on SW Alaska between California and 42nd – including classic fair/festival food:
There’s also Kenyan, Filipino, Mexican, Thai, and Nepalese food – and several options for ice cream. Show some love to the year-round food/drink providers too – for example, A La Mode Pies is on the same block as the food vendors, with amazing sweet treats; if you’re looking for a full meal, as noted earlier, many Junction establishments have added sidewalk cafés for the weekend – lots of people-watching going on. It’s clouded over in the past hour but still pleasant. The festival’s on until 8 tonight (music till 10) – more coverage ahead!
6:58 PM: As has been the case every year, the festival gets ever-busier on Friday evenings – that’s a big reason why the vendor hours changed to 1-8 pm. We’ve had fun talking to myriad people all day – among them, West Seattle Grand Parade co-coordinator Michelle Edwards – just one week until Junction (and beyond) streets will close again, for the parade’s return! It starts at 11 am Saturday, July 23rd, heading south on California SW from The Admiral District to The Junction. Meantime, it’s time for a special musical event – the Elliott Bay Brewery stage, with 7 pm bands both nights – tonight, Urban Achievers. (Video added:)
10:20 PM: We left a bit earlier because of breaking news. Summer Fest resumes at 10 am Saturday (music at noon).
(WSB photo, Cormorant Cove Park, last week)
No all-clear yet, more than a week after a private sewer line was discovered to be leaking into Puget Sound from condos south of Alki Point. That’s according to Sabrina Register of Seattle Public Utilities, which is monitoring the situation. We asked her about the action, if any, to be taken against the responsible party. Her reply:
Seattle Public Utilities notifies property owners when their privately owned wastewater lines are broken or malfunctioning, as property owners are responsible for maintaining their lines. Broken or malfunctioning lines can sometimes discharge sewage into water bodies. Staff consult with them on corrective action that needs to be taken to prevent further discharges.
The property owner associated with the sewer discharge on Beach Drive has been issued notice of violations for sewer discharge into Puget Sound, including in 2021.
SPU is planning to issue a notice of violation for this most recent discharge after determining cost recovery needs.
We’ll be following up again next week.
Many West Seattle businesses based elsewhere on the peninsula come to The Junction to be part of Summer Fest. Among them, Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor), whose founder Erin Rubin sent this update:
Mode Music is ready to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of West Seattle Summer Fest by adding some fantastic musical talent to the stellar lineup this weekend, July 15th-17th!
On Friday, Mode teachers will kick off the Fest by rocking out as only they know how! At 5:00 pm, former Mode teacher and singer/songwriter Caitlyn Sherman (IG: @caitiecruel) will take the stage. And at 9:00 pm, Naked Giants (IG: @naked_giants) will be the headliner, a band that features current Mode teachers Grant Mullen and Gianni Aiello!
Starting at 1:00 pm on Saturday, Mode Music Studios (IG: @modemusicws) will kick off the student and alum block of performances including the rock band It’s All Happening (IG @itsallhappening.band), singer Mari Littlefield, and the female-driven group K.A.M.P.S., whose band name was actually inspired by the fantastic Mode alum band T.H.E.M. (IG: @theband.them) slated to perform at 2:00pm.
Please stop by the Mode Music booth while enjoying the Festival to learn about the music school’s fantastic programs, get some awesome brand new merch, and gain some knowledge about Mode’s non-profit branch Mode Music and Performing Arts (IG: @modemusicandpa) and grab a kazoo or shaker egg! Don’t miss out on this fun and music-filled weekend!
You’ll find the Mode booth in the block between Oregon and Alaska.
(QUICK LINKS: Music here, food here, vendors here, kids zone here, bus reroutes here)
West Seattle Summer Fest doesn’t officially start until 1 pm but people are here already, wandering, shopping, snacking … so come on down to The Junction (California between Oregon and Edmunds, Alaska between 42nd and 44th). We’re in the Info Booth, which also features volunteers helping with a variety of things including the return of T-shirt sales!
Update on The Whale Trail maps – if you didn’t get one on Summer Fest Eve, come to the Info Booth for one!
We’ve already seen at least one young festivalgoer who completed the search!
2:16 PM: Day 1 is always all about seeing what’s where. One general observation, in this transitional year, the festival grounds have some open areas, like north of where we are at California and Alaska:
Many of the year-round Junction businesses are offering sidewalk sales – Summer Fest trivia, the festival has its roots in a summertime Junction-wide sidewalk sale:
In addition to the year-round sidewalk cafés, some venues have added them just for the festival – in the background of our next photo, The Beer Junction’s outdoor space is year-round, while newly opened Bonjour Vietnam has added one for the festival.
We stopped by to say hi to proprietor Jade Nguyen as she soft-opened last night:
Coming up, music starts at 3 pm … also at 3 pm, The Whale Trail presentation about Springer the rescued orca, at the Senior Center (California/Oregon). [Correction, that’s at 3 pm Saturday and Sunday.]
3:02 PM: Music should be starting any minute now at the main stage, which is on California north of Oregon, near the Post Office. Appaloosa 15 is the first band of the day, with indie rockers Chris King and The Gutterballs following at 4.
3:25 PM: If you’re here with kid(s), there’s free fun in the Kids’ Zone on Alaska west of California, as well as the inflatables (for which you need a $20 unlimited-use-for-one-day bracelet) – big games! Along with the ones right by the big GAMES sign, the kids-zone sponsors, Seattle Kraken, have a free game station next to it:
4:44 PM: Even if you don’t make it up to the stage for music, you’ll catch some all along the festival zone:
Besides main-stage music, busking is happening at West Seattle Summer Fest pic.twitter.com/PWmx8pJ1H7
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 15, 2022
Other buskers we’ve seen so far include a magician:
Dinnertime nears. We’ll take a look at festival food in report #2.
Two reader reports, plus a quick followup, in West Seattle Crime Watch (also, added 11:56 am, a police report from early this morning:
(added) STOLEN CAR WITH POSSIBLE BULLET HOLE: Just added to the list of police reports from this morning:
On 07-15-2022 at 0426 hours, officers responded to the 2500 block of Harbor Ave SW and saw an unoccupied Renton PD stolen vehicle with damage to the front driver side window. The damage consisted of what appeared to be a possible bullet hole to the window. The rear passenger side window also was damaged. Officers checked the location but didn’t locate any additional evidence of a shooting.
(back to original roundup) BAREFOOT PROWLER: From Traci:
This guy walked around my house onto my back deck (Wednesday) night around 8 pm. He tried to say something to me through the windows. I yelled at him to leave. Then he wandered into my backyard. I told him that I was calling the cops. Then finally left. Unfortunately I didn’t get him on camera. Then (Thursday) morning at 5:22 am he showed up again on my cameras shoeless. He saw me and then left. The police showed up quickly and took my info for him to be charged with trespassing. Be on the lookout around Charlestown and 33rd SW area. He has very dirty clothes on and seems to have lost his shoes. My neighbor had him on their front-door camera as well.
Others in the area reported the same man knocking on doors early Thursday.
DUMPED-LIKELY-STOLEN BICYCLE: From John:
This children’s Mongoose Racer was left in the alleyway behind Avalon Way … Looks like it was abandoned Wednesday.
If you know whose bicycle this is, email us – westseattleblog@gmail.com – and we’ll connect you with John.
P.S. – MOTORCYCLE FINALLY FOUND: Almost two months ago, Joshua reported his motorcycle stolen. He sent a note to say it was finally found this week, on Yesler Way.
West Seattle Summer Fest starts this afternoon!
We’ll be in The Junction reporting live from the Info Booth throughout the festival, to show you what’s happening. Here are the basics as you make your plan:
Festival hours today: 1-8 pm
Booths: 1-8 pm
Sidewalk Sale: Merchants’ hours may vary
Music: 3-10 pm (main stage on California north of Oregon, plus 7 pm tonight outside Elliott Bay Brewing)
Kids Zone: SW Alaska west of California (free activities plus 5 inflatables accessible for $20 daily pass)
Food: SW Alaska east of California (plus year-round restaurants/bars)
Whale Trail activity for kids: Get your card at the table near CAPERS
Info Booth: Heart of Walk-All-Ways
Bringing your baby? Nursing/diapering area open at Nurturing Expressions (472 42nd SW), 1-6 pm today
See you in The Junction! Also today/tonight:
WHITE CENTER LIBRARY GUILD SIDEWALK SALE: 10 am-4 pm, at White Center Library (1409 SW 107th): Books and “gently used household treasures.”
TAILS TO ASTONISH ANNIVERSARY SALE: First of three days you can shop the first-anniversary sale at West Seattle’s comics-and-toys store (4850 California SW; WSB sponsor). Open 11:30 am-7 pm today – just south of The Junction, so you can visit while you’re at Summer Fest.
WADING POOLS OPEN: Sunny and warm this afternoon, so the city will open the pools that are scheduled for Friday operations. In West Seattle, that means Delridge (4501 Delridge Way SW), noon-5:30 pm, and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), noon-7 pm. Highland Park Spraypark at 1100 SW Cloverdale is open 11 am-8 pm, too.
COLMAN POOL CLOSED: The outdoor pool at Lincoln Park will be closed to the public today for a swim meet.
LOW-LOW TIDE: Out to -3.6 feet at 12:43 pm. Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists are out again today, too.
TASTING: Stop in at West Seattle Liquor and Wine (4714 42nd SW – outer west side of Jefferson Square, by Nikko Teriyaki) for gin tasting, 4-6 pm.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: 7 pm at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), GreenStage presents “Henry V.” Free!
BASEBALL: The DubSea Fish Sticks host the Redmond Dudes at Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd, White Center) at 7:05 pm. Tickets here!
canceled LIVE MUSIC AT C & P COFFEE: Blue Mercy performs tonight at 7 pm at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW), no cover.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE SKYLARK: Ball Bag, Cheap Flavor, The Jane Asylum perform at The Skylark. 7 pm doors, 8 pm music. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Have something to add to our calendar? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
6:01 AM: Good morning; welcome to Friday, July 15th.
WEATHER
The forecast is for another sunny day, high in the 70s.
SUMMER FEST, DAY 1
West Seattle Summer Fest road closures are all in place, through Sunday night – California north of Oregon, where the stage and beer garden are on Friday and Saturday, and the Farmers’ Market on Sunday; then, California from Oregon to Edmunds, and SW Alaska from 42nd to 44th (food on the east side, kids zone on the left side), See this Metro webpage for bus-reroute info.
WEEKEND ROAD WORK
SDOT has two projects planned:
On Saturday, between 6 AM and 2 PM, we’re paving near the intersection the intersection of Myers Way S and Olson Pl SW. The northbound lanes will be reduced to a single lane during this work and people driving should expect delays while the lane is closed.
Also on Saturday, between 7 AM and 5 PM, we’ll continue updating the traffic signal at 7th Ave S and S Cloverdale St in South Park. We’ll need to turn off the signal for a period of time on Saturday to complete this work. When the signal is turned off, we’ll have a uniformed police officer directing traffic. People driving can expect long delays.
Meantime, WSDOT’s “Revive I-5” southbound lane closures continue all weekend, starting at 7:30 tonight.
BUSES, WATER TAXI, FERRIES
Metro buses are on their regular weekday schedule aside from the Summer Fest reroutes; watch @kcmetroalerts for word of other reroutes/trip cancellations.
The West Seattle Water Taxi is back on its regular schedule.
Ferries: WSF continues on the two-boat schedule for Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth – and WSF says that probably won’t change before next spring. Check here for alerts/updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
845th 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 (one of four recently installed cameras):
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Are movable city bridges opening for vessels? Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed; 1st Ave. S. Bridge openings are 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? Please text or call us (when you can do so safely) – 206-293-6302.
That’s what it looked like from Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook, looking toward Lincoln Park, shortly after today’s low-low tide of -4.0 feet just before noon. Thanks to those who sent photos of what they saw – first, from Linda McKelvey, a crab and a star:
Michelle Green Arnson also photographed a star, plus a moon snail, and clam (she thought it might be a geoduck):
This one’s from Rosalie Miller:
Mark Dale photographed a Great Blue Heron with a great big snack (a skate, we think):
And while out at low tide, Michael Ostrogorsky photographed the schooner Bay Lady as it passed West Seattle:
Friday’s low tide won’t be out as far but still qualifies as low-low – -3.6 feet at 12:43 pm.
(WSB photos unless otherwise credited)
6:30 PM: If it’s on the Easy Street marquee, it’s happening – and the heart of The Junction is now indeed the hub of activity to get ready for West Seattle Summer Fest, first one since 2019. So people are here walking in the now-closed streets. There’s music too:
Naby Camera at KeyBank Plaza for The Art of Music pic.twitter.com/EHrOOBHFMv
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 15, 2022
Naby Camera is playing until 7:40 pm at KeyBank Plaza (California/Alaska, SW corner) as part of The Art of Music, complementing tonight’s West Seattle Art Walk. More on the art in a moment. First – look for orcas on the west side of California, midblock between Alaska and Edmunds:
That’s where you’ll find Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail tonight and all weekend – kids can get a scavenger-hunt card to follow The Whale Trail all around The Junction through the festival (explained here) in celebration of Springer’s rescue. (FRIDAY UPDATE: Come get maps at the Info Booth Fri-Sun.) Back to the Art Walk – one of the places you can visit in The Junction is Click! Design That Fits (4540 California SW; WSB sponsor), having a group show with store-alum artists tonight:
(Read about the Click! show here.) More from the Art Walk – venue list/previews here – and festival preps shortly.
Reminder, California SW is now closed between Genesee and Edmunds (with Oregon left open to through traffic) and SW Alaska is closed between 44th and 42nd for Summer Fest setup (here’s bus-reroute info) – here’s a live SDOT cam:
The festival starts at 1 pm Friday.
7:20 PM: At John L. Scott Real Estqte on the west side of California just north of Oregon, one amazing show decks the walls throughout the office:
Bob Willoughby photographed many Hollywood stars in the classic era’s heyday. See them tonight, with his son Christopher Willoughby and widow Dorothy there to answer questions, until about 9 pm.
ADDED 8:32 PM: More artists we stopped in to see – Sonya Rupnick at Fogue Gallery (4130 California SW; WSB sponsor):
Dan Rosen at Verity Credit Union (4505 California SW; WSB sponsor):
Many artists’ work is displayed at the businesses all month long, so if you didn’t get out tonight, check out the venues some other time. Meantime, we have one more Art of Music scene – harpist Alyvia Miller played at Welcome Road Winery in South Admiral (thanks to linda McKelvey for the photo):
During Summer Fest, main-stage music is scheduled 3 pm-10 pm Friday, noon-10 pm Saturday – and stage setup was the first thing to happen as street closures began this afternoon:
See the music schedule here. We’ll see you at Summer Fest – starting at 1 pm Friday!
This afternoon, the Sound Transit Board‘s System Expansion Committee gave its unanimous support to a recommendation for the light-rail “preferred alternative” from West Seattle to SODO. As for the rest of the West Seattle/Ballard stretch, various studies will push back that part of the Final Environmental Impact Statement, so West Seattle to SODO will basically have its own FEIS. The “preferred alternative” supported by the committee today includes the same options in the “example” shown to another board committee one week ago (WSB coverage here) – these two slides (here’s the full deck) tell the story:
Support for the DEL-6 option comes despite the Seattle City Council passing a resolution saying it can’t support any of the Delridge options, Meantime, the proposal (read it in full here) that received committee support today also keeps in play possible modifications including a Junction-station entrance at 42nd and removal of the Avalon station:
While removing the Avalon station could save $60 million, that savings is not needed for the West Seattle segment to remain “affordable,’ ST staff clarified at the request of West Seattle-residing board member Joe McDermott of the King County Council. McDermott also asked the board to reiterate that this decision still sends all the previously studied alternatives ahead in the Final EIS – the others just wouldn’t have the same level of engineering study as the “preferred alternative.” That was as he voiced concerns about the two organizations that say they and their clients would be displaced by the Andover station option, mental-health/supportive-housing provider Transitional Resources and child-care provider Alki Beach Academy. McDermott expressed hope that some sort of design modification might be possible to spare them.
WHAT’S NEXT: Today’s vote was a recommendation to the full board, which meets on July 28th. They will decide on the “preferred alternative” to send into final environmental studies, which would be followed by a decision next year on what to build. The West Seattle segment is projected for completion in 2032.
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