THURSDAY: Tour West Seattle light-rail station sites with Design Commission

As Mayor Bruce Harrell said in his budget speech, the city intends to be closely involved in planning for the West Seattle/Ballard Extensions of Sound Transit light rail – and one of the city entities keeping an eye on the project will be touring part of the planned route tomorrow (Thursday, October 6). Thanks to West Seattle community advocate Deb Barker for the tip on the Seattle Design Commission‘s plan to spend its regular meeting on this tour. The SDC is an advisory group and its meetings are open to the public. From the agenda:

SDC WSBLE Tour of Delridge, Avalon, and Alaska Junction Light Rail Station locations

1:00 pm
Alaska Junction Station Location
Location: SE corner of SW Alaska St and 42nd Ave SW

2:00 pm
Avalon Station
Location: 35th Ave SW and SW Dakota St (one block north of station location)

3:00 pm
Yancy Guideway
Location: Corner of SW Yancy, SW Andover, and 32nd Ave SW

3:30 pm
Delridge Station
Location: NW corner of Delridge Way SW and SW Andover St

You can catch up with them at one or more of the stops.

Mr J October 5, 2022 (8:30 pm)

I don’t get 42nd. That area is already built up. Why not just do 41st/40th and bulldoze that giant BOA.

BJG October 6, 2022 (7:51 am)

I just went back to the pink preferred route map in this updated light rail info. The pink dot certainly looks like it overlays the 41st corner not the 42nd.
East Coast Cynic October 6, 2022 (8:44 am)

There was a recommendation that the 42nd site would be tunneled, so the disruptions won’t be as great if the site is tunneled. Plus you want stations in the foot traffic nerve centers
- Wsresident October 7, 2022 (7:37 am)
  
  The tunnel option is more disruptive because they would have to take out more of the residences one block up for train parking.

Honey October 5, 2022 (9:44 pm)

“The SDC is an advisory group and its meetings are open to the public” – except the “public” wasn’t directly informed, were we?

WSB October 5, 2022 (10:23 pm)

Like most government or government-convened bodies, they post their agendas online so technically it was “out there.” However, even for those of us who make a living hunting/gathering info, it’s hard to keep track of it all. I even get the Design Commission agendas by email and usually read them – we’ve covered many West Seattle projects’ reviews over the years – and yet somehow I missed this one until Deb flagged us to it this afternoon – TR
Eldorado October 7, 2022 (8:23 am)

I believe as citizens it’s our responsibility to be active and be aware… and also participate.

Jeff October 6, 2022 (9:03 am)

I hope we get to EXPEDITE Light Rail in West Seattle! I am so tired of riding the bus to work and this would streamline access to the city. I ride a bike and do not drive and many of my hundreds of neighbors in the Junction are the same way! We need this! I hope we can vote on getting this done in five years instead of ten. I will be attending this meeting. I am very excited about it. I think the light rail station should go where Les Schwab is. That makes the most sense.

Jeff October 6, 2022 (10:44 am)

I am curious about the 35/Dakota section. There are houses there. Long time houses and part of a neighborhood…not an apartment zone or easy to rip up for lightrail… One is a friend of mine’s house, are they in the path? Why is this intersection presented? Does this mean Taco Time will be no more? I am confused on this location. And do we need this station?

WestSeattleBadTakes October 6, 2022 (1:33 pm)

Ah yes, it’s totally okay to knock down apartments but not the single family houses. Disgusting worldview.
Joe Z October 6, 2022 (3:52 pm)

The station will be on the south side of Fauntleroy underneath 35th Ave SW. Yes, somewhere around 20-30 single family homes will be bulldozed, mostly along 32nd Ave SW/SW Andover St/SW Genesee St. The neighborhood is aware of this and was opposed to the alignment, but was unsuccessful in lobbying for changes. The specific alignment in this stretch has not been finalized since they are considering adjustments to avoid bulldozing the Transitional Resources main building on Avalon Way. Yes, the business casualties include Pecos Pit, Taco Time, Starbucks, West Seattle Brewery, and Jones BBQ. This has all already been (essentially) decided unless there is an 11th hour change in the final EIS.
- Wsresident October 7, 2022 (7:45 am)
  
  Buddha Ruksa, Metropolis, the boxing gym, Viva Arts will all be gone as well. Plus the car repair (think it’s Firestone) and that dry cleaner- that’s the direct path of the train.
  - Joe Z October 7, 2022 (11:27 am)
    
    @WSRESIDENTThat is incorrect. See Appendix J of the DEIS, page 87. Buddha Ruska’s parcel is not needed. I did forget to list the 7-11, however.
K October 6, 2022 (6:05 pm)

People who live in apartments are just as important as people who live in houses, and a part of our neighborhood.
WS resident October 7, 2022 (7:43 am)

I spoke to one of the developers on the project, the medium tunnel will also cut up to Genesee and 37th so most of the houses and apartments from Genesee toward Fauntleroy on 37th and 38th will be acquired. The boring machine will come right up Genesee and pose a great inconvenience for this neighborhood, there will be displacement at times for utilities work throughout the building process which sound transit reimburses for. Historically the property values in transit centers have gone way up, so the inconvenience should make it worthwhile to stay put if we can.
- Joe Z October 7, 2022 (11:37 am)
  
  We (the Avalon Neighborhood) did everything we could to advocate for moving the tunnel portal farther downhill to reduce displacements. Sound Transit engineers said it was a reasonable request, but the idea was dismissed outright by the elected board. Claudia Balducci was downright hostile toward studying the changes and showed a lack of understanding of ST’s past successes using tunnel boring machines. She compared our request to the Bellevue tunnel, which was not constructed using a TBM. Joe McDermott refused to add the request to the amendment — as our local representative he is most directly responsible for condemning dozens of our homes and businesses to the bulldozer.

Sorry, comment time is over.