West Seattle, Washington
26 Friday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Admiral Church‘s agreement to turn over its half-acre property to Homestead Community Land Trust is just the first step in what’s expected to be at least a four-year journey to transformation of the site into new homes and a new home for the church.
The projected timeline is part of what was revealed at an open-house-style gathering in the church sanctuary this past Sunday afternoon, four weeks after the church and Homestead CLT announced the plan. As we’ve been reporting, the church had been on a years-long quest to secure a sustainable future – the costs of maintaining an aging building could not be borne without some sort of change. The plan will enable “affordable” homes, offered for sale, to be built on the site along with a new “flexible” space for the church and its ministries/tenants, which currently include a preschool as well as various community groups.
The architects working on the project, Third Place Design Co-operative, were in attendance, with renderings showing possibilities for how the church site’s future housing could look and feel. They told us the predominant housing type they’re considering for this site is “three-story townhouses.” The easels offered people at the gathering a chance to place dot stickers on images they liked, from architecture to amenities such as greenspaces between the buildings, porches, small fenced yards. Some of the featured images, they told us, were from a project under way now in Tukwila.
That’s an 18-home development on land previously owned by Riverton Park United Methodist Church, according to Homestead CLT’s executive director Kathleen Hosfeld, who was also at the Admiral gathering, standing by an easel explaining the “Net Zero” building philosophy for which they aim – energy-efficient, which in turn means lower utility bills.
Another Homestead rep staffed a general Q&A table, including how their model works (here’s how). 60-65 percent average mean income (AMI) is their sweet spot for potential buyers; 80 percent AMI is the ceiling to qualify. They are able to offer lower prices to qualified buyers because of subsidies from public (like the Seattle Housing Levy, which is on the current ballot) and private funding, These have to be the buyers’ only homes, and they can’t be rented out – the owner has to live there. If they want to sell their home, they can find a qualified buyer on their own, but most work with Homestead, which has a long waiting list. They even have a tiebreaker system if needed.
The open house ended with a moment of recognition for City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who helped connect Homestead CLT with Admiral Church years ago. Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom offered a few words of appreciation, telling the backstory of the church’s journey to this point (including this meeting we covered four years ago), and the councilmember briefly spoke:
We asked Hosfeld where the project goes from here: “What happens next is we start the design process. We need to engage the civil engineer, geotech and other advisers to study the site, and model out what we can build. That’s probably a 4-6 month process. Once we have some concepts to share, we’ll reach back out to the neighborhood for some input again. In the meantime, we’ll meet with the immediate neighbors across the street and make sure we set up a good communication system with them.” If all goes well, construction of the as-yet-undetermined number of homes could start in fall of 2025 and last about a year and a half. If you have questions for Homestead, you can email westseattle@homesteadclt.org.
SIDE NOTE: We noticed on the Homestead website that the first of its now-245 homes in trust was referred to as the “Delridge House.” Indeed, Hosfeld told us, it all began with a little house that was moved off the site of the Delridge Library to a site elsewhere in Delridge. The nonprofit made this video a few years back telling the story:
Hosfeld says the original owner of the “Delridge House” has since sold it – but as with the other homes they’ve acquired or built, it will forever remain in trust.
Two stolen-car reports, both Hyundais:
STOLEN FROM AVALON GARAGE: Christina sent the report and video clips:
I would like to report that my car was stolen at 1:24 am today in the locked garage of my apartment building at 3015 SW Avalon Way. The attached footage shows two men who seem to be working together to steal my car.
I would appreciate if you could post about this and have people on the lookout for a black Hyundai Tucson with tinted black windows and a California license plate (#7ZEB142).
STOLEN FROM 35TH SW: Sid sent this Monday:
Unfortunately, my house guests had their car stolen right in front of our place at some point yesterday, probably (Sunday) night. It was parked right in front of the bus stop at the intersection of 35th Avenue and Cambridge. It was on 35th, on the west side of the street, if anyone has a ring doorbell with view of that spot.
Silver Hyundai Elantra 2018
Plate 8NPK018
Two more reader-contributed display spotlights tonight, with one week to go until Halloween:
Lorabeth sent that photo – no location – and commented, “Love the imagination that resulted in this!” Below, Jaime and Jill sent a pic of their home on Delridge near Trenton:
Thanks again to everyone who has sent pics and tips this season! All the displays we’ve shown can be seen if you scroll through our Halloween archive; we’re also linking them on our West Seattle Halloween Guide page, where you’ll find dozens of events happening in the next Hallo-week!
Both of West Seattle’s major transportation projects have their first community meetings in months – and both are happening tomorrow night. Earlier today, we published a reminder of the Sound Transit light-rail meeting; we’ve since been reminded (thank you!) that the Community Advisory Group for Washington State Ferries‘ Fauntleroy dock-replacement project meets Wednesday night too, This meeting is online, 6-8 pm. We first mentioned this meeting two months ago; it’s the first time WSF has convened this group since September of last year. Since then, as we also reported in August, WSF has pushed the construction timeline back two years, to 2027-2029. There’s no agenda posted yet for tomorrow’s meeting, but advance materials sent to group members indicate they’ll get a briefing on possible alternatives for how the dock could be rebuilt at its current location. You can go here to register for the meeting link.
The pop-up-shop space on the ground floor of the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon) is hosting an outpost of Pegasus Book Exchange this week. Emma Epps of Pegasus explains why: “This week we are celebrating Pegasus’s 40ish Anniversary! ’40ish’ because the store was actually founded in 1977, but it’s now been in my family for 40 years.” So for special events and extra selling space, they’ve added the pop-up through Sunday (October 29th). Here’s the schedule Emma sent:
The location of all these events is 4500 California Ave SW (the Senior Center Annex at the corner of California & Oregon), NOT the main store.
10/25, 10/26, 10/27, 10/28 – 11 am Kids’ Storytime (special guest on Saturday)
10/25, 10/26, 10/27, 10/28, 10/29 – 11 am-6 pm Pegasus Book Exchange Pop-Up Shop with shirts, stickers, totes, 40% used kids’ books, and free tote bags!
10/28 Open House with Fred Epps, owner of Pegasus Book Exchange
The main shop is open too, but the pop-up is where you’ll find all of the above. And remember that Sunday is Halloween in The Junction (along with the regular West Seattle Farmers’ Market), so you can stop by the Pegasus bonus space while visiting for one or both of those!
ORIGINAL TUESDAY REPORT: We’ve received several reports in recent days of a dead sea lion – some have mistaken it for a whale calf, but it’s not – seen on the shore at Seacrest and Don Armeni. The most recent photos show it’s marked with bright-green paint, which means it’s already been officially noted. We asked Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network‘s David Hutchinson about it – he sent this reply with a photo of one of the signs SSMMSN has posted:
Seal Sitters has been monitoring the location of this California Sea Lion carcass since Friday (10/20) when it washed up by the north end of Don Armeni. Since then, it has floated to Cove #3 by Marination.
Signs have been posted and Seal Sitters has contacted Seattle Parks about removal and disposal. The carcass has been marked with green spray paint – this is done for ID purposes in case it floats to a different location.
If you see any type of marine mammal, dead or alive, on a West Seattle beach – or one that appears to be in distress r deceased offshore – call Seal Sitters MMSN’s hotline at 206-905-SEAL.
ADDED WEDNESDAY NIGHT: An update from David Hutchinson:
Seattle Parks removed the California Sea Lion carcass today. During the night it had floated up from Cove 3 to the Don Armeni boat ramp. This made it accessible to their equipment – this was a large animal, approximately 8 -9 feet in length. No necropsy was done due to advanced decomposition. I was contacted last evening by a reporting party who sent photos from 10/7 showing it floating in Elliott Bay on that date. Thanks to those who called the Seal Sitters’ Hotline, and helped us keep track of its location.
Seal Sitters is responsible for responding to reports of any dead marine mammal on West Seattle beaches. For cases like this, where the carcass has to be left on the beach, our responders often mark it with bright spray paint. Many people who resight and report the carcass to our hotline (206-905-7325), are then able to identify it as the same animal rather than reporting it as a different case each time it’s resighted. If the carcass is in good enough condition, a necropsy is usually performed to try to determine cause of death. All cases are documented and entered into the NOAA National Marine Mammal Stranding Database.
Checking the police-call list, we noted a robbery response around 3:45 am. The police-radio archive didn’t yield much information so we asked SPD’s media office what they had. Their summary: Three people walked into the store; two “pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the clerk.” They then “stole cash and merchandise” before leaving in a vehicle believed to be a “4-door, newer-model, red sedan.” The only additional information we got from dispatch broadcasts is partial descriptions of the robbers: 1 white, 2 Black, all three male, wearing black jackets. Police asked dispatch if the Guardian One helicopter was available to help search; it was not. The last armed robbery we reported at this store was a month ago. If you have any information, today’s police incident # is 23-307945.
Reminder if you’re interested in Sound Transit‘s West Seattle light-rail plan, tomorrow night (Wednesday, October 25th), ST is hosting a “station planning forum.” It’s scheduled for 5:30-7:30 pm – with a “short presentation at 6 pm” – at Alki Masonic Center (40th/Edmunds) and will cover the stations in West Seattle and SODO. Recently, ST officially separated planning for the West Seattle and Ballard extensions, since the latter has fallen further behind and needs a new draft Environmental Impact Statement. Next key date in the West Seattle plan is the release of the final Environmental Impact Statement, which ST now says is due out in “mid-2024.” That would be followed by a final board vote on routing (“alignment”) for the extension. At the Wednesday meeting, ST says it will show “updated designs” for the stations – West Seattle has three proposed, Delridge, Avalon, and The Junction, though the possibility of dropping the Avalon station has not yet been formally ruled out. Current estimated date for West Seattle light rail to start service is late 2032.
(Seen at Alki Beach. Photo by Theodore Furr)
Here’s what’s happening for the rest of today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
POSTCARDS TO VOTERS: 10:30 am at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), meet up for long-distance political networking.
SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE CONTINUES: Noon to 8, Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) is open, and you’re invited to come see the work displayed by community members in its annual Southwest Artist Showcase.
CHESS CLUB: Tuesdays 1:30-3 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon): “Are you looking for a new activity to keep your brain sharp and clear? The Senior Center Chess Club welcomes both novice and experienced players. Join us at 1:30 p.m. for lessons, short tutorials, and chess for all levels of expertise.” (Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.)
DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t have your own.
LEARN ASL: Free class, 6 pm at West Seattle Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (4001 44th SW) – info’s in our calendar listing.
SCRABBLE NIGHT: 6-10 pm, you can play Scrabble at The Missing Piece (9456 35th SW).
FREE TRACK RUN: Meet at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for this free weekly run at 6:15 pm.
THE CLAY CAULDRON: 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), sign up in advance or drop in to work on your project(s).
SELF-DEFENSE CLASS: 7 pm at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW) – details in our calendar listing, including how to check if there’s still room to sign up.
SING! Singers have an open invitation to join the Seattle Metropolitan Singers – “all treble voices welcome” – just show up for one of their rehearsals, Tuesdays 7-9 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).
OPEN MIC: 7 pm at Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way).
TRIVIA X 4: Four places to play Tuesday nights – 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink; 7 pm at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW); also, 7:30 and 8:30 pm Sporcle Pub Quiz at The Lodge (4209 SW Alaska).
BELLE OF THE BALLS BINGO: Play bingo with Cookie Couture at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), 8 pm. Free, all ages!
You can look ahead any time via our event calendar – if you have something to add to it, please email the info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Family and friends will gather Sunday to remember Jennifer Lantz. Here’s the remembrance they are sharing:
On August 21, Jennifer Jane Lantz passed away from natural causes at her home in north Seattle. She was 71 years old.
Jennifer was born to Ruth and Ware Lantz in West Seattle and had all the privileges that went with being the youngest of five children. She earned the nickname “Winky” as a funny toddler, and kept it through high school (Sealth ’69). Her playground was the Fauntleroy beach and Lincoln Park, and local adventures included riding bikes to Alki and the Alaska Junction, and time on the water at the family summer lake place and in family boats on Puget Sound. She grew up through the Fauntleroy YMCA, participating in “gym and club,” tumbling classes, Junior Leaders, ski lessons, Camp Colman summer camp for 10 years. After high school she spent time living in Mexico, and later volunteered with an international organization to inventory indigenous weaving styles in remote Guatemalan villages. That ignited her love of travel and indigenous arts.
She married Bill Osteen in 1993 and they traveled to cities and backcountry in Bali, Central America, Turkey, and Romania, among others. Highlights always included the local markets, eating local food, and absorbing local traditions. In 1998 they traveled to China to adopt their daughter Jane Ming, a most cherished event in their lives. In later years, Jennifer raised Jane as a single parent and saw her through to her bachelor degree in math at Western Washington University.
Jennifer’s calling was horticulture, in which she earned a degree. She gained experience at several large-scale nurseries in the Portland area, and discovered that it was not a field that paid well. She subsequently trained in computer programming, and when she moved back to Seattle, she worked at PEMCO Financial Services, writing program for banks to borrow funds overnight.
After starting her family, she turned to more flexible work (and her love) in landscape design and gardening, and developed a devoted following. She was indeed a gardener extraordinaire. The garden was where she felt at peace and spent much, time, rain or shine. She also loved classical music and was a voracious reader, both of which sustained her as she became less able to garden.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ware and Ruth Lantz and her sister Christine Lantz. She is survived by her daughter Jane Ming Lantz Osteen, and her 3 siblings: Paul (Kathy) Lantz, Judy Leary, and Susan Lantz-Dey (Mike Dey).
A memorial service will be held October 29 at 1:30 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Amnesty International amnesty.org, Northwest Harvest northwestharvest.org, or charity providing housing, clothing, food for underserved people.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)
6:03 AM: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, October 24th.
WEATHER AND SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Rainy, high in the low 50s. Sunrise today is at 7:41 am; sunset, 6:05 pm.
ROAD-WORK ALERT
SDOT says the work on Delridge Way north of SW Genesee will continue a few more days, possibly into Thursday.
TRANSIT TODAY
Water Taxi – Regular schedule today – now on fall/winter schedule, still 7 days a week, but no late-night service Fridays/Saturdays.
Metro – Regular schedule today; check advisories here.
Washington State Ferries – 2-boat service on the Triangle Route. Check alerts for changes, and use Vessel Watch to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Henderson), cameras are also at Delridge/Genesee, Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Orchard, and Delridge/Oregon.
High Bridge – the main camera:
High Bridge – the view from its southwest end (when SDOT points the 35th/Avalon/Fauntleroy camera that way):
Low Bridge:
1st Ave. S. Bridge – southeastern route across the river:
Highway 99: – northbound side at Lander:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: See all working traffic cams citywide here, most with video options; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on Twitter/X shows whether the city’s movable bridges are opening for vessel traffic.
If you see trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/bay, please text or call us (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if applicable). Thank you!
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