By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Guests for two of the topics on the Fauntleroy Community Association agenda last night were no-shows, so the meeting centered on the YMCA and the future ferry-dock replacement. One of the other two topics – pickleball in Lincoln Park – surfaced at meeting’s end anyway. But first:
FAUNTLEROY YMCA’S FUTURE: This was the first formal FCA discussion of the issue, which had just surfaced a few days before last month’s meeting. Representatives of the Y and Fauntleroy Church, with which it’s co-housed, were in attendance last night. Rev.Leah Atkinson Bilinski reminded everyone that her church has hosted the Y for a century. But the pandemic’s after-effects linger – 
and Y execs initiated a discussion with the church about their organization’s challenges. Cleveland King, West Seattle/Fauntleroy Y branch executive, acknowledged that before the community outcry, they had expected to be closing Fauntleroy – and because of that, he said, the Y’s 2024 budget had no line item for operating that location. It’s the only site in the Greater Seattle Y system that the Y doesn’t own, he explained, and they had already closed some other rented spaces to save money. But he said he agree with the emergent sentiment that “it would be a shame to lose this relationship”- it’s more than another gym space. The question then became, “Are we actually using the space for the best use of the community?” At the recent town hall (WSB coverage here), he said, though some attendees wanted answers on the spot, he wanted to listen.
The resulting community survey – still open – has yielded “a lot of different opinions” on how to use the space. “Yes, we are committed to making this thing work,” he said, noting the lease expires in 2026 and they’re working on an agreement. He said that the West Seattle Y revenue has basically been carrying the Fauntleroy Y for many years, and they’re “still struggling” to get to necessary membership levels. Regardless of what kind of concessions the church makes lease-wise, he said, “if we don’t have money coming in, we can’t pay that.” The 2024 budget was created not only with no line for Fauntleroy, but also with no fundraising plan for Fauntleroy, because they expected to close it. He said that they planned to send out a promised email today with “high-level” budgetary information that had been requested at the town hall – the cost of operations, etc. (We didn’t receive it, so we’ll be following up with the Y tomorrow.)
Meantime, fundraising is back in the picture – (corrected) February 29th, 6:30-8 pm, is when they’ll have the traditional annual fundraiser for the West Seattle/Fauntleroy Y, at Fauntleroy Church’s Fellowship Hall. (The RSVP link is in our calendar listing.) FCA board members asked how else they can help with the situation. Support, said King -“you wouldn’t believe how many hate emails I got.” But he also acknowledged that they’re mending a community relationship with some degree of “lost trust.” In the big picture Rev. Atkinson Bilinski observed, the 100-year church/Y partnership – with that exact anniversary coming up – is worth celebrating, too.
One attendee said that the obvious first reaction to the possibility of the Fauntleroy Y closing was denial and shock. But, he asked, why did the Y only reopen Fauntleroy for 9 hours a week post-pandemic? “We were trying to give something,” replied King. “I asked the same questions – who picked these hours?” He acknowledged the current hours are not ideal for many.
Will those hours expand? Too soon to say, said King. The survey will be open another month and then they’ll start figuring out what’s next.
WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES: Guests were Hadley Rodero and Charlie Torres from WSF and consultant Mark Bandy. Their presentation about the Fauntleroy dock (terminal) replacement covered the same updates as last week’s Community Advisory Group meeting (see the video here, and our coverage here), after a quick recap of why the replacement is needed. The current dock holds 80 cars, while the class of ferry that serves the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth holds 124 vehicles. The dock also needs to be strengthened for earthquake resistance and raised to handle sea-level rise.
As with the CAG meeting, the presentation included not only the newest renderings showing what the seven current alternatives for dock replacement would look like from several perspectives, but also information on the proposal to signalize Fauntleroy Way’s intersection with the dock entrance/exit, possibly before the dock construction gets started. (See all the renderings in the CAG slide deck.) Bandy explained that they’re working with a traffic model showing how long it’ll take to process cars under various scenarios. He stressed that the signalized intersection hasn’t undergone design yet, so it’s too soon to be able to answer specific operational questions. He said they’re aware there is much to decide, such as how to prioritize getting transit through the intersection when some of the pedestrians for whom a bus might have to stop are trying to cross the street to catch a bus.
Bandy did say the dock will include vehicle-detection technology, as will Fauntleroy Way, so the signal won’t turn green for the dock lanes when there’s no ferry. Questions included educating drivers about the prohibition of left turns from Fauntleroy onto the dock. Signage, said Bandy. How would bicycles and pedestrians get across and/or onto Fauntleroy? Simultaneously but separately, he said. Bikes and peds would cross at same time but separated. Will pedestrians have to push buttons to get the signal to change for them? That’s also part of future design decisions, said Bandy.
A general project question was asked: Will the rebuild be happen in stages? Charlie said they hope to keep some limited service to/from Vashon during the work – maybe via a temporary slip. “We know we need to maintain the connection” – for reasons including life safety, student commuting, public safety, health services, etc. Maintaining some service, rather than just taking Fauntleroy entirely out of commission will mean more cost and more time, though.
Toward the end of the discussion, FCA president Mike Dey said adamantly that the community won’t stand for anything but a new dock with a footprint no bigger than the current one – though that is not an option among the seven under-consideration-so-far alternatives, which all would increase the footprint in various ways. “You have to go back to the drawing board,” he insisted. Rodero said they’re aware Fauntleroy residents are passionate about that, while Vashon residents are just as passionate about ensuring the new dock has adequate capacity. “But they don’t have to live with (the dock) – we do,” said Dey.
An attendee wondered why fares couldn’t be paid via someone walking along the line of waiting cars as happens at many drive-through businesses. Rodero said Fauntleroy is the only dock where the state highway – the system that the ferries are part of – begins at the tollbooth, so workers would be walking on city streets if they did that.
One update of note since last week’s CAG meeting – the date is set for the next one: March 20.
PICKLEBALL IN LINCOLN PARK? After hearing from opponents of the plan two meetings ago, and talking with a Seattle Parks manager last meeting, the FCA board had a plan supporter on the agenda for last night – but they canceled. The board still hadn’t taken a position on the project. The meeting was close to its scheduled end time and Dey suggested board members could discuss “offline” whether it was time to do that. But they decided to go ahead and take a vote, and unanimously agree to oppose building pickleball courts in Lincoln Park. (No update so far on the possible alternative Parks surfaced at last month’s FCA meeting, regarding using part of the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot instead. We’ll check on its status.)
WHAT’S NEXT: The board usually meets second Tuesdays, now at 6 pm, in the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse conference room (with a remote-attendance option). Next month, there’s also the annual membership meeting and Food Fest at 6:30 pm March 19 in The Hall at Fauntleroy. And FCA presents its annual community Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 23, 1-4 pm on the schoolhouse playground.
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