West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
On Tuesday (July 2), city councilmembers are expected to vote on one last round of potential changes to the transportation levy intended to go to voters in November. The council committee reviewing and refining the levy is chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka, who announced his latest proposed revisions today. Checking the detailed documents for West Seattle specifics, 
you’ll see one addition: A tribute to Steve Hulsman, the 66-year-old West Seattle man killed in a collision with a driver on Marine View Drive last December. Mr. Hulsman’s brother-in-law John Good had been talking to the city about ceremonially renaming the section of street where he died; instead, he told us this morning, Councilmember Saka decided to propose, as spelled out in the amendment document, a “Protected Bike Lane project in West Seattle to be named in honor of Steve Hulsman.” The document does not specify a location; the only potential PBL project for West Seattle named in the levy is Highland Park Way SW, but the levy calls for many other to-be-identified-later safety projects around the city. Good showed us email from Councilmember Saka offering also to sponsor a proposal for a “secondary street naming” in memory of Mr. Hulsman, while saying that would take more time.
As for the rest of Saka’s latest levy revision, it still contains the West Seattle specifics we’ve previously mentioned – projects for 35th SW between Alaska and Morgan, Fauntleroy Way between 35th and Alaska, Olson/1st/2nd, plus sidewalks for SW Brandon between 26th SW and 30th SW, and transit-corridor work for sections of SW Oregon and SW Alaska in The Junction. Saka says his final proposal would result in a $1.55 billion levy, same as his previous proposal. Here are the categories into which that would break out:
i. $160.5 million for Vision Zero, School and Neighborhood Safety;
ii. $423 million for Street Maintenance and Modernization, including no less than $350 million for Arterial Roadway Maintenance;
iii. $221 million for Bridges and Structures;
iv. $151 million for Transit Corridors and Connections;
v. $193 million for Pedestrian Safety, including no less than $111 million for New Sidewalks and Sidewalk Alternatives and no less than $34 million for Sidewalk Safety Repair;
vi. $100 million for Signals and Operations;
vii. $113.5 million for Bicycle Safety;
viii. $66.5 million for People Streets and Public Spaces;
ix. $69 million for Climate and Resiliency, including no less than $32 million for
electric vehicle charging infrastructure;
x. $45 million for Freight and Goods Movement; and
xi. $7.5 million for Good Governance & Equitable Implementation Initiative
In the first year, council documents say, Saka’s version would cost the owner of a “median assessed value” home $499, compared to $467 for the mayor’s original $1.45 billion version. Other councilmembers’ amendments include a counterproposal from Councilmember Tammy Morales, totaling $1.7 billion, which would equal $546 in the first year for that “median value” homeowner. (The city says that’s an $804,000 assessed value, and that the expiring levy is costing a median-value homeowner $288 this year.) The meeting at which the final amendments will be discussed, and votes taken, is Tuesday at 9:30 am, and includes a public-comment period, as noted on the agenda (where all the proposed amendments are linked, too). Other ways to get comments to the council are listed here.
Thanks to Margaret for the tip and photo! That taped-off area in the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Arboretum will be the site of a new garden. It had held a rock fountain that long had stopped functioning; it was demolished this month to make way for a sensory garden. SSC spokesperson Ty Swenson told WSB that students in SSC’s Landscape Horticulture program (the same program that runs the Garden Center nearby) “did several designs for the sensory garden that are posted in the kiosks in the front of the arboretum. One will be chosen and students will bring that vision to reality.” The Arboretum is in the northwest corner of the campus, west of the Seattle Chinese Garden and the aforementioned Garden Center.
Though the newly named West Seattle Art Tour is more than two months away, two deadlines for being part of it are coming up fast! If you’d like to host artists as a tour site, you have a little over a week to apply; if you’d like to participate as an artist, you have two weeks. Here’s the announcement:
Save The Date for Art on September 21st! The West Seattle Art Tour (originally West Seattle Art Hop & Shop) returns on September 21, 2024 (10 a, – 5 pm) for its third year. This free, self-guided tour features a full spectrum of art, a chance to meet and talk with artists, and the opportunity to purchase exceptional works of art, all while exploring West Seattle’s beautiful neighborhoods.
Along with a new name, the Tour has a new look thanks to West Seattle artist Karen Johnson, who has designed a new poster, logo, and other marketing materials for the event. Tour co-chair Kassie Hennessey says, “The bold design Karen has put together reflects the West Seattle Art Tour’s commitment to producing an event that puts West Seattle’s artist community on the map!” Additional changes this year include a focus on sites where artists live, work, teach or create community and an application process for host sites and artists.
Artist and host sites are invited to learn more about this year’s criteria on the Tour website (https://wsartwalk.org/west-seattle-art-tour/) and encouraged to apply ASAP! This year’s event has a short application window, with site applications closing July 7th and artist applications due by July 15th.
The West Seattle Art Tour is organized by an all-volunteer committee of more than 20 artists and art lovers with support from West Seattle Art Walk. Individuals interested in supporting the West Seattle Art Tour can reach out to WSArtHop@gmail.com.
(Rendering of new Alki Elementary entrance on north side of school)
Monday (July 1) is the day that Deputy Hearing Examiner Susan Drummond is expected to issue her ruling in the second appeal of a proposed zoning exception for the new Alki Elementary School. Thursday was the deadline she gave to the three parties in the case – the nearby residents who filed the appeal, Seattle Public Schools, and the city Department of Construction and Inspections – to file their closing statements, and all three did. You might recall that the only issue is whether SPS will be allowed to build the expanded new school with less parking than city zoning rules require. The rules require 48 spaces; the district originally sought to rebuild with no offstreet parking; a separate group of area residents appealed that and other zoning exceptions the city granted. Last August, Drummond ruled in their favor regarding the parking issue, ordering the district and city to go back to the drawing board on that. (Other exception appeals were either dismissed or settled.) The district subsequently revised the design to create 15 spaces on the southwest side of the campus; the city said OK, and then this appeal was filed.
The case was argued in a three-day hearing we covered in late May and early June (here’s our report on Day 1, our report on Day 2, and our report on Day 3), and now the ruling is awaited. The closing arguments are all in the case file – you can download and read the appellants’ argument here, the district’s argument here, and the city’s brief argument here.
Depending on what Drummond rules, a subsequent court challenge is possible; that was the first action the district took after the previous ruling, but a judge threw it out because it wasn’t a land-use decision, it was just an admonition to revisit the issue. Meantime, Alki Elementary spent the just-concluded school year in temporary quarters at the former Schmitz Park Elementary and will be there at least two more years. The school’s enrollment last year was ~271 (100 under the old Alki’s capacity), and the new school is planned for up to double that, counting two preschool classes expected also to be housed on the campus.
The West Seattle Little League 12s All-Stars are headed for state competition after winning the district championship. Thanks to Jackie Borg for sending the report and photos:
The WSLL All-Star baseball 12s achieved a thrilling victory Thursday night, securing the District 7 Championship!
With incredible determination and skill, the 12s had to rally to beat South Highline National twice to clinch the title. Now, the team is headed to the state tournament to represent District 7! The 12s state tournament run begins July 13 in Aberdeen.
Manager: Nick Datz
Coaches: Sean McKinney & Stu Widman
Players: Timothy Kime, Elijah Fraser, Gavin Ross, Patrick Bowen, Ben Datz, Cameron Widman, Nathan Shafi, Mason Pfeifle, Henry Corr, Milo Reese, Keanu Ignacio, George Faull, Duncan McKinneyFor the All-Stars Tournament schedule, visit the WSLL website:
westseattlelittleleague.com
Among the upcoming games, the 11s All-Stars play tonight at 6 at Bar-S (64th/Admiral).
12:10 PM: While awaiting the next major step toward Sound Transit‘s West Seattle light-rail extension, the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement – due sometime this summer – businesses in the project’s path continue their awareness/support campaign. We just got this announcement this morning:
Rally For Relocation
Rally in Support of West Seattle Businesses Facing Relocation
July 11th | 4 pm-7 pm
At Ounces Taproom & Beer Garden and Skylark CaféJoin us for a rally in support of Ounces, Skylark, Mode, Alki Beach Academy, West Seattle Health Club & 60+ local businesses facing relocation as a result of light rail to our community. This rally is NOT about light rail, but instead about supporting those local businesses that face relocation as a result –– to ensure that they get the funding and assistance needed to successfully reopen their businesses in a new location should light rail be approved in the near future. Bring your family, friends & neighbors to stand with these businesses! Together, let’s walk Skylark to Delridge Deli Mart (and back) – all in support of local business! Then stick around for food, beer & community at Ounces & Skylark!
Skylark and Ounces are both on the west side of the 3800 block of Delridge Way SW. Meantime, we’re checking back with Sound Transit to see if there’s any new information on the FEIS timetable; after it’s released, the next step would be for the ST Board to take a final vote on routing and station locations. Construction is currently projected to start in 2027, with the line opening toward the end of 2032.
1:23 PM: ST’s Rachelle Cunningham replied to our inquiries, saying the FEIS release is “getting close, but there isn’t a publication date yet.” Also – a separate community group had said that ST Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine was championing their request for a community forum for West Seattle; Cunningham says about that, “The team is working on scheduling some upcoming engagement, but there aren’t any specifics to share yet.”
Orcas were in view off West Seattle earlier this morning, and while we missed the chance to mention them earlier, we just got word from Kersti Muul that they’re now “northbound after milling,” on the west side of the channel (so binoculars definitely needed), off Lincoln Park.
(WSB photo, Mount Rainier and the bridge seen from T-5 earlier this week)
Highlights for today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
SSC GARDEN CENTER: South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus, until 3 pm.
HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK: Open 11 am-8 pm. Free! (1100 SW Cloverdale)
WADING POOLS: Open today since warmer weather is expected – Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), noon-7 pm; Delridge (4501 Delridge Way SW) and Hiawatha (2700 California SW), noon-5:30 pm.
COLMAN POOL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC: Swim-meet closure again today.
VISCON CELLARS: The tasting room/wine bar is open tonight for wine by the glass or bottle – 5-9 pm – at Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor).
HAND-BUILD CLAY ANIMALS! At The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), 6:30-9 pm – registration information is in our calendar listing.
STEEL GUITAR AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: Fraser Havens performs at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm, all ages, no cover.
SOUND BATH: 7 pm at Solstice Park (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW), uphill – details in our calendar listing.
EMERALD CITY KINGS BALL PRIDE: Drag at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW), doors at 7 pm, show at 8 pm, $20 advance tickets or $25 at the door.
AT THE SPOT: Fridays are Live Artist Showcase nights at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), 7-10 pm.
SEE ‘CLYDE’S’ AT ARTSWEST: Third-to-last chance! 7:30 pm performance at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) – “In this 2022 Tony Award®-Nominated Best Play, creating the perfect sandwich is the shared quest of the formerly incarcerated kitchen staff of Clyde’s, a truck-stop cafe.” Find the ticket link and more info in our calendar listing.
REVELRY ROOM DJ: Tonight it’s DJ Supreme La Rock, 9 pm-1 am! (4547 California SW)
YOU SKATE, THEY PLAY: “Make It Loud!” returns at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW), roller skating to live bands, featuring Leeni, Darksparkler, Miloisntreal. $18 cover, $5 skate.
YOU’RE THE STAR: 10 pm karaoke at Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW).
Something to add to our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Warm weather and a summer holiday are on the way. David Hutchinson from Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network offers this reminder:
Harbor seal “pupping season” in our part of Puget Sound runs from June – September. After the pups are born, they spend only 4-6 weeks with their mothers before heading out on their own. Over the next months, beach walkers in West Seattle will very likely come across these vulnerable young seal pups on both our public and private beaches. These marine mammals are protected by federal law. If you come across a seal pup (or any marine mammal) using the beach, please keep back, keep people and pets away, and call the Seal Sitters’ Hotline at 206-905-7325.
The telephoto image in the poster is of “Loki,” a harbor seal pup that was rescued from Constellation Park by Seal Sitters and successfully rehabbed by our partner SR3 at their facility in Des Moines. Loki was eventually released back into Puget Sound.
Seal Sitters is part of NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network. We are authorized to respond to all marine mammals, alive or dead, that end up on West Seattle Beaches. The official NOAA stranding map, which shows the coverage areas and the contact information for the various groups, is viewable at this link – then look under “Network Maps”).
6:00 AM: Good morning! It’s Friday, June 28.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Partly sunny, high in the low 70s. Today’s sunrise was at 5:14 am, while sunset will again be at 9:11 pm one last time.
ROAD WORK
*The Admiral Way Bridge seismic project – including a months-long closure of Fairmount Avenue beneath the bridge – could start as soon as Monday.
*SDOT’s Delridge pedestrian-bridge earthquake-safety project continues, with narrowing at Delridge/Oregon.
*Beach Drive: Gas-pipeline work continues at spots along the southern stretch.
STADIUM ZONE
Mariners start a new homestand, 6:40 pm vs. Minnesota.
TRANSIT NOTES
Metro today – Regular schedule; check for advisories here.
Water Taxi today – Regular schedule. Check the real-time map if you need to see where the boat is. P.S. Extra daily weekday midday Vashon Water Taxi runs to downtown start Monday.
Washington State Ferries today – The usual 2 boats on the Triangle Route, but now with the unscheduled “bonus boat” on weekdays when available; check WSF alerts for last-minute changes and use the real-time map to see where your ferry is.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS (most bridge cameras we usually spotlight were still down as of early this morning)
1st Ave. S. Bridge (a state camera:
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
BRIDGE INFO: The @SDOTBridges feed on X (ex-Twitter) shows whether the city’s movable bridges are open for vessel traffic.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
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