Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Neighbors gathered at the Delridge Library on Wednesday night for the May meeting of HPAC, the community coalition that includes Highland Park, South Delridge, and Riverview.

The meeting was facilitated by HPAC co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick, and featured discussion about crime statistics and prevention, an update on the Holden Natural Drainage System (NDS) project, and a presentation on RV waste outreach efforts. Meeting notes are below:

POLICE UPDATE: First on the agenda was an update from SPD’s Jennifer Satterwhite regarding crime stats in the area.

• Trends for the whole Southwest Precinct, year-to-date compared with the same time period last year, show that overall crime is down 15% (approximately 300 fewer incidents), including both property and person crimes. Burglaries are down 39% (135 fewer incidents), shots fired down 15% precinct (38 incidents vs. 45), and person crime down 9% (about 15 fewer incidents). Assault and robbery remain low. Motor vehicle theft is down 40%, and Satterwhite attributed this reduction to arrests of prolific offenders, targeted enforcement, and security improvements,
• Crime trends specific to Highland Park, for 2025-to-date compared to last year: Overall crime down 5% (14 fewer incidents). Robbery up by 2 incidents (possibly related to convenience stores), auto theft down 32% (17 fewer incidents), shots fired down (7 incidents in 2025 vs. 11 in 2024).

Although the numbers look good, Satterwhite said the summer months typically bring increases in criminal activity, so continued vigilance by the public is advised. She mentioned the increased summer emphasis on Alki and other hotspots, with overtime patrols and public education on burglary prevention. Regarding illegal vending on Alki: There is only one permitted vendor there; most are unpermitted, raising health and safety concerns as well as pushback from local restaurants. Enforcement is complex due to overlapping agency jurisdictions, and fines are often ineffective as vendors just pay the fine and quickly return.

Regarding the recent uptick in car crashes possibly linked to a social media challenge, Satterwhite said she’s been engaged with the community and SPD is investigating and facilitating prevention meetings. There were 4 crashes on the SW Alaska hill west of the Junction, and another in Sunrise Heights, just in the past couple of weeks.

DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER: Next up was a Seattle Public Utilities presentation from the team behind the Holden Natural Drainage System (NDS) Project, which is described on their website as follows:

More than 12 million pounds of pollution are carried into our water bodies through stormwater runoff each year. Stormwater that falls on the roofs, streets, and parking lots in your neighborhood can pick up harmful pollutants before entering Longfellow Creek, which flows into Puget Sound. The pollutants can harm fish, wildlife, and our ecosystems. The Holden Natural Drainage Systems (NDS) Project plans to build natural drainage systems, also known as roadside rain gardens or bioretention, on SW Holden St between 16th Ave SW and 17th Ave SW. The NDS will capture and treat stormwater runoff before it reaches Longfellow Creek and Puget Sound.

The NDS will be built in the space between the existing sidewalks and the edge of the road. The project will include roadway and pedestrian safety improvements such as curb bulbs and ADA ramps, in addition to new landscape plantings.

Project manager Wan-Yee Kuo led the presentation of the latest project plans and designs. Here is a PDF of the slides, provided by team member Val Bak, and you can also visit the “Project Documents” section of the project website which contains the “Final Design Concept” visuals as well as a narrated version of the presentation (“Final Design Narrated Presentation.”)

The NDS will be on the south side of Holden, using the parking lane for plantings. Some driveway and sidewalk reconstruction will be required. Underground water quality infrastructure (“tree cells”) will be installed on the north side to address flooding (which has been an issue in the area), using special filtering soil and structural elements.

Two small crabapple trees will be removed, and one new tree (hornbeam) will be planted. SPU will pay SDOT to plant five additional trees nearby. The NDS will be maintained by SPU, and the trees maintained by SDOT with annual inspections. Contractors will be responsible for plant establishment in the first year, which prompted some questions from meeting attendees about concerns with tree maintenance (or a lack thereof) on for past projects in the area — Kuo said that the contractors for this project will be carefully vetted.

Construction timeline: The final design is complete, advertising will begin in July, and construction is expected to start winter 2025 and last about a year. Planting will occur in appropriate seasonal windows. Construction will involve noise, dust, parking restrictions, and temporary bus stop relocation; clear communication and on-site engineer presence will be part of the project, according to the team.

Want to learn more? SPU will be hosting a project design drop-in Q&A session at BedHead Coffee at 1513 SW Holden St. (SE corner of SW Holden/ 16th Ave SW) tomorrow – Saturday, May 31st – between 11 AM and 1 PM (WSB event listing here). Free drip coffee for attendees! The team will also be providing the public with ongoing updates via flyers, mailers, and their website.

Sweeney said that the vehicle outreach program, powered by SVdP volunteers (which she affectionately refers to as “Vincentians”), provides direct outreach to RV residents, addressing public health and sanitation by coordinating with SPU to pump out wastewater and offer basic supplies to those in need. She said she has 20 volunteers, and sends out 2-3 people every day.

Sweeney said that many RV residents are local workers displaced by the housing crisis and pandemic. Most RVs are old and nonfunctional, leading to illegal dumping of waste. Residents of the RVs tend to face hostility, frequent displacement, and lack of safe parking options. St. Vincent de Paul initiated the program after discovering the extent of waste dumping in some areas of Seattle. Years of advocacy led to a pilot with SPU, which was later expanded due to demonstrated cost savings and a significant reduction in sewage spills, which in turn saves the city on costly hazmat cleanups and improves public health.

Volunteers accompany SPU staff and provide food (often provided by local churches and schools such as Holy Rosary with their Lunches of Love program) and connect residents to services, with an emphasis on treating residents with dignity and compassion. Sweeney said the program is unique in the U.S., and (as far as she knows) no other utility offers similar services. She said volunteers are always needed, and the program aspires to be a temporary solution until broader systemic changes occur.

OTHER NOTES: After the meeting adjourned, Satterwhite noted that registration for Seattle Night Out opens this week (Tuesday August 5th). Register your block, and hang out with your neighbors! Also, HPAC leaders said that public feedback is still welcome regarding the city’s Sidewalk Development Program, which was a driving force behind last week’s neighborhood walking tour (WSB coverage here).

NEXT MEETING: HPAC meets on the fourth Wednesdays of most months. Be sure to check the group’s website, hpaction.org, for updates and meeting confirmation.