The primary election is getting closer, and your ballot will be mailed in two and a half weeks. In case you haven’t yet made up your mind in the top-of-the-ticket race, City Council District 1, we are presenting video interviews with each of the three candidates over the next three days. We start with incumbent Councilmember Lisa Herbold. The forums and Q&A’s we’ve covered so far have all focused on the same handful of issues, so we sought to hit some other topics:

If you can’t or don’t want to watch/listen, text toplines are below – but note that they do not represent a full transcript, nor are they direct quotes except where signified by quotation marks, just (in some cases very) brief summaries:

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

$7.3 million.

You could almost hear the proverbial jaws drop last night when SDOT announced that new estimated cost for a Highland Park Way/Holden roundabout. It’s more than triple the long-cited estimate.

SDOT’s James Le presented the update to the Highland Park Action Committee meeting. Past chair Michele Witzki, who has long worked on advocacy for the project, could barely contain her shock: “I am so frustrated right now. I am beyond frustrated. … It’s almost impossible to get money when you keep on moving the target. … You keep on putting more roadblocks in the way of making this happen.”

As the one-sheet distributed by Le (PDF here, embedded below) says, there’s an option – a $3 million signalization plan.

But that’s not funded either.

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(From WSB files, rough concept of proposed Highland Park roundabout)

2:34 PM: Though the city had hopes that the state would say “yes” to funding the Highland Park Way/Holden roundabout proposal, the answer’s in, and it’s “no.” After we got a tip from neighborhood advocate Michele Witzki, SDOT’s Jim Curtin confirmed the rejection:

We did not receive funding for the roundabout at Highland Park Way and SW Holden St. We’re reaching out to the granting agency to learn why our project was selected for funding. As we currently understand the situation, the project did not meet collision thresholds that the granting agency was looking for and our local matching funds were insufficient relative to the project cost.

We have briefed Councilmember Herbold’s office on the news and we intend to discuss our options for this project soon. In the meantime, SDOT continues to advance design with existing funds (we have $500K for planning and design) and will continue to pursue funding to enhance this intersection.

We have a message out to the councilmember asking for comment. The roundabout also had previously drawn support for Mayor Jenny Durkan, who said during her Highland Park visit in September that a “Plan B” would be found if the state said no. And the topic came up in our recent conversation with State Reps. Joe Fitzgibbon and Eileen Cody – published here last night – that they might be able to pursue a funding request via legislative action, if the grant application was denied (which now it has been). The city had previously committed some funding, including design dollars discussed a year and a half ago. And SDOT heard about traffic-safety concerns again at a Highland Park meeting just a month ago. The roundabout idea goes back at least six years.

ADDED 5:48 PM: Comment from Councilmember Herbold, in response to our inquiry: “It’s definitely disappointing news. We’ve been told that a combination of a larger local match and reducing the size of the project will make the project more competitive. We’ve got $500,000 of the City of Seattle’s match so far. I’ll be looking at ways to increase what I’ve already got earmarked in the City CIP. I understand that the community may be pursuing a Your Voice Your Choice proposal as well.”

(WSB file photo: Highland Park Way/Holden crash)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Would a “mini-roundabout” be a better way to improve the Highland Park Way/Holden intersection while funding for a full roundabout is awaited?

Or – maybe it would be better than the full roundabout.

That’s what SDOT reps heard when they came to Highland Park this week to listen to concerns about the interim plan for the intersection. But as of week’s end, two days post-meeting, SDOT was still planning to proceed with a modified version of its interim plan, spokesperson Adonis Ducksworth told WSB:

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(Early design for proposed Highland Park Way roundabout)

Just in from Highland Park Action Committee co-chair Michele Witzki – word from SDOT is that the hoped-for state grant to help pay for a roundabout at Highland Park Way and Holden did not come through. Witzki forwarded this response she received from SDOT’s Jim Curtin, after asking for an update on the grant status:

Somehow, we did not receive the grant for this project. We are extraordinarily disappointed and I know you are as well. I have raised this issue to leadership here at SDOT. We will be meeting soon to discuss our next steps. As you know, we have allocated more than $200k in local funds for design and survey/design will continue into 2018. I hope to have more information soon.

As reported here in September, there was big support for the $1 million-plus state Transportation Improvement Board grant that SDOT had sought to supplement $500,000 in money that it had allocated. Part of that had been announced by Councilmember Lisa Herbold during last May’s Find It, Fix It Walk in Highland Park – after Witzki recounted the long history of problems at the intersection and disappointment in trying to get it fixed:

The roundabout was first proposed by Highland Park community advocates almost five years ago, as a way to calm the dangerous and increasingly busy intersection at the top of the Highland Park Way hill.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

New hope that the Highland Park Way/Holden roundabout will get designed and built – that was the big news during last night’s Highland Park Find It, Fix It Walk, which brought Mayor Murray and an armada of city reps to the neighborhood. Most prominent among them, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who got to announce the roundabout breakthrough in her own neighborhood, when the 4th of 6 preplanned stops took walkers to the top of the HP Way hill: $200,000 to turn the “concept” you see above into a buildable design.

First, Highland Park Action Committee co-chair Michele Witzki recounted the long history of the intersection’s troubles:

There’s WSB coverage for all those incidents she mentioned – including the flipped-car-gas-leak incident in March 2016. We’ve also covered the years of HP trying to get the ~$2 million roundabout beyond “conceptual design” stage, efforts that left residents skeptical in advance of last night’s walk. Meantime, here’s Councilmember Herbold announcing the design funding, and SDOT’s Jim Curtin talking about a meeting with one group that could help the city get the money to build it:

Transportation was a big topic during the walk. A short distance west along busy SW Holden, site of preplanned stops #2 and #3, Alan Robertson had talked about the side-street speeding problem caused by people trying to dodge its backups:

SDOT says it’s working on more safety features – the 11th/Holden flashing-beacon crosswalk was just a start – including a raised crosswalk on Myrtle.

SDOT’s walk presence included a briefly fiery pothole-fixing demonstration:

Part of the purpose of the FIFI Walks is to tout the city’s app of the same name, which you can use to report problems including potholes (those can be reported via the city website, too). But the concerns and requests in Highland Park are much bigger, too – as are the aspirations and community-initiated work that’s already been going on for years. The first stop on the walk was Riverview Playfield, where Paul West talked about trail work and plans in the nearby West Duwamish Greenbelt as well as needs at the playfield itself.

You can find out more about the ongoing West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails work by going here. Also at Riverview, the city recapped the good news that we reported earlier this week – the arson-damaged restroom/storage building will be fixed and reopened this year – starting with roof work in July.

As with many of West Seattle’s hilly neighborhoods, Highland Park has stairways in need of TLC, and the one at 14th and Holden was stop #5. Then the group continued down Holden to the final stop, the former substation on the southwest corner of 16th and Holden. Its future remains in question – City Light intends to sell it; the community has asked that it be rezoned to allow commercial development, to enhance Highland Park’s business district – a nearby entrepreneur, Jenni Watkins of Dutchboy Coffee on the southeast corner, spoke briefly about the joys and challenges of running a small business:

Also at the final stop, Brennon Staley of the Office of Planning and Community Development, talking about the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) as well as site-specific information:

Mayor Murray picked up the growth/zoning topic:

He also closed out the walk there by declaring it to be the most positive one of the 23 that have happened so far (two others were in West Seattle – North Delridge in 2015, Westwood/Roxhill last year).

The event began with a mini-resource fair in the patio and parking-lot areas outside Highland Park Improvement Club, whose scrappy history was recounted by Julie Schickling:

The welcomes also included words of praise for Highland Park neighborhood advocates from Councilmember Herbold, who, as mentioned, is a neighbor:

The mayor gave opening remarks there too, explaining the purpose of the FIFI Walks, and introduced the highest-ranking city reps on hand, as well as giving shoutouts to the walk’s organizers:

Will there be a fourth Find It, Fix It Walk in West Seattle next year? Depends on which of the 21 mayoral candidates succeeds Murray, and whether they decide to continue the program. In the meantime, participants from this one have a group photo as a souvenir, taken near the site of the aforementioned roundabout announcement:

(We’ll substitute the official city photo if and when we get it. Seattle Channel was along for the walk, too, and we’ll be watching for their report.)

P.S. One more group view – we recorded this at the Riverview stop:

P.P.S. While at HPIC before the walk, we talked with some city reps about non-HP events/projects of interest – watch for those stories soon!

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The Highland Park Action Committee and guests listened on Wednesday night to three women with unique perspectives on how to help people experiencing homelessness: Two advocates who work with them, and one woman who lost her home when she lost her job.

Also discussed: The recent decision not to provide Neighborhood Street Fund money to the roundabout that is seen as a solution to the Highland Park Way/Holden traffic trouble.

First, the panel, which you also can watch/listen to via our unedited video above:

HPAC chair Gunner Scott moderated the discussion, saying he had experienced homelessness in his youth and is still somewhat shocked to realize he is now, in his 40s, a homeowner. He asked for understanding and civility.

The panelists: Read More

Published July 24, 2015 – video interview below

Lisa Herbold, 48, a Highland Park resident, is a longtime assistant to Councilmember Nick Licata, who is not running for another term. She told WSB it’s a “big transition” between being a support person and the candidate. She acknowledges that “public speaking has been a challenge as well … but I’m learning … I want to be a better version of me and am working on some of the skills that are dormant in me.”

FIRST WSB REPORT ON HER CANDIDACY: February 11th announcement

WHAT ARE PEOPLE ASKING/TELLING HER ABOUT WHILE DOORBELLING? She said that as of our interview, she’d done 110 hours, and “it’s the most pleasurable part of the campaign for me.” As for the issue, “Almost to a person, it’s about development. People understand growth is inevitable … but they feel the city hasn’t done a good job of managing that growth.”

“People are tired of the city coming to them with projects that are perceived as ‘done deals’ and asking for their comments after the facts,” instead of coming in with goals and asking for input on how to reach those goals. She cited the SW Admiral Way Safety Project as an example – she was at the first meeting about it – and was amazed that “the side of the road where (parking removal was proposed) was the side of the road where people park on so their car doesn’t get hit … perfect example of how, if the process was reversed, and the city went out and identified what the objective was, and engaged the community, you wouldn’t have signs all over town opposing the project.”

BUT SHE’S WORKED WITH THE CITY FOR 17 YEARS, SO WHAT WILL SHE DO DIFFERENTLY? “I don’t think most people could say I’m a status quo person … we’ve always been a strong voice to hold developers accountable, put out proposals that are bold and challenged the status quo.” She says she’s been described as “the outsider’s insider.”

WILL SHE VOTE FOR THE ‘MOVE SEATTLE’ LEVY? Yes. Although – “I was a strong proponent for diversifying the funding mechanisms,” which didn’t happen; “that said, I’m not going to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” She acknowledges that many people believe the reliance on property-tax levies is problematic. As for what’s in the levy, she thinks any neighborhood could say there’s not enough in it for them; she wishes it had more specifics about where new sidewalks will be built, for example, and stronger pedestrian-safety commitments. She thinks people might not understand that levies like this are “ongoing things,” funding what there’s no “sustainable source of revenue” for, so you don’t ever get to the point where “things are fixed.”

WHAT ABOUT SPECIFIC WAYS TO IMPROVE EGRESS/INGRESS FROM WEST SEATTLE? She mentions the possibility of a roundabout at Highland Park Way/Holden, near her house. Otherwise, the city should pull people together to talk about problems and solutions.

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY: Our interview was the day after the mayor’s plan and HALA recommendations came out. She said she was happy to see safety issues brought up in the plan, because community-service officers played into mediating landlord-tenant disputes, among other things. And she’s “very very pleased to see the affordability requirements attached to both the linkage-fee program and the mandatory inclusionary zoning both attached to 60 percent (of income)” as opposed to the 80 percent level in other programs such as the Multi-Family Tax Exemption. She would have liked to see more discussion of displacement impacts of redevelopment, the teardowns of “naturally affordable” older housing. Also: “Are these upzones making it more likely that we will meet these housing goals, or are they serving some other (objective)?” She mentions the “existing capacity for growth that we need – so why do we need these upzones?”

ANY ISSUE THAT’S NOT GETTING DISCUSSED ENOUGH? “I don’t feel we talk enough about the displacement impacts of our land-use policy” – 40,000 structures in Seattle are homes to rental households, single-family to 4-unit dwellings, and while “we have a race and social justice policy in everything we do, it doesn’t seem to extend much to land-use policy.”

WHAT ABOUT ENCAMPMENTS? “The time when Nickelsville was in Highland Park was a challenging time for everyone involved,” she said. (She had worked with the HP Action Committee on issues they had with the long-running unauthorized encampment; the first mention of her in WSB archives was in a report on an HPAC meeting in 2011.) But she thinks it’s OK that the same site is now on the list of potential future sites. She thinks the idea of identifying “new sites … is grounded in equity and fairness” though she also acknowledges encampments are not long-term solutions to the problem, just short-term solutions to immediate risks to life and safety.

HOW DID SHE WIND UP IN WEST SEATTLE? She previously lived on Beacon Hill in an “intentional community” and after two years, she said, while it was a “fun experiment,” she’d “had enough” and happened onto a Highland Park house that good friends were selling so they could move elsewhere – “just a matter of timing and opportunity” – and she is in the 700-square-foot house to this day.

WHY VOTE FOR HER? Her experience and focus, “really about trying to find ways to make government work better for our district … I want to use what I’ve learned to represent District 1 in a way that’s more responsive.”

SEE HER INTERVIEW WITH US: We first asked her the difference between campaigning and working with constituents on behalf of an elected official.

SEE HER ON THE SEATTLE CHANNEL VIDEO VOTERS’ GUIDE: Here

CONTRIBUTORS’ LIST: Here

SAMPLING OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES:
West Seattle Chamber of Commerce
Urban Forest and Green Space
King County Democrats
Feet First
Washington Housing Alliance

(2013 image via Seattle City Light)

More than a decade after the city started the process of selling off six former Seattle City Light substation sites in West Seattle, one of them is edging closer to a new use. City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s newest weekly newsletter previews committee consideration tomorrow for the 10,376-square-foot site on the southwest corner of 16th/Holden known as the former Dumar Substation:

(I)n my Public Safety and Human Service Committee we will be hearing legislation that:

-Approves transfer of the Dumar site from SCL to the Office of Housing (OH) in exchange for $424,000

-Authorizes OH to: Conduct a competitive process to solicit proposals for the development of resale restricted homeownership and negotiate property transfer to the selected developer

As Councilmember Herbold goes on to recap, the site is not considered suitable for rental housing, but instead was determined most likely to work for the type of “affordable homeownership” provided with units developed by organizations such as Homestead Community Land Trust or Habitat For Humanity. Here’s the summary from the slide deck that’s among the documents linked to the agenda for Tuesday’s committee meeting:

The inclusion of commercial space was the result of longtime community advocacy, as Highland Park is fairly short on supply of that, and the intersection includes businesses at two other corners (Fire Station 11 is on the third); the site was rezoned to Neighborhood Commercial in 2019 to ensure that. Tomorrow’s committee meeting, which includes an opportunity for public comment (either in person at City Hall or via phone, as explained on the agenda) starts at 9:30 am.

Eight years have passed since Seattle City Light declared its ex-substation at 16th/Holden to be surplus, along with several others in West Seattle, and proposed putting it up for sale. The site’s underlying zoning was for single-family housing, but community members counterproposed that commercial development might be better. It was rezoned for mixed use a few years later – as described during a Highland Park tour with then-Mayor Ed Murray in 2017 – but has continued to sit idle.

Now there are some possibilities in play, and HPAC heard about them at tonight’s meeting. City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who shepherded the rezoning years ago, first explained that City Light still owns the site and remains amenable to a no-cost transfer of the site to the city Office of Housing. So OH and Enterprise Community Partners have been evaluating the feasibility “to explore further what’s possible at the site.” She said they’re opening a dialogue to “get moving on a path forward.”

Enterprise Community Partners’ Jess Blanch explained her organization is national and works on affordable housing from policy to finance to development. “We cover it from end to end.” She directs the program Home and Hope – housing on publicly owned tax-exempt land, like this site. She says “a few issues are in play” – it’s zoned NC-40.”Given the site size [10,000 sf], it is really too small of a site for affordable rental housing, the way (that) is financed.” But affordable homeownership might be a possibility. It would have to be 100 percent “public benefit” for the land to be given for this purpose – that means low-income community members – making no more than 80 percent of the area mean income – would have to be served in its commercial space, such as a food bank or preschool. It could also be live-work space.

Erika Malone from the Office of Housing explained her department doesn’t develop, own, or manage projects so if the property is transferred to them, they would then put out a Request for Proposals. The site would have to be developed as “permanently affordable housing.”

Herbold said that “if there’s interest in a ground-level use that provides a public benefit, it makes it more possible to develop the property for affordable housing.” They wouldn’t be able to do a low- or no-cost transfer if it was going to be ground-floor retail and housing above it – they’d probably have to sell it to a for-profit developer.

HPAC co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick said having commercial space there would be a public benefit in its own way because Highland Park needs more walkable businesses; the guests said that wouldn’t meet the technical definition of public benefit. Kirkpatrick and attendees pointed out that an adjacent property is currently up for sale. But that site (about 5,000 sf) wouldn’t add enough land to make affordable rental housing “pencil out,” said Blanch.

Some brainstorming ensued; community ideas about ways to have a business that served low-income residents included a FareStart-type café, serving the public and training people emerging from homelessness.

So what’s the next step? Herbold said they want to know if HPAC would be OK with a potentially non-commercial ground-floor use. Then the Office of Housing would explore seeking a nonprofit homeownership organization – Community Land Trust, Habitat for Humanity, for example. “There are still a lot of iunknowns regarding what’s possible,” Malone said. Then discussions between oH and SCL would ensue; if they worked out how it could be transferred, Permanently affordable homeownership vs. development that would include bjusinesses – which would mean a for-profit developer.

Enterprise has worked up some concepts, Herbold said. Blanch said she didn’t want to share those publicly but said the site could hold 8 to 10 townhouses, for example. Since the site is adjacent to single-family homes, that puts “some constraints’ on the “developable envelope.” Or, “condo apartments” would be an option.

What kind of a timeline are they working on? Kirkpatrick asked. Enterprise has a contract with the city that’s being renewed at least through next year, Blanch said. So a decision on a direction can apparently wait until early next year (this was HPAC’s last scheduled meeting until January).

(We’ll report on the rest of tonight’s HPAC meeting – two discussions with SDOT – in a separate story Thursday.)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The ballots are arriving, so the voting is beginning. But 2 1/2 weeks of campaigning remain for Phil Tavel and Lisa Herbold in the City Council District 1 race – including debates. Next one is at 11 am Saturday – more on that after our report on the one the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce presented last night.

First, our video:

The debate was held at Westside School (WSB sponsor) in Arbor Heights, whose head of school Steve de Beer had words of welcome. The Chamber’s government-affairs committee chair Rik Keller moderated. The format was “Lincoln-Douglas-ish.” They began with opening statements; see the video for those. Our toplines below are summaries/paraphrases unless quotation marks are used.

Q: Regulation and compliance cost businesses more than taxes. How will you be a voice of moderation before more are enacted?

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This past week’s HPAC meeting – for the group that now includes South Delridge and Riverview as well as Highland Park but is keeping the acronym – was something of a small-group discussion, no guests, just updates, with transportation dominating the discussion:

HIGHLAND PARK WAY IMPROVEMENTS: Following up on the mayoral budget announcement earlier in the week, Michele Witzki – who has long worked on advocacy for Highland Park Way/Holden – provided some backstory. She and HPAC chair Gunner Scott had met with SDOT and mayoral reps.

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Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s proposed 2020 budget is out and we’re browsing it in search of West Seattle specifics. One of her office’s accompanying news releases singles one out: $3.5 million for long-in-search-of-funding Highland Park Way/Holden improvements. The money would come from the city’s “Mercer Megablock” sale proceeds, according to page 5 of the SDOT budget doc (PDF):

City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s office points out that this provides a “clear funding source” for funding she wrote into a supplemental budget amendment in August (specifics here).

The big question is – what will this money buy? The mayoral news release says the work will “includ(e) intersection modifications at Highland Park Way and SW Holden Street with traffic calming, new sidewalks and curb ramps, and new transit stops.” As we reported in May, the estimate for the long-proposed roundabout jumped to more than $7 million, with signalizing the intersection estimated at $3 million. We’ll be following up on that, and other budget details of West Seattle interest.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Crime concerns sparked a bigger turnout than usual at this month’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting, including some who identified themselves in around-the-room intros as first-time attendees, some from South Delridge and White Center, as well as HP residents.

Q&A WITH POLICE: Southwest Precinct operations commander Lt. Steve Strand briefed the group. Since the year’s start, HP is down double digits in many categories, but property crimes – primarily thefts and burglaries – are up. He said recent arrests included burglary suspects who might be linked to multiple crimes, including a carjacking at the 35th/Barton 7-11. He reminded attendees that SPD can’t see walled social media (but can see WSB) so please don’t just report crimes/suspicions on social media – call it in! Westwood Village will be one of this summer’s big emphasis points, “mostly due to the property crimes they have” especially shoplifting. They also, as weather warms, plan emphasis patrols in places where people gather, from Alki to Highland Park.

HPAC chair Gunner Scott asked about police staffing for the precinct. “Down a handful,” replied Lt. Strand.

What kind of cooperation between city and county law enforcement? Depends on the incident, he said – for example, both were involved after the shooting on 16th SW on Monday. Detectives on both sides of the line will often share information in case they’re both working similar cases, he added. Another attendee asked about South Delridge shooting cases, including that Monday incident.

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Meeting facilitator Eric Iwamoto (Westwood, Roxhill, Arbor Heights) engages in group discussion along with Tamsen Spengler (MOCA and SWDC), Cindi Barker (WS Emergency Communication Hubs), Mat McBride (North Delridge), and Marianne McCord (South Delridge).

Photo and story by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Neighborhood leaders gathered Thursday night at the West Seattle Senior Center/Sisson Building for the second official meeting of the District 1 Community Network (WSB coverage of the group’s first meeting, in January, is here).

The D1 Community Network (D1CN) is a new coalition of representatives from organizations and community groups throughout West Seattle and South Park (which together comprise what the city now calls District 1), working with a common goal of sharing information and ideas and “doing better things for the peninsula.” The group is planning to have meetings every month or so, with a “rotating facilitator” model that has a different member running each meeting.

For this month, the facilitator was Eric Iwamoto who represents the Westwood, Roxhill, and Arbor Heights areas, and the agenda included discussions about a community survey, securing grant funding for improvement projects, regional transit and housing, neighborhood events, emergency preparedness and overall prioritization of the organization’s goals.

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Next week, as many West Seattleites grapple with downtown-bound Viadoom, at least three will be heading the other way:

The state Legislature convenes on Monday, so your 34th District state legislators (all of whom live in West Seattle) will be going south, to Olympia.

Before then – State Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon and Sen.-elect Joe Nguyen are offering you a briefing and Q&A this Saturday morning (10 am January 12th, Delridge Community Center, 4501 Delridge Way SW).

We checked in with Sen.-elect Nguyen for this December story – and then sat down to talk with Reps. Cody and Fitzgibbon recently to get their take on what’ll be big this year.

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The City Council passed next year’s budget today, finalizing its changes to the plan Mayor Jenny Durkan proposed in September, and including some changes championed by West Seattle/South Park (District 1) Councilmember Lisa Herbold. We’ve reported on most of them previously in the process. They include, as listed in her budget-wrapup announcement:

DISTRICT 1 CAPITAL PROJECTS:

*Adding the Highland Park Way SW/SW Holden Street Roundabout project to the SDOT Capital Improvement Program

*Adding 35th Avenue SW road paving to the SDOT Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

*Seattle Parks Department planning to enhance Trail Access on SW Brandon Street

*Adding the South Park Playfield to the CIP, noting $1.8 million in funding

The roundabout and 35th SW items don’t guarantee funding for those projects, but they’re a key step toward moving them toward the SDOT front burner. Meantime, Herbold also notes in her announcement:

… “funding to maintain a public safety coordinator for South Park, funding for RV Remediation, and enhancing and adding three inspectors to the Vacant Building Monitoring Program, so more vacant properties are monitored and don’t become public safety nuisances for the neighborhood. … $60,000 in funding for Concord Elementary’s Community Learning Center, Citizenship Program funding for Neighborhood House at High Point, funding to allow Colman Pool stay open for an additional 4 weekends a year.”

Herbold’s announcement also mentions nine other “citywide wins” among her proposals that made it into the final budget.

As noted here Monday, today at 9:30 am, the City Council meets for the next step in getting to a budget for next year: Budget chair Councilmember Sally Bagshaw presents the “balancing package” of changes that are now formally proposed to the mayor’s proposal. The specifics have just been made public, with less than an hour to go until the meeting; you can see them here in the meeting agenda (each item in it is linked to a specific document). We note that some of Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s previously noted proposals such as a 35th SW repaving project, the Highland Park roundabout, and more days for Colman Pool. You can see today’s meeting live via Seattle Channel.

While the City Council has been reviewing, and proposing changes to, the mayor’s budget plan, we’ve noted some West Seattle possibilities. Wednesday, we’ll know which if any of them made it into the council’s “balancing package” to be presented by Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, who’s leading the budget process this year. West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold provided progress reports in her newest weekly update.

(Colman Pool, photographed last year by Long Bach Nguyen)

Among them are 10 she labels as District 1 priorities that were introduced last week, including a few we’ve mentioned here – such as 35th SW paving, the Highland Park Way/Holden roundabout, and extra operating days for Colman Pool (now proposed as 4 extra weekends). If you feel strongly about any of these proposals – or anything else that’s under consideration in the budget (or that you feel should be) – now’s a good time to send feedback via council@seattle.gov. The budget changes in the next week-plus will be fast and furious, with a final vote the Monday before Thanksgiving.

In two sessions today, scheduled to start at 9:30 am and 2 pm, the City Council continues the “issue identification” phase of reviewing and potentially changing the mayor’s proposed budget. Today’s reviews include the SDOT and Parks budgets, as well as a discussion of issues that “cross-cut” across multiple departments. Reading the documents, we found some excerpts of interest for potential changes, mostly to be brought up by West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold, though the first one is from north end Councilmember Rob Johnson. First ones are from the agenda documents for Parks, up first at 9:30 am.:

Funding for Daily Operation of Wading Pools (Councilmember Johnson) – This proposal would add $490,000 in ongoing funding to support the daily operation of 22 wading pools in the City. The Proposed 2019 and 2020 Budget includes funding for 15 pools to operate late June to early September, with four open daily (Green Lake, Lincoln, Van Asselt, and Volunteer Park) and 11 open between two and four days a week, for a total of 597 days of scheduled operation. Funding is not included in the Mayor’s Proposed 2019 and 2020 Budget to continue operation of seven wading pools funded by the Council in the 2018 budget. This proposal would restore funding to open the seven wading pools and provide funds for all 22 wading pools to open on a daily basis.

(WSB file photo)
This next proposed change to Parks’ budget is a followup to something we reported on recently:

Open Colman Pool for One Additional Month in Summertime (Councilmember Herbold) – This proposal would add $60,000 in ongoing funding to support opening Colman Pool for one more month in the summer. Currently the pool is budgeted to operate for approximately 14 weeks (between late May and early September).

The District 1 councilmember has two other proposed Parks changes involving West Seattle facilities:

Winterize Cabins at Camp Long (Councilmember Herbold) – This proposal would add one-time funding to winterize the cabins at Camp Long to facilitate year-round use. Central Staff will continue to work with CM Herbold to determine the level of resources required to implement this proposal.

Enhance Trail Access Points on SW Brandon Street (Councilmember Herbold) – This proposal would add $50,000 in one-time funding for a community planning process examining enhancements to trail access points along South West Brandon Street in West Seattle, as recommended in the North Delridge Action Plan. Central Staff will continue to work with CM Herbold to determine the level of resources required to implement this proposal.

After the Parks discussion, the council moves on to SDOT before the 9:30 am-starting session ends. Three pitches that Herbold will make:

Add the Highland Park Roundabout as a separate project in the 2019-2024 CIP (Councilmember Herbold) – This project was identified through the Neighborhood Street Fund process to enhance safety, improve traffic flow, and reduce cut through traffic. SDOT has allocated $200,000 for design of this project and is seeking a WSDOT’s City Safety Program grant to fully fund the project. SDOT’s financial plan reserves an additional $300,000 as a local match for the grant. This action would create a specific CIP project for this work.

Proviso the Arterial Asphalt and Concrete Program Phase II Project related to 35th Ave. SW (Councilmember Herbold) – As part of the Move Seattle reset, SDOT is proposing additions and deferrals of paving projects from the previous 2015 Arterial Asphalt & Concrete Paving Plan. Councilmember Herbold is considering a spending proviso on this program, or other budget actions related to this program, pending further review of SDOT’s paving plan proposal.

Add funding for Landslide Mitigation (Councilmember Herbold) – This action would add $1 million in 2019 and $1 million in 2020 to address high priority potential landslide locations identified in SDOT’s 2000 Landslide Risk Assessment Report. The 2018 Adopted Budget included $1 million of one-time funding for this work, above the baseline $400,000 for landslide response and remediation. This action = would restore funding for this program to 2018 levels.

And in the “cross-cutting” discussion, scheduled for today’s 2 pm session:

District 1 Community Planning (Councilmember Herbold) – This proposal would confirm that there is capacity within OPCD to begin planning with West Seattle communities in 2019. In July, OPCD published “Community Planning Practice + Prioritization,” its response to Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI) 135-1-A-1, which asked for a report on priorities for community planning. In that report, OPCD identified three areas where planning is starting in 2018: (1) Crown Hill in District 6; (2) the NE 130th/145th light rail station area in District 5; and (3) Imagine Downtown – a long-range urban design plan for the Center City. The next three community planning priorities are: (1) Westwood/Highland Park in District 1; (2) Aurora/Licton Springs in District 5; and (3) Columbia City, Hillman City and the future Graham Street light rail station area in District 2. According to the SLI response, future light rail station areas along the West Seattle to Ballard alignment are also intended to be an area of focus of community planning beginning in 2019. This action would ensure that there are resources to begin work with communities in Westwood/Highland Park and the Delridge and Avalon/West Seattle Junction station areas in the 2019-20 biennium through reporting requirements, a budget proviso, or additional staffing.

Increase Pet License Fees to Support an Animal Control Officer (Councilmember Herbold)—This budget action would amend budget legislation to raise the price of pet license fees to the level that would support the costs on an additional animal control officer. FAS is still determining the necessary increase in pet license fees to achieve this goal. Current pet license fees range from $20 to $200, and $120,000 was provided for a similar position in the 2017 Adopted Budget.

The full review documents are linked to the agenda for today’s sessions.

P.S. Just getting pitched in these sessions is no guarantee that these changes will be made – councilmembers have to get support from others on the council, and money has to be moved from somewhere else in the budget. If you support or oppose any of these – or anything else in the budget – you can e-mail council@seattle.gov with feedback.

(WSB photos and video by Patrick Sand)

Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s visit to the Highland Park Action Committee finally happened last night – 7 months after she accepted the invitation extended by HPAC’s Gunner Scott during her February “town hall” at the Senior Center of West Seattle. We got it all on video – first, the mayor:

And in our second clip, the department heads who accompanied her, mostly to address homelessness-related issues such as the Myers Way east-side cleanup – interim Human Services Director Jason Johnson (a West Seattle resident), HSD’s Navigation Team manager Fred Podesta, as well as Seattle Parks and Recreation leadership, introduced by HPAC chair Charlie Omana:

Other top city staffers were there too, including new Department of Neighborhoods director Andrés Mantilla – a Highland Park resident – Seattle Public Utilities‘ Mami Hara, Parks interim superintendent Christopher Williams, and deputy SDOT director Elliott Helmbrecht.

If you don’t have time to watch the video and weren’t among the ~50 people at the Highland Park Improvement Club for last night’s event, here are the toplines:

She opened by talking about the budget proposal she unveiled on Monday (here’s our coverage, from attending a media briefing at the mayor’s office) and pitching for the Families/Education/Preschool/Promise Levy that’ll go to city voters in November.

Regarding homelessness, she touted her plan for hundreds of additional shelter beds and the need to close “gaps” in regional behavioral-care services. She said the city-sanctioned Camp Second Chance in southeast West Seattle “is being managed well.” And she said the Myers Way east-side cleanup had finished ahead of schedule.

Regarding police and crimefighting, she promised that she and SPD Chief Carmen Best would figure out how to “do better.”

In Q&A with the mayor, local community advocate Pete Spalding opened by mentioning how former Mayor Murray had cut ties with community groups such as neighborhood-district councils and asked Durkan about renewing a commitment to working with community groups. She declared that her presence last night was a “signal to you” that she has made that commitment, and she added that she believes in “community-based government,” that solutions come from communities. “You’ll see me back here,” she promised.

Another neighborhood advocate, Kay Kirkpatrick, brought up the Highland Park Way/Holden roundabout that neighbors have long been seeking. Is it in the city budget? Can money from other on-hold projects (such as Fauntleroy Boulevard) be diverted to it? The mayor’s answer (about 19 minutes into the video) was that “it’s clear that a roundabout is the best result” for the intersection, and that the city is planning in expectation that it’ll get a state grant to fund it – but if not, the city will find a “Plan B.” In the meantime, the mayor said they’re looking at “other ways to slow traffic down” there.

Another transportation issue brought up: Bus service to Highland Park, particularly Route 131. (While buses are managed by King County, the city has had an increasing role as it’s “bought” additional service hours on some routes, and more of that is proposed in Durkan’s new budget.)

In crime and safety, a neighbor from the 13th SW area shaken by home-invasion burglaries earlier this year said they still feel the response might have been better in a more-affluent area. “We want to feel safe in the area … and more has to be done for people to feel more trust in the Police Department.” The mayor acknowledged that she was aware of the community’s concerns and said she hopes that they are doing better now. “We know we can do better in parts of the city.” She again mentioned that her budget calls for more officers – 10 more citywide next year, 30 more the year after that, above attrition (though where they’ll be assigned isn’t clear, and the budget shows the Southwest Precinct overall staffing level not changing). Assistant Chief Adrian Diaz also addressed the concerns and mentioned safety/self-defense training to “empower” community members.

And one more question before the mayor left was from a South Delridge resident who spoke of the dozens of derelict/abandoned properties in the area, wondering why it takes so long to get them addressed. The mayor mentioned a South Park property that had been handled but invited the resident to get her more specifics so they could “work on (it).” (A p.s. on that, Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s been working on the issue and is scheduled to talk about it at next week’s Southwest District Council meeting, 6:30 pm October 3rd at the Senior Center of West Seattle.)

We will add notes later this afternoon from the conversation with Human Services Department leaders that followed the mayor’s departure; you can watch the 30-minute video above in the meantime.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Plenty of questions for City Councilmembers Lisa Herbold and Teresa Mosqueda at this month’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting.

In introductory remarks at Thursday night’s meeting, both described themselves as Metro bus riders at least part of the time; Mosqueda said she also rides a bicycle sometimes. “I show up at work after I get off my bike with a smile on my face,” she said.

First question for the two: What’s the biggest issue that they see affecting West Seattle commuters?

Herbold: “The upcoming ‘period of maximum constraint’ (downtown projects converging) … there’s a lot we have to do to get the buses ready for that … in that vein, the council passed out of Transportation Committee last week a Downtown Bus Network plan.” She said she plans to be sure that key steps are put into place to help with the “maximum constraint” time. She added that her “vision for SDOT funding” is that District 1 funding will flow here in a way that recognizes the “special position” West Seattle has regarding getting to and from the peninsula. Herbold also mentioned the quest for a roundabout in Highland Park and that gateway to West Seattle’s increasing use and importance. She said there’s high hope the state will grant money to the project on the next try.

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Two guests from SDOT headlined the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s monthly meeting last night, and the first provided a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at the department’sis in transition mode,

The meeting was led by WSTC board member Deb Barker, in the absence of chair Michael Taylor-Judd and vice chair Marty Westerman.

SDOT LEADERSHIP: Genesee Adkins, chief of staff for acting SDOT director Goran Sparrman, spoke in his place – he had to be at the concurrent meeting of the Levy to Move Seattle Oversight Committee, given the recent disclosures about that levy going somewhat off the rails. She first reminded everyone that the mayor is looking for public input in the search for a permanent director (as noted here, including a survey you’re invited to answer). She said Sparrman had come out of retirement to help out with SDOT’s transition before and now after ex-director Scott Kubly and has been tasked with taking a hard look.”We want to be headed in an altered direction and have some good momentum when the new director comes.” Finding “someone to run a 1,000-person agency” is a big task, Adkins noted. She said that the agency is still getting to know Mayor Jenny Durkan, her style, her priorities, where she wants to push the envelope.

Right now, the department is taking an “internal view” and “can speak freely” about things that have not gone well, for an assessment that Adkins says should be done within a few weeks.

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