West Seattle, Washington
07 Friday
4:45 AM: Police are reported to be investigating gunfire in North Delridge. We heard from one person who heard something that sounded like shots around quarter till 4, and now a second person who says police found shell casings near Cottage Place and SW Edmunds [map]. No reports of injuries. We’re checking and will add anything more we find out.
5:22 AM: Police were gone by the time we arrived; we stopped by the precinct and confirmed that the original dispatch did come in with word of damage to vehicles in that area, as our second tipster mentioned, but we’ll have to get the official report later for further details.
12:47 PM: Just obtained the report from SPD. It says damage was done to three “party buses” (photo below) and a window at their owners’ residence, and “several” shell casings were found.
The owners told police they didn’t know of anyone who would target them but they did hear two males arguing out back before it happened. A nearby resident had told dispatchers of hearing three shots and seeing a red Cadillac SUV leaving the area. Police obtained surveillance video that might have recorded it.
MIDNIGHT: Via scanner: Police are checking out multiple reports of possible gunshots heard in North Delridge. They haven’t found any evidence of gunfire yet (shell casings or property damage). If you heard them but hadn’t called 911, please do, because that helps them zero in on what might have happened and where.
12:41 AM: Still no indication any evidence was found. If you spot anything in the morning, call it in.
TRENDS: Last week’s SPD SeaStat citywide briefing slide deck included a map of where gunfire was confirmed in the previous four weeks. It shows five incidents in the SW Precinct – including South Park – between January 19th and February 15th. (That cutoff date was just before last week’s two incidents in Highland Park, outside the 7-11 on February 16th and outside a house in the 7900 block of 16th SW on February 18th.)
(Rendering by architecture firm Ryan Rhodes Designs)
When we mentioned earlier this month that the “streamlined design review” comment period had opened for four 2-townhouse buidings at 9043 18th SW [map], there was one glitch – the design packet hadn’t been posted online, so anyone interested in commenting couldn’t see it for themselves. We contacted the project’s assigned city planner, Magda Hogness, to ask if that would be fixed; she replied to say it’s there now, and because of the delay, the comment period has been extended a week (that would make the deadline March 3rd). You can see the packet on the city website by going here. “Streamlined” means no public meeting, so this is your one chance to have a say. The project has eight parking spaces along an alley behind the buildings instead of built into the three-story townhouses themselves. It’s going onto a site comprised of two lots, one vacant, one with an old house set for demolition (if it hasn’t been torn down already). To comment, e-mail magda.hogness@seattle.gov and include the city’s project number in the subject line – #3020870.
Thanks to everyone who called/texted (206-293-6302 any time) about the big police response outside the burned-out auto shop on the northeast corner of Delridge/Henderson. We just came back from going over to find out what was happening. According to officers at the scene, they were called because of a loud argument/fight between two men, which apparently started up the street and drew attention as the altercation moved toward the arterial. As they arrived, they determined the two knew each other, and that neither was seriously hurt so police were focused mostly on trying to break it up. Some of the SPD cars, and SFD Engine 11, were already leaving as we pulled up.
(1st & last photos, by WSB: This one’s from SW Yancy; look closely and you’ll see ‘Bethlehem,’ the plant’s 1930-1985 owner)
Thanks for the texted tip! Another change for the West Seattle skyline – the water tower at the Nucor Steel plant in North Delridge is coming down.
We called the plant to find out why; here’s what environmental manager Pat Jablonski told us:
The water tower hadn’t been used in decades. It’s being decommissioned and removed as part of construction/renovation work for a two-story office building at the plant. They’re not sure exactly how old it was but believe it dates back to the 1920s-1930s (the plant itself is more than a century old), built to hold an emergency water supply “before this part of Seattle had a reliable water system,” Jablonski explained.
(Added: Photo by Jon Owen)
Perhaps the tower’s most noticeable feature, catching eyes in the holiday season, has been its illuminated star (featured here in 2007). Jablonski says they’re keeping it, “upgrading it to LEDs,” and relocating it somewhere else at the plant, though they haven’t decided where yet.
As for the steel that comprises most of the tower – yes, it’ll be recycled at Nucor.
P.S. New here and not sure exactly what happens at the plant? Here’s a magazine story published by The Seattle Times in 2014. And for a historical perspective, check out Seattle Then and Now.
Toplines from tonight’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting:
RV ‘SAFE LOT’ UPDATE: The last item discussed at the meeting was the one that yielded the biggest news. NDNC co-chair Michael Taylor-Judd, leading tonight’s meeting, said the current target date for the “safe lot” at West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way to open is February 19th. We had checked again with the city at the end of last week and were told only that they were still on track for the one-month time frame mentioned in the initial announcement, which was on January 19th, exactly one month before the date mentioned tonight. Discussions since that announcement have revealed that the city expects about 15 vehicles to use the lot; that they would be solicited from among those already living in vehicles in West Seattle and SODO; that the Low Income Housing Institute would operate it, with services offered by Compass Housing Alliance. It’s one of two such lots the city announced; the other one will be in Ballard.
Also discussed by NDNC – crime, preparedness, transportation, and more:
Avery sent this warning for neighbors who park on Delridge Way SW, particularly in the 5400 block:
Just wanted to get the word out that my car was broken into last night or this morning (1/27-1/28) from where it was parked in front of the Delridge Branch Library. It seemed like they tried to steal the whole car, since the ignition was broken into, but they were unable to.
My checkbook was stolen along with some change, and my car was left disabled. It could have been a lot worse, but residents along that block should take extra care with their cars parked on the street.
Avery had to arrange to have it towed for repair.
P.S. Crime stats for the year are in the newest SeaStat briefing from which Seattle Police has released some numbers. Citywide, car prowls were down last year – 13,695 in 2015, compared to 15,351 the year before. (Precinct breakouts were not included.)
(WSB photo)
Police are still on both sides of Delridge at Willow as they investigate the crash that sent a driver to the hospital and left his classic Cadillac up on the sidewalk. He was transported by private ambulance, so his injuries aren’t life-threatening. No tow truck on scene yet but traffic is getting through, except for pedestrians on the east side of Delridge. (Thanks to the person who texted about this – our hotline is 206-293-6302, text or voice, any time.)
(WSB photo looking north on Delridge near Myrtle – existing ‘fog line’ is toward the left)
Though SDOT reaffirmed two months ago that its planned speed-limit cuts for three more West Seattle arterials would happen before the end of 2015 as planned, they didn’t happen. They’re still on the way, says SDOT’s Jim Curtin, but one of them – Delridge Way north of Orchard – will come with something extra: Fog lines. This news came in another round of correspondence with the concerned citizen whose questions sparked our November followup, “A Dad On Dangerous Delridge.” Curtin’s first reply to ADODD this week:
In an effort to achieve the lower speeds we seek on Delridge, we will be adding a fog line (aka edge line) to narrow the existing travel lanes on the street. The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) has a good website dedicated to lane widths here. Some sections of Delridge already have an edge line but most areas do not. Several locations, including the area just south of the Boren Building (home to two schools), have wide swaths of roadway with little to no organization or structure. The edge line will change that and help us reduce vehicle speeds on the corridor. This work is weather-dependent so we’ll need some dry weather before we can install the new pavement markings. We are hoping to make this change in the first quarter of 2016 during a dry stretch. A public communications effort will accompany these changes to help raise awareness of the speed limit change.
After seeing that via a CC in ADODD’s correspondence, we followed up with Curtin, first to ask if there’s a specified width for the resulting, narrowed traffic lanes: “Travel lanes will be 11 to 12 feet wide depending on the location to match the existing edge lines on the corridor. The roadway channelization will look very similar to the existing conditions on Delridge between Croft Pl SW and SW Myrtle Street.” (That’s where we took the photo atop this story.) He added that “the edge line will be applied to both sides of the street. Bike lanes are not planned through this low cost effort.” No existing markings will be changed, according to Curtin, just “essentially filling in the gaps in the channelization so we will not make changes to existing pavement markings.”
Our last question: What about the other arterials set for speed-limit reduction? Curtin replied: “Fauntleroy between Alaska and California will occur first – likely within the next month or so. The speed limit is already 30 mph along most of Fauntleroy but the speed limit jumps up to 35 in this section (which contains mainly residential land uses, Fairmount Park Elementary, and a park). Speed studies show that drivers are already traveling well below the existing 35 mph speed limit on this section of Fauntleroy. We intend to recalibrate the radar speed sign at SW Brandon Street and change the existing speed limit signs. As you know, the design of the roadway was significantly changed in 2009.” The 30 mph speed limit for more arterials was first announced last February.
1:23 AM: We’ve heard from several people about possible gunshots in North Delridge a short time ago. We haven’t (yet) heard any confirmation of gunfire – police need to find casings and/or property damage for that – and definitely no victim(s) reported anywhere. Though a few people mentioned hearing a helicopter, the area’s one law-enforcement helicopter, Guardian One, is nowhere nearby, according to the last transmission we heard. We’re still checking – please let us know if/where you see police activity.
1:35 AM: One person who heard it says the 911 dispatcher confirmed police are looking into this. We’re off to see if we can find where they’re focusing.
ADDED 9:39 AM: While the full incident report isn’t available yet, we were able to get a few details from SPD media-relations Officer Lauren Lovanhill: She says “multiple bullet holes were found in a residence in the 5600 block of Delridge (Way SW),” and 32 casings were found in the front yard and driveway. Four people were seen running from the area and getting into a car. And she confirms that, as we believed to be the case at the time, no one was hit.
ADDED 8:27 PM: As noted in comments, the precinct’s second-in-command, Operations Lt. Ron Smith, was at tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting. This didn’t happen in that district and so wasn’t on the agenda but we talked to him briefly as soon as we saw him pre-meeting – he said so far there’s no indication any of the recent incidents are connected, and that this is being investigated by the department’s Real-Time Crime Unit and “intel” unit. The written report still wasn’t available by day’s end so we’ll renew our request for it tomorrow. The meeting’s guest speaker was newly inaugurated Councilmember Lisa Herbold; she was asked one question about public-safety issues in general, and said one that’s on her radar for starters is 911 response times, and she is working to get documentation on that from SPD.
(Added 7:54 pm: Blue Architecture‘s ‘packet’ for upcoming SWDRB meeting)
This Thursday (January 7th), the Southwest Design Review Board is scheduled to take its second look at the 9021 17th SW apartment project during its first meeting of the new year. As we first reported four weeks ago, this is the only project on the board’s agenda for January 7th. The image above is from the “packet” for the meeting (see it on the city website here, or embedded above), which includes this updated description of the project:
The project is a four-story apartment building over a partially below grade parking level with approximately 32 one- and two-bedroom dwelling units. 32 parking stalls are provided, either below grade, or a combination of below grade and surface parking. All parking is accessed from the alley. The project anticipates BuiltGreen certification for an FAR increase and allowable height increase.
The height would be up to 44 feet plus “4 feet for roof features,” per the packet; the unit count is one more than the previous version of the proposal, which was critiqued for a “mini-fortress”-like appearance during its first SWDRB review in October (WSB coverage here; official city report here) and is as a result returning for a second try at the Early Design Guidance phase of the process.
As always, the meeting will include time for public comment on the proposed design; you can also send written comments to its designated city planner, Tami Garrett, who also is your contact for comments on non-design aspects of the project, including traffic, parking, and noise – tami.garrett@seattle.gov. Thursday’s meeting is at 6:30 pm, upstairs at the Sisson Building/Senior Center, SW Oregon & California SW in The Junction.
12:21 PM: Seattle Fire has sent a big response to a possible fire at Cottage Grove Commons, the DESC-owned supportive-housing building in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW.
12:26 PM: SFD reports that two people are hurt and that the fire is under control.
12:35 PM: Because of the sizable response, Delridge Way is closed for at least a block, between Brandon and Findlay, as Andrew points out in comments and as confirmed by our crew at the scene.
12:50 PM: If you’re seeing/hearing a helicopter in the area, it’s just TV checking this out.
1:12 PM: SFD has just briefed the media on scene, saying one person has gone to Harborview with serious burns; the fire was limited to a mattress in that person’s apartment on the top second floor and the building’s sprinkler system put it out.
The other injured person did not need hospitalization. The Fire Department also says one person was found dead in a nearby apartment, and apparently had died within the past few hours, but that is not believed to have been related to the fire.
2:10 PM: Delridge had reopened and SFD’s fire investigator was on scene when we passed through about 15 minutes ago. We’ll update when there’s official word on the fire’s cause. Though the flames hadn’t spread beyond the aforementioned mattress, SFD says three units had significant damage because of the water from the sprinkler system.
2:50 PM: We’ve added more photos as well as the unedited video of SFD Lt. Sue Stangl‘s earlier briefing.
4:43 PM: If you are in the area and wondering about a new multi-unit response at the building, the 911 log shows it’s an “automatic fire alarm” response.
ADDED EARLY THURSDAY: The Seattle Times reports that the man hospitalized after this fire has died. The County Medical Examiner’s daily media recording lists the death of the 39-year-old burn victim mentioned in the Times’ report but does not specify a location, so we’ll be verifying later this morning. We had checked with SFD on Wednesday to ask about any official ruling on the fire’s cause; not yet, they told us.
If you need to borrow something from the West Seattle Tool Library before Christmas – hurry! After today and tomorrow, the WSTL is taking a break until the New Year. Christina Hahs wants you to know the Tool Library will “be closed from Thursday, December 24th through Thursday, December 31st. We’ll be back up and running on Saturday, January 2nd. We are requesting that items due back during this time not be returned until we are open again. No late fees will accrue.” Haven’t been to the Tool Library? It’s on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center at 4408 Delridge Way SW – read all about it here, including inventory and regular hours.
City crews continue working on West Seattle’s second neighborhood greenway, Delridge-Highland Park, and concurrently, on roadside raingardens and other “natural drainage” elements in part of the area. Some of this work will involve temporary water shutoffs, according to this update just sent by project managers:
Seattle Public Utilities began constructing the natural drainage system along 17th Ave SW from SW Cloverdale Street to SW Thistle Street.
Construction crews are installing curb ramps that are compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards in this area, and pedestrian detours are in effect. To perform water-service relocations, SPU water crews will shut down the water main two blocks at a time. If your water is going to be shut off, you will receive a door-hanger notification 48 hours in advance. Curbs and sidewalks that were removed for the water service relocations will then be re-installed.
The project webpage says some of that water work was expected to happen today and tomorrow, and includes a reminder that once the water’s back on, you might see discoloration for a while.
Meantime, the city’s update continues with information on the next round of road and sidewalk work:
Construction to build a pedestrian pathway connecting areas north and south of the cul-de-sac on 17th Ave SW between SW Myrtle and SW Webster streets has been delayed and will begin as early as January 4, 2016.
When construction begins, parking will be limited and pedestrian detours will be in place around the work area. This work is expected to take up to two weeks to complete.
Final work to be done at the intersection of 15th Ave SW and SW Holden St includes pouring curb ramps and sidewalk. We expect this work will be complete by Monday, December 28.
Crews began preparing the intersection at 16th Ave SW and SW Webster St for pedestrian safety improvements, including new crosswalks, new sidewalk, and new ADA-compliant curb ramps.
Crews began pouring sidewalk and curb ramps. Weather permitting, this work is expected to be complete by December 28.
Crews will return to the west side of 21st Ave SW, south of where 21st Ave SW and 22nd Ave SW merge, to rebuild the sidewalk. We expect this work will begin as early as January 4 and will include pouring concrete for sidewalk and asphalt for driveways. Both pours require dry days. Weather permitting, this work will take 2 weeks to complete. Residents will be notified in advance of driveway closures.
Construction is complete at 16th Ave SW and SW Kenyon St.
And the city notice includes the caveat that much of this is weather-dependent, so rain can change the schedule. More updates, and links to the full project plan, can be found here. The work’s been under way since late summer.
7:52 PM: The original call is for a medic response at Delridge and Kenyon; via Twitter, a tipster says it’s blocking the road, so we’re off to check.
8:10 PM: Seattle Fire had cleared the scene before we got there; two SPD units remained, in the pullout by the bus stop on the northbound side, so traffic had resumed flowing both ways. The officers told us a driver hit a pedestrian – injuries not life-threatening; the pedestrian was taken to the hospital by private ambulance.
Don’t just play games – make them! That’s the invitation Delridge Library has for students 9-13, during an upcoming multi-day special event, December 14-17, involving designing games with the system you see in the demonstration video above:
This 4-day workshop will be taught by the creator of BlockStudio, a new system that lets novices create games and animations rapidly, without using code. Students will learn how to turn their creative ideas into interactive software, and tackle progressively harder challenges each day. The final day will consist of a show-and-tell session, where students will show off their creations to each other. All games and animations created during this workshop will be playable after the workshop is over. For ages 9 – 13.
The library calendar shows the workshop happening 4-5:30 pm each of those four days. It’s free, but registration is required, so call the branch (5423 Delridge Way SW) to find out how – 206-733-9125 it’s open 11 am-6 pm today.
(WSB photo)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:12 PM: Police and medics are on the way to an apartment in the 4800 block of Delridge Way SW, where a man is reported to have a gunshot wound to the back. Officers are starting a search for a suspect or suspects last seen northbound on Delridge. Police are blocking Delridge near the scene. Updates to come.
11:34 PM UPDATE: We just arrived near the scene. Before getting here, we heard via scanner that the victim’s wound is not life-threatening, and that there might be multiple suspects who reportedly fired from outside. Delridge is reopening.
12:09 AM: No new information was available at the scene, but we’ll pursue the report in the morning and add whatever more we find.
12:37 PM: We just received the narrative from the official report. With names redacted as is SPD policy, here it is:
(The victim) was over at his friend’s house playing video games.
He went outside with (two people) to try to locate a set of car keys that he may have dropped outside.
(Those two) were on the west side of Delridge while (the victim) was on the east side of the street near (the victim’s) van. All three said that they heard shots and dropped to the ground. All three said that the shooters were three B/Ms [black males], younger, possibly in their twenties, wearing dark clothing.
(One person) said that they came out from behind 48xx Delridge (east side of the street), fired approximately 3 times, then ran off to the north and then back behind the buildings on the east side of Delridge where they were no longer in sight. (Witnesses and victim) retreated back into 48xx (west side) Delridge Way SW #A where they contacted 911 to report the shooting.
When officers arrived (the victim) walked out to Delridge where he was treated by SFD Engine 11 and Medic 32. He was transported to HMC [Harborview Medical Center] for further treatment. (The two others and a third person) all believed that this was a gang-involved shooting. They implied that they knew who had done this. (One) said that he had heard the three shooters on previous occasions yell out (gang name), but all three believed that they were associated with a (different gang). All three witnesses were shaken up and did not want to provide statements at the time of the incident. I advised that detectives would be contacting them and they would be able to tell them what had happened. … Officers were unable to locate suspects or any evidence at the scene.
(WSB photo from Sunday)
Seattle Public Utilities has figured out part of what went wrong before a sewer overflow flooded Orchard just north of Delridge on Sunday (here’s our original report). From SPU’s Andy Ryan:
Crews were in the vicinity again today investigating the cause of the sewer discharge in the right of way near Delridge Way SW and SW Orchard Street. They determined that the overflow was caused by two maintenance-hole covers that were not watertight. We are exploring ways of sealing the holes to prevent future overflows at the location.
Crews also found that the new Delridge combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) project construction is working as designed.
By Sunday evening (11/15), crews responded to and contained the sewage overflow. They removed warning signs once the area had been cleared, and the road was reopened to traffic. We will let you know when we have figured out how, and when, we seal the maintenance holes that caused the overflow.
If you’re interested in the city’s policies regarding off-leash dogs in parks – whether you think current policies are too lenient, too tough, or just right – you’ll be interested in this Wednesday’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting. The agenda includes a discussion of the People, Dogs, and Parks Strategic Plan (previously called the Off-Leash Area Strategic Plan) that’s under development, with a draft plan to go public in early January. Scheduled guests include reps from Seattle Parks and from the Seattle Nature Alliance. The under-development plan was a topic at last week’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting, as reported here. The DNDC meets at 7 pm Wednesday (November 18th) at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW.
P.S. If you can’t be there, the city is also taking comments via this form.
8:03 AM: Multiple texters report road flooding has closed Orchard at Delridge. We’ll be checking on it shortly.
10:06 AM: We’ve since learned from Seattle Public Utilities spokesperson Ingrid Goodwin that this is a sewage overflow:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has responded this morning to a sewage overflow in West Seattle at Delridge Way SW and SW Orchard Street. The sewage is discharging north on Delridge to SW Myrtle Street and eventually overflowing into Longfellow Creek. SPU crews have posted signs alerting residents to stay out of the water, which may be contaminated. Orchard Street near Delridge Way is closed while spill response and drainage and wastewater crews contain the overflow and begin the clean-up. The volume of the spill is unknown at this time.
This is primarily happening on the east and north sides of the Delridge/Orchard intersection. You might recall that SPU worked in recent months on what was supposed to be a combined-sewer-overflow-control project, so we’ll be following up to see what went wrong.
9:36 PM: While Orchard east of Delridge was still closed in late afternoon, it’s now open, but narrowed – one lane each way, with an area blocked off at curbside on the westbound side for a short distance. No crews on scene now so we’d have to guess this will continue into the morning commute; we’ll check back by 7 am or so.
Thanks to the texter who sent that photo from Delridge/18th. We subsequently headed over to check out the scene and found the northbound lane is blocked. One person was being put into Medic 32, and police told us he’s being taken to Harborview.
(Added: Photo e-mailed by Amelia)
Avoid the area for a while.
(Quick clip of salmon in Longfellow Creek last year, contributed by Josh)
Tom e-mailed earlier this week to report spotting salmon in Longfellow Creek, by Dragonfly Pavilion in North Delridge – two last Friday, and “four big ones” last Monday. If you want to go look for salmon, tomorrow morning brings an excellent chance – go on an educational walk 10 am-11:30 am Saturday with Puget Soundkeeper volunteers. You’ll learn about their ongoing study of pre-spawning mortality, too. Meet up at the pavilion (4107 28th SW); you’re advised to “wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet/stinky.”
P.S. On the other side of West Seattle, no salmon sightings in Fauntleroy Creek yet, as of our last check.
(Added: WSB photo outside Super 24, taped off after shell casings were found in the parking lot)
5:50 PM: Thanks for the tips – police are investigating gunfire in the Delridge area, with a report of shell casings found near Delridge and Findlay, and possibly other locations. No word of any injuries so far.
6 PM: Police were also investigating reports from the 17th/Elmgrove area, but aren’t finding anything, per scanner.
6:21 PM: At Delridge/Findlay, the investigation centers on the Super 24 store’s parking lot. The casings found there are proof of gunfire, but still no indication of any victims. The officers there had no further information beyond the basics as reported here. We’re off to see if anything turned up at 17th/Elmgrove.
6:26 PM: The Guardian One helicopter (operated by the Sheriff’s Office but assisting with other law-enforcement agencies in the region, including Seattle Police, which does not have its own chopper) is now headed toward Delridge/Webster to search for something possibly related in that area. So is our crew, which didn’t find anyone on 17th.
6:37 PM: We talked to police searching across Delridge from the precinct. What they’re checking out there is a report that someone heard what sounded like a shotgun being “racked.” We asked them if they have any description(s) to share – they said no, they’ve just been chasing reports, as have we. Our crew is headed back to Delridge/Findlay to see if anything’s new there.
6:53 PM: Two things – regarding the shotgun, we heard via scanner that the sound might have been attributable to a piece of metal in the road. Second, we did speak to officers back at Delridge and Findlay who say three vehicles might have been involved in all this – they have partial descriptions of two: A blue Chevy Impala and a light-colored Mercedes.
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