West Seattle, Washington
12 Sunday
For Valentine’s Day week, you can show your love for your local neighborhood council – starting, for North Delridge residents, with the ND Neighborhood Council at 6:30 pm Monday, at Delridge Library (Delridge/Brandon) – here’s the agenda summary from Parie Hines:
In honor of the upcoming Valentine’s Day this week, we will be discussing what we love about Delridge, what we love about previous and ongoing projects of the NDNC, as well as the changes and improvements to the neighborhood that would strengthen our love. This will be a continuation and expansion of the very brief visioning exercise from the December meeting. Also on the docket is a discussion of the NPSF applications and numerous updates about the many things going on in our very lovable ‘hood.
Last week’s open house was a full house at West Seattle’s STEM elementary school, in its first tour/open house season, as shown in that photo by Robin Graham from the K-5 STEM PTA. So in case we don’t get tomorrow’s daily preview out in time, just a reminder that the school is having a school tour at 10 am tomorrow (Friday), then 1 pm tours on February 11th and 19th – parents/guardians only. You’ll find them at 5950 Delridge Way SW.
(Click image to get fullsize PDF showing detours and entire project zone)
That map shows the northbound and southbound detours planned this weekend while the intersection of Delridge and Henderson is completely closed as part of the Delridge repaving project’s first phase. Here’s an update/reminder from SDOT’s LeAnne Nelson:
rews will remove and restore pavement at SW Henderson St and Delridge Way SW, closing most of the intersection. Weather permitting, work begins Friday, February 8, at 7:00 p.m. Crews expect to have the work completed and the intersection reopened by 6:00 a.m. Monday, February 11, at the latest. To reduce impacts to the community, intersection construction is being done on weekends, working around the clock. Traffic will be detoured as follows:
· Northbound Delridge Way SW directed onto 16th Avenue SW to SW Henderson Street to Delridge Way SW
· Westbound SW Henderson onto Delridge Way SW to SW Trenton to 25th Avenue SW to SW Barton Street
· Southbound Delridge Way SW onto SW Trenton to 25th Avenue SW to SW Barton Place to Delridge Way SW
· Eastbound SW Barton Place onto Delridge Way SW to 17th Avenue SW to SW Roxbury Street to 16th Avenue SW to SW Henderson Street
NOTE: Evening construction, including pavement removal using impact breakers, may be performed until 10:00 p.m. under the conditions of a noise variance, to expedite construction.
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Reminder: The intersection of 25th Avenue SW and SW Barton Street is temporarily a 4-way stop, during Phase 1, to assist safe traffic flow. King County Metro will communicate changes directly to ridership.
This is a five-phase project. At the completion of Phase 1 the construction activity will move to the Phase 2 section of Delridge Way SW – between SW Trenton and SW Thistle streets.
SDOT warned that there would be an occasional all-weekend-long intersection closure as part of the Delridge repaving project – and they’ve just announced the first one, Delridge/Henderson, starting one week from tonight:
To reduce impacts to the community, intersection construction will be done on weekends, working around the clock. The first intersection closure is at Southwest Henderson Street from 7 pm Friday, Feb. 8, until, at the latest, 6 am on Monday, Feb. 11. Look for final detour information early next week.
To expedite construction, evening work under the conditions of a noise variance, including pavement removal using impact breakers, may be performed until 10 pm.
Reminder: for traffic safety, the intersection of 25th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Barton Street is temporarily a four-way stop.
This is a five-phase project. At the completion of the first phase, between Southwest Henderson and Southwest Trenton streets, the construction activity will move to the section of Delridge Way Southwest between Southwest Trenton and Southwest Thistle streets.
(January 23 WSB photo)
Since the new traffic signal at Avalon and Genesee went into official operation last week, its timing has caused backups and drawn complaints. North Delridge resident Nancy Folsom has been corresponding with SDOT about it, and forwarded this update to the ND e-mail list today; we’re republishing with her permission. It’s from Dianne Thomas at SDOT:
We’re receiving a high volume of emails expressing various concerns about the new traffic signal at Avalon & Genesee. …
Whenever a new signal is installed, we monitor the operation closely and generally expect there can be a need for a few adjustments. We’re unable to be on-site 24 hours a day, so we do appreciate receiving feedback. The most helpful feedback will include the time of day and the day of the week a problem is experienced along with the details of the concern.
E-mails can be best directed to traffic.signals@seattle.gov, or anyone may access the [Customer Service Response] system directly (by going here) and choosing General Inquiry – Transportation as the service type.
SDOT also told Nancy:
One thing worth mentioning is that the uphill (westbound) approach on Genesee uses video detection, and when (an engineer) was at the site earlier this week he did notice drivers pulling forward, well past the stop bar markings. That area is not within the detection zone, so the drivers who’ve complained about waiting forever for the light to change are most likely pulling too far forward.
The eastbound approach uses in-pavement detection, and we do not use detection on main streets (in this case, Avalon).
An engineer was reported to be back at the site as of a couple hours ago.
They formed as the Delridge Produce Cooperative, but the co-op plan has moved beyond that, working toward taking the commercial space in the future DESC building to set up a neighborhood grocery store. The project needs lots of community help, so you’re invited to a meeting tomorrow, as announced:
The supermarkets may not want us but we can give our community something better that can be a benefit to all of West Seattle and its surrounding communities! Keep the money and the jobs where it belongs – local cooperative ownership can be good for all, especially in these economically difficult times.
Please join us and share your talents and ideas regarding a grocery store on the Delridge corridor! Our next meeting is Monday, January 28th at the Delridge Public Library from 6:30 to 7:30. We have come a long way but have much to do!
The library is on Delridge just south of Brandon (map).
2:47 AM: Police are investigating a stabbing in the Delridge/22nd SW area (map) right now. According to radio traffic between medics and Harborview Medical Center, the victim is a 27-year-old man described as having a “single stab wound to the left flank.” He is being taken to HMC; no other details so far.
3:28 AM UPDATE: Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams says officers “are currently attempting to gather information as to exactly what occurred” – so far they know that the victim himself called 911 to report that he had been stabbed by someone he didn’t know, but didn’t make the call until about 15 minutes after it happened. They found him near Delridge and Graham. Early information from medics, Lt. Williams says, is that the stab wound was not life-threatening.
11:13 AM UPDATE: A few more details this morning via SPD Blotter – but what happened remains a mystery. (For the commenter who asked, police clarify the wound location as “lower left back.”)
Three notes this afternoon from North Delridge, and two relate to that photo. It’s an aerial view of Youngstown Flats, the 26th/Dakota apartment building whose developers (who provided the photo) now say the almost-200-unit project is 90 days from expected completion in the first week of April. “It’s almost over!” wrote Legacy Partners’ Steffenie Evans in a note to area residents. The crane is expected to come down “within a few weeks,” she adds; workers are currently painting and installing fixtures to finish the apartments’ interiors. Youngstown Flats also will incorporate 14 local artists’ work inside and out, from sculptures to lobby decoration. And sidewalks and landscaping is getting under way along Dakota.
In the lower right of the photo, you see part of the city-owned grassy area known as the Dakota Street Right-Of-Way – an undeveloped street end. As reported here last month, the North Delridge Neighborhood Council is getting a $52,200 city grant for improvements, to make it more of a mini-park and to enhance its access to Longfellow Creek. Area businesses are contributing to the project – including maintenance promised by Youngstown Flats – and now NDNC needs something from you. The city wants the group to ask for community input on the mini-park’s design and materials, so if you have any thoughts on it, now’s the time to speak up! Here’s the park plan for your review. NDNC says even simple comments of support would be great. And if you don’t want to post a comment here, you can also have a say at one of two meetings this week at which it’ll be discussed: NDNC’s monthly meeting tomorrow (Monday, January 14), 6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), or the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council on Wednesday (January 16), 7 pm, same building.
Speaking of tomorrow’s NDNC meeting – you’re invited, as always. Other agenda items, according to NDNC’s Kirsten Smith, include the council’s support for other community-grant applications, a visit from School Board rep Marty McLaren, and community crime issues. The meeting room is near Youngstown’s north entrance.
Two days till the start of the Delridge repaving project – and tonight SDOT has sent another reminder, with even more details about the southbound detour that will take effect when work starts on Thursday:
Beginning Thursday, January 10th, southbound Delridge Way SW traffic will be detoured at SW Trenton Street in West Seattle for Phase 1 of the Delridge Way SW Paving Project. Traffic will be directed:
*West on SW Trenton Street
*South on 25th Avenue SW
*East on SW Barton Street
*South on Delridge Way SW.The detour will be in place until early March 2013. Northbound Delridge Way SW traffic will be maintained.
To assist westbound turns from 25th Avenue SW to SW Barton Street, temporary stop signs are being installed for east- and westbound traffic on SW Barton Street at 25th Avenue SW. Local access and access to businesses will be maintained during project work.
This is a five-phase project. At the completion of Phase 1 the construction activity will move to the Phase 2 section of Delridge Way SW, between SW Trenton and SW Thistle streets. Please visit the project website for more information.
The Delridge Way SW Paving Project is funded by the “Bridging the Gap” transportation levy approved by Seattle voters in November 2006.
Road-work reminders tonight as 2 big projects get ready to begin:
2 RAMPS TO WESTBOUND WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CLOSED ALL WEEKEND: From right about now till 5 Monday morning, WSDOT is closing the ramps to the West Seattle Bridge from southbound I-5 and from Columbian Way (Beacon Hill). It’s the start of the Spokane St. Interchange Vicinity Special Bridge Repair project, which will close different parts of the Spokane/I-5/Columbian Way interchange during 10-plus weekends over the next few months. (Next weekend’s closure will only affect the ramp from Beacon Hill.)
YEAR-LONG DELRIDGE REPAVING STARTS THURSDAY: In case you missed the first announcement of the start date two weeks ago (here’s our December 21 story), SDOT sent the announcement around again late today – to make extra-sure everyone knows that Thursday is Day 1 for the mile-and-a-half-long repaving project on Delridge from Orchard to Roxbury. The basics are here; even more background is here – most important thing you need to know is that northbound traffic will be maintained along the entire stretch, but there will be southbound detours. The work will be done in five phases lasting 2 to 3 months each; the first phase will be Henderson to Trenton, and the southbound detour is shown here:
The official construction notice has work-hours details for residents in the affected area, among other information.
In the North Delridge neighborhood of Cottage Grove, a new tradition was born on winter-solstice night – a neighborhood parade. Led by neighbors Tanya and Patrick Baer in illuminated costume, as you can see in our video clip (that’s Tanya you hear explaining the parade just before it began), they brought lights and good cheer to walk the Longfellow Creek trails while celebrating both the longest night of the year and the brighter days ahead. West Seattle has a burgeoning tradition of neighborhood holiday parades – in the summer, there’s the Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade, while at year’s end, the Highland Park Not-So-Silent Night Parade (coming up on New Year’s Eve) – and now, there’s this.
Just announced by SDOT – the date work will start on the yearlong Delridge repaving project:
Delridge Way SW Paving Project SW Orchard St to SW Roxbury St
Construction to begin January 10 – Expect Southbound Detours
The southern portion of Delridge Way SW is an important West Seattle arterial that has deteriorated over time. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will rebuild Delridge Way SW between SW Orchard and SW Roxbury streets to improve travel conditions and promote safety.
Project Description
· Construct new concrete and asphalt paving surfaces
· Install drainage detention pipes and inlets
· Provide upgraded curb ramps
· Reconfigure lanes between SW Myrtle and SW Kenyon streets
Project Work Hours and Schedule
Construction is expected to begin January 10, 2013, and be substantially complete by the end of 2013. Normal work hours will be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with some weekend work and possible night work.
(WSB photo of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, from February 2012)
City Council President Sally Clark and Councilmember Nick Licata were among the guests at this month’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting – the holiday edition, held at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center instead of the usual Delridge Library – and Youngstown’s new manager was on the agenda too.
Karen e-mailed after getting a notice yesterday regarding a planned power outage in her North Delridge neighborhood. We checked with Seattle City Light, which confirms that about 50 customers (homes/businesses) in the 26th/Juneau (map) vicinity will be affected by the work to be done tomorrow between 8 an and 6 pm. City Light’s Scott Thomsen explains, “We’re moving some wires and three transformers to comply with updated spacing standards from NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation).” Again, everyone affected should have received a notice at their home/business.
FIRST REPORT, 8:24 PM: Police are investigating a shooting in the 9200 block of Delridge Way. Per the scanner, a man around 30 years old was shot in both legs. They’re looking for at least three people reported to have fled the scene.
8:55 PM UPDATE: Just back from the scene, which cleared fairly quickly once the medic unit left to take the victim to Harborview Medical Center. We talked with James from Greenlight across Delridge, who told us he heard what sounded like six gunshots and went outside and saw the victim in the small triangle mini-park across the street by the bus stop. We also talked to a sergeant who remained at the scene while other officers fanned out – no word of any arrest so far, but police are searching.
9:17 PM UPDATE: SPD Blotter says the victim is 17 years old and was shot after two “unknown male suspects” approached him at the bus stop. (No mention of a female who was reported in initial scanner traffic to have fled the scene.) Here’s their update, which also describes the victim’s wounds as non-life-threatening.
(WSB photo, taken this morning)
Two months after demolition of the old houses on the site, construction work is now ramping up at the site of DESC’s future 66-unit Delridge Supportive Housing complex in the 5400 block of Delridge Way, north of SW Findlay. As noted in the project FAQ, onstruction is expected to last about a year.
And tonight, the nonprofit that is likely to open a co-op grocery store in the DESC building’s retail space has its next monthly meeting – with big issues including: How about a new name?
Name the Co-op!!! The Delridge Produce Cooperative idea has evolved from a plan for a co-op produce stand to a small, but full-service, community-owned multi-stakeholder grocery store! This means the store will not only be a source for healthy food, including meat, eggs, dairy and seafood but a support network and financial opportunity for large, small, and backyard farmers. The Co-op’s employees will also have an equal stake in the store. Our current name is misleading for some and we have received feedback regarding a name change. We wish to make another round of reusable strawberry bags and founding member t-shirts!! So, we need to choose our name! Please help.
They’re taking suggestions via their Facebook page. And whether you have an idea for a name, or not, you’re welcome at their meeting tonight:
We invite anyone with the time and inclination to join us at this very exciting step of the grocery store creation. We are welcoming founding Board Members and still looking for core volunteers to help at this stage.
Our November meeting is this Monday evening! All interested volunteers are needed to help plan our next steps. Teresa Young, Organizational Development Specialist from the Northwest Cooperative Development Center will join us to find out how the NWCDC can assist us at this stage. We are making final edits to our business plan and reviewing the first draft of our bylaws. This special meeting will be from 5:30-7:30pm, Monday November 26th at the Delridge Library.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
6:31 AM: We’re checking on a house-fire call in the 9000 block of 16th SW. It appears to have been fairly short-lived, with an investigator called just a few minutes after the original call at 5:09 am, but we’ve gone to the scene to find out.
6:41 AM: According to the investigator on scene, this was another case – like Saturday night’s fire on 14th SW – of an “illegally occupied” house, across the street from the Salvation Army center. Neighbors told fire crews that transients are frequently seen at the site. The front of the building shows significant fire damage; nobody was hurt. Official word of the cause isn’t expected until later.
8:03 AM: Also like the Saturday night fire scene, this house has a record of city-code complaints, including a case listed as “not resolved,” with problems including “vacant, open to entry, overgrown, outdoor storage of junk.”
9:33 AM: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore tells WSB this was an accidental fire: “Transients inhabited the house and created a cooking fire in the living room which resulted in the fire to the vacant home. The estimated dollar loss is $151,000.”
If you’re interested in the Delridge Greenway – a city project to designate a stretch of road through North Delridge as a bicycle/pedestrian-safe alternative to braving Delridge Way – but couldn’t go to Thursday night’s open house, here’s a recap on the North Delridge Neighborhood Council site, by NDNC’s transportation chair Jake Vanderplas. Jake writes that about 30 people showed up to discuss ideas with city reps and each other. The city is scheduled to return on January 15th with a proposal, as first announced last month.
As first reported in our coverage of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting this past Monday – and information we found online afterward – the contract for next year’s big Delridge repaving/road-rebuilding project has been awarded. And now that the city knows the price, it also knows how far the paving will stretch – SDOT had said that depending on the bids, it would be able to add more of Delridge, and possibly even some of 16th. As noted in our earlier story, the contractor is Gary Merlino Construction, and the winning bid includes the “first additive” – which means Delridge will be repaved from Orchard all the way to Roxbury, but 16th will not be included. Read on for the official city announcement:Read More
(UPDATE: The bid just awarded will include Delridge all the way to Roxbury, but not 16th)
Roads, raingardens, greenways, beautification, and elections comprised the topics tackled at Monday night’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting – starting with an update on the big paving project in the works for the south half of Delridge Way:
Earlier this month, SDOT reps told the North Delridge Neighborhood Council (WSB coverage here) that the process of creating a “neighborhood greenway” – a walking/biking-safe zone, proposed for 26th SW – was slowing down a bit, and that community open houses would be the next step. Today, the West Seattle Greenways group shared the news that the dates have been set for those open houses. As outlined on this SDOT webpage, the first one is at 6:30 pm November 14th at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), to look at these questions:
How is the experience of walking and biking in North Delridge?
What locations are the most challenging for people when they walk or bike?
Where do people want to walk and bike?
What should be the goals of a Delridge Neighborhood Greenway?
There *will* be a presentation (6:45 pm) as part of the open house. The second one will be on January 15th, featuring city recommendations and information on what happens next.
10:35 PM: In South Delridge, crews are at a house fire in the 9000 block of 21st SW, just reported as under control and almost out.
10:39 PM: According to SFD, the fire started “in a wall,” according to the first report they got. They’re still checking on some possible hot spots in the attic. SFD says no injuries have been reported.
TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE: SFD public-information officer Kyle Moore says they’ve determined the fire was accidental:
The occupant of the home was working on plumbing when the heat from the plumbing work ignited the wall and extended into the attic space.
At 10:10 p.m., a call came in the Fire Alarm Center reporting flames coming from the wall of a home in the 9000 block of 21st Avenue SW. Engine Company 11 arrived to find smoke coming from the roof of the two-story home. The firefighters used an attack hose line to knock down the flames while the first in Ladder Company searched the residence for occupants and then headed to the roof to cut holes in order to vent the smoke and heat.
Firefighters discovered the fire inside the walls of the home. The flames extended up the walls into the attic. Crews removed two walls and brought down ceilings in order to completely extinguish the flames. It took approximately 30 minutes to completely knock down this fire.
Three occupants safely evacuated the home and there were no reported injuries. The damage estimate is $65,000 to the structure and $5,000 to the contents.
Cider time! Join North Delridge neighbors under a tent at the Delridge P-Patch (accessible from either Delridge or 25th, 5000 block) till 4 pm. When we dropped by, Cooper was one of the young helpers. BYO apples – washed – and give the cider press (on loan from the West Seattle Tool Library) a try! More info here.
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