DESC in Delridge: Design Review packet now published; another community conversation
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Public money is paying for it, so where’s the public process?
That is the still-unanswered question roiling the waters of concern over the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) plan to build a 75-unit apartment building in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW for currently homeless people living with challenges such as mental illness and substance abuse.
Put another way: A city-park playground project, for example, costing a few hundred thousand dollars and taking up less land than the average single-family homesite, might involve at least three public meetings about the site, the design, and a litany of community requests/concerns, with a city-assigned project manager and opportunities to comment by e-mail, phone, or postal mail, as well as in person. But here’s a $12 million project, publicly funded – including more than $4 million city dollars – and no clearly outlined public input process on anything beyond Design Review (by the way, the “design packet” for that 12/8 meeting has just been published to the city website – see it here).
For the second time in two weeks, concerned Delridge residents gathered for an invitation-only discussion at a private home to talk about the project and their concerns, not only neighborhood-specific, but relevant to the big picture – perhaps resulting in changes for other areas who find themselves in a similar situation in the future.
There were several differences from the first meeting, which was held at the home of Betsy Hoffmeister 12 days earlier (here’s our report).
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New name for new North Delridge project: Youngstown Flats
In a recent update on the almost-200-unit project that’s begun construction in North Delridge, we mentioned they were working on a new name, since “Cooper at Youngstown” turned out to have a nearby conflict. Today, Steffenie Evans from Legacy Partners says they’ve chosen one: Youngstown Flats.
After initially spending a lot of time and energy to find a name that was both rooted in the history of the neighborhood and not already in use, we were a bit surprised to learn that the artist housing at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center was called Cooper Artist Housing at Youngstown.
We immediately scheduled a meeting with the artists in residence to discuss the name we had chosen an what impact it might have on their community if we kept the name. It became very clear that even though their brand is not visible in internet searches or on-site signage, they had a strong identity with the “Cooper” name.
Wanting to be sensitive to our community, and a community that we had especially hoped to engage in our search for incorporating local art into our building, we decided the right thing to do was to re-name our project.
We had initially included “Youngstown” in our name because it was the historical name for the North Delridge neighborhood and ties back to the Youngstown School that has been at the heart of the community for decades, and to the energy of the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. The name “Youngstown Flats” celebrates the history of the community and the immediate neighborhood that the project is joining. Like the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, it provides a connection between nature, the arts and history.
The crew working on the site at 26th/Dakota is wrapping up excavation for the building’s garage, and the construction crane is expected soon. Legacy and Barrientos LLC took over the site after it had been granted permits a few years ago as a condo project; it’s being built as apartments with a few live-work units and a relatively small commercial space, as well as a mini-park on unused right-of-way across the street. They also recently announced art-procurement plans that will get into high gear around February.
Paving the way for Delridge Way = Delridge ‘boulevard’
The newly passed city budget includes a $250,000 allocation to start planning a “Green Boulevard” along Fauntleroy Way in The Triangle. But that might not be the only “boulevard” in West Seattle’s future. Two City Councilmembers and key SDOT staffers joined the most recent meeting of the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council to hear a community pitch for potential “boulevard” treatment of Delridge Way SW:
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West Seattle Crime Watch: Plea bargain in Fairmount Springs attack
We’ve just learned that another high-profile West Seattle case has been resolved with a guilty plea. This one is the attack last May that left a 65-year-old Fairmount Springs woman seriously hurt and brought law-enforcement and political leaders to the neighborhood days later. The victim turned up on a neighbor’s doorstep early one morning with injuries including more than 20 broken bones, but how she had been hurt was not initially clear.
In early July, with the help of DNA evidence, police arrested a man who lived in the same home to which the victim had fled, 49-year-old Monty Richardson. Court documents say he broke into the victim’s home, dragged her into her basement, tried to strangle her, and beat, kicked, and jumped on her till she lost consciousness. Richardson pleaded guilty last Thursday to first-degree burglary and second-degree assault, with the third charge against him, unlawful imprisonment, dismissed. Prosecutors will recommend a sentence of 2 1/2 years on the first count, 1 year and 2 months on the second (to run concurrently with the first). According to court documents, he is entering the guilty plea as a so-called Alford plea – he does not admit guilt on either charge but believes the evidence is likely to lead to a conviction.
Richardson is scheduled to be sentenced December 2nd by King County Superior Court Judge Bruce Heller.
26th/Dakota project: ‘Green, welcoming place’ across the street
Last Monday, we published an update on the 193-unit apartment project that’s now under construction at 26th/Dakota. Then that night, developer and architect representatives visited the North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting to present their newest plan for undeveloped city right-of-way across the street that they see as a neighborhood mini-park with access to Longfellow Creek. They said they are hoping to create a “green, welcoming place” as an asset for not only residents of their building, but others who live in the area.
The design is above (see an expanded version here); they are asking for comments before they take it to the Seattle Design Commission for review, which is required since it is city right-of-way. (They are not seeking a street vacation, anticipating instead to have an annual permit for use of the area.)
The area connects to a stairway, and also has to provide access for city crews to change lights. Other than that, the project team hopes the improvements will “create some clarity for the space,” which currently isn’t even recognizable as potential public access. They’re suggesting a simple walkway topped with as-yet-undetermined material, “maybe even asphalt”; the dark green you see in the rendering is “grass-crete.” The project team says the trees they hope to plant are no taller than 15 feet, and the shrubbery would be below knee-level. They’re also working to have as little impact on west-side-of-the-street parking as possible. They are proposing a curb-bulb feature to help pedestrians and provide “traffic-calming.”
In addition to paying to create it, the project/ownership/management team (headed at this phase by Legacy Partners and Barrientos LLC) will be accountable for paying for the annual permit and maintenance. They are also extensively landscaping their side of the street (where dozens of pre-existing trees were taken out for the parking-garage excavation) in hopes of “trying to add a lot more lushness to the area,” as Hewitt Architects‘ Kris Snider told the NDNC meeting. If you have comments on the “mini-park,” send them to Steffenie Evans at Legacy Partners, sevans@legacypartners.com.
(As previously reported here, the project team also is gearing up for an extensive art-procurement process targeting local artists; here’s that story from earlier in the week.)
Delridge DESC project: County meeting tomorrow; council discussion
Two updates related to the “Delridge Supportive Housing” 75-apartment project that Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) is seeking to build in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW:
COUNTY FUNDING MEETING TOMORROW: While the city and state have committed funding to the project, the county’s final decision isn’t in yet. Tomorrow, the advisory group that makes recommendations to King County Executive Dow Constantine, the Regional Joint Recommendations Committee, will meet on Mercer Island. They were scheduled to decide last month, but deferred the decision after hearing from Delridge residents who came to their meeting to voice concerns. Tomorrow’s meeting is at 9;30 am at the Mercer Island Community Center, 8236 SE 24th Street. 10 people will be allowed to speak, according to North Delridge Neighborhood Council‘s Kirsten Smith.
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL DISCUSSION: The project was a major topic of discussion at NDNC’s meeting on Monday night. Patrick Baer recapped the first Delridge Community Forum, last month’s big gathering about the project, saying it had “successes and failures,” amid “logistical issues we never expected,” but overall met the goal of providing information to the community.
As he noted, he and other DCF volunteers have continued in that role, posting copious quantities of material online at delridgeforum.blogspot.com – and if you’ve been looking into the issue and have come across information to share with the community, e-mail him at delridgeforum@gmail.com.
Meantime, NDNC’s Smith says they’re trying to set up a meeting shortly before the project’s first Design Review Board meeting (6:30 pm December 8th at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center), to provide community members with information on how the process works. Since there’s “limited public comment” at those meetings, Vonetta Mangaoang suggested a “letter-writing campaign.”
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2 chances this week to talk with City Councilmembers: Delridge District Council, West Seattle Farmers’ Market
Two chances this week to talk with City Councilmembers in West Seattle:
DELRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS DISTRICT COUNCIL: Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen and Sally Bagshaw are on the DNDC meeting agenda tomorrow night (7 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW) for a discussion about the “boulevard” concept for Delridge Way SW.
‘THE SALLYS’ AT THE FARMERS’ MARKET: Councilmembers Bagshaw and Sally Clark have been visiting neighborhoods in tandem as “The Sallys,” in community-conversation format, and just announced a West Seattle stop this Sunday: 10-11:30 am at the WS Farmers’ Market (44th/Alaska). The announcement says they “will host a booth and hope Seattleites will stop by to talk about local issues.” Free cider while it lasts. You’re invited to RSVP, though it’s not required (here’s the link).
26th/Dakota development: Construction update; art plan
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Unless you live, or drive, by it, you might not know that West Seattle’s next major development is well into the first phase of construction. It’s at 26th and Dakota in North Delridge (map), right behind the Kidney Center building. Its original owners went all the way into the permit phase before the project was put on hold and then sold. Unlike the infamous “Hole,” no work was done on this site before it stalled – but its new owners are working fast now.
We first wrote about the revived project three months ago. It’s being built with 193 units, including 11 described as live-work (here’s the project page on the city website), being developed by Legacy Partners Residential, Inc.,and Barrientos LLC.
We met this morning with representatives from the project partners at Uptown Espresso in Delridge, not far from the project site. They will be at the North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting tonight, but even if you can’t be there, they wanted to get out new information about the project, including an extensive plan to procure art for the building. Read on for the updates:
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Delridge DESC project: Face-to-face with the city’s housing boss
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
At 9 am last Thursday morning, city Office of Housing director Rick Hooper stood in front of TV cameras in North Seattle, next to Mayor McGinn, formally announcing the city’s $27 million investment in new low-income-housing development.
Ten hours later, he faced a tougher crowd on the other end of the city: Fifteen Delridge-area residents gathered in a living room, ready to hear his answers to pointed questions about the only West Seattle project on the newly unveiled funding list.
The city’s decision to put “up to $4.45 million” into Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC)’s 5444 Delridge project was old news to them, and many others who live near the proposed site. But far beyond the project’s estimated $14.5 million cost, many questions have emerged, and many people have voiced frustration while seeking answers.
Among them, Betsy Hoffmeister, who coordinated and hosted the gathering at her home. She invited Hooper in hopes more information might help defuse the tension that has built between project supporters and opponents over the 4 1/2 months since the DESC plan came to light.
Thursday night, after more than 3 1/2 hours, a possible path forward seemed to emerge. But its future seemed to rest as much with who was not in the room, as with who was.
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West Seattle weekend scene: North Delridge street cleanup
Look familiar? You may have a similar scene to tackle outside your own home. In North Delridge, a small group of volunteers went out Saturday for the quarterly Adopt-A-Street cleanup. Mike Dady was among them and shared photos. He reports they cleared litter from Andover to Brandon, including leftover campaign signs from last week’s election, and worked on fallen leaves, including those blocking storm drains. Also, Mike says, “There was pruning and clearing of overhanging branches near the Genesee staircase leading from Delridge Way up to Pigeon Point and the Metro bus stop at the same location. Area was very dark and gloomy and has been the scene of graffiti and other not-so-good stuff. Hopefully the adjacent street light will provide a better sense of safety.” His photos included this one of two other volunteers – Nancy Folsom and canine pal Jackson:
Want to adopt a street in YOUR area? Here’s how. And you can Adopt-a-Drain, too – and/or just go out and check the storm drain(s) nearest your home, to reduce the chance of blockage/flooding when the next wave of rain comes in.
Delridge DESC project: Tentative date set for first Design Review
The city has set a tentative date for the first Southwest Design Review Board meeting on the Downtown Emergency Service Center‘s 75-unit Delridge Supportive Housing project: Thursday, December 8th. That’s according to the list of upcoming meetings on the city’s website. If that date holds, it’ll be at 6:30 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Design Review meetings are held before a city-appointed all-volunteer regional board that evaluates projects strictly in terms of design and whether those elements of a project conform to zoning (if not, “departures” have to be requested). Projects for which design review is required, like this one, will go before the board at least twice, once for “early design guidance” (the purpose of this meeting), then, for a formal recommendation to the city.
In the meantime, the project proposed for the 5400 block of Delridge (official address on city records, 5444 Delridge) has been recommended for two public-funding grants, $500,000 state and “up to $4.45 million” city, while the county-convened Joint Recommendations Committee meets November 17th to consider a request for $538,000. Other funding for the $14 million project is proposed to be raised through a tax-credits program.
Local residents researching the project continue to post information and documents obtained through public-records requests at these two sites: Delridge Community Forum and A Concerned Delridge Neighbor. The volunteers working on the DCF site say that the county staffers working on the Nov. 17th presentation suggest public comments be sent by this Wednesday; the contacts are listed in this post on their website
Delridge DESC housing proposal: Community members dig up details
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Delridge residents concerned about the Downtown Emergency Service Center‘s 75-unit “supportive housing” project have obtained more information about the project via public-records requests, and we have a few new details too.
Four months after news of the proposed apartments in the 5400 block of Delridge first came to light at a North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting (WSB coverage here; next-day followup here), documents posted by citizen researchers indicate the agency is close to key dates for greenlighting the project, such as a projected December 1st closing of the deal for property on Delridge. Public-funding decisions are being made; as reported here last week, the city Office of Housing says it has approved “up to $4.45 million” for the project, right after the state announced an award of $500,000.
The county is considering a grant as well; the advisory Joint Recommendations Committee was scheduled to make a decision at a meeting last week, but postponed it after hearing from Delridge residents who attended the meeting on Mercer Island to comment on the project. One of them, Karrie Kohlhaas, summarized some of the concerns that were voiced regarding the neighborhood’s characteristics:Read More
City grants Delridge DESC project ‘up to $4.45 million’
The proposed 75-apartment project on Delridge to provide housing for homeless people living with mental illness has been granted city money as well as state money, we have confirmed. According to Seattle Office of Housing spokesperson Julie Moore, the city grant to Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) is for “up to $4.45 million.” That follows the state’s decision to grant $500,000 to DESC’s Delridge Supportive Housing project, as reported here Wednesday.
When we first spoke with Moore yesterday, at which time she had confirmed the city funding decision but not the amount (which she provided today), she also said that her department wanted to clarify some of what was written on the “Concerned Neighbor” website we reported on yesterday, and she has provided a document that she says clarifies the city’s “siting policy,” which the anonymous author suggested did not synch with the DESC plan. Caveat: As with the “Concerned Neighbor” site info, we have no way to fact-check the info we’re pointing you to – but here it is, so you can make up your own mind.
A county group was set to potentially decide on DESC project funding yesterday, but delayed its decision after hearing from a group of Delridge residents who voiced concerns about the project. Meantime, DESC executive director Bill Hobson has answered questions we e-mailed him on Wednesday. He says they have not yet closed on the Delridge property (in the 5400 block); their architects are still working on a presentation for a not-yet-scheduled “Early Design Guidance” meeting of the Southwest Design Review Board. (We have requested a digital copy of a sketch that a Delridge attendee photographed at yesterday’s county meeting; if we don’t receive one, we’ll add that photo here.) Our note to Hobson was after word of the state funding but before word of the city funding; regarding the state funding, he says that the half-million dollars represent “around 3-4% of anticipated total project costs,” which would mean those costs are at least $12.5 million.
Delridge DESC proposal: ‘Concerned Neighbor’ posts research
ORIGINAL 11:46 AM REPORT: One day after reporting that the DESC proposal for a 75-unit homeless-housing project in Delridge is recommended for $500,000 state funding, we received word of a site at which an anonymous “Concerned Neighbor” has published research that s/he says is relevant to the proposal. We don’t have the research bandwidth to try to fact-check this, so we are not vouching for its accuracy, but here’s the link, so you can read for yourself if you’re interested. (Note the tabs leading to additional pages.) We asked DESC executives yesterday for comment on the funding report and still have not received a reply; if we do, we’ll ask them about this too.
2:16 PM UPDATE: We will have another story in the works for later today; we have heard from Delridge residents who attended a county meeting today regarding another funding request for the project, and we are told the decision was delayed because of concerns voiced by the residents.
4:17 PM UPDATE: Also revealed at that county meeting – the city has granted funding for the project. We have confirmed this with the city Office of Housing. As for how much – the Housing spokesperson is supposed to call us back with that information.
West Seattle traffic alert: Crash on Delridge offramp
9:49 PM: Police are blocking off the Delridge offramp from the westbound West Seattle Bridge because of a crash toward the bottom of the ramp. Surface traffic may be affected too. No details on the crash circumstances – the level of fire dispatch does not suggest major injuries – but avoid the area for a while.
10:30 PM UPDATE: Police just announced (scanner) that the offramp is reopening. The “gore point” at the ramp’s bottom, however, was described as “demolished,” and a city crew was being called out to fix it ASAP.
‘Greenway’ for 26th SW in Delridge? Letter follows ride
(Photos courtesy Mike Dady)
What started as a discussion on the North Delridge e-mail list quickly turned into something bigger – a bike ride with a visiting City Councilmember, to explore the possibility of a big change for 26th SW, a future as a “greenway” – a street-use concept the city is exploring (as detailed in this recent story from the Seattle Times [WSB partner]). Jake Vanderplas, who first brought the idea forward, CC’d us on a followup letter he sent to the entire City Council, recapping the ride and the concept. We asked for his permission to republish it here – so more people hear about the idea in the early stages:
On Saturday, October 15th, a group of Delridge neighbors met with Sally Bagshaw for a bike ride through the neighborhood to talk about turning 26th ave SW into a neighborhood greenway.
It was a diverse group of neighbors: there were “fast and furious” cyclists who are comfortable mixing with cars on Delridge, there were “willing but wary” cyclists who have rarely strayed beyond the Alki bike path. There were mothers riding with their kids in tow, and 26th ave residents concerned with speeding cars. There were members of the North Delridge Community Council, representatives from a local construction project, and a couple greenway advocates from other neighborhoods around the city. During our two hours of riding and conversation, we discussed a wide range of exciting ideas.
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Update: Woman hit by bus in South Delridge, but not seriously hurt
8:41 PM: Avoid 15th/Delridge/Roxbury for a while – police and fire are responding to the scene of some kind of accident. It was originally reported as “a woman trapped under a bus” but first units on the scene corrected that to say no one is trapped. However, police are closing off the area while they investigate.
9:02 PM UPDATE: WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz is at the scene. She says the woman is believed to have been hit by the bus but is not believed to have major injuries. Her top photo shows investigators looking under the bus after the woman had already been moved for medical attention.
9:17 PM UPDATE: Deanie says the bus has been towed and the roads have reopened. (This was in the intersection by the former Game Stop on the corner with the Roxbury Walgreens.)
Envisioning Delridge Way’s future: District Council takes it on
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Don’t just patch up Delridge Way SW – transform it.
That’s the idea behind a discussion that took up most of last night’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting. The reps from eastern West Seattle groups and organizations were planning for November, when Seattle City Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw and Tom Rasmussen, as well as representatives from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will join DNDC to discuss roadway improvements to Delridge Way.
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New feature at Delridge Skatepark: Adding a safety rail
(Photo added 1:37 pm as railing work continues)
Shortly after we published our report on last night’s Roxhill Park Skatespot meeting, Jay, asked in the comment section why Delridge Skatepark‘s “egg bowl” is currently “fenced off.” Our followup question to Seattle Parks‘ Kelly Davidson brought this reply: “Parks is having a two-level rail put around 50% of the egg bowl since safety issues were raised about toddlers from the wading pool wandering over, or pedestrians cutting the corner at night. There was concern either would fall into the deep end.” (From covering project meetings, we recall that the wading-pool concern had surfaced previously, more than once.) Davidson says the fence will be up “until tomorrow so the posts can cure.”
Video: Questions, concerns about homeless-housing project abound at first Delridge Community Forum
(Photo courtesy Holli Margell)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Three and a half months after first word of a proposed apartment project meant to house 75 homeless people living with mental illness and possibly substance abuse, questions and concerns still abound in Delridge.
That was the bottom line of last night’s first Delridge Community Forum, launching a new volunteer-organized series of mediated conversations on major topics of local interest. The DCF organizing group spun off from the North Delridge Neighborhood Council, after a June community meeting about the Downtown Emergency Service Center‘s proposal left a lot of dissatisfaction, particularly the fact it was in a tiny venue that led to a lot of turnaway.
For last night’s forum, which brought an estimated 150 people to the theater at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, organizers went to extensive lengths to try to ensure the event would not lean too heavily toward either the pro or con direction, and that it would not dissolve into an angry brouhaha. The only real flash of the latter potential happened when the meeting was already running overtime – and resulted in a quick adjournment.
Ahead – the key points of information and concern, including video of the presentations that preceded the Q/A:Read More
North Delridge Neighborhood Council: Previewing tonight’s DESC forum; traffic concerns; more
From Monday night’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting at Delridge Library:
(NDNC hearing from SDOT consultant Josh Stepherson; photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Major discussion points included a look ahead to tonight’s first Delridge Community Forum, about the DESC homeless-housing proposal, was a major item, as were the potential North Delridge traffic effects of the Fauntleroy Expressway Seismic Retrofit Project bridge/road work.
THE FORUM: DCF is a spinoff from NDNC, putting together a series of mediated community forums with the help of a city grant. Patrick Baer briefed the meeting on plans for tonight’s discussion (6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center), the first real chance for a big-group discussion about the 75-apartment projects that first came to light last June, including a meeting from which people had to be turned away. He has drawn a big-name guest list.
*Child care has been secured for the meeting. The room at Youngstown (4408 Delridge Way SW) has room for 300 (and there’s a room next door as backup for overflow); volunteers delivered 1,300 flyers around the area, in Spanish/English/Vietnamese, to get the word out. The format will be “world café,” including small-group discussions that report back to the full gathering. After conversations, there will be an opportunity for anyone interested in further action to convene and talk about it, but that will not be led by those who are leading the meeting. (More info at delridgeforum.blogspot.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/delridgeforum.) The next forum is already being planned; anyone interested in helping is invited to a get-together at 6:15 pm October 24 at Delridge Library.
Ahead, the city consultant who’s been briefing community groups on the bridge-retrofit project, and other traffic/transportation issues, plus prospective Delridge Community Center cuts, and an announcement with NDNC elections ahead:Read More
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