Making the case for membership, and other toplines from July 2025 Fauntleroy Community Association board meeting
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
If you live/work in Fauntleroy, why should you pay for Fauntleroy Community Association membership? That’s one of the questions for which the FCA board is working to refine answers, to make the case to more residents and businesspeople, as discussed during last night’s monthly board meeting in the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse conference room. But first:
POLICE UPDATE: Officer German Barreto, attending remotely, brought crime stats – Fauntleroy has had one robbery so far this year compared to zero by this time last year, and “everything else has gone down,” including burglaries and auto thefts (21 to this point last year, 7 this year), he said. Precinct-wide, the trends are similar. Confirmed “shots fired” incidents: Fauntleroy has had two compared to one by this point last year, In the entire Southwest Precinct (West Seattle and South Park), last year has had 57 to this point, compared to 53 this year. Asked why most categories had dropped, Barreto said he’d speculate the “directed patrols” proactively targeting hot spots (Alki, Westwood for example) were at least partly to thank.
ENCAMPMENTS: Attendees brought up people camping in Fauntleroy Park. Barreto said they’d been dealing with RVs in South Park so he wasn’t up to date on tent camps in West Seattle at the moment, but advised reporting via Find It Fix It, suggesting that “flooding it” with reports might help get attention on a particular site.
REZONING: Changes proposed for some parts of Fauntleroy were taken out of the city’s latest plan, and FCA president Frank Immel said that appears to be “a win for our community.” FCA board member Bill Wellington noted, though, that some of the changes seemed to have been made without coherent consideration. Impacts to the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse and its site were discussed, particularly a parcel immediately west of the nursery site that itself is west of the schoolhouse parking lot. They debated whether to talk with Seattle Public Schools – which still owns that part of the site – about the land and its future. They ultimately voted to support the map as currently proposed for Fauntleroy and will let City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s office know.
MEMBERSHIP: The organization wants to increase its paid membership. So, how? A higher profile at FCA-presented events was one suggestion made by Immel. Board member Kris Ilgenfritz suggested that they need to be clearer about what it is they do and why they as board members are involved. “It’s because we all care about the community,” vice president Catherine Bailey suggested. Board member Amber Heinemann, point person with the busnesscommunity, suggested posting membership info at businesses in the area (including hers, The Birdhouse coffee shop/café), and thought adding a QR code to the FCA’s quarterly newsletter would help too. She also suggested a bigger community board that the FCA could sponsor at her business. Much debate ensued over how to communicate the value of membership, and why people should join. How about joining forces with other neighborhoods for a booth at future West Seattle Summer Fests, or Farmers’ Markets, to help people connect? Board member Susan Lantz-Dey noted a past tagline, “Membership matters.” Treasurer Alan Grainger noted, “There’s going to be a lot happening in this neighborhood in the (years ahead)” and membership could be explained as a way to stay informed on it all, and have a voice. They decided to create a committee to take on the topic – maybe a marketing committee that would look at, and ostensibly improve, the ways the FCA communicates with community members.
GLASS FLOAT HUNT: The West Seattle-wide event is happening again this summer; FCA will participate again by buying floats and hiding them.
FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL FUNDRAISING: FCA doesn’t present the festival but supports it in a big way, so it’s a frequent topic at meetings. This year’s date is October 19. Donations cover the costs; the recent Super Deli Mart mini-block party brought in $600, and a new event – a golf tournament – will add more than $1,000, festival organizer Reed Haggerty reported …. Next month, The Birdhouse will offer a summer barbecue pop-up dinner, 5-7 pm August 19th – ribs, pulled pork, that sort of thing. Heinemann said they’re exploring closing the street for the event. They’ll probably have another fundraiser in September.
FERRY UPDATE: Immel, long the Fauntleroy rep on ferry-related committees, noted that the last Community Advisory Group meeting is set for four. weeks from now, and it’s expected that’s when WSF will unveil the final configuration of the replacement terminal. He noted, however, that while this moves the process into a new phase, there’s the issue of cost – the budgeted $95 million is not anywhere close to what the final price tag is likely to be. (The CAG meeting, online on August 6, will be open to the public as usual; you can go here to register for the viewing link.)
WHAT’S NEXT: No FCA meeting in August, so the next one will be at 6 pm Tuesday, September 9. Watch fauntleroy.net for updates in the meantime.
After a nationwide search, Fauntleroy Church, United Church of Christ, has found its new music director close to home. On July 1, Zachary Fitzgerald, a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington, will take the baton from retiring director Bronwyn Edwards.
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