Three years and three weeks ago, that fire heavily damaged the historic Highland Park Improvement Club building at 1116 SW Holden. The community trustees who oversee the nonprofit organization and its building immediately vowed to rebuild. It’s been a very long road but today HPIC has announced a major milestone – a demolition date, following a community celebration. Here’s the announcement we received from HPIC:

The Highland Park Improvement Club (HPIC), a community-owned nonprofit in West Seattle, is announcing the demolition of its 100-year old clubhouse tentatively scheduled for July 29, 2024. This significant event marks the next chapter of HPIC’s Rebuild Campaign, a $3.7 million capital project to replace the historic community center destroyed by fire in 2021. A farewell celebration will be held the day before on July 28, at 5 pm. Details will be announced on HPIC social media.

The demolition of the old clubhouse represents a pivotal moment for HPIC and the surrounding community. This project not only signifies the end of an era but also the beginning of a new chapter, focusing on rebuilding and revitalizing the community space that has been a cornerstone of the neighborhood for over a century.

“This demolition is not just about tearing down walls — it’s about building hope and opportunities for the future. We are committed to creating a space that will serve our community for generations to come,” said Rhonda Smith, President of HPIC.

The new HPIC building will feature modern amenities, expanded spaces for community gatherings, and programs catering to diverse groups, all designed with improved accessibility and sustainability in mind. Committed to preserving the community’s cultural heritage and fostering a vibrant community spirit, HPIC aims to create a welcoming space where neighbors can connect, thrive, and actively participate in shaping the future of the Highland Park/Riverview neighborhood.

HPIC has already secured $1.7M (46%) of the project’s cost, including a $50,000 award from the Neighborhood Matching Fund program, administered by Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods. This program requires HPIC to match the award amount through donated materials, donated professional services, cash, or volunteer time.

Community members, stakeholders, and all interested parties are encouraged to stay engaged by signing up for the HPIC newsletter at bit.ly/hpicnewsletter, which will provide updates on construction developments, upcoming events, and opportunities to get involved.

HPIC leaders say the demolition is expected to take about a week, with work planned 7 am to 5 pm daily. It’s been an extensive and intensive journey toward being able to rebuild, with other milestones along the way like this one back in February.

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Three weeks have passed since the deadline for proposals to develop the 9,425-square-foot ex-substation site on the southwest corner of 16th and Holden into a mixed-use building with “affordable homeownership” units. The city Office of Housing was seeking proposals for building ~16 for-sale residential units over commercial space at the site, and tells WSB that it received two proposals. They’re not commenting on who the proposals are from, but plan to choose a winner “in August.” This was one of half a dozen area ex-substation sites declared “surplus” by Seattle City Light more than a decade ago; after years of discussion and community advocacy, SCL transferred it to the Office of Housing to get this project off the ground Housing paid the site’s current valuation, $424,000, to SCL, using funding from Mandatory Housing Affordability fees paid by developers in lieu of including affordable housing in their own projects. The units in the eventual project, according to the city, “must be affordable to households with incomes at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) for the Seattle area,” taking into account “a 5% down payment, a monthly payment for housing costs (mortgage principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and other dues) of not more than 35% of income, a household size of one more person than number of bedrooms, and a realistic mortgage interest rate.” Assuming this plan proceeds to fruition, this will be only the second of those six surplus ex-substations to be developed into housing, after these “tiny townhomes” on Pigeon Point.

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What you see in the foreground of that photo is new netting for a play structure at Highland Park Elementary. You won’t see it there today – because somebody stole it between 6 pm last night and 6 am today. HPE’s Patti Bunting explains, “Someone cut the lock off the gate and dragged the netting off the playground using some sort of cart.” And that wouldn’t have been easy – she says the plastic-fiber rope is “so heavy the installation company was planning on using their front loader to move it.” That installation WAS supposed to happen within days. If you see the stolen netting, please contact the school – plbunting@seattleschools.org – we’ll add the police-report number when it’s available.

ADDED THURSDAY: The stolen netting is worth $17,000. Police report number is 24-933987.

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Good news for fans of Miso (Chef Korea) at 1513 SW Holden in Highland Park – the restaurant has reopened, and changed its hours. Two weeks ago, there were concerns it was gone for good when a sign reading SORRY CLOSED DOWN appeared on the door along with a city-issued water-shutoff warning. Then two days later, a new sign declared the closure “temporary,” and a social-media message said “see you in (a) few days,” explaining they were “temporarily closed for renovations.” So we’ve been watching, and confirmed today that Miso has reopened. We asked what they’d renovated, and the person behind the counter said they’d changed their mind about renovations. They did change their hours a bit – they’re now open 11 am to 9 pm, Mondays-Saturdays, closed Sundays.

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We still haven’t heard back from them directly but this morning, Miso – the eight-month-old Korean restaurant at 1513 SW Holden – has put up two messages saying their closure is temporary. First, while – as noted in our original report – the signage on the door was the same yesterday, we went by again a short time ago while in the area and found the new sign: “Sorry, we’re temporarily closed, but! still awesome.” The restaurant’s sporadically updated Instagram page also has changed since we last looked late last night, with the new message in the profile area, “We regret to inform you that we are temporarily closed for renovation. See you in few days again!” (It should be noted that a similar sign popped up a few days after what turned out to be the permanent closure of predecessor Wanna Burger and Teriyaki.)

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WSB: “What are the cost estimates of the three options? … And how much money has been spent so far on this very early stage of the project?”

SDOT: “We are engaging the community to shape the scope before we develop draft cost estimates for the options. Generally speaking, Option 1 (protected bike lane) has fewer construction needs since it removes a travel lane and adds concrete barriers. Option 2 (multiuse path) has more complex construction needs since it involves moving a curb line, potential drainage work, and a wider landscape buffer and path. So far, we have spent $145,000 for this project.”

WSB: “(SDOT reps at the meeting) had the current car traffic data. What is the most recent bicycle usage and pedestrian usage data for that section of HP Way?”

SDOT: (Provided table as seen below)

“We plan to collect additional data this summer.”

WSB: “It’s oft-cited ‘if you build the infrastructure (for riders) they will come.’ So it was asked (at the meeting), what is the bicycle usage data for other semi-new lanes in West Seattle, like the Delridge lane post-Delridge rechannelizing?”

SDOT: “We have not measured the bicycle usage on Delridge since the project was completed. We do have data from the West Marginal Way SW Safety Corridor Project, gathered from August-October last year:

“·Weekday bike volumes have increased by 144% from an average of 103 bikers before the project was installed to an average of 251 daily bikers. Weekend bike volumes have increased by 53%.

“·The number of people walking or using a mobility assistance device (like a wheelchair or accessibility scooter) increased significantly, 96% on weekdays and 91% on weekends.

“Here are a few local and national studies showing the effect of bike lanes:”
seattle.gov/documents/Departments/SDOT/About/DocumentLibrary/Reports/NE65thSt_Evaluation_Report_91620-1.pdf
trec.pdx.edu/research/project/583/Lessons_from_the_Green_Lanes:_Evaluating_Protected_Bike_Lanes_in_the_U.S._
nacto.org/2016/07/20/high-quality-bike-facilities-increase-ridership-make-biking-safer/

Those aren’t all the questions HPAC attendees had, just the ones we asked SDOT in followup, so watch for more info from HPAC. Meantime, whatever you think about the project, you can also comment – June 15 is the deadline – via this survey, or via email at HighlandHolden@seattle.gov, or via voicemail at 206-900-8741.

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ORIGINAL THURSDAY REPORT: Thanks for the tips. That’s the note on the door at Miso, which opened eight months ago at 1513 SW Holden in Highland Park. The other piece of paper is a Seattle Public Utilities notice dated today saying that water is facing imminent shutoff in the face of a $2,106 bill. Does this mean the restaurant is permanently closed? We’ve tried to reach the owner, including via phone numbers in licensing and corporate records, but have not made contact yet. Miso started serving Korean food last September in the space vacated five months earlier by Wanna Burger and Teriyaki. We’ll update with anything more we find out about its status.

FRIDAY UPDATE: Went by to check late this afternoon – still closed, same two notes on the door.

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The proposal to replace one downhill driving lane on the Highland Park Way hill with either a protected bicycle lane or expanded multi-use path is mostly about slowing down speeding drivers. That was made clear by an SDOT rep who was at last night’s HPAC meeting to talk about the plan.

The SDOT reps led by James Le were also there for Q&A, but more than a few questions went unanswered aside from “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

First, if you are reading this before Thursday evening, you have another opportunity to go try to get answers in person, 4-8 pm tonight at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW). That was supposed to be the last in-person event for now, but SDOT has just added another one this Saturday – more on that at the end of this story.

Backstory on the proposal: In 2020, SDOT had a plan for a bike lane on the Highland Park Way hill, but put it on hold. The concept re-emerged in a 2022 application for federal funding. Two weeks ago, SDOT formally announced a plan for a downhill bike lane and/or expanded path along about half a mile of the hill.

In the announcement of this plan on May 10, SDOT also opened a survey, which they tell us today has already brought in almost 1,000 responses. We don’t know how the opinions are going on that, but last night, with about two dozen people attending the online meeting, HPAC did an informal survey of its own:

(Zoom screengrab)

That “straw poll” had one option not in the SDOT survey or project plan – improving the existing path without removing a driving lane. Le was asked repeatedly if SDOT would consider an option that keeps the current motorized-vehicle-lane configuration, and Le eventually said, “Let me throw that back at you – how would you (slow traffic) without removing a lane?” He had repeatedly referred to traffic-slowing as a prime goal of the project, citing SDOT data showing that while the posted speed limit is 25 mph, hill traffic averages 43 mph, so, he said, “we have to redesign the roads.” The hill has too much “capacity,” he contended, which would be reduced by removing a driving lane. He cited 49 collisions of note in five years, including head-ons and sideswipes.

The danger of head-on collisions is one reason not to remove a lane, some attendees countered, saying that the lane reduction would mean nowhere to get around an obstacle, and asking if there was any consideration of a barrier between the two directions as a safety measure. Le said SDOT had considered “some barrier options” but none seemed feasible, so the lane removal is a “self-enforcing design.” One attendee said they were “strongly in favor” of that, and disagreed with other attendees’ contention that the single downhill lane would be a “chokepoint,” observing that drivers coming off Holden, for example, are in one lane as they turn onto the hill. That attendee was one of the few who identified themselves as riders, and also voiced support for the project providing a better connection for riders headed toward Georgetown.

Even if the hill seems to have “too much capacity” now, other attendees said, it should be preserved in case of access trouble such as a repeat of the West Seattle Bridge closure, which turned the Highland Park Way hill into a lifeline in and out of West Seattle for 2 1/2 years as the 1st Avenue South Bridge became the major detour route. “It’s a vital connector,” stressed one attendee. Le’s answer to concern about another West Seattle Bridge closure was, “I don’t think that will happen” – since the WS Bridge is expected to last its full lifespan following the repairs that reopened it in September 2022.

The questions that went unanswered included the cost/budget for the project. The SDOT reps said they didn’t have those numbers, repeating that it’s very early in the design process, and there’s no funding yet beyond “early design,” explaining that future funding would depend on what option they eventually decided to pursue. Attendees pressed the question of how much money is allotted so far, but that wasn’t answered. Nor was a question about how many bicycle riders and pedestrians use the hill path now. (We’ve sent those and other followup questions to SDOT’s media team today.) There also was a concern about how the bike path would be maintained, given that others – such as the relatively new one on Delridge – have been observed with leaves, broken glass, and other debris.

One attendee, identifying herself as a pedestrian as well as driver, said she wanted to see “traffic calming that is actually calming,” fearing the lane removal will be the opposite, invariably resulting in more road rage. What about stationing a police officer on the hill full time? asked another attendee. Le thought that would be “very expensive.” Also suggested: A “holistic” look at the traffic situation in Highland Park, considering all the changes implemented during and after the bridge closure, including the HP Way/Holden intersection work and all the “Home Zone” neighborhood traffic-calming installations.

Eventually the discussion ebbed and HPAC co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick ran the informal “straw poll” shown above. Le said all the feedback – including the HPAC meeting – would be compiled in a report that would be out midsummer or so. No date has been given for a final decision or for construction.

WHAT’S NEXT: As noted above, SDOT plans to be at Highland Park Corner Store tonight, 4-8 pm, and the project outreach team just told us this morning that they’ve added one more in-person tabling event for Q&A and feedback, this Saturday (May 25) at Delridge Farmers’ Market (9421 18th SW), 10 am-2 pm. The survey is open until June 15, and the project page offers an email address and voicemail line you can also use for feedback and/or questions. And though it’s not an official project-related event, the proposal is expected to be discussed at tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting too (6:30 pm online, connection info here).

ADDED FRIDAY NIGHT: We took some of the unanswered questions to SDOT post-meeting; here are the answers.

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A week and a half ago, we reported on SDOT‘s proposal to replace a downhill driving lane on the Highland Park Way hill with a protected bicycle lane (1st rendering below), an expanded multi-use path (2nd rendering below), or both (bike lane first, expanded path later).

The announcement and infopage list several opportunities to hear from/talk with SDOT reps about the plan, and the next two days bring three of those events, so we wanted to mention them: Two are tomorrow (Wednesday, May 22) – at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Brockey Center during the Spring Fling, 11 am-2 pm, and during the monthly HPAC meeting, 7 pm, online-only this month so go here to get the connection information. Then on Thursday (May 23), SDOT will be back at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW), 4-8 pm.

If you can’t get to any of those events in person, you can also comment online in survey format – go here by June 15 – or via email at HighlandHolden@seattle.gov.

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Thanks for the tips. This is the site of a long-awaited demolition in Highland Park – one of the vacant houses at 9th/Henderson, the subject of numerous complaints as well as fire calls. It was originally among the holdings of the late prolific real-estate investor Harvey Rowe but most recently, records show, it changed hands again three months ago, attributed to foreclosure. The status of permit applications for a 12-townhouse development on the 13,000+-square-foot site isn’t clear – they were originally filed almost two years ago before the ownership change; there are townhouse proposals for the parcels to the north, too.

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Option 1: Downhill Protected Bike Lane

For Option 1, we propose replacing the right northbound driving lane on Highland Park Way SW with a downhill protected bike lane. The bike lane would run parallel to the existing path and include a concrete barrier to divide the bike lane from traffic. At the intersection of Highland Park Way SW and West Marginal Way SW, we would add a diagonal bike crossing to connect people to the Duwamish River Trail … We would also add lighting and make some repairs to the existing path to improve accessibility for people walking and rolling.

Option 2: Multi-use Path

For Option 2, we propose replacing the existing path and the right northbound driving lane with a multi-use path. The multi-use path would include a wider landscape buffer and a wider path for people walking, rolling, and biking in both directions. This path will include bus stop landing pads in the landscape buffer, so people have a paved area to wait that is off the multi-use path. As in Option 1, we would add more lighting for people traveling along the path at night and add a diagonal bike crossing at the intersection of Highland Park Way SW and West Marginal Way SW to connect people to the Duwamish River Trail.

Option 3: Combination of Options 1 and 2

Option 3 is a combination of Options 1 and 2. In this approach, we would build the protected bike lane first – as it takes less time and less money to build – and then develop the new multi-use path later when additional funding is available.

You can see maps and more information – including the SDOT answer to “why not expand into the greenspace rather than remove a driving lane?” – on the project page.

FEEDBACK: This survey is open until June 15. Or you can email highlandholden@seattle.gov. SDOT also plans various info events over the next two weeks, also listed on the project page.

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

That “bag of bullets,” as one neighbor described it, is part of the reason why residents of one Highland Park neighborhood gathered for a “Living Room Conversation“ with police.

The neighbors who organized it, after surfacing safety concerns to various city departments, invited us to sit in on the recent gathering in the living room of their home near Westcrest Park. They were joined by SPD Sgt. Dorian Korieo, whose community-outreach-centered work supervising 32 people includes the living-room program (launched more than a decade ago), and Officer German Barreto, community-liaison officer at the Southwest Precinct.

“It’s your chance to ask a police officer (something) without there being a crisis,” explained Sgt. Korieo.

A question came quickly: “How can we help you?”

“We’re hiring,” Korieo smiled.

But you might not be looking for work, police or otherwise. So another way you can help is to report everything, the SPD reps said. “Mayor Harrell is very clear – if it doesn’t have a stat on it, it didn’t happen.”

For non-urgent incidents, they acknowledged the online-reporting system is somewhat clunky, but said it’s being overhauled. For incidents happening now or a short time ago, call or text 911. One attendee worried about “retaliation” from whomever she might be reporting. You can be anonymous, Officer Barreto assured her. If you want police to check back with you after investigating, you can ask for “phone contact,” not in-person contact, so an officer won’t be seen coming to your door.

Referring to a possible domestic-violence situation, one neighbor said she wanted to report it more so it would “be documented” than getting a police response “right now.” Korieo said, “We’d rather go to DVs and have them not be a thing, than be a thing.”

One “thing” that surfaced repeatedly during the discussion was gunfire. One neighbor brought the plastic bag of evidence shown above. Repeated rounds of suspected gunfire are a major reason why the residents who hosted the gathering started contacting the city (including Councilmember Rob Saka, whose district-relations director Leyla Gheisar attended) – they wanted to see a better way of reporting these incidents. “The shootings are insane,” one neighbor. The SPD reps said it again: Call 911. “I’d rather have you all call 911 than nobody call 911,” which happens sometimes because everyone assumes someone else already has. (One person didn’t call 911 because they didn’t hear anyone screaming. Call anyway, they were told.)

Can the neighbors put their own security camera on a utility pole? Answer: No. (But later it was explained that you can register your home camera[s] with SPD so they know who has a camera if something happens in the area.)

Other concerns: Auto thefts (and dumped cars stolen elsewhere). Mailbox break-ins. Racing, since their street is without speed humps and runs parallel to one that has them. Slow or no police response. RVs. Off-leash dogs.

Then the SPD reps pulled up some stats – citywide, not neighborhood-specific:

*168 gunfire responses through March this year, compared to 140 last year
*1,253 shell casings recovered in that time, up from 832, and 600 the year before that

The casings go into a system that checks what amounts to a “fingerprint for shell casings,” via the state crime lab. “We can trace whether it’s a new gun [not on record] or involved in something before” – and the “vast majority of shootings are coming from the same guns,” said Sgt. Korieo. “When we arrest somebody with one of these [repeatedly used] guns, we can trace back and see all the shootings they were involved with.”

Also on the subject of guns – no stats on ownership, Korieo said, since they’re not registered. Barreto added that if you choose to have a gun, “just be sure it’s secured in a safe that’s not gonna get” (stolen or broken into). “And don’t leave it in your car.”

Other weapons? Korieo, who leads Taser training too, did have a stat to cite, saying only about half of them work nationwide, and it might take up to 10 seconds for it to start to work. And remember, he warned, “any weapon you bring to the fight can be used against you.” The SPD reps suggested personal alarms – “they get noticed.” Stranger kidnappings, they said, are very rare, but if someone tries to grab you, “fight for your life, no holds barred.”

More stats, this time for auto thefts:

*80 percent of the cars being stolen now are Hyundais and Kias, up from 70 percent of the 8,550 vehicles stolen in Seattle last year
*Most are used for “secondary crimes,” from drive-by shootings to crash-and-grab burglaries to homicides – “we want to recover the vehicles so we can check for fingerprints”

But, the sergeant said, vehicle thefts are slowing right now – about 20 a day.

Regarding the Legislature approving the initiative loosening restrictions on pursuits, he noted that SPD has its own policy and that will be “slower to change.”

The discussion continued bouncing around a variety of topics. What if you call 911 and get pushback – they say they won’t send an officer? “Ask for their supervisor.” As the SPD reps pointed out, 911 is no longer part of the Police Department, it’s part of the CARE Department. (But, it was noted later, low SPD staffing levels may play a role in response realities, too; Korieo said many shifts have below-minimum staffing, which is when calls are put out for officers to work OT “augmenting” to try to get to minimum levels. Or even if minimum levels are achieved, certain types of calls can require extra backup – two officers if a suspect might be contacted, three or four if it’s a “scenes of violence”-type weapon-related injury, etc.)

Meantime, if you’re reporting a not-happening-now crime by phone, 911 might connect you to an officer in the Telephone Reporting Unit (TRU), six officers who, Sgt. Korieo said, handle 20 percent of reports.

Are catalytic-converter thefts still a problem? Not as much as they used to be. One emerging problem, though, according to the SPD reps, is copper-wire theft. Korieo said Washington and Oregon account for 30 percent of all copper-wire theft in the U.S.

Eventually the topic of RVs emerged. “If they were just quietly living their lives,” they wouldn’t be a concern, said one resident, “but we have recurring situations where they take over a block,” like at 9th/Henderson, and haven’t been receptive to neighbors’ offers of help. If there’s “illegal behavior” happening right now, call 911, Gheisar urged. Otherwise, the SPD reps said, use Find It Fix It – complaint volume is one of the factors considered by the Unified Care Team when discussing removals, which are currently happening “four or five (times) a week,” Korieo said.

Find It Fix It was also recommended for a traffic-calming request on streets besieged by racing, in addition to reporting it when/if it happens.

Another question – how should mail theft be handled? Report to SPD and also to the US Postal Inspection Service.

The night ended with neighbors expressing interest in setting up a personal-safety class (at least 15 people are required for that). And in response to a question about how much awareness is too much, regarding what’s going on in the neighborhood, Officer Barreto offered: “Hyper-vigilance is always a good thing.”

Also toward neighborhood cohesion – registration will open Wednesday (May 1) for this year’s Night Out block parties (August 6).

Interested in a Living Room Conversation? Sgt. Korieo’s contact info is on the program webpage.

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Continuing with today’s recycling theme – a different take on recycle/reuse, the classic rummage/yard/garage sale. The PTA/PTSAs of Highland Park Elementary and Pathfinder K-8 are teaming up on this “give and take” sale today – taking donations, with the motto “Give what you can, take what you need.”

Among those making this happen at the HPE campus (1012 SW Trenton) are Gretchen, Haley, Sher, and Ellen:

The sale’s on until 3 pm!

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Alki Point Healthy Street: Permanent.

High Point Healthy Street: Permanent.

Delridge/Highland Park Healthy Streets: Undecided.

And it might remain that way until late this year, the community coalition HPAC heard last night at its monthly meeting, facilitated by co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick.

SDOT’s Michael Taylor-Judd was there for the discussion during HPAC’s meeting at Southwest Library. He stressed that while he’s an outreach person for the Healthy Streets program, he’s not a decisionmaker, but promised he would convey what he heard. Here’s the stretch under discussion:

Taylor-Judd said it will get upgraded signage by summer, he said. He was asked to describe what a “Healthy Street” is; he went back to their pandemic roots, acknowledging the city said it was originally temporary, but “what we heard from the public was that people really liked the increased space” to walk, roll, and ride. “That led to an evaluation of all of them … to see if this is something that neighborhoods want to keep or not.” In most cases (Alki Point being an exception) these were rolled out on streets already designated as greenways, Taylor-Judd said. They are intended to be “safer routes” for people to use. They were evaluated on factors such as whether more people are walking, rolling and biking, is there neighborhood support, are fewer people driving? The stats he showed dated back to 2020 and 2021, but he said new data is to be collected soon. Two attendees said they haven’t seen pedestrian or bicyclist traffic on these stretches of streets. He said the decision is not likely to be made until year’s end, later than originally thought. The three questions would be:

-What part of the network should be kept/improved?
-What kind of barriers, amenities, signage are preferred?
-What part(s) should return to general usage?

Taylor-Judd explained that Healthy Street signage says Street Closed for legal requirements but they really are “local access.”

When the floor was opened for questions/comments, one person mentioned signage that obstructs view when turning. If the Healthy Street is made permanent, it will have smaller signage, Taylor-Judd said.

A resident near 18th/Trenton pointed to the problem with the Healthy Street designation for Trenton – nobody walks or rolls because traffic makes it too dangerous, she said. People are coming through off 16th and turning onto Trenton.
“Let’s open it back up,” she implored. “We need to allow the rest of our community to use the historic arterial. … Please, I wish it would go away.” Taylor-Judd said that as the outreach person, he’s heard a lot of feedback along those lines. No one in attendance countered that. Kirkpatrick said Trenton in that area is a vital corridor for the area – to get to food, schools, etc., that east-west route is important. Further east, what about near Highland Park Elementary? Another attendee said drivers have to dodge the signage in the area and it just needs to open up. Yet another said he’s in favor of removing all barricades that “block the street.”

17th is a greenway in the area. So what’s the difference between a Healthy Street and a greenway? Taylor-Judd was then asked. Not much, currently, he said, “but I think you will see more distance in the future between the two.” with SDOT planning and implementing more-permanent features that will further discourage cut-through driving.

Another area resident said he supports many sections of Healthy Street and has often replaced signage that is moved or defaced. It’s a subject of tension, he said, recounting how one neighbor “has even threatened (an SDOT worker) with a gun,” he said, adding that the problem in his view is drivers’ bad behavior, not the signage. But that bad behavior is a result of the signage, others countered; the resident begged to differ, saying he bikes “thousands of miles” through the city each year and sees many examples of that “bad behavior.” Taylor-Judd said they hear the gamut of comments, from people who want streets to be cars-only to people who want streets to be car-free.

Next concern voiced was about drivers who feel they can “park anywhere they want” or “any way they want” including both sides of a street, rendering it one lane – which, Taylor-Judd said, is legal.

Also brought up: All the speed bumps added in recent years, mostly as part of the Home Zone program. An attendee who said they mostly seem unnecessary to him but there’s “one block” of 10th between Henderson and Trenton (near HP Elementary) where at least one would be helpful.

The meeting time ran out, but Taylor-Judd stressed that this stretch of Healthy Street is still open for community feedback until fall – healthystreets@seattle.gov or 206-900-8760 – leave a message and Taylor-Judd or someone else on the outreach team will call you back.

In closing, Kirkpatrick asked about the goal of the evaluation. Everything on the map in purple is yet to be decided, said Taylor-Judd, so they need to figure out what to do about that. What’s the process? she then asked, hoping for a “more robust process.” He said more traffic-data gathering is planned as well as more outreach to community groups and other advocacy groups, local schools, etc. “If you want to make sure you don’t miss any updates,” sign up for project emails via the website. Kirkpatrick clarified, “I think what the community is hoping is that there’s not a quiet time and then suddenly a decision drops.” Taylor-Judd said he’d do his best to ensure it doesn’t play out that way.

SEATTLE POLICE: Earlier, HPAC heard from SPD Community Liaison Officer German Barreto. Highland Park and South Delridge crime stats: Most categories including aggravated assaults and burglary are down year to year, he said; remember that if something does happen, call 911 (NOT the non-emergency number, he reminded everyone – the calltaker will “triage you” and figure out the best way to deal with your call). One person voiced concern about RVs on Henderson and “sexual activity”; that too would be a 911 call, Barreto said. What about illegal parking in general? asked another attendee. Officer Barreto said they have to try to get people to voluntarily comply – especially if it’s a vehicle in which someone seems to be living – rather than aggressively towing as in long-ago days. Is there any initiative to bring back more Community Police Team officers, as they had years ago? Barreto noted that he’s the lone “community liaison” for this precinct, a job five people used to do, and addition of more is unlikely any time soon because of the SPD staffing crunch. Speaking of the staffing crunch, any hope of it easing? asked another person. Short answer, not right now, in the officer’s view … he said they’ve been making suggestions to councilmembers, though, for ways to enhance hiring and retention, such as offering medical coverage after retirement, which some other police departments do. … He reminded everyone that Saturday’s Drug Take-Back Day also will feature free shredding, up to three boxes, 10 am-2 pm at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).

DELRIDGE TRIANGLE PARK: Kirkpatrick had another update on this SDOT-owned site that community members had long hoped to convert into a park – the city’s eventual plan is to vacate the 18th SW street end so that the triangle can be joined with another nearby piece of city-owned land.

GREENBELT HIKES: West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails‘ free guided monthly hikes have launched – 30 people showed up last Saturday, said Craig Rankin. Next one is May 18.

NEXT HPAC MEETING: The coalition meets fourth Wednesday most months, various locations and/or online. Watch the HPAC website for updates.

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As folks are starting to get out and about, gearing up for spring and summer walking and rolling, SDOT will be our guest this month to talk about the future for the Delridge/Highland Park Healthy Street network. All users of the routes in question are welcome, regardless of where you live.

These routes were put in place during the pandemic to broaden access to safe outdoor spaces. Most often they were installed along existing or planned Neighborhood Greenways. Streets being considered for changes include portions of 21st Ave SW, 15th Ave SW, 17th Ave SW, 11th Ave SW, SW Webster and SW Trenton, noted in dashed purple lines on this map.

We understand that Planners want to hear:

-What part of the network should be kept and improved?
-What kind of barriers, amenities and signage are preferred?
-What part(s) should return to general usage?

We will also expect to have Seattle Police Department representatives on hand to answer community questions and hear any concerns.

Look forward to seeing folks in person!

General announcements:

Just in!! We have an Update on “The HUMM.” From concerned resident Matthew H, who has been leading outreach on this quality of life issue:

“I’ve been in touch with CalPortland and they conceded their industrial vacuums are creating noise. The mufflers they installed wore out faster than they thought they would. They assured me that the new mufflers would be installed by the end of the month.”

For those not aware, or new to the area. These huge vacuums are used by the concrete supply companies along the Duwamish Waterway to unload powdered materials shipped here to use in their products. Hopefully they are able to get these repaired shortly as promised!

That turned out to be the source of the sound back when we covered community advocates’ quest to figure out the same problem more than a decade ago, and as we’ve told people more recently, the sporadic reports of its return have usually coincided with a dry-cargo ship being in port on the river. Meantime, HPAC’s meeting starts at 6:30 pm Wednesday (April 24) at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW).

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