West Seattle, Washington
16 Sunday
The fourth Wednesday of the month – tomorrow – usually would be HPAC meeting night, but the community coalition for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge is skipping this month:
We hope everyone has been making the most of this beautiful autumn season. HPAC’s October gathering won’t be taking place as originally scheduled. However, we’re hoping to reconvene in November or December for a special session where we’ll dive into the revised design for the Highland Park Way SW hill project with SDOT.
SDOT announced last March that it was proceeding with the project to replace a downhill driving lane with biking/walking/rolling infrastructure
By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Projects, crime stats, and City Council candidates were on the agenda when the Morgan Community Association had its quarterly meeting this past Wednesday at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene. About a dozen people attended, both in person and online.
The big news to come out of the meeting was the cancellation of next year’s Morgan Junction Community Festival. The festival was usually one of the first of the summer, held in June, featuring local musicians, vendors, and a place for other local community groups to advocate to attendees. The reason given for its cancellation given was a combination of a lack of funding, issues with overall attendance, and a lack of variety in new groups to bring to the event. “We need new blood to bring the festival to life … In additional conversations, we determined those things had not occurred.” said Christopher Miller, MoCA secretary. (President Deb Barker could not attend, so board members led the meeting.) He also said, however, they were considering other opportunities for MoCA to present events: “We are looking at new ways to activate public space in one-off ways, looking at projects like that, and other directions we can try to go when the [Morgan Junction] park (addition) is open.”
The other big news was that the park addition site will be open to the public as soon as November as it transitions between phases of development. The site has been hydroseeded , meaning that a new blanket of grass will grow soon over the filled and leveled site, expedited by the rainy season.
Olivia Reed, a planner from Seattle Parks and Recreation, came to deliver a presentation on the status of the site, north of the existing park. “The [additional site] project will go into construction winter 2026 [as in, December of next year], so the fencing around the site will be removed in the next couple of months, and it’ll be open until construction begins.” she said. She also said that the addition site project progress is on pace, with the primary design consultants are under contract. They are working now on finalizing the design requirements for the project. She said there will be additional chances for the community to input feedback on the proposed design before construction begins. (The issue of how and whether it will include a skatable area has not yet been settled – here’s our recent update after a site meeting with Parks reps and community members including the group MJAWA that has long been working for the feature to be in the project.)
Just in from Alki Community Council president Charlotte Starck, word that tomorrow night’s scheduled monthly meeting is outta there:
We’ve heard the powerful voice of baseball fans. :) We are canceling tomorrow night’s 7 pm Alki Community Council meeting to allow everyone to enjoy the Mariners playoff game. We look forward to rescheduling with our presenters and seeing you in person at our next meeting Thursday, November 20th.
After their 13-4 loss to Toronto tonight at T-Mobile Park, the M’s are still up 2-1 in the best of seven American League Championship Series; first pitch Thursday is just after 5:30 pm.
If you’re interested in finding out more about what’s happening in your neighborhood, you’re in luck if you live, work, shop, study, play in one of the three West Seattle neighborhoods whose community coalitions meet this week.
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, TUESDAY: This is a hybrid monthly FCA board meeting, with community members welcome to attend too, 6 pm Tuesday (October 14) at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW) or online. Agenda highlights are here; you can register for online attendance at fauntleroy.net/meetings.
MORGAN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, WEDNESDAY: This is a hybrid quarterly meeting of MoCA, 7 pm Wednesday (October 15) at West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd SW and SW Juneau) or online. Agenda highlights and the online-attendance link are here.
ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL, THURSDAY: This is an in-person-only monthly meeting of the ACC, 7 pm Thursday (October 16) at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds). Agenda highlights are in the newsletter the ACC sent tonight.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
From trails through the greenbelt to connections across the blacktop, HPAC‘s first fall meeting covered a lot of ground. The community coalition for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge gathered at Delridge Library this past Wednesday night.
POLICE UPDATES: These updates usually start community-coalition meetings, with rotating representatives from the department, this time Community Service Officers. The year-to-date stats they brought for all of the Southwest Precinct were the same ones we’ve reported in coverage of other recent West Seattle community meetings; for Highland Park specifically, shootings, burglaries, motor-vehicle thefts, and thefts in general are down, robberies, aggravated assaults, rapes, and arsons are up, and there’ve been no homicides so far this year (same as at this point last year).
There was some discussion of the new SPD directive to report parking violations by phone rather than via the Find It Fix It app. The point seems to be that SPD wants these reports to come in in real time, rather than in a system where they might not be seen for a day or two. That led to a discussion of encampment concerns and potential new parking restrictions, including a growing encampment at the bottom of Highland Park Way hill. Perhaps the greenbelt gate could be closed at night? was the question. (Nobody from Seattle Parks was there, so that’ll have to be brought up in another way.) There were also concerns about fires in the area; one response from last Monday was mentioned, in the 6700 block of West Marginal Way (categorized as “rubbish fire” but no other info available).
RIDGE 2 RIVER: Speaking of the greenbelt, this organization currently has a survey open to help determine where trails should go in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, the city’s longest contiguous stretch of forest, mostly running through eastern West Seattle. Paul spoke; he explained that his group has a “broader definition of the WDG than the city does.” Yes, the WDG already has some trails; Paul noted that sibling organization West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails has mapped current trails but they’re mostly unplanned, uncoordinated, given that it “over time developed this network of trails which is fun to explore but it’s an adhoc process and not … the best system that could be there in terms of serving the community’s needs, environmental impact, etc. … If we were thinking about the greenbelt holistically,” something different would be created. They’re in the midst of a two-year process to determine that.
Where do people want to go? How do they want to get there? How can they avoid geologically unstable areas? In addition to community input, they’re also launching an expert analysis of the greenbelt. And they’re mapping destinations like həʔapus Village Park and Shoreline Habitat, Westcrest Park, Riverview Playfield, although “we don’t know if people would really use trails to get to those places.” Could there be a spine trail that would get you to almost anywhere in the greenbelt? Current phase, bottom line, information gathering, “and then out of that we’re going to develop some alternatives for different levels of greenbelt improvements” and they’ll have some community meetings for input, then a city process, and probably around early 2027 they’ll have a “preferred alterntive.”
They really want people to take the survey – only 200 have so far – it’s a long survey but Paul said they’re “fun questions.” If you can, go walk in the greenbelt and then take the survey! WDGT has monthly hikes if you want to go with a group – they have two more, in October 18 (from Pathfinder K-8) and November 15 (from the north end of the South Seattle College campus), before winter. The survey will be open until they get enough responses, so probably at least a couple more months. They’re doing in-person outreach too, including tabling at last Saturday’s West Seattle Ecology Fair.
RECONNECT SOUTH PARK: Maria and Jorge were there from the organization exploring the idea of reconnecting the community torn apart by Highway 99; she gave the backstory. They’re currently looking at the “reroute and reclaim” option. She noted she’s never been able to look at the highway the same way since learning it covers what was once a fertile valley where abundant food was grown. People who live by it now live 11 years less on average than others – not just because of the highway, but that’s a large contributor. She explained the state provided funding for them to do a community study and technical analysis. “The highway created 22 dead-end streets in South Park,” Maria said. And of course there’d be a question of where the truck traffic goes. The project has been under way for three years. Before turning it over to Jorge, Maria stressed, “We’re not anywhere near design – this round is about identifying an option and taking a look at whether it’s possible. This is about what we’re leaving for our kids. We all have to look ahead and not just think about us right now.”
Of the possibilities suggested so far, Jorge said the Reroute and Reclaim option would eliminate the freeway. “That could create 2700 new jobs, would reduce South Park traffic by 64 percent.” Second and third options are similar – the highway would turn into a boulevard, like Delridge. 25 percent less traffic or 47 percent less traffic. All the reclaimed land would be available for new housing and parks. The last option is “bridges and trails,” with the highway staying the same but adding community connections “on both sides.” Maria pointed out that the big clover-leaf intersection would be removed.
To some, this may all sound like an impossible dream or foolish venture, but: “We can be bold,” Maria exhorted. Supporters are certain it would increase safety, business, communication. She said they’ve gotten youth involved with this too, including the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps. If you’re interested in finding out more or even pitching in to help, volunteers@reconnectsouthpark.org is the email address.
NEXT MEETING: HPAC is planning to meet at the Southwest Library next month; October 22, since the fourth Wednesday is their usual meeting night. Watch hpaction.org for updates.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
West Seattle’s first community-council meeting of fall was on the second night of fall, as the Admiral Neighborhood Association held its every-other-month gathering at the Admiral HUB (formerly church) this past Tuesday. We’ve already featured two news items from the meeting; here’s the full story:
SOUTHWEST PRECINCT POLICE: This briefing was presented by Lt. Wes Collier, the second-watch (dayside) commander, relatively new to the Southwest Precinct, after a variety of roles in the department – “I’ve been around for a while.”
He brought an update on the 27th SW shooting, as noted here, and also talked about Admiral-specific crime trends. Robberies are up 44 percent – a category of crime covering more than you think – could be a shoplifter making a threat or using violence. There’ve been four more in Admiral this year to date compared to last year. “That is a cause for concern.” He also said Southwest Precinct response times are slower than the – minute goal – currently 10 minutes, even for highest-priority calls (“if you tell me someone is here right now”). He said he’d be addressing that at a gathering Monday, the next day most of his officers are on duty because of an overlap. He declared he’s “no stranger to holding people accountable.” An attendee asked, “What’s the vibe about the end of the consent decree?” Reply: “A weight off our shoulders.” Another question: What about staffing? (As noted in our story on the mayor’s proposed budget – more hires, fewer departures than expected.) What about planning for next year’s World Cup matches? Planning began last year, Lt. Collier said. “We treat all the (big sporting events) as practice runs” for that, plus they’ve had a lot of drills – they’ve also sent police and POET (protest-focused team) members to London “to see how they handle it.”
Lt. Collier also noted the Traffic Unit has two motorcycle officers day shift who can do, and are doing, traffic enforcement. One attendee had words of praise for officers who were on Alki on the Fourth of July; another attendee said the Don Armeni Boat Ramp nighttime closures have been helpful: “It kept things nice and calm.” Lt. Collier said he’s going to dedicate two officers to an “09” car – emphasis patrol (which has been done on Alki and Westwood), taking orders directly from the watch commander rather than dispatchers (unless of course there’s a major emergency). He hopes to dedicate them to vehicle thefts, among other things. He also gave a short introduction to Matt Brown, who’ll be filling in for Jennifer Satterwhite as Crime Prevention Coordinator during her upcoming maternity leave. (Brown is South Precinct CPC right now.)
SCHOOL BOARD: Board president and West Seattle (and vicinity) director Gina Topp (who’s also a local small-biz owner, as a partner in Admiral’s Mission Cantina) was the next guest.
Enrollment is steady, finances are not – they’re facing an $80 million deficit, she noted, out of a $1.3 billion budget for a 49,000-student district. She said they’re trying hard to “protect what students need most.” Then there’s the superintendent search. They’ve heard from families, students, other community members, and they have a “leadership profile.” As noted in our Tuesday story, they have 41 qualified applicants for the job. “That is great – we are super excited about that number.” First review as a board is this Friday, she said. And as we recently reported, Alki Elementary remains on (revised) schedule to open in September of next year. One man noted that 43 percent of his property taxes go to education; Topp agreed it’s regressive taxation. Another attendee noted that West Seattle HS’s student body count – more than 1500 – is larger than last year, so how’s the district count now? Holding steady (100 more than last year, per figures presented to the board this week), although the graduating class is larger than incoming kindergarten, Topp said. “Looks like we may be plateau’ing a bit.”
An attendee who identified herself as a late-career SPS nurse said she’s one for 1,600 at her (non-WS) school, and before that 1,100. “We saved this community during COVID.” She talked about the effects of the lunch split – today she had two suicide threats, a dozen diabetics, and the idea of one nurse handling 1200 students is almost impossible. She seldom gets lunch and says it’s an impossible job for one person to handle. “You need to look at Health Services” and related areas, she implored. Another attendee mentioned that 2026 graduation dates are right up against the local FIFA World Cup matches and that’s going to make things difficult. “I hope there’s been some thought about moving the ceremonies early.” The attendee also talked about his child’s school using PTA fundraising for a school nurse and counselor, and he hoped that would be allowed where it’s possible so that district resources could be freed up to cover such services at schools that don’t have a fundraising capacity. He also suggested the district could be making more money off some of its facilities, like Nino Cantu Douthwest Athletic Complex. Overall, he said, “I’d like to see a new focus on fundraising.”
In wrapping, Topp noted that the next night’s board meeting – which also tackled the high-school lunch issue (WSB coverage here) – was planned in work session format, so no in-person public comment
EVENTS: President Joanie Jacobs sang the praises of volunteers. First, the two new coordinators of the Fourth of July Kids’ Parade … the organizers of the AMP concert series … and everybody who helped with the Admiral Block Party. Now it’s fall and it’s time for more fun, including Trick or Treating. Volunteers will be needed for the October 24 trick-or-treat event, as well as December 13 business event Winter Wonderland. Trick or Treating will go from Avamere in North Admiral to Charlestown/California in South Admiral. It’ll go back to 3 pm to 6 pm this year. Also ahead, 7 pm October 7 at West Seattle Realty (2715 California SW; WSB sponsor) is a gathering for prospective volunteers, for both the trick-or-treating event and Winter Wonderland.
ADMIRAL EMERGENCY HUB: Hiawatha is a gathering spot in case of catastrophe, with a big box full of emergency supplies. There’s a new hub captain, and the outgoing one spoke to the group, explaining what would happen there in case of trouble – the communication that would happen because regular channels would be down. Lt. Collier was asked about police readiness; he said they’d of course do what it took to help keep people safe, but also advised that people sign up for Alert Seattle, and mentioned that many more officers are trained as EMTs now.
NEXT ANA MEETING: November, which will include board elections. Possibly November 18, since the second Tuesday is Veterans’ Day and they don’t think that’s the proper night for a community council meeting. Watch the website for updates.
Often on Sundays, we look ahead to notable events in the coming week. This Tuesday (September 23), the Admiral Neighborhood Association invites community members to its every-other-month general gathering. Here’s the ANA preview:
Our special guest will be Seattle Public School Board President Gina Topp, who will be with us to talk about the state of the District as we begin a new school year. The meeting will now be held at 7 pm at the “Admiral Hub” (formerly Admiral Church) building on SW Hill Street and 44th Ave SW. Also present will be one of our friends from the SW Precinct. We will have some highlights from our Summer events as well as a look ahead to Fall/Winter.
P.S. The Admiral Hub itself – and what’s happening with the building now that the church and preschool have moved out – will be the topic of a WSB story we hope to publish tonight.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“It’s been a busy month so far,” observed Alki Community Council president Charlotte Starck at the start of last night’s meeting. That was no exaggeration, given the major topics the meeting spanned in the course of just an hour and a half. They included:
REZONING VOTE: Starck mentioned the results of the Comprehensive Plan amendment votes hours earlier, including the rejection of citywide Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck‘s Amendment 34 proposal to add an area of Alki to be designated as a Neighborhood Center. She had circulated word of the proposal, made in an amendment just a month ago, and said she and the ACC weren’t advocating for or against it, just saying that there wasn’t enough notification about it compared to the many months of lead time for other proposed Neighborhood Centers. One attendee was concerned about how they’ll get word if the Alki Neighborhood Center idea is revived again in the future. (And in fact, Starck tells WSB today that an expected proposal at the council’s 2 pm meeting today would call for spending a year studying Alki and the other seven potential Neighborhood Centers that were in Amendment 34 – see page 6 here.)
PARKS UPDATE INCLUDING BOAT RAMP CHANGE: Jon Jainga from Seattle Parks, who’s in charge of Park Rangers among other things, presented department updates from what was dubbed the “Summer of Safety” plan. He said one big lesson learned involved city-operated boat ramps including West Seattle’s Don Armeni Boat Ramp – they were going to go back to 24-hour operation but now the gates will be closed at Don Armeni and Golden Gardens at 11:30 pm until further notice. Private security will close the gates and a ranger will be on until 12:30 am to check on them, until Park Rangers’ shifts will move up to a 10:30 pm end. Jainga noted, though, that he still has 19 rangers for the entire city.
Stats included that rangers have visited Alki 168 times, performed 142 customer-service acts, educated people aboard littering and drinking, and that off-leash dogs have been an ongoing problem. “We’re not police officers, we’re more of a park ambassador,” aimed at getting voluntary compliance. But if they have to escalate, they can cite – and/or call police for no-trespassing orders.
At Alki, he said, rangers gave 2,075 liquor violence warnings, 515+ offleash animal warnings, 600+ for urinating in public, 220 for smoking, 110 for unpermitted vendors on park property (they’re working to get right to enforce on sidewalk), 104 for litter, 2 for vehicles parked in unauthorized times, 666 for fires in unpermitted areas, 45 911 calls for police assistance, 18 calls to SFD for help, 6 people referred to the Unified Care Team. Jainga said they’re still analyzing everything, because it was a first summer for many things – but he said the ongoing concerns are the same at other major city parks.
SEATTLE POLICE: Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair (photo above) and Officer German Barreto were there, as were Community Service Officers Jamie and Helene, as was Crime Prevention Coordinator Matt Brown, who will add the Southwest Precinct to his South Precinct duties when SW CPC Jennifer Satterwhite goes on maternity leave next month.
Community-group meetings are starting to resume after summer hiatus. Last night, the Fauntleroy Community Association board met, online only in a last-minute change after learning their usual venue, the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse conference room, was unavailable. Here are our topline notes:
CRIME STATS: First guest was Jennifer Satterwhite, longtime crime-prevention coordinator from the Southwest Precinct (a civilian position). She summarized the latest precinct-wide crime stats, saying reported crime overall is down 15 percent – that’s 530 fewer incidents than by this time last year. The precinct has had (corrected) 69 confirmed gunfire incidents this year, six fewer than a year earlier, with six resulting in injuries, zero deaths. She also said robbery is down 25 percent, burglary down 30 percent, and motor-vehicle theft is down 35 percent. On the subject of burglary, she said this summer has been devoid of burglaries along the lines of “broke in through an open-because-it’s-summer” window or door, but she continues to urge people to assess their own homes with a critical eye: “If you were a burglar, where would YOU break into your home?” She added that alarm systems aren’t fail-safes, because so many alarms are false that SPD only responds to the ones where an intruder is confirmed. She offers free home assessments; email her at jennifer.satterwhite@seattle.gov if interested. (Side note – the next community meeting to talk about crime and safety, the Southwest Precinct Advisory Council, is set for 6:30 pm October 7 at Alki Masonic Center in The Junction.)
FALL EVENTS: We’ve previewed these already – the FCA Pumpkin Search is October 4, the Fauntleroy Fall Festival is October 19. (The latter is supported, but not presented, by FCA, and there was a lengthy discussion of how much the association is able to give to the donation-and-volunteer-powered festival this year and how its support could or should be integrated into festival operations.)
REZONING: The City Council‘s public hearing this Friday on the Comprehensive Plan and accompanying rezoning was discussed. FCA leadership had worked with District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka on revising the boundaries for the proposed Endolyne/Fauntleroy “Neighborhood Center,” primarily to remove the schoolhouse – a nonprofit-owned community center – as well as some Fauntleroy Way frontage. Whatever you think about it, president Frank Immel said, it’s important to let the councilmembers know. Chris, a community member in attendance, asked how the FCA had arrived at the position that the Neighborhood Center boundaries should be reduced. He’s been in attendance at the board meetings and didn’t recall a vote or other way of determining that was the consensus. FCA board members explained community members had sent 600 letters expressing opposition to the rezoning as proposed, though they also said, “We don’t oppose the upzone – we are accepting change.” There was an extensive discussion of how/whether issues like this could/should be taken to the community before taking it up with the city. It was also noted that unlike other neighborhood groups, the FCA does a community survey every two years to ask what issues are of most interest and where residents stand on them; here are the 2023 results. (More info about Friday’s City Council hearing, including amendment links, are in today’s newsletter sent by Councilmember Saka.)
FERRY MATTERS: No new date for the final Community Advisory Group meeting on the terminal rebuild. In day-to-day matters, it was noted that Vashon Island schools – like others – are back in session, and while island-bound students usually head out on the 7 am boat, on Fridays the Vashon schools start two hours late, so they’re headed out at 9 am.
OTHER PROJECTS: Also mentioned fairly briefly, the Fauntleroy/Rose pedestrian improvements (as discussed at the previous Morgan Community Association meeting), the Fauntleroy Creek culvert emergency repairs (which are supposed to be complete before the Fall Festival, otherwise parking-lot activities will be moved to the schoolhouse grounds), and the Brace Point power-cable-replacement project.
The Fauntleroy Community Association board meets second Tuesdays, 6 pm, usually in person and online – go here for info.
Sweta sent the report and photos, so neighbors’ good deeds in South Alki would get wider exposure:
There’s a man and neighbors who have been hard at work improving the Spokane Street staircase.
They’ve cleared most of the bramble and added new plantings as well as adding the bench and the fish artwork (the man is a woodworker too).
I thought it might be worth noting these folks and their efforts on the blog.
(WSB photo by Dave Gershgorn: Award recipient Stu Hennessey at the mic, with WSB’s Tracy Record and ANA’s Joanie Jacobs at left)
You might know Stu Hennessey as founder of Alki Bike and Board in the Admiral District. But he’s done so much more to help make this a better place to work, live, study, and play, and so the Admiral Neighborhood Association presented him at Saturday’s Admiral Block Party with the first annual Patrick Sand Community Advocate Award. Named in memory of WSB’s co-founder, the award is meant by ANA to “celebrate an individual whose in-front-of as well as behind-the-scenes service and commitment have made a lasting impact on the Admiral District of West Seattle.” Stu was chosen from nominations sent by community members. His community work includes advocating for a Walkable Admiral, helping lead Sustainable West Seattle in its heyday, inspiring park- and garden-lovers everywhere by growing Puget Ridge Edible Park from idea to reality, leading bike rides exploring local street features like greenways, and more. As we said during the presentation, Patrick would be happy to hear he’d inspired a new honor for unsung heroes! Thanks to ANA’s Dan Jacobs and Joanie Jacobs for creating that honor, and watch for nominations to open next spring.
(Google Maps Street View image)
The parking lot shared by High Point Library and the Neighborcare Health clinic has been a hub of trouble and concern for years – with incidents like this – and it’ll be the subject of a community-safety meeting in two weeks. We were asked to help get the word out, so here’s the announcement:
Community Safety Meeting : High Point Neighborcare & High Point Library Parking Lot
Thursday, September 4, 2025 6:00 PM-7:30 PM
High Point Seattle Public Library – 3411 SW Raymond StCommunity safety meeting with the hopes of hearing from community members in the High Point area about concerns related to this parking lot. All are welcome.
Organizers hope to have representatives from not only the library and clinic, but also SPD, High Point community groups, the Seattle Housing Authority, and City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s office.
Looking ahead past this weekend, next weekend’s biggest even is the third annual Admiral Block Party, a street festival on California SW north of SW Admiral Way. The street will close for setup (and advance revelry) on Friday night (August 22), and then the Block Party is all day and into the evening on Saturday (August 23). That includes main-stage live music; we’ve published the performer plan, but the times are now set too, as provided by Dan Jacobs from the Admiral Neighborhood Association – which presents the Block Party:
Justin Kausal-Hayes – 11 am
Sad Dad Autumn – 12:00 pm
School of Rock – 1:15 pm
Michael Pearsall – 2:30 pm
Potholes – 3:45 pm
Baby Crow Flight School – 5:15 pm
Six Killers – 6:30 pm
Sun King – 7:45 pm
Again, those times are all for Saturday, August 23. We’ll have vendor highlights in our next preview.
Summer’s big West Seattle events aren’t over yet. Among those yet to come, the Admiral Block Party, two weeks from today, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, in the street on California SW north of Admiral Way:
As noted on the poster – and in our most-recent preview – the August 23rd Admiral Block Party will have something in common with last month’s West Seattle Summer Fest this year – an “Eve” where the street’s closed for setup the night before, so you can come over and wander, enjoy sidewalk cafés, etc. That’ll be Friday night, August 22.
One important thing you might be able to help with right now: Volunteer to help make the Admiral Block Party happen! Here are the details:
Help us put on our “end of summer” celebration by volunteering for the Block Party:
Friday 8/15-Sunday 8/17 – poster distribution to area businesses. This can be done anytime over the weekend.
Thursday 8/21 – 6 pm-8 pm Street / parking strip cleanup on California Ave between College and Admiral Way
Friday 8/22 – 1 pm barricade placement for restaurant seating extensions.
Saturday 8/23 – load in and load out of sound gear for Main Stage bands.
11:30 am-2 pm / 2 pm-4:30 pm / 4:30-6:30 pm / 6:30-8:30 pmSaturday 8/23 – help out at the ANA booth in vendor row.
9 am-11:30 pm / 11:30-2 pm / 2-4:30 pm / 4:30-7 pm
If you can help with any of that, email info@connecttoadmiral.org as soon as you can!
5:47 PM: Whether on a waste bin, A-board, repurposed construction sign, whatever’s handy, that’s the sign of the night. Be mindful of more than 200 authorized street closures for Night Out 2025 neighborhood parties, through about 9 tonight. We’re out visiting a few but would also love to add your photos – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text to 206-293-6302. First one in – Alyson on Angeline Street says they’re aiming for a waste-free block party:
6:20 PM: Just visited Rosalie‘s neighborhood east of West Seattle High School.
They’re playing games as well as putting together a potluck. And this might be tonight’s only block party with bees!
One neighbor is a beekeeper, and others, Rosalie included, have gardens the bees adore. Here’s the neighborhood group photo:
7 PM: It’s a Night Out tradition to visit JoDean‘s neighborhood in Arbor Heights:
Quiet neighborhood, so not much has changed since last Night Out:
They’re just enjoying a potluck and hanging out in the street.
7:06 PM: From WSB contributor Jason Grotelueschen, who’s also made some stops – pic of the night, a “foam party” for kids at the White Center gathering at Steve Cox Memorial Park:
7:39 PM: Via text, here are Seaview neighbors from the 5600 block of 47th SW:
8:52 PM: Thanks to the readers who tipped us that part of the legendary Seattle All-City Band would be performing at a few local parties tonight. Jason caught up with them at one stop – his video starts with some explanation of what they were up to, so if you just want to forward to the music, go to 3:40 in:
We’re told the performances were part of a fundraiser, and five West Seattle stops were among 20 around the city made by four groups from ACB. In West Seattle, they got around via school bus:
Founder Dr. Marcus Pimpleton was there to direct them (as also seen in our video clip):
Our photos were from 51st/Hanford. Thanks to Lindsey Pearsall for this view from their stop at her Upper Alki block party, which also had SFD in attendance:
Another band we encountered on Night Out: Los Flacos, performing in Delridge at the SW Willow block party:
The event was also a debut for Sustainable Music Northwest, whose community-building mission seemed to synergize nicely with the intent of Night Out. Here’s our group photo of the neighbors who gathered there:
On to other parties: Thanks to Allison in Arbor Heights (on 36th SW) for the neighborhood portrait:
And Jenn sent photos from 13th SW between Cloverdale and Thistle, with an SFD visit:
Firefighters from Station 37 visited Darren‘s party (thanks for the pics!) in Arbor Heights, SW 105th between 35th and 39th:
This party also did some serious grilling:
Thanks to everyone who shared photos, and to those who invited us to stop by their parties!
That photo from Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite shows ~800 swag bags for registered Night Out block/building party hosts to pick up tomorrow (if your party is registered, you should have received instructions for pickup). Hundreds of parties are planned around West Seattle for this national celebration of community solidarity and resilience, Tuesday night, August 5. If you’re not hosting or participating in a Night Out party, remember that streets will be closed for block parties, so getting around that night may mean some detouring. We’ll be out covering parties as always so if you’re having one and we’d be welcome to stop by for a photo, let us know – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 – or, on Tuesday night, take a pic and send it while you’re partying!
More than 200 block and building parties are already planned in West Seattle and South Park as part of Night Out 2025 – Tuesday, August 5, just under two weeks away – and you have a few days left to sign up yours. Night Out is the longrunning annual event meant to build community solidarity, resilience, and safety, and it’s also just a generally great chance to connect with your neighbors, even if you’re too busy for that most of the rest of the time. Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite is coordinating the local planning as always, and she tells WSB that registration closes this Sunday night at midnight (July 27) – “Folks must register in order to be eligible to close their street.” (Find the link here.) Registered party hosts will be able to pick up swag at the precinct on August 4; Jennifer will email details on that if you haven’t heard from her already. Any questions/requests? She’s your contact for that too – jennifer.satterwhite@seattle.gov
P.S. As has been our tradition for 15+ years, WSB crews will be visiting Night Out parties for photos – if you wouldn’t mind us visiting yours to see how it’s going, email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(WSB photo, July 2024)
California Place Park is a 10,500-square-foot triangle in North Admiral, just east of Admiral Church, one of West Seattle’s smallest and most-overlooked parks. If you didn’t know any better, you’d assume it’s part of the church grounds. But last year’s Admiral Music in the Parks concert series – presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association – brought a concert to California Place Park (WSB coverage here), and it worked out well enough, they’re doing it again this year. It’s the second of three parks that are home to this year’s AMP concerts, and you can see and hear for yourself this Thursday (July 24) at 6:30 pm, when West Seattle’s own Michael Pearsall and Friends will perform. The concert is free – just bring your own chair, blanket, picnic dinner (or takeout from one of Admiral’s tasty options), etc. And if you knit, remember that Seattle Yarn is hosting a circle at this year’s AMP concerts! (Community co-sponsors include WSB and other local businesses listed on the series webpage, where you can also donate to support AMP if you’re so inclined.)
Updates on Seattle City Light‘s planned Morgan Junction eight-EV-charger lot were among several major topics highlighting Wednesday night’s quarterly meeting of the Morgan Community Association, which we’re breaking into separate reports this time rather than lumping them all into one lengthy account.
First, a timeline reminder: District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka announced earlier this year that the charging lot fronting both Fauntleroy and Morgan just east of 42nd SW wouldn’t open before next spring, three years later than the original announcement. The new spring 2026 date is still the plan, MoCA heard last night:
Project manager Lizzy Kay, joining the meeting remotely, said her best guess is that construction will start in October; the project recently went out to bid. She brought information that MoCA and other community members had requested about the lighting plan for the site:
The lot’s four lighting poles will be half as high and dimmer than nearby streetlights, and they’ll be focused on a “targeted area.” Here’s a map showing where they’ll be:
Other security measures will include cameras, monitored by SCL security employees – in general, Kay said, “We are going to have more security at this site than others.” She didn’t know how many cameras, though (they weren’t part ot her planned presentation, but instead emerged as a topic in Q&A). Attendees asked what else would be done to deter vandalism and wire theft; she said the vendor ChargePoint had developed a “cut-protection technology” involving a “hardened cut-proof cable … hopefully impossible or at least harder to cut.” She also said the site would have an eight-foot Fiberglas fence; asked what would be done to deter/address tagging vandalism, she said it would be handled like other city facilities. (This is a point of particular concern, as you might recall that the site had vandalism trouble with temporary fencing that wasn’t addressed for months.)
Entry to the lot – a former substation – will only be from SW Morgan; Kay recapped why:
That led to a question about a previously revealed plan to trench across Fauntleroy Way during construction. Kay said that remained part of the plan but said it would be done “in sections” so there’s never a total closure of that busy arterial.
WHAT’S NEXT: Bids are due August 6; you can see the bidding documents for the project, which carries an “engineer’s estimate” cost of just under $800,000, by going here.
The Morgan Community Association‘s quarterly meeting is coming up Wednesday (July 16) at 7 pm. You can attend in person at the West Seattle Church of the Nazarene (42nd SW/SW Juneau) or via videoconference. Agenda highlights will include:
● SW Precinct, Updates from SPD
● MoCA’s Proposed Changes to One Seattle Plan for Morgan Junction
● October Elections for MoCA BoardNew in Morgan Junction
Happy Doggy – Dog grooming & self-serve dog wash
6529 California Ave SW, 206-255-4574The Neighborhood – Restaurant & Bar
6503 California Ave SW,Community Business
● Morgan Junction Community Festival Recap and discussion of its future
● Pedestrian Safety Project – Fauntleroy at Rose Street: SDOT
● Morgan Junction Electric Vehicle Charging Station: Seattle City Light
● Morgan Junction Park Expansion: Seattle Parks
● Briefing: Gatewood Elementary School Neighbor Disaster Support Team
The group might also hear from some of the candidates on the August 5 primary ballot.
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.
If your neighborhood/group/organization has a great idea but is short on money to turn it into reality, the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Neighborhood Matching Fund might be able to help. It’s accepting applications for this year’s grants, explained in this announcement:
This granting program consists of two funds – the Community Partnership Fund and the Small Sparks Fund – which support grassroots projects that build stronger communities.
-The Community Partnership Fund provides funding up to $50,000. Applications are currently open and must be submitted by 11:59 pm on September 8, 2025. This fund provides opportunities to create large and lasting impacts in your community by supporting community organizing, public art projects, park improvements, cultural events, design and construction of community facilities, and more.
-The Small Sparks Fund provides funding up to $5,000 per project, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis through October 31. This fund is designed to support small community activities such as neighborhood clean-ups, block parties, community art projects, workshops, and more.
The NMF team is hosting three virtual workshops for those interested in applying to the fund. Each workshop will provide an overview of the grant, the qualities of a strong application, and the review process.
The first workshop is a little over a week away, on Tuesday, July 15. The dates, times, and links are all listed here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Summer has just begun, but winter fun was part of the discussion when the Alki Community Council met last night. The meeting at Alki UCC was facilitated by ACC president Charlotte Starck, and started with a discussion of public-safety issues.
PUBLIC SAFETY: A member of the SPD Community Service Officers team presented crime stats, with major categories down. Of particular note, she said confirmed-gunfire incidents in West Seattle total 50 so far this year, down three from 2024. Alki has had three such incidents so far this year, down from four in the same time period of 2024. (Our archives show four, the most recent one two weeks ago, so she may have been citing stats through the end of May.)
Concerns voiced by attendees included a perceived uptick in reckless driving by motorcyclists, and “takeover” situations – one attendee said she got trapped in one of the latter at Chelan/Spokane on June 13. We took this traffic-camera screenshot taken as it was breaking up:
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The attendee hadn’t seen a police response but we recall officers showing up that night, as shown on the live camera, as the traffic-stopping gathering was dispersing. Others surfaced concerns about reckless driving on Admiral; Starck wondered what it would take to get that street designated as a “racing zone” in hopes that would boost its eligibility for enforcement.
Also, a resident campaigning for speed humps/cushions on 63rd Avenue SW said he’s been videoing speeders to put together an argument for why the raised pavement is needed.
ALKI ‘NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER’ REVIVED? The ACC isn’t advocating any particular position on the Comprehensive Plan changes before the City Council and hasn’t had a discussion on whether to do that, Starck noted. But one attendee brought up a proposal to amend the current legislation by adding more Neighborhood Centers, possibly to be formally introduced by a councilmember later this summer. A walking tour might precede that. The attendee identified herself as pro-housing and said she has lots of family members in this area and would like them to have more housing options. Another attendee noted that the originally proposed heart of a possible Alki Neighborhood Center was 61st/Stevens, right by the Log House Museum (as we first reported when city leaders unveiled the rezoning proposal last October).
ALKI LIGHT POSTS: Starck said these had rusted hangers on them dating back more than a decade – so 16 posts on Alki Avenue between 55th and 59th are getting repainted by the city over the next few weeks, a small move toward “bringing back the vibrancy.” This is a case of “if you see something, say something,” to get something fixed, she reminded attendees.
ALKI BEACH PRIDE: Starck read a message from Alki Beach Pride co-organizer Stacy Bass-Walden seeking people to help with the flag unfurling on August 10 – much like this one we covered last year:
(WSB photo, August 2024)
The date for Alki Beach Pride this year is August 16. The event time is noon-8 pm; Alki Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic between 57th and 61st, from early morning until late night.
ALKI CHRISTMAS SHIP VISIT: The ACC got early word of this year’s date: On December 18th, off Salty’s at Alki, 5:50 pm-6:10 pm, and then off Alki Beach that same night, 8:40 pm-9 pm. Last year the ACC synergized an event on Christmas Ship night with lights and other festive touches on shore, including treats at businesses, which saw hundreds of visitors, so this year the ACC plans something even bigger. They’re working on a grant application right now and will likely call for volunteers when fall gets closer. (Side note: The date chosen by Argosy for the Christmas Ship visit is considered good news because last year, you might recall, it happened before Thanksgiving!)
More quick items:
ALKI ART FAIR: Briefly mentioned – it’s coming up July 18-20.
BUSES: In going-around-the-room discussion, there was a mention of interest in two Alki bus-service issues – restoring the 37, and moving the bus stop at Alki/61st (possibly around the corner to 61st south of Alki), an issue that surfaced during the mayor’s tour of Alki businesses last month.
SCHMITZ PARK CREEK RESTORE: A rep of the group who was in attendance said they’ve just received their first grant, and it’s for education. Weed pulling is under way, and tours of the park are also in the current plan.
WHAT’S NEXT? Watch alkicommunitycouncil.org for word of the next meeting, tentatively set to be in person only on the third Thursday in July – July 17.
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