West Seattle, Washington
15 Friday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The District 1 Community Network – a coalition of West Seattle and South Park groups and organizations – spent this month’s meeting on a collection of ongoing issues.
D1CN has no elected leadership, but rather rotates meeting facilitators month to month. For May’s meeting, held online this past Wednesday, Randy Wiger from South Park served in that role.
DUWAMISH TRIBE RECOGNITION: Jolene Haas, director of the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, asked D1CN for a letter of support in the tribe’s continuing quest for federal recognition. She recapped the history, including the brief granting of recognition in the waning days of the Clinton Administration, reversed 20 years ago by the Bush Administration. Now they’re trying to take it to federal courts, as Haas said some other tribes have done, successfully. Their lawyers are working on the case and are also working through the U.S. House.
Saturday (May 8th) is Neighbor Day in Seattle. No major events again this year, but to get you into the spirit, the Department of Neighborhoods has published a list of neighbors around the city who were nominated for a special spotlight – the department “asked the community to submit nominations for people, businesses, and organizations who went above and beyond to help and support their friends and neighbors.” The West Seattle neighbors who are included on the list are:
Odetta Owen Boudreau, for the food-pickup program at Highland Park Improvement Club
Joe Wadden, who picks up trash while out for walks
Ella McRae, community builder for Seattle Housing Authority in High Point
Circa in The Admiral District, community-spirited restaurant
Lori Kothe for creating Poogooder
Jeff Daley, nicknamed ‘Mayor of Gatewood’
Read more about them and the others spotlighted from around the city by going here. And then you’re invited to celebrate Neighbor Day “by indulging in random acts of kindness.”
(WSB photo, SW Barton west of 9th SW)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
New speed humps are popping up all over Highland Park, South Delridge, and Riverview. SDOT is building up to six a day, and sent reps to HPAC‘s monthly meeting to talk about Home Zone progress and other Reconnect West Seattle projects meant to tackle bridge-detour cut-through traffic.
SDOT’s Sara Zora and David Burgesser began by announcing the RWS project dashboard – centered on a map – has been updated.
A quarterly report is now out, too – here are the key points:
One of the community meetings of note in the week ahead: The District 1 Community Network, online at 7 pm Wednesday (May 5th). D1CN is an independent coalition of organizations and community advocates from West Seattle and South Park. Three topics of high interest are part of the agenda – an SDOT guest will talk about low-bridge access, now that applications are open for more authorization categories; an SPD guest will be there to talk about local crime trends and concerns; and the project-team member from the proposed mixed-use redevelopment at 6007 California SW who talked to the Morgan Community Association last month is scheduled too. D1CN rotates facilitators month to month, and Randy Wiger from South Park is the May facilitator.If you’re interested in attending, here’s the video link; by phone, it’s 253-215-8782. For both options, the meeting ID is 850 4211 4712, and the passcode is 165919.
Also coming up this week, the monthly meeting for HPAC, the community council for the Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge neighborhoods. From the announcement:
Seeing these new SDOT signs around the neighborhood? Drop in to our monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28 for updates from SDOT regarding work on the Home Zone projects and reporting on Reconnect West Seattle efforts rolling out in 2021 that need our input. Bring any new concerns or traffic impacts you are noticing!
We’ll also reserve some time to generate neighborhood specific concerns and questions for upcoming Mayoral candidate forums. Plus – save the date: Saturday, May 1 work party opportunity at Highland Park Improvement Club – help trusty trustees pull down the 100 year old chimney and do general garden/lot maintenance – social distancing + masking observed! Drop in any time 8 am-4 pm.
Wednesday night’s HPAC meeting is online; connection/call-in info is here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Morgan Community Association meets quarterly, and as a result its meetings are usually packed with information. Here’s what we heard last night, in the online meeting led by MoCA president Deb Barker:
MORGAN MINUTES: These are quick updates aiming for a minute each:
West Seattle Art Walk – Morgan continues with participants on second Thursdays, next one May 13th – wsartwalk.org features participants, and venues have window signs.
Save The Stone Cottage – The historic Harbor Avenue bungalow was raised on April 13th, “14 inches at a time,” still no date set for the move to Port of Seattle land but an auction is planned before that, with opportunities including being the person to press the button to move it off the foundation. It’s going to be a late-night event, as have been previous structural moves. Donations to the crowdfunding account still welcome.
Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal – The replacement project is in planning now, as we’ve reported. Friday is the deadline for applying to be on the Community Advisory Group for the project.
District 1 Community Network – We covered its most-recent meeting here; MoCA vice president Phil Tavel briefed attendees on what happened. D1CN meets on first Wednesdays, 7 pm, online, all welcome. The coalition plans to present online interviews with mayoral and at-large council candidates, and a forum in summertime too.
35th/Graham work – As we previewed on Tuesday, the crossing signal-and-more project linked to the West Seattle Greenway project is starting.
HHO’S NEW IN MORGAN JUNCTION
Businesses, development, parks, art, transportation, crime – those and other topics are on the agenda for tonight’s quarterly meeting of the Morgan Community Association. It’s online at 7 pm and all who are interested in Morgan Junction happenings are welcome. The agenda, and viewing/call-in information, can be found in our calendar listing.
(Photos courtesy Krista Billinghurst)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
You don’t have to have a sprawling valley full of farm fields to celebrate flowers.
The West Seattle neighbors who created “Gatewood Gardens” have done it with boxes and borders along a busy city street.
Walking in Gatewood, we had seen the flowers but didn’t realize they were part of a unified neighborhood project until an email from Krista Billinghurst. She explained that the pandemic stay-home time inspired neighbor Aaron Smith to plant tulip and daffodil bulbs along a 2-block stretch of California Avenue SW – including her corner (at SW Portland) where, she said, “he asked if he could plant some tulips in a garden box we had on our parking strip. It was an overgrown mess of weeds that I’m sure everyone was tired of looking at.”
The results drew attention from passersby.
(Photo by James Tilley)
It’s a summery spring night on Alki. Despite signs like the one above, SFD has been called out to handle unauthorized beach fires tonight. And SPD has been summoned to investigate reports of racing/stunt-driving at Don Armeni Boat Ramp. Reckless driving was.a big topic at last night’s Alki Community Council meeting, including late-night crashes like this one hours after the meeting:
(Texted photo: Car damaged by hit-run driver in 1400 block Alki after 9 pm Thursday)
Southwest Precinct Lt. Dorothy Kim represented local police at the ACC meeting. She recapped what we reported on Monday about last Sunday’s multi-agency show of force – noting that the State Patrol is “really interested in the street racers” because the groups often use I-5 to get from one point to another.
That’s one of the signs made by West Seattleites of all ages in honor of Earth Day last year, after an invitation to create and place signs of support in windows or yards. Earth Day is April 22nd – one week from today – and you’re invited to do it again! From Vince Stricherz:
Happy Earth Day!
Earth Day, that annual celebration of our planet and all the work being done to protect its environment, is fast approaching. Once again, the Care for Creation team from Holy Rosary and Our Lady of Guadalupe parishes is urging people all over West Seattle to place an Earth-related photo or illustration in their windows or a sign in their yards on April 22 to demonstrate our commitment to taking care of this place we call home. One possibility is for kids to make drawings around Earth Day themes, or kids and adults can work together to make displays highlighting the importance of clean water, clean air and healthy soil! You also can download images from the Internet and place them where all who pass by your home can see them. We hope to see lots of images celebrating Earth Day!
As we did last year, we also invite you to send us a photo of your sign/display on Earth Day – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text the pic to our 24/7 hotline at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Affordable housing and city law were the two centerstage topics at this month’s meeting of the District 1 Community Network, a West Seattle/South Park coalition of community advocates.
COMMUNITY LAND TRUST: Most talk of “affordable housing” focuses on renting. The Community Land Trust concept focuses on homeownership. Kathleen Hosfeld, executive director of Homestead Community Land Trust, explained it to D1CN attendees. In short – a Community Land Trust retains ownership of the land, which is leased by homebuyers, reducing the cost of houses.
For a second year, the Fauntleroy Community Association won’t be able to have the Food Fest in connection with its annual meeting, but the meeting will happen anyway, online, 7 pm next Tuesday (April 13th). FCA president Mike Dey explains, “We plan to review the FCA accomplishments and what the FCA has been working on during 2020. Additionally there will be a vote for the board members and officers to serve during 2021. Following the annual meeting, we will continue into our monthly business meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend by just staying on the same Zoom link. No additional registration required. The business meeting will run from approximately 7:30 to 9:00 PM.” Registration is required to get the link – go here for that.
Interested in more-affordable homeownership? You can learn about Community Land Trusts at Wednesday night’s online meeting of the District 1 Community Network, whose members/participants span West Seattle and South Park. Also on the agenda: City Attorney Pete Holmes, who is running for re-election this year, so far unopposed; we covered his appearance at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting in February. Wednesday’s meeting starts at 7 pm; here’s the full agenda, which includes information on how to participate or listen.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Two high-profile topics filled the agenda as HPAC – the community council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge – met online this past week: Public safety and public art.
To talk about public safety, HPAC invited a neighbor, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who chairs the Public Safety and Human Services Committee, which was back in the spotlight again this week for a proposed cut in the police budget. (We explained her compromise proposal here; the committee agreed the next day to substitute it for the previous version.) “We wanted to hear your thinking” on the big picture, explained HPAC co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick. “How can we make meaningful change, while staying safe?”
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
On a blustery night like tonight, summer might seem far away.
But city departments are preparing for Alki Beach’s summer season, as the Alki Community Council heard at its March meeting. That’s part of what guests from SPD and Seattle Parks discussed; ACC also hosted guests from the Northwest Seaport Alliance and Port of Seattle, with a status report on the Terminal 5 project.
SPD UPDATE: Lt. Dorothy Kim was there on behalf of the Southwest Precinct. As she had told the Fauntleroy Community Association a week earlier (WSB coverage here), SPD stats show auto theft is way up, so the precinct is working to activate a second vehicle equipped with Automated License Plate Readers.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The biggest signs of Terminal 5‘s future relaunch will arrive in June – the new cranes that will be used for cargo loading once the modernized north berth opens early next year.
That’s one of the updates presented during a District 1 Community Network guest appearance by Port of Seattle/Northwest Seaport Alliance reps last Wednesday. (NWSA is the name for the joint efforts of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, and the T-5 project is under its umbrella.)
It was an abbreviated version of the full T-5 briefing they had presented one day earlier to the NWSA managing members (Seattle and Tacoma port commissioners) – you can see that here, and you can read the full briefing (including the slide deck) in the agenda from that meeting:
An update on a West Seattle park project headlined this month’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting.
NANTES PARK: Back in 2019, we published word of a survey by the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association, seeking your thoughts on the little west Admiral park that honors the sister-city relationship. The project has proceeded, with a city matching-funds grant announced last November. ANA got an update on where the plan stands.
Just three and a half weeks until spring. Two gardening/growing notes:
HPAC TALKS GARDENING/COMPOSTING TONIGHT: As previewed here, HPAC is focusing on gardening/composting during its 7 pm monthly meeting online tonight. Viewing/participation/call-in info is on the HPAC website.
HIGH POINT NEEDS FRUIT-TREE HELP: From community builder Ella McRae:
City Fruit is bringing more Fruit Trees to High Point in partnership with SHA/HOA/OSA and Neighborhood House. Are you interested in joining the High Point orchard planting? If yes, see the opportunities below:
We have two opportunities for volunteers to support!
1. The first opportunity will involve planting bare-root fruit trees. Bare-root trees are not stored in soil; instead, their roots are kept in damp wood chips or sawdust. The benefit of bare-root trees is that once planted, they establish themselves quickly and grow prolifically. However, the drawback is that these trees have to be planted earlier in the season. So, the planting of these trees will actually take place in early March — either Tuesday, March 2nd, or Tuesday March 9th.
2. The second opportunity falls on Earth Day, April 22nd. Although most of the trees for the orchard will be bare-root (and thus will be planted in early March), we will still have some volunteer opportunities related to installing signage and a few potted-tree plantings.
Interested? Contact Tiare, tiare@cityfruit.org, or email Ella @ Ella.McRae@seattlehousing.org.
What’s up around our area? The District 1 Community Network met this past week to talk about it.
Updates from various community-group and agency reps are at the heart of this West Seattle/South Park coalition’s monthly meetings, as well as discussion of current issues
From the Department of Neighborhoods, Ed Pottharst had these reminders:
*Highland Park Home Zone survey open until February 15th
*West Marginal Way open house set for February 18th, mailers going out
*Neighborhood Matching Fund applications opening – online workshops to help would-be applicants are set for 10 am February 20th and March 4th and 7 pm March 17th
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Shut down the busiest street in the city, and suddenly numerous other streets have to deal with unprecedented traffic trouble.
10 months after the West Seattle Bridge closure, SDOT is still working on ways to handle that – including the Home Zone program, a major topic at Wednesday night’s meeting of HPAC, the neighborhood coalition for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge. After community conversations and walking tours, draft plans have just debuted, and it’s time for your feedback, via a new survey.
Here’s a video recording of the meeting. First, what you need to know about what’s being proposed:
If you’ve seen our recent coverage of Southwest Precinct police at community meetings (here and here) and have questions, another chance to ask them is coming up – SPD reps are on the agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting of HPAC, the neighborhood council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge. The announcement also promises “a comprehensive presentation and conversation with SDOT Home Zone planners, to help them prioritize the traffic mitigation proposed for” the area. All are welcome at the 7 pm Wednesday online meeting; viewing/participating/calling-in info is on the HPAC website.
For the second time in a week, police staffing was a topic of discussion at a West Seattle neighborhood meeting. First one was the Crime Prevention Council meeting last Tuesday (WSB coverage here). Two nights later, the Alki Community Council board spent a large portion of its meeting on the state of policing. Here’s what was said, plus some followup information we obtained:
SEATTLE POLICE: Third watch (6:30 pm-3:30 am) Lt. Chris Johnson attended on behalf of SPD. He said “our street racer problem is still ongoing … we do not have the bodies to put any emphasis toward that.” But he’s hopeful that now that the inauguration is past, some of the officers assigned to the protest-handling Community Response Group might return to patrol. “Almost every night I’m running at or below” minimum staffing levels. “We’re losing bodies to outside agencies at a rate I’ve never seen. … We’re treading water.” He asked about community concerns; one person mentioned fireworks and beach fires – which are continuing year-round; here’s video we received just the night before:
The newest plan for an upzoned development site tops our look at what happened during the quarterly Morgan Community Association meeting this past Wednesday:
REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT: Project-team members from StoryBuilt were there to talk about the 41st/Graham project. Brandon Burrowes and Patrick Cobb, both West Seattle residents, explained that their company specializes in “infill.” The project at 6314 41st SW is a 20,000-sf, 3-parcel site upzoned by HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability to Lowrise 3. The project has changed since they had an early community meeting last year. The project will have fewer units (now 36), plus less height – 30 to 40′ in an area zoned up to 50′ – and more parking (15 spaces) than zoning requires (zero). The units will range from 500 sf to 1300 sf, in a mix of townhouses and flats, and though the city files still describe the project as “apartments,” the StoryBuilt reps say these will be units for sale, likely ranging from $300,000 to $700,000.
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