West Seattle, Washington
16 Thursday
Three West Seattle orgaqnizations are getting money in the city’s latest round of Neighborhood Matching Fund grants. To qualify for these, you have to demonstrate a match – of donations and/or volunteer time. As announced by the city, these are the three local grants in the fall cycle:
$49,500 to Highland Park Elementary PTA for Phase 2 of the Highland Park School Playground Project. This will support updating their 2016 Playground Master Plan to reflect current community needs and develop construction documents. (Community match: $31,000)
$25,840 to Highland Park Improvement Club for Community Gathering & Performance Space Renovation to provide HVAC work, ceiling repair, and new lighting and proscenium in the interior gathering/performance space, a popular venue for community meetings, arts and cultural events. (Community match: $28,380)
$40,650 to Seattle Nantes Sister City Association for Nantes Park Beautification to transform the pocket park into something more kid-friendly, more accessible, and more reflective of our sister city relationship with Nantes, France. The project will take designs through a community review and produce final construction-ready plans. (Community match: $21,300)
Citywide, 23 organizations are receiving a total of $756,000 in this round of grants. The next round of applications will be due in February; watch here for more info.
If you live or work in Fauntleroy, watch your USPS mail for a postcard from the Fauntleroy Community Association, announcing its every-two-years survey. We’re sharing the announcement too:
Every two years, the Fauntleroy Community Association conducts a survey of more than 3,000 residents in Fauntleroy. We ask questions about current issues affecting the Fauntleroy community, West Seattle, and Seattle as a whole. This allows us to understand what is important to our community members and helps the board set priorities.
The FCA exists to consider and act on concerns affecting the quality of life and character of the Fauntleroy community. Examples of issues and projects we have engaged in include public safety, the ferry, zoning and parking. We also sponsor or co-sponsor events such as the Fall Festival, the Fauntleroy Food Fest, the business triangle planter boxes, and this year’s Halloween pumpkin hunt.
Start the survey here.
The survey was launched just before FCA’s monthly board meeting. We were there for toplines – they’re after the jump:
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Eight months after the pandemic halted in-person meetings, many West Seattle community groups are still going strong online.
Among them, our area’s “supergroup” of West Seattle and South Park organizations’ representatives, the District 1 Community Network.
Even through the summer, when some groups took their customary breaks, this one soldiered on with monthly meetings. One unique aspect of D1CN: Rather than having ongoing leadership, the group rotates volunteer facilitators for each meeting. When D1CN met this past Wednesday, Randy Wiger from South Park served as facilitator. The group serves as a forum to discuss and circulate issues and ideas of area-wide interest. Here’s what was discussed this time around:
Another Hallo-week activity! The photo and announcement are from the Fauntleroy Community Association:
In an effort to bring some fun to the dwindling daylight, throughout the week of October 26-30, The Fauntleroy Community Association is sponsoring a community pumpkin hunt. If you search around the Endolyne/Fauntleroy area, you may find a white pumpkin — or even a beautiful blown glass pumpkin — with a note attached. Some even include a gift certificate for use at our local merchants, compliments of the FCA board members. We hope you’ll participate. We encourage you to take your pumpkin home with you, then take a picture of yourself with your pumpkin, and post it on social media, with #FCApumpkins
Enjoy!
Fauntleroy Community Association
2020 Board Members
We’re also adding this to the WSB West Seattle Halloween page – which we’re updating multiple times daily this week, as new decoration-location reports and trick-or-treat events/locations come in!
Toplines from Tuesday’s online meeting of the Admiral Neighborhood Association:
PREPAREDNESS: Fall is time for reminding us all to be ready for storms … and worse. Disaster preparedness, too. Longtime local preparedness advocate Cindi Barker made a guest appearance at ANA to explain the Emergency Communication Hubs, which are volunteer-led. Admiral needs new point people; so far, there are some possible successors. If you’re interested in helping (whether in Admiral or elsewhere), contact info is here.
POLICE: Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Kevin Grossman said West Seattle crime continues to be down overall, which he attributes to the bridge closure and COVID-19. Admiral is down as part of that, but Alki had a summer uptick. He talked about the department’s staffing changes, mostly a repeat of what he said at last week’s Town Hall (WSB coverage here) – that while Chief Adrian Diaz has reassigned some officers to patrol, that’s resulted in some retirements/departures so it hasn’t yet resulted in a staffing increase at any precinct. He’s hopeful that once the process of public-safety reform brings more definition of department changes, and who should take on certain jobs currently assigned to the police, retention and recruitment will improve. What could be offloaded? He offered examples such as neighbor-conflict resolution and homelessness-related issues. (Also of note with regard to SPD staffing – the department’s announcement of the Community Response Group.)
ANA president David Hancock asked about how racism issues are being addressed. Capt. Grossman replied that there’s ongoing training on bias and institutional racism, adding that it’s important to get out to meetings like this to get community’s input and also find out what issues the neighborhood considers important.
He got a question about when to call 911 vs non-emergency – and offered this link. When in doubt, just call – the call-taker will decide how to route you.
LETTERS: Support for two letters to the city was discussed – one asking for full-time staff people to help organize COVID-19 relief efforts that are currently being coordinated by volunteers, and one asking that a percentage of West Seattle Bridge funding be dedicated to bicycle safety.
NEW LEADERSHIP: The ANA board is looking for new members for next year, including a president to succeed Hancock. Interested? Don’t miss the next meeting – email info@admiralneighborhood.org to be sure you’re on the list for the announcement.
From the Admiral Neighborhood Association – both of these online events are happening Tuesday:
RENTER-RIGHTS WORKSHOP: Noon-1:30 pm Tuesday, ANA is co-hosting a renter-rights workshop with Be:Seattle, as described:
This is a workshop put on by Be:Seattle, educating renters how to assert their rights, find solutions to various issues, and and organize for better living conditions. We will discuss how the pandemic is affecting renters and what protections are currently being offered.
Register to get the teleconferencing link by going here.
ANA MEETING: At 7 pm Tuesday, everyone living, working, shopping, and/or studying in the Admiral area is welcome at the ANA meeting, with these featured topics:
*Discussion with Seattle Police Dept. SW Precinct leadership
*West Seattle Emergency Hubs update
*Opportunities to support and collaborate with community-led efforts across District 1
*Future ANA Board positions (more on that below)
Please email info@admiralneighborhood.org for zoom login info.
Interested in an ANA leadership position?
A number of ANA Board positions are opening up at the end of this year. If you’re wondering whether this might be the time to step up, the answer is yes. Admiral is ready and waiting for you, your ideas, and your energy. Drop us a line if you’ve got questions (info@admiralneighborhood.org).
#1 – The one-week-delayed (because of the holiday) Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee meeting is tomorrow (Sunday, September 13th), 2 pm, online. If you have questions or concerns about West Seattle’s only city-sanctioned tiny-house encampment, or if you want to hear updates firsthand, be there. Link here; password 9701; access code 858 5523 4269; or, call 253-215-8782.
#2 – No West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting this month, says WSCPC president Richard Miller, because precinct leaders are unavailable. (The meeting otherwise would be this Tuesday; instead, next meeting is October 20th.)
Our toplines from the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s monthly meeting this past Tuesday:
BRIDGE DETOUR TRAFFIC: The SW Barton route to/from the Fauntleroy ferry dock is a lot busier since the West Seattle Bridge closed almost six months ago. The FCA is working on a letter to City Councilmember Lisa Herbold and SDOT‘s bridge-project leader Heather Marx, asking them to come take a look in person and see what can be done about it. The group is also collecting photos and video to show the problem.
FERRY WATCH: No major news, but anecdotally, long lines are making a comeback in Fauntleroy, though Washington State Ferries says traffic is still off a third from this time last year.
POLICE: Operations Lt. Sina Ebinger from the Southwest Precinct said one of the crime trends they’re keeping a close watch on is gunfire, with several reports in West Seattle so far this month. Regarding the department-wide shift of 100 officers to patrol, she said the SWP will likely lose its Community Police Team members in the redeployment, so the long-running projects/issues they’ve been working on will have to be rethought.
ON THE MOVE: FCA tracks new community arrivals and says 100+ people have moved into Fauntleroy this past quarter.
The Fauntleroy Community Association board meets second Tuesdays, 7 pm; community members are welcome – watch fauntleroy.net for info. And check out the newest quarterly “Neighbors” newsletter!
The Fauntleroy Community Association is, so far as we know, the last West Seattle neighborhood group to regularly publish and distribute a printed newsletter. “Neighbors,” sent to FCA members, is edited by Judy Pickens and published quarterly. It’s always newsy: The newest edition, which you can also read online, includes updates on ferry traffic, the planned culvert replacement project, and the Fauntleroy Fall Festival‘s pandemic postponement. Other stories include two looks into history – how Seattle’s “redlining” is still reflected in current demographics, and the soggy saga of the development of the Fauntlee Hills subdivision. Interested in more history? Editions going back to 2003 are archived here.
P.S. As also noted in “Neighbors,” the FCA’s business meetings are on second Tuesdays, which means the next one is two days away (7 pm September 8th) – if interested in attending, you can register here.
Though this is likely to be a relatively quiet week, leading up to Labor Day weekend, at least one community meeting is scheduled: The District 1 Community Network, a coalition of West Seattle and South Park organizations, groups, and advocates, meets online at 7 pm Wednesday (September 2nd). The final agenda’s not out yet, but expected topics include the biggest issues everyone’s dealing with right now – the pandemic and the bridge. All are welcome; here’s the connection information:
ZOOM LINK
Meeting ID: 222 985 415
Password: 625318 (only needed if you manually enter the meeting number)Call-in-only info:
Phone number: 669-900-6833
Meeting ID: 222 985 415#
We should have the agenda by the time we publish a reminder in Wednesday’s daily preview.
Password: 625318#
In this seventh month of the pandemic, neighborhood cheer continues, and we’re always happy to hear about it. Thanks to Judith for sending this video of a neighborhood serenade last night near 41st and Charlestown – klezmer music! Judith ID’d the band as “Samson and the Katz” (anyone with more info on the front-yard concert, please let us know!).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
No matter where you are on the topic of transforming public safety, you likely have been talking a lot about it lately.
And it dominated last night’s meeting of the District 1 Community Network (D1CN), with featured guests from the Seattle Police Department’s Southwest Precinct – new commander Capt. Kevin Grossman, new operations Lt. Sina Ebinger, and Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner.
D1CN is a coalition of West Seattle/South Park community-organization reps and other interested area residents; among the groups/organizations represented last night were the Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs, West Seattle Be Prepared, Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council, West Seattle Bike Connections, Morgan Community Association, West Seattle Transportation Coalition, South Park Neighborhood Association, West Seattle Timebank, Admiral Neighborhood Association, Duwamish Valley Safe Streets, VIEWS, Alki Community Council, and Fauntleroy Community Association.
POLICE SPOTLIGHT: Capt. Grossman spoke first, introducing himself and his priorities (see our June interview) – including gunfire (12 incidents in West Seattle in the past month, no injuries aside from the Alki shooting last Sunday, 28 year to date, up a bit from 24 at this point last year), auto thefts (Seattle is #22 in the nation); up a bit this year in West Seattle but overall crime and violent crime are both down more than 10 percent in our area, with the captain acknowledging COVID and the bridge closure play a role. Burglary is his other priority – he says there’s a current cluster in the Junction but overall they’re down 22 percent year to date.
The Morgan Community Association has met for the first time since the pandemic wiped out in-person gatherings, convening via teleconference and phone this past Wednesday. Busy agenda as always for the MoCA quarterly meetings, starting with the peninsula’s biggest topic of the year:
WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CLOSURE/RECONNECT WEST SEATTLE: Madison Linkenmeyer and Michael Harold from SDOT were guests. Harold, noting that he is a Morgan Junction resident, started by recapping the newest info about the low bridge, while insisting it is NOT believed to be at “imminent risk.” The strengthening plans are a “take no chances” precaution, Harold said. He also said they’re considering expanding access – even though the low bridge is already “exceeding capacity” at times:
Now that he’s had two weeks to settle in, new Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Kevin Grossman is making the rounds of community meetings. This past Tuesday night, he introduced himself to the Fauntleroy Community Association.
After sharing some of his background – which we reported here last month – he outlined his three top priorities for the precinct:
1. Violent crime (though he acknowledged it’s relatively low in West Seattle). That includes pre-emptive action – he said he tells his officers, if you can legally take a gun from someone who shouldn’t have it, do that. He also promised that shots-fired calls will be investigated thoroughly.
2. Auto theft – the city is in the top 25 nationwide for this crime, and though local numbers aren’t horrible, he wants to reduce them, as it’s a “very impactful” crime. He has a crime-analysis detective mapping for preventive action.
3. Burglaries – Also not high here but this is another “impactful” crime. So if there are hot spots, he wants to get resources on top of that..
West Seattle’s crime trends right now: Overall, 16 percent down from this time last year, “no other part of the city is looking as good as West Seattle right now” – and of course he acknowledges COVID-19 and the bridge closure are major factors. Violent crime is down 15 percent, auto theft down 5 percent, burglaries are down 22 percent. For Fauntleroy in particular, violent crime is almost non-existent, burglaries are down 38 percent, but auto theft is up 18 percent over this time last year.
Capt. Grossman said he hopes to focus on prevention efforts – such as making free “Club” type devices available, which he had done as South Precinct commander, via a Seattle Police Foundation grant.
In Q&A, he was asked who’s doing all the car-stealing. Mostly people who use the cars to commit other crimes, such as mail theft. He was also asked about the current political battle between the mayor and council over “defunding” SPD (the council discussed this further at its Wednesday budget meeting but has not yet voted on anything). He said he has spent several days reassuring officers at roll calls who are “wondering if they’re going to get a pink slip any day now,” while also hearing older officers wondering “how soon can I get out.” He’s hoping “the rhetoric calms down a bit” – he agrees that there’s an overreliance on 911 to solve our society’s problems, and acknowledges that police have traditionally ben asked to do a lot of things they shouldn’t do. “There’s room for a bigger conversation about what police should be doing, shouldn’t be doing.” but he hopes there’s room for a rational conversation, though he says 50 percent would be too big a cut – “a cut like that would be devastating and would seriously affect the level of service we would provide.” As for specific types of change, Grossman offered support for the CAHOOTS model. “That would take a lot of work away from us – that’s all right, but that’s not in place yet. … Would probably save the city a bunch of money and might turn out better than some of our calls.”
One other question – about the whereabouts of Steve Strand, since Grossman has a new second-in-command, Operations Lt. Sina Ebinger (the position Strand previously held). He noted that Strand has been promoted to captain and is now one of three citywide night captains.
Capt. Grossman is scheduled to be a guest at tonight’s Alki Community Council meeting, as noted in our morning preview.
Also discussed at the FCA meeting – the recent Washington State Ferries online community meeting (here’s our report), the recent District 1 Community Network meeting (here’s our report), and planning for the next annual community survey to be conducted by FCA.
The Fauntleroy Community Association will next meet in September; watch fauntleroy.net for updates.
The Morgan Community Association skipped April’s quarterly meeting because of COVID-19 but is joining the online-convening world for its meeting this Wednesday (7 pm July 15th). Here’s the agenda and how to attend:
Welcome and Introductions
· Meet Alex Hagenah, new MoCA Secretary
Passages: Eldon Olson
Morgan Minute Updates
· MJ members affirm ‘Black Lives Matter’ in the WS June 5 march
· Community Problem Solvers – District 1 Community Network (D1CN)
· West Seattle ArtWalk – Virtually in Morgan Junction
· Morgan Junction Festival – Save the date for 2021
· Welcoming…New Business
· WS Bridge Closure & Reconnect West Seattle – SDOT
· WS Bridge Now
· Showing Morgan Some Love
· West Seattle Covid-19 SupportSurprise Guests
Old Business
· MoCA Non-Profit update
· Emergency Preparedness during COVID
· Morgan Junction Parks & ProjectsHere’s the July 15, 2020 MoCA meeting link.
Meeting ID: 222 985 415
Password: 625318 (only needed if you manually enter the meeting number)Call-in only info:
Phone number: 669-900-6833
Same meeting ID and password for phone as for video.
Toplines from the District 1 Community Network‘s July meeting last week:
WHO WAS THERE: Always hard to get a full roll call in online meetings, But this one included attendees from neighborhod-based groups (South Park, Fauntleroy, Pigeon Point, Pelly Place, Admiral, Highland Park, Alki, The Junction) as well as peninsula-wide groups such as West Seattle Bike Connections and the West Seattle Transportation Coalition, the Emergency Hubs. A few individual attendees were there too; we noted one from Fairmount Springs. D1CN is open to anyone with an interest in West Seattle and/or South Park. The group has an administrator (Larry Wymer) but no officers; each meeting has a volunteer facilitator – for this one, it was Phil Tavel.
WHAT THEY DISCUSSED – THE BRIDGE: The West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force was a hot topic – three members were in attendance:
Just announced, the Admiral Neighborhood Association will meet online one week from today. The announcement:
Admiral Neighborhood Association’s July 8th meeting
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.Main topics
West Seattle Bridge (Heather Marx from SDOT will join us for part of the meeting)
ANA’s role in perpetuating, addressing, combating racism: Who do we want to be as an organization?
Some questions for reflection:
What actions have I/we taken to name, address, and/or dismantle racism in our community?
What actions have I/we taken to perpetuate racism?
Have I/we created spaces and events that are welcoming to all, specifically people of color?
What actions will I/we take to dismantle racism in our community, and to create spaces and events that are welcoming to all, specifically people of color?Zoom info
If joining via internet: Link
Password: email info@admiralneighborhood.org for the passwordIf calling in by phone:
Dial 253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 864 5701 0091
(Tuesday evening photo from Alki by David Hutchinson)
Two meetings today/tonight that we want to remind you about:
EMMA SCHMITZ MEMORIAL OVERLOOK PROJECT: Today at 4 pm is the encore online meeting about this seawall project. Connection instructions are in our original preview. During the first meeting, they indicated this one would have some new information about the project’s traffic plan.
DISTRICT 1 COMMUNITY NETWORK: 7 pm, this coalition of reps from groups/organizations in West Seattle and South Park has its next online meeting, open to the public. The agenda includes the West Seattle Bridge and a short presntation about another alternative idea for replacing it – a gondola service. Here’s how to connect:
LINK:
Meeting ID: 826 6204 3575
Password: 930960
CALL IN ONLY Info: +1 253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 826 6204 3575
Password: 930960
The District 1 Community Network‘s June meeting was, like many local meetings this spring, mostly about the West Seattle Bridge. Here are our toplines from the meeting held by videoconference and phone last week:
SDOT’S BRIDGE UPDATE: The department’s new communications director Michael Harold, a Morgan Junction resident, recapped his first day on the job – arriving at work March 23rd to learn his new place of employment was about to announce the West Seattle Bridge would be shut down TFN. Now, the department remains in extensive data-gathering mode: “This is not a thing where you can make guesses,” he said, in explaining why that’s necessary before a decision on what’s next. They’re pursuing multiple paths in the meantime – stabilization among them, and as we reported the day before the D1CN meeting, the search for a team to “design a potential replacement.” Harold again stressed that the potential 10-year contract is because “there is a scenario in which” they might fix the bridge but only get 10 more years out of it so they’d have to be working on replacement. He added that “we are considering many options … the goal is to get people back across the water as quickly and efficiently as we can do it.”
NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC MITIGATION: Danielle Friedman from the Department of Neighborhoods talked about the neighborhoods affected by the detour traffic, and said four would be engaged in prioritization plans:
When the District 1 Community Network met a month ago, participants agreed the West Seattle Bridge closure needed some kind of community advisory group. Since then, one’s been announced, and that’ll be part of the discussion at D1CN’s meeting this Wednesday night (June 3rd). The agenda includes an informal West Seattle Bridge Update, plus a discussion of the new Community Task Force, and then a city Department of Neighborhoods rep will present a preview of the Neighborhood Traffic Project Prioritization Process that’s scheduled to start next week. Wrapping up the bridge discussion, the group will hear briefly from Bob Ortblad, who suggests an “immersed-tube tunnel” if the bridge needs to be replaced. Other topics include the proposed West Seattle Sports Complex and an appeal of the 4508 California SW development plan.
You’re welcome to be part of the meeting at 7 pm Wednesday:
*Link is here
*Meeting ID: 222 985 415
*Password: 625318 (only needed if you manually enter the meeting number)
Call-in info:
Phone number: 669-900-6833
Meeting ID: 222 985 415
Password: 625318
(Photos by Peter de Lory. Above, Piper the Corgi ‘inspecting’ beam, pre-installation)
Historic Highland Park Improvement Club has continued to be a community hub despite operational constraints during the pandemic. And it’s getting some TLC, too. The update is from HPIC trustee Kay Kirkpatrick:
While we are closed due to the Stay-Home Order, activity continues at the Highland Park Improvement Club.
As readers may know, we are helping distribute food to children and families in need Monday – Friday from the club parking lot. (11 am-1 pm)
In addition, we are taking advantage of the down time by doing some long-needed building repairs using a facilities grant from King County 4Culture.
On Saturday, our contractor team from Metis Construction, a worker-owned company here in Seattle, landed and staged a re-enforcing roof beam into the center of our 100-year-old building. Taking advantage of a brief break in the rain, they lifted and fed this 3500-pound steel beam from the parking in through the side of the historic hall.
Inside, they will be lifting it into place over the next couple of weeks to stabilize the roof support structure, and get the club building ready for whatever the next 100 years throws at us.
In “normal” times, HPIC (at 12th/Holden) is a nonprofit community hub for a wide variety of activities and events – classes, celebrations, meetings, more.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The proposal to remove one downhill lane of Highland Park Way traffic and add an uphill protected bicycle lane is shelved for now.
That was the big headline from last night’s HPAC discussion with SDOT, a week and a half after that particular detail of the Highland Park Way/Holden safety project update came to light, sparking controversy.
Instead, SDOT will focus on figuring out how to expand the trail along the downhill lanes.
But first, HPAC got a West Seattle Bridge update that segued into traffic issues. SDOT’s Heather Marx recapped where things stand and what’s been done related to traffic effects – all of which we’ve reported on, but if you’re interested in a recap, check out this SDOT post from earlier this week, and our most-recent update. On the bridge itself, they’re preparing for Pier 18 work, and the new Community Task force and Technical Advisory Panel will have their first meetings the week of June 8th.
Traffic-mitigation projects will be focused on what can be done in less than a year and for less than $100,000 because that way SDOT doesn’t have to send them out to bid and can move faster. Plans, she said, will address effects on SODO, South Park, Georgetown, Highland Park, Riverview, South Delridge, Roxhill – in other words, the areas now getting barraged with detour traffic. When the draft traffic-mitigation plans are out, they’ll look for community prioritization. The timeline for the plans is approximately:
That’s soprano Ellaina Lewis, performing a surprise show in a West Seattle neighborhood this past weekend. L’Nayim Austin explains:
My husband and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary this weekend. Since we are social distancing, we couldn’t celebrate in the usual way (dinner and show). So, as a surprise for my husband, I commissioned a West Seattle friend and opera singer, Ellaina Lewis, to perform a short opera outside our home (following social distancing recommendations).
It was a lovely performance enjoyed by my husband, and everyone else in the neighborhood. The weather cooperated, and Ellaina’s beautiful soprano voice was magical. Two neighbors took videos.
Perhaps next time one of your readers needs a bit of celebration, they might consider hiring a local artist for an outdoor serenade. A little art during these times goes a long way to raise the soul.
(In the other clip, she sings an Elvis Presley classic.) P.S. Happy anniversary to L’Nayim and husband!
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