West Seattle, Washington
06 Wednesday
Toplines from tonight’s quarterly Morgan Community Association meeting, just wrapped up at The Kenney (WSB sponsor).
MORGAN JUNCTION PARK EXPANSION: Karen O’Connor from Seattle Parks followed up on the presentation of park design concepts at last month’s Morgan Junction Community Festival.
(WSB photo from park project booth @ June festival)
As mentioned here last week, a survey is now open on the city website. The survey is expected to stay open until next Monday. Other updates: SDOT will give up jurisdiction of the street end that’s between the current park and the expansion site; A schematic design will soon go to the Design Commission and then to another community meeting. Asked about soil mitigation that will have to be done at the site (which previously held businesses including a dry cleaner), O’Connor said that likely will be discussed at the community meeting (which will probably be held in September).
LOWMAN BEACH SEAWALL: Barker read a late-breaking update from Seattle Parks’ David Graves. They’re now at 60 percent design. Plans will be up online by the start of next week. He said the city has received Aquatic Lands Enhancement grant from the state, so the project is fully funded. He also wrote that the West Seattle Tennis group headed by Lisa Corbin is looking at a replacement for the tennis court that’ll be removed because of the project. Construction is expected next year. He’ll bring updated designs and more info to MoCA’s next quarterly meeting October 16th.
We are now less than three weeks from Night Out 2019, a night to gather with your neighbors and celebrate community while reflecting on safety. Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner is reminding you to register your block (building) party – a requirement if you plan to close a street (non-arterials only), but appreciated even if you don’t. August 6th is the night; deadline for registration is August 4th. (And if you wouldn’t mind us stopping by to photograph your party, email us before Night Out – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thanks!)
That’s Sway Wild, which you’ll see tomorrow night at the first of this year’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha. The six-concert series has been presented for a decade by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, so it was on the agenda when ANA held its semimonthly meeting last week. Stephanie Jordan coordinates the series for ANA and reported everything’s ready to go – you might have seen the posters/promo cards that debuted last weekend:
You can find out more about the six-Thursday-night lineup on the ANA website. Ahead, other toplines from the July 9th meeting:
Toplines from the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s board meeting last night at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse:
POLICE UPDATE, INCLUDING THE 4TH: Southwest Precinct operations commander Lt. Steve Strand started with an overall West Seattle update. He said summer emphasis patrols have included speeding vehicles (2- and 4-wheels) leaving the Fauntleroy ferry terminal early in the morning (5:30-ish). One board member said people leaving 4:50 am boat are the biggest offenders. (A later question asked about traffic problems related to ferry lines. Lt. Strand mentioned the state paying off-duty officers to direct traffic at the dock.) The 4th of July included more officers at Lincoln Park including a Gator utility vehicle with lights and a loudspeaker.
Next Tuesday, all are invited to the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s twice-monthly meeting at The Sanctuary at Admiral, 6:30 pm July 9th at The Sanctuary (42nd SW/SW Lander). ANA’s announcement:
At this month’s meeting, we’ll be discussing:
1. The Seattle Planning Commission’s Neighborhoods For All report;
2. July 4th Kids’ Parade;
3. Neighborhood Outreach Survey; and
4. The Hiawatha Summer Concert Series (starts July 18th!)
Come and meet your neighbors and discuss issues and events in our area!
(First two photos by Noah Shampain)
The aerial views are a highlight from a neighborhood party last weekend. Pete Spalding tells us Pigeon Point neighbors gathered on the field by Pathfinder K-8 in spots representing where they live on the neighborhood street grid.
At ground level, some more conventional views of the party:
The “Start of Summer” get-together included music.
Pete says, “There were well over 100 neighbors that came out to celebrate our little slice of paradise in the city.”.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
When the Terminal 5 modernization project starts construction next month, Pigeon Point is one of the neighborhoods that will have a front-row view.
So it was one of three major topics when the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council met this week at Pathfinder K-8.
TERMINAL 5 BERTH MODERNIZATION PROJECT: Before a project recap from the Port of Seattle/Northwest Seaport Alliance, they reminded the PPNC of the pre-construction open house June 22nd at Jack Block Park, 9:30-11:30 am (first noted here a week ago).
Q&A was interspersed with briefing points.
First question was about shore power. No, ships will not be required to plug in. They hope they’ll choose to, “when they have the capability.” They now expect more than 50 percent of the arriving cargo vessels will be shore-power-capable, up from the original 30 percent projection. They are also looking at policies for making it available at other terminals.
What about light pollution? One row of T-5 lights has to be “adjusted significantly,” was the reply. They added that work already has been done to keep the lights aimed down.
(2018 Night Out party at North Delridge’s Dragonfly Pavilion; photo courtesy Laura)
Eight weeks from tomorrow, on Tuesday, August 6th, neighbors will gather all around West Seattle and beyond for Night Out parties. If you want to close a (non-arterial) street for yours, you need to register, and Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner sends word this morning that you can do it now by going here. You can also apply for a city grant to support your event – the Department of Neighborhoods announcement with details on that is here.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
“We have a real opportunity here.”
With regard to light rail and community planning in the Alaska Junction (and in West Seattle as a whole), that was one of the key themes Thursday night at the Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) meeting at the Senior Center of West Seattle.
JuNO’s guest speaker was Lauren Flemister (pictured above), community planning manager from Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD), who gave an overview of the processes, how her office works with Sound Transit and how the public can get involved.
Flemister, along with leaders in attendance such as JuNO director Amanda Sawyer and Deb Barker (who was on the light-rail project Stakeholder Advisory Group and is on the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s board), agreed that with light rail coming to West Seattle in 2030, this will be a “long process” with many opportunities for public input. When Flemister was asked by Sawyer if the planning processes for the Alaska Junction and West Seattle are likely to be “typical” compared to other regional rail-expansion projects in the past, Flemister said no, because her office expects this latest process to be “much more robust.”
The junction has been a focal point for these light rail discussions — as we reported back in March, an overflow crowd gathered at the Senior Center to hear from Sound Transit officials, and back in November 2017 a top ST manager spoke at a JuNO meeting and promised “an interesting year and a half” ahead. (See our comprehensive light rail coverage here.)
Sawyer kicked off the Thursday meeting by putting in a plug for neighbors interested in serving as a JuNO officer to email juno@wsjuno.org or go to wsjuno.org. The group will be holding elections during their September meeting for the positions of president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. With all of the development and growth in the area, Sawyer said, now is a great time to get involved to “help create a collaborative vision and future for the Alaska Junction.” Sawyer noted that it’s an intentional effort to have a slate of elected officers for JuNO, and that although she’s currently the leader of the group, she wasn’t “elected” officially. She added that the group needs strong voices, representing both longtime residents as well as new neighbors and renters and business owners, particularly as light rail will be bringing transit stations and added density to the neighborhood. “It’s a decade-plus of discussion,” she said, “we’ll have some decisions to make soon but for much of it we’ll be waiting until much later,”
Sawyer then turned things over to Flemister for the remainder of the meeting, to lead the discussion on neighborhood planning and light rail. Flemister acknowledged that she was relatively new to Seattle and that this was her first community presentation of this type in the city, but is no stranger to large regional transit projects in the area, having worked on projects in the Tacoma area and south sound (focusing partially on property value impacts). She stepped through a slide presentation (see below) and took questions from attendees.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
It’s a time of change for the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights (WWRHAH) Community Coalition, which met Tuesday night at the Southwest Library to discuss issues and to talk about the group’s future.
As previewed here, it was the last WWRHAH meeting to be led by coordinator Kim Barnes, who is stepping down to focus on other endeavors such as her work to make Delridge Triangle a safer and more usable space for the community, as well as involvement with Roxhill Park along with her fulltime job. She said it “has been an honor to serve our community” and would still be available and ready to help answer questions in the future.
Attendees thanked Barnes (and gave her a hearty round of applause) for her two years of service leading the group, which she has led since Amanda Kay Helmick (who also ran for City Council) stepped down. Although nobody in attendance on Tuesday night signed up to immediately lead the group (at least one person expressed potential interest), several attendees pledged to attend the next two already-scheduled group meetings at Southwest Library on the first Tuesdays of the month (July 2 and August 6) and to see how things go. Group members also committed to keep the WWRHAH email list active, and Barnes noted that their website and Facebook page would remain accessible and would just need someone to maintain it.
Departing WWRHAH coordinator Kim Barnes with Roxhill Park volunteer Scott.
Neighborhood news from the meeting:
Tuesday night, whoever shows up at the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Coalition meeting will help decide how it will change. Coordinator Kim Barnes is stepping down. Will anyone step up?
Please join us on Tuesday, June 4th, 6:15 pm upstairs at the Southwest Library, 9010 35th Ave SW.
After two years of coordinating and hosting meetings for WWRHAH, it’s time to relinquish the role to new faces with a fresh vision. At the June 4th meeting, I will be happy to answer questions about the routine tasks and outline the support tools and documentation. The community will then decide how if it wishes to proceed with the appointment of a new coordinator, or if it will adjourn until a new coordinator is identified. This meeting is open to anyone interested in the future direction of WWRHAH.
It has been an honor to serve our community.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
$7.3 million.
You could almost hear the proverbial jaws drop last night when SDOT announced that new estimated cost for a Highland Park Way/Holden roundabout. It’s more than triple the long-cited estimate.
SDOT’s James Le presented the update to the Highland Park Action Committee meeting. Past chair Michele Witzki, who has long worked on advocacy for the project, could barely contain her shock: “I am so frustrated right now. I am beyond frustrated. … It’s almost impossible to get money when you keep on moving the target. … You keep on putting more roadblocks in the way of making this happen.”
As the one-sheet distributed by Le (PDF here, embedded below) says, there’s an option – a $3 million signalization plan.
But that’s not funded either.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Neighbors and community leaders gathered Tuesday night at the Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting to talk about neighborhood outreach, music, the local library, emergency preparedness and other topics.
The ANA meeting, held at The Sanctuary at Admiral, was the group’s first meeting since March, and was led by president David Hancock. Highlights below:
COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT & ADMIRAL UCC CHURCH SITE: Hancock gave an update on efforts that have ramped up in the past 4-6 weeks to do a full “community needs assessment” of Admiral residents and business owners, the goal being to identify ways to make the area a better place to live and work. Hancock said the approach would be to do a “deep dive” survey, likely a combination of doorbelling and tabling at events along with an online survey, throughout the neighborhood including the Admiral urban village (where there is a higher percentage of renters and businesses) as well as homes across the area (see more about the neighborhood on ANA’s website and the city’s 2018 Admiral Snapshot.) Hancock said the idea was prompted by discussions with Pastor Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom, whose Admiral Congregational UCC Church is in the midst of evaluating options for its own future as it relates to how the 27,000-square-foot property could best serve the community, as we reported from ANA’s December meeting.
The week ahead brings multiple opportunities for you to dive a little deeper into what’s happening in several local neighborhoods. For one – Admiral! Here’s the announcement:
Admiral Neighborhood Association Community Meeting
Tuesday, May 14th 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
The Sanctuary at Admiral (2656 42nd Ave SW)This month at the ANA meeting, we’ll be discussing:
1. Seattle Public Libraries: learn more about the services you know and love, and find out about some that you’ve never even heard of.
2. Brookdale Admiral Heights: assisted living facility in the heart of the Admiral District.
3. Admiral outreach: ANA wants to know: how do residents and businesses in the community want Admiral to be an even better place to live and work? Find out how we’re going about it, and contribute your voice to the mix.
Come and meet your neighbors and discuss issues and events in our area!
See you there!
-Admiral Neighborhood Association
Craig Rankin from the Highland Park Action Committee sent this report on, and photos from, today’s community cleanup:
Thanks to everyone who participated in this morning’s cleanup along the south side of Highland Park Way.
The group managed to pick up roughly 20 bags of garbage, and a large assortment of debris including tires, furniture, and a chopped-up Lime bike.
If you haven’t planned YOUR neighborhood cleanup yet, there’s still time to get city support – here’s how.
It’s Neighbor Day! One way to be neighborly – go check out the celebration at High Point Library with the West Seattle Timebank and friends. When we stopped in, Tara was teaching origami:
Tamsen Spengler from the Timebank adds that there’s ice cream at Neighborhood House (6400 Sylvan Way) at 4 pm!
6:45 PM: Announced by City Councilmember Lisa Herbold in her weekly update, posted tonight:
Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) will have their first meeting with the Junction Neighborhood Origination to discuss community planning around ST3 and updating the neighborhood plan to reflect the final route and location of the light rail station. As I wrote about in a previous MHA update, the community has expressed a desire for additional zoning capacity, but informed by community planning efforts and with understanding of the likely location of a future light rail station. OPCD committed to beginning to scope out this process in 2019, with planning starting in earnest in 2020. This is the first meeting.
When:
MayJune 6, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pmWhere: Senior Center of West Seattle, 4217 SW Oregon
10:09 PM: JuNO director Amanda Sawyer tells WSB the councilmember’s announcement is one month off – the meeting is actually set for *JUNE* 6th. We have updated above.
At the Highland Park Action Committee‘s regular meeting this past week, the group followed up on its special Riverview Playfield gathering two weeks earlier:
PLAYFIELD PROTECTION: The issue is figuring out what would be the best way to keep vehicles off the playfield, where some drivers do donuts on the grass in the warm months, on the snow in wintertime. Recently chain-link fencing suddenly appeared, much to residents’ surprise; Seattle Parks explained that the idea went back to the Find-It Fix-It Walk two years ago. But Parks quickly got the message that it wasn’t welcome, and so now the neighborhood is talking about options for replacing the 100+ old creosote-contaminated utility poles that currently serve as a low barrier between parking and playfield. The conversation at the meeting will continue this week, and interested neighbors will be looking at other parks for ideas, as well as considering CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) ideas, before HPAC talks abaut it again next month.
EVENTS: Much happening in Highland Park and vicinity. Corner Bar at HPIC on May 3rd; neighborhood cleanup May 4th; Art Lounge at HPIC on May 10th; the annual wine fundraiser Uncorked at HPIC on May 18th. Two West Duwamish Greenbelt walks of interest, too – bugs on May 4th, “Walking on Native Land” with Ken Workman on June 1st. Looking way ahead, a Labor Day weekend bike ride on August 31st will also celebrate history, as HPIC marks its 100th anniversary.
MAY MEETING: May 23rd – also previewed here – HPAC will get a Highland Park Way/Holden update from SDOT and will talk more about the proposal to merge HPAC with Riverview and South Delridge.
Zack Thomas from Board & Vellum presents new concepts for the Morgan park expansion.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Morgan Junction leaders and neighbors gathered Wednesday night at The Kenney (WSB sponsor).to discuss a wide variety of topics at the quarterly meeting of the Morgan Community Association.
Highlights included presentations about Morgan Junction Park expansion and the proposed development at 5917 California Ave, as well as updates about upcoming Morgan events, affordable housing, and light rail.
Vice president Phillip Tavel ran the first half of the meeting, then president Deb Barker (rushing from the Sound Transit Stakeholder Advisory Group meeting downtown) took over for the second half.
It’s never too soon to look ahead to … fall? That was part of the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s April agenda this past Tuesday.
(WSB photo from 2018 Fauntleroy Fall Festival)
FALL FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER: The FCA is a major supporter of the annual festival and is involved in its major fundraiser coming up May 7th at Endolyne Joe’s (9261 45th SW; WSB sponsor) – dine there that day/night and part of the proceeds benefit this year’s festival! FCA board members donate baskets to be raffled during the benefit, and spent some time Tuesday discussing that.
POLICE UPDATE: Southwest Precinct operations commander Lt. Steve Strand was in attendance. He mentioned a noise-enforcement patrol is planned in Fauntleroy soon. As precinct leadership have been telling community groups, they’re providing special attention in other trouble spots too. He also had another update on the fire-ravaged problem house across from Lincoln Park – it’s boarded up, with “no trespassing” signage, and ready for sale or demolition. (No permits are in the city files but we did see the “emergency order” mandating it to be vacated a month ago.)
As happens at just about every community meeting with police in attendance, the subject of RV camping came up. Lt. Strand said “new directives” are in progress for dealing with that and should be in place within a few weeks.
FERRY DOCK’S FUTURE: Though the Fauntleroy dock rebuild is still a decade or so away, conversations about the project are already happening. A rep from one of the engineering firms already talking with Washington State Ferries, Harbor Consulting Engineers, was at the FCA meeting. He said the state is currently looking at a nearly $100 million investment in the project, starting with an environmental study that alone would likely take about four years. His main message was that the state wants to get community opinion about the dock’s future and impacts including traffic. The FCA’s longtime ferry liaison Gary Dawson pointed out that all this has long been on the FCA’s radar. Another significant issue: The dock project’s effect on salmon, with Fauntleroy Creek’s mouth right next door.
The Fauntleroy Community Association board meets second Tuesdays most months, 7 pm, at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse; community members always welcome. Watch fauntleroy.net for updates between meetings.
About two hours into Saturday morning’s 27th annual Fairmount Ravine cleanup, we stopped by the main site beneath the bridge to see how things were going. Down by the roadside, a pile of filled bags; up under the bridge, neighbors and friends still hard at work.
Joining the volunteers this year, our photographer discovered with that zoom view (we’re admittedly not much for climbing), City Councilmember Lisa Herbold. The SPD Community Police Team was represented too. But the heart of the cleanup crew is comprised of the nearby residents who have over the past quarter-century-plus pulled tons of debris and trash out of the area along the road used by drivers, runners, and riders to get between Admiral and east Alki.
P.S. If you’re thinking about a neighborhood cleanup, the city’s Spring Clean program offers support – info’s here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Crime concerns sparked a bigger turnout than usual at this month’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting, including some who identified themselves in around-the-room intros as first-time attendees, some from South Delridge and White Center, as well as HP residents.
Q&A WITH POLICE: Southwest Precinct operations commander Lt. Steve Strand briefed the group. Since the year’s start, HP is down double digits in many categories, but property crimes – primarily thefts and burglaries – are up. He said recent arrests included burglary suspects who might be linked to multiple crimes, including a carjacking at the 35th/Barton 7-11. He reminded attendees that SPD can’t see walled social media (but can see WSB) so please don’t just report crimes/suspicions on social media – call it in! Westwood Village will be one of this summer’s big emphasis points, “mostly due to the property crimes they have” especially shoplifting. They also, as weather warms, plan emphasis patrols in places where people gather, from Alki to Highland Park.
HPAC chair Gunner Scott asked about police staffing for the precinct. “Down a handful,” replied Lt. Strand.
What kind of cooperation between city and county law enforcement? Depends on the incident, he said – for example, both were involved after the shooting on 16th SW on Monday. Detectives on both sides of the line will often share information in case they’re both working similar cases, he added. Another attendee asked about South Delridge shooting cases, including that Monday incident.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Back in November 2017, the Junction Neighborhood Organization hosted a briefing with Sound Transit, at which a top ST manager promised “an interesting year and a half” ahead.
That year and a half is almost over; May is when the ST Board will decide which routing/station locations for West Seattle light rail will go into environmental studies. But as another JuNO briefing with ST showed last night, some local residents are just starting to sit up and take notice, especially since multiple locations are now in play for the Junction station.
An upstairs meeting room at the Senior Center/Sisson Building in The Junction filled to overflow capacity for last night’s briefing and Q&A. ST’s Leda Chahim reassured them that “this is a really good time to be engaging,” though the “scoping period” for public comment ends one week from today.
First – here’s the slide deck Chahim and other ST reps used to recap where things stand.
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