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Week and a half left to comment on new zoning plans. Morgan Community Association briefing Thursday

Even if you don’t live in the Morgan Junction vicinity, you might want to check out the Morgan Community Association‘s community briefing this Thursday (December 12) on the city’s new zoning plans.

Wherever you live, there’s likely change on the way, even if only to bring lots up to the new state-mandated “at least four units” law. Before the comment time runs out on Friday, December 20th, MoCA decided to set up a community briefing. We checked with MoCA president Deb Barker (a former municipal land-use planner) to verify that city reps will not be in attendance. She confirms that and adds, “It is solely community driven. Morgan Community Association wants folks to understand what types of zoning changes are proposed where. We also want community feedback on those proposed Morgan Junction Urban Center changes. The MoCA Board will forward the Urban Center comments to SDCI by the December 20th comment deadline. Copies of MoCA’s May 6, 2024 ‘One Seattle Plan’ comments will be available.” (The “Morgan Junction Urban Center” would be the city’s new name for what was the “Morgan Junction Urban Village.” Barker adds that they did get a bit of city support – “SDCI has provided MoCA with the following maps of proposed zoning changes which we’ll display: Morgan Junction – (Modified Urban Center, former known as Urban Village), High Point (a new Neighborhood Center), Endolyne – (a new Neighborhood Center, in Fauntleroy), Fairmount – (a new Neighborhood Center). Thursday’s briefing is at 6 pm in the High Point Library meeting room (3411 SW Raymond).

From Saturday’s Holiday Lights to New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim, what you need to know from Alki Community Council’s November meeting

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The Alki Community Council is bringing holiday cheer to the beach on Saturday night, a big topic at last night’s monthly meeting.

Vice president Lindsey Pearsall facilitated the meeting in-person at Alki UCC, with president Charlotte Starck co-facilitating online, as it was a hybrid meeting. She opened the meeting by asking attendees to share one word about what they’re grateful for. (With the windstorm still fresh in memories, “electricity” got several mentions.)

Starck mentioned highlights from the budget just approved by the City Council (WSB coverage here) – including the noise-enforcement technology (which had first been brought to the ACC’s attention years ago) and the Duwamish Head parking changes. She then talked about how Alki had dodged windstorm-related problems (though some lost power), but needed to be prepared for the fall and winter ahead, introducing Sean Blackwell from the city’s CARE Department.

Though Blackwell is not affiliated with the Office of Emergency Management, he did acknowledge the important of city services during situations like the storm – CARE 911 call volumes pick up, for example. Starck stressed the role that alert.seattle.gov plays – with a variety of alerts you can sign up for – and Officer German Barreto from SPD urged people to call 911 if they happen onto electric hazards. If you happen onto a live wire, don’t get out of your car – it might be dangerous. And beware of dark/flashing-light intersections; Barreto spoke of responding to a three-vehicle crash the other day. And don’t try to drive over a downed branch, or under a tree that seems in danger of falling – which can be fatal if the tree falls onto your vehicle.

Starck asked him next about crime stats. Barreto said sexual assaults are up year-to-date, but in the past 28 days, thefts and other categories have gone down in the Alki area.

Blackwell then offered CARE Team crisis-responder updates. The team’s been launched for a year now, and Amy (Smith) Barden is now the permanent department (the team plus 911 operations) chief. He urged attendees to sign up for the department’s newsletter (email them at CARE_info@seattle.gov). He also noted the work toward expanding the CARE Response Team since the mayor’s announcement in June, and said the Southwest Precinct (West Seattle/South Park) expansion is expected before the end of the first quarter, with space being evaluated for them in the precinct. New hires are set for training by February so they can start responding in March. Blackwell explained that responders can now refer directly to the Crisis Solution Center. They plan to implement more.

Two SPD Community Service Officers talked to the group about a program meant for kids they help – the Courageous Lions program. (In fact, they said, they just had been to the scene of a crash where they had to help two juveniles.) The program’s in partnership with Harborview, which means there’s trauma counseling available for kids going through tough situations. The Seattle Police Foundation funds it (it’s a nonprofit, so you can donate to support it). The CSO’s also are doing a warm-clothing drive on December 7, 11 am-3 pm, at the precinct (2300 SW Webster). Sweat pants are very helpful, for example, and other clothing, mostly for adults, but they’ll take whatever they receive (and “find good homes” for anything they can’t use). The CSOs will be working later starting in the New Year, they added – up until 10 pm.

ALKI LIGHTS EVENT ON SATURDAY: Rudolph (aka Stacy Bass-Walden) joined ACC for the update on this Saturday’s big event, hoping to bring back the crowds that often attended the Christmas Ship event pre-pandemic. ACC will have an info booth east of the Bathhouse, and more than half a dozen Alki Avenue businesses are participating, as well as the Log House Museum, for the event 7 pm-9 pm. Some freebies will be offered (from candy canes to cocoa to baklava to chowder to free arcade prize tickets), as well as three dropoff spots for a West Seattle Food Bank donation drive (listed on the event page). As Starck noted, the first stop has moved – on the west side of Seacrest (1660 Harbor SW) instead of off Don Armeni or Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor). Wyatt from the ACC said three bonfire pits will be activated by the accessibility ramp, so that’s where to gather. Elizabeth Rudrud from the LHM said they’ll have a bake sale, too, to raise $ for the SWSHS, while also offering free cider and crafts. They plan to set up 50 luminarias along the edge of the beach, added Rudolph (Walden), and an attendee offered to fill the volunteer slot for that.

NEW YEAR’S POLAR BEAR SWIM: Organizer Mark Ufkes spoke to the ACC about the genesis of the swim at Alki Beach, which will happen again on New Year’s Day 2025. It was first announced on WSB, he recalled, in a year with 35 attendees, and “it just kept getting bigger and bigger.” Ufkes noted that he’s tried to keep it a “simple family event … it’s over fast, and you get in the water quick … everybody holds hands …” and Alki’s space has kept it from feeling crowded, even now with many hundreds of people – he counted 1,500 people last year. (One in Norway has 35,000 participants, he noted.)

(1/1/22 photo by Scott Nelson)

Ufkes said his main job is to send out the invitation and show up with a megaphone and lead a countdown. “I’ve had so many people tell me they’ve always wanted to do it.” 10 am sharp again this year. People don’t tend to show up early – they just materialize by swim time. Starck said the ACC would love to support the swim in any way they can. Ufkes said he appreciates that, having been involved with community councils before. Still not sure you want to give it a try? The water’s usually warmer than the air, Ufkes said spiritedly.

BIG GIFT, AND A MEMBERSHIP DRIVE: The ACC recently received a $2,500 donation and Starck said they’re hoping to work on a membership/donation drive, using this as a match, “so we can move into 2025 stronger than ever.” Pearsall urged attendees to tell their friends and family about ACC; you can use its website to sign up for membership.

SAFETY: On this ongoing topic, Starck wondered if neon-bright flags would be a way to discourage unsafe driving that threatsns kids. Two attendees thought “there are enough signs already”; one said it’s more a matter of parents paying attention to their kids. What about cameras? Starck said they’re hoping to have City Councilmember Rob Saka back at a future meeting to talk about where traffic and noise cameras stand post-budget vote. There was some state funding to study noise cameras, Starck noted, but only one eastside municipality took advantage of that. This segued into a discussion of what’s been effective – the speed humps/cushions had some voicing support, for one. Alki’s section of Admiral, and safety on it, came up as a topic too. “Isn’t this a conversation for SDOT and the mayor’s office” – which had a representative at the meeting – asked one person. (The rep, external affairs liaison Catherine Gerlach, volunteered later to do what she could do to be a liaison between the neighborhood group and agencies/departments such as SDOT.) Starck suggested people send their ideas to hello@alkicommunitycouncil.org so they could aggregate trouble spots/ideas – and possibly creation of a safety committee within the ACC so there could be a smaller working group focused on the issue. Overall, Pearsall said, “if you have something you’re passionate about … safety, events …” email hello@alkicommunitycouncil.org to “grow the team” and “figure out the best place to use our time, money, and energy.” Speaking of money, they’ll be working on a budget for next year in a post-Thanksgiving Executive Board meeting.

WHAT’S NEXT: Saturday night’s Holiday Lights, of course – 7 pm November 23, with the Christmas Ship arriving just after 8:30 – and the Polar Bear Swim (Wednesday, January 1, 2025). No general ACC meeting in December, so the next one will be the third Thursday in January (that’s January 16).

City attorney visit, community updates, holiday previews @ Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting

Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Neighbors gathered earlier this week for a general gathering of the Admiral Neighborhood Association to hear from guest speakers and discuss community issues and upcoming holiday events. The meeting was held at Admiral Church on Tuesday and was facilitated by president Joanie Jacobs, and here’s a recap: 

First on the agenda (bumped to the top because she needed to attend to a family commitment) was city attorney Ann Davison, who gave an update to the group and answered questions. She had spoken last month to the Alki Community Council (WSB coverage here) and provided a similar update for the Admiral group. 

Davison reiterated the importance of neighborhood meetings like this being a crucial part of her job, and how much she appreciates people coming out to attend.

Davison cited her partnership with the Seattle City Council in September’s 8-1 council approval of the creation of Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) areas, which target drug-related criminal activity in key areas of the city (such as portions of Belltown and the International District) and authorizing the courts to prohibit an individual from entering those areas if they have committed a drug-related criminal offense in those zones. Davison said she is optimistic that the zones are small and targeted enough to really make a difference, saying that past efforts to identify priority areas of the city involved about 40% of the city’s 83 square miles (“simply too big”) but that the current SODA areas make up only .5% of the city. “These areas are a tool for officers to protect the public space and provide predictability,” she said, so the general public “can get where they need to go and do what they need to do.” She added that because prior booking restrictions for King County Jail were lifted on November 1st, this will also help officers be more responsive for the community. “That was a missing piece; an instrumental change,” she said.

Davison then took some questions from attendees:

  • Q: Can you help stop the proposed removal of the road divider on Delridge near the RapidRide stop on Delridge that Rob Saka has added to the budget? A: As a lawyer for the city, I can’t take litigation action “against myself,” but please continue raising your concerns. 
  • Q: Regarding the SODA zones, do you find that people moving out of those neighborhoods simply go somewhere else and cause similar problems?  A: It’s difficult to track, but we’ll do what we can to monitor that. I recently attended an Alaska Junction meeting in which this general topic came up, and we want to keep an eye on it — do the people who aren’t allowed to be in those areas simply move just outside the boundaries?
  • Q: What about the King County Jail space that’s opened up? A: The contract was for 135 beds; we had 70 beds previously, so we’ve almost doubled the capacity to help officers be responsive. It should help; previously the officers likely didn’t even take the person to jail because they knew they wouldn’t be booked. 
  • Q: I was at a D1 council meeting a few years ago, and a woman was there who said she was hired by city to revamp 911 – what’s the status?  A: That was likely Chief Amy (Smith) Barden from the city’s CARE Department (Community Assisted Response and Engagement), which is working to expand those services, but that’s the extent of what I know.
  • Q: I’m an Admiral Junction business owner and have been struggling with people involved with a nearby apartment building who have been using their dumpsters to block the sidewalk and block cars in, and have been threatening me. There are 3 existing police reports on this, but officers have said they can’t do anything unless there is an actual assault. What can I do? A: Very sorry you’re having to deal with that — please do contact my office.
    At that point, SPD officer German Barreto (who was also in attendance, representing the SW Precinct) also offered to follow-up and help, and provided his card and contact information to the business owner.

Davison then needed to leave the meeting for a family obligation, and encouraged attendees to reach out to her office with questions and concerns. She said that she lives in north Seattle and thus isn’t in West Seattle every day, but she wants to hear from citizens.  Jacobs thanked Davison for the extra effort to attend the meeting and make the time. 

The group discussed and approved the minutes of their prior meeting, and then invited officer Barreto to provide some updates: 

Barreto said that, from a crime-stats perspective in the Admiral area, most of the crime numbers are down, with the exception of aggravated assault and burglaries.  Some attendees noted that this wasn’t particularly comforting news, which Barreto acknowledged, but said that the relative number of incidents was still low, thus any data change one way or another is going to result in a significant “percentage change.” Barreto noted that crime data is published online and is readily available. 

Barreto then answered questions from attendees:

  • Q: Just to reiterate the prior 911 question that we asked Davison, what changes are being made? A: That’s under the CARE department. What I can say is, always call 911 if you see something. Generally, don’t use the non-emergency line. 
  • Q: What’s the current staffing level? A: We just got two more officers; getting staffing slowly but surely. Another Q: There seem to be a lot more police patrols (which is great), has there been a change in routes?  A: I can’t say the exact reason but I know that Lt. Shopay (referring to SW Precinct Operations Lt. Nathan Shopay) is working hard to get more officers out and about. The visual presence does deter criminal activity.
  • Q: Are there issues with staffing and getting recruits, contracts etc? Or are you seeing more recruits coming in?  A: Yes, we had 50+ people at a hiring event last weekend, which is nice to see — obviously they would still need to go through training to determine if they’re the right fit (maybe we get 10 of them to be officers?) I can take people on ride-alongs.  Follow-up Q: Is there increased morale?  A: Yes, SPD feels very supported, which makes things better.
  • Q: I was here a year ago and asked about traffic enforcement; what’s the status? A: That’s a different division, there are a small number of traffic-enforcement cars for the city.  If we can get more staffing (especially motorcycle officers) that’s helpful, because they are less visible and can help with enforcement.  (one attendee confirmed that it seems like he’s noticed more motorcycles around).  Follow-up Q: What about officers on bikes? I saw a big group of them recently. A: Yes, we’re trying to get more trained bike officers, and we promote that training department-wide; you may see groups of them riding across I-90 and back as part of training. Another follow-up Q: Would having more traffic officers end up being revenue-positive?  A: I would think so, but some traffic stops just result in warnings — when I was in academy, we learned that “traffic enforcement is education,” with the primary goal being to ensure that motorists aren’t harming other people.
  • Q: With the “Belltown Hellcat” (aka Miles Hudson) being a nuisance, has there been copycats?  A: Perhaps some, but although we can pull people over if we think their exhaust noise is too loud, we’re unlikely to win in court unless the officer has a decibel meter (which we typically don’t).   Follow-up Q:  What about general reckless driving and lawlessness in cars? A: After we make an arrest, it goes to the courts. Yes, better and more drivers’ education could help.  Follow-up Q:  I think criminals know that there is very little enforcement, so the chances of them being deterred are slim. Another follow-up Q: The removal of “qualified immunity” 5+ years ago may play a factor.  A: We do what we can; we do have emphasis patrols in high-traffic areas like Alki in the summer, but staffing can be an issue. We have to weigh the risk/reward: if we see a person doing donuts with their car in an intersection, we can stop them, but if they take off then we have to weigh the risk of pursuing.  Our #1 job is helping with quality-of-life. 
  • Q: Is parking enforcement people under a different department? A: Currently have a different supervisor, yes (this has changed over the years).  Follow-up Q: Can these people also enforce things like missing plates, excessive shading/tinting? A: No, it’s just parking. Follow-up Q: To report parking enforcement issues, what would you recommend.  A: Use the Find-It-Fix-It app. The info goes into a city-wide queue where it’s sent specifically to the area and to the appropriate agency. 
  • Comment from an attendee: Good to hear that there are 2 more officers. Calling 911 does make a difference because officer resourcing is all data-driven — call volume helps determine staffing. 
  • Comment/Q: My back hurts just looking at you (see the photo above, with Barreto’s “front pack” of gear), how much does that pack weigh? A: Yes, it’s a lot but we get used to it! (30-40 pounds)

Next was a report from treasurer Bridgett Markille, who reported that the group’s finances are strong, due to great support from small businesses and members, despite considerable expenses this past year on marquee events such as the Admiral Music in the Parks (AMP) series, the July 4th parade and the Admiral Funktion block party. She encouraged residents to support those small businesses

Next up was an update from communications chair ​Dan Jacobs, who reported that ANA has been graciously gifted a software program called MonkeyPod that will be the group’s new platform for management of financing, communications, donations etc.  The donation is being facilitated by MonkeyPod’s Mike Depew, who lives in the Admiral area and wanted to get involved with what ANA is doing. 

The ANA group then elected officers, and attendees approved the continuation of the 4 existing officers to remain in their positions:

President: Joanie Jacobs 
Vice President: Cheryl Lea
Secretary: Meagan Loftin
Treasurer: Bridgett Markille

Jacobs expressed support for Admiral Church and its staff, saying that the church lets ANA meet there for free, helped host one of the AMP concerts, and has been a great partner. 

She added that ANA needs a team leader to head up the group’s annual 4th of July parade (WSB coverage here).  Megan Erb led it for about 10 years, but she is stepping down and they need a new leader for this popular local event. Jacobs emphasized that it’s not a “solo effort,” it takes many volunteers, but there does need to be a coordinator in order for the event to keep going. Interested? Contact the group via connecttoadmiral.org.

Jacobs acknowledged the recent unexpected death of WSB co-founder Patrick Sand, calling him “an amazing person; a force for good in our community,” and a great friend. She said that different neighborhood associations have been working on ways to honor his legacy, and ANA has decided that they’ll be starting a “Patrick Sand ANA Advocate Award,” and will accept applications in the near future, with the winner chosen by a group that will include WSB editor/publisher Tracy Record

Jacobs then acknowledged the volunteers who helped put together the group’s successful Admiral trick-or-treating event (WSB coverage here), saying that the group received very positive feedback about the event, particularly regarding the ANA-coordinated crossing guards (the first year for that). 

Some upcoming events, which Jacobs and the team talked about:

The group closed the meeting with some raffle items, and thanked attendees for coming.

The next general gathering of the Admiral Neighborhood Association will be held in the new year: Tuesday January 14th at 7pm at Admiral Church.

WEEK AHEAD: Fauntleroy Community Association talks rezoning and more on Tuesday

Another neighborhood organization meeting on Tuesday is the Fauntleroy Community Association, with its regular board meeting including a discussion of the city’s new rezoning proposal. As we’ve been reporting, the proposal is open for comments until December 20; a key feature is the creation of more than half a dozen “neighborhood centers” in West Seattle (mapped here), and FCA told the city back in May that it was opposed to the one planned for the Endolyne mini-business-district area. So that’s a big part of the agenda. Community members are welcome at the meeting, which starts at 6 pm Tuesday (November 12) in the conference room at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW).

WEEK AHEAD: Admiral Neighborhood Association’s next general gathering Tuesday

November 10, 2024 4:45 pm
|    Comments Off on WEEK AHEAD: Admiral Neighborhood Association’s next general gathering Tuesday
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

Big week ahead for community meetings. Among them: The Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s next general gathering, in person. at 7 pm Tuesday (November 12) at Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill). This month, ANA will hear from city attorney Ann Davison, who spoke to the Alki Community Council last month (WSB coverage here). They’ll also talk with police, elect leadership, and talk about upcoming events including December 14th’s “Winter Wonderland.” All welcome if you live, work, study, and/or play in the Admiral area.

Bus service modifications (feedback wanted!) and community updates at HPAC October meeting

Graphic courtesy of Metro: Newly revised proposed bus-stop changes for 16th Ave SW between Holden/Henderson

By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

In response to pushback from area residents, King County Metro is proposing a newly modified set of scaled-back changes to bus stops and service associated with the 125/128 routes on 16th Ave SW between SW Holden Street and SW Henderson Street (see image above).

These changes, shared with us at WSB and discussed at last Wednesday night’s monthly meeting of the HPAC community coalition (serving Highland Park, Riverview and South Delridge), represent a partial rollback of the more-abruptly announced changes that caused a stir when they were announced back in February.

Metro is now looking for community feedback on these changes, in the form of an online survey that is being broadly promoted and will be open until November 22nd.

Some bus-riders have likely already noticed the new “Proposed Stop Changes” signs (including a QR code that links to the same online survey) that Metro began posting last week at various stops on 16th Ave SW:

Based on the initial feedback from HPAC attendees in last Wednesday’s meeting, the reception to Metro’s proposal seems likely to land much better this time around. “In general, this is all good news!” said one attendee. Here’s what the process now looks like, with potential implementation happening in the new year:

A complete rundown of the bus changes and the rationale from Metro is down below, but first, some other HPAC items from the meeting, which was facilitated by co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick.

After opening remarks, HPAC acknowledged last week’s passing of WSB co-founder Patrick Sand, calling it “sad news” and commending Sand for always improving morale of those around him, and “just getting stuff done.”

Next up, SPD Officer German Barreto from the Southwest Precinct provided a crime-stats update. He said that for Highland Park, aggravated assaults are trending down (but up for the past 28 days compared to 2023), and vehicle theft is down.  For Delridge, burglaries have gone up (33% for the past 28 days compared to 2023). In terms of specific events, he mentioned a shooting and attempted robbery in Highland Park on September 30th (shots fired, nobody hurt), and in South Delridge a shots fired incident (no victims or property damage) on September 5th.

SW Precinct Operations Lt. Nathan Shopay was also in attendance, and he addressed the fact that neighbors told him that although crime is down in the past year, they “hear a lot of shootings in the distance.”  Shopay said that there have indeed been some events “behind the greenspace” and down the hill, mostly just shots, but as one attendee pointed out there have been some significant events such as the shooting at Shree’s.

Barreto and Shopay both reiterated the importance of neighbors calling in whenever they hear gunshots (or if they experience any potentially criminal event).  They said that for data collection purposes, and staffing, SPD uses that data to help make decisions and often to link together suspects and crimes at a later date. “Make the call to 911, it’s never an inconvenience.”  One attendee said that they’ve typically received good response from 911 calls.  Another asked about a recent robbery they had heard about, and Shopay said that SPD has “caught about half of the guys responsible for 60-70 robberies in the area,” (SPD info here) which was a big win.  Another attendee thanked officers for their assistance with some specific issues in their neighborhood (such as a troublesome property near 20th and Henderson), and asked about why there would have been several people on her block that were suddenly ticketed for expired plates all at once — Shopay said that it was likely because the vehicles were flagged as part of parking regulations related to recent RV parking enforcement.

Next up was an update from Sean Blackwell from the city’s CARE Department (Community Assisted Response and Engagement), who confirmed that his team plans to expand the number of Community Crisis Responders (CCRs) from 11 currently to 28 eventually. This will include, in the first quarter of 2025, an expansion into the South Precinct and into West Seattle’s own Southwest Precinct.  He said the role of CCRs is to support and complement police and fire responders, and to focus on connecting people to necessary services while dealing with crisis situations. He mentioned a YouTube video that talked about some of the team’s successes. Blackwell echoed what SPD staff said about 911 calls — always call, if you see/hear something — and said that he finds the community meetings very valuable and plans to attend more in the future.

One attendee said that they once attended a workshop about “how to make a good 911 call” by providing the right information, and asked if SPD/CARE staff could perhaps do something like that for HPAC in the future.  Blackwell said that’s definitely an option, although he said that 911 dispatchers are well-trained to ask the right questions, and to get the right information. He said that one of the main complaints he hears from residents is “OK, I call 911 and ask for someone to come, but how come it took so long?” He said that SPD has staffing challenges, and steps are being taken to fix that but it will take some time. Incoming calls are prioritized: if it involves threat to life or bodily harm or is an emergency, then it’s a “priority 1” call and it gets triaged and dispatched first.  If multiple calls come in with high priority, then it can lead to delays, but regardless it’s important for residents to call 911 and engage with the right people.

At that point in the meeting, the Metro bus stop discussion took center stage for the rest of the meeting. Kirkpatrick thanked Metro staff for following up and coming back to talk to the group.  There were three Metro staff members in attendance: Robbie Frankel, Drew Robinson and Jessica Vu.  Frankel drove the discussion and presentation, and said “we want to apologize for causing confusion in the past; we are here with a revised proposal” and look forward to hearing the public’s feedback via the online survey between now and November 22nd.

Here is the full list of changes and rationale from Metro, sent to us and also shared with HPAC last Wednesday night:

Bus stop changes proposed to create better King County Metro bus service

To improve bus service for riders in Highland Park, King County Metro is asking for public feedback on a handful of bus stop changes along 16th Avenue Southwest between Southwest Holden and Henderson streets in West Seattle.

In early 2024, Metro gathered feedback on an initial proposal to change stops along 16th Avenue Southwest for routes 125 and 128. A summary of feedback from riders highlighted that:

  • For safety and comfort reasons, many riders prefer to cross the street at intersections with flashing pedestrian lights (Southwest Kenyon Street, Southwest Thistle Street, and Southwest Trenton Street) and avoid crossing at busy streets (Southwest Holden Street and Southwest Henderson Street.)
  • Stops at Southwest Thistle Street are important for community access.
  • Many students use the northbound stop at Southwest Trenton Street.

As a result, Metro is proposing closing only four existing closely-spaced bus stops, relocating one bus stop and installing one new bus stop. As part of these changes, Metro proposes sidewalk, shelter and ADA improvements to be built in partnership and funded by the City of Seattle Transportation Measure. This area also has seen recent service improvements with the launch of Metro Flex and added service on routes 60 and 125.

In the section of 16th Avenue Southwest between Southwest Holden Street and Southwest Henderson Street, consecutive stops are roughly 600 feet apart, compared to Metro’s target of having stops no closer than 1,300 feet. This area is a good candidate for bus stop improvements, and consolidating some stops ensures that city investments are made in stops Metro is committed to keeping. Reducing the number of stops also means each stop will be able to be made ADA-accessible.

Metro’s online survey of riders runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 22. Analysis of public feedback will take place later this year. Stops will be improved by the City of Seattle on a rolling basis beginning in 2025 and Metro will keep stops locations open until construction improvements at the remaining stops are completed.

Rider alerts with online survey links in English, Spanish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese and Vietnamese are scheduled to be installed along the corridor beginning Oct. 24.

Proposed stop closures

  • 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Elmgrove Street, northbound (stop #21390) and southbound (stop #22210)
  • 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Cloverdale Street, northbound (stop #21370) and southbound (stop #22230)

Proposed relocated stop

  • Southbound stop (stop #22244) at 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Henderson Street relocated to serve as a westbound stop at Southwest Henderson Street and 17th Avenue Southwest

Proposed new stops

  • New southbound stop added at 16th Ave SW and SW Trenton St

Planned stop improvements

  • Sidewalk improvements including adding bus bulbs, repairing damaged sidewalks, and rebuilding/adding bus landing pads at multiple stops
  • Installing a new shelter with seating for the northbound bus stop at S Thistle St (stop #21380)
  • Installing a new bench for the northbound bus stop at SW Trenton St (stop #21360)
  • Improving ADA accessibility

No changes

  • 16th Ave SW and SW Holden St, Southbound stop (stop #22190)
  • 16th Ave SW and SW Kenyon St, Southbound stop (stop #22200)
  • 16th Ave SW and SW Thistle St, Southbound stop (stop #22220)
  • 16th Ave SW and SW Henderson St, Northbound stop (stop #21350)

Several meeting attendees thanked Metro for the changes, and asked for some follow-up clarifications (described in the map at the top of this article). One attendee thanked the team for keeping the Thistle stop, and for Sunday service (making it easier to do weekend grocery runs).

Others asked whether work needed to be done for certain bus stops, to make them more usable and safer — one near Kenyon, for example, has a sidewalk that’s very uneven due to tree root damage. The Metro team said that, yes, that’s something that they look at, but in many cases like that the tree is actually on private property, which makes it more difficult to manage.

Another attendee said that “I really appreciate the 125 route; it’s the fastest ride downtown on most days” and is glad that it’s been prioritized. Another attendee agreed, and added that the 125 is going to be essential to connect to the new light rail line. Frankel confirmed that, yes, the 125 route “rose to the top of all of our metrics” as the Metro team was looking at how to prioritize and optimize route changes. “We’re thrilled to offer improvements to it.”

An attendee also called out the Metro Flex service for routes 60 and 125 as a great example of a new offering that really makes a difference for residents.

 

HPAC meets on the 4th Wednesday of the month (with some “months off”) from 7pm-8:30pm, currently via Zoom.  The group can be contacted via email at: hpacchair@gmail.com

City attorney Ann Davison, neighborhood updates, more @ Alki Community Council

By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The Alki Community Council gathered last week for their October meeting, to talk about upcoming events and neighborhood concerns, with a visit from Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison.

The meeting was held in “hybrid” format, with attendees in-person at Alki UCC as well as online via Zoom, and was facilitated by president Charlotte Starck:

Starck credited Kevin Kramer (the group’s new Board Chair of Operations) with facilitating the technology for the hybrid meeting, to make things run smoothly.  Starck thanked attendees for being there, noting the mix of neighbors, group leaders, business owners, city staff, and law enforcement (including two SPD community-service officers who were there in-person). 

SPD Officer German Barreto from the Southwest Precinct provided an update via Zoom. He said that for the Alki area, looking at the past month compared to 2023, there has been an increase in sexual assault reports, but everything else (including thefts) is down. He noted the previously reported drive-by shootings on Alki on July 29th, September 6th and 14th, as well as an earlier incident on the 2100 block of Harbor SW. He said it was good news that detectives were able to thoroughly investigate where appropriate. He reminded attendees that the precinct has a new leader, in Captain Krista Bair (who took the position in June). An attendee asked about the “boundaries” related to the crime stats, and how much of West Seattle is included in those. Baretto confirmed that for the stats he cites in each community group meeting he attends, he tries to use data relevant to that specific area of town — in the case of the Alki group, it’s basically the 98116 zip code.

SW Precinct Operations Lt. Nathan Shopay (also attending online) said that for the upcoming weekend, they would be conducting “an experiment” in which dedicated officers would be patrolling the Alki/Harbor area specifically during the “hot time” (9 pm and later) and “won’t be pulled off Alki to go anywhere else.”  He said that the precinct with gather data and findings from the experiment to help inform future patrol assignments. Several meeting attendees thanked Shopay for this, and one noted that “I walk on Alki multiple times a day, and have noticed an increased law enforcement presence every day. I really appreciate it!”

Next up were remarks from Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison, who attended in-person, and is in the third year of her term:

She had talked to the Alki group just over a year ago, and referenced that visit several times during her remarks (she had to cancel a follow-up visit in May 2024), and thanked attendees for being there and for getting involved. She said that it’s important for civic leaders to “be knowledgeable on a local level, where the rubber meets the road” and that the strives to “make myself accessible and take the ‘front desk’ on the road.”

Davison said she has a staff of more than 100 and is the only elected city attorney in Washington (most others in the state and across the country are appointed to their positions). She said that she takes that responsibility seriously as an elected official and an independent prosecutor. 

From the “civil side,” she cited her efforts in suing the carmakers as part of ongoing issues with Kia/Hyundai vehicles being easy targets for theft because the manufacturers “knowingly sold vehicles” that were prone to theft, thus “promoting criminal activity.” She said she was the first in the country to file suit, and now 16 other government entities across the US have joined in. “We want manufacturers to recall the cars and put in anti-theft technology,” she said, noting that such requirements were already being met in Canada and Europe but the carmakers declined to do it here. She said the suit is a “strategic move to help law enforcement partners, who are already too busy” and that customers have been losing their car insurance and a whole host of other problems. 

She also noted her office’s work with the $160mm Monsanto settlement announced in July, the highest for any municipality in the country, as being a major win for public health and the community. She also cited her work as part of an amicus brief for the Grants Pass v Johnson case dealing with urban homelessness, saying that she wants to “let local policy makers make their choices” for these difficult issues. 

From the “public safety side,” Davison said her office has made huge progress dealing with the backlog of roughly 5,000 criminal cases that she faced when taking the job three years ago. She said her office’s goal is to close new cases within five business days, and they’re currently at seven days “and should meet the goal within a week or two” — and that they’re “staying on top of things.”

She said that she’s a big advocate of “data transparency” and providing the public with lots of information. “It’s cutting edge,” she said, “and not what most prosecutors want to do.” She said this is crucial to help her and other leaders make informed decisions — “we don’t want it to be anecdotal” — and that everything gets published to her office’s website including annual and quarterly reports. 

Davison cited her partnership with the Seattle City Council in last month’s 8-1 council approval of the creation of Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) areas, targeting drug-related criminal activity in key areas (such as parts of Belltown and the International District) and authorizing courts to prohibit someone from entering those areas if they commit a drug-related criminal offense in those zones. She said that she lives in the north end and has had hard conversations with her kids while driving through areas like north Aurora Ave. “Public areas need to be protected; the anti-drug zones should help,” she said, noting that October 23 (one month after passage) would be the effective date for the new law. After it goes into effect, “I’ll see what the referrals are like. I’m the second leg of the process; SPD is first, then I get referral and can act accordingly.”

Davison closed her remarks by saying she’s lived in the city since 1996, when she first started working for the Seattle Supersonics basketball team “the year we went to the NBA Finals!” and is proud to have gotten involved with public service. “I never thought I’d be doing this kind of work,” she said, but that she’s been drawn to taking action on behalf of the community, and doing her part. 

Some Q&A from attendees:

  • Q: How about the legality of city surveillance video being used in cases? Davison: I’m not the decision maker; as a lawyer if it’s challenged then our lawyers would defend it.
  • Q:  Regarding State Senate Bill 5444 (prohibiting firearms in certain areas), the bill didn’t include parks and playgrounds. Will your office seek to amend the bill to include them?  Davison: I would support that, but would only get involved if my office gets involved. I’m not totally familiar with the specifics of the bill, but my office can follow up if contacted. I’m very aware of the disparity in penalties (364 days for a gross misdemeanor, 90 days for misdemeanor).
  • Q: What about jail capacity? We’ve reported things in the past but officers told us they couldn’t book for most crimes, meaning that officers would try to take them to jail and nothing would happen, leaving me and public saying “why should we call?”  Davison: As SPD has said, we definitely need you to continue calling 911 so they have that data to help inform staff levels.  Booking restrictions are getting lifted (as announced last month) and when officers have probable cause for arrest then they should be able to book them.  My office believes they shouldn’t have those restrictions.  
  • Q: Does your office deal with financial crimes like wire fraud?  Davison: No, my office doesn’t. 
  • Comment from neighbor Barb Richter regarding the Alki Point Healthy Street revision that was installed last June:  We’ve been happy with this, it’s resulted in a 76% reduction of 911 calls. Great example of city working with community to reduce crime in the area.  Davison: I’m very glad to hear that, but can’t really take credit. Anne I can only take small credit. It’s nice to hear these things. I recently attended an event with builders and realtors, and they say it’s a different sense right now because everyone is working together, unlike some years prior. My approach when we need to get something done is to ask “are you a problem solver” and to gravitate toward those people. 
  • Q: What about jail time and enforcement of home monitoring, instead of giving constant reprieves to offenders?  Davison: My prosecutors make recommendations. I’m the first woman to hold this office (of the 10 people who have held it), I take domestic violence very seriously, if you’re a kid exposed to violence at home, then you’re much more likely to commit those crimes. My office’s role is to make recommendations to the judge, if the judge isn’t convinced then we can’t force them, but we certainly do what we can.

Davison thanked attendees for coming and departed for another commitment, and the group took a break for some raffles. Then, group vice president Lindsey Pearsall (attending via Zoom) talked with the group about a new idea that came out of discussions with the Alki Elementary PTA, regarding the creation of a partnership to display student artwork in local businesses. Such a program existed years ago, and they’d like to bring it back, ideally by the beginning of 2025. Attendees agreed that this was a great idea and they were “all in,” and Lindsey encouraged anyone interested in helping to contact her at lindsey@alkicommunitycouncil.org

Next, board member Robyn Fritz (the board’s Chair of Parks) encouraged attendees to do what they can to help Seattle Parks staff to keep the area beautiful and safe. She said she has lived on Alki since 1987, and is out every day walking her dog. She plans to create and manage an online list of projects (such as broken park benches, areas of overgrown or unhealthy greenery, etc) that people can contribute to, and she’ll take the lead on working with Parks staff to get things done. She encouraged neighbors to ask themselves: “What do we need to do to make Alki even better than it is?”

Attendee Steve Pumphrey, who is an organizer of an Alki/Harbor neighborhood group (focused on the three blocks around Don Armeni and Duwamish Head), then talked about safety issues relevant to that area. He said he lives across from the diagonal parking and boat launch, in the apartments on Harbor Ave. He said the area is a popular place for groups to meet and then go to Alki Beach and back. He said that his group was pleased to recently get a group from the city to come out and walk the area, and that the group included SPD leaders and someone from mayor’s office. He said they walked between the parking lot area and the boat launch, and talked about the problems, and were able to show the broken glass and tire-burn marks, and that he expects a status report from the group soon. Pumphrey encouraged attendees to attend the budget meeting on Nov 12th at 5pm at the council offices city hall, at which Councilmember Rob Saka will propose speed-activated cameras and a study for addressing diagonal parking. “We need a big crowd to testify in favor of these things,” Pumphrey said.  He added that typically the signups open at 4pm and then the meeting starts at 5pm.  Robin Fritz noted that big crowds were on the beach recently for the northern lights, walking around, and Pumphrey said the area is always crowded but usually for no good reason. “Between 930-10pm it’s mostly people racing around; at 11pm it’s supposed to be ‘no parking’ but nobody pays attention to that.” 

The next portion of the meeting was a quick update from Sean Blackwell from the city’s CARE Department (Community Assisted Response and Engagement), who confirmed that the program plans to expand its number of Community Crisis Responders (CCRs) from 11 currently to 28 eventually, which will include an expansion into the South Precinct and into West Seattle’s Southwest Precinct in the first quarter of 2025.  He said the CCRs aim to support and complement police and fire responders, and to focus on crisis mitigation including connecting people to necessary services. 

The group then highlighted two upcoming events:

  • Saturday Oct 26th  Alki Beach trick-or-treating, from noon-2pm. This spans the business district along the beach, from 57th to 63rd. Info is online at alkitrickortreat.com. The Alki council will have booths near Ampersand Coffee with coffee and donuts.
  • Saturday Nov 23rd Alki Holiday Lights from 7-9pm (along with the Argosy Christmas Ships visit).  During the meeting, group member Stacy Bass-Walden (co-founder of Alki Pride, which just celebrated its 10th year) and other members turned off the overhead room lights and gave a preview of festive holiday lights, reminding everyone that the Christmas Ships visit is very early in the season this year (just one month from now! The ships will be at Don Armeni on Sat Nov 23rd from 5:35-5:55pm, and at Alki from 8:35-8:55pm; full schedule here).  Bass-Walden said that they want to bring back some of the “shore festivities” that accompanied the ships’ visits in past years, which have waned recently.  They’re getting local business involved and want to have cocoa and fun activities. This is a “trial event” to help set the stage for future years, and they plan to have a booth with a survey to gather feedback about what residents would want to have in future years — “we want to ‘glow-up’ Alki!” they said.  

Have you been impacted by power outages in West Seattle in recent years? If so, group member Wyatt Carlock wants to hear from you, he is a design intern for a startup called PwrOn whose mission is to improve residents’ experiences during power outages (particularly for refrigeration and internet service). He said that areas like Alki are susceptible to this.  If you’re interested in getting involved and sharing your experiences, contact him at: wyattcarlock@gmail.com.  

As the meeting came to an end, members noted that their annual election of officers will occur in next month’s meeting, and they’ll need to identify candidates and renew memberships. They’ll be doing their budget as well (yes, the group is a 5013c), and they’ve been talking with other neighborhood groups like Fauntleroy to get ideas. 

The Alki Community Council can be contacted at hello@alkicommunitycouncil.org. The group meets on the third Thursday of each month, with upcoming meetings as follows:

  • Thu Nov 21 at 7pm – hybrid format, Zoom and onsite at Alki UCC
  • December – No member meeting

Street safety, park cleanup, more at Morgan Community Association’s fall meeting

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Lots of info as usual at the quarterly Morgan Community Association meeting, facilitated last night in Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation‘s downstairs meeting room by MoCA president Deb Barker.

POLICE: “Making a lot of progress in hiring,” said precinct operations Lt. Nate Shopay. As the chief herself said in a recent interview, she’s probably staying on a while longer. He said the new commander Capt. Krista Bair is “an exciting person to work for” and they’ve been switching up their strategy. We asked if there’s anything at all they can say about the most recent homicide, at Shree’s Truck Stop on SW Detroit last Sunday; in short, no (Lt. Shopay then told us today on followup that detectives are pursuing several leads). Barker asked if any traffic control is planned for ballot boxes around the deadline on Election Night; Lt. Shopay said he hadn’t heard of anything but could certainly consider a request. Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite noted the annual Seattle Public Safety Survey is open for the next six weeks, and reminded everyone that it informs community-policing plans for the neighborhoods. She also showed the crime-data dashboard you can access any time on the SPD website; for Morgan, for example, August had far fewer crimes reported than a year earlier, and September stats should be available soon.

PARK-ADDITION SITE CLEANUP: The toxic soil left over from the gas station and dry cleaner on the Morgan Junction Park Addition site has been dug up and hauled away by a licensed hazardous-waste transporter. Barker said the contractor told her the soils were more contaminated than expected, so they had to excavate a bigger area, 850 square feet more. She was told the expansion was determined by results of testing as they worked. Soil testing was done on site. Now Parks has Department of Ecology clearance. The hole is still awaiting being filled because a permit is needed for filling SDOT right-of-way in the extra excavation area, Barker said. Once they’re ready to start filling, it won’t take long – maybe two weeks or so.

ALL-WHEELS AREA DESIGN: Josh Radick from Morgan Junction All-Wheels Area said it’s been a very fruitful summer with grant-funded design work as well as volunteer work. MJAWA’s Matthew Johnston said they made it through first level of Parks’ internal ProView review; next level is Pro View Tech, scheduled for October 29 – “if we clear that gate, Grindline will start drafting construction documents, that should take 4 to 6 weeks, we hand those over and MJAWA moves on to an advisory role.” You can see the approved website on their website – that’s the one going to ProView Tech. Johnston said Parks asked them to engage in more fundraising – MJAWA’s contention is that all the grant-funded and volunteer-powered contribution they’ve made are plenty. “We’re not adding a lot to the project – we paid for the design.” They got feedback in support of “a plaza design with a little bit of everything” – 6′ x 3′ wide, 12″ ledge, quarter pipe with a hip, seated ledge for spectating or skating – front piece on California with Morgan Junction lettering – existing elements are all going to be reused – Johnston says part of it is inspired by Duwamish River running under the West Seattle Bridge. Radick says the Morgan all-wheels area is going to be a learning space, as compared to the skateparks at Delridge and Roxhill, “much smaller, much less intimidating, something anybody can learn on.” Parks is still projecting construction for next year.

NEW BIZ: Annalise Johnson from Charcuterie by Annalise was introduced. As reported here, the lifelong West Seattleite recently opened a storefront after operating her business – creating “beautiful and delicious charcuterie spreads for any occasion” – as a mobile business. She’s hoping to launch her lunch sandwiches by December.

(WSB photos, 2015 crash at 49th/Graham)

49th/GRAHAM: Zelma Zieman has long been working on safety at this uncontrolled intersection – after getting hit and going sideways in 2015, with SFD having to extricate her and her son. She tried working with SDOT on safety improvements, “didn’t work out.” Then this May, a neighbor also got hit and injured. “The neighborhood is very concerned about this intersection.” Her She said her neighbor’s crash got no police response so is not on the record, but: “This is the only uncontrolled four-way for a number of blocks around it.” They managed to get an SDOT visit but they haven’t heard much since. “We don’t know what the answer is, but we know we need to do something to make it safer.” She’s been trying to research how many of Seattle’s intersections are uncontrolled – and has found thousands. “We know we’re the tip of an iceberg.” She challenged everyone to drive through that intersection and see for themselves = ‘take your time.’ She also challenged everybody to talk to friends and relatives about ‘uncontrolled intersections.’ Longer term, she thinks there needs to be more education about uncontrolled intersections, which folks from other areas might not fully understand.

SDOT: Talking about other intersections, SDOT’s Ching Chan was a guest via video connection. First, an update on Fauntleroy/Rose – the crossing improvements are “moving forward” and they’re working with consultants on the “design concept … evaluating the different treatment options” – they’re hoping to have a concept soon, with construction sometime nect year. Might be a rapid flashing beacon, might be a signal. Is lighting being considered? Chan said she’d find out and get back to the group. Meantime, she reiterated that, as noted earlier this year, Fauntleroy/California is not a good candidate for a walk-all-ways treatment – it might lead to unacceptable wait times for all users, among other problems. Attendees continued offering reasons why safety improvements are needed, including bus-related backups from the RapidRide stops on California NB north of the intersection and westbound Fauntleroy west of the intersection.

HIGHLAND PARK WAY: MoCA joined in the multi-group

letter offering alternatives to the proposed elimination of a downhill lane on Highland Park Way SW, expressing concern that it is important to keep at full width in case it’s needed again as a relief valve for getting traffic off the peninsula. They’re meeting at 4 pm Oct, 29 to walk from the top to the bottom. “This is such a key corridor for West Seattle, so MoCA decided that articulating some concerns” was called for. West Seattle Bike Connections and the Highland Park Action Committee are involved too.

ZONING MAPS: As reported here earlier in the day, the city has come out with new proposals for zoning.

CITY COUNCIL RACE: Neither candidate for the citywide Position 8 seat was available – appointed incumbent Tanya Woo had to be at the council budget hearing (which ran past 10 pm); challenger Alexis Mercedes Rinck was ailing. So their campaign managers spoke in their stead.

NEXT MEETING: Watch MoCA’s website for word of the next meeting, third Wednesday in January.

From park to politics, here’s what Morgan Community Association will hear/talk about Wednesday

October 14, 2024 8:23 pm
|    Comments Off on From park to politics, here’s what Morgan Community Association will hear/talk about Wednesday
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

This week brings several community meetings of note – including the Morgan Community Association‘s quarterly gathering, 7 pm Wednesday (October 16), in person at the Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation‘s lower-level community room (7141 California SW) or online.
This meeting is always wall-to-wall with important community info, so if you’re interested in Morgan Junction (and often lower Gatewood) matters, be there. The agenda says discussion topics will include what’s next for the Morgan Junction Park expansion, where contaminated dirt was recently dug up, and plans to add an “all-wheel area” to the park (here’s our most-recent update). Traffic safety, police updates, and a new business will get some time too, as will the race for City Council citywide Position 8 beteen Tanya Woo and Alexis Mercedes Rinck. All are welcome, no RSVP or membership required – just show up or click in!

SPD, CARE and leadership updates @ Alki Community Council

By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The Alki Community Council met online last week for their September meeting, with an abbreviated agenda as the group winds up its summer activities and prepares for the fall.  

The meeting was facilitated by president Charlotte Starck, and began with an introduction of the group’s two newest leaders: Kevin Kramer (Board Chair of Operations) and Robyn Fritz (Board Chair of Parks).  Kramer has a background in technology and operations, and will help the council ramp up their efforts in those areas. Fritz will help foster the council’s partnerships with Seattle Parks, and she joked that she is best known for walking her dog in the area, and meeting people (including Parks representatives) in that way. 

Next on the agenda was a police update from SPD’s Southwest Precinct, with Officer German Barreto and Captain Krista Bair (who became the precinct’s leader in June) both in attendance.  They discussed recent events such as the RV sweeps near Westwood Village, the Alki shootout on September 6 and an incident on the 2100 block of Harbor SW. Barreto gave an overall update similar to what he presented at last week’s meeting at the Admiral Neighborhood Association, and emphasized that citizens should call 911 (not the SPD non-emergency number) if they see anything suspicious. Bair talked about the challenges related to “encampment sweeps” on the peninsula, and commended Barreto for his ongoing work on that. For Alki specifically, Bair also noted that she recently talked to a long-time Alki resident who said that while increased traffic and “cruising” has always caused added issues on Alki in the summertime, in recent years the activities have often been more “destructive” and invasive in the summer months, and Bair agreed that it takes a strong partnership between the community and the police in order to make things better. 

The next portion of the regular meeting was an update from Sean Blackwell from the city’s CARE Department (Community Assisted Response and Engagement), which includes a team of community crisis responders as well as a 911 call center, as we’ve reported previously. The department’s leader, Chief Amy (Smith) Barden, had attended and participated in the Alki council’s May meeting, and Blackwell provided some additional context in last week’s meeting regarding the department’s mission. He said that the team has their own mobile units and can respond promptly to calls, and because team members have expertise in social work and community engagement, they can be a resource to free up time for SPD officers to handle more urgent calls. Blackwell said that in the time since the team launched in October 2023, it has handled 767 call events (with an average of 40 minutes per visit), with 37% of those resulting in the team transporting someone to get needed services.  The team started with 6 officers, and based on current plans will be expanding to 18 officers and 9 response vehicles, eventually serving West Seattle (their current focus is downtown). 

To close out the regular meeting, attendee and neighbor Barb Richter gave a quick update on the Alki Point Healthy Street revision that was installed last June, saying that it’s been successful in reducing speeding and other issues, giving residents and visitors “a safe place to walk, ride and roll.” She acknowledged that there have been some concerns about parking (some of which we reported on in August, as it relates to the northern portion of the street) but she said that in her observation, legal parking was readily available during the summer months. 

Following some closing remarks, the ACC group then transitioned into a virtual “executive board working session” to discuss organizational growth, strategy and other updates.

The Alki Community Council can be contacted at hello@alkicommunitycouncil.org. The group meets on the third Thursday of each month, with upcoming meetings as follows:

  • Oct 17 at 7 pm – hybrid format, Zoom and onsite at Alki UCC
  • Nov 21 at 7pm – hybrid format, Zoom and onsite at Alki UCC
  • December – No member meeting

Summer success, fall/winter plans, city updates, more @ Admiral Neighborhood Association’s gathering

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

For the first time since May, the Admiral Neighborhood Association had a general gathering, with president Joanie Jacobs facilitating. Here’s what was discussed during last Tuesday’s meeting at Admiral Church:

AUTO THEFT DOWN & OTHER POLICE UPDATES: Officer German Barreto, the precinct’s community liaison, brought updates. Two crime categories have gone up in Admiral year to year – burglaries, aggravated assaults – and auto thefts are down. For shots-fired incidents, he mentioned the September 6 Alki shootout and an incident in the 2100 block of Harbor SW. One attendee asked for more context about the increase in aggravated assaults; Officer Barreto didn’t have specific incident info as to whether they were random or not. Another question was about the collision that injured a pedestrian at 42nd/Admiral; he had no updates on that. What’s behind the drop in auto theft? The increase was in no small part due to the Kia/Hyundai social-media-how-to trend, so the decrease seems to be because those models’ owners are figuring out how to thwart that, he said. What’s up with officer hiring? Barreto said, “I’m hearing we are getting people” but no specific stats. The nature of the work keeps evolving, he observed, and “about 90 percent is knowing how to talk to people.” How about the CARE responders? asked Jacobs. They’re supposed to go citywide at some point, Barreto noted. He also reminded people, regarding the other part of CARE, the 911 center – don’t EVER call the SPD non-emergency number. The 911 center operates differently now that it’s civilianized, he said, leading to “a problem” with police not getting dispatched to things they should be – “if there’s something that you see, and they try to send you to the non-emergency number, hang up and call back (on 911)” he said. And do call, it was stressed, to get everything on record. “And if you call 911 and don’t get the service you want to, email” to point that out. Also “be sure you get an event number or case number” when you call 911. Also, if you want to be contacted by an officer, you can ask for them to call you instead of coming to your door – though sometimes that might mean your phone rings a few hours later.

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Pumpkin Hunt volunteers sought, YMCA update, and other Fauntleroy Community Association toplines

A few quick toplines from last night’s Fauntleroy Community Association board meeting:

FAUNTLEROY YMCA UPDATE: As noted here recently, the Fauntleroy YMCA branch – once in danger of closing – recently expanded its hours. New administrator Ethan Clark told the FCA board that the number of people using the Y has steadily increased since the start of the year, but there’s still quite some way to go before the location is sustainable. There has been an increase in use over the summer, which he said was encouraging, as usage traditionally falls off inJune, July, and August. Also of note: Some youth sports have been added, including indoor pickleball and basketball.

POLICE UPDATES: Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Nate Shopay said Fauntleroy’s crime stats have stayed steady. Asked if three recent commercial burglaries, including Wildwood Market and The Birdhouse, were believed to be related, he said not so far – there are no “pattern” crimes being investigated in the Fauntleroy area right now.

FALL FESTIVAL: This year’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival, 2-5 pm Sunday, October 20, is taking shape. So far The School Of Rock is one of the musical groups scheduled, plus the bunny petting zoo is returning, and they’ve booked a magician who also does balloon animals. The Fall Festival is entirely powered by donations and volunteers, and got a big boost from a fundraiser at The Birdhouse earlier in the day that raised $900.

THE GREAT PUMPKIN HUNT: FCA is presenting it 1-3 pm on Sunday, October 27, and needs volunteers to help hide pumpkins. If you can help, contact Candace Blue at blueyvette47@gmail.com.

FERRIES: President Mike Dey recapped the most-recent Community Advisory Group meeting for the ferry-dock replacement (WSB coverage here); also note, Washington State Ferries has two systemwide online community meetings next week.

NEXT MEETING: FCA’s board meets second Tuesdays, 6 pm, most months, but rescheduled this one so people could watch the presidential debate. Next month’s meeting will be October 8.

WEEK AHEAD: Three neighborhood-group meetings – Admiral (with a coat drive), Alki, Fauntleroy

Neighborhood-group meetings in West Seattleare usually scattered throughout the month but due to two reschedulings, this week has three:

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Monthly meeting, postponed one week because of the presidential debate last Tuesday. 6 pm Tuesday (September 17), conference room at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW). The agenda is in our calendar listing.

ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: Every-other-month meeting, postponed one week to give participants more time to “settle in” with the back-to-school routine. 7 pm Tuesday, Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill). Agenda highlights:

We will have reps from the SW Precinct, Department of Neighborhoods and the Seattle Emergency Communications Hub. We will also be recapping an amazing Summer as well as previewing upcoming Fall and Holiday events.

And ANA will be collecting gently used winter coats for the West Seattle Food Bank Clothesline – bring one (or more) to the meeting if you can!

ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Usual meeting night, third Thursday (September 19), 7 pm. This time it’ll be online, with a short general meeting followed by a work session for executive-board members. The general meeting will include updates from SPD and CARE. Full details and the attendance link are in our calendar listing.

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Night Out 2024 around West Seattle

August 6, 2024 6:16 pm
|    Comments Off on PHOTOS, VIDEO: Night Out 2024 around West Seattle
 |   Neighborhoods | Safety | West Seattle news

6:16 PM: Some neighborhoods have Night Out block parties year after year after year. Our first stop tonight is one of them – an Arbor Heights block near Westside School (WSB sponsor).

Thanks to JoDean for again this year being the first to invite us to stop by for a photo! We’ll be making a few other stops, heading south to north as the evening goes. We welcome your Night Out party photos too – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 – thank you! And if you’re not spending the evening at your own block/building party, please be extra-careful in traveling around, with many neighborhood streets closed to traffic for the evening.

6:28 PM: Above is a photo from our second stop, the senior-living complex Village Green West Seattle (WSB sponsor) in Westwood, where it’s a parking-lot party, with live music by Rob Sturza and friends:

Plus hot dogs.

6:55 PM: Stop #3 was Eileen‘s neighborhood on one of east Highland Park’s hidden-away hillside streets. Photo above!

7:20 PM: Now we’re in Admiral, where Rosalie invited us to stop by her neighborhood’s block party east of West Seattle High School. One of the neighbors here is a beekeeper and has an educational exhibit at the party:

7:45 PM: Now we’re on Genesee Hill. We discovered two adjacent blocks were having parties – Laurie invited us to hers, but first we accidentally wandered in the other direction, so we photographed that group too.

Above, Laurie and neighbors at their very scenic dead-end overlook; below, the block north of theirs:

8:01 PM: Night Out usually collides with Election Night, and we have to head back to check out returns shortly, so our last stop is on Gatewood Hill, where Jennifer sent word of her block party, enjoying live music again this year – the band is Head Cheese, featuring the ever-popular Tom Hutyler.

Thanks to everybody who sent invitations!

ADDED 9:25 PM: Above are our neighbors in Upper Fauntleroy; their party was still going strong when we returned home, so we gathered them for a photo. We’ve also received a few from readers – first, here’s “a small but mighty group in Arbor Heights”:

Lilly the dog was among attendees at Gabe‘s party west of The Junction:

P.S. If you want to keep the community-safety vibe going, note that the Southwest Precinct is hosting its next Crime Prevention Council (a “group” basically consisting of whoever shows up) meeting on September 11, 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster), all welcome.

Having a Night Out party Tuesday in West Seattle/South Park? Get your swag (update) Monday

(Photo sent by Cindi Barker)

Four days until this year’s Night Out, celebrating community collaboration and safety coast-to-coast. If you’ve registered your Night Out party, Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite has swag for you, available for pickup (updated) 9:30-11:30 am and 2:30 to 4:30 pm Monday (August 5) at the precinct (2300 SW Webster). She’s at right in the photo, with Seattle U interns Rafail Markodimitrakis and Kierra Lee, as they got ready this morning.

(Added: Photo sent by Jennifer Satterwhite)

They’re offering crime-prevention info handouts and goodie bags for kids. If you didn’t get signed up by last Sunday’s deadline, but you’re still having a Night Out party, they might have some extra materials available Monday too.

VIDEO: Last 2024 Admiral Music in the Parks concert – ABBAgraphs at Hamilton Viewpoint Park

6:51 PM: For three consecutive Thursday night, the Admiral Neighborhood Association has brought music to local parks that aren’t often used for sizable events. Tonight’s the final Admiral Music in the Parks show, featuring The ABBAgraphs playing the hits of Swedish supergroup ABBA, at Hamilton Viewpoint Park (1120 California SW).

Most of the band members are West Seattleites, they’ve told the crowd.

The city skyline’s in the background, there’s room to dance in the foreground, and all the fun will continue until at least 8 pm, so there’s still time to bring your chair or blanket and join the crowd!

8:04 PM: Show’s over – lively enough that most of the crowd (counted by ANA as 500+) were on their feet dancing to the last song, “Dancing Queen.”

11:56 PM: Video and more photos added above.

COUNTDOWN: One more day to register your block party for Night Out 2024

July 27, 2024 3:46 pm
|    Comments Off on COUNTDOWN: One more day to register your block party for Night Out 2024
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

Having a Night Out neighborhood-safety/solidarity block party on August 6 but not registered for street-closing permission yet? Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite wants to be sure you know that tomorrow (Sunday, July 28) is the deadline to register: You can have a Night Out party in many places – schools, apartment buildings’ community rooms, courtyards – but you need to register for permission to close your (non-arterial) street to vehicle traffic that night. SPD has a registration link here. They’ll also offer the option for your Night Out party to be shown on the citywide map (not mandatory). One more note – we’ll be out taking party photos on Night Out as usual – if you’d be OK with us stopping by your party for a photo, let us know where and when, westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you, and thanks to those who’ve already emailed!

COUNTDOWN: Two weeks until neighborhood Night Out block parties

July 23, 2024 6:30 pm
|    Comments Off on COUNTDOWN: Two weeks until neighborhood Night Out block parties
 |   Neighborhoods | Safety | West Seattle news

Some of the problems mentioned in our previous story are beyond individual residents’ ability to fix – but there’s one simple-yet-mighty action anyone can take: Neighborhood solidarity and collaboration. That’s what the annual Night Out block parties are about, and we’re reminding you tonight that this year’s Night Out is now two weeks away: Tuesday, August 6. You can have a “block party” in many places – schools, apartment buildings’ community rooms, condo courtyards – but if you want to sign up to close your (non-arterial) street to vehicle traffic that night, SPD has a registration link here. Registration will offer you the opportunity to have yours on the citywide Night Out map. Deadline to register for street-closure permission is this Sunday, July 28.

P.S. We’ll be out taking photos on Night Out as usual – if we’d be welcome to stop by your block party for a photo, let us know where and when, westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

Date set for park-addition site cleanup, and other updates @ Morgan Community Association’s quarterly meeting

(WSB photo, this morning)

The Morgan Junction Park addition site, north of the park [map], has been an agenda item for the Morgan Community Association at dozens of meetings since the city acquired the site a decade ago. But last night’s meeting brought some big news, plus updates on several other matters. Here are our toplines:

MORGAN JUNCTION PARK ADDITION SITE CLEANUP: Seattle ParksKelly Goold told MoCA that the date is finally set for the start of long-planned soil cleanup work (a dry cleaner was one of the two businesses formerly on the site, and auto work was done nearby). Thursday, August 8, is the date it’s scheduled to start, with work expected to last about seven weeks, 7:30 am-3:30 pm weekdays. Five days will involve heavy-equipment use, Goold said. The work will involve two dirt containers on the site, and multiple trucks hauling back and forth. Once the soil has been removed – the contamination is about 15 feet down – it’ll be replaced with clean fill, and hydroseeded, so that the site can potentially serve as open space before park construction next year. If you live/work nearby, look for signage and notices the week before cleanup work starts.

FUTURE ALL-WHEEL AREA: When the addition goes into construction, an all-wheel area – aka “skate dot” – is planned for the south side of the current park, and the community group MJAWA continues working on that. MJAWA’s Matt Johnston said the group’s Summer Fest outreach went well, and their next milestones involve meetings with Seattle Parks – a design review on August 15, and a technical review later in August. (Here’s our recent report on their design progress.)

POLICE: Officer German Barreto had no major Morgan-specific news but said Southwest Precinct (West Seattle and South Park) crime is similar to a year earlier, with upticks in two categories – robberies and gunfire. He also noted that some juvenile carjacking suspects were arrested earlier in the day in South Park (we’re following up with SPD’s media office in hopes of finding out more).

DEVELOPMENT: MoCA has been working to stay updated on the future StoryBuilt development site at 41st/Graham [map], planned as more than 30 “stacked townhomes” (here’s our 2022 report). Its developer was not at the meeting but has been in email contact with MoCA president Deb Barker, who said there’s no indication of construction any time soon but the developer continues monitoring the property and is asking neighbors to be watchful too.

PREPAREDNESS: Cindi Barker from the Emergency Hubs says their work with Gatewood Elementary (which we featured last year) continues, so that the school has a preparedness plan in case of catastrophe. They’ve been working with nearby neighbors who are committed to helping with communication while school staff focus on keeping the kids safe until they can be reunited with their families.

NEW BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: David Hancock told MoCA about West Seattle Wildscaping, his ecologically friendly landscaping and horticulture business. He offers landscaping and landscaping consulting along with small tree (25′ or less) work, rainwater systems, and some small pathway work. In August he’ll be putting in a bulk order for native plants. If interested, you can contact him.

WHAT’S NEXT: MoCA meets on third Wednesdays in July, October, January, and April. Watch for updates at morganjunction.org.

COUNTDOWN: One month until Seattle Night Out block parties

July 6, 2024 2:59 pm
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 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

We’re now exactly month away from this year’s Night Out block parties around Seattle (and the rest of the country). August 6 is the date this year, and you can sign up to close your (non-arterial) street to vehicle traffic that night – SPD has a registration link here. Hundreds are already signed up around the city; you can choose whether or not to have yours on the map. Deadline to register for street-closure permission is July 28.

READER REPORT: Seattle Pride Night Out, year 2

July 4, 2024 1:18 pm
|    Comments Off on READER REPORT: Seattle Pride Night Out, year 2
 |   Neighborhoods | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Another reader report about neighborhood solidarity – this one is a postscript to Pride Month. Last year we reported on Michael Mattinger and his family launching Seattle Pride Night Out block parties. Michael sent a report and photos after a second successful year:

My husband Bradley and I (Michael and Bradley Mattinger) recently hosted our 2nd annual Pride Night Out block party, and I wanted to share the wonderful success we achieved last week. You wrote about it last year which inspired even more West Seattle blocks to participate. Despite some initial concerns over the weather last Thursday and other events happening simultaneously (i.e. the debate), our neighborhood came together to create a truly magical evening.

We were delighted to see a fantastic turnout, with neighbors old and new joining us in the festivities. The event featured a variety of activities, including a talented face painter, toddler bounce house, the local YMCA came out and engaged with arts & crafts, and an abundance of delicious desserts and wine.

The highlight of the night was undoubtedly the performance by local drag queen Dolly Madison, who dazzled everyone with her charisma and talent. Dolly typically performs every Saturday at Lumberyard in White Center.

The overwhelming support and participation from our community made Pride Night Out a resounding success, and we are already brimming with ideas for next year’s celebration. It was a beautiful demonstration of the unity, diversity, and vibrancy that makes our neighborhood so special.

If your block wants to start making plans for next year, Michael tells us, “The tradition is to celebrate the Thursday before Seattle Pride Weekend and we’ll continue that tradition next year – which will be June 26, 2025.”

READER REPORT: Neighbors gather to celebrate resident’s 99th birthday

As we celebrate our nation today, one thing to consider is that a nation is really a collection of neighborhoods. A few in West Seattle have sent us stories of recent celebrations in their neighborhoods – this one is from Monika:

What makes a great neighborhood?

Neighbor Marie celebrated her 99th birthday this past Saturday – here on Rutan PL SW, where she’s lived since the 1950s. Over so many decades, she helped shape an entire neighborhood – in all of the BEST of ways!

(Photo by James Sprague)

A humble brag about our neighborhood on the shortest street in Seattle. We show up. We rise to the occasion. Kudos to our neighbor Karen Arthur White, who organized a festive celebration for Marie’s big day. Karen simply asked that neighbors show up at Marie’s with big hearts – and roses – at 2:00 pm. We all filed in, each bearing best wishes and presenting our roses. Her adult children had prepared refreshments. Then, twenty-six people sang “Happy Birthday” and touched in with one another and the “birthday girl.” It was beautiful. Simply beautiful.

The birthday girl didn’t want to be in the photo, so the people you see are the neighbors and relatives who gathered to celebrate.

VIDEO: Promises made, concerns voiced at Alki/Harbor community-safety meeting, four days after deadly shooting

(WSB video and photos)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The Alki-area community advocates who co-hosted tonight’s public-safety meeting with District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka have long been pushing for as much action against street disorder as the city can muster. Last weekend’s shootings at Duwamish Head were just the latest flashpoint.

Perhaps that’s why the first actions promised tonight by city reps – but, they insisted, not the last – had to do with street design: Lane-narrowing and more speed cushions are on the way, per SDOT managers. The action most requested by attendees, installing speed cameras, isn’t so easy, panelists explained. Same with the matter of “holding people accountable.”

Above is our video from the nearly-two-hour meeting inside the sanctuary at Alki UCC; below, our recap:

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