By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

With three projects on the way – two of them long-delayed – Hiawatha was the centerstage topic at last night’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, facilitated by ANA president Joanie Jacobs:

HIAWATHA: Seattle Parks’ Kim Baldwin brought the latest information, though little has changed since our most-recent reports. She clarified that she’s with the capital division – the one that “gets projects built.” First, the Hiawatha turf replacement, which she noted is needed because it’s close to the end of its 10-to-12-year life cycle. The track also will be redone. The field striping will include softball. And a new batting cage is part of the project. Right now they’re awaiting contract execution (we reported the rebid results here) and later this month expect to issue a notice to proceed, so the project would be complete “by the end of August.” Baldwin said there’s no specific start date yet. A former West Seattle High School baseball coach voiced concerns about past problems with the site, including safety because of a light pole “that somebody’s going to run into.” He also wanted to ensure that the mounds on the field will be turf, not dirt. Baldwin said some of these issues might already be addressed in the project – she didn’t have the plans handy. The former coach also had concerns about limitations on the times that the school teams could use the field.

Regarding the renovations for the years-closed community center, which includes a wide variety of components, the FEMA grant has been received, Baldwin said (as noted here), and they’re hoping to go out to bid soon and start construction in late summer. Work will last “nine to 12 months,” she said – meaning they hope to reopen the center before 2024 is over. Total project funding is $3 million, including the ~$500,000 FEMA grant.

Regarding the play area – the current spot “beneath the trees” will be turned into a natural area, and the new site is just south of the wading pool. It will include a swing set, accessible pathways, picnic tables, basketball. That project has been delayed “and we’re still waiting to get our permit – we’ve come across stormwater issues” – hoping to bid summer or fall this year, with construction starting after that and they’re hoping it’ll be open summer 2024. When construction starts, the current play area is scheduled to be demolished; one attendee wondered if the timing could be altered. Baldwin didn’t know whether the wading pool would be open this summer or not, in response to a question. Another question was about the softball field near the wading pool; “no work is scheduled in that area,” Baldwin said. Why? she was asked. It’s not funded, for one, she replied. A neighbor said the area was “virtually unused because it’s in such poor condition,” and suggested some consideration of changing it. (Tupper said it was a Pee Wee field for years ‘and then the Park Department abandoned it.”) WSHS’s lack of a softball field forces them to travel to Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex right now, said another attendee identifying herself as a WSHS softball coach.

How do folks contact the project teams directly? Contact info is on the website, Baldwin replied, and the department is working with WSHS directly.

SEATTLE POLICE: Lt. Nathan Shopay, night commander for the Southwest Precinct (7 pm-5 am), who supervises 3 sergeants and 20 officers, said nothing much has changed since last month – everything’s down except auto theft, which continues to be way up. Summer planning and emphasis patrols at the beach are a big focus right now – “we will have more officers out on the beach coming up” – and yes, they’re still short on officers; special events mean call-ins for officers on their days off. He focuses on ensuring there’s adequate staffing and dealing with “community issues.” He also noted that the latest state laws regarding pursuits mean a lot of new training and “that’s not making anyone happy.” Back to the beach – “it comes down to us babysitting young adults,” who are gathering at the beach. They’re dealing with it most nights, not just weekends; he sends officers there when they’re available.

In Q&A, one attendee asked how you get something declared a “nuisance property” – Lt. Shopay noted that it’s important to have contact with the owner so they can give permission to boot trespassers. Another question: What helps prevent auto theft? His first advice: “Have really good insurance,” he said. That aside, he said, the best thing you can do is to make sure there’s nothing in your car – not just so it’s not tempting, but also because then you aren’t missing anything else if it’s stolen. Another officer in attendance suggested a kill switch, battery disconnection, fuse removal, to keep it from being taken. What about “air tags” to help you find them? asked an attendee. “We can find it, but if there’s someone in it and they take off, we can’t pursue them.” Another question: An attendee was troubled by people smoking cannabis in public at the Don Armeni parking ;ot. They could be cited – or it could lead to a DUI – Lt. Shopay noted.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Much of this was announced at the last ANA meeting, and plans are proceeding. For the Summer Concerts, coordinator Stephanie Jordan reiterated that these will be on the Lafayette Elementary playground – with partnership of Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Parks – July 13, 20, 27. They have sound handled, but they’re also looking for staging and a drum set, plus fundraising assistance. She’s not ready to announce the acts yet but there’ll be a youth-focused night, a jazz night, a retro party night.

An idea previously called Summer of Wellness has become Seasons of Wellness – they’ve applied to the city’s Small Sparks Fund for money to underwrite a series of free yoga classes. Two 5-week sessions, in fall and then winter – but they might do some summer one-offs such as Zumba classes. The venue will be Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill, where the ANA meets).

Admiral Junction Funktion – Though the Chamber of Commerce staged it last year, this year the ball’s in ANA’s court, and they’re partnering with Mission and Admiral Pub proprietors. Lots of volunteer opportunities ahead! August 26th is the date. It’ll be a street party again and area businesses will be invited to have booths. Some new features are planned including an art tent.

Adopt-A-Street – the new organizer couldn’t be at the meeting but the first one is scheduled June 3rd.

4th of July Kids’ Parade – ANA will have a booth and also needs volunteers.

Outdoor movie – Jacobs is working with Parks on a possible movie – the small park alongside Admiral Church, combined with the church grounds, is a likely site, and this would be in August.

COMMUNITY EVENTS: Thursday (May 11) is the next West Seattle Art Walk, and some venues have music as well as art – this month will include West Seattle Grounds (which Jacobs manages). West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day this Saturday (May 13) was mentioned too – Jacobs enthused that the day “feels like a party.” Support local businesses while you’re out – grab coffee and/or lunch. Also noted, Admiral Church has events coming up – see their website – and Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom keeps “office hours” in the community, 11:30 am-1 pm Wednesdays at Bebop Waffle Shop (California/Admiral). Also noted, the church has a shoe-donation drive under way.

ANA ONLINE: Dan Jacobs manages the organization’s website and social-media channels and is continuing to add content, including spotlights on local businesses.

WHAT’S NEXT: Watch the aforementioned ANA website, connecttoadmiral.org, for updates on events and future meetings. Joanie Jacobs closed with a reminder that it’s an all-volunteer group and more help is welcome – “as great as it already is, we want to make our neighborhood a better place.”

Breaking news got in the way of today’s full event list – you can check our West Seattle Event Calendar to see everything that’s ahead – but there are two community meetings we want to mention:

PARKS @ ADMIRAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION: For those interested in the projects happening at Hiawatha, the Admiral Neighborhood Association plans to discuss them tonight with a Parks representative. All are welcome at the meeting, which is in-person only, starting at 7 pm at Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill). SPD also is expected to be in attendance as usual, so you also have an opportunity to ask about recent incidents/concerns.

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: Toward the south end of the peninsula, tonight’s also the regular meeting for the Fauntleroy Community Association board. Community members are always welcome. It’s a hybrid meeting, so you can attend either in-person at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW) or online – you can register via the FCA website.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Public safety was the top topic at last night’s Alki Community Council meeting, held at Alki UCC and online, facilitated by ACC president Tony Fragada.

SOUTHWEST PRECINCT: First guest was the precinct’s night commander, Lt. Nathan Shopay, connecting from home on his night off. He said Alki had been relatively quiet lately and asked about community concerns. One attendee asked if the new traffic-calming measures in east Alki seemed to be working; Lt. Shopay said yes, adding that things would be even better if the diagonal parking area on Duwamish Head were reconfigured. One attendee said the dividers and speed bumps had led to stunt-driving and racing further west. As for crime trends, Lt. Shopay repeated what he had told the Morgan Community Association on Wednesday night (WSB coverage here) – most categories are down, except for auto theft.

CITY ATTORNEY: Ann Davison attended in person. She told ACC attendees that community-meeting attendance is important to her because she wants “to be accessible.” She first spent some time explaining how the City Attorney’s Office works, with civil and criminal divisions, and the latter primarily handling the lesser crimes known as misdemeanors. She also recapped two initiatives on which her staff has been working – “high utilizers” and “close-in-time filing.” She spent some time discussing the matter of filing charges, and noted that if crimes don’t get reported, it’s a sure bet no one will be arrested and no one will be charged. Her office has to get cases referred from police. So, she stressed, call police if you see something! She said there’s another category of assumption she’s trying to change – police sometimes sending a case directly to the City Attorney’s Office because they assume the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office won’t charge a certain type of offense. Davison says she’s been working with SPD to stress that if something seems like a felony, they will send it to the KCPAO; if they decline to file, then Davison’s staff can review.

She also spent some time discussing the civil division of the CAO. So often, municipal law offices are focused on defensive matters, she explained – somebody’s suing over tripping on a sidewalk, or challenging a law, for example. She took the rare tack of going on the offense with the Kia/Hyundai theft lawsuit. She said Seattle was the first in the nation to take that action, and now 10 other municipalities have joined. “I’m not a crowd-follower,” she said. She believes going after the car companies for their products’ vulnerabilities is merited because it’s “resource-draining” for cities to have to spend so much law-enforcement resources on this. “It was not a hard call – even if the lawsuit is unsuccessful, it’s the right thing to do,” she believes.

One last point she made – she said she’s spent time rebuilding relationships with other city departments.

Before she left, an attendee offered these parting words: “We love Joe Everett.” (He’s the Southwest Precinct liaison from the City Attorney’s Office.) His boss appeared to agree with the positive appraisal.

COUNCIL CANDIDATE: He wasn’t officially on the agenda, but City Council District 1 candidate Phil Tavel was in attendance. He was asked whether outgoing Councilmember Lisa Herbold will be endorsing him. He said they had actually had a good conversation in which he asked her to consider it; he said she didn’t rule it out.

NEXT MEETING: ACC president Fragada said guests are expected next month from SDOT (to talk about scooters) and Seattle Public Utilities. ACC meets third Thursdays most months, 7 pm at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) and online (see our calendar for connection info), so that means May 18th for the next one.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The biggest news from last night’s online quarterly meeting of the Morgan Community Association was a progress report on the Morgan Junction Park expansion site.

While this long-empty site awaits first a cleanup of contaminated soil from its dry-cleaning past and then funding for its much-delayed development, local skateboarders turned it into an unofficial skatepark for a while last year, until Seattle Parks‘ crackdown ended that. More recently, supporters of skating on the site proposed ways to revise the years-old Parks design for the site’s future. They weren’t at last night’s MoCA meeting, but the Parks manager who is point person for the site’s future, Kelly Goold, was.

“Things are moving,” Goold said. The grading permit for removing the contaminated soil was issued earlier this month, and now he’s negotiating a price with a “pre-approved” contractor, Clearcreek/Holt Services. The job will in essence “dig a big hole,” taking away the contaminated soil and replacing it with clean fill. This work is expected to start in July/August, when the ground-water table will be at its lowest, and will last about two months.

What happens after that isn’t settled yet – though, while Parks is committed to fully developing the site by 2026, Goold said they might be able to get construction going in “late 2024” (by which time the city will have owned the site for a decade). Post-cleanup, it will be open to some kind of activation in the meantime. So they’ll have a community conversation to talk about that as well as possible changes to the design (which is now 4+ years old), such as incorporating a “skate dot.” Should that conversation be a traditional community meeting, or an on-site tabling event, or both? No conclusion was reached.

Attendees also pointed out that the existing Morgan Junction Park needs lawn help. For concerns like that, Goold suggested reporting it to Parks – the more reports the better – via email (pks_info@seattle.gov) and/or Find It Fix It.

Other topics during last night’s meeting facilitated by MoCA president Deb Barker included festival plans, a major redevelopment project, an update from police, and a new board member:

Read More

Now in the second year of her term, Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison has been working on some major initiatives – from dealing with “high utilizers” to suing the carmakers whose vehicles have become frequent targets of thieves. Has her office’s work made a difference for neighborhoods? You can hear from her firsthand during Thursday night’s Alki Community Council meeting, in person at Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds) or online. You can RSVP here; video/phone attendance info is in our calendar listing. (Photo: Davison at SW Crime Prevention Council last November)

This month’s Alki Community Council meeting included updates on two ongoing topics:

HARBOR AVENUE RVs: Since the most-recent city attempt to clear the street, some RVs have returned (we counted three on Thursday afternoon). An outreach worker at the ACC meeting said that area is “a priority” now – as outreach for the 2nd/Michigan encampment was wrapping up at the time of this meeting last week – and that more people “are accepting offers” than used to be the case. SPD Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Dorothy Kim added that parking-enforcement officers are going through the area twice weekly to tag vehicles: “We’re not letting it be stagnant.”

OTHER POLICE UPDATES: Updating crime trends from SPD data, Lt. Kim said that in the Alki area, property-crime reports are down, except for auto theft, which continues on the rise citywide. Violent crime is unchanged. So far, as of meeting time, the Alki area has had one verified shots-fired incident since the start of the year (at Hamilton Viewpoint Park). The new SPD schedule “seems to be working,” Lt. Kim said, with a three-hour overlap during the first two watches of the day enabling some officers to be spared for “directed patrol” in areas that need more attention. She also mentioned that staffing issues are improving, saying that they “just got two officers back from the vaccine mandate” (which ended recently) and others returning from parental leave or “limited duty” constraints. She also noted that the department has been developing more officers as “field trainers” for new hires, which requires them to go through special training of their own; a new class of trainers is starting up.

GET INVOLVED: If you live/work or have some other interest in the Alki area, the ACC needs more participation – it’s been operating at a bare-bones level for a long time. A little help can make a lot of difference. You can send questions or suggestions via this page on the ACC’s website.

The Alki Community Council meets 7 pm third Thursdays most months, in-person (at Alki UCC, 6115 SW Hinds) and online.,

Busy night Tuesday for community meetings, as has long been the case for second Tuesdays. Here are our notes from the Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting, held in person at Admiral Church, facilitated by ANA president Joanie Jacobs:

TRAFFIC: One of the two major topics of discussion was too-fast traffic on SW Admiral Way east of California. The curve in particular is a spot for periodic crashes that take out and/or damage poles and landscaping, or worse. ANA’s Dan Jacobs noted a 2021 SDOT survey that has shown many cars way over the speed limit in the area – a thousand drivers per day at 50+ mph+, 100 at 60+ mph, at least 1 per day at 80+ mph. They’re hoping to work with SDOT about what if anything can be done to try to slow down drivers on that stretch.

CONCERT SERIES: With Hiawatha Community Center unavailable for another summer, ANA has to decide whether to try to have one or more summer concerts at an alternate location. They’ve been looking at two possible locations, Hamilton Viewpoint and the Lafayette Elementary playground. Concert-series coordinator Stephanie Jordan said both would have increased production costs. In discussion, ANA thought Lafayette was a more promising location, particularly for accessibility via either car or bus, but also for access to other businesses – the ability to grab a picnic dinner at a grocery deli or restaurant and walk over, for example. Play facilities for younger kids, which don’t exist at Hamilton, also were an appealing aspect.

What remains to be decided is whether they’ll try to host one event with multiple bands or three events with one band each. (The pre-pandemic concert series was one band per night on six Thursday nights.) So watch for updates later this spring.

OUTDOOR MOVIE: Side note, ANA and Admiral Church plan to present an outdoor-movie night on the church grounds this summer.

NO POLICE: SPD is usually represented at these meetings but wasn’t last night after all.

Watch connecttoadmiral.org for updates between ANA meetings.

Some community groups continue to meet online, some have moved to “hybrid” (in-person and online) meetings, and a few have gone back to just meeting in person, Tomorrow, the District 1 Community Network will meet in-person for the first time in three years. It’s a coalition of community advocates and organization/group representatives from around West Seattle and South Park, now ready to broaden the reach since the district has grown too. Everyone interested is invited to attend. D1CN is meeting at 7 pm Wednesday (March 1st) at Neighborhood House High Point, 6400 Sylvan Way SW.

Six months after appointing Greg Wong as Department of Neighborhoods director, Mayor Harrell moved him to deputy mayor. Six months after that, the mayor has just announced a new DoN nominee. From today’s announcement:

Today, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that he will appoint Jenifer Chao to serve as the next Director of the Department of Neighborhoods (DON). Chao, a community engagement leader, currently serves as the Deputy Director of Strategy and Administration in the City of Seattle’s Finance and Administrative Services.

Working with the City of Seattle since 2009, Chao has built a reputation as a community collaborator and strong voice for equity and opportunity for youth and historically underserved communities. Chao previously served on the Department of Neighborhoods’ Outreach and Engagement team, where she focused on developing strong and trusted relationships in the Chinatown-International District (CID) through work on the CID Community Vision Workgroup and Sound Transit 3 planning. Chao also served as the Interim Director of the Office of Civil Rights’ Race and Social Justice Initiative and worked in the Human Services Department where she supported the Seattle Youth Employment Program.

Outside of her service at the City, Chao served five years at the Seattle non-profit Neighborhood House, where she supported people looking to achieve their long-term education and employment goals.

Read the full announcement – with quotes from Chao, Wong, and Harrell – here. As with other department-head positions, this one will require City Council confirmation.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

There was a lot to talk about when HPAC, the community coalition for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge, convened its first 2023 meeting online Wednesday night.

Transportation was the big topic. The photo above shows SW Holden from 12th SW to 11th SW. The former intersection is getting a pedestrian-activated signal, and SDOT was going to as a result remove the flashing beacon at the latter – until local advocates convinced them not to. That responsiveness was something on which they complimented the night’s marquee guest, SDOT director Greg Spotts. He started work just as what HPAC called “two and a half years of hell’ – the West Seattle Bridge detour – was ending. HPAC co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick, facilitating the meeting, told Spotts that SDOT was very responsive to the area’s needs and concerns during that time.

Spotts then offered a few opening remarks. “I’ve developed a real passion for West Seattle,” though he decided to live, carlessly until at least this fall, in South Lake Union. He’s done 100+ field visits with community members around the city, four mornings a week, every week. (In West Seattle, those have so far included Fauntleroy and Alki.) His first day at work in Seattle started with.a visit to the West Seattle Bridge. He talked about the Alki response to reckless driving – installing features including speed humps. He also talked about the rapid response that created a bike detour when the low bridge broke down in last month’s ice storm. Spotts said his theme for SDOT for 2023 is “Delivery fast and flavorful, in concert with our values.” He said he told the mayor in his July 1st job interview that he wants to end the days of telling communities what they’re getting by pointing to lines on a map, and start “co-creating” projects instead.

Then he listened to myriad concerns raised by attendees.

Read More

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Three topics dominated this month’s Alki Community Council meeting: The Harbor Avenue RVs, the Stone Cottage’s future, and the Alki Point “Healthy Street.”

ACC president Tony Fragada facilitated the meeting, held hybrid-style – in person at Alki UCC and online – on Thursday night; we covered it via Zoom.

(WSB photo, earlier this week)

HARBOR AVENUE RVs: Alki-area residents who have been demanding action from the city to make the RV residents move say they’re not getting it, while the roadside encampment grows (it’s up to 12 RVs and trailers, plus associated vehicles including an old school bus and a truck full of wooden pallets, at last count). Discussion with SPD’s night-shift commander Lt. Nathan Shopay focused on what police can and can’t do. If crimes are being committed, call 911. If you’re just upset that they’re there, police can’t do anything about that. There is still an interdepartmental city team meeting weekly – Lt. Shopay says he attends that meeting – and they discuss the status of various encampments around the city, but he says they’re “inundated” with demands for action. Nonetheless, he says, keep reporting concerns via Find It Fix It and sites will move up the priority list. This area’s new point person for LEAD, Michelle McClendon, jumped in to talk about outreach done with RV residents like those on Harbor. She said their methods include “motivational interviewing, trauma-informed … this does not happen overnight.” They “assess each person’s needs” – some qualify for permanent supportive housing, for example. But she reminded attendees that even if they offer someone services, they can’t be forced to accept the offer. As for the perennial issue of enforcing the 72-hour parking rule, Lt. Shopay was asked if bringing Parking Enforcement Officers back into the Police Department would help; Most likely, he replied, though it’d not clear yet how long that will take.

STONE COTTAGE SITE SEARCH: Almost a year and a half has passed since the historic Stone Cottage was moved from its location at 1123 Harbor Avenue SW because of then-imminent (since stalled) development.

(August 2021 reader photo by Rachel)

It remains in storage on Port of Seattle land while the preservationist volunteers who worked to save it tackle the next task: Finding a permanent home. Two of those volunteers, Mike Shaughnessy and Deb Barker, came to the ACC meeting with an update; Shaughnessy recapped the effort to date, and pre-pandemic progress with a proposal that they fix up the Stone Cottage and then donate it to Seattle Parks and Recreation – a proposal that he said was gaining traction until COVID shut down everything down and set back many Parks projects, Now, in addition to that, Parks is under new leadership, with recently appointed Superintendent AP Diaz, so they are “starting from scratch … taking a ‘Hail Mary’ approach” to pitch the project again. If Parks doesn’t want it, they’ll find a site. Whatever happens, the “Save the Stone Cottage” effort will soon go into Phase 2.

ALKI POINT HEALTHY STREET: SDOT hasn’t made a final decision on the permanent “design” for the stretches of Beach Drive and Alki Avenue north/east of 63rd SW. As shown during a community meeting in November (WSB coverage here), they’re looking at a variety of traffic-calming features. A few community advocates recently hosted SDOT director Greg Spotts for an unpublicized visit to the area. They said he was particularly interested in the idea of restricting parking adjacent to Constellation Park, saying he talked about Stonehenge in the UK once allowing parking so close to the historic stones that it took away from the attraction. Their contention is that the Healthy Street doesn’t need added features such as traffic circles and chicanes – they think the city should just focus on emphasizing traffic calming at the entry points (63rd/Beach and 63rd/Alki). They also want to see some parking preserved for area residents as well as for visitors; the 63rd/Beach area is particularly problematic, it was noted. ACC members agreed to send a letter of support to the city.

NEXT MEETING: The ACC meets third Thursdays most months, in-person and online; watch alkicommunitycouncil.org for updates.

The areas served by the community coalition HPAC – Highland Park, Riverview, South Delridge – have been through a lot of transportation issues in recent years, particularly the two and a half years of traffic overload from the West Seattle Bridge closure detours. But the reopening of the bridge didn’t solve everything. If you live/work/study/do business in those areas, check out HPAC’s first meeting of 2023 this coming Wednesday (January 25), when guests will include new SDOT director Greg Spotts, visiting to hear about the area’s transportation concerns and ideas. Another guest of note: Michelle McClendon is the new LEAD project manager for the Southwest Precinct area, and she’ll be there to talk and hear about public-safety issues. And HPAC co-chair Craig Rankin will talk about the new West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails map, reported on and discussed here last month. One more hot topic: The city’s Comprehensive Plan update, which the meeting announcement points out “has numerous implications for the future way our community grows. Notably the plan lists our area as one with a high risk of displacement.” All this and more is part of HPAC’s agenda for 7 pm Wednesday, online. Attendance info, via video or phone, is in the full announcement on HPAC’s website.