West Seattle, Washington
14 Thursday
The night started with a full house, and then some, at Miller Community Center on Capitol Hill, full of people supporting one (or more) of the 15 projects that made the list of finalists for Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund money – and a few that didn’t (the committee is free to change the list before making its final recommendations). Listening to the pitches: The levy’s Oversight Committee, citizen volunteers including three West Seattleites: Bruce Bentley, Pete Spalding of Pigeon Point, who as vice chairman is running the hearing (he’s in the white hat), and Cindi Barker of Morgan Junction:
The first West Seattle representatives to speak as part of the hearing included five speakers supporting Puget Ridge Edible Park – part of a delegation that appeared to number about a dozen – seeking a little over half a million dollars to acquire a “homestead” property in northeastern West Seattle, telling the committee about the neighborhood’s involvement and determination. One of the strong community voices for PREP, Stu Hennessey, talked about its ties to the watershed for Puget Creek and the Duwamish River, and how it would cleanse water bound for those waterways, also promising, “We will be producing a lot of food on this land.” Also noted: The project’s proximity to South Seattle Community College, which is starting a permaculture program, and would use PREP as a “demonstration park” for students and other community members. (video added later) Steve Richmond also talked about an envisioned partnership for PREP:
Later in the hearing, the committee heard from Carolyn Stauffer of Highland Park, on behalf of the HP Spray Park proposal that she spearheaded: (video added later)
As she told the committee – with an entourage of supporters surrounding her – this is already a “named project” for Parks and Green Spaces Levy money, but as a bare-bones spray feature (replacing the existing HP wading pool) – if the half-million-dollar request is granted, not only will the park be more fun, but it will save more than 2 million gallons of water per year. (She is one of two people who have spoken about it so far.)
The committee also has heard from passionate supporters of projects around the city – perhaps the biggest contingent represented Friends of Lewis Park on Beacon Hill, all armed with little yellow signs; one group advocated for Jimi Hendrix Park, while others talked about a project proposed for the neighborhood of the iconic Fremont Troll.
If you weren’t able to make it to this hearing (which looks to have at least another half-hour to go – we have some video to add when we get back to HQ), you can still comment on the projects until November 17th; the committee is scheduled to make its final recommendations to Parks leadership on December 6.
If you can spare time Monday night to be at Miller Community Center on Capitol Hill, you can help two community-envisioned park dreams in West Seattle come true. As first reported here last month, two local projects are among the finalists for the first round of Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund money, the upgraded Highland Park Spray Park plan, and Puget Ridge Edible Park, each seeking about half a million dollars from the voter-created levy fund. Supporters of both are asking for support at Monday’s citywide public hearing on the 15 finalists – first, here’s the pitch from Carolyn Stauffer, a Highland Park resident hoping the currently planned bare-bones conversion at the closed HP wading pool can be a real spray park:
Don’t Forget!! The Highland Park Spraypark was one of 15 projects citywide that made it to the “Draft” Final List for funding from the Opportunity Fund! We need your continued support to make sure we stay on the list! Here are two ways that you can help:
1. Come to the Public Hearing this MONDAY NIGHT to tell the Oversight Committee how awesome this project is and how much you support it. You get three minutes to speak, the signup sheet for speaking goes up at 6 pm, and the meeting starts at 7 pm. Details: October 25, at Miller Community Center: 330 19th Ave E, Seattle. We need people… the more physical presence we can have at this hearing the better, you don’t have to speak – someone can speak on behalf of a group of people too…
2. and/or you can e-mail Susanne Rockwell your voice of support at susanne.rockwell@seattle.gov, or call her at 206-684-0902.Please forward this to any other neighbors that might be interested in helping out by demonstrating to Parks one last time that the Highland Park Spraypark has the support of its community. Here is an excerpt from the final application that summarizes what we would like the priorities for the project to be:
* Water Conservation: Sprayparks are already using a precious natural resource; we would like to ensure that our park demonstrates a water-wise approach and uses our region’s resources responsibly. With this as a goal, we would prefer the use of a recirculating pump for the Highland Park Spraypark.
* Exceptional Water Play: We would like to see the design incorporate a combination of high and low-flow spray nozzles and present outstanding, inspiring, and diverse play opportunities for our neighborhood’s children and youth of all ages.
* Integrated Sustainable Design unique to Highland Park: We don’t want an “amusement park” type of spraypark that could be plopped down anywhere. We would like to see a design that is distinctive to Highland Park, one that demonstrates state-of-the-art technology for water use and re-use, and is a model of sustainable practices.And here are some current numbers – this additional funding for the spraypark would help us:
* save 19,400 gallons of water a day, or 2.2 million gallons a year – that’s 98% less water than the proposed system would dump down the drain
* save over half the annual cost of running the spraypark
* reduce the 20-year life-cycle cost by 63%
* manage wastewater from the spraypark on-site, reducing sewer fees substantially and allowing for groundwater recharge
On behalf of the Puget Ridge Edible Park proposal, also one of the 15 finalists citywide, Stu Hennessey‘s urging support at Monday night’s meeting too:
The acquisition grant that the Puget Ridge community is looking to obtain would be used to purchase an exsiting original homestead in West Seattle along the Puget Creek Watershed and create an urban working farm. This farm will be dedicated to permaculture design and will provide an excellent learning center for the public and our community. We also look forward to a future with brighter local food security. We need your support at (Monday’s public hearing) … Speakers are encouraged… This is the final hurdle…. We can do it….. We need to show the same kind of community support that we had at last summer’s presentations. Please contact me for carpooling.
Stu’s e-mail address: alkistu@hotmail.com. Miller Community Center is at 330 19th East; here’s a map – again, the public hearing is at 7 pm Monday, signups at 6.
(Video added after the hearing)
(Group of speakers asking the council to cancel cuts in a domestic-violence program)
ORIGINAL 6:31 PM REPORT: We are about 45 minutes into testimony at the City Council Budget Committee hearing in Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College in West Seattle. By our unofficial count, about 200 people are here; more than 70 have signed up to testify – though so far, we have seen some of the speakers bring up others to take part of their turn, so the eventual number may surpass that. West Seattleites who have spoken so far include Fran Yeatts, executive director of the West Seattle Food Bank, and a Senior Center of West Seattle volunteer. WS Food Bank’s Shannon Braddock spoke too:
It’s not too late to come to the hearing, which is likely to last several hours – signups are being taken at the north entrance of Brockey Center. Six councilmembers are here; Sally Clark has sent word she will be here after another commitment wraps up around 7 pm.
7:19 PM UPDATE: All councilmembers are here now – the last to arrive was Mike O’Brien, as of 6:53 pm.
West Seattleites who have spoken in the past 10 minutes or so include Katy Walum, president of the Admiral Neighborhood Association (above), and Mat McBride, chair of the Delridge District Council, both opposing the proposed Department of Neighborhoods cuts – specifically, the proposed cuts in district coordinators and in the Neighborhood Matching Fund. Two Highland Park residents, including City Council candidate (next year) Dorsol Plants, have spoken in favor of the Streets for All program – some of its objectives would be met by the increase in the commercial parking tax that Mayor McGinn is proposing. We are now on the 48th speaker, but the number of actual speakers will be longer than the number signed up, since some are bringing up associates to tag onto their time.
7:37 PM UPDATE: Lisa West from the Alki Elementary PTSA and two area kids (including her 7th-grader daughter) are testifying to keep Alki Community Center completely open:
She says that in 45 minutes today at school she collected more than 40 signatures from parents who want to keep the community center from reductions that are tantamount to a closure. “Alki Community Center is the one place I allow my children to go on their home,” she says. She also mentions that whether you live in an apartment or a house, few of the residences in the Alki area have yards for kids to play in – she is becoming emotional as she tries to read through a statement to the council. She says that the outdoor areas of the park are not an option because there are so many problems – caused largely by adults. And with maintenance cuts, she says through tears, how will they even use the outdoor basketball courts? The indoor courts, she says, are the main source of recreation during winter weather. “Our community is diverse and rich, and is just that – community,” and the area around the community center and school are a meeting place for parents, both before after school. (We have her testimony on video and will add it, along with several others’ clips, later.)
7:53 PM UPDATE: More West Seattle speakers – Patrick Dunn from Sustainable West Seattle, on behalf of keeping the Neighborhood Matching Fund whole – he mentions that it helped launch the successful and popular West Seattle Tool Library, and also is paving the way for the in-the-works Community Orchard of West Seattle.
After him, Tony Fragada of the Alki Community Council is up, mentioning yet more Neighborhood Matching Fund projects (including the money just given to Seal Sitters for education):
Then, mega-involved Chas Redmond, co-chair of the Southwest District Council (among other things), mentioning how the grant money has helped SWS with even more projects such as the Sustainable West Seattle Festival. (We interviewed Redmond and Dorsol Plants, mentioned earlier, on video before the hearing.)
“3 years after our 1st conversation with the Department of Neighborhoods, we have become an organization in West Seattle that has amazing capacity,” Redmond says, even able, now that it’s a 501(c)3, to help other groups. He says it’s a tool to allow the city to “amplify its neighborhoods.”
7:59 PM UPDATE: Rick Jump from the White Center Food Bank is testifying, not against a cut, but to ask the council to support the mayor’s request for $35,000 for WC Food Bank – which serves city residents but has never received city money. He also says the food bank has just started a new program for city residents, a mobile food bank that on Tuesday at Arrowhead Gardens served 80 senior citizens. (The orange scarf he wore was also worn by dozens of others to show support for human-services spending.)
8:27 PM UPDATE: 81st speaker now. 80th speaker was Alki’s Steve Cuddy, another voice opposing the “virtual closure of Alki Community Center.” A few speakers earlier, Fairmount Community Association’s Sharonn Meeks spoke, another voice in support of restoring Department of Neighborhoods cuts, speaking about how the Southwest Neighborhood District Coordinator in particular is so important for community connection and assistance – giving the example that was given at the recent Southwest District Council meeting, the huge Gateway cleanup two years ago, bringing together hundreds of volunteers – it couldn’t have happened without district coordinator Stan Lock‘s help. Now, Fauntleroy Community Association’s Vlad Oustimovitch, also on the DON cuts, saying that McGinn is “the second mayor in a row that’s tried to dismantle (the department)”:
9 PM UPDATE: The hearing is over, after 95 speakers. Probably the single most-testified-about topic was the cable public-access network SCAN, with multiple groups like this one taking their turn:
Before the hearing, musicians who perform on the cable channel serenaded people as they arrived:
There’s one more budget hearing coming up at City Hall later this month (October 26 – details here), and other meetings/hearings/chances to comment before the City Council approves a final version, which is expected on Nov. 22nd. We’re back to HQ with photos and video to add to our coverage.
This will come up again later in our reports on last night’s Fauntleroy Community Association and Admiral Neighborhood Association meetings, both of which included discussions of the city budget proposal, but for now, here are the basics on tonight’s hearing, one of three the City Council Budget Committee – which includes all nine councilmembers – has scheduled: The official agenda is here, including links to related documents, and some guidelines for how the hearing will go; the hearing is not in a “listen to a presentation and then comment” format, but instead, almost entirely (you can expect some introductions and instructions) for public comment. They’ll take signups starting at 5 pm, and speakers will start at 5:30 pm. It’s in Brockey Center, the event venue on the south side of the South Seattle Community College campus; here’s a map to SSCC (6000 16th SW), and once you’re there, here’s a campus map. The Seattle Channel will likely webcast the hearing live as it did with the first one; if so, we’ll stream it here too. Previous WSB coverage of the budget’s potential West Seattle effects includes running coverage from the day it was announced, a closer look at the targeted-for-closure SPD Mounted Unit, and detailed discussion of the Department of Neighborhoods‘ potential cuts.
(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen)
The South Seattle Community College Arboretum‘s Coenosium (“plant community”) Rock Garden is five years old – but it has a new designation as of this weekend. On Friday afternoon, garden volunteers and other supporters gathered for its dedication as a Garden of Peace. There to help lead the celebration, Dr. Laura Dorsey, founder of Atlanta-based Gardens for Peace, whose mission is “to identify and link gardens throughout the world, to foster respect for the environment and a climate of peace among all peoples†:
In our photo, Dr. Dorsey is dedicating the garden while its co-founders Bob and Dianne Fincham (who run a dwarf-conifer farm in Pierce County) and SSCC Arboretum Volunteer Coordinator Claire Hendrickson (seated, in black) look on. Applying to have the garden included in the international network was Hendrickson’s idea. The garden’s story is told here.
The garden runs heavily on volunteer power; Friday’s event was a chance for some of them to take a break and mingle. But more help is needed, Hendrickson says, every second Saturday at the garden between 9 am and noon. She can be reached at arboretum@sccd.ctc.edu or by calling 206-764-5323.
The stereotypical cornfield might stretch for as far as the eye can see, under the flat blue sky of some Plains state. But a West Seattle cornfield – more like a cornpatch – is generating attention, information – and hope. Under a not-so-flat gray sky, a closely watched harvest began Wednesday morning at the SeaChar Carbon Garden site on the south side of the South Seattle Community College campus on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge. While it may look like an unremarkable plot of corn, the difference lies beneath- some of the corn was grown in soil amended with biochar, defined here as the result of “a 2,000 year-old practice that converts agricultural waste into a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost food security and discourage deforestation. The process creates a fine-grained, highly porous charcoal that helps soils retain nutrients and water.” The same site declares biochar is no less than “a powerfully simple tool to combat climate change.” But no one’s making those claims without research, here in West Seattle and at other test sites around the globe:
In our video, that’s Jim Grob talking between samples while working yesterday morning with daughter Olivia – getting quite the education on a day off her Pierce County school – and Steve Tracy. While another group started to harvest corn a few rows south, this trio was sampling soil that’s headed for a federal lab in Idaho. The corn was planted in early June. (It’s just yards away from the future Community Orchard of West Seattle, as mentioned yesterday in our story about the collection of donated cardboard at that site for future sheet mulching.) And the biochar story doesn’t just include the farming side – it also includes the creation side – people here and elsewhere are working to get clean-burning, biomass-producing stoves to people who otherwise are cooking over polluting, health-endangering open fires; read more about that here.
Two West Seattle projects are moving ahead in the quest for the first round of money in the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund – created in the voter-approved 2008 levy so that community groups/members could propose projects, separate from city-initiated projects funded by the levy. Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding, who is on the Levy Oversight Committee, tells WSB, “We met until about 10:30 pm (last night) 
putting together the draft list of projects that will move forward in the first round of the Opportunity Fund. Two projects from the SW sector made the list. The two projects from the SW are (1) Puget Ridge Edible Park and (2) Highland Park Spray Park.” Here’s a little more info about the Edible Park; the spray park (converting the wading pool at right) already is set for bare-bones city funding, but the Opportunity Fund proposal (as explained here) seeks money to upgrade the plan. Citywide, 95 Opportunity Fund applications were received; they are listed here. We are checking with Parks staff today to see if last night’s full citywide draft list is available for publication yet. This Parks webpage lists the next steps to determine which projects get funded (including a public hearing in about a month).
He’s been on the job for more than a month, but today was the official celebration at South Seattle Community College on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge for new SSCC president Gary Oertli (you might recall, the announcement back in May drew big cheers on campus, as we reported that day). SSCC threw him a party called “Salute to South” this afternoon. Oertli took a moment out to talk with us on video – telling us about a smaller, but goofier celebration, earlier in the day, then discussing the biggest challenge ahead:
Taking the job as SSCC leader was a homecoming for Oertli, a West Seattle native and Chief Sealth alum. SSCC’s previous president, Dr. Jill Wakefield, is now chancellor of the entire citywide community-college system.
Things really got rolling about 45 minutes into this afternoon’s community welcome party for the visiting artisans at the Seattle Chinese Garden, when lion dancers paraded around the grounds – our video shows a small part of the procession. At one point along the route, the artisans stood side by side to watch:
They and visitors heard from two presidents – Jon Geiger of the Seattle Chinese Garden Society (purple shirt) and new South Seattle Community College president Gary Oertli, both of whom kept their speeches short, saying they wanted visitors to spend their time touring the site instead:
Pulling back from that scene – the artisans were to the presidents’ left:
Their work has been focused on the Knowing the Spring Courtyard, the first major feature of the Seattle Chinese Garden to be built – you can see into it, looking over the dancers’ shoulders – that’s not a photo or painting, but instead a view into the future courtyard:
The project itself (explained here), in fact, is for the future as well as the present – a dream becoming reality, and a building of understanding across the miles, between the cultures –
If you missed this afternoon’s party, watch the Seattle Chinese Garden website for word of tours and other opportunities to visit. Garden volunteers also are keeping a blog-format website with stories of what’s happening at the site, which is on the far north end of the SSCC campus atop Puget Ridge.
Those are some of the artisans who’ve been here for two weeks now, visiting from China to help make the Seattle Chinese Garden‘s first major feature as authentic as possible – and now it’s your chance to meet and welcome them. Tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon, 1-4 pm, you’re invited to the welcome party at the garden site – on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge, north end of South Seattle Community College – for a welcome party. We took these photos last Monday afternoon during a quick tour of their worksite, the Knowing the Spring Courtyard:
That’s a look at the expanse inside the courtyard walls – the work is going on inside and out:
Tomorrow’s not just a simple open house – special programs are planned as listed in the full party program here, from a flower-arranging demonstration to a lion dance to martial arts (and more).
In his second week officially on the job as South Seattle Community College president, Gary Oertli got to take a quick field trip this afternoon. He visited the Seattle Chinese Garden‘s courtyard-construction project with a crew making a video about an upcoming multi-campus event in the Seattle Community Colleges system. We were there for the tour opportunity offered to media reps today – this is the project for which a contingent of Chinese artisans has come to Seattle:
The garden site is on the far northern edge of the SSCC campus; a followup on this afternoon’s whirlwind hard-hat tour is coming up later.
The Seattle Chinese Garden Society – working to complete the garden here in West Seattle, the only one like it that’s not in China itself – are thrilled about the arrival of master Chinese artisans who will be working on its Knowing the Spring Courtyard. But it can’t be all work and no play if you’ve traveled thousands of miles to West Seattle – so, Sandy Marvinney of the SCGS explains (while also sharing two photos) how the artisans’ visit began:
The eighteen master Chinese artisans who arrived in town this past weekend didn’t expect to chat with a fisherman in their native language on their first sightseeing adventure, but that encounter got their Sunday tour off to a great start. At Jack Block Park, West Seattle resident Kin Kau Cheung caught a dogfish just as the group arrived, and after an animated exchange about his fishing skill, let them pose with his catch [top photo]. On their later stroll of the Alki boardwalk, the group met a Chinese family who spoke their regional Chinese dialect. They feel right at home in West Seattle!
The artisans will be here till late November to complete construction of the Seattle Chinese Garden’s first major courtyard. A free community welcome party is scheduled for Sunday, August 22, 1–4 pm at the Garden, with lion dance, entertainment, family activities, and site tours. The public also can watch the artisans at work and keep tabs on construction progress on docent-led tours. The Seattle Chinese Garden is at the north end of the South Seattle Community College campus.
For more information on events and courtyard construction, visit: www.seattlechinesegarden.org and the Garden blog at: blog.seattlechinesegarden.org
The garden is on the South Seattle Community College campus on Puget Ridge.
9:04 AM UPDATE: One more photo from the artisans’ first West Seattle tour on Saturday – Patrick Dunn from the West Seattle Tool Library says they stopped there too (it’s also on the SSCC campus), and shares this photo:
He says they’ll be using tools from the Sustainable West Seattle-launched library as part of the project. (You can rent tools from the library too – check here for hours and details.)
If you’re on Puget Ridge and wondering what all the police action is about, officers are responding to a report of a flipped car in the 5600 block of 21st SW (map), empty after two females were reportedly seen running from the scene.
Ron Angeles, Delridge Neighborhood District Coordinator for the city Department of Neighborhoods, just put out the call for volunteers for a big event coming here later this month: The 2010 Seattle Race Conference will be held at South Seattle Community College, 8 am-4:30 pm on August 28th. The theme: “Racism and Health Inequities: Eliminating Barriers and Healing Our Communities.” Registration is open at seattleraceconference.org, and since the event is “100 percent volunteer-powered,” they’re looking for help – if you can pitch in, contact Joyce at Tseng_joyce@hotmail.com or 206-579-5330. Read on for the list of volunteer opportunities:Read More
Another notable farewell: Co-workers and other well-wishers gathered at South Seattle Community College this afternoon to say farewell to Mike Munson (photographed with wife Marsha), the longtime SSCC public-information director who’s about to retire. He’s not only worked to get the message out about West Seattle’s only college, but has also been SSCC’s rep on local groups such as district councils. His going-away gift: An autographed apron:
Co-workers say the apron is appropriate, because cooking is one thing he’s hoping to do more of!
Thanks to Ron Zuber, one of the amateur-radio operators participating in Field Day at South Seattle Community College (who also happens to be a preparedness pro), for sharing photos from Day 1 of the annual event. (This page explains the GOTA in the photo above.) This morning, Ron says, operators were working to make contact with stations in other states including Idaho and California. He explains, “Field Day is a chance for non-hams to participate with experienced hams and make contact all over the world.”
Among many other activities in which they participate, hams also are involved in emergency preparedness in a big way – if and when regular channels of communication go down, they are ready to get involved and facilitate communication in a nimble, portable way. Field Day participants usually welcome visitors, and you can find them in the field on the southeast side of the SSCC campus, just past Olympic Hall (just look for tents and equipment) – Field Day is really more like “Field Day and a Half,” considering they’ll be there till noon tomorrow.
(Photos and video by Randall G. Hauk)
The ceremony last night at South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) honored what was by far the largest graduating class in West Seattle – 721 students earning degrees and certificates! SSCC’s breakdown says that included 318 in academic transfer, 272 in professional/technical studies, 26 students in the college’s 4-year bachelor of applied science Hospitality Management degree program, 105 students earning high-school diplomas or GEDs. The school is of course well-known for its culinary programs, among others – listen to the list of degrees being read for this group of graduates:
Once the diplomas were presented, with so many graduates, it was quite the sight – and south – as they turned their tassels:
A few more scenes from a night of smiles:
And more smiles:
Other highlights of this year’s graduating class: the Hospitality bachelor’s degree recipients were the second graduating class; and SSCC also graduated the first recipient of its new associate of arts in Elementary Education (AEE) degree, “which prepares students to enter a four-year university to pursue bachelor’s degrees in elementary education,” according to the school’s graduation-preview news release. Dianne Dizon is that degree’s recipient. Congratulations to all! ADDED 8:20 AM: One more graduation photo – West Seattleite Stacey Fuda and sister Jamie Malek are “extra super proud” of their mom Kathy Malek, who graduated last night with a certificate in accounting. From left, Jamie, Kathy and Stacey:
(Stacey had mentioned on the WSB Facebook page that her mom would be among the grads, so we asked if she’d share a photo!)
South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) has gained fame for a variety of academic and vocational programs – and they were all on display to prospective students tonight during “College Night.” The most visual, of course, were from the Culinary programs – flambé above, spun sugar below:
Also showcased, a variety of programs including options for transferring to four-year schools, and options for completing a four-year degree at SSCC. If you’re thinking of enrolling at SSCC, enrollment just opened yesterday for the summer and fall quarters – here’s the calendar, and links to more info. P.S. Earlier today, we interviewed SSCC’s newly announced (2 weeks ago) president Gary Oertli, who’ll be on the job by fall – look for that story tomorrow.
ORIGINAL “HAPPENING NOW” 10:11 AM REPORT: It’s not quite Iron Chef but it’s happening this morning in West Seattle, and Candace Oehler from South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) sent the pic –
Right now, in the South Seattle Community College teaching kitchen, Eric Foster, Executive Chef of Morton’s Restaurant (pictured front), is in a heated Mac ‘n Cheese throwdown with Culinary students Paul Polis (above background) and Nick Anderson. Chef Foster is recreating the dish he demonstrated on KCTS Channel 9. Results of the blind taste testing to follow!
Unfortunately, they’re not offering a public tasting. But there IS a reason to go to SSCC today – 11 am-3 pm, the Garden Center’s open on the north side of campus – not too early to think about spring planting – here’s the season schedule. 11:57 AM UPDATE: As promised by Candace, here are the results:
While the final products were all delicious, Chef Foster’s Blue Softshell Crab and Sambal Garlic Chile Sauce dish nosed out both Polis’ Truffle Salt, Dungeness Crab and Macadamia Nut creation, and Anderson’s colorful Ground Beef and Tortilla Chip effort. Guest judges included potential students and their parents who were visiting the campus, lucky staff members, and South Culinary chef instructors.
(From left, Chef Instructor Vicky McAffre, Nick Anderson, Chef Eric Foster, Paul Polis, Chef Instructor Robert Houot) Don’t know if any recipes will be available, but we’re going to ask!
As noted here yesterday, Metro and SDOT worked together to make some changes lessening the Pigeon Point effects of the up-to-six-weeks closure of 23rd/22nd. Today, SDOT has sent an official news release summarizing the changes – read on:Read More
For almost two weeks now, we’ve been covering the saga of the 23rd/22nd SW construction-related road closure between North Delridge and Pigeon Point/Puget Ridge. The ripple effects included a bus re-route leading in turn to dozens of lost parking spaces for blocks around. While the homebuilder who has to close 23rd/22nd 
for sewer-line work had been working with the city for months on a “traffic plan,” and followed all the notification rules, it still all came down without advance neighborhood consultation, and that led to a flurry of action last weekend, including two visits from City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, one including an SDOT entourage. Some changes were made but now there’s word of a BIG change: Metro’s Linda Thielke tells WSB that as of the start of service tomorrow morning, Route 125 will “only use 20th SW southbound between Charlestown and Genesee; it will use 21st when northbound between Genesee and Andover.” That means “more than 50 percent of the parking on the east side of 20th will be restored.” Thielke says this wouldn’t be possible without SDOT agreeing to put in a temporary stop sign on 21st at Andover (photo above; here’s a map). She also says no bus stops wll be affected. We’re checking with SDOT to see if they have taken any other steps. Again, this is supposed to take effect tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.
Many who live on Pigeon Point have had this top-of-mind all weekend, but for those who live elsewhere and drive 23rd/22nd SW between Pigeon Point/Puget Ridge/elsewhere and North Delridge – remember that tomorrow’s the day the road closes, along the route shown above (as first reported here February 10th), for up to six weeks. A few new developments today, according to Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding, one of the neighborhood leaders who’s been in close contact with the city and the developer whose project’s closing the road for sewer-line work: He says the no-parking zones have been reduced somewhat, but they’re hopeful of getting even more parking back by convincing Metro to run the Route 125 bus down 21st SW instead of the currently planned reroute. Any decision on that isn’t expected before tomorrow. Spalding says Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – who chairs the Transportation Committee – returned to the neighborhood for the second afternoon in a row, this time with five SDOT reps, who thought the revised bus re-route would make sense, and promised to request it. Spalding also met with developer Jon Riser this morning, and reports he’s “totally concerned” about the neighborhood impacts. As Riser told us in a conversation last night (last element in this story), he’s been working with the city since November on the “traffic plan” for the project – but city rules don’t require early notification, nor do they require community consultation, which is why no one knew about this until the signs went up a week and a half ago. Many hope this might lead to a change in the rules so that neighborhoods would get earlier warning, in order to participate in the planning process and avoid frantic last-minute maneuvering like this. NOTE: Channel 13 did a story on the situation last night – first TV story that we know of:
(Updated at 6:10 pm after a conversation with the developer whose project’s at the heart of this)
ORIGINAL 4:37 PM REPORT: In the bright jacket, that’s West Seattle-dwelling City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who chairs the council’s Transportation Committee. Rasmussen bicycled up to Pigeon Point this afternoon to listen to neighbors’ concerns about effects of the 6-week road closure that starts on Monday so that a developer can run a sewer line to new-home sites on 23rd SW. First reported here 10 days ago, the closure not only will close a major route between North Delridge and Pigeon Point/Puget Ridge, it also will reroute Metro’s 125 bus (details here), which in turn means parking restrictions on nearby streets that are not in the construction zone. Most galling to neighbors – as noted here last night, when the signs went up yesterday, they covered an even longer stretch of nearby streets than had been announced by SDOT – and that’s what has neighbors most concerned. Jim S wrote in a WSB comment last night:
It’s frustrating to say the least. It feels very much as if the city has sold out Pigeon Point for a developer’s utility upgrade to the arterial. I understand that Riser Homes are paying the full ride on the sewer and storm drains on 23rd and that cost is considerable, but this has affected a far wider swath of neighborhoods than the average street closure. Closing virtually all parking on two of the three major streets in the Pigeon Point neighborhood without consulting the neighborhood is very unfair. It is a thoughtless, cookie cutter fix to a problem that required a more measured equitable solution.
This afternoon, Rasmussen met with about a dozen residents, coordinated on short notice by Pete Spalding (at right, below, with Rasmussen at left – note the “no parking” signs lining the road in the background).
It’s not just a matter of nowhere to park and driving a detour route, neighbors say, it’s also a safety issue – as hundreds of drivers detour, there’s concern they may go racing down streets where there’s not usually heavy traffic. And there’s a big-picture issue here: Notification. Everyone agrees that the homebuilder did what was required – notifying neighbors in the immediate area – but, as discussed at the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting last Wednesday, what’s required, may not be enough. In our video clip, you’ll hear Rasmussen wonder if there’s any way to hold off the project now, so that a meeting can be held with neighbors first:
There was no public word of the impending closure till signs went up on Delridge a week and a half ago; the signs seemed to suggest Delridge was closing for six weeks; a WSB’er named Pete (not Spalding) contacted us to ask what we knew. We checked with SDOT, which explained the developer’s plan – this Feb. 10th story resulted – and got him to add “23rd SW” lettering to the closure signs; the information about bus and parking restrictions followed, and Pigeon Point neighborhood leaders have been working round the clock to try to make sure residents are getting accurate information. They’re expecting SDOT reps to be in the area to monitor the situation on Monday morning, first commute period after the closure is scheduled to happen, if the plan doesn’t change in the meantime. (We also have e-mailed the developer to ask for comment.)
ADDED 6:10 PM: Got a fast response from Jon Riser, the aforementioned developer, who called after receiving our e-mail. He says, “This is a process that’s been going on for a long time. We submitted a traffic control plan back in November – it’s not a small, little, quick, throw-out-a-permit thing to close the road. It’s been a drawn-out (process) that’s involved Metro, city engineers, and my own traffic engineers. This is the plan they came up with that they felt was the safest.” He says he’s talked with Councilmember Rasmussen and that holding off construction isn’t an option – “I don’t see us not starting on Monday” — Riser says this phase of the project will be costing him $10,000 a day; “the contractor’s lined up and this all has been rolling for weeks.” But, he adds: “What I do want to do is, during the first initial closure, try to adjust some of this …” such as, seeing if buses can “turn directly onto 21st,” and adjusting some of the no-parking zone on 23rd for residents who face “some serious parking problems.” He adds, “Adding signs, removing signs … whatever we can do in the first day or so. … (And) we’re trying to get a couple police officers to be on site to help. … I’m trying to do what I can.”
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