West Seattle, Washington
30 Sunday
After last week’s shooting at Roxhill Park, we asked a city spokesperson whether the park’s encampment was slated for clearance. The answer, as reported here, was noncommittal. The park has continued to have incidents, particularly fires – four calls in one day alone, and a report by the cleanup group A Cleaner Alki that fire had intruded into the park’s peat bog. Now, there’s proof the city does plan to sweep the park’s encampment: That notice shown in the top photo, seen today and photographed by a reader, warns people camping in the park to have their belongings out by Friday morning (August 28).
Seven years ago, we reported on signs that somebody put up in Arbor Heights, suggesting there were traffic-ticketing cameras where in fact there were none. SDOT told us those signs were “fake” and eventually took them down. Now, history seems to have repeated itself – this time on the Olson Place hill, where the sign above, on the westbound (uphill) side has a twin on the eastbound side, both pointed out to us by a reader. Since previously our area’s ony enforcement cameras were for school zones, red lights, and the bridge bus lane, we asked SDOT about these signs … and spokesperson Ethan Bergerson declared unequivocally that they did not install them. So, rogue signage again? P.S. Our area DOES have two new real speed-ticket cameras – for the West Seattle High School school zone on California and the Alki Elementary school zone on Admiral Way (all seven WS camera zones are on this citywide list).
(WSB photo, Thursday)
Today, Mayor Katie Wilson signed an executive order she said was designed to speed up Vision Zero safety measures – one day after District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka held a committee briefing on his own package of transportation-safety proposals. We haven’t yet read both to see what’s different and what dovetails. But we did notice that the mayor’s order (read it here) refers very specifically to one West Seattle project: It decrees completion of a protected bicycle lane on SW Wildwood Place in Fauntleroy by the end of this year. That’s one of the safety upgrades urged by community advocates in the wake of the June death of bicycle rider Maridee Bonadea. Another one was installed just yesterday, permanent no-parking zones along the south side of Wildwood, where Ms. Bonadea died. The mayor’s executive order doesn’t mention any other specific West Seattle projects but does mention citywide plans to step up various types of street-safety measures, including lighting, signal, and signage upgrades.
By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
In West Seattle’s High Point neighborhood, 81 percent of youth say they have witnessed or heard gun violence near home or school in the last six months. Additionally, 70 percent of parents and caregivers keep their children inside and limit activities out of fear related to gun violence.
These findings came from a survey of 42 youth and 20 parent and caregiver respondents conducted by Fahima Mohamed, a High Point resident and student at the University of Washington. On Tuesday, Mohamed presented the results, alongside responses to other prompts, as a way to gauge community sentiment surrounding increased gun violence.
Neighbors, friends, and strangers filed into High Point community hub Neighborhood House on Tuesday, prepared to discuss current efforts and actionable plans to address the increase in recent months. The well-attended gathering, titled “It Takes a Village,” was organized by Mohamed.
“One of the big reasons I wanted to have this space and for everybody to come together is so that the leaders in the community can talk about the work they’re doing.” she explained.
The meeting lived up to its name. Panelists from the Seattle Police Department, Seattle Public Schools, Seattle Housing Authority, Neighborhood House, and parent representatives established a sense of collaborative accountability. They acknowledged their individual responsibilities in preventing future gun violence and responding to those already affected.
Mohamed presented questions based on her survey findings to the array of panelists, who conveyed their responses to the audience.
Police Response and Violence Prevention
Southwest Precinct commander and panelist Capt. Krista Bair emphasized plans for “directed patrol” (as she had at last week’s Our City, Our Safety meeting). She shared that research suggests 20 minutes of police presence in hot spots generates 90 minutes of deterrence. High Point was already on the calendar for directed patrol prior to the August 10th murder; Bair promised that these plans would be enacted.
SPD’s response tactics were discussed iafter a question posed by Mohamed about consequences for repeat offenders in gun-related incidents. Panelist and Officer Matthew Roberson explained that the department shares information about offenders with community organizations that try to interrupt violence.
He mentioned a partnership with Southwest Youth and Family Services, which conducts followups with individuals, and SPD’s Community Service Officers, who connect offenders and those affected with additional resources.
Another SPD initiative highlighted by Capt. Bair: Twice-weekly “gun calls” on Mondays and Thursdays. The meetings are held in collaboration with city attorneys, other precinct captains, youth prosecutors, and the Department of Corrections to discuss gun violence occurring since the last meeting, and to share information about repeat offenders.
Ted Howard, Seattle Public Schools’ Chief Accountability Officer, introduced another preventive tactic, specific to SPS: A new protocol rolling out this school year called “SaferWatch.” The app is a federally funded platform that offers medical reporting, anonymous tips, and schoolwide communication. Tips are routed anonymously to trained professionals who then forward them to appropriate responders, according to Seattle Public Schools’ website.
Howard explained that the app will allow students to report potential instances of planned violence or threats, preventing dangers like fights or weapons on campus, before these events occur.
Infrastructure Fixes
Another preventive inquiry conducted by Mohamed involving the Seattle Housing Authority, which manages the High Point area, regarded lighting and camera installation on 30th Avenue as well as other hotspots for activity. SHA explained that 3 of their 100 lights in the area are currently out and said they are in the process of repairing. As for increased surveillance cameras, they would like to implement more, but need funding to ensure added cameras could fit in their budget.
Mental Health Resources for Students
Ted Howard explained that SPS works to identify students who may be in need of mental health resources through surveys, “tell a buddy” prompts, academic writings, and journals.
“One of the things we try to do at SPS is to be a conduit to bridge those supports in place. We don’t hire teachers or counselors to do mental-health counseling, but we try to make sure students that need help, that they get identified and get that resources to them.”
West Seattle Elementary’s new principal Stephanie Barragan built upon this sentiment. She highlighted the school’s renewed partnership with Atlantic Street Center behavioral-health services and two in-house therapists: “As much as our families are saying it starts with home life, the reality is once school starts, students are with us for seven hours a day. We have that responsibility too.”
Community Response
Throughout the meeting, emphasis was also laid on how the aforementioned organizations can work together to ensure the future safety and well-being of High Point’s children and families.
“All the organizations in the room, I think it’s our next step, our inspiration, to be more connected, for our youth so that things line up for our kids, so they’re not disjointed, and I think that we have the opportunity to do that in Seattle in ways that could be truly transformational,” said Jeff Clark, former principal of Denny International Middle School.
This notion of collaboration was extended not only toward organizations represented amongst the panelists, but to community members as well.
“Your community is not going to change anything if you come and have these community meetings and walk out and don’t take action. You got to get to know not only your students, but you got to get to know each other as you hold each other accountable, then you’ll start to see your community shift and change,” said Howard
As for what’s next, Fahima Mohamed laid the groundwork for a future of camaraderie and progress. She suggested a quarterly check-in hosted by Neighborhood House, monthly parent gatherings involving youth activities and a parent group advisory on safety, and a Friday tea time for community members to gather and discuss.
“I really have hope in the collective troubleshooting and the collective solution finding,” concluded Shak Sanders of Neighborhood House.
(WSB photo, Wednesday)
Though police have not specifically said whether Wednesday’s Roxhill Park shooting was related to the park’s encampments,
neighbors say their safety concerns were increasing even before the shooting that sent a 40-year-old man to the hospital. So we asked key city reps today if Roxhill Park has a clearance planned. Here’s what spokesperson Caitlin Moran from the Human Services Department and Unified Care Team said:
HSD typically does not share exact dates of encampment resolutions due to staff safety and possible changes in scheduling. However, resolutions may be expedited following incidents of violence.
UCT is awaiting information on the shooting from the Seattle Police Department to inform next steps.
We also asked District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s staff if this has been on his radar. Yes, said staffer Michael Taylor-Judd, while indicating that those concerned should be pressuring the mayor:
YES, our office has communicated with our contacts in several City departments and the councilmember has spoken directly with department leadership when he has the opportunity to convey the concerns of our neighbors in D1. He and I were also just out in the immediate neighborhood earlier this summer walking the paths in Roxhill Park and hearing the concerns of residents in nearby Village Green Retirement Home. He also heard directly from nearby neighbors while knocking a few doors in the afternoon and we have received emails in our office since then.
We take this very seriously, and we convey the same messages that our first responders share with residents in the Southwest Precinct — “If you see something, say something.” Neighbors have been encouraged to regularly contact 911 — especially to report when they see violent behavior, illlegal drug use, and unauthorized campfires that violate our current citywide burn ban.
We need partnership from the Executive Branch, however. Councilmember Saka cannot direct the public safety departments or Unified Care Team to respond. That authority resides with the Mayor’s Office, and we hope she is hearing from our neighbors just like we are, and that she is also aware of how urgent it is to address this situation before someone else is injured in the park.
(WSB photos)
After SDOT told us Wednesday that crews would be out today making promised changes on SW Wildwood Place, and when we went over to check today, we found that indeed they are.
They’re installing permanent no-parking signage as well as reinforcing the no-parking zones on both sides of the street, which is just southeast of the Fauntleroy ferry dock, with pavement paint.
This comes a little over two months after the death of bicycle rider Maridee Bonadea, and a little over a week after a public forum about bicycling safety in the area; the removal of south-side parking was one of the changes SDOT promised, while they say they’re still studying others, including a possible all-way stop at Fauntleroy and Wildwood.
Two followups on safety measures discussed at last week’s Fauntleroy bicycling-safety forum (WSB coverage here), spurred by the death of Maridee Bonadea on SW Wildwood Place in June:
NO-PARKING ZONE: As we reported, the temporary no-parking signs went up on the south side of Wildwood – where Ms. Bonadea died – the day after the forum. We asked SDOT when the permanent signage would be installed, and today they tell us it’s happening tomorrow:
We can confirm that on Thursday, SDOT plans to make the temporary no-parking restrictions on the south side of SW Wildwood Place permanent. The work will include permanent no-parking signs and interim paint hatching with plastic delineators.
We are continuing to evaluate a potential all-way STOP at Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Wildwood Place, including additional data and operational considerations. We’re also continuing work on other safety improvements in the area and expect to have more information to share soon.
TRUCK SAFETY: Also discussed at the forum: Side guards for trucks. Legislation to require them on trucks used by city contractors is under development, according to a slide in this deck prepared for tomorrow morning’s meeting of the City Council Transportation, Waterfront, and Seattle Center Committee, which is chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka. The committee also is scheduled to discuss a package of other transportation-safety legislation Saka is proposing, according to this announcement.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The date for SPD’s second “Our City, Our Safety“ meeting in West Seattle was set months ago.
But it turned out to be painfully timely – three nights after our area’s first murder in a year and a half.
During Wednesday night’s meeting at Delridge Community Center, police didn’t have a public update to share about the deadly shooting, but heard from High Point residents who came to share their stories of living amid increasing gun violence, of which the murder of 28-year-old Omar Tebad was just the most-recent escalation in their neighborhood.
Also coincidentally timely: The meeting came less than two weeks after SPD had an abrupt change at the top. But the ~50+ people gathered didn’t hear from SPD’s newly promoted Interim Chief Andre Sayles until late in the meeting, as he had been sidetracked to a gunfire incident elsewhere in the city, in which three of his officers reported getting shot at. Here’s what he said at the meeting in just under three minutes:
Sayles had also spoken at the first “Our City, Our Safety” meeting in West Seattle back in March (WSB coverage here) – we noted in our report that he answered concerns about driver lawbreaking and misbehavior with a suggestion that education might be better than enforcement. This time, he talked about investigations – saying that was now a prime mission for an SPD unit he’s now calling the “Proactive Team” – and about building relationships. As an example, he mentioned a meeting earlier in the day with first-year City Attorney Erika Evans, who also was there:
She explained her office’s role as “the city’s lawyer” during the earlier round of speeches and presentations, which we recorded on video too. First speaker was SPD’s Dr. Lee Hunt:
At nine and a half minutes in, a key speaker was Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair, who rolled out data like this, as was also done during the March meeting:
While she noted that crime hotspots included, as usual, Westwood Village, she also noted that stats had changed because businesses’ “protocols and policies” had changed – rather than theft, many shoplifting incidents were being reported as robberies (which is the classification if the thief uses force, threats, and/or a weapon). She also said they’ve had success in fighting crime there because of increased collaboration with businesses. Overall, Capt. Bair said, the Southwest Precinct (West Seattle and South Park) has seen a 17 percent drop in violent crimes so far this year compared to the same period of last year. Summer, overall, is usually a time when such crimes are on the rise, but not this year, she added.
She recapped the top five concerns voiced at the March meeting: Homelessness/RVs, open-air drug use, traffic safety/recklessness/racing, school/youth safety, police response times/presence. Regarding the top concern, she said the city was clearing some encampment areas in the next week or two (we reported on this one the next day after a reader tip). She also said they were addressing some concerns via “directed patrols” – having officers spend ~20 minutes in a certain area as a deterrent, an approach that she said has been proven to work nationwide.
The second half of the meeting was small-group breakout discussions, with a representative of each group presenting a short summary at the end. The table we monitored included City Attorney Evans, who noted that her office is on track to file more DUI cases than it had in previous years. Evans also said her office just got another attorney to handle Extreme Risk Protection Orders, which seek to at least temporarily confiscate weapons when there’s a concern about imminent violence. That’s a civil action, not a criminal action, though, it was noted.
Many of those who spoke from tables identified themselves as High Point residents. After multiple gunfire incidents, some said they’re afraid to go outside their homes; others said they feel SPD is “not doing enough.” One speaker pointed out, “Some of our houses have been hit … we don’t care about traffic, we don’t care about encampments …” but rather “what we all (are) experiencing.” Another speaker said youth are suffering the worst, in a multitude of ways, and mentioned the community forum set for next Tuesday (here’s the announcement we published).
But more than talk is needed, another man said, recounting one terrifying incident: “Suddenly in broad daylight there was that sound … to see my wife hit the ground, that will stay with me.” He said that in addition to police presence they want to see their area analyzed for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.
It’s not just gun violence, said a High Point resident speaking for another table, saying their neighborhood (Snake Hill) has been having trouble with people driving in “to drop their cars.”
In addition to city and SPD officials we mentioned above, others notably on hand included Jon Jainga from the Seattle Park Rangers, Tom van Bronkhorst from the Unified Care Team, and SPD Assistant Chief Rob Brown. Not there: District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, but his staffer Michael Taylor-Judd – a longtime West Seattle community advocate before going to work for the city – was.
WHAT’S NEXT: SPD has another Our City, Our Safety meeting planned in the East Precinct area on September 6.
(WSB photos)
By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
More than forty people came to small section of SW Lander Street west of California SW last night – between local businesses The Good Society and Seattle Yarn, and neighboring Lafayette Elementary – for an SDOT-convened “community design charrette.”
It offered a preview of what the street might look like in the near future, as the purpose of the gathering was for city officials to get feedback about their plans to close the street to vehicle traffic and turn it into a “People Street” within a year.
SDOT closed the small section of SW Lander for the evening, bringing together city reps and associated consultants and designers with community members to talk in-person about the best way to implement changes, and what they might like to see from the project.
The project is a part of the city’s People Streets and Public Spaces Capital Program, which seeks to transform various streets across the city into miniature public parks. Traffic is blocked off, and the designated area is transformed with various architectural improvements and amenities to encourage community gathering and engagement. This site, on SW Lander, is one of two in West Seattle that are currently part of the program; we’ve previously covered the other proposed project, on 18th Avenue SW, between Delridge Way and Southwest Barton (which also had a recent meeting). The city says its goal is to transform SW Lander into public space offering cleaner air as well as an overall sense of safety and security for students.
The meetings for both sites aimed at a very preliminary stage of the process, akin loosely to ‘brainstorming’ with the community in a more free-form atmosphere. No concrete designs were presented; instead, community members were asked to write sticky notes on poster boards asking for feedback on things such as desired features, and put stickers on stock photo ‘mood boards’ representing which features or visuals they would find the most appealing.
The feedback will be used by the city as an initial step before they begin a more formal design processs. Beyond the feedback process, other light activities were available for attendees as well, such as over-sized street board games and coloring books for kids; refreshments were also available, featuring fruit empanadas from the Salvadorean Bakery in White Center.
Despite the festival atmosphere, the project proposal did not come without controversy. In addition to what was provided by the city, some community members brought some of their own boards and posters to protest the proposed project. One board offered two sign-up lists, asking attendees to pick a side: “Yes, close Lander Street” or “No street closure”. The latter choice had garnered around 10 signatures already by 15 minutes into the gathering, while the former had no signatures at all in the early going.
Another poster stapled to a local telephone pole called for neighbors to attend, framing the project as the city cutting off street access to California Avenue.
Words from attendees who spoke to us did not show much more positivity for the project either. “Well, this whole thing sucks!” said one of the attendees, an Admiral resident. “Congestion here is bad, and getting worse. Where are all the parents going to go to pick up their kids? […] The city is doing too much with too little, and too many people.”
People from local businesses and buildings in the block came to share their opinion too. Paul Cesmat, owner of the nearby Admiral Station apartments, came, also delivering a letter to city representatives from the owner of Financial Designs Insurance (in the same block) in absentia. Both of them expressed that the city’s plan would be negligent at best, actively harmful at worst – making it more difficult for emergency vehicles to access the school and commercial block, and increasing traffic congestion for the school: “In my 49 years here, there has never, ever, been an incident with a kid,” Cesmat said. He also expressed frustration with the city’s communication strategy. “There was no real mail notification to the neighbors; just some stuff stapled on the poles.” he said. “Neighbors had to communicate with each other to encourage turnout.”
According to SDOT, there will be more chances for the community to provide feedback through the design process, though dates are yet to be announced. The formal design process will begin this fall, with finalization of a plan expected next winter (early 2027).
(WSB photos)
11:44 AM THURSDAY: At last night’s Seattle Police community-safety meeting in West Seattle (report to come), Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair alluded briefly to multiple local encampment clearances this week. One of them is under way right now. Thanks to a tip from Jon, we got over to the Delridge Home Depot area in time for these photos of city crews at the notorious encampment west of the store.
This encampment has been the site of problems including multiple fires. It’s on land that the King County Parcel Viewer shows is owned by the city.
We have a message out to the city seeking information about today’s operation.
6:36 PM FRIDAY: Our inquiry got a short reply today: “5 people were identified at the site. No shelter referrals were accepted.”
(This morning, SW Wildwood site where Maridee Bonadea died. WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Two months after bicyclist Maridee Bonadea died on SW Wildwood Place a short distance uphill from the Fauntleroy ferry dock, SDOT reps promised last night that they’d initiate some changes within “a few weeks.”
The promise came during a public forum coordinated by the Fauntleroy Community Association, and while community members in attendance were glad to hear it, many said it wasn’t enough. Given that changes were recommended on this stretch of road at least six years ago – recommendations that went unheeded then – they urged the panel of city, state, and county officials to take proactive action elsewhere.
We recorded the entire forum, held at The Hall at Fauntleroy – here’s the video, followed by our summary:
The forum was moderated by FCA president Frank Immel and vice president Catherine Bailey:
Here’s the panel, with reps from SDOT, Washington State Ferries, Metro, Mayor Wilson’s office, and City Councilmember Rob Saka (who said he arrived late because of a marathon council meeting):
First to speak was Ms. Bonadea’s daughter Lani, who said, “I want to believe that you all care about making the streets safer …” but it was “disheartening” that nothing had been done yet, even with a mayoral resolution about bicycle safety the month before the collision.
She also said that while her mother was an amazing person who “did a lot for a lot of people,” that shouldn’t be the reason safety is improved – it should be done on behalf of everyone. “I don’t uderstand why that street has been allowed to function.”
The first panelist to speak was SDOT director Angela Brady, who said her department had a “new policy” for reviewing sites of fatal crashes (although there had been previous policies, we note from our coverage of recent incidents).
SDOT’s safety officer Venu Nemani also spoke about a “new process and policy,” including a semi-annual review of all walking and biking-related collisions in the city.
Then came some specifics for this site: Removing parking on the south side of that block of SW Wildwood (which would include the area where Ms. Bonadea was killed), a new all-way stop at Fauntleroy and Wildwood, and a bike lane. Nemani said SDOT is “working on the conceptual design” for this, and insisted, “We hear you” about wanting safety concerns to be addressed sooner rather than later. (The two-week promise for parking changes later drew a suggestion from a community member that the parking removal could be done overnight – “just put up A-boards.”)
Councilmember Saka spoke next, declaring “this is sobering stuff”:
He said he’s working on “traffic-safety legislation” that would take a broader look at related safety challenges, citing advocates’ request for more daylighting of intersections, side guards on trucks, and mandatory Vision Zero reviews.
Ms. Bonadea’s widow Laura then spoke.
Like her wife’s daughter, she said it’s not just that exceptional people like Maridee “deserve to live” – everyone does. Why wait for a fatal crash? She urged action on problems all over the city, including “bike lanes that suddenly end. SDOT “needs to be proactive, before (more) people die. “I want to see some action” – quickly, urgently, she said.
That’s when Nemani promised the parking removal would be done “in the next few weeks.”
Friends of Ms. Bonadea from the Rainbow Riders group reiterated that urgent action is called for, in other areas with safety challenges too.
Alex Hudson from the mayor’s office assured attendees that her boss wants fast action too.
Some of the problems that community members surfaced were beyond fast action, maybe beyond any action at all, like the declaration that the root issue here was “a ferry dock in the middle of a commmunity,” and no dedicated space for vehicles to line up, just curbspace shared with parked vehicles.
Dock-related concerns were addressed by the WSF reps, primarily via a reminder that a traffic signal is going in later this year where the dock meets Fauntleroy Way.
Other comments included an observation about who was not at the meeting – West Seattle community advocate Leslie Harris, noting she had recently retired from the legal profession, said the City Attorney and a “risk manager” should have been present, as incidents like this can not only lead to devastating loss of life, they can lead to multi-million-dollar lawsuits. She observed, “Sometimes litigation is the only thing that moves bureaucracy – it won’t bring back people (but) will make things happen.”
The demand for action was echoed by numerous attendees. Related issues were surfaced as well, such as the need for enforcement of laws and rules that already exist. More known danger spots were described, including Beach Drive. Another repeated request: Keep the community in the loop as design concepts are developed and timelines are developed. SDOT promised they would. Director Brady also said the community’s help is needed to answer questions of, after parking removal and bike-lane installation, where would families pick up students that ride the ferries to and from Vashon schools?
There also were repeated calls for revisiting work that already had been done but was not acted on – like a 2020 report recommending removal of the Wildwood parking, and long-shelved projects like Fauntleroy Boulevard (in The Triangle). There were questions seeking to clarify processes – how do all the involved departments and agencies communicate? They already have “interagency meetings,” replied Brady.
Speakers made other requests – paint the curb red, once parking is removed; install boulders to reinforce borders with the curbspace; put in speed cushions before the curve onto Fauntleroy … the list went on. Beyond suggestions, the community’s role in what happens next was stressed, too. Community member Robert Pluma declared, “I see a community ready for action.’ And FCA president Immel closed out the meeting with a reminder that “as a volunteer organization, we need your help … we want to see change happen.”
WHAT’S NEXT: SDOT promised to communicate about how and when that change will happen; FCA promised to help circulate that information. And we’ll be following up too.
ADDED 4:09 PM: Since we went to SW Wildwood late this morning and saw no changes, there’s been one. FCA VP Bailey tells WSB via email that temp no-parking signs have since been put up, from Fauntleroy to 36th: “They heard us!” (Wednesday photo added)
As reported here early this morning, our area’s first homicide victim in more than a year ad a half was a 28-year-old man shot in High Point; our area’s previous homicide victim was a 15-year-old boy shot in High Point. Between those two deadly shootings, there have been not only shootings with physical injuries, but also incidents with damage and/or close calls that have terrified residents. Even before today’s murder, a community event was planned in High Point next week to address gun violence, “It Takes a Village,” hosted by DNDA in collaboration with other organizations – here’s the announcement they sent us today:
It Takes a Village will occur August 18th, 5:00-7:30 pm, at Neighborhood House in High Point.
It Takes a Village is a community seminar presented in collaboration with the Seattle Housing Authority, Seattle Police Department, and Seattle Public Schools. The event will feature a presentation by Fahima Mohamed, DNDA’s High Point Youth Coordinator, highlighting findings from surveys of local youth and parents/caregivers about the impact of gun violence in the neighborhood.
Following the presentation, representatives from participating organizations will take part in a panel discussion, providing an opportunity for community members to ask questions, share concerns, and learn about available resources and support services.
To conclude the evening on a positive note, attendees will be invited to enjoy ice cream and participate in a basketball dunk competition, helping bring the community together after a conversation on an important and challenging topic.
Neighborhood House is at 6400 Sylvan Way SW. To RSVP for this event, go here.
P.S. This is separate from the SPD-hosted “Our City, Our Safety” meeting this Wednesday (August 12), 6 pm at Delridge Community Center (4501 Delridge Way SW), but some of the same issues will likely be discussed there too.
(WSB photo, June 15)
Though this is usually the quiet time in summer’s final weeks, not this year. Major events this week will include the community forum Tuesday night (August 11) on making Fauntleroy safer for bicycle riding, after two deaths in a little over two years, most recently Maridee Bonadea on Wildwood Place, uphill from the ferry dock, in June. All are invited to participate Tuesday night, 6-8 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy (south end of the historic schoolhouse, 9131 California SW). We published first word of the forum plan on July 31st; the Fauntleroy Community Association and Ms. Bonadea’s family finalized the plan a few days later. They expect elected officials and representatives of SDOT and WSDOT to be in attendance. They also have drafted a suggested message to all of the above to express support for safety improvements (find it added to our original report about the forum date).
SUNDAY 12:24 PM: The image is from Kevin Freitas, who first sounded the alarm about a hornet nest on the north side of 40th/Alaska last Wednesday. By Thursday he said he’d spoken to a Puget Sound Beekeepers Association member who indicated they’d likely “take care of it” at some point. But it’s still there, according to other readers, who also suggested a wider warning, so we’re mentioning it now.
P.S. Hornets and wasps may be worrisome but if you see or have a bee swarm, it’s not, and a PSBA member would likely be interested in relocating those.
MONDAY 12:13 PM: By multiple accounts, including OP Kevin, the nest has been killed and removed.
(CARE Department photo)
Starting tomorrow, the crisis responders who are part of the city’s CARE public-safety department are expanding their hours citywide. Here’s the announcement:
Effective tomorrow, August 5, the Seattle CARE Department’s Community Crisis Responders (CCRs) will operate from 6:30-1:00 AM daily, citywide. Current citywide service is from 12:00-10:00 PM daily.
This expansion into the early morning and late night hours addresses a significant need for community support during windows of time when our call data shows the highest volume of calls that crisis responders can support, including welfare checks, requests for resources, and assistance with people who are experiencing a crisis. Approximately 84% of the responders’ most common call types come in between 6:30-1:00 AM.By sending highly trained and unarmed mental health professionals to these events, the CARE Department helps the City of Seattle address underlying needs and connect people in need to long-term solutions. So far this year, crisis responders have responded to 6,279 calls, compared to 7,136 for all of 2025.
The public can continue to call 911 or the City’s non-emergency line (206-625-5011) to request the CCRs, including for welfare checks, referrals, and resources. Call-takers will determine the appropriate response based on the scenario.
(WSB file photo, ‘ghost bike’ memorial for Maridee Bonadea)
ORIGINAL FRIDAY REPORT: Details and participants are still being finalized, but the date is set for the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s promised public forum about bicycling safety, after the death of Maridee Bonadea last month on SW Wildwood. The forum is set for 6 pm Tuesday, August 11, at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW, south end of the historic schoolhouse). FCA vice president Catherine Bailey says they plan to “hear from the family and supporters of Maridee Bonadea, the cycling community, and representatives from the city council, WS Ferries, SDOT, and others. We’ll publish an update when more details are locked in. Here’s our coverage of FCA’s initial discussion at their board meeting earlier this month.
ADDED SUNDAY: FCA and Ms. Bonadea’s family are also circulating this letter to city officials and asking for others to join the campaign:
Dear Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Councilmembers Rob Saka, Dionne Foster, and Alexis
Mercedes Rinck,On June 15th, bicyclist Maridee Bonadea was killed in West Seattle. This tragedy was preventable. The dangerous road conditions that contributed to her death have been recognized – but unaddressed – by the Seattle Department of Transportation.
This is an emergency that needs immediate action. SDOT must immediately exercise its authority to permanently remove the street parking on SW Wildwood Place, between Fauntleroy Wy SW and 47th Ave SW. To do this we are requesting “No Parking” signs and paint to eliminate legal parking for approximately 4 cars.
The removal of parking and implementation of bike lanes on Wildwood Place was promised in 2020. It was considered a low cost project. Bike lanes are also included in the 2024 Seattle Transportation Plan and are in line with Vision Zero goals. The community has asked for these improvements for years. Enough.
According to the 2024 Vision Zero Update, the Southwest Seattle Council District has the highest percentage of serious and fatal crashes in the city. We cannot lose more of our community members while we wait for safe, complete, connected bike routes in West Seattle.
In addition to the immediate action requested, I support the Seattle Street Alliance call for three city-wide actions to save lives:
1. Improve visibility at intersections – by removing nearby parking, as on Wildwood
2. Make large trucks less deadly – truck side guards might have prevented two recent bicyclist deaths – those of Maridee Bonadea and Christian Salyer.
3. Make Vision Zero safety improvements a required part of every project review
If you’re one of the almost-250 Night Out block/building-party hosts signed up with SPD, swag bags are ready for you to pick up at the precinct Monday, the day before Night Out. The update and photos are from the precinct’s Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite:
Today, with the help of the SW Precinct Captain, interns, and Before the Badge recruits – we have prepped 800 swag bags for our community. Pickup day is on Monday, and Night Out is Tuesday!
Jennifer says almost 1,000 Night Out parties are registered citywide – and a fourth of those, 247, will be in the Southwest Precinct area (West Seattle and South Park). Swag pickup time on Monday at the precinct (2300 SW Bebster) is noon-2 pm; party time on Tuesday (when you’ll find many side streets closed to through traffic) is 5-9 pm.
The flashing beacons at the 63rd/Beach Drive crosswalk are now activated, reports Pooja, who sent the photo. They were installed but not activated last month because of restriping work that still had to be done, SDOT told us at the time. The poles for the lights went up six months ago, but SDOT had to wait months longer for the “equipment and materials.”
The Southwest Precinct‘s crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite wants to be sure you know about two personal-safety training sessions SPD is offering, both online:
Tuesday, August 25th
9 am – 11 am
Via TeamsThursday, September 3rd
2 pm – 4 pm
via TeamsAbout the Class
-Learn proactive tips and steps you can take to enhance your personal safety taught by Seattle police officers and employees.Training goals:
-Share commonsense safety tips to decrease the odds of being a victim
-Know the important role your instincts and gut reactions play
-Discover potentially dangerous situations and how to avoid them
-Learn to make a safety plan based on different environmentsEmail Jennifer.Satterwhite@seattle.gov for meeting invite and link.
By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
More than six months after we broke the news about an RV lot/tiny-house village planned for 7201 2nd SW in southeast West Seattle, construction has yet to begin.
We’ve been driving by the site looking for signs of impending construction; the photo above is what we saw Tuesday afternoon – nothing in sight. But the Low-Income Housing Institute, which has a $3 million contract to open the site, insists that construction is imminent.
As we’ve reported, the site now called Glassyard Commons would host space for 72 RVs and 20 tiny homes, with the RV residents allowed in if they agree to eventually give up their vehicles.
The project is “religiously sponsored” by New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, in theory making the permitting process more efficient by not requiring the government-owned land to be re-zoned. So far though, the project does not seem to be moving with the speed originally expected, with an original projection that it would be open before the Seattle World Cup matches (the last of which was two weeks ago).
That plan had changed by May, when our observation that construction had yet to start led us to reach out to Marta Kidane, LIHI’s community engagement manager. for an updated projection. She then confirmed that the site wouldn’t be open until after the World Cup. The new estimate at that time: the end of the summer. Also at this time, Kidane mentioned that the construction permit, water-service application, and electrical-service application have “preliminary approval and will be issued soon.”
Records viewable online through the Seattle Services Portal currently show a construction permit awaitings “corrections,” an electrical permit that has been issued, and a minor utility permit that has been issued in recent months at the 7201 2nd Ave SW address.
After observing that construction has yet to begin, we just followed up again with Kidane for an update. As of now, Kidane says, construction is expected to begin this month with a target of opening the site in November.
Seattle Night Out 2026 is two weeks from tomorrow – Tuesday, August 4th – a time to gather with your neighbors and focus on neighborhood safety. The city grants permission to close non-arterial streets for block parties, but you need to register in advance, and the deadline for that is one week away – Monday, July 27. So far, SPD’s Southwest Precinct Crime-Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite says, the SW area (West Seattle and South Park) has 180 block/building parties registered – #2 out of the city’s five precincts, though this is the smallest one. You can register yours by going here.
This report is from Patricia:
This person was stalking two women who were unaware at 9:15 AM this morning. (Leering and pacing their movements, Example, they stopped, he stops, they go faster, he walks faster.) They were alerted and he became agitated. He got on the bus at Admiral in California heading south. Just want folks to be aware, especially women and young girls. Please be aware of your surroundings.
She sent a photo of the person, which you can see here if you choose to click (note that he is making a lewd geature, so view at your own risk). SPD report # is 26-204268.
Once this weekend’s festival is over, and once next weekend’s parade is past, The Junction will see some curb-ramp work at a busy corner. SDOT sent word today that crews will be replacing the curb ramp on the southeast corner of California and Alaska, hoping to complete the work between Tuesday, July 21, and Friday, July 24. The work will include some temporary sidewalk and lane closures; here’s the document for the “traffic control plan.” We’ll be following up Monday regarding the reason for the replacement.
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