West Seattle, Washington
16 Thursday
(WSB photo, Wednesday morning, 35th/Edmunds)
As promised, we asked the city followup questions about the sweep on Wednesday in the encampment area east of 35th, from West Seattle Stadium to Camp Long. Here are the answers we received late today:
WSB: How much stuff was removed?
REPLY: “During the restoration, approximately 2.5 tons of debris were removed.”
WSB: How many people were connected with shelter?
REPLY: “(The Unified Care Team) connected five people with shelter and one with case management services.”
WSB: What’s next?
REPLY: “Planning is underway in coordination with multiple City departments to maintain the area so that it remains clean and accessible for public use.”
We also noted that there was no hint of the sweep plan when the city answered our inquiry last Thursday about plans for the site; the notice we showed on Monday said it had been posted Friday, so it was clearly in the planning phase when we inquired. The city’s response noted: “The UCT does not share specific resolution dates externally due to staff safety and possible changes in scheduling due to resource constraints.”
(WSB photos)
Back on Monday, we reported on the city notices posted to warn people to clear out of the encampment east of 35th, from the stadium to SW Brandon, by 9 am today, because of sweep plans. We just went over to check, and crews are indeed there now. We saw them from 35th/Edmunds (above) to Rotary Viewpoint Park (1st photo below) to the future dog park on the south side of the stadium lot (2nd photo below).
The encampment was reported to have extended into the woods to the east, and has been the site of trouble, most recently an assault that injured three people, with two hospitalized in critical condition, and an overdose death last week. As for the people who were camping there, when we went through a little while ago, people with filled carts on wheels lined the sidewalk on the north side of the stadium driveway. We’ll be checking with the city later in the day regarding how many people they contacted at the site. Also note, the outside northbound lane of 35th is currently coned off because of vehicles related to the sweep.
(March 29, emergency response at 35th/Alaska after assaults)
12:16 PM: We’re at City Hall, where District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka and staff just confirmed that a sweep is planned at the Rotary Viewpoint Park (etc.) encampment off 35th SW and SW Alaska this week. We were here for a new periodic media Q&A opportunity with councilmembers (Saka was one of two participants) when we got first word from Keith Hughes of nearby Westside Neighbors Shelter, currently closed for the season to overnight stays and closed TFN for other services because of renovation/repair work, He CC’d us on communication to th city expressing concern that temperatures are forecast into the 30s Wednesday night. This all follows recent incidents including an overdose death a few days ago and the recent assaults on three people. We’ll be looking for posted notices once we get back to the peninsula, and we’re checking with the city reps who did not mention any sweep plans when we inquired last week. If this indeed happens Wednesday, it would be one day before a neighborhood group is scheduled to meet for an update on the situation.
5:58 PM: Finally got a chance to go look for the notice(s). We saw one, shown above, on the fencing near the top of the driveway into/out of the stadium/golf course lot. It indeed announces a sweep for Wednesday morning (April 15) and lists a posting time of 2 pm last Friday – the day after city reps told us only that they were “actively monitoring” the site. Here’s a closer look at the notice:
It lists the targeted area as Avalon to Brandon, 35th to 31st.
With the recent troubles for the state-owned 1st Avenue South Bridge – the bridge-decking cracks, then the mechanical trouble this week (still pursuing followup questions about that) – we wondered about the city-owned West Seattle low bridge’s status. It’s had various maintenance projects in the past few years, but still has periodic problems with the gates, among other things. So we asked SDOT if anything else was on the horizon for the low bridge (officially, the Spokane Street Swing Bridge). Short answer, yes. Long answer:
Our work to maintain and upgrade the West Seattle Low Bridge is ongoing. We have completed several major improvements over the past few years and are planning to continue working on additional upgrades to improve the bridge’s reliability and operations.
Over the past few years, we have completed several improvement projects including bridge strengthening work, earthquake safety upgrades, replaced and refurbished key mechanical components including the turn cylinders, upgraded the bridge’s control system, and installed an intelligent remote monitoring system.
In the near future, we plan to replace both vehicle barrier gates. We are waiting to receive the components for this project and do not yet have an exact estimate for when this work will occur. We will share more details about the schedule when we know more.
Other future projects in the coming years will likely include additional work on the bridge’s hydraulic systems and lock mechanisms and further improvements to the machinery that operates the bridge. We are in the process of designing this work and have not determined the exact timeline.
(‘Site plan’ from city permit filings for Glassyard Commons, with 72 RV spaces and 20 tiny houses)
By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Three and a half weeks have passed since we covered a community meeting about the plan for a new RV lot and tiny-house site called Glassyard Commons on state-owned land at 7201 2nd Ave SW [map] in southeast West Seattle. To find out where things stand now – as the city continues to say it plans to add hundreds of shelter spaces soon but has yet to announce other new sites – we followed up with the site’s planned operator, the Low-Income Housing Institute (LIHI). We inquired for not also updates, but also for answers to questions raised by community members during the meeting.
Glassyard Commons is still projected to be up and running by early June. LIHI also has reiterated plans to open up the site for tours by local business owners and community members upon construction completion.
The site’s religious sponsor is New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, and as noted at the community meeting, having a religious sponsor means “special consideration” to accelerate permitting. This is not the first LIHI project to be religiously sponsored, with others including Olympic Hills Tiny House Village and Miracle Temple Village. The construction-permit application for Glassyard Commons remains under review.
LIHI also provided us with a more in-depth outline of the process that potential residents would go through living at Glassyard Commons. Prospective occupant outreach is already being conducted by UHeights Vehicle Resident Outreach team (VRO), who plan to keep City Council District 1 as the priority focus for referrals to the facility. District 1 includes West Seattle, South Park, SODO, Georgetown, and Pioneer Square.
Each occupant will participate in an individual client service plan, which includes initial intake with a case manager where the occupant will learn about the code of conduct and potential safety measures. After this initial integration, clients will remain with their case managers who will aim to “support clients on the pathway to housing, including and not limited to assistance in securing identification, income support, SNAP benefits, employment resources, health care and behavioral health services, and housing options,” according to Marta Kidane, LIHI’s community engagement manager.. “Our program, in partnership with the UHeights VRO, will serve as a first step for clients to move into permanent housing.”
At the March 5 meeting, one community member raised a question about using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design at the Glassyard Commons site – about which LIHI did not have a concrete answer at the time. Since then, they have been coordinating with the Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Police Department, regarding fire safety and crime prevention throughout the facility’s layout. LIHI now says safety features will include “24/7 staffing, a secured front entrance, site lighting, a security camera system” as a part of the safety plan. The organization plans to develop a physical layout that will enable staff to maintain a view of what’s happening.
Aside from the ongoing volunteer opportunities listed on LIHI’s website, if you want to get involved, an online form is now open to join the Glassyard Commons Community Advisory Committee, which will meet monthly once the village begins its operations. Meetings would include a report on the site’s status as well as an opportunity to surface questions and concerns from the community outside the site.
Thanks to Lura for the tip and photos. It’s a reminder that the rainy season is slide season – part of the hillside slid in the 5000 block of Beach Drive SW on Tuesday. Seattle Fire sent several units; spokesperson David Cuerpo told us after we inquired Wednesday, “Crews evaluated the debris from the landslide and determined no one was trapped or reported injuries.”
He suggested we follow up with the city Department of Construction and Inspections, which is charged with ensuring that buildings are safe, among other things. Spokesperson Wendy Shark told us today that the slide affected 3 properties: “1 above the slide area, and 2 below. We posted a yellow tag on each property meaning they are required to hire a Geotechnical Engineer to evaluate the slide area. There are no limits on using the structures.Debris slid down the hill onto the 2 properties below. One house had some impact on the North side of their property. Soil and debris were pushed over their fence. The other house below the slide has a large soil/debris pile in their backyard.” We’re getting close to the end of slide season, but if you live in or near a slide-vulnerable zone, it’s worth availing yourself of prevention education.
Tomorrow night, as previewed here, SDOT will be at HPAC‘s monthly meeting to talk about the Highland Park Way lane-conversion project, which would convert the outside downhill travel lane to bicycle/pedestrian space. On the eve of the meeting, they’ve just published their recap (ours is here) of their recent online meeting about the project, including a new option for the bottom-of-hill end of the project:
Introducing Option 2B: A Direct Response to Feedback
In response to feedback about wanting Highland Park Way SW to be both safer for everyone and not increase vehicle queues getting through West Marginal Way SW, our team has developed a new hybrid alternative: Option 2B.
Design features of Option 2B:
-Increased Intersection Capacity: At the bottom of the hill, the single downhill lane opens into three vehicular lanes (one left-turn lane and two through-lanes).
-Downhill Bike Lane A downhill bike lane remains protected by Jersey barriers to the intersection with West Marginal Way SW.
-Adjusted Channelization: We are removing the center median to accommodate the extra through-lane. Additionally, we are removing one of the westbound left-turn lanes at the W Marginal Way SW intersection to make space for the three eastbound vehicle lanes and the protected bike lane.
Next Steps and Feedback Opportunity
We are now evaluating three options for the intersection approach at W Marginal Way SW. You can view the trade-offs between Option 1, Option 2, and the new Option 2B on our project website.
SDOT offers three ways you can comment:
Email: HighlandHolden@seattle.gov
Hotline: 206-900-8741
Online Form: Submit your comments through the Project Feedback Form
Meantime, tomorrow’s HPAC meeting is at 6 pm (Wednesday, March 25) at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW).
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office sent this warning about a scam that looks official enough to fool people:
Recently people have been getting scam notices for King County District Court hearings that seem official and are very sophisticated.
(mock notice link removed) It is NOT a notice from King County District Court. It is a scam notice, according to District Court. It is important that people do not click the QR code or send money.
People are advised to contact King County District Court if they have any questions about a hearing notice they have received.
The KCPAO says the fake notices have been received by both email and text.
Hundreds of Seattle Police vehicles are equipped with automated license-plate readers (ALPRs), and if you listen to police radio, you’ll hear multiple calls every day where officers turn up stolen cars because of an “ALPR hit.” It also turns out that’s how they were alerted to a Silver Alert subject’s presence in Admiral on Monday. But ALPRs also raise privacy concerns, as they routinely gather information potentially linking people to certain locations. So SPD cars won’t be using them for a while, as one of Mayor Katie Wilson‘s surveillance decisions announced this afternoon. She also announced:
-Expansion of surveillance pilot paused “until we have completed a privacy and data governance audit, and taken significant steps to strengthen those policies”
-SPD’s Real-Time Crime Center “will continue to operate and existing cameras will remain in place”
-Cameras planned for installation soon in the Stadium District will be installed “given the unique nature of the upcoming World Cup and the current geopolitical situation” but “they will not be turned on and will not be connected to the RTCC unless we are aware of a credible threat which warrants such action.”
-An installed camera that “has a view of a facility which provides reproductive health care and gender-affirming care” will be turned off “until we’ve completed a comprehensive security audit and have stronger safeguards in place”
-All cameras will be turned off “in the event of a surge of immigration enforcement similar to what was seen in Minneapolis”
Mayor Wilson’s announcement about the ALPRs noted that state legislators “recently added welcome new restrictions to limit the potential abuse of this technology” so she wants to pause their use “until we can ensure that our practices are consistent with the new state law and reflect the best safety and security policies.” The bill that passed the legislature is this one, awaiting the governor’s signature.
The mayor’s full speech about surveillance is in video above, and you can read it online here.
The timing is coincidental but given this morning’s 20-years-later observance of bicyclist Marvin Miller‘s death, we wanted to mention a safety-spotlighting ride this Saturday (March 21), in case you hadn’t already seen it in our Event Calendar. West Seattle transportation-safety advocate Stu Hennessey has organized a ride “to get out and enjoy our growing bike-lane infrastructure.” The 24-mile route starts on the bike path behind the Chelan Café (3527 Chelan Avenue SW) – meet at 10:45 am – and heads along a route including Georgetown and downtown – the interactive route map is here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes made a special guest appearance tonight toward the end of a West Seattle community meeting he originally was expected to lead.
Reminding everyone that he was a teacher before he went into police work, Chief Barnes gave the attendees “homework” – everybody bring at least one neighbor when the “Our City, Our Safety” series returns to West Seattle in August.
Gathered at Southwest Teen Life Center, members of both the large city delegation on hand and the sparse community turnout expressed disappointment that it wasn’t better attended, though it should be pointed out that attending meant going out into gusty wind and sideways rain.
Nonetheless, the meeting went on, emceed by SPD’s director of crime and community-harm reduction, Dr. Lee Hunt, with an introductory presentation featuring local crime stats given by Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair and a few words from District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka:
Then the room moved into a half-hour of table discussions that SPD reps said they hoped would help shape an “actionable plan.” We listened in at the table closest to ours; the person who did most of the talking voiced concerns about Alki Beach disorder and unsanctioned encampments. His audience included a Seattle U intern and an SPD Community Service Officer.
At half-hour’s end, Dr. Hunt circulated the microphone so a representative of each table could “report out.”
The first table rep voiced concerns about crime at Westwood Village and nearby Roxhill Park, including several gunfire incidents. Their suggestion: More police presence.
Another said they were worried about “issues people might have, interacting with police,” from behavioral health to language interpretation to knowing when to call 911.
From another table, campfires damaging Fauntleroy Park, and high-school safety were concerns. The table spokesperson said “two young men from Chief Sealth” (International High School) were concerned about guns and would feel more comfortable with police presence at school.
The presence of homeless people on the street was a source of uneasiness for people at another table, while the proposed Glassyard Commons RV/tiny-house shelter site left another table feeling the same way, worrying that it could perpetuate drug use as its operators have said drugs will be prohibited in public areas but not in individual units.
Traffic safety came up shortly thereafter; Deputy Chief Andre Sayles said driver education can make a difference, in his experience in other cities, even more than enforcement. Also mentioned: Alternative responders, keeping businesses safe from “disruptive people” and smash-grab burglars, making more use of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.
Chief Barnes promised to get at least some of the suggestions done. “Our job is to create a plan.” Even for longstanding issues; he joked that Alki’s “racing and loud sounds” problems probably date back to “when there were horses and buggies at Alki Beach.”
Turning serious, he gave his homework assignment – get your neighbors involved too – “we need more people and more input.” With that, the meeting wrapped up 15 minutes short of the originally announced hour and a half.
WHAT’S NEXT: “Our City, Our Safety” will return to West Seattle at 6 pm August 12 at Delridge Community Center.
11:59 PM: Arguably the highest-profile meeting in West Seattle this coming week will be Wednesday (March 11) at Southwest Teen Life Center (2801 SW Thistle), when Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes visits for what’s promised as a “community conversation” about public safety.
The meeting is part of a monthly series rotating around the city. Checking the SPD events calendar, we see another one planned in West Seattle at 6 pm August 12th at Delridge Community Center.
12:25 PM MONDAY: Crime Prevention Coordinator Matt Brown tells WSB he just got word the chief won’t be in attendance, so the meeting will be led by Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair. We’re following up to ask why the chief can’t be there, as this has been in the works for months.
(WSB photo, Monday)
Monday after a reader tip, we reported on a sweep at the state-owned lot in the 7100 block of West Marginal Way SW, west of – though not adjacent to – the future Glassyard Commons RV/tiny-house site. We asked WSDOT for more information and the first response we got was “routine maintenance.” Given the stack of items we photographed, the presence of State Patrol, and having glimpsed the encampment that was there previously, we suggested this didn’t look so “routine.” Spokesperson James Poling said he’d check further with the crew and subsequently told us today:
Our crews posted this site Thursday, February 26 because of suspected criminal activity, specifically stolen vehicles, in coordination with the Washington State Patrol. WSDOT crews coordinated with our WSP partners and secured the site Monday.
The site is a 13,000-square-foot paved lot buffered from the future Glassyard Commons by a parcel of city-owned land to the northeast and a privately owned site to the southeast. We are now following up with WSP to see if they can tell us how many stolen vehicles they found there.
ADDED WEDNESDAY: WSP spokesperson Trooper Rick Johnson replied to us: “There were no individuals present when we arrived to assist at this location. We removed 5 vehicles, one of which was confirmed stolen. There most likely will be others, and that is still under investigation, as the vehicles were stripped of identifying numbers.”
(WSB photos)
Though it does not appear to be part of the future Glassyard Commons RV lot/tiny house site, the lot at the west end of the land bordered by Highland Park Way, West Marginal Way, and 2nd Avenue SW was getting cleaned up this morning. After a reader tip, we went there for a look, and saw crews with state-logo vehicles, including the State Patrol.
Earlier in the morning, there had been a rush for police backup at the site when a trooper decribed as “with a stolen vehicle” wasn’t answering their radio. (They turned out to be OK.) This site – state-owned but not adjacent to the “Glassyard” site (city-owned property sits between the two) had had an unsanctioned RV encampment for a while; we’re following up on today’s cleanup with WSDOT’s encampments point person. Meantime, the community meeting about the future RV/tiny house site is this Thursday, March 5, 5:30 pm, at New Direction Missionary Baptist Church, 755 S. Homer in Georgetown,
SDOT says it’s finalized the plan for seven blocks of new sidewalks and walkways in Highland Park, five months after proposing which blocks would go into “conceptual design.” The orange lines above show the final decisions – which removed several blocks from last October’s proposal. Now a block of Cloverdale is removed, and the 8th and 7th sidewalks/walkways will end at Thistle instead of stretching north to Kenyon. City reps walked the area with local residents in May, to help determine where to improve walking routes with Seattle Transportation Levy money. See the final report here; it includes notes on other traffic-calming features, as well as this:
In most cases, sidewalk or walkway will be designed on one side of the street. Sidewalks and walkways may be constructed from a variety of materials including paint, asphalt, concrete and barriers. Specific design treatments are decided based on factors including the space available on the street, drainage needs, existing infrastructure, impacts to parking, slopes, and estimated construction costs. Projects will be in construction between 2026 and 2029.
(‘Site plan’ from city permit filings for Glassyard Commons)
With less than a week to go until the community meeting about the plan for a 72-RV lot and 20 tiny houses in southeast West Seattle, to be called Glassyard Commons, we have more followup information resulting from our inquiries with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, working with LIHI, which will operate the site. From this “community engagement” document, here’s what the March 5 meeting is supposed to accomplish, and some followup points about the 7201 2nd SW plan:
At this community meeting, LIHI operations management, supportive services management, development, and community engagement staff will give a detailed presentation of the program and operations plans. Attendees will be able to ask questions and participate in discussion with LIHI staff members. LIHI staff will make their contact information available for community members who would like to be in touch about the RV Safe Lot/Tiny House Village’s development and programming on an ongoing basis.
When Glassyard Commons opens, LIHI will hold a grand opening event. To continue building relationships with residents and business owners in the immediate neighborhood, the individuals who participated in the public community meeting will be invited to the grand opening. Further, in accordance with SMC 23.42.056, a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for the RV Safe Lot/Tiny House Village will be formed. The CAC will be composed of five to ten neighbors, business owners, faith leaders, and community representatives who have submitted an application to become a member. …
Serving as a liaison between the program and the community, the CAC will meet monthly. At these meetings, onsite management staff and case managers will give a report of the program’s events and outcomes. Participants are welcome to add meeting agenda items for discussion, ask questions and give feedback. These meetings will enable community members to develop a relationship with the onsite staff and provide a forum for direct communication. While CAC members are expected to be in attendance at every meeting and actively involved, all CAC meetings will be open to the public.
Camp Second Chance, the tiny-house village that LIHI operates on Myers Way, has long had a CAC but it went dormant for a while as participation lagged; it’s currently held online, 4 pm fourth Tuesdays (here are the most-recent minutes). Meantime, the same document includes these details: “The site will be staffed with 24/7 security, and there will be an onsite Shelter Operations Manager. Clients will have access to comprehensive case management and behavioral health as they work toward permanent housing, and they will be required to sign a code of conduct.” Meantime, we’ve requested a copy of LIHI’s $3 million contract for Glassyard Commons, which we’re told is still being finalized.
NEXT WEEK’S MEETING: As announced earlier this week:
Thursday, March 5th, 2026 at 5:30 PM
New Direction Missionary Baptist Church
755 S Homer St. [map], Georgetown
Church and street parking available
Though the name is similar, it’s a different church from the one announced as the new RV lot/tiny-house site’s “religious sponsor,” New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.
(‘Site plan’ from city permit filings for Glassyard Commons)
One month after we first told you about the plan for a shelter site in southeast West Seattle, the date is set for a promised community Q&A meeting about it. The meeting will be held at a church in Georgetown, according to the announcement from the organization that will be operating the site, LIHI:
Thursday, March 5th, 2026 at 5:30 PM
New Direction Missionary Baptist Church
755 S Homer St. [map]
Church and street parking availableThe proposed RV Safe Lot and Tiny House Village at Glassyard Commons will consist of 72 parking spots for RVs, 20 tiny houses, and community facilities. This program will move RV residents off neighborhood streets and give them a safe place to park. When they are ready to move into the onsite tiny house units, LIHI will decommission and dispose of their RVs. Site amenities include 24/7 staffing, onsite management, comprehensive case management, a community kitchen, and laundry and hygiene facilities.
LIHI brings over a decade of experience in providing tiny house villages. We operate Camp Second Chance nearby, as well as 16 other tiny house village programs in the Puget Sound region. We previously operated Salmon Bay Village, a combined RV and Tiny House Village program, in the Interbay neighborhood, and we had great success moving clients from rundown RVs into permanent housing. 67 RVs were decommissioned over the program’s duration. Construction at Glassyard Commons is estimated to begin in March and will take approximately 3 months to complete.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact LIHI’s Community Engagement Manager Marta Kidane at marta.kidane@lihi.org or 206-858-0734.
The Glassyard Commons site, owned by the state Department of Transportation, is at 7201 2nd Avenue SW and has been the site of multiple unsanctioned encampments for many years. The site was proposed for official use as a transitional encampment a decade ago, though a formal plan wasn’t pursued at the time, and permit filings show the most recent proposal dates back to last spring, with a slightly different mix of RVs and tiny houses.
(Reader-contributed file photo)
Since Wednesday night, we’ve been reporting on WSDOT‘s closure of two northbound lanes on the 1st Avenue South Bridge after inspectors found problems that need to be repaired. Thursday’s followup included a WSDOT promise of an update March 6. The question: Why not until then, and would the lanes remain closed until then? Here’s how spokesperson RB McKeon responded:
Our bridge engineers and inspectors need some time to analyze what they found in the field, develop recommendations, scope, timeline, source materials, etc… We believe that two weeks is a reasonable timeframe for us to be able to do that work and then come back to the public with additional information. To be clear, March 6 is the date we have indicated that we will come back to the public to share updates. We have not indicated that the lanes will reopen on March 6. As noted in yesterday’s updates, it is too early to outline a repair plan or timeline, but crews are actively working to determine next steps and will share updates by March 6. The lane closures are in place until bridge inspectors have determined the lanes are safe to reopen.
The bridge is two separate structures; the northbound side was built in 1956, 40 years before the southbound side. It served as a major detour route to get across the Duwamish River while the West Seattle Bridge was closed for two and a half years 2020-2022.
When SPD announced back in December that one of Police Chief Shon Barnes‘s “Our City, Our Safety” regional meetings would be held in West Seattle on March 11, the location was announced as the Alki Bathhouse. In a reminder announcement sent around today, that has changed:
You are invited to influence the Seattle Police Department’s safety approach for your neighborhood during our third “Our City, Our Safety” conversation of 2026!
On March 11, 2026, please join Seattle Chief of Police Shon Barnes and leaders from SPD’s Southwest Precinct to have a frank conversation about safety. Please join us! Mark your calendar for 6:00-7:30 pm at Southwest Teen Life Center (2801 SW Thistle St,) on March 11, 2026!
At Our City, Our Safety, you’ll be able voice your hopes and concerns about public safety in your neighborhood to help co-develop ways that we can do better – from upcoming community engagement programs to approaches to crime prevention.
The previous announcement has more details about how the meeting is supposed to work.
11:59 AM: Thanks to Gregg for the report – the Admiral Way protected-bike-lane upgrade work on the hill north of the West Seattle Bridge is under way today. Less than a week ago, we reported SDOT‘s confirmation of what’s being done here:
The existing bike lanes on Admiral Way between Spokane and Lander will be upgraded with concrete pre-cast curbs to provide physical separation between people biking and vehicle traffic.curbs to provide physical separation between people biking and vehicle traffic.
We are not proposing to change the current lane or curb space configurations. The upgrade is intended to improve safety for people biking uphill and reduce instances of vehicles parking in the bike lane.
We’ll check in on the progress later this afternoon.
2:59 PM: WSB’s Macey Wurm went to the work zone for photographs, and reports that the crew wasn’t expected to finish the work today (above, see the pre-cast curbs that are being installed) but is likely to finish up this weekend. In the meantime, while they’re there, be aware of temporary lane reduction in the work zone.
(‘Site plan’ from city permit filings)
Three weeks after we first reported plans for an RV “safe lot” and tiny-house village planned for state-owned property in southeast West Seattle, prospective operator LIHI has just sent the official annnouncement, It answers a few of the questions we’ve been pursuing, including who the previously unnamed “religious” spoonsor is. Here’s the announcement in its entirety (which erroneously describes the site as in South Park):
The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) is pleased to announce plans to open Glassyard Commons, an RV safe parking lot, on state-owned property in South Park, West Seattle. The property is located at 7200 2nd Ave. SW by W. Marginal Way SW.
Glassyard Commons will have space for 72 RVs, 20 tiny houses, and community facilities. The land is owned by WSDOT and comprises 169,757 SF or 3.90 acres. Because the Glassyard Commons site is located on public property, the goal is to lease the land long-term for RV safe parking. LIHI’s previous safe parking site in Interbay, Salmon Bay Village, had to close in May 2025 as the private owner is constructing a sports facility for pickleball.
“The target population for Glassyard Commons are homeless people who have no other option but to live in old, unsafe RVs. The goal is to secure permanent housing for vehicle residents and to dispose of the RVs. LIHI works with households to sign over their RVs for demolition and removal. We do not want to see dilapidated and fire prone RVs sold or recirculated in the community. We thank the Seattle City Council for their leadership in funding RV safe lots and tiny house villages as an innovative solution to the homelessness crisis,” states Sharon Lee, LIHI Executive Director.
“I’m excited that the Glassyard site is on track to open mid-year. My district has the highest proportion of lived-in RVs in Seattle, and my support for this project was conditional on priority access for RV residents already living in District 1. I’m grateful for the collaboration of the City’s Human Services Department, Mayor Wilson, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, and WSDOT in moving this forward. LIHI’s model, which has proven successful in other tiny home village locations, focuses on helping people transition permanently into long-term housing with wraparound support services. I look forward to supporting them and their continued success,” states Rob Saka, Seattle City Councilmember, District 1.
The largest concentration of RVs on city streets is located in Council District 1, including South Park and Georgetown, Districts 6 and 7, which include the areas around Interbay and Ballard. LIHI is partnering with UHeights to conduct outreach to RV dwellers throughout Seattle. LIHI’s target is to open the Glassyard Commons in time for the FIFA World Cup.
Salmon Bay Village demonstrated a successful track record of moving people out of RVs into tiny houses, and then moving into permanent housing with the help of on-site case managers. 87 people were sheltered at Salmon Bay Village and 67 RVs were removed from the streets of Seattle. LIHI had a 60% success rate of moving people into housing, which is a high ratio compared with other forms of shelter.
Within the next month, LIHI will host a community meeting and reach out to neighbors and community members to discuss plans for Glassyard Commons. A Community Advisory Committee would be set up to include businesses, neighbors, and faith organizations. These monthly meetings will be open to the public. The New Hope Missionary Baptist Church is the religious sponsor of Glassyard Commons.
The 20 tiny houses serve a critical need. The 8’x12’ tiny houses are heated, insulated and furnished. As many RVs are in poor condition, people are eager to move out of them. Mold, inoperable appliances and the risk of fires continue to plague older RVs. Glassyard Commons will include a shared kitchen, dining, community gathering place, hygiene facilities, showers, laundry and case management offices. All community spaces and a number of tiny houses are handicap accessible. Staff is on-site 24/7 and a fence will surround the property with a security pavilion at the front entrance to control who goes in and out.
There is a lack of RV and vehicle safe parking spaces in Seattle. A large percentage of unhoused individuals, close to 50%, have spent time living in vehicles. Ideally, other safe parking and village sites would be located in Seattle to address the need. The city reports that the Unified Care Team, which conducts outreach to resolve encampments, has only 5 dedicated beds available daily to offer citywide.
We’ll publish date/location information on the promised community meeting when we get it.
P.S. The actual address where you’ll find this in permit files is 7201 2nd SW, not the 7200 in the news release.
Karen, in the neighborhood west of 35th near Camp Long, wonders if anyone else has experienced this:
Sunday morning, I opened our living room drapes around 7:45 to find that one of the glass panes in our vintage 8-panel leaded glass windows was broken. After investigating, we don’t think it was a bird strike, a thrown rock, or an attempted break-in; but rather that someone shot it with a gun or pellet gun.
The projectile not only broke the window glass, but bent the lead frame from the side. Whatever it was is lodged inside the wooden trim around the window.
We’ve filed an online police report, and that temporary number is T00051305.
Side note – reminder that the quarterly community-safety meeting with Seattle Police, the Southwest Precinct Advisory Council, is at 6:30 pm tomorrow (Tuesday) at the precinct, 2300 SW Webster.
(‘Site plan’ from city permit filings)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Two and a half weeks after we broke the news of a West Seattle site proposed for up to 72 RVs and 20 tiny houses [7201 2nd SW, map] – after which, our followup inquiries were largely met with “too soon to comment” – more details are finally emerging:
This week, Mayor Katie Wilson referred to the plan, saying toward the end of this post about homelessness-related issues, that “we are exploring every potential administrative and legal tool we have to accelerate the expansion of emergency housing and shelter, including by speeding permit approvals for projects like the upcoming RV Safe Parking program in West Seattle.” (“Speeding permit approvals” was foreshadowed by her non-site-specific executive order last month.)
Meantime, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority has revealed the cost and timeline for the project, which is on a state-owned site that WSDOT has used for storage and which also has been the site of illegal encampments, saying here that “The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) has been awarded the $3.3 million dollar contract to open the site at Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Glassyard site by summer 2026.” LIHI also operates West Seattle’s first and until now only tiny-house village, Camp Second Chance (9701 Myers Way S.), housing 79 people as of late January.
KCRHA also confirms what we reported the permit filings show: “The site will provide 72 parking spaces for vehicle residents, and 20 tiny homes, adding the capacity to serve 92 households.” Their update says “this project has been underway for some time now”; though the current filings did not appear in the city system until mid-January, there are filings from last June seeking review of the site for water/sewer access to serve what those documents outlined as slightly different numbers of RVs and tiny houses. (That review, never finalized, suggested building a 1,500-foot-long, foot-wide water pipe under West Marginal Way to serve the site.) Not all details about the current plan are finalized, though; a WSDOT spokesperson answered our initial inquiry by replying that WSDOT was “in continued negotiation” with LIHI about leasing the Glassyard property and “we do not have a definitive date for when the leases will be complete at this point.”
The city first publicly identified the site as a potential “transitional encampment” location more than a decade ago., Not long after that, a city-owned lot adjacent to the site was proposed for a relatively small RV lot, an idea relatively quickly scrapped. Some of the same questions that have recently surfaced about this are similar to what community advocates asked 10 years ago, such as whether West Seattle’s existing RV residents can get priority for spots at the new lot.
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