Southwest District Council meeting: Location change tonight
If you were planning on going to tonight’s meeting of the Southwest District Council (reps from community groups and other key local organizations), SW District neighborhood coordinator Stan Lock just sent word its location has changed; instead of the board room at South Seattle Community College, it’s in a conference room at Brockey Center on the south side of SSCC. 7 pm tonight, all welcome; the agenda includes updates on two key local transportation projects — Metro RapidRide and the widening/ramp reconfiguration of the Spokane Street Viaduct.
Notes from the Southwest District Council meeting
No blockbuster items on last night’s agenda for the Southwest District Council, where reps from local neighborhood groups and other key organizations get and give updates on what they’re up to. One citywide hot potato did get the spotlight for a while – read on:Read More
District Councils’ meeting, report #2: The Viaduct, what’s ahead
By year’s end, there’s supposed to be a plan for what will happen when the Central Waterfront mile of the Alaskan Way Viaduct comes down in 2012. Since that plan will affect West Seattle mobility in a big way, community leaders have been working to make sure they and their groups are plugged in to the latest information — and that’s the reason most of last night’s joint meeting of the Southwest and Delridge District Councils focused on what’s up with The Viaduct. They got a heavy-hitting panel of top transportation execs to present the briefing — WSDOT’s David Dye, SDOT’s Bob Powers, and King County Department of Transportation director Harold Taniguchi. In addition, meeting participants included the two West Seattleites who serve on the Stakeholder Advisory Group that’s been helping vet Central Waterfront possibilities — Delridge District Council chair Pete Spalding and Fauntleroy Community Association‘s Vlad Oustimovitch. Here’s what happened in the meeting:Read More
District Councils, report #1: Park name, Gateway cleanup
The bulk of tonight’s joint meeting of the Delridge and Southwest District Councils was devoted to an intensive briefing on where the Alaskan Way Viaduct projects stand now; we’ll be writing that up in the morning, but there are a couple quick notes to pass along tonight: First, the councils’ members voted unanimously to ask the Parks Department to make an exception to its park-naming policy so that a future West Seattle park can be named in honor of the late West Seattle Herald reporter Tim St. Clair — possibly the new park in Morgan Junction, where Mr. St. Clair lived prior to his untimely death six months ago. (Official Parks policy currently says that can’t be done till someone’s been gone three years.) Second, Nancy Driver from Fairmount Community Association provided another update at meeting’s end on the West Seattle Gateway cleanup coming up a week from Saturday: Volunteer power is stacking up nicely (thanks to all the WSB’ers who have signed up); what’s most needed now is $ donation to help pay for some tree work. DNDA is serving as the “fiscal agent” for the cleanup effort (which will beautify the “gateway” area along the Fauntleroy end of The Bridge, Walking on Logs to 35th/Fauntleroy. To find out more about how to donate, e-mail Nancy at ndriver@quidnunc.net.
Southwest District Council tonight: Quick news notes
From tonight’s monthly meeting of the Southwest District Council, which includes representatives of neighborhood associations and other major organizations in the area of West Seattle that the city considers the “Southwest District” (map of all “districts” here):
HELP CLEAN UP A MAJOR GATEWAY TO WEST SEATTLE: It’s been discussed here before, and now the date is set: The volunteer cleanup from 35th/Fauntleroy to “Walking on Logs” is set for Sept. 13, as announced at tonight’s meeting by Nancy Driver. Mark your calendar!
WATER TAXI RIDERSHIP UP: King County Councilmember Dow Constantine attended tonight’s meeting and provided a quick preview of recent ridership stats — Elliott Bay Water Taxi operation: Through the middle of May, readership is up 17 percent over last year. (We’re expecting the full May stats soon.) Two factors are considered to be in play — higher gas prices and higher Water Taxi awareness.
RAPIDRIDE REACTION: With the latest news about West Seattle RapidRide (WSB coverage here), Constantine got an earful of concerns about the latest details on the forthcoming bus service. He promised to report the concerns to Metro leadership and his colleagues.
VIADUCT MEETING: The Southwest and Delridge District Councils plan to discuss the latest on The Viaduct at their next joint meeting, coming up in September.
JAIL-SITES FIGHT: Monday night’s Highland Park meeting on the jail sites (WSB coverage here) was summarized, and new Highland Park Action Committee chair Dorsol Plants spoke to the SWDC and asked the council to write a letter expressing concern about the two proposed West Seattle sites; council reps agreed to do that and are consulting their respective organizations. Councilmember Constantine said that tomorrow is when he plans to introduce the proposal he mentioned at Monday night’s Highland Park meeting — proposing that the county extend its agreement to house cities’ misdemeanor offenders till a regional solution can be found, rather than having Seattle and other cities each pursue their own potential new jail sites. He says the county council’s Committee of the Whole, which he chairs, will get the proposal on Monday, with a hearing and action scheduled later. (If you missed it earlier, this morning the city announced dates for its public meetings on the jail sites – details here.)
SW District Council report #1: Park-money matters
The proposed West Seattle sites for a new city jail came up at tonight’s meeting of the Southwest District Council — representatives from neighborhood groups and other major organizations around the area of West Seattle that the city calls the “Southwest District” (map of all “districts” here) — but it didn’t attract as much discussion as the issue of money for parks. We’ll publish the jail update later; first, tonight’s park $ talk, plus your next chance to have a say on the future of West Seattle (and the rest of the city) parks:Read More
Southwest District Council: Neighborhood Street Fund proposals
Controversy aside, the Alki sidewalk plan (last night’s coverage here) is just one of the projects that originate from an intensive process that involves neighborhood groups pitching the city for a share of a limited amount of $ available for local street/safety-related projects. It’s called the Neighborhood Street Fund, and it’s the time of year when the project pitches are making progress. Last night at the monthly meeting of the Southwest District Council — at which many West Seattle neighborhood groups and other organizations are representatives — a committee announced which ones it’s pitching for the next round of money available for NSF projects in SWDC jurisdiction: Speed-slowing signs for Admiral like the one on Fauntleroy by Lincoln Park (showing how fast you’re driving, as you approach); sidewalk improvements in front of the new Morgan Junction park; safety improvements for those walking through Orchard Street Ravine; a new walkway into the Duwamish Greenbelt south of the Admiral Viewpoint; and a walkway to Solstice Park at 44th/Fontanelle. Next step is for the city to review the list and to see which ones advance to the next round.
Sat in on tonight’s monthly meeting of the Southwest District Council and brought back lots of quick updates on West Seattle goings-on plus heard new and interesting things from the group’s guest speaker,
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