From last night’s Southwest District Council: Above, that’s SWDC co-chair Tony Fragada, also president of the Alki Community Council, peeking out from behind a map, as the council discussed plans to showcase neighborhood groups during the upcoming West Seattle Summer Fest (July 8-9-10 in The Junction). That’ll include ways, like the map, to show festivalgoers how to find the nearest neighborhood group (and how to know which neighborhood they’re in!) That was part of another busy agenda for SWDC, whose members represent community councils and other key organizations around the area. But one big topic took a fair amount of time – read on:Read More

(One of the graphics shown at last month’s Triangle open house)
From this week’s Southwest District Council meeting: SWDC members say they’re not clear about where city planning for the West Seattle Triangle‘s future really stands, despite last month’s community open house, and their own city briefing days before it. So they want the project’s lead city planners Susan McLain and Robert Scully to return before the council and outline exactly what they’re doing next with feedback from those meetings, as well as with the plan itself, and what they’ll be telling city leaders. SWDC members also would like to talk with Councilmember Sally Clark, whose Committee on the Built Environment would theoretically eventually consider the results of the Triangle process. SWDC co-chair Susan Melrose of the West Seattle Junction Association and past co-chair Erica Karlovits of the Junction Neighborhood Organization also questioned whether the Triangle planning process had adequate community representation/participation and had truly resulted in consensus.

Another topic of concern for the council – the ongoing changes in the Department of Neighborhoods, which (among other things) provides staff assistance for district councils (whose members are all volunteers) – more after the jump:Read More

Three months after she faced the Southwest District Council (October photo at left) to explain a proposed budget cut that would have had a major effect on West Seattle, city Department of Neighborhoods director Stella Chao will be back before SWDC members this Wednesday.

This time, they’ll be waiting to hear why, even though that budget cut was canceled, a significant change has been made anyway (as first reported here last week). The original proposal was to close the Neighborhood Service Center in The Junction that serves the district – in essence, western West Seattle — and to eliminate the position held by its Neighborhood District Coordinator, Stan Lock. The council protested mightily – not just against losing the person who is a city liaison for them and for the neighborhood organizations and institutions they represent, but also against having the center shut down, since potential development does not seem imminent for the site it’s on. The City Council canceled the cut.

But three other district coordinator jobs were cut, meaning there are now 10 coordinators to serve 13 districts around the city, and Chao’s “interim” plan is to organize them into three teams serving regions of districts. Lock is being moved to a team that does not serve West Seattle; the Southwest District will be part of the region served by a team including Delridge District Coordinator Ron Angeles, and that entire team will be based out of the Delridge Neighborhood Service Center. How is that supposed to work? That’s what the council will be asking Chao on Wednesday; their meeting starts at 7 and she’s expected around 7:45, board room at South Seattle Community College (6000 16th SW), all welcome.

From tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting: There’s new hope the City Council will consider canceling a budget cut directly affecting West Seattle — the proposed closure of the Neighborhood Service Center in The Junction and elimination of its Neighborhood District Coordinator‘s job. The coordinator’s responsibilities include liaison and communication work on behalf of the council and the neighborhoods it represents, and the SWDC, as well as many of its member groups, had formally asked the council to consider canceling the cuts. Tonight, SWDC co-chair Erica Karlovits noted that the council is looking at the Department of Neighborhoods‘ budget tomorrow, with two specific line items of interest, one titled “(r)estore Southwest Neighborhood Service Center,” the other titled “(r)estore Neighborhood District Coordinators.” (In the mayor’s budget plan, which DON director Stella Chao outlined to SWDC last month, Southwest coordinator Stan Lock is one of seven whose jobs are on the line.) The agenda calls for the council to get to this item around 2 pm; you can see the full agenda here. (More news to come from tonight’s SWDC meeting.)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

One day after facing the City Council Budget Committee to explain the cuts proposed for her section of city government, Department of Neighborhoods director Stella Chao faced what arguably could be considered a tougher, and even more personally involved, group: The West Seattle neighborhood-group/organization reps who comprise the Southwest District Council.

“We took a big hit,” Chao acknowledged – including a 22 percent cut in the Neighborhood Matching Fund program, which has helped pay for community-generated projects such as parks and traffic projects.

But the part of that “big hit” which concerned the SWDC members even more was the proposed closure of the Neighborhood Service Center in The Junction and the elimination of the Neighborhood District Coordinator job headquartered there – a job held by Stan Lock, who sat just two seats away, and has declined comment on the proposed job cut since it was announced.

As Chao listened to member after member declare that even if the center itself had to be lost, Lock’s role is too vital to cut, for the health of the neighborhood and the issues it’s dealing with, she reiterated: While it’s important for her to hear, the people who most need to have the case made to them, are the City Council members who will be here in West Seattle for a public hearing next week.

Read on for more on her appearance and other major discussions at SWDC last night, including a shorter discussion of the Seattle Public Library‘s proposed cuts, and an update on Alaska Airlines’ “Greener Skies” program, which could change Sea-Tac approach paths in this area:Read More

Highlights from Wednesday night’s Southwest District Council meeting, covered for WSB by Christopher Boffoli:

First up was the Southwest Precinct‘s Lt. Norm James, who gave a quick briefing on some crime stats. Compared to the same time a year ago, major crime overall is down about 2 percent, while residential burglaries are down 10 percent. This decline in burglaries has helped the overall decline for crime rates across the SW Precinct.

According to Lt. James, there has been a modest decrease in violent crime compared to other precincts, but the violent crime rate is so low anyway in our precinct that even one incident can cause a statistical spike. Property crimes are down 2 percent overall, but what is troubling across all precincts is a rise in auto thefts. This is linked to a wave of auto theft arrests/aggressive sentencing that occurred several years ago. The theory is that those thieves are being released from prison about now and many are returning to what they used to do. Car prowls remain relatively low and stable.

Lt. James touched briefly on the smash-and-grab burglary suspect who is believed to have been responsible for 11 burglaries in the SW Precinct, 8 in the South Precinct, and 19 in King County overall, for a total of 38 smash-and-grab burglaries. He said the man arrested had been out of prison for several months (he had previous theft convictions) at the time the burglaries began. The case was a tough one, owing to the hit-and-run nature of the crimes and the fact that they had very little video footage. But he commended the SPD detectives for doing a great job coordinating with King County detectives and ultimately apprehending the alleged burglar (who pleaded not guilty this week to the three Burien cases in which he is charged so far).

Lastly, Lt. James spoke of the citywide pilot program in which SPD officers have been going door to door in neighborhoods, surveying residents for their opinions on safety and crime issues (first reported here during a trial phase). This survey is a supplement to statistical information collected when citizens call 911. The program started in the North Precinct and will soon be officially heading this way. Pigeon Point will be the first neighborhood where officers will be knocking on doors in the evening (beginning next month). Their goal is to contact every household. So he said not to be surprised to see an officer knocking on your door soon. Read on for more from the SW District Council meeting:Read More

In case you hadn’t checked the WSB West Seattle Events calendar yet – where things are getting lively again now that the long holiday weekend is over for most – the night’s marquee event is the Southwest District Council meeting, where they’ll get the latest road/highway construction updates directly from WSDOT and SDOT reps. Also scheduled as guests, Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Joe Kessler and King County Councilmember Jan Drago. The public’s always welcome; the meeting’s at 7 pm in the board room in the central building at South Seattle Community College (6000 16th SW).

Southwest District Council members had been looking forward to talking with Mayor McGinn on Wednesday night … till the matter of hiring a police chief got in the way. So instead, Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith filled in, while his boss presided at a chief-candidates public forum downtown. When it was all over, in a discussion ranging from The Viaduct to park-n-rides to stalled developments to the city budget, SWDC co-chair Chas Redmond told Smith, “You took our heated questions very gracefully.” See why he said that – ahead:Read More

(Tuesday photo by David Hutchinson, taken from Don Armeni)
Tonight – Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark is scheduled to visit the Southwest District Council‘s regular meeting, where you’ll also get an update on the Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project – now with a week and a half to go till the 1st Avenue South onramp to the westbound West Seattle Bridge closes. The SWDC series of neighborhood-plan presentations continues as well, with council co-chair Chas Redmond presenting the Morgan Junction Neighborhood Plan (see the full original plan here). SWDC meets in the board room at South Seattle Community College (map), 7 pm … Also tonight, CoolMom‘s monthly meeting focuses on edible gardening, 7 pm at C & P Coffee at 5612 California SW (and remember, CoolMom’s got a big group sale on West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day this Saturday at Cycle University [WSB sponsor], sale #92 on the map). … And tonight, you’ll find Cinco de Mayo specials all over the peninsula – Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) has a drink special on its website (which also reveals when they’ll debut the new drink menu discussed in our recent story about their 1st birthday), and in the Admiral District, Mission‘s planning a bash including giveaways and DJs.

11:34 PM UPDATE: Southwest District coordinator Stan Lock has just sent word that Councilmember Clark is sick and won’t be at this meeting, but will reschedule for a later date.

“We need to start the conversation,” said Susan Melrose of the West Seattle Junction Association at last night’s Southwest District Council meeting, as she proposed a letter “on behalf of the entire West Seattle community” to try to get something done about safety and aesthetics issues at The Hole (the stalled-and-lawsuit-embroiled development site at Fauntleroy/Alaska/38th). “The development is clearly not going anywhere,” Melrose noted, “and it’s a major safety hazard sitting on that corner … It’s time to take steps to improve that situation … It would be great if the West Seattle community could speak with one voice” to express that concern.

She brought this draft letter; the plan to send a letter based on that one (with a few tweaks) was unanimously approved. But the issue of who it will be addressed to was the subject of some discussion and debate. Suggestions for addressees included virtually every elected official in the city, from the mayor to councilmembers to the city attorney, as well as multiple agencies, and of course, the various concerns believed to be potentially responsible for the hole itself.

Particular points of concern include the chain-link fence ringing the site, the condition of the sidewalk around The Hole, and the triangle of city-owned parkland that’s now fenced off. What kind of fence they’d like to see instead, council reps agreed would be up for discussion; the original wording of the letter suggests painted plywood, but from the audience, Mike Heavey, representing County Councilmember Jan Drago‘s office, said that might be more dangerous than the chain link, since “you can’t see what’s on the other side” – visitors might not be aware, for example, about the four-story drop. The current fence has some screening material that’s now tagged, observed SWDC co-chair Erica Karlovits of the Junction Neighborhood Organization, and council members thought that would be worth pointing out to the city, who could order the property owner(s) to clean it up. Whatever the wording, said Vlad Oustimovitch of the Fauntleroy Community Association (and briefly a onetime consultant to a former party to the project), “the important thing is to point out there’s a health and safety issue (at the site) and something should be done.” We’ll update you when the final version of the letter is complete (again, here’s the draft); also, we’re working on an unrelated story about the site, which you’ll see here later today/tonight if breaking news doesn’t interrupt.

ALSO FROM THE SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETING: What City Council President Richard Conlin had to say about the budget battles (and a funding vote that may come before you next year), and other assorted notes – read on:Read More

From last night’s Southwest District Council meeting: First topic doesn’t directly affect West Seattle, but you’re invited to have a say on it just the same. The county is thinking about getting rid of Metro’s “electric trolley” buses and replacing them all with diesel-hybrid buses, explained on the county website, and covered last fall by Central District News. No electric buses run in West Seattle, but they’re seeking region-wide reaction; electric buses cost more to buy, but there was much concern last night that the costs are higher, and that electricity is more sustainable, in the long run. A survey you can take will be online shortly; Jim Del Ciello also booked presenter Jonathan Dong (of SDOT) on the spot for next Tuesday’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting. Item #2 is West Seattle through and through – a progress report on Sustainable West Seattle‘s plans to create a Tool Lending Library for the area. SWDC co-chair Chas Redmond made the presentation. Read on for those details and a couple other notes from last night:Read More