West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
2:07 PM: Click the “play” button and you’ll see the live video stream of this afternoon’s Seattle City Council meeting, which has just begun, with two items of particular note on the agenda: West Seattle Triangle rezoning (approved by the council’s Committee on the Built Environment three weeks ago) and the plastic-bag ban. We’ll add updates here if and when the public-comment period at the meeting’s start includes Triangle comments, as well as when the Triangle and bag-ban items come up.
2:22 PM: The public-comment period ended with no one stepping up to the podium to talk about Triangle rezoning, which is a few items away on the agenda. Most of the commenters talked about the plastic-bag ban, including, as seen in our framegrab above, the “Bagmonster Singers,” who serenaded councilmembers with a song to the tune of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
2:31 PM: And here’s the Triangle item, which is actually two items – rezoning/changing development standards, and recommending a parking study for the area. Councilmember Sally Clark opens by saying it all dates back to the closure of the Huling Brothers auto properties (briefly Gee Automotive after Huling) and concern over what would happen to the area with so much vacant land. She hands the microphone to Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who as she said has been closely involved in planning for the area’s future. He says RapidRide (scheduled to start in 2012) also was a spark to get the process going, beginning with an “urban-design framework.” He notes that it included a plan for The Triangle’s “streetscapes,” including the Fauntleroy Way “boulevard” concept (the new city budget includes planning money) and SW Snoqualmie as a “festival” street. And of course, it includes rezoning – “neighborhood commercial” that “encourages pedestrian-friendly development” for much of the heart of The Triangle, which he says will also strengthen the pedestrian connection between The Junction and The Triangle. The latter was not recommended for more height, he explains, so as not to put “more pressure” for sales/development of existing commercial properties – but the Fauntleroy/Alaska/Edmunds area includes more than 2 blocks that will be rezoned to 85 feet (20 feet higher than the current zoning).
2:40 PM: Council President Richard Conlin says “congratulations” and notes the importance of the legislation to West Seattle’s future, before Rasmussen reads the list of Triangle Advisory Committee members and also acknowledges DPD and Council staffers for their work. No comments from other councilmembers. The rezoning/development standards bill (read it here) passes unanimously 9-0, as does the recommendation for a parking study. No other councilmembers comment.
2:45 PM: Now Councilmember Mike O’Brien is explaining the plastic-bag ban. You can still use plastic bags for meat and produce in grocery stores, he notes. For this too, no councilmembers are commenting or asking questions, except for Council President Conlin, who thanks O’Brien, who in turn thanks “partners” for help with the bill (including WSB sponsors PCC Natural Markets and Metropolitan Market). The bill passes unanimously; there’s applause in council chambers.
3:15 PM: The official news releases from council staff: West Seattle Triangle rezoning, here; plastic-bag ban, here. The bag ban takes effect next July 1st.
If you have anything to say to the City Council before their final vote on West Seattle Triangle (and vicinity) rezoning, Monday afternoon is your last chance – in the public-comment period at the start of their 2 pm meeting (here’s the agenda). If you’ve missed the previous coverage, the rezoning is detailed in the ordinance the council will consider. You can read it here (that’s where we got the map you see above). Two of the main points: Most of The Triangle itself is rezoned from “commercial” to “neighborhood commercial,” which means different standards for future development, particularly stipulations about street-level features; several chunks of land, including some that are west/southwest of The Triangle itself, get 20 more feet of height, to an 85-foot maximum. That includes, for example, what are currently the sites of Les Schwab Tires, Cycle U (future Highline Medical), West Seattle Produce, WSP’s former site across Fauntleroy, the two gas-station sites across from each other at Alaska/Fauntleroy, Howden-Kennedy, and more – see the map (sorry we don’t have a larger version, but many browsers can zoom). The council also will vote on a resolution asking SDOT to do a parking study for The Triangle, since the topic came up so often in the process that preceded this. Side note: Right after taking up The Triangle, the council moves to a final vote on the plastic-bag ban.
Thanks to Josh Sutton from the West Seattle Y (WSB sponsor) – he took the photo as demolition began on the site kitty-corner from the Y that will become Harbor Properties‘ next West Seattle apartment building, Nova. Harbor opened Link a few blocks away earlier this year and also owns Mural in The Junction (both are WSB sponsors). Nova’s at 4600 36th SW (just north of The Grove) and is designed for five stories, 62 apartments, 36 parking spaces (it’s close to the forthcoming RapidRide, and the city now does not require parking for developments close to major transit).
Harbor’s contractor is Compass Construction; its major financing is from Bank of the West. Construction is expected to take a year.
Lots more room inside West Seattle Produce‘s new home across Fauntleroy Way SW. We reported their planned move a month ago and dropped by this morning to see how things look.
Their storefront faces north, so you will only see it from the street when you are driving/riding/walking south (and manager Brian points out it’s a legal left turn – they checked), but you can’t miss the Christmas trees right now ($10/foot):
They’ve still got a few final touches for stocking and setting up, but their non-produce food and beverage stocks include European pastries, with bagels to be added this weekend:
Other merchandise includes teas, spices, seeds, and nuts. Brian told us they got major help from fellow Triangle business Alki Lumber to get everything moved across the street. That’s also where he says they got a great deal on the wood that’s providing a lot of homey, rustic atmosphere inside the new location – with the framework over the central produce island even including old bridge timbers:
And if you look closely at the front counter when you visit, you’ll notice mechanisms hinting at its past incarnation as part of a door – right over corrugated metal that’s been treated to look older than it really is. West Seattle Produce is open 8 am daily, till 7 every night except Sunday (6 pm) .. and if you’re still having trouble placing the location, it’s the old A-1/Hertz Rentals place, immediately south of the new Les Schwab Tires.
(This is now the archived video of today’s meeting, time-coded to start when this agenda item began)
10:40 AM: Click the “play” button and you’ll see the Seattle City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment, talking about the West Seattle Triangle rezoning proposal for the second time this month. (The agenda includes links to the documents and maps they’re discussing.) They may or may not vote today; they need to vote on it before it can go to the full council. Whatever decision is made by the city will affect the face of that section of West Seattle for decades to come – part of the area, including some lots around the Triangle edges, including the west side of Fauntleroy for a stretch south of SW Alaska, is proposed for upzoning to 85 feet. We’ll note highlights and the meeting results, as this goes along. (The meeting started at 9 am, but the committee had another weighty item to get through first – a zoning change in the Roosevelt area of North Seattle – so they didnt get to the Triangle till 10:40 am.)
10:45 AM: They’ve just voted to amend the proposal to include 85-foot zoning on both sides of Fauntleroy for the stretch between Alaska and Edmunds. (See this “map amendment” here.)
10:56 AM: They’ve just approved some amendments, including extending the “pedestrian” zone to 35th, whereas previously it ended at 36th SW. As they get ready to vote on the entire bill, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw says not everyone is happy with everything, but it’s a “give and take” process. Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who’s been involved in Triangle planning for more than three years, says he’s excited, “while there are still some outstanding issues … and I don’t think we’re going to get back to that … the community was heard (relating to height issues, in that some areas will stay at 65-foot zoning).” He thanks the community for spending “a lot of time on this.”
10:59 AM: The rezoning proposal passes the committee with a unanimous vote. The committee also has approved a resolution calling for SDOT to do a parking study in The Triangle as the result of issues that came up during the last leg of the planning process. Next step: This all goes to the full Council next month.
Rezoning for the West Seattle Triangle and part of the adjacent area – including increasing some parcels to a maximum of 85-foot-high development – is back on the agenda tomorrow morning for the City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment (9 am, CIty Hall downtown). They are scheduled to discuss potential changes to the plan presented two weeks ago, and they may vote on whether to send the plan to the full council for final action. The information package, including proposed map and text amendments – with an area of Fauntleroy between Alaska and Edmunds proposed for 85-foot zoning on the east side as well as the west side – is linked from the meeting agenda, which begins with a public-comment period for anyone interested in speaking to the members about this.
7:55 PM: WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli checked out this crash that happened a short time ago at 35th/Fauntleroy. No major injuries, he reports, but it’s blocking part of the road, as you can see, so slow going till it’s cleared.
ADDED 8:14 PM: More info from Christopher, who was on the scene right after it happened: He says the BMW station wagon was just off the bridge and collided with a minivan going the other way; both drivers, who appeared to be alone in the cars, got out of the vehicles right afterward. Bystanders pushed the BMW out of the main traffic lanes but the minivan wasn’t so easily dealt with – since it lost its driver’s-side rear tire.
10:55 AM: Proposed rezoning for the West Seattle Triangle – and adjacent areas – is going before the City Council’s Committee on the Built Environment during the meeting that’s under way right now (the meeting started at 9, but they had a big agenda). You can watch the live video feed here – click “play”:
Here’s the presentation they’re being shown about the proposed rezoning, which would rezone some parts of the Triangle/east Junction area to allow 85-foot-high buildings, as well as changing an even-larger area from “commercial” to “neighborhood commercial” zoning, which doesn’t change the height but does change expectations at street level, for example. The Triangle Advisory Committee did not endorse the upzoning, as council staffers are noting in the briefing, but DPD council staff is recommending expanding that upzoning beyond what had previously been discussed. You can read their extensive memo here. It mentions a bombshell dropped recently by the Seattle Planning Commission, which suggested that the concept of a “single iconic tower of 160 feet or more” be considered for the Fauntleroy/Alaska vicinity. That is NOT currently part of the rezoning proposal, but something to keep an eye out for. We’ll add some notes once the meeting is over.
11:51 AM: Meeting’s over. Council staff will draft a bill to be voted on by the committee on November 30th if possible (the sentiment expressed was that they would “like to get this wrapped up by the end of the year” – watch the agendas here). West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen expressed concerns about zoning in the area of 40th/Oregon, where he expressed appreciation for old bungalows that have townhouses built behind them; he thought that was a more appropriate and “pleasant, unique” use of the land than changing the zoning so those bungalows are all facing demolition and replacement with what he called “schlocky townhouses.” Council President Richard Conlin said he wanted to be sure the “canyon effect” – taller buildings, both sides of the street – wasn’t going to result from changes here. Councilmember Sally Clark (the committee’s chair) said she favors DPD’s proposal and appreciated the firsthand look she got during a recent Triangle walking tour (WSB coverage here). Conlin and Councilmember O’Brien said they’ll probably come out this way for their own firsthand looks.
One other thing discussed, the issue of “hide and ride” parking – Clark said that was raised during the walking tour, and she supports the proposal to have SDOT study the area for potential parking regulation to reduce that possibility.
(Fauntleroy “boulevard” rendering, from June 2011 West Seattle Triangle open house)
The City Council has just adjourned its second and last meeting for final votes on budget tweaks, prior to the big budget-approval vote scheduled for November 21st. Part of this morning’s action was unanimous approval of $250,000 in “initial planning” money (previously reported here and here) for the “Fauntleroy Way Green Boulevard” concept that’s part of the vision for The Triangle. This does not guarantee eventual funding for the project itself – but it puts the proposal on the city list of potential future projects. In public comment at the start of the meeting, three people spoke in support of the item: Josh Sutton from the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor), Brandon Nicholson (local architect/developer representing the West Seattle Junction Association), and Denny Onslow from Harbor Properties, breaking ground soon on Nova in The Triangle, where it opened Link (WSB sponsor) earlier this year.
(Sketch from West Seattleites’ 2008 City Council presentation about “boulevard” vision for Fauntleroy Way)
During yesterday’s City Council budget meeting, dozens of decisions were made, while a few more alternatives were proposed. One of them involves the so-called “Fauntleroy Way Green Boulevard” concept, which could eventually transform that arterial, through The Triangle as it comes off the bridge and toward The Junction, into a street with a tree-lined median. As reported here last week, Councilmember Tom Rasmussen has proposed earmarking $250,000 in the budget to study and plan for this concept that’s been under consideration for more than three years. Yesterday, Councilmember Mike O’Brien offered an alternative proposal that would instead mark the same amount for as-yet-unspecified neighborhood transportation proposals in the city. Debate ensued; councilmembers including Sally Clark and budget chair Jean Godden voiced support for the “Green Boulevard” study/preps. When the council meets tomorrow, it will vote on which one (if either) goes into their final proposal. (The agenda should be here later; final budget adoption is currently still scheduled for Nov. 21.)
(Sketch from West Seattleites’ 2008 presentation to the City Council about a “boulevard” vision for Fauntleroy Way)
All week long, the City Council has been listening to presentations about possible changes to the Mayor’s budget plan. Just because a change is presented, doesn’t mean it’ll make it into the final plan, but with that in mind: One of the proposals that will be heard this afternoon would allot a quarter-million dollars to start working toward what’s dubbed the “Fauntleroy Way Green Boulevard.” This is a concept that has been under discussion for more than three years, including as a component of the West Seattle Triangle vision. Just last night, in fact, members of the Southwest District Council brought it up briefly while reviewing what’s transpired with the Triangle. It’ll be one of many budget-change options presented during this afternoon’s City Council session. Here’s part of the description, from the “Green Sheet” for the proposal (which you can see in its entirety here):
This project will transform Fauntleroy Way SW into a green boulevard. Preliminary engineering will address project elements identified during conceptual design, including: a planted median with signature lighting fixtures, a pedestrian zone with sidewalks and planting areas including street trees, pedestrian lighting, potential green stormwater infrastructure and art, and safety improvements for crossing movements for all modes, including bicycle improvements and pedestrian crossings, signals, and reconfigured intersections and bulbs. Funding will be used to complete preliminary engineering in 2012, including public outreach, preliminary design, and construction cost estimates. Alternative project designs will be developed (with and without the relocation of a 28? drainage and wastewater main) that seek to balance green boulevard design elements with Major Truck Street treatments.
The proposal is officially from Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who chairs the Transportation Committee and has long been involved in discussions about improving the Fauntleroy Way “gateway” to West Seattle. His office says the goal of this item is to get the project on the city’s Capital Improvement List and start studying what it would take to make it happen. This presentation is part of the council’s afternoon agenda (full list here), scheduled to start at 2 pm; you can watch live on Channel 21 or seattlechannel.org (or of course by going to City Hall downtown). Budget-change decisions are scheduled to start next week, with a plan finalized before Thanksgiving.
Still a little too warm for snow, but not too warm to be ready for ski season as soon as it arrives – considering that November is just a week and a half away. The first day of Mountain to Sound Outfitters‘ second annual Ski Swap is under way at the VFW Hall across the street (36th/Alaska in The Triangle). Boards, boots, and other gear, too:
And if you need your gear tuned up – that’s what Cody and Erin Wolford from Lokey Sports were up to while we were there:
The swap continues till 6 tonight. If you don’t see this before then – no worries – it’s happening 10 am-3 pm tomorrow, too.
As was pointed out in the walking tour/casual chat preceding last night’s official City Council Committee on the Built Environment public hearing, the current plan for the West Seattle Triangle’s future has been more than three years in the making. But, as you’ll hear in our video of the hearing, some feel it’s still missing major components.
Fall 2008 was when the Triangle’s potential burst into the spotlight, with three meetings in West Seattle. Of particular note – as a reminder of how things can change – is a September 2008 West Seattle Chamber of Commerce-convened meeting to review eight key Triangle and Junction developments that were in the pipeline then (see the story here, for a trip back in the time machine). Three mixed-use projects have since been completed – Harbor Properties‘ Link and Mural (WSB sponsors) and Leon Capelouto‘s Capco Plaza; the plan for two sites have changed (what was going to be BlueStar’s Gateway Center is now becoming Trader Joe’s, and Harbor is developing Nova on a smaller 36th/Alaska parcel); while three other sites’ futures are still in play (“The Hole,” sold last Friday at auction; the property Conner Homes is selling at California/Alaska/42nd; and “Spring Hill” at 5020 California).
Even earlier that year – before a pivotal November 2008 meeting to semi-officially start a city-involved process – the area had been under discussion as the “West Seattle gateway,” as noted here. And that’s the point it’s not addressing well enough, councilmembers were told.
West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen has been involved along much of the way, and last night he was one of the four councilmembers listening to public testimony (along with Sally Clark, who chairs Built Environment, vice chair Tim Burgess, and Sally Bagshaw) at the Senior Center of West Seattle. What is in the works now involves an “urban design” vision that the city may codify – and some zoning changes, including “neighborhood commercial” for much of The Triangle itself, and an area mostly on its west side that may be upzoned to 85-foot buildings (which, the way the rules really work, could be even taller).
What’s next with the Triangle proposals? Councilmember Clark said it was too soon to say whether a final vote might come by year’s end; it’s expected to come up again at a November 16th meeting downtown. Last night’s presentation graphics/documents, by the way, are linked from the meeting’s online agenda.
A rainbow appeared over The Triangle just as a walking tour preceding tonight’s zoning-change public hearing began.
Also as the tour began, Harbor Properties‘ Denny Onslow revealed that groundbreaking will happen soon for their new development, all-residential Nova, at 36th/Snoqualmie (if our rainbow photo atop this story were wider, Nova’s site would be on the left, north of The Grove). According to Onslow, if all goes as planned, construction will start around Halloween. Here’s the design shown at its second and final Design Review meeting last summer:
Nova is planned as 62 apartments, no retail. Right now, City Councilmembers Sally Clark and Sally Bagshaw are at another Harbor building, the 5-month-old mixed-use building Link (WSB sponsor), in a casual conversation with community/business reps preceding the hearing.
More notes to come – with full coverage of that hearing later. If you have something to say about the Triangle’s future – should some areas be upzoned to 85-foot buildings? for example – be at the Senior Center of West Seattle, 6 pm.
(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
If all goes as planned, the empty shelves in the photo above will be filled with tires by this time next Tuesday – the day Les Schwab Tires hopes to open its new West Seattle store in The Triangle.
The shelves are in the basement of the one-time Huling Brothers (and briefly Gee) building on the southwest corner of 38th/Alaska, and will hold most of the 2,200-plus tires to be offloaded early opening-day morning by dozens of Les Schwab managers from around the region, after two tractor-trailer trucks roll up from the company’s distribution center in the central Oregon town of Prineville, right onto the new concrete:
The initial-stocking operation is “an amazing thing to witness,” smiles Rich Baalman, area manager for 43 stores including this one, from Federal Way to Port Angeles to the Canadian border. (He himself is based in Monroe, where he also manages that store.)
Though Rich calls the West Seattle location – the plan for which was first reported here, back in January – a “paint-and-go” shop, much more than paint has gone into it over the past four months of construction. It’s spruced up what was a neighborhood eyestore with major remodeling – which even extends out onto the sidewalk and beyond. See for yourself:
It’s the first official day of business for the new Corner Store and Deli in The Triangle at 36th/Fauntleroy next to Jones Barbeque, in the space that was long known as Tervo’s. The store is remodeled inside and out, most notably, adding a Boar’s Head deli setup for fresh sandwiches:
That’s Daniel Gebrechristos, Corner Store co-owner with brother Negash (who we interviewed in August, when we got first word of the ownership change/reopening plan). Daniel designed the renovations too, and says that as the business gets established, they’ll probably make some changes to its entryway, too. For now, if you go in today, you’ll notice some empty space – they’re still ramping up the stock, and they’ll be putting in chairs/tables by the new Fauntleroy-fronting windows. Daniel invites the neighborhood to come in, say hi, and try food samples this Saturday and Sunday, 10 am-4 pm both days. (Their regular hours, he says, are 6:30 am-10 pm daily.)
This weekend’s grand-opening-of-expanded-space celebration continues at Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) this afternoon, and if you get there (3602 SW Alaska) before 2 pm, you can meet Molly Baker, a big-mountain freeskiing star on the rise – more on the M2SO site. Also at the shop greeting customers – proprietor Greg Whittaker and son Keller:
Ready for ski season yet? M2SO not only sells skis, they rent them too:
And if you’re hungry – they’re barbecuing for a second straight afternoon (hey, the weather’s nice!):
But think snow.
Traffic is slow going on SW Alaska between 35th and 36th SW in The Triangle right now, in front of The Grove/West Seattle Inn, because of a crash involving at least two cars. No major injuries reported – a private ambulance is there to transport one person – but it’s blocking the westbound lanes.
We’ve been reporting for months on the city planning process that could result in zoning changes for The Triangle and the east side of The Junction, including a larger area where buildings up to 85 feet would be allowed, and changes in commercial zoning. Now, the date is set for an official hearing before a City Council committee, and if you have anything to say before these proposals become law, that’s your chance. Here’s the short description of the proposal:
The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is proposing to amend Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 23.32, the Official Land Use Map, and Section 23.47A.013, and enact a new Section 23.47A.009, to rezone areas within the West Seattle Junction Hub Urban Village (West Seattle Triangle planning area).
The DPD proposal would: (1) rezone areas from Commercial 1 (C1) to Neighborhood Commercial 3 (NC3), (2) establish a pedestrian (P) designation along SW Alaska Street between 36th Avenue SW and 41st Avenue SW, (3) increase allowable heights to 85 feet in certain commercially-zoned areas west of 38th Avenue SW, (4) introduce new development standards in the proposed NC3 85 zone to control the bulk of new structures and increase pedestrian circulation, (5) apply incentive zoning provisions within the 85 foot zone, and (6) resolve “split-zoned” lots by rezoning a portion of three lots to NC3 65.
The hearing will be at 6 pm October 11th at the Senior Center of West Seattle (if you want to speak, signups will start at 5:30), California/Oregon in The Junction. If you absolutely can’t be there – you can e-mail your thoughts in advance (deadline 5 pm 10/11) to Councilmember Sally Clark, whose Committee on the Built Environment is holding the hearing, at sally.clark@seattle.gov.
2:07 PM UPDATE: The Land Use Information Bulletin is out now with a city link to the notice. You can also read the proposed zoning-change (etc.) ordinance on the city’s Triangle-planning website – go here.
The formerly-76, once-to-be-converted-to-Arco gas station on the east side of Fauntleroy/Alaska is finally tidier tonight. We’d been looking into the site’s status for three weeks, as WSB’ers continued sending notes asking what we knew about it, as trash and junk continued to accumulate following its sudden closure months ago. We took this photo (and others showing trash/junk around the site) three weeks ago:
That was shortly after a complaint had been filed with the city. The city’s log shows that in the meantime, the site was inspected, found to be in violation, and a warning was issued – clean up by August 14th. Looks so far like they have met that deadline. But what about the station itself?
We had reported back in February that it was being converted to an Arco station. Then the work stalled – the station stopped pumping gas – and the store closed. When we inquired with Arco, a spokesperson told us that “for reasons we don’t know” the conversion never moved forward, and Arco doesn’t “anticipate it ever being converted.” However, the spokesperson made it clear that the site is not owned by Arco, but instead by an area entrepreneur, and even gave us his name and number. Took us a while to reach owner Brandon Kim, but WSB contributor Katie Meyer talked with him by phone yesterday. Asked if the station would reopen, he replied, “Not really,” and told her that he believed a bank would be taking it over. That’s all the comment he had; online records do not indicate any sort of a sale or foreclosure at this point, but we’ll keep an eye out.
SIDE NOTE: The gas station on the west side of the intersection is no longer on the market – we had reported the listing in February, and while the listing was active less than two weeks ago (here’s a cached version). So far, we can’t tell if it was sold, or just de-listed.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Dr. Terrill Harrington was first in line as Damiana Merryweather‘s new Blue Truck Special made its West Seattle debut today in The Triangle – maybe no surprise, since the truck is in his parking lot at 3623 SW Alaska. She’s scheduled to be there till 2, serving “elevated comfort food” – as explained in our preview story by Christopher Boffoli, who says he tried the crispy mortadella “fried bologna” sandwich with orange marmalade, arugula, and dijon, pronouncing it “particularly good.”
Story and photos by Christopher Boffoli
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
On a rainy afternoon last spring, I got my first glimpse at what was soon to become one of Seattle’s newest mobile food trucks, making its debut this Sunday in West Seattle.
Parked on a quiet side street in North Delridge, it didn’t look like much at the time. The boxy, aluminum truck – which at that point had only recently been plucked off of Craigslist – still bore signs of its previous use by a plumbing company. However, like most entrepreneurs, Damiana Merryweather had vision, not to mention a contagious enthusiasm for what the truck could be. Perhaps more significantly, she also had an abundance of patience, which she would discover, is second only to money when it comes to starting a street food business in Seattle. But above all, Merryweather’s focus was on the food.
“We become deeply human when we sit down to a plate of food,” she would tell me later, in drier, more comfortable conditions: ensconced in plush chairs at a local café, with mugs of hot coffee in our hands. She added, “Food is such a catalyst for community, family holidays, friends….it brings us together. There’s a comforting human connection.”
Merryweather is an Oregon native who began on quite a different career path. Though she worked in and out of food-related jobs when she was younger, for more than a decade she had enjoyed a successful career in political campaigns and lobbying. But at a certain point she decided to come back to food. She moved to Seattle in 2006 and a few years later, was hired on as a consultant to aid the launch of the Swinery. “Working there reminded me of how much I love customer service,” she said, “And I don’t mean that in a cheesy salesman kind of way, but truly helping people. Engaging their imaginations about meals. Making connections.”
If you missed it “live” Wednesday morning, either at City Hall or via Seattle Channel, this video of the City Council Committee on the Built Environment meeting includes a 19-minute discussion that was the first step in what will be a months-long march toward a council vote on proposals to shape the West Seattle Triangle‘s future, including extensive rezoning. The discussion was last on the agenda for the meeting chaired by Councilmember Sally Clark; it starts 102 minutes in (as with most online video players, you can grab and drag the lower slider to fast-forward). The Department of Planning and Development senior planner who’s led much of the process so far, Susan McLain, gave the councilmembers an “initial overview” briefing on The Triangle itself (presentations are linked in the agenda), on the fact the planning involves an area to the west as well, and on key intents/concerns. It was repeatedly reiterated that the intention is not to chase away longtime businesses in what McLain called “a surprisingly diverse little area”; that was also brought up by the lone member of the public there to voice a comment, Karl de Jong from Admiral, who expressed concern about future building height resulting in “canyonization” and concern about existing businesses with “family-wage jobs” being pushed out.
No action was taken; next steps include a more extensive briefing on the proposed rezoning when the committee meets again on August 10th and, according to both McLain and Councilmember Clark, a public hearing in West Seattle sometime in September. Meanwhile, the public-comment period on the environmental Determination of Non-Significance regarding the proposals continues until August 4th – go here to find out how to have a say.
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