Covering tonight’s Feet First–organized Walk and Talk Tour of the West Seattle Triangle with Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, photojournalist Edgar Riebe of Captive Eye Media reports participants braved the weather to visit spots from West Seattle Rotary Viewpoint Park (above) to an inside look at the under-construction Link, below:
We’ll add Edgar’s video report on the tour later tonight. Meantime, the city-led Triangle Advisory Group meetings continue later this fall, according to information received by group members; the next meeting’s been set for October 27th, with a public open house planned on November 10th.
ORIGINAL 11:58 AM REPORT: This morning, we got an e-mail tip from Mike Heavey about a broken window at Zebra Print and Copy (35th and Fauntleroy) – police were just arriving as we got there, so while we were able to get photos, we were waiting to hear from them regarding what happened. But in the meantime, we have just heard from the business – Idris Noor at Zebra says it’s the second time they’ve been victimized this month:
I just wanted to let you guys know that our store Zebra Print and Copy.com has been burglarized for the 2nd time this month. The first incident occurred on July 2, and the second one last night.
The first time they attempted to break in through the back door. They tried to pry the door open but were unsuccessful . They ended (up) smashing the front door and leaving.
Today’s break in was caused by a brick being thrown at the window and smashing it while also destroying our neon sign. They seemed to have walked around and looked for stuff but nothing seems to be missing except strangely our candy vending machines. Yes, candy vending machines!
A local ADT employee seems to be the first person to have noticed it this morning and called the police immediately. He also stated that there was another coffee shop in West Seattle that was broken into with their register taken.
We are really starting to worry about the safety of our store and also of our employees. I would like to ask everyone to stay vigilant at night and if anyone might have seen anything last night today or early in the morning going past our store to contact us or the police to let us know what they saw
12:01 PM UPDATE: Right after publishing this, we got a reply to that, from Lt. Norm James, who confirms the coffee-shop mention – he says a window was broken at Freshy’s Coffee, triggering its alarm. (added)Layne confirms this in the comment section – saying the stolen register was recovered nearby.
Thanks to the tipsters who shared the news that West Seattle firefighters are out by 35th/Fauntleroy in The Triangle, near the bridge entrance and Starbucks drive-through, taking donations for the annual “Fill the Boot” Muscular Dystrophy Association fundraiser campaign. They’re from nearby Station 32 – that’s Ladder 11’s Capt. David Pagan in the photo – and tell us they’ll be out till about noon. ADDED 11:07 AM: One more photo – MDA rep Alaina Miller with SFD’s Paul Hansen – and Ladder 11 itself!
As part of the ongoing West Seattle Triangle Planning Project, the city has come up with a draft list of businesses in The Triangle – and is asking for your help in making sure it’s accurate and complete. Take a look at the list here (PDF) – and if you see anything missing, or wrong (for example, we noticed that OK Corral should now be Jones Barbeque), here’s who to e-mail. Meantime, if you happen to be a Triangle business owner, the city now has an online survey they’d like you to take; the city’s point person on the Triangle project, Susan McLain, says, “We are asking business owners to complete a short survey providing information and opinions about business-related issues. The idea for the survey emerged from recent meetings sponsored by the West Seattle Chamber and involving businesses in the Triangle planning area.” If you’re a Triangle business owner, start the survey here. McLain says the results will be out this fall. Tuesday night, she spoke to the Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting – read on for toplines:Read More
That’s the staff at Tom’s Automotive Service in The Triangle, one of our newest WSB sponsors. Tom’s Automotive Service is run by Tom Smith and Kandie Jennings, who say their success has been built on treating people like family and talking to their customers in a plain, straightforward way. Tom says his whole staff works at making people feel comfortable by knowing that each car will get only the work it needs, and nothing more. Tom’s Automotive first opened up in 1971 at a location near Morgan Junction and moved to their current location near the West Seattle YMCA (also a WSB sponsor) a couple of years later. Their current building was completed in 1994. Over time, Tom’s has assembled a staff that’s stayed put for many years, so when you come to Tom’s, you can get the same service from the same people who have been taking car of your car and who have come to know you as well. Tom and Kandie belong to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce; Tom’s was the Chamber’s 2008 Business of the Year. Tom and Kandie are on the South Seattle Community College Automotive Technical Education Advisory Board. They’ve been longtime sponsors of teams for West Seattle girls’ pee-wee softball, and supporters of both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in West Seattle. Next time you take your car to Tom’s Automotive Service, bring three or more cans of food as a food-bank donation, and you’ll get $20 off. You’ll find Tom’s Automotive Service online at tomsautomotive.com, or call 206-973-0737.
We thank Tom’s Automotive Service for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team, and info on joining, all here.
(Photographed right after West Seattle’s new Jones Barbeque opened: Shyla Jones & Charelle Love) ORIGINAL 12:30 PM REPORT: Just checked on Jones Barbeque in The Triangle – drove by and saw signs of impending business – they tell us they’ll be open in a few hours. Here’s our last update, from June 18th, mentioning their hopes for curbside service – we’ll ask about that once they’re open later today.
2:59 PM: Now open. Saw the sign while driving back from the Viaduct South End groundbreaking event (story on that, to come).
3:33 PM: Added a photo. Address is 4417 Fauntleroy, if you haven’t passed the storefront before. Couple notes: You can’t call in orders yet – the phone won’t be in until Thursday. Hours: 11 to 9 Monday through Thursday, 11-10 Friday and Saturday. They haven’t decided yet about Sundays (including the 4th of July) – we’ll check back in a few days. That curbside service WILL be offered, 11 am-4 pm and 6 pm-9 pm Mondays-Fridays, not during 4-6 because of peak traffic.
Ever since our first report 3 weeks ago about Jones Barbeque planning a West Seattle location, we’ve been chasing down more details. Finally just got them, in a phone chat with Andreque Jones, as more signage continues going up at the storefront. He tells WSB they’re hoping to open as soon as next week in their new location at 4417 Fauntleroy (between Aikido of West Seattle and Tervo’s Mini-Mart, and previously, briefly home to OK Corral), if “the rest of the permits come through.” At the very least, he says, “we’re looking to have a grand opening on the 1st week of July.” We asked him about hours – and learned about plans for “curbside service” – read on:Read More
Last month, a spokesperson for the company that holds the note for “The Hole” – the stalled site that we now can describe as “across 39th SW from the future West Seattle Trader Joe’s” – met with local leaders and listened to their concerns (WSB story here); it was a response to the letter sent by the Southwest District Council, which then, two weeks later, received an official written reply (WSB story here). Today, crews were back at the site making good on some of the promises in that reply – as you can see in the “aerial” view shared by an area resident who wants to be anonymous, they’re putting a concrete barricade around the site. We got this view on the ground:
Our anonymous tipster adds, “We got a letter from Chinn yesterday stating that they would be doing this until next Tuesday and that the alley that skirts the west side of The Hole would be periodically closed until then.” Meantime, as for the status of the site itself, the consolidated lawsuits involving a variety of parties continue proceeding toward an October trial date if there’s no settlement before then; the number of actions in the case in the past 14 months, as recorded online, has almost hit 300.
(City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen at the meeting Wednesday night; DPD’s Susan McLain is at right)
They’ve talked about parking, streetscapes, and more … and Wednesday night, the West Seattle Triangle Advisory Group, assembled and convened by the city this spring, was to take on land use, though the meeting ultimately sprawled across broader ground.Read More
During the very first meeting of the special West Seattle Triangle Advisory Group (WSB coverage here), it was clear that parking was one of the hottest issues regarding the area’s future. City planner Susan McLain promised a special meeting would be devoted to that topic – and today she’s sent the agenda for that SDOT-hosted meeting, coming up this Thursday:
I. Introductions (10 min) Casey Hildreth, SDOT
II. Review of 2009 West Seattle Junction parking project (20 min) Danté Taylor, SDOT
III. Discussion of key issues (30 min) All
a. Employee parking
b. Residential (RPZ) parking
c. Hide-and-ride, park-and-ride
d. BRT parking impacts
IV. Next steps (5 min) Casey
V. Q & A (25 min) All
This Saturday, the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle is putting on its first Charity Motorcycle Poker Run and Bike & Classic Car Show – and they just sent word, they’ve still got room for more cars:
Calling All Cars!
Do you have a cool car, custom ride, monster truck or electric vehicle you want to show off? We have space available for you to join us on Saturday May 15th from 11am to 3pm, at the 1ST ANNUAL CHARITY MOTORCYCLE POKER RUN, BIKE & CLASSIC CAR SHOW.
On May 15, 2010, the Kiwanis of West Seattle will host its first annual Charity Motorcycle Poker Run & Classic Car Show. Proceeds from this event go to the non-profit 21st Century Scholarship Fund that provides education and leadership opportunities for the youth in our community.
Sign-in for the motorcycle poker run starts at 8:30 am at the former Huling Brothers Buick Dealership at 38th Ave SW & Fauntleroy Way SW in West Seattle. Following the Poker Run, riders, passengers, and the general public is welcome to join us for a BBQ and to view the Classic Cars on display. Poker Run day-of registration is $30 per rider, plus $5 per passenger. The cost of the BBQ for the general public is $10. There is no charge for participants of the Car Show.
Commemorating this special event, T-shirts will be available for sale. Contact the Kiwanis at westseattlekiwanis@yahoo.com with questions or to let us know you are bringing your car to display to the public.
Three meetings of interest to mention tonight – two just announced today: The Seattle Parks Board will get its next briefing on the budget situation during its meeting at 6:30 pm May 13, Parks HQ (100 Dexter N.) downtown. The briefing is expected to include information on the midyear reduction the department will be asked to make, as well as the outlook for next year. (We covered the board’s briefing from Parks’ finance boss a month ago.) Also announced today, the date for the West Seattle Triangle parking discussion, promised by city planner Susan McLain during the first Triangle Advisory Group meeting. She saysSDOT will host a meeting to talk about Triangle parking at 6 pm May 20th, Senior Center of West Seattle. That’s also the location of the full group’s next meeting, 6 pm May 12th. (If you lose track of all this, don’t worry, it’ll all be in the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.) By the way, the potential “streetscape” options shown at the last advisory group meeting two weeks ago are all linked from this city webpage now – labeled as “parking options.”
When the city-convened West Seattle Triangle Advisory Group gathered for its first meeting (WSB coverage here), developer Denny Onslow of Harbor Properties pronounced Triangle parking “the 500-pound gorilla in the room”: It wasn’t on the official agenda, but it was on almost everyone’s mind.
When the group gathered again this past Wednesday night at the Senior Center of West Seattle for meeting #2, the “gorilla” was at centerstage, with four potential Triangle “streetscape” concepts presented, each one including information on how it would affect the area’s street-parking inventory.
The other major headline from the meeting: While local property owner and advisory-group member Steve Huling wasn’t in attendance this time, several other Triangle business and property owners were represented in the audience, including Alki Lumber, Tom’s Automotive and Doyle’s Automotive.
Their concerns and what happens next – as the story continues:Read More
That’s Josh Sutton from the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) getting dunked as part of Healthy Kids Day (the water was warm, he insisted goodnaturedly when we talked to him between dunks). Till 1 pm at the Y’s Triangle location (xx xxth), you’ll find all kinds of free activities, like the climbing wall:
As part of the Healthy Kids Day celebration, the Y also is waiving family joining fees. ADDED 9:18 PM: More from Healthy Kids Day, courtesy of West Seattle’s Captive Eye Media – the dancers are from the West Seattle High School Asian Club:
(WSB photo from July 2009)
On the hottest day in Seattle history last July, the group in that photo talked about the West Seattle Junction Neighborhood Plan, as part of a West Seattle-wide meeting at Youngstown Arts Center (WSB coverage here), with breakout groups discussing all five of our peninsula’s neighborhood plans. The Seattle Planning Commission co-sponsored that gathering and others like it around the city, as a series of Neighborhood Plan Status Checks; now the commission is out with a report suggesting which neighborhood plans it believes should be updated next, and the Junction plan is among those at the top of the list. The “white paper” sent a few days ago to Mayor McGinn and other elected officials (see it here) lists five neighborhood plans as in “urgent” need of updating – and the Junction plan is the only one from West Seattle that’s in the group. The document explains:
An unanticipated, significant development opportunity exists in this neighborhood planning area because Huling Brothers Automobile has vacated/sold several acres of land. The redevelopment opportunity at the “gateway” to West Seattle, in combination with the future RapidRide stations, warrants a precisely focused subarea plan and urban design effort that would implement goals already outlined in the neighborhood plan; the current neighborhood plan calls for redeveloping this area and improving the gateway. We understand that DPD’s City Planning office has begun a small planning effort here and would encourage more resources for an interdisciplinary approach that includes transportation, housing, parks and economic development in addition to land use and urban design that will result in right of way improvements, urban design, zoning and land use. We also strongly recommend enhanced efforts designed to create transitions between the new development and the retail core on California Avenue that serves as West Seattle’s downtown heart.
The “small planning effort” refers to the Triangle planning process, which launched with an advisory-group’s first meeting two weeks ago (WSB coverage here) and continues when they meet again tomorrow night, 6 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle. Meantime, this same “white paper” also has a group of neighborhood plans around the city listed as “important” to update – those 6 plans include Delridge (see the plan here), with this explanation:
Recent assessments have shown that current infrastructure exists to support additional jobs and housing growth in this neighborhood. A neighborhood plan update would look fully at the opportunity this presents and also allow for planning that considers whether, where and how additional growth should occur.
The city’s neighborhood plans were developed more than a decade ago; an updating process has begun, but because of budget constraints, only a few are expected to be tackled each year for the foreseeable future. West Seattle’s other three neighborhood plans are Admiral, Morgan Junction, and Westwood/Highland Park, but the Planning Commission did not rate any of those three as either “urgent” or “important” to update soon.
As an all-star group of community activists and businesspeople gathered for the first in a new series of meetings to map a vision for The Triangle – the mostly industrial/commercial area east of The Junction, bounded by 35th/Fauntleroy/Alaska – what wasn’t discussed loomed almost as large as what was.
The two-hour-long meeting was about three-fourths through when Harbor Properties‘ Denny Onslow angled into the issue: “The parking issue is the 500-pound gorilla in the room. We can’t ignore it, or say we’ll address it later.”
Harbor has one of the biggest stakes in The Triangle right now, with what is currently the biggest in-progress construction project in West Seattle, Link, which will supply about 200 of the potential 2,000 new residential units the area might eventually hold, and will not solve “the parking issue,” as it is designed with fewer than 1 space for each of those units.
But the Triangle already has its parking-challenged moments, even before new residents start moving in.
Last fall, we reported that the city was moving toward an official planning process for the West Seattle area east of The Junction known as The Triangle, bounded by Fauntleroy/35th/Alaska. A senior planner is now assigned to the project and an advisory group has been assembled, with its first meeting planned this Wednesday, 6 pm, at the Senior Center of West Seattle. According to the meeting information sent by planner Susan McLain, the first gathering will include an introduction to the project and discussion of “land uses, connections, public-realm designs.” This is the first major city-facilitated Triangle discussion since the one at Merrill Gardens-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) in November 2008 (WSB coverage here). The Triangle planning process has a city webpage, which also includes notes from that November 2008 meeting. A lot has changed in The Triangle since then, including the start of construction on Link and the arrival of new businesses including Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor), Cycle University, 37th Shoe Repair, and The Wax Bar. But it hasn’t been an idle time – last fall, leaders of the neighboring Fairmount Community Association led walking tours of the area, including this one we covered in November with City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. Meantime, the new advisory group is expected to meet at least four times between now and June.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Tonight, another one of the new West Seattle businesses we’ve been tracking is just hours from opening … The Wax Bar opens tomorrow morning at 37th/Fauntleroy, between the shoe repair and brake-service stores. Founder Karen says they’re planning to open the doors at 9 am. We first confirmed in December that The Wax Bar – which is expanding from Ballard – was coming to West Seattle. We got the original heads-up when they applied for a liquor license – which, as they told us, is needed because their twist is that they serve beer: Waxing, skin care, and beer. They’re online at thewaxbarseattle.com and opening tomorrow morning at 4450 37th SW (map).
From last night’s Southwest District Council: A new turn in a long-simmering concern about the the West Seattle RapidRide bus route. Fairmount Community Association‘s Sharonn Meeks and Fauntleroy Community Association‘s Vlad Oustimovitch obtained the group’s support to take the concern to King County Executive Dow Constantine, asking him to reopen the discussion about how RapidRide will get from Morgan Junction to the West Seattle Bridge. Currently, plans call for it to go up California SW through The Junction, then turn to SW Alaska and again to 35th SW and SW Avalon before getting to The Bridge; some have long suggested Fauntleroy Way would make more sense. Why take another look now? There’s one big reason – read on:Read More
Last week, the crane base rolled in; today, it’s time for the rest of the crane to show up at the site (38th/Alaska) where crews are building Harbor Properties‘ 200-apartment, 14,000-square-feet=of-retail Link in The Triangle. The crew told WSB’s Christopher Boffoli last week the crane will rise to 118 feet. Work on Link began in November, when the auto and school buildings on the site were torn down. (Thanks to Sharonn for pre-dawn word the crane had arrived as scheduled.) P.S. Just noticed Link finally has the stirrings of its own website.1:04 PM UPDATE: Update from Emi Baldowin at Harbor: The installation won’t be completed till more of the crane arrives Monday.
For the first time in almost a year, there’s a construction crane in the Junction/Triangle area. Last one to leave was at Capco Plaza (here’s our February 2009 report). Before that, the crane for Harbor Properties’ Mural (WSB sponsor) left in November 2008. And today, the crane’s going up for Harbor’s next project – Link, along 38th between Fauntleroy and Alaska. WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli spotted it a little while ago, and got some information from the crew: The base will be set around 11, with its bottom “probably at least 30 feet below grade. So it will probably take them a couple of hours to get enough pieces of crane in place so that it stands out over the other buildings.” And he asked the big (literally) question: How tall will this crane be? 118 feet. More numbers: Link will have 200 apartments and 14,000 square feet of retail space; its construction began in November, with demolition of the auto and school buildings that were on the site.12:38 PM UPDATE: Checked with Emi Baldowin at Harbor. They are putting up the crane base today but the rest of the crane is scheduled to go up on January 28th.
(WSB camera-phone photo by Christopher Boffoli, added 11:37 pm) ORIGINAL 11:20 REPORT OF 35TH/AVALON “HEAVY RESCUE RESPONSE”: WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli is on his way to the scene. Scanner indicates it’s a crash at the Starbucksdrive-through – and one radio transmission indicated “substantial damage.” 11:32 PM UPDATE: Christopher says three vehicles are involved and at least two people will be taken to the hospital. He adds, “SUV took out one of the columns at the drive-through.” 12:01 AM UPDATE: More info and another photo from Christopher. Police at the scene say alcohol may have factored into the crash. He adds: “The SUV took out one of the two columns holding up the roof that hangs over the Starbucks drive through. The column looked hollow so I’m not sure how much weight they are meant to bear. The roof is holding on the remaining column. SFD is there now shoring up temporarily with lumber.” In this photo, you see the column – and the spot where it was torn from the building:
As for traffic, one lane is blocked but it’s not causing much trouble. A different look at where the SUV tore the column away:
Christopher says there was no damage to the building besides that column area. Police were evaluating the light pole the SUV hit:
As for the store’s status, we’ll check on its status in the early morning. Police had called a manager who was reported to be en route. ADDED 2:43 AM: Video from Christopher – in it, you see the other vehicle that was hit – the third vehicle originally reported “involved,” as its driver notes in comments, was not actually part of the collision.
8:41 AM UPDATE: Went over to check on the morning-after situation. The drive-thru is closed, with repair work under way (and yellow tape across the lane entrance, leading to some U-turns in the lot); the walk-up is open.
1:12 PM NOTE: Christopher, who covered the crash early today, went by a little while ago and says the drive-thru appears to be open again.
Thanks to Courtney for the tip that Redline Music and Sportsin The Triangle had some roof trouble because of the rain and was temporarily closed. We went over to check; owner Scott tells us some soggy drywall over the bar needed to be replaced. Workers are on the job now; they’re close to done with the repairs, and Redline expects to reopen for business around 9 tonight.
As part of the ongoing 
Also announced today, the date for the West Seattle Triangle parking discussion, promised by city planner Susan McLain during 
When the city-convened 
As an all-star group of community activists and businesspeople gathered for the first in a new series of meetings to map a vision for The Triangle – the mostly industrial/commercial area east of The Junction, bounded by 35th/Fauntleroy/Alaska – what wasn’t discussed loomed almost as large as what was.
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