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Ferry SW closure
January 23, 2008 2:13 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | Utilities | West Seattle news

Thanks to Will for the tip that Ferry SW was abruptly closed today. We parked by the closure sign near Ferry/California Ave (map) and walked to see what was up … and kept walking … and kept walking (awesome views, great workout going back uphill). The work is under way close to where Ferry meets California Way (map):

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A contractor is drilling for some repair work above this erosion area we mentioned 2 weeks ago:

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We have left messages for SDOT to ask how long the closure will continue (if it’s not over already; will check again later this afternoon). 5 PM UPDATE: SDOT says it was a one-day closure, ended around 3 pm, and the contractor does not expect to need to close the street again.

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Update on City Light tree-trimming: Meeting date now set
January 16, 2008 9:52 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Gatewood | Genesee Hill | Utilities | West Seattle news

We first told you last month about Seattle City Light‘s plan to do extensive tree-trimming around West Seattle power lines this year, including the utility’s promise it would set a public meeting. The date for that meeting, and details on what neighborhoods SCL will focus on, just arrived in the form of this news release:Read More

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Tree-cycling time: West Seattle Christmas tree recycling
December 26, 2007 4:52 pm
|    Comments Off on Tree-cycling time: West Seattle Christmas tree recycling
 |   Environment | Holidays | Utilities

We personally would like to encourage everyone to savor the season. However, in all practicality, we know some thoughts are turning to the yearly task of Tossing The Tree. Here is the official “how to put it out with your yard waste” press release, which includes this all-important info:

Seattle residents who subscribe to curbside yard and food waste collection can put their trees and greens out on their regular collection day at no extra charge from December 26, 2007 to January 13, 2008. Trees should be cut into sections of six feet long or shorter, with branches trimmed to less than four feet to fit into the collection trucks. Sections should be bundled with string or twine.

Trees that are flocked and/or have tinsel or ornaments will be collected as extra garbage. Customers will need to cut the tree into three-foot pieces and each piece will be charged as extra garbage. Each unit of extra garbage costs $5.60. Plastic trees are also not recyclable.

Seattle residents can also drop off their holiday trees and greens for free at Seattle Public Utilities’ North and South Recycling and Disposal stations between December 26, 2007 and January 13, 2008.

The tree sections must be cut to eight feet or less in length and the trunk must be four inches or smaller in diameter. The limit is three trees per vehicle. Only trees without flocking or decoration may be disposed of free of charge.

If you want to do less tree-cutting and so would prefer to drop off your tree, the South Recycling Station in South Park is the closest one to West Seattle; the city has a map here but it doesn’t address getting there from WS, so here’s a map you can use for starters (choose the “driving directions” option). Now, if you still don’t want to go to all that trouble, CL is awash in listings from people you can pay to take your tree away; if you know of any local volunteer or nonprofit groups doing that in West Seattle this year, please e-mail us so we can feature them on WSB.

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West Seattle trees: SDOT today, City Light soon
December 20, 2007 10:41 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | Utilities | West Seattle news

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As announced by the city Department of Transportation, crews are out on the repaved stretch of Admiral right now, planting trees in the medians.

In a separate project, we have word from Seattle City Light of major tree work coming to West Seattle early next year: The utility is ramping up its tree trimming, so that it can work toward a cycle of ensuring that every tree near its lines citywide is checked every four years for proper clearance – 10 feet from the wires. We were downtown at the Municipal Tower yesterday talking with City Light’s Scott Thomsen, who tells WSB that the next big round of trimming work will be here in West Seattle. Here are some details:Read More

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One year ago tonight: Windstorm anniversary
December 14, 2007 3:30 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   December 2006 windstorm | Utilities | West Seattle weather

We were wondering if anyone was going to notice that tonight’s the anniversary of last year’s big windstorm. King County noticed, at least. On December 14 of last year, we mentioned the pouring rain at 5:22 pm … then the howling wind, at 11:28 pm. If you want to relive the (non-) joy of the ensuing days and nights of powerlessness, cleanup, and repairs, pick up our archived coverage (in reverse chronological order) here. Tonight’s forecast, meantime, looks like a breeze in comparison. 10 PM UPDATE: City Light issued a “windstorm anniversary” news release tonight touting changes made since last year – here’s the full text, since we can’t find it anywhere on the city website so far:Read More

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Power-line problem in Morgan Junction
November 9, 2007 3:06 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Utilities | WS breaking news

And not weather-related that we know of: Our WSB Sales Guy just passed through and reports that there’s some kind of problem with a power line between Morgan Junction Thriftway and the Shell station/strip mall-let area along the east side of California Ave to the south, so it appears some of the businesses (we don’t know how many) may be experiencing power trouble. 3:12 PM UPDATE: The line is busted on the pole right over the BECU ATM between Thriftway and the Shell station; as the photo below shows, City Light crews are on it. The folks at Thriftway say they’ve been without power for more than an hour but with generator help you can still make purchases, and they’ve been told the power should be back on soon. 4:52 PM UPDATE: Power’s back on, all’s well.

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Staircase shutdown extended a month
November 5, 2007 8:05 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | Utilities | West Seattle news

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A new city notice is posted at the half-century-old Thistle Street staircase (shown above) that leads down to Lincoln Park from Northrop in Upper Fauntleroy: Seattle DOT now plans to keep it closed for 4 to 6 weeks of “stairway restoration.” It had been closed a week already because of the work to fill the Thistle/Northrop sinkhole/gully that opened during last December’s storm.

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Upper Fauntleroy sinkhole progress report
October 26, 2007 10:07 am
|    Comments Off on Upper Fauntleroy sinkhole progress report
 |   December 2006 windstorm | Utilities | West Seattle news

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The work to fill the Upper Fauntleroy sinkhole/gully (atop the Thistle hillside stairs, at Thistle/Northrop) is going well, according to an update we just got from Seattle Public Utilities senior engineer Jim Lee; photo above is from less than an hour ago. Jim e-mailed WSB with this update for everyone in the area:

The gully has been mostly filled in, except for the north head of the gully. We are planning on filling it in with Control Density Fill (CDF) and then starting sidewalk repairs. This should occur either today (if we are lucky and the crews can get CDF today) or by Monday (more than likely). Until then, the sidewalk and stairs will be closed. The temporary bridge was removed on Thursday so that crews could clean up all of the sidewalk concrete that had fallen into the gully.

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If you’ve got gas, it’s getting new owners
October 26, 2007 8:49 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Utilities

Puget Sound Energy, which provides natural-gas service to West Seattle (and gas & electricity in many other parts of Western Washington), gas2.jpghas just made a deal to be acquired by a Canadian consortium. The PSE site has the official announcement plus a “here’s what we think this means to you” letter describing this as a “merger” with “infrastructure fund partners who are focused on the long term.” We were trying to remember how long it had been since Puget Sound Energy bought Washington Energy, which was Washington Natural Gas when we moved here; 1997, per the company history page.

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Sinkhole, made whole
October 25, 2007 5:50 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | Utilities | West Seattle news

From Amanda, who provided the original WSB report on the water-pipe “sinkhole” that slowed things down on Avalon overnight and into the morning, as well as a morning update — here’s her final photo from above, showing the finishing touches:

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Amanda says the water finally came back on too, after about 16 hours. (Utilities crews had to turn it off to stop the gusher that created the hole in the first place.)

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Avalon sinkhole repair work almost done
October 25, 2007 1:04 pm
|    Comments Off on Avalon sinkhole repair work almost done
 |   Transportation | Utilities | West Seattle news

Just drove through – traffic is moving in both directions, without flaggers, once more — though a crew is still at the scene finishing up some work. Thanks again to the folks who live in the area who added updates to previous posts!

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Avoid Avalon
October 25, 2007 6:24 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | Utilities | West Seattle news

The hole shown in the post below is definitely a sinkhole – just drove by, traffic at that spot on the Avalon slope is down to one lane, because of repair work (as of 6:20, it wasn’t even filled yet), with flaggers on both sides of about a two-block stretch directing traffic. Here’s the flashing-light proof:

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All this is happening just west-southwest of here. 7:20 AM ADDENDUM: Amanda, who sent us the original report very early this morning, just told WSB she and others in the area have been without water since about the time we posted that first report. So this definitely involves water pipes.

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Reader report: Avalon sinkhole?
October 25, 2007 12:32 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | Utilities | West Seattle news

Just in from Amanda on Avalon:

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Amanda sent that photo along with this:

I live in an apartment on Avalon and around 11:35 pm a sink hole or something appeared in the street. Water was rushing down the street from the hole. I saw a huge puff of smoke appear but didn’t think much of it, just thought it was a car exhaust but then I saw all the water. The cops came and then some sort of utility truck is here now. Should be fun for the morning commute if they don’t get it fixed tonight.

This is on Avalon about halfway between 35th and Harbor Ave. We’ll check on it in a few hours.

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Next time will be better, the mayor promises
October 23, 2007 12:17 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

West Seattle’s Most Famous Politician just promised (as detailed in a city press release here) that if anything like last December’s storm happens again this year, we won’t all be left in the dark for so long, literally OR figuratively. Meantime, the storm-related repairs that have been 10 months in the making are finally under way at the Thistle/Northrop sinkhole (full details here) — the heavy equipment arrived a couple hours ago:

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Stair shutdown looms for sinkhole repair
October 22, 2007 9:04 am
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

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One of West Seattle’s best hillside workouts is about to be off-limits for a week or so. We told you ten days ago that the Upper Fauntleroy sinkhole (at the top of the above-pictured Thistle staircase, a popular route to and from Lincoln Park) is finally about to be filled in, 10 months after it opened in the December ’06 storm; this morning, we checked back with Seattle Public Utilities for an update on the timetable, and Jim Lee just told WSB that work begins tomorrow, with debris removal first, followed by sinkhole-filling. New flyers are up at the site, with the reminder that the stairway will be closed during the work, which should be finished within a week or so.

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Gatewood/Morgan outage: THIS explains it!
October 19, 2007 11:28 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Gatewood | Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

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Now that power and cable are back for people in the south Morgan Junction/west Gatewood area that was without power till about 5:30 this morning, we seem to have learned about the culprit. Area resident Vlad Oustimovitch sent the photo above (thank you!), explaining it was “a large Big Leaf Maple tree that came down on the 4000 block of SW Orchard Street at 4:15 pm yesterday. It tore out the power and cable lines and blacked out the whole street, and I suspect other streets as well. Nobody was hurt, but there are skid marks 10 feet away from the downed tree where a car driving on the street was almost crushed. I came down soon after, and the driver was shaking as he looked at what just missed him. Crews were out early in the morning and had the street cleared and power on by 5:35 am. Impressive job, they did it all in the dark. Cable was restored a few hours after that.” 5:25 PM ADDITION: One more case of “When Trees Attack!” from yesterday’s storm. Hotwire Coffee proprietor Lora Vickrey e-mailed this photo of the tree that came down outside the Junction post office. Nobody hurt, Lora reports, but some folks passing by at the time were shaken up!

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Reader report: Fauntleroy/California back on
October 19, 2007 6:49 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

From the comments on our post below — Mike says the power returned around 5:30 am. Thanks for the update! Meanwhile, all Seattle Public Schools (in WS and elsewhere around the city) will be open as usual, according to the SPS site. 7:10 AM ADDITION: After more interruptions in Comcast cable internet/tv service in Upper Fauntleroy, more Comcast crews have just been spotted “working both sides of the street” near Caffe Ladro down the hill.

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Fauntleroy/California still out
October 19, 2007 3:35 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

As of 3:30 am. North side of the intersection (Corner Inn, Washington Federal) has power – street lights are on along Morgan on the north side of the Thriftway — but the businesses (Thriftway, Tully’s, Starbucks) are clearly still out, as is the traffic light at that intersection and the next light south (Caffe Ladro/Stella Ruffington/Akina Designs block).

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Late night update
October 18, 2007 10:56 pm
|    Comments Off on Late night update
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Took one more spin through Fauntleroy/California a short time ago – still out – no City Light crews in sight (but Comcast had a couple trucks a few blocks south). The City Light site says 10,000 people citywide were still in the dark as of 10:30. 11:22 PM UPDATE: One more outage that seems not to be on the city website:Read More

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Morgan Junction still out
October 18, 2007 8:34 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Just drove through Fauntleroy/California – intersection’s out, most businesses at that spot dark (Thriftway appears to still be on generator power), the businesses along California south of Fauntleroy are out too (Caffe Ladro, Subway, Starbucks, McDonald’s, etc.) though there’s spotty power on some parts of the left side of the street (like the Watermarke condo conversion). Full power picks up right after Seattle International Baptist Church. Going out in a bit to survey the waterfront areas. No wind left, at least. P.S. The City Light outage page doesn’t mention the entirety of this outage – it mentions Myrtle to Othello/38th to 40th (west slope of Gatewood) and Spokane to Charlestown/53rd to 55th.

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Adopt a … drain?
October 18, 2007 11:00 am
|    Comments Off on Adopt a … drain?
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

This just in from Seattle Public Utilities: City admits it can’t keep up with drain-clearing and needs “Adopt-a-Drain” volunteers. They’ll send supplies.

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Just in from Seattle City Light
October 17, 2007 4:36 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Press release just out of the inbox. Please note the line about the trees — go check yours if applicable:

With a windstorm expected in the greater Seattle area Thursday evening, Seattle City Light is preparing crews and stocking its trucks to respond to any outages that occur and restore service.

The National Weather Service is forecasting sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts of 40 to 50 mph. The peak of the storm is expected between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Winds of that level are slightly stronger than a typical winter storm in this area. They have the potential to damage the electrical system, causing outages.

One particular concern is trees that were damaged in last December’s major storm but are still standing. Those trees have been weakened and are more susceptible to wind. Also, because many of the trees still hold a majority of their leaves, they act more like a sail in catching the wind, further increasing the risk.

On the good side, soils are not saturated, giving trees more of an anchor. City Light also has trimmed trees along more than 100 miles of power lines this year to provide clearance that helps reduce the likelihood of damage.

Residents are encouraged to take this opportunity to get prepared for winter storms and other emergencies. Three ways you can begin preparing today are to make an emergency plan for your family, build an emergency kit and get involved with your neighbors.

You can learn more at www.seattle.gov/emergency.

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Also almost outta here: The Upper Fauntleroy sinkhole
October 12, 2007 2:16 pm
|    Comments Off on Also almost outta here: The Upper Fauntleroy sinkhole
 |   December 2006 windstorm | Fauntleroy | Utilities | West Seattle news

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Sunday marks 10 months since the raucous rainstorm that preceded the wild windstorm. One of the first effects of the pounding rain on December 14th of last year was the Upper Fauntleroy sinkhole at Thistle/Northrop (above photo shows the site today). Save for a little cleanup, and a temporary bridge built in January so walkers could still use the Thistle hillside stairs, plus improvements to city storm drains nearby, the sinkhole has remained, gaping, barely cordoned off, ever since. But not for much longer; flyers have just appeared in the Seattle Public Utilities sign by the sinkhole, saying that “we have resolved the outstanding property issues and are ready to commence with the repair project. We are currently waiting for authorization from the State/FEMA … We are anticipating on receiving authorization within the next week.” The flyer says the sinkhole, which the city calls a “gully,” will be filled in with “structural fill.” It’s accumulated some unofficial fill over these long months:

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As for how this work might affect you if you use this area — the city says it may start “quickly and on very short notice,” will take 4-5 days, will involve some traffic restrictions at that sharp corner, and most significantly (the city flyer puts it in bold, so we will too): The stairs will be temporarily closed during the duration of the repair work. Very popular for people walking to and from Lincoln Park, so plan alternate routes.

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