West Seattle, Washington
09 Saturday
We recently got a note from Jeff wondering about progress on the Alki pump station project, which has now been under construction for almost a year and a half. So we checked with the King County Wastewater Treatment Division folks, and Heidi Sowell sent an update – note the chance to ask your questions in person during Sunday’s “Celebrate Seattle Summer Streets” event (closing Alki to most traffic 9 am-5 pm that day). Here’s what Heidi sent:
Crews are completing the construction of the pump station. Much of the current work on the project is occurring below ground and improvements may not be as noticeable to those living, working and visiting the area.
… 53rd Avenue Pump Station Upgrade
In February 2008, construction began on upgrades to King County’s 53rd Avenue Pump Station in West Seattle. This underground wastewater facility, located on the west side of Alki Avenue Southwest at 53rd Avenue Southwest, is more than 50 years old and in need of repairs, new equipment and more underground space.The 53rd Avenue Pump Station will remain underground but will be about three times as large. Current improvements to the Pump Station will bring the facility into compliance with current code and design requirements while also increasing reliability. The pump station will help manage combined stormwater and wastewater flows from nearby neighborhoods and will reduce overflows into Puget Sound.
Construction Milestones
* Utility and storm drain relocation – Spring 2008
* Force main installation – July 2008
* Sheet pile driving – August 2008
* Pump station excavation – Fall 2008
* Pump station construction – Winter 2008 through Summer 2009
* Testing of upgraded facility and property restoration – Fall 2009Learn more at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/projects/westseattle/53rdAvePS/ or visit us
at the Alki Seattle Summer Streets event this Sunday from 9 am – 2 pm (near the pump
station). Thank you for your continued patience through the 53rd Avenue Pump Station
construction!
Thanks to the tipster who called us about this; last night, after a “transformer fire” call nearby, we heard from one person who was without power for a while, but they got it back by 9:15 pm and we heard no further reports. However, this morning Starbucks is closed (expecting to open 10-ish, per a note on the door), the QFC is open under generator power, and some other businesses are closed. Checking with City Light to see what’s going on. Checking at WV, it only appears to be the building with QFC etc. – Target and McDonald’s are unaffected. 9:29 AM UPDATE: Peter Clarke from City Light tells WSB the power should be back any time now, adding:
The problem was a transformer outage. The crew worked through the night to replace the transformer which originally was reported out at 7:38 p.m. The boundaries of the initial outage were on the north: SW Trenton St; on the south SW Barton St; on the east 25 Ave SW and on the west 27 Ave SW. Initially City Light estimates there were 133 customers without power, however, 80 % were restored power by 9 p.m.
We reported earlier this year on the big backlog at Seattle City Light – report a burned-out street light, wait weeks, maybe months, for it to get fixed. The mayor says he’ll take that on – news release ahead:Read More
The first area news story to break as West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day was winding down on Saturday afternoon happened to be a power outage on Harbor Island (original WSB story here). It left us with two followup questions, both of which have just been answered by Seattle City Light: First, a WSB’er asked, how could a Harbor Island outage involve 552 “customers” (since that means individual entities, not people)? SCL’s Mike Eagan explains the outage stretched along East Marginal Way a ways, too. Second, we wondered how just one seagull could cause that kind of trouble by landing on a “transmission line,” and before we could even make a call this morning to ask that, SCL’s Scott Thomsen read our comment and e-mailed:
A bird crashing into a power line would be unlikely to damage the line by the force of the impact. Birds cause outages by creating a new circuit when they touch two different lines. When such a short circuit occurs, it’s the electricity that does the damage by overloading the system. The bird is the connection that allows it to happen. When a bird lands on a single line and doesn’t touch anything else, they’re fine. You see this every day. The reason is that the bird is not creating a new, shorter circuit for the energy. The bird has a higher level of resistance to the electricity than the wire does, so the electricity takes the path of least resistance through the wire.
By the way, City Light’s outage page – including what to do if one happens, who to call, etc. – is here.
Other news is starting to break, just as West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day wraps up. Just got word from Seattle City Light that more than 500 customers on Harbor Island are without power, because of a seagull hitting a power line. Here’s the official news release from City Light’s Mike Eagan:
About 552 City Light customers on Harbor Island and along Alaska Way South lost power about 1:15 p.m. today. Most are expected to have power restored by 4 p.m.; the remainder within another three hours.
The outage was caused by a seagull hitting a transmission line. A City Light crew has been called in from home to replace a section of the line.
The Todd Shipyard was among those who lost power, as well as portions of Stevedoring Services of America.
7:20 PM UPDATE: According to the most recent update from City Light, e-mailed just under an hour ago, everyone has their power back except the site where the gull-vs.-line actually happened, the Burlington Northern Railroad yard; about that, Eagan writes, “A City Light repair crew was called in from home to replace the section of line and City Light expects power to be restored to Burlington Northern by 8:00 p.m.”
Lots of discussion here following the city’s update on the recycling/trash transition Thursday, now there’s a sequel: The city is cracking down on the apartment/condo pickup problems – read on:Read More
Seattle Public Utilities says its first week and a half of recycling, yard/food waste, and trash pickup changes has gone relatively smoothly, with a half-percent miss rate for home customers and five percent for apartment/condo/commercial customers. It’s expanded the call-center hours so that if you’re missed or have some other problem, you can reach someone at 684-3000 7:30 am-7 pm weekdays, 9 am-1 pm Saturdays. SPU also says it has “inspectors” trailing crews to check for trouble. (Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
(WSB photo from 3/4/09)
We photographed that scene just a month ago, as Seattle City Light continued a year-plus program of stepped-up tree trimming aimed at reducing weather-related outages, since many are caused by wind-spurred conflicts between tree limbs and power lines. But today, there’s word SCL will be cutting down on tree-cutting because of spending reductions; according to this news release, it’ll also mean longer times for street-light repairs (which already are running weeks behind, according to what we discovered in February) and longer wait times when you call the utility.
THE GROUCHOS: This is at least the third year that Groucho Marx faces have appeared in the bridgeside greenery of Pigeon Point. This news comes from Mark Bourne, who chronicles the sighting here and even wrote about them for Film.com last year.
GARBAGE TRUCKS: Not only did some trash/recycling procedures and pickup dates change starting today, WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli noticed something else:
He says that’s the first time he’s noticed one of the new “powered by natural gas” trucks, and adds, “You can’t really tell from the video but they are noticeably quieter than the old ones. They are also the cleanest garbage trucks I have ever seen.” We found a little more information at the Waste Management Seattle website — actually an excerpt from an earlier city news release about the new solid-waste contracts: “Sixty percent of the (WM) trucks will run on a bio-diesel blend and 40 percent will run on compressed natural gas.” Remember, if you’re STILL confused about the changes, you can find more info here or call the city’s “customer service” line at 684-3000.
BONUS SIGHTING: Moments after we published this item, we received a note, with pix, re: yet another interesting sighting — Larry Nitkey wondered if this was a “bridge to nowhere”:
Still looking for complete verification but 99% sure it’s for the Hood Canal Bridge project, judging by what’s in this Sunday article. (Note that the bridge’s six-week construction shutdown is just a month away – it starts May 1st.)
TRASH/RECYCLING CHANGES: Today’s the day it all starts. If you’re like us and had Monday pickup before, they’re not supposed to show up till tomorrow. An online lookup tool is here (but it’s had a few reports of glitches). The recycling changes — more stuff can go in the bin, no more glass separation, etc. — are explained here. Remember that yard waste (including food scraps) is now picked up weekly. And if you’re confused, call 684-3000.
SPRING BREAK: Reminder that Seattle Public Schools (and others) are out this week for spring break, so you’ll see lots more kids around.
BAG FEE ELECTION VOTE: During the meeting that starts at 2 pm today (agenda here), the Seattle City Council is scheduled to take a final vote on putting the disposable-bag-fee referendum on the August 19 ballot. (If you’re new to this story, council members approved an ordinance that would charge shoppers 20 cents for each disposable shopping bag they use. A petition drive bankrolled by the American Chemistry Council [financial report here] was immediately launched to force a referendum vote on the proposal, so the fee hasn’t taken effect.)
After a discussion in the WSB Forums earlier today regarding the changes that kick in as of Monday, we checked with Seattle Public Utilities — and they told us that the collection-calendar lookup tool on the SPU website is now working. We tested it and indeed, it shows our new pickup day – although beware, it also suggests that day was in effect earlier this month. So ignore anything before Monday 3/30, but from thereon out, you should be able to verify your new pickup schedule here. Lots more info, from “what goes where” to how-to videos, is on the SPU site too.
Susan e-mailed from Pigeon Point to ask if anyone else is having a problem with discolored water this morning. It happens in various places at various times, so we wanted to share the Seattle Public Utilities link advising what to do if it happens to you – see it here.
(From last year, approved “schematic plan” for Myrtle Reservoir park)
Thanks to “jsrekd” for posing the question in the WSB Forums — what’s up with the park site at Myrtle Reservoir (map), where construction was supposed to be starting soon? First stop, the project’s official page on the city Parks Department website – where a new update revealed that the Myrtle park-construction schedule is “on hold” and that work may not start until this fall. That led to a call to project manager Virginia Hassinger, who says the delay is because Seattle Public Utilities work on the newly covered reservoir is taking longer than expected — the same crew that’s working on the Beacon Hill reservoir-covering project (remember this story, with underground video?) is working on Myrtle. Once park construction does start, Hassinger tells WSB, it should take about three months; she says she can’t wait to get going and get it done, but they can’t take control of the site till SPU’s work is done.
Got something you’re wondering about? We have a few other followups in the works and are always ready for more – send a note or call any time (all our various contact methods are here).
TRASH COUNTDOWN: At WSB HQ, we finally got the official notice taped to the containers, after today’s pickup … although we’d already received the notice in the mail saying our pickup day, currently Monday, is changing to Tuesday. One week from today is when the changes – including higher rates and weekly yard/food waste pickup — start kicking in. One big reminder we took away from a Seattle Public Utilities presentation at last week’s Alki Community Council meeting – which is likely to be mentioned again at tonight’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting — is that, while you used to be able to opt out of yard-waste service, you can’t any more – it’s mandatory (even if you don’t have yard waste to recycle, the city is encouraging you to recycle food waste), but you can get a small container (full options listed here).
TEAM DELRIDGE EVENT TONIGHT, LOCATION CORRECTION: We listed the wrong location in an earlier note – it’s at 6:30 pm at Southwest Community Center (map).
CAMP LONG EVENT THIS WEEKEND: Coming up next weekend, a great way to enjoy and support one of West Seattle’s greenest treasures: a coffeehouse and dessert-auction fundraiser at Camp Long, 7 pm this Saturday night, with music by Jim Page and Grant Dermody. Reservations recommended, call 206-684-7434 or 206-938-3870. $10 per adult; kids over 5 are $5, and a naturalist program will be available for them to enjoy during the event.
IT’S A REALLY BIG TREE: Over the weekend we reported on the new plan for the SW Manning/Admiral Way site that’s best known for its sequoia tree. City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, whose Parks Committee will look at the plan tomorrow morning, visited over the weekend – for a sense of the tree’s size, check out this photo of the tree, with Councilmember Rasmussen standing next to it:
Earlier today, we saw the label crews trailing the pickup crews again, taping notices to trash/recycling containers along Alki Avenue – a reminder there are two weeks to go till new city contracts kick in, upping rates, expanding what’s recyclable, changing yard/food waste pickup to weekly, and for many households, changing pickup days. (We’ve been Monday since we bought our house in ’93; as of 3/31 it’ll be Tuesday.) If you don’t see a note attached to your can(s), watch your mailbox – the collection day is mentioned above your address on a brochure about the changes. Here’s the latest city news release aimed at keeping the impending changes top-of-mind; again, they kick in the week of 3/30. (Note the recycling/disposal-station rates are rising too.)
(Video: Sili Savusa of SWYFS discusses how the utility-bill-help changes will be used in their work)
Just back from Mayor Nickels’ brief media op at Southwest Youth and Family Services in North Delridge. Two big items: First, he publicly congratulated Police Chief Gil Kerllikowske for the official announcement this morning of his nomination as federal “drug czar” (White House news release here); the mayor says he will announce his plans for interim SPD leadership on Monday. His Kerlikowske quote: “Our loss is the nation’s gain.” He would not comment on a possible short list for interim and permanent chief, although he hinted quite strongly that the permanent chief could well come from within SPD – here’s video of what he said about that:
Second, the main reason for the briefing: He announced — with the help of SWYFS staffers Rosario Nava and Sili Savusa (Rosario is at the microphone in the top photo) — a new streamlined program for offering utility-bill help to families making 70 percent or less of the local median income. Bottom line on that: The city will now use the same eligibility standard for Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light help – currently, that’s an annual income of $53,124 or less for a family of four, which makes you eligible for a 50 percent reduction in utility bills for up to 18 months. You can get an application and more information by calling 206-684-0268. Full details in this city news release.
Thanks to Bob Loblaw for sending word – and pic – of the notice taped to his trash can after this morning’s pickup: In his Fairmount Park neighborhood, at least, Monday pickup will move to Tuesday as of the week of March 30th. We have Monday pickup here in Upper Fauntleroy too, but have NOT received any such notice, so we’re not assuming everyone with Monday pickup is switching to Tuesday – just wanted to remind you to start checking your receptacles (the city says you should get a notice no later than March 23). This is all part of the package of big changes including weekly yard waste/food waste pickup (other recycling will remain every-other-week), no more glass separation for recycling, additional materials allowed in recycling (like aluminum foil) etc. — all detailed here.
From Wednesday night’s meeting of the Southwest District Council (WSB sponsor): Busy agenda including not only updates on West Seattle projects, but also guest appearances by City Council President Richard Conlin, Alaskan Way Viaduct team reps, and a 
Seattle City Light spokesperson. But first: A followup on a story we brought you at this time tonight, the kickoff of the Friends of Junction Plaza Park‘s efforts to collect pledges of volunteer time and money to get the park finished this year. Susan Melrose of the West Seattle Junction Association told the SWDC that just since the Tuesday night meeting, 22 signed pledges have come in, representing 400 hours of volunteer time, and organizations are volunteering too – nearby West Seattle Christian Church has pledged 200 hours of volunteer time. Patti Mullen of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce said she had spoken with Lafarge Cement, who, she told Melrose, “wants to know if they can offer any labor and product that can support you.” Volunteer pledges circulated through the room before the meeting ended; here’s a form you can print, sign, and send in – also, as mentioned before, look for park volunteers at this Sunday’s West Seattle Farmers’ Market. Listening to the park update, Councilmember Conlin said, “It’s great to see Junction Plaza Park moving forward,” and that segued right into his update – which, along with Viaduct and City Light points, is just ahead:Read More
If you’re heading southbound on California SW through the 3300 block – south of Prost, The Bohemian, Spiro’s, and the almost-complete Madison Heights townhouse project – it’s slow going because of those four huge cherry-picker trucks working on trimming tree branches away from power lines. City Light has had major tree work going in West Seattle for almost a year now; SCL’s Scott Thomsen just confirmed to WSB that this is city work — “JTS Inc. is working there for us with a city arborist. They’ve been out in West Seattle for the past three weeks. They’ll be working in that area for about another month.”
We’re at the end of a two-part media event this morning put on by Seattle Public Utilities and the mayor’s office to start intensifying the reminders that the way you handle your trash/recycling is changing in a big way at month’s end. Rates are rising, pickup dates are changing, weekly food/yard-waste collection is happening, and you’ll be able to recycle more items (and you won’t have to separate the glass any more). First part of the media event is in the photo above – on a Beacon Hill streetcorner, the mayor and a neighborhood family used plastic props to demonstrate the new push for more food recycling. Second part, we’ll be adding video in a bit – we and the other media reps were taken inside the gigantic recycling-sorting facility at 3rd/Lander in Sodo …. (photo added 4:48 pm)
… for a look at what happens AFTER your recycling is picked up, BEFORE it’s sent off to whoever’s buying the “raw” materials. Loud, smelly, fascinating. Clips to come.
Here’s more info on the upcoming changes. Specific info on your new collection day should arrive in your postal mail. ADDED 4:14 PM: 1st video clip and some extra info:Read More
Just in from Seattle City Light – a warning that a familiar phone scam is making the rounds again – read on for the official news release:Read More
That photo was provided last year by Dina Johnson of the Highland Park Action Committee, before work began in earnest on the project to underground West Seattle Reservoir (surrounded by Westcrest Park). Eventually, part of the resulting greenspace is to become more parkland; at this week’s HPAC meeting, chair Dan Mullins said he’s working to get an official Parks Department presentation on the project lined up for a future HPAC meeting (as he’s since noted the levy passed last year; here’s an update from Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter:
It is a named project in the 2008 Levy, and as such will take place within the next six years. Parks will not have any levy funding in hand until King County collects first quarter 2009 property tax receipts, so we will have our first dollars in April … Mayor Nickels is working to speed up some projects under the banner of “Seattle Jobs Forward” consistent with the stimulus. To that end, Parks is moving forward on “shovel-ready” levy projects with funds from the Cumulative Reserve Subfund and will reimburse it with Levy funds when they are in hand.
We are also working on the levy implementation plan the City Council has asked for, and it will include needed staffing (very little, since some staff people who worked on 2000 Pro Parks Levy projects are still on board), a plan for going out to all neighborhood district councils to present what’s in the levy, public workshops, getting the citizen Levy Oversight Committee up and running, and creating a timeline for the named projects over the life of the levy. (As you probably know, with a bond issue the City borrows all the money up front and pays it back over the life of the bonds, and with a levy the money comes in quarterly over the life of the levy).
So, we don’t yet know when the reservoir project will take place, and we have not yet assigned a planner to it. We will have the community workshops in the upcoming months, and we will publicize them widely. Folks can also keep an eye on the fledgling 2008 Levy web page: www.seattle.gov/parks/levy/default.htm, which will be updated constantly.
If a street light’s burned out on your block, go ahead and report it, but don’t expect it to get fixed fast. We’ve just learned there’s a big backlog of burned-out lights: 3,500 of Seattle City Light‘s street lights are awaiting repair. We got the tip from a White Center resident (City Light’s territory stretches south of the city limits) who said he’d called to report a burned-out light in his area and was told it could be six weeks. City Light’s Mike Eagan confirms that’s true: “There are many more trouble streetlights reported this time of year and the current estimated turn-around time for repair is 32 working days.” He says SCL replaces 21,000 street lights every year (that’s a fourth of the city’s 84,000 lights). The long wait time is a big change from what Eagan reported at local meetings we covered last year (including this one in July), when he said it was down to a matter of days. But he also tells WSB that one particularly dark stretch of West Seattle street that had been the source of many complaints — Delridge near Trenton — now has the lights back on. To report a burned-out light, use this online form or call 206-684-7056.
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