West Seattle, Washington
14 Friday
(WSB file photo)
We’ve received a new round of questions about the status of Hiawatha Community Center, where the pandemic closure segued into a closure for what was supposed to be an imminent upgrade project – which still hasn’t started. For many months, Seattle Parks‘ reply to “why hasn’t the work started yet?” has been “we’re waiting for a federal grant” but that approval was believed to be imminent. That was the answer when we asked back in June, and it’s what the Admiral Neighborhood Association was told in September. (One big reason it matters to ANA – they’re still trying to bring back their summer-concert series, which has historically been held at Hiawatha.) So we asked Parks again – and “waiting for the grant” is still the answer. The grant has been described as half a million dollars, about a quarter of the project’s funding, Previously, Parks had said they couldn’t start work because that might affect their eligibility for the grant but now, Parks spokesperson Karen O’Connor tells WSB, “We are moving forward with the project and hope that FEMA grant approval comes before bidding. We are making building code updates to the design and anticipate the project will go out to bid in early spring 2023 with construction starting in May 2023.” The previously announced expected duration of the project is nine months, so even if work does start next spring, that means Hiawatha wouldn’t reopen any sooner than early 2024. The upgrades it’s supposed to get have been listed as “electrical repairs, water and sewer pipe replacements, furnace and water heater repairs, roof replacement, and more.”
Two notes about local athletic fields:
NINO CANTU SOUTHWEST ATHLETIC COMPLEX: Nearby resident David tipped us to work under way on the ball fields. Since NCSWAC is a Seattle Public Schools facility, we asked SPS about it. Spokesperson Tim Robinson replied, “Baseball field netting is being installed to prevent foul balls from landing in neighboring yards. The work should be complete by December 23.”
We found this rendering for the project online.
FREE FIELDS: Seattle Parks announced this week that some of its synthetic athletic fields around the city will be open through the end of February for free drop-in play; using them would normally require a paid reservation. Delridge, Hiawatha, and Walt Hundley Playfields in West Seattle are on the list; available hours/days for each field can be seen here.
After staff illness led to limited operations and closures on some days last week, Southwest Pool is back to normal operations today, confirms its coordinator Matt Richardson: “We are open for normally scheduled programs today. On track to operate full programming tomorrow as well.”
After being closed Tuesday and Wednesday for a staff shortage caused by illness, Southwest Pool opened for limited operations today. Now we have an update on the next two days:
Southwest Pool will run normal programs Friday, December 2nd, but we are closed for Saturday, December 3rd.
We still have multiple staff members out sick and are unable to operate full programs safely.
Friday normal operations.
Adult Swim 12-2:30 pm.
Seattle Public Schools Swim Meet 3-6 pm.Saturday closed.
Lessons and programs cancelled. Lesson participants will receive a refund for the missed lesson.
We are working to return to full operation as soon as staffing allows. Check Southwest Pool’s webpage or call 206-684-7440 for updates.
After a two-day closure because of staff illness, Southwest Pool will reopen tomorrow, but not yet on its full schedule, according to the announcement we received tonight:
Southwest Pool will run limited operations on Thursday, December 1st.
We still have multiple staff members out sick. We are able to run limited programming including our afternoon swim lessons. The day will look like:
12-3:30 Adult Swim – No WX or 3pm Lap
4-5:30 Lessons
5:45-6:45 Lap Swim
Public Swim CancelledWe are working to return to full operation as soon as staffing allows. Check the pool webpage or call 206-684-7440 for updates.
Just in from city-run Southwest Pool:
Southwest Pool will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29 and 30.
Due to staff illness, we are unable to field enough staff to operate programs or lessons safely. All Programs and lessons are cancelled. Lesson participants will be issued a refund for the missed lesson.
We hope to return to full operation on Thursday, December 1.
We’ll update here on Thursday, and you can check the pool’s status any time via 206-684-7440.
Seattle Parks says it will expand hours at community centers and Teen Life Centers in the next few years, with funding from the Seattle Park District. So it’s asking you what programs you value now, what days/times you use the centers, and what you’d like to see in the future. West Seattle has four centers that could be affected – Delridge, High Point, and Hiawatha (once it reopens) Community Centers and Southwest Teen Life Center; some of the questions could also apply to Southwest Pool. The survey closes this week, so if you haven’t answered it yet, you can start the survey here.
3:25 PM: Thanks for sending the tips and photo. A crew is working along the Lincoln Park beachfront trail, with signage warning that the problem involves “raw sewage.” We have inquiries out to try to find out what happened.
4:34 PM: Seattle Public Utilities spokesperson Sabrina Register tells WSB it’s a King Cpunty Wastewater Treatment issue – SPU “responded to the overflow earlier today and checked all of our assets in and around pump station 42, and crews did not find any issues. We are working with our County partners as they take over the response and regulatory reporting.” So now we’re checking with KCWTD.
6:30 PM: We talked briefly with KCWTD spokesperson Marie Fiore, who said the problem was with the Barton Pump Station (north of the ferry dock) but she was still awaiting more information on what exactly had happened.
10:08 PM: No additional major details but KCWTD just sent a statement:
King County Wastewater Treatment Division workers quickly responded to a combined sewer leak on Sunday afternoon. Seattle Public Utilities, who had initially responded to the issue, alerted county staff. The leak caused a combination of stormwater and wastewater to enter the beach at Lincoln Park, along a public trail.
A King County wastewater crew responding to the incident was able to locate the breach in the line and begin temporary repairs to stop the leak. Crews also began cleanup efforts and will post additional caution/closure signs.
King County reported the overflow to health and regulatory agencies and will begin water quality testing near Lincoln Park Beach and the Barton Pump Station. The beach is expected to be closed until several days of water testing confirm the water is safe.
That’s the newest Seattle Parks restroom building (aka “comfort station”) in West Seattle, and it’s also one that Parks plans to keep open through the winter. The department is wrapping up its fall/winter closure of most restroom buildings and drinking fountains, but published a citywide list of which outdoor-accessible restrooms it’s planning to keep open. Here’s the West Seattle list:
Alki Beach 63rd
Alki Beach 57th (shown above)
Alki Beach (Bathhouse)
Don Armeni Boat Ramp
Hiawatha
Lincoln Park (Beach)
Riverview Playfield
Seacrest Park
Parks currently has 129 restrooms around the city and says it’s hoping to have all in year-round use by the end of the next Park District funding cycle in 2028.
Lincoln Park is a little greener today thanks to the work by those volunteers, led by Friends of Lincoln Park, during Green Seattle Day on Saturday. FLiP forest steward Lisa McGinty sent photos and video with this recap:
50 volunteers helped put 365 native trees and plants in the ground. Add to that, it was just a great opportunity for community to gather and to feel a bit more connected to the land and our relationship to nature.
While we worked, we were treated to acoustic music by three WSHS students of the band The Potholes (their full band played the last set at the Junction Harvest Festival yesterday).
And members from the WSHS Earth Club helped with setup/volunteer sign-in and planting! The weather was great too. A Perfect day all around and I’m still smiling
Watch here for future opportunities to help!
FRIDAY NIGHT: Thanks for the tips! We finally made it over to Camp Long a short time ago to see what was being filmed there. Security told us it’s a TV project titled “Penelope.” According to productionlist.com, this is the plotline: “Feeling out of place in a society that seems to be moving on without her, a 16-year-old is drawn to the wilderness where she begins forming a new life for herself.” Brothers Jay and Mark Duplass are listed as the producers; they are midway through a “first-look deal with HBO,” according to trade publications.
SATURDAY MORNING: After more tips, we confirmed that’s what the crews at West Seattle Stadium today are for, too.
Rotary Viewpoint Park is cleaner this afternoon thanks to local Rotarians. Martha Sidlo sent the photos and report:
This morning, the Rotary Club of West Seattle spruced up Rotary Viewpoint Park at 35th and Alaska.
The project was coordinated by Gina Topp, the club’s Community Service Chairwoman. Rotarians planted new plants provided by the City of Seattle, weeded, and picked up debris and trash.
The park now looks spiffier than it has in a long time.
You can learn about the park’s history on the West Seattle Rotary’s website.
7:07 PM WEDNESDAY: We’ve been reporting for a decade on the site north of Morgan Junction Park that was bought by the city in 2014 and “landbanked” as a future addition to the park. As noted here over the summer, the actual park development won’t have funding until the next Park District cycle. (The city was working on design just before the pandemic – and then the project got shelved.) The site has been awaiting soil remediation from its past incarnation as a dry cleaners. In the meantime, you’ve probably noticed the guerrilla mini-skatepark that’s turned up on the previously long-idle site. Tonight we heard from supporters of skating at the site who are gathering petition signatures to ask the city to let them keep using it that way while the site awaits development. If you’re interested in supporting their campaign, the petition page is here. (Photo from August, sent by CJ)
ADDED 11:12 AM THURSDAY: We asked Seattle Parks about the situation. Here’s the response:
Unfortunately, this site is not safe for public use of any type and we’ll have to remove any skate equipment and re-lock the site. SPR has submitted for a grading permit (6924009-GR) to remove the hazardous material left over from the former dry cleaner. Included in the removal of HAZMAT will be some landscape improvements. We anticipate completing this work and opening the site to the public Spring 2023.
There was a substance poured on the ramp; this was not done by SPR staff.
Another reader report with an alert for parkgoers – this time from Rosalie Miller, whose park visits often have yielded photos featured on WSB. This time, her photo serves as a warning:
East entrance off 49th near Schmitz Park Elementary. It’s a large pothole. More cracks in the trail on both sides of the hole. This has been reported on Find It Fix It app.
We’ll check with Parks tomorrow to see if they’ve addressed it yet. The forested park has had hole trouble in the past; back in April, we reported on the rescue of a 4-year-old from a “mud hole” at the park.
10:12 AM: As previewed last night, Mayor Bruce Harrell has just announced his nominee for Seattle Parks and Recreation superintendent: Anthony-Paul “AP” Diaz, currently executive officer for the parks department in Los Angeles. That’s his second major appointment from L.A., after recently confirmed SDOT director Greg Spotts. The announcement is still under way on the Seattle Channel. Here’s the bio page for Diaz on the L.A. city webpage. According to his bio, Diaz has been with the City of Los Angeles for more than 20 years and served as the L.A. parks department’s general counsel before taking on the executive officer role.
10:30 AM: During the announcement event at Yesler Terrace Park, Diaz said he considers parks to be “essential infrastructure.” He also offered a new phrase “Seattle Shine” that the mayor jovially said he’ll adopt, and said he often likes to say, “Parks make life better.” Councilmember Andrew Lewis, who heads the council committee that oversees parks, said Diaz is someone capable of working with community as well as the council toward parks being a “focal point … the true gems of our community.” Diaz succeeds Christopher Williams, who is now completing his third turn as acting superintendent and spoke briefly during today’s event too.
1:45 PM: Here’s the official news release. It doesn’t mention what the job pays, so we are asking that on followup. …Update: $252,000.
Another of the few major high-level vacancies remaining in Mayor Bruce Harrell‘s administration is about to be filled. Tomorrow (Thursday, September 29th), the mayor will announce his nominee for Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent. Former West Seattleite Christopher Williams has been serving – for the third time – as acting superintendent, since the (second) departure of Jesús Aguirre at the start of Harrell’s term. The announcement is planned at 10 am tomorrow and will be livestreamed via Seattle Channel.
(WSB photos/video)
At today’s celebration of the shoreline-restoration project at Lowman Beach Park, Duwamish Tribe member Ken Workman shared the area’s historic name: gWal, or “capsize.” That certainly was once a risk for the at-times-controversial project, which took years of building public support and seeking grant funding to become reality. The project was originally centered on removing the crumbling north seawall at Lowman, but expanded to removing its beloved waterfront tennis court and daylighting the end of Pelly Creek.
The creek end won’t really come into its own until the fall/winter rains. But the expanded shore that replaced all but a small northern stub of seawall has been a joy for park visitors since the project’s completion earlier this summer:
Before this morning’s ribboncutting, there were speeches, emceed by Deb Barker, president of the Morgan Community Association, which hosted many community discussions about Lowman – as she observed, “This kind of project isn’t supposed to happen,” and yet it beat the odds:
Other speakers in our video were Workman, deputy mayor Greg Wong, who marveled at Lowman’s natural beauty, longtime acting Parks superintendent (and former West Seattleite) Christopher Williams, and Kathryn Gardow, representing the state agency that provided some of the funding. They were all joined in the ribbon-cutting by two local students, Ken from Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) and Ezra from Gatewood Elementary. The celebration also featured The Whale Trail – Lowman is a great spot for shore-based whale-watching – and Alki Kayak Tours/Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) with stand-up paddleboarding demos. Williams also acknowledged the community:
Not only did nearby residents endure months of work on this project, but as Williams observed, they also had been through years of work on King County’s Murray Wet Weather Facility across the street (dedicated in 2017). His acknowledgment also included the Parks managers who made the project happen – David Graves shepherded it for years, including seeking grants:
And Janice Liang managed the project through its construction:
P.S. Looking into our archives for this story, we found this 2010 WSB clip with a 360-degree view of what Lowman Beach Park used to look like (not only before this project, but before the overflow facility across the street, which replaced a block of residences).
(WSB photo, this morning)
We’ve had a few-details mention of this in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for a while but now the city has just sent the full announcement:
Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and the Morgan Junction Community Association invite the community to celebrate the renovation of Lowman Beach Park! Please join us on Saturday, September 24, 2022 from 10 a.m. to noon at 7017 Beach Dr. SW. The morning will be fun and filled with opportunities to learn more about the beach restoration and the animals that depend on it.
During the event, Seattle Parks and Recreation Environmental Education Team and the Seattle Aquarium will have naturalists on site to help the community explore the beach. Additional activities include stand-up paddle boards and tips for successful paddling from Alki Kayak Tours and an opportunity to learn from Whale Trail volunteers about the trail and the marine mammals that live along the trail. The celebration will offer an opportunity to meet your neighbors, explore the new beach, enjoy refreshments and West Seattle’s Original Bakery donuts.
This shoreline restoration project work began when the south half of the seawall failed in the mid-1990s. This recent project removed the remainder of the seawall and created an approximately 7000 sq. ft unobstructed shoreline benefitting the natural environment, the park and the visitors who can access the beach in a much easier way. The remnant of Pelly Creek that previously flowed under the seawall was daylighted as part of the project. The completion of this project now offers a shoreline park with a swing set, an open lawn area and a gradual transition a vegetated upland habitat to the nearshore habitat which together restore ecological functions, habitat connections, and allow the beach to develop and move more naturally.
SPR awarded the construction contract to Mike McClung Construction and work began in the fall of 2021. Construction was funded in part with grants from the State of Washington through the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account and the King County Flood Control District through the Cooperative Watershed Management fund.
The project fences came down, fully reopening the park to the public, in late June.
(Texted photo)
2:19 PM: Thanks for the tips and photos. The closed/fenced-off play structure at Alki Playground has been removed. Seattle Parks had said they’d do that before the start of the school year; the educators’ strike apparently bought them some extra time. The play structure was taken out of service in early August; Parks told us afterward that a “safety inspection revealed a major structural issue with the wood decking.” At the time, they hadn’t decided what would happen once it was removed – whether it would be replaced before Alki Elementary closed next year for its rebuild – so we have an inquiry out to see if that decision’s been made yet, and will update when we hear back.
3:08 PM: Parks spokesperson Karen O’Connor says, “We are coordinating with Seattle Public Schools for the play area to be renovated and the structures replaced during the school rebuild between 2023-2025. We will not be replacing the play structures that are being removed before the new school is rebuilt. Some of the play equipment will remain and is not being removed.”
After logistics challenges, Seattle Public Schools has moved student meal pickup during the Seattle Education Association strike to city facilities, starting Monday. Here are the West Seattle locations:
Alki Community Center – 5817 SW Stevens
E.C. Hughes Playground – 2805 SW Holden
Hiawatha Playfield – 2700 California Ave SW
High Point Community Center – 6920 34th Ave SW
Highland Park Playground – 1100 SW Cloverdale
Puget Ridge Playground – 6029 21st Ave. SW
Roxhill Park – 2850 SW Roxbury
Southwest Teen Life Center / Pool – 2801 SW Thistle
The meal-pickup hours are the same as they were at campuses last week, 10 am-1 pm. While the SPS culinary-services team is preparing lunches, the city announcement says, community volunteers will be assisting with distribution.
P.S. Tomorrow is also when the city will start opening some drop-in “recreation activity hubs,” including Alki and High Point Community Centers.
Summer’s not over yet! Another chance to enjoy music in a local park is happening one week from today.
That’s local folk musician Thaddeus Spae, who’ll be performing at Puget Ridge Edible Park next Saturday (September 10th). Got the announcement today from Stu Hennessey on behalf of the PREP crew. It’s a celebration of the harvest season at this local park devoted to growing food. All are welcome – to listen, dance, and/or just walk through the PREP gardens – starting at 3 pm nextSaturday, 5265 18th SW.
(WSB photo, August 7, 2016)
Six years have passed since that juvenile humpback whale stranded and died by the Fauntleroy ferry dock. It’s something we’ll never forget seeing – and hearing, as the 39-foot-long whale took her last breaths while people tried to save her. Later this month, the whale will be teaching posthumous lessons as part of a “walkshop” in nearby Lincoln Park. We received the announcement today from the Henry Art Museum, which invites you to the September 24th event “Care for the Stranded“ as part of its “Learning Endings” series:
On August 7, 2016, a juvenile humpback whale died on the beach just south of Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal in West Seattle. This animal was one of hundreds of marine mammals that strand every year on the northwest coast of the Pacific. These ocean-dwelling animals are mostly hidden from humans during their lifetimes, but in a stranding death, they reveal themselves to us, and call on us to care. This care can take many forms — from traditional ceremony, to scientific necropsy, to community vigil. Join Learning Endings collaborators for a forest and shoreline walk of storytelling, conversation, participation, and performance as we collectively consider what the death of the Fauntleroy humpback can teach us about the lives of these animals, those who care for them, and the entangled futures of humans and oceans.
Care for the Stranded is part of Learning Endings, a multi-part project by artists and researchers Patty Chang, Astrida Neimanis, and Aleksija Neimanis. Through a series of events, gatherings, research, and discussions, Learning Endings brings together local communities, scientists, artists, and humanities researchers to consider ecologies of care in a time of endings, with a focus on stranded marine mammals. For this Shoreline Walkshop, the Learning Endings collaborators will be joined by regional knowledge keepers Ken Workman, member of the Duwamish Tribal Council, and research biologist Jessie Huggins, as well as Canadian-based audio artist Anne Bourne.
Participants will meet at 9:30 am Saturday, September 24th, by the north parking lot of Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), and will be together for about three hours. There is no fee, but you need to register here (look for the “tickets” link). The Fauntleroy humpback was one of three whale strandings we covered on local shores last decade, along with a gray whale in The Arroyos in April 2010 and a fin whale at Seahurst Park in April 2013.
Last month, we reported on a Seattle Parks briefing at a City Council committee meeting, proposing increased spending to keep the parks’ “comfort stations” (freestanding restroom buildings) up and running, Arson and other vandalism were listed as costing at least half a million in repairs each year. Today a local park is the latest one affected – Parks says the EC Hughes Playground (2805 SW Holden) comfort station was damaged by fire and will be closed until work can be completed next year. A portable restroom has been placed at the park in the meantime. We don’t know when the fire happened – there’s no SFD call logged there this week – so we have a followup question out to Parks.
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