West Seattle, Washington
16 Saturday
Thanks to Elise Olson for sharing the photo collage from Global Reading Challenge competition at Arbor Heights Elementary, one of a dozen West Seattle schools on the list of this year’s participants. The Exploding Platypi won the AH in-school challenge with a perfect score of 120 and move on to the semifinals downtown on March 8th. GRC is described by the Seattle Public Library as a “battle of the books” competition for 4th and 5th graders; here are the books they’re reading this year. The teams that emerge from the semi-finals citywide will compete in the finals at the downtown library on March 22nd.
As you’ll hear the city Office of Housing director Steve Walker explain toward the start of our video, last night’s second West Seattle briefing on the proposed Housing Levy expansion/renewal was scheduled for a variety of reasons – because it was requested, because the first one was in a small room, and because on that previous night the slide projector didn’t work. So if you couldn’t be there last night, but have questions about the levy, which is expected to go to a vote this August or November – watch and/or listen. Many of the questions/concerns focused on whether this is doing enough to help, given the cost, and also on how increasing property taxes are affecting payers. You’ll find lots of info about the levy here.
11:39 AM: He’s said it before, and last night at the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting (full story to come), Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis said it again: Car prowling remains our area’s biggest crime problem. This morning, we have two reader reports:
36TH SW NORTH OF FAUNTLEROY: Mike sent the photo and reports, “Someone smashed our car’s tinted rear window early this morning. SPD officer stated this is happening more frequently. Thieves are only breaking tinted glass to check for valuables. Nothing taken.”
WESTCREST PARK: Janet reports, “My passenger window was smashed and bag grabbed in main parking lot (by community garden) at Westcrest Dog Park around 5:30 p.m. yesterday, 2/23. Bag stolen. Reported to police, but be careful!”
ADDED 1:59 PM: We’ve heard from Taren about a Sunrise Heights car prowl mentioned in comments:
We had an auto break-in last night on 35th Avenue SW in front of Trinity Church near Holden. The burglar/vandal broke the passenger side window with a rock. The key items stolen were a medium (18×10) grey metal toolbox containing primarily craftsman screwdrivers and pliers, a red back-pack style auto emergency kit (purchased pre-filled) and a large new-in-box Star Wars toy (black box… Star Wars The Black Series Jabba’s Rancor Pit Set).
(By Flickr member Charge, shared via WSB Flickr group)
Our daily look at what’s up for the rest of the day/night, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
HIGHLINE PREMIER FC SOCCER TRYOUTS: They start tonight at Highline Stadium, 6 pm for boys born 2000-2001, 7:30 pm for boys born 1998-1999 – see the full tryout calendar, and register, by going here. (430 S. 156th, Burien)
SEATTLE SYMPHONY AND STUDENT ORCHESTRAS: 6:15 pm, as previewed here, the music starts at Chief Sealth International High School‘s auditorium, with CSIHS and WSHS orchestras before the Seattle Symphony takes the stage at 7; the program also spotlights West Seattle Community Orchestra musicians. Free! Bring $ for Denny-Sealth Performing Arts benefit bake sale. (2600 SW Thistle)
‘TELL ME WHAT TO SAY’: Free parenting seminar, plus wine tasting and appetizers, starting at 6:30 pm at Northwest Wine Academy on the north side of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. Details in our preview – including the e-mail address for registering. (6000 16th SW)
HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: 7 pm, monthly meeting at Highland Park Improvement Club. Spotlight topic: New leadership for HPAC. (12th SW/SW Holden)
POEMS AND STORIES: Claudia Castro Luna, Seattle’s Civic Poet (and a West Seattleite), is a featured reader, along with Janet Yoder, at Poetrybridge‘s monthly Poems and Stories event at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), including a community microphone. 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
TREEHOUSE OPEN MIC: Signups at 7:15 pm, event starts at 7:30 pm – music, poetry, comedy, whatever you bring to the Treehouse Lounge. (2206 California SW)
Your dollar(s), donated to the West Seattle Helpline right now, will go farther thanks to matching funds, as the Helpline’s Chris Langeler explains:
In November 2015, Nucor Steel Seattle paired with one of their suppliers, Graymont, to provide $10,000 in community matching funds to the West Seattle Helpline. These funds were used to match donations made at the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Dinner & Auction. Their matching support helped make that night the most successful fundraising event in the history of the West Seattle Helpline!
We recently learned that Nucor and Graymont have now allocated $2,414.77 in additional matching funds, specifically for utility assistance through our One-Time Assistance Program. By working with Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, and Puget Sound Energy, this program helps prevent electricity, water, and gas shutoffs for families recovering from an unexpected hardship.
We ask our neighbors to help us access these funds to keep the lights and heat on and the water running for local families through the rest of the cold weather season. All donations made online to the West Seattle Helpline before March 4th will be matched up to a total of $2,414.77. If we meet our goal, we will be able to help up to 100 additional members of our West Seattle community stay safe and warm in their homes while they get back on their feet!
To help West Seattle Helpline acquire these funds and be there for our neighbors in need, please make a contribution online by Friday, March 4th at:
Our sincere thanks to Nucor and Graymont for their generous donations and to the West Seattle community for their wonderful, ongoing support. The West Seattle Helpline’s motto is “Neighbors Helping Neighbors since 1989.” We are grateful every day to have the best neighbors anyone could ask for!
Helpline is a nonprofit that provides emergency assistance to “help prevent evictions and utility shutoffs (and) provide transportation assistance” and also hosts the West Seattle Clothesline, “a volunteer-run clothing donation and distribution center for low-income families.”
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:47 AM: Good morning! No incidents in or from West Seattle so far.
9:01 AM: After a quiet commute, we do have a look ahead to Thursday night, when the West Seattle Transportation Coalition returns to its regular meeting space, 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way), and the agenda includes planning for the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure once the Highway 99 tunneling machine goes beneath it – timely since tunneling just resumed yesterday. From the agenda:
I. Membership Business – Vote for newest Board Member. Board positions open for May!
II. Vision Zero / 20mph: Gordon Padelford
III. Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program – Molly Freed; Brief presentation on the Viaduct replacement and closure information plus Q&A
IV. King County Metro – Chris Arkills; Update on Metro’s role during viaduct shut down.
V. Discussion on WSTC’s Sound Transit 3 Survey and Next Steps
All are welcome.
9:46 AM: Two problems to mention: A stalled vehicle blocking the left lane on northbound I-5 just north of the West Seattle Bridge, and a car fire at 16th/Roxbury.
9:50 AM: Advance alert for northbound I-5 in our area on Saturday night/Sunday morning:
Drivers heading into downtown Seattle on northbound Interstate 5 should prepare for possible delays overnight Saturday, Feb. 27-28. Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews will close multiple lanes of the freeway to repair overhead lane control signs.
Closure details
-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, to 5 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 28
-Up to four left lanes of northbound I-5 from State Route 599 to Interstate 90 will be closed.
-The northbound I-5 off-ramp to Corson Avenue South/South Michigan Street will be closed.
-All northbound I-5 traffic will be rerouted to the collector-distributor lanes at the I-90 off-ramp and back on the mainline just before the Cherry Street on-ramp from 2 to 2:30 a.m.
Tuesday was the big day that Chief Sealth International High School‘s Ethics Bowl teams had been anticipating for three weeks – their trip to Olympia as one of the trophy-winning schools in the competition. Thanks to teacher Noah Zeichner for the photos and report:
Nine students from CSIHS spent the day in Olympia today getting an close-up view of state government.The trip was a reward for placing 3rd in the High School Ethics Bowl in January.
The first stop was the Supreme Court where they listened to oral arguments. The Chief Justice welcomed the group, which also included students from Rainier Beach, Lakeside, and Seattle Academy.
After lunch, the students had a chance to meet all 9 Supreme Court Justices. The students shook their hands and had a chance to ask questions.
They also talked with Nick Brown, the Governor’s Legal Counsel and with Representatives Hunt and Zeiger, the winners of the first-ever Gabrielle Giffords Award for Civility in State Government. Other highlights of the day included tours of the Governor’s Mansion and the Capitol Building.
Read more about this year’s Ethics Bowl competition here.
(WSB photo: 1416 SW Roxbury, in which Origins will open)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The second recreational-marijuana store licensed in West Seattle will likely be the first one to open.
A week and a half ago, we reported on the first store license, for 5440 California SW. That building is set to undergo some remodeling and proprietor Maryam Mirnateghi didn’t expect to be open for up to two months.
Now, the second West Seattle license has been granted, for Origins at 1416 SW Roxbury, #D – and its proprietor told us today that he expects Origins will be open within two weeks, as soon as the city grants a permit to change the use from a medical office.
Sean Miller explains that they formerly operated a medical-marijuana outlet in the same building, as well as one in South Park, both now closed. Origins will be licensed for medical marijuana as well as recreational, but Miller says that component doesn’t go into effect until July.
His company, he says, is being evaluated for two other licenses, including a location over the city/county line but just blocks away in White Center, at 9823 15th SW, and one on the Eastside.
Asked what will set his store apart, Miller said, “The biggest thing that we’re trying to do with Origins is, bring a better name and a better feel to the industry. Right now you walk into a recreational store and you feel kind of dirty and like you’ve done something wrong before you’ve done anything … We’re trying to create an atmosphere like a Starbucks, you walk in and feel really welcome.” He says that includes a “very high-end build … with slates and cork floors. When people look at it, they think it’s a jewelry store because of the level of finish. We want to do that with multiple locations and legitimize the industry,” for customers of all income levels.
He’s expecting to be open along the lines of 10 am-8 pm Mondays-Fridays, 10 am-6 pm Saturdays and Sundays. No website yet, he says.
P.S. As mentioned in our previous story, you can look for other application locations on Mark’s map – one still pending in West Seattle is the site of longtime medical provider Northwest Patient Resource Center at 35th/Roxbury.
That’s the trailer for “Screenagers,” which you can see for free this Thursday night in West Seattle, with a bonus – a chance to talk with filmmaker Dr. Delaney Ruston afterward. Local entrepreneur and mom Jackie Clough is organizing it in connection with the upcoming launch of SeattleTeenBlog.com. It’s a subject right at the heart of 21st-century parenting:
This documentary explores how learning, playing, and socializing online affects teens’ developing attention span, self-esteem and moral instincts. SCREENAGERS examines the risks of failing in school, social isolation and digital addiction. The film explores solutions to handle screen time and provides parents with tools to help young people develop self-control and find balance in their digital lives.
It’s at 7 pm Thursday (February 25th) at Fauntleroy Church’s Fellowship Hall (9140 California SW). No ticket required, but please RSVP so they know how many seats to set up – you can do that here. (Jackie advises arriving a few minutes early.)
That’s the winning art chosen for this year’s West Seattle Garden Tour poster. Here’s the announcement from tour organizers:
The West Seattle Garden Tour received nearly 30 art submissions in response to this year’s artist competition. We are pleased to announce West Seattle artist Cynthia Turner as the winner for her piece entitled “Wild, Wild Flowers.” Her original artwork using a medium of cut paper, gel medium, acrylic on canvas board, will be auctioned on the day of the tour (July 17) to benefit WSGT’s 2016 designated beneficiaries. Cynthia’s art work along with several other ‘honorable mentions’ will also be on display during the June 2016 West Seattle Art Walk.
From Turner’s artist statement: “Using my personal ethos of using mostly up-cycled and re-purposed materials, as well working within the West Seattle Garden Tour’s theme of ‘The Art of Gardening,’ I set out to make a piece that was slightly mid-century in feel, using paper that I found or already had on hand. With this piece, I tried to create a feeling of a wild garden that was designed by nature and happenstance, yet is also clean and graphic.” Read more about Turner and her work here; find out more about this year’s tour here.
The city’s moving toward a new proposal for dogs in Seattle parks – and this Thursday night, the Seattle Parks Board of Commissioners will hear how Parks leadership is leaning.
That briefing document prepared for the Parks Board hints at what might be in the proposed People, Dogs, and Parks Strategic Plan, due out soon for public comment. It’s been a subject of discussion in several community meetings we’ve covered recently, starting with the Delridge District Council‘s meeting last November.
For one, the document says Superintendent Jesús Aguirre is NOT expected to call for “unfenced, (certain) hours-only” offleash periods in parks. It also says he’ll recommend limiting the number of dogs that can be brought to a park to three per person. And he’ll recommend that development of additional off-leash areas go “through regular new park development and/or existing park redevelopment processes.”
One more note from the briefing paper: “Beginning this month, there will be a two-person team, one Animal Control staff and one Parks and
Recreation staff, patrolling parks with the sole purpose of enforcing leash and scoop laws.”
The draft plan is now expected to be made public next month, with public meetings in April and May, and a final plan in June. Meantime, the board meeting this Thursday starts at 6:30 pm at Parks HQ downtown (100 Dexter Ave. N.).
ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:47 PM TUESDAY: Just in from WSDOT – it’s “conditionally lifted” the suspension order for its Highway 99 tunnel contractor, and the tunneling machine is digging again. Here’s the announcement:
Seattle Tunnel Partners has received conditional permission to resume tunneling operations on the SR 99 Tunnel Project. STP resumed mining today after WSDOT conditionally lifted the “suspension for cause” that halted mining and barging-related activities last month following two safety incidents.
As part of the conditions for lifting the suspension for cause, STP will be permitted to tunnel forward and install approximately 25 concrete tunnel rings. During this time, they must demonstrate that they have implemented a number of changes to ensure they can safely continue mining. These changes include:
Updated tunnel work and quality plans, including calculations of the amount of soil removed during excavation of each tunnel ring.
Realignment of key personnel within their quality assurance program.
New quality assurance protocols.
New personnel at key positions within the tunneling operation.
Restructured daily tunneling meetings that include additional participants and protocols.WSDOT made the decision to conditionally lift the suspension for cause after its team of tunneling experts evaluated documentation submitted by STP over the past several weeks. While mining can resume, barging activities are still restricted pending submittal of additional documentation.
(Photo by Andi Szilagyi)
11:20 AM: Avoid California/Alaska – a jackknifed truck is blocking most of the intersection. No injuries. Police have arrived to direct traffic.
11:24 UPDATE: The camera view now shows the truck has moved a bit and is now blocking one northbound lane, north of the intersection.
11:36 AM: A tow truck has just arrived.
11:44 AM: Scratch that – it’s actually Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, which will be taking a report, and is hoping to get the truck moved further along within the next quarter-hour or so:
(Photo by Dan Ciske)
Thanks to everyone who sent photos of this morning’s beautiful moonset – the “Snow Moon” that rose right after sunset last night went down right around sunrise today; we’re featuring four views (remember, you can click a photo to open a larger view in “lightbox” mode). Should be another gorgeous moonrise tonight – just after 7 pm, according to the WSB West Seattle Weather page. Here’s what else is ahead tonight:
CHIEF SEALTH IHS SHOWCASE: 6-7 pm, as previewed here last weekend. All welcome as Chief Sealth International High School showcases its programs, both academics and athletics. (2600 SW Thistle)
BLACK HISTORY MONTH DINNER: Right across the street from the school, the CSIHS Black Student Union is presenting an all-community Black History Month dinner at Southwest Teen Life Center tonight, 6-7:30 pm. Details here. (2801 SW Thistle)
(Photo by John Kalinoski)
CRIME, SAFETY, TRANSPARENCY: Southwest Precinct police will brief the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network at 6:30 tonight about the latest crime/safety concerns around the peninsula – and WSBWCN leaders have booked a special guest: SPD’s new director of transparency and privacy, Mary Perry. All welcome – you don’t have to be part of a Block Watch to attend. (2300 SW Webster)
(Photo by Lynn Hall)
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOUSING LEVY? Later this year, you’ll be asked to vote on an expanded Seattle Housing Levy that the mayor says is a key part of this year’s work to alleviate the housing-affordability crisis. Hours after he went public with his first proposal, it was discussed at a meeting in West Seattle – where participants asked city reps to come back for a longer discussion/briefing. Tonight’s the night. If you have comments/questions, the place to be is the Senior Center of West Seattle, 6:30-8 pm. (California SW/SW Oregon)
(Photo by Chris Frankovich)
WEST SEATTLE CROCHET AND KNIT CIRCLE: Don’t just sit home with your yarn … bring it to Uptown Espresso in The Junction for this weekly meetup, open to all, regardless of skill level. Starts at 7 pm. (California/Erskine/Edmunds)
MORE NIGHTLIFE: Music, trivia, karaoke – see the times/places on our complete calendar.
For years, West Seattle families whose children qualify for the district’s top-level advanced-learning program, APP, had to send them off-peninsula to be part of that program, as it was only delivered at non-West Seattle schools. Then last year, Fairmount Park Elementary opened, and included what the district now calls the Highly Capable Cohort. Next year, Madison Middle School will serve HCC students, expanding this into a local “pathway,” and this Thursday night is a chance for local families to learn more about it. In case you haven’t already heard about it via school or via our calendar:
Thursday, February 25th, 7-8:30 pm
Next year Madison Middle School will become an HCC (Highly Capable Cohort formerly known as APP) pathway option school, an exciting next step in West Seattle’s advanced learning options that began with the opening of Fairmount Park Elementary last year.
This event provides an opportunity to learn more about the new middle school pathway in West Seattle and the preparations underway for its successful launch in the fall. Topics include course offerings, class structure, and the options following middle school, along with any questions you may have. Speakers will include representatives from the Advanced Learning Office, Madison administration and faculty, and both West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School.
Madison is at 3429 45th SW.
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:34 AM: No traffic incidents in/from West Seattle so far. It’s clear and chilly, though, and if you have a vehicle parked outdoors, you might have to scrape your windshield.
7:06 AM: Note for tonight – Seattle Sounders FC home game (vs. Club America), 7 pm, so even if you’re not going to the game, be aware the stadium zone in SODO will be busy.
8:01 AM: SDOT has fixed what is usually the fourth camera in our traffic-watch stack above – the view of the Fauntleroy approach to the bridge. If your view is still stuck on February 19th, try refreshing – we’ve doublechecked and it should now be showing a current (and busy!) view.
MIDNIGHT: Via scanner: Police are checking out multiple reports of possible gunshots heard in North Delridge. They haven’t found any evidence of gunfire yet (shell casings or property damage). If you heard them but hadn’t called 911, please do, because that helps them zero in on what might have happened and where.
12:41 AM: Still no indication any evidence was found. If you spot anything in the morning, call it in.
TRENDS: Last week’s SPD SeaStat citywide briefing slide deck included a map of where gunfire was confirmed in the previous four weeks. It shows five incidents in the SW Precinct – including South Park – between January 19th and February 15th. (That cutoff date was just before last week’s two incidents in Highland Park, outside the 7-11 on February 16th and outside a house in the 7900 block of 16th SW on February 18th.)
Thanks to Alki photographer David Hutchinson for the view of tonight’s “Snow Moon” full-moonrise, looking east to downtown, from Duwamish Head in West Seattle. Might be a nice morning moonset, a few minutes before ~7 am sunrise, per the chart you can find any time on the WSB West Seattle Weather page.
(From draft Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Will Seattle finally ask voters in White Center and the rest of still-unincorporated North Highline to let themselves be annexed?
The answer to that question now rests with the fate of a bill making its way through the Legislature, approved by the State Senate in late January, heard in a State House committee last Friday, and headed for an executive-session discussion in another committee this Wednesday: SSB 5964.
It boosts the amount of state sales tax that can be diverted to the city to cover the cost of annexing (read the full text here).
An update on the bill was part of a briefing the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council received from the city’s longtime point person on annexation, Kenny Pittman. He spoke during WWRHAH’s February meeting, which was focused on the status of the Westwood-Highland Park Residential Urban Village and how neighboring White Center might play into it if annexation happens.
While the city waits to see if the bill gets final legislative approval this year, the annexation proposal is on hold with the King County Boundary Review Board, which would have to give its blessing before the proposal could go before voters, as would the Seattle City Council, which has had major turnover – four of its nine members – since giving approval to an early step in the process last summer.
With the city updating its Comprehensive Plan now, via the Seattle 2035 process, WWRHAH is not content to just let this all play out and then wonder how Westwood and White Center might become part of some sort of coherent planning process later. So this month’s discussion was intended as something of a jump-start. WWRHAH, explained co-chair Amanda Kay Helmick, wants to create a joint plan that includes White Center: “Something for people to vote on!”
That underscore: If there’s a chance White Center and vicinity might become part of Seattle within a few years, why wouldn’t planning already be under way, since the city is close to launching its vision for the next 20 years?
The answer seemed to be, in part, that the planning still might be inadequate on this side of the city/county line.
(Photo courtesy Alice Britt)
New this spring: The first-ever Westside Plant and Garden Art Extravaganza! Just out of the WSB inbox, here’s the announcement:
West Seattle garden-related merchants, clubs, & other organizations are invited to be part of the Westside Plant & Garden Art Extravaganza.
The event, sponsored by the Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation, will be held on Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, 2016, and will feature:
*perennial, vegetable, herb & berry plants perfect for NW gardens,
*garden art created by local artists,
*advice from local garden experts,
*information on sustainable gardening practices & ways of sharing our garden bounty with those in need.
*representatives from local garden-related community organizations, businesses, & clubsThis event promises to be an enjoyable opportunity for gardening enthusiasts as well a terrific way for local merchants and organizations to promote their products, activities, services and upcoming events. Displays, brochures and portfolios, as well as live or digital demonstrations are encouraged. All participants will also be showcased on the Garden Extravaganza website, soon to be published.
Booths/tables are available both inside and outside for either one or both days. There is no charge for businesses or organizations providing information only; however, there is a $75 booth fee for artists who wish to sell their work at the event.
To secure a booth/table at the the event, please contact Alice Britt at alicebritt@comcast.net as soon as possible. Space will be allocated on a first-come basis.
WSUU is at 7141 California SW.
If this isn’t already on your calendar (it’s on ours!): This Wednesday night (February 24th), the Seattle Symphony performs a free community concert at Chief Sealth International High School‘s auditorium – and you can see the Sealth and West Seattle High School orchestras too! CSIHS’s orchestra performs at 6:15 pm, WSHS at 6:30, and the Seattle Symphony at 7, featuring a side-by-side performance with the West Seattle Community Orchestra on “Finlandia” by Sibelius. Again, everybody’s invited, no admission charge; the Denny-Sealth Performing Arts support group plans a benefit bake sale in the lobby. CSIHS is at 2600 SW Thistle.
If you’re not in line yourself by then – you’ll see one at Easy Street Records starting at 5 this Friday night, because of this:
This Friday, 6pm, @macklemore @RyanLewis signing @EasyStRecords! First 100 to preorder new album guaranteed entry! https://t.co/N6Mmkey374
— Easy Street Records (@EasyStRecords) February 22, 2016
The WSB archives remind us that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis drew a crowd for a signing at ESR in 2011, more than a year before their huge hit “Thrift Shop”:
(WSB photo, April 2011)
Friday is the official release date for the new album “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made.” More on the ESR website.
The question came in via the WSB Forums as well as via e-mail: Why were trees planted, and then removed, at the city-owned triangle in North Admiral that recently served as the temporary location of Fire Station 29?
(WSB photo from late Sunday afternoon)
Here’s what we’ve found out: SDOT urban foresters chose and planted the trees without knowing a key part of the site’s backstory – what was discussed with neighbors last year about the site’s future, after a last-minute city turnabout put the temporary station there in the first place.
SDOT’s Shane Dewald responded to our inquiry today:
Seattle Department of Transportation Urban Forestry staff are so often asked to plant more conifers in the street ROW. We strive to do so when we have adequate space to accommodate them in a manner that is compatible with public safety standards for sight distance. The California/ Hill / Ferry site appeared to be well suited for conifers, which were planted based on species selection and placement by a Forester for my office – before he or I were aware of the strong community interest in the use of this site as open space, or the extent of outreach that had conducted before the recent temporary use as a fire station (including the proposed layout of new trees in the plan that I have attached to this message).
SDOT was immediately contacted and we met on site with a neighbor representing the community interests and aware that the conifers were not compatible with the use of the site. We understood from our meeting that the conifers should be removed and replaced with deciduous trees for consistency with the restoration plan discussed during an outreach effort by FAS prior to the temporary use for fire station 29. Though SDOT asked if there might be a possibility that one of the conifers could remain, we were asked to find a new location for them all.
So what’s next for the restoration? Dewald says SDOT wondered about fruit-bearing trees, but the neighborhood wants to see “non-fruit bearing deciduous street trees … for minimum maintenance and optimum compatibility with the community use of the site.” They have a “hybrid variety of Tupelo” available, “tolerant of urban conditions, has relatively small leaves with an open growth habit that allows sun to filter through etc. If this tree sounds like a good option, I expect the installation of the new trees can be done as early as this Thursday!” But – given what’s happened so far – they’re checking with the neighborhood spokesperson first.
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