West Seattle, Washington
08 Monday
(Added: 3050 Avalon site, photographed Friday morning)
Another chapter in the saga of 3050 Avalon Way, a vacant lot proposed for a 104-unit microhousing building. As reported here in September of last year, it was one of two West Seattle microhousing projects told that it would either have to make changes or go through Design Review as a full-fledged apartment buillding. That was the result of a Department of Planning and Development interpretation related to a lawsuit involving a Capitol Hill microhousing building. Less than two months later, we reported that the developer planned to make the changes that would keep the 104 units from being considered as separate apartments.
Subsequently, the nearby neighborhood group Seattle Neighbors Encouraging Reasonable Development asked the city for an interpretation on whether the city would view the plan as 104 apartments or 14 – and today’s Land Use Information Bulletin brought the notice of that interpretation, summarized this way:
The question raised for interpretation was whether the 104 bedrooms in the proposed building should be regulated as separate dwelling units. Each of the bedrooms has a private bathroom. Early versions of the plans showed counters with sinks in each bedroom, outside the bathroom, but those features were eliminated before the plans were approved. The interpretation concludes that the individual bedrooms are not designed and arranged as separate dwelling units, and that the proposed building is appropriately regulated as a 14-unit apartment building based on the plans as modified.
See the full interpretation here.
We first made note of a potential project on this site three years ago, when it appeared on our “West Seattle development in the works” map as a “14-unit boarding house.” Along with the 104 “sleeping rooms,” the newest plan set for the building continues to show it without offstreet parking – not required because it is in a “frequent transit” area (with RapidRide running along Avalon) – and with a basement level plus 6 stories and a “mezzanine” top level.
Accompanying the interpretation today is a key land-use approval for the project, a determination of environmental non-significance (“environmental” in land-use decisions includes factors such as traffic and noise). You can read that decision here. Its publication opens a two-week appeal period; anyone who wants to appeal the “interpretation” can only do that in connection with an appeal of this approval. The process of filing an appeal is explained here.
While the repaving work in the 1300 to 1700 blocks of Alki Avenue SW has wrapped up (we drove through this evening to verify, about eight hours after taking the photo above), the Beach Drive work that was supposed to start has instead slid back a bit. SDOT says it’ll start tomorrow:
Seattle Department of Transportation crews will pave Beach Drive Southwest between Southwest Spokane Street and Southwest Orleans Street, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, on Friday, Aug. 7 and again on Tuesday, Aug. 11. During this time, the street will be closed to through traffic but open for local access. People may enter and exit driveways, but they may need to wait at times for up to 15 minutes. On-street parking will be restricted in the work area. Due to equipment issues, the schedule for this paving project has been changed from its original schedule for Aug.6-Aug.7.
6:45 PM: If you’re not already at Hiawatha Community Center park – grab a folding chair and get over to the east lawn while blues/folk/rock artist Star Anna is onstage! Her show is the third of six in this year’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series (presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association with co-sponsors including WSB), on until about 8 pm, along Walnut south of Lander.
7:03 PM: Added a quick Instagram clip (mouse over the image to find the “play” button); more photos/video later. She’s warming up, as she put it, with solo songs, and says her band will join in after the upcoming break – “then you can really start dancing,” she said, perhaps to the small children swarming in front of the stage.
Good crowd here as usual but still lots of room to pull up your own corner of the lawn and settle in for some good music.
7:49 PM: One more Instagram clip, from Star Anna’s rockin’ set with the band.
ADDED: A full song, above, and a few photos inline. Next week, Modern Relics (August 13th).
Maybe you saw the flyby too – Rosie asked about it via the WSB Facebook page, almost concurrently with that photo arriving in the WSB inbox courtesy of Keefe Leung. That was the Europe-based Breitling Jet Team, which performed at Seafair last weekend, leaving around 4:45 today. Keefe reports, “They did a couple photo-op passes in formations with the downtown skyline before continuing north.” They fly seven Czech-made L-39C Albatros jets; read about the team here. Next stop: Abbotsford, British Columbia.
If you were waiting for the third round of primary-election results – it’s in. For Seattle City Council District 1 (Seattle/South Park), Lisa Herbold‘s lead over Shannon Braddock has widened to more than 300 votes. Phillip Tavel is a relatively distant third:
Herbold – 30.07% – 4870 votes
Braddock – 27.97% – 4530 votes
Tavel – 18.07% – 2926 votes
Top two go to the November general-election ballot. We’ll be adding more results-update notes shortly.
Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
BAIL INCREASED FOR VANDALISM SUSPECT: We reported early Wednesday on 31-year-old Yonas Berhane, arrested near California/Raymond after allegedly vandalizing at least 10 vehicles and harassing/threatening people. At a hearing this morning in a King County Jail courtroom, Berhane’s bail was increased to $10,000, and additional charges were filed, according to the docket – he now faces two charges of harassment and eight charges of vandalism. He is due back in court on August 17th.
TODDLER’S STREET SIGN STOLEN: You wouldn’t expect to see a street sign for Corliss Avenue in West Seattle – it’s way up by Northgate. If you do, it might be the one Justin is looking for:
Last night, someone walked off with our decorative street sign (purchased from the city of Seattle). Our son shares the name.
It happened in the southeast Gatewood area. If you find/see it … let us, and police, know!
(ADDED: WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
2:29 PM: A major Seattle Fire response is on the way to the 3700 block of Beach Drive [map] for a rescue response – a report of an overturned kayak, 300 yards offshore. Units are being sent by land and sea. More to come.
2:37 PM: A fireboat is reported to be making contact with a kayaker and trying to determine if anyone is actually in need of help.
2:42 PM: The Coast Guard subsequently reported that another kayaker might have helped someone in trouble, but right now it’s being concluded there is no (longer an) emergency. Some of the responding units are being dismissed.
2:47 PM: Our crew is there now and has been told the same thing on shore – one paddler assisted another and everyone is OK now.
(ADDED 1:06 PM: WSB photo)
Thanks to the tipster who let us know about a crash at 8th south of Barton. We just got to the scene; 8th remains blocked south of Barton while tow trucks are awaited. Police tell us one person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The tipster says a Route 131 bus has been stuck at the scene too.
Four food-and-drink-related West Seattle biznotes:
QUADRATO CLOSES: Michael sent the photo and wondered about the status of Quadrato at 4302 SW Oregon, saying it hadn’t been open for a few days. We e-mailed proprietor Cary Kemp, who confirms this morning: “Due to the recent addition of two West Seattle eateries offering the same menu items within a stone’s throw of Quadrato, we have been forced to shutter our establishment. We are grateful to our customers who supported us the last 2 years and thank you all for keeping us in business.” Kemp also owns Pizzeria 22 in The Admiral District, which WILL continue in operation. Quadrato opened in October 2013.
RENOVATIONS AT HARRY’S CHICKEN JOINT: We heard from a few people worried about Harry’s Chicken Joint at 6032 California SW, closed and papered. Just a TEMPORARY closure, we’re told by proprietor Bruce Cougan, who says it’s a round of renovations they’ve been planning for months. “We wanted to paint the whole place, including the back prep areas. We are also repairing one reach-in and adding another. The countertop is getting replaced and we are adding new touches to the dining room and removing the large table.” They’ll be done and ready to reopen in another week.
WEST SEATTLE BREWING COMPANY: We’re asked periodically about the 4415 Fauntleroy SW establishment that had just reopened after one mystery closure, only to shut down again on June 22nd, when King County ordered it to close for “operating without a valid permit.” You might have noticed work going on there again; on the WSBC Facebook page, owner Drew answered a “When are you reopening?” question on FB with “We’ve hesitated to provide any kind of timeline, because the timelines we have been given are vague at best & between 3 separate government entities, rarely, if ever accurate. Last thing we want is to put any of you through the repeated disappointment & frustrations we’ve had to & continue to crawl through. If it were as simple as picking a date, I promise we most certainly would have done so, & of course would have passed along that information to all as well. Instead, bureaucracy, or “beer-ocracy” as we call it, continues to be a battle, of which very little is in our control.”
FROM JUICE TO NAILS: The ex-Jamba Juice space at Westwood Village, empty a year and a half, will be the new home of NK Nails, moving from its current spot next to Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) elsewhere in WWV. We’d received a tip to that effect a while ago; now it’s confirmed by a construction-permit application and other documents in the Department of Planning and Development files.
Last night, we mentioned a barge full of trash including tsunami debris was expected at Waste Management Northwest‘s South Park dock in time for a media event tomorrow morning. Looks like it’ll be there in plenty of time:
Steve just sent these photos from the low bridge as a barge matching the WMNW photos went through, headed southbound on the Duwamish River:
Here’s more backstory – including some details we didn’t have in last night’s story – the barge is the Dioskouroi.
Forecast for tonight – “mostly clear”! Good news for the outdoor events on our list of highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
DELRIDGE GROCERY COOP FARM STAND: We’re welcoming the Delridge Grocery Cooperative Farm Stand as a new WSB sponsor, as they get ready for this week’s session – fresh-picked vegetables and fruit, in partnership with The Little Red Hen Project. Visit the farm stand to see what’s fresh this week, and meet more of your neighbors! 4-7 pm in the Super 24 parking lot. (5455 Delridge Way SW)
ROOT BEER FLOATS @ DELRIDGE CC: From the summer brochure for Seattle Parks, the Delridge Community Center Advisory Council is offering you a treat tonight – root-beer floats and games, 6-7 pm. (4501 Delridge Way SW)
STAR ANNA AT SUMMER CONCERTS @ HIAWATHA: 6:30 pm on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, West Seattle-based star musician Star Anna takes the stage in the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s concert series. Free; bring chair, blanket, family, friends, picnic … (Walnut/Lander)
3RD DESIGN REVIEW FOR 4515 41ST SW: 6:30 pm, upstairs at the Senior Center of West Seattle, the memory-care center planned at 4515 41st SW is back before the Southwest Design Review Board. Public-comment opportunity included – review the design packet and other info here, then come see the presentation. (Oregon/California)
HIGH POINT & ALASKA JUNCTION ‘FOCUS GROUP’: Live/work in High Point? The Junction? Both areas’ crime/policing are at centerstage at tonight’s researcher-led “focus group” at the Southwest Precinct – backstory here; 6:30-7:30 pm. (2300 SW Webster)
JIM PAGE @ C & P: 7-9 pm at WSB sponsor C & P Coffee Company, see and hear the musician once called “a lyrical genius with a guitar.” (5612 California SW)
EMMET CAHILL @ YOUNGSTOWN: Irish singer and former Celtic Thunder member Emmet Cahill performs a solo concert at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 8 pm – details in our calendar listing. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
HEY! That’s not everything. Look here.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:30 AM: All’s quiet on the traffic front so far. Alerts and Throwback Thursday photo to come.
7:44 AM: Today’s alerts:
SW ORCHARD AT DELRIDGE: For Seattle Public Utilities‘ project at Delridge/Orchard – “Between Thursday, August 6 and Tuesday, August 11, SPU crews will grind, pave, and stripe SW Orchard Street. This work will require the closure of the westbound lane on SW Orchard Street (east of Delridge Way SW). The westbound lane will be opened to traffic during non-work hours. During the closure, all westbound traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lane with the assistance of a traffic flagger.”
ALKI AVENUE & BEACH DRIVE PAVING: Lane closures are expected between 7 am and 7 pm for the SDOT paving project announced for Alki SW between the 1300 and 1700 blocks and for Beach Drive/61st/Spokane.
ADDED 7:59 AM – TRAFFIC THROWBACK THURSDAY: A century ago, in the 3100 block of Admiral Way:
That’s from the Seattle Municipal Archives – click the image to go to a page with a larger view. If the numbering is the same, that would have been right about here, toward the bottom of the east Admiral hill.
No revelations Wednesday night when the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board was briefed about the Admiral Way Safety Project, but the briefing did contain a few small updates.
(WSB photo: Frank Zuvela at Riverside plaza dedication in 2012)
Know where Riverside is? OK, maybe you do, but – have you seen it up close and personal? One week from Saturday – on August 15th – you have the chance, courtesy of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society:
Frank Zuvela, our expert on Riverside, the tiny fishing neighborhood below the West Seattle Bridge, will return on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, to lead our annual Riverside Walking Tour. Admission is a donation of $5, and the tour leaves at 10 a.m. For more info, click here!
RSVP not required – the donation will be accepted at the start of the tour (follow the link for location info).
(Photos courtesy Waste Management NW)
From the “what you’ll see at sea” file: Waste Management Northwest says the 300-foot barge you see above is on its way to its South Park dock after a trip to Alaska…
… where helicopters were used to pick up more than 3,000 super sacks filled with hundreds of tons of marine debris, each weighing approximately 400 pounds.
A significant amount of the collected debris was generated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and was subsequently deposited by winds and currents along the remote coastlines of Alaska and Canada. … The barge will arrive and unload the super sacks of marine debris on Waste Management’s Seattle dock. In a few weeks, local environmental volunteer groups will sort the material for recycling at an event coordinated by Parley for the Oceans, a national non-profit focused on addressing threats to the world’s oceans. Material Innovation company Bionic Yarn will then transform the sorted marine debris plastic into high-performance textiles and polymers. All remaining debris will travel via train to the Columbia Ridge landfill.
WM isn’t sure yet exactly when the barge will enter the Duwamish River; it’s hosting a media briefing at 11 am this Friday (August 7th) and the barge is expected to be docked by then.
King County Elections has gone public with its second round of primary-election results. While the top two in Seattle City Council District 1 remain the same, the order has changed – Lisa Herbold is now slightly ahead of Shannon Braddock:
Herbold – 28.56% – 3551 votes
Braddock – 28.23% – 3510 votes
Tavel – 18.51% – 2301 votes
Thomas – 10.87% – 1351 votes
Redmond – 7.20% – 895 votes
Rushmer – 2.20% – 274 votes
Robles – 1.56% – 194 votes
Wirsing – 1.41% – 175 votes
Goberman – 1.16% – 144 votes
Otherwise, the top two remain the same, in the same order as last night, in all the other races that West Seattleites voted on – at-large Council Positions 8 and 9, Port Commission Positions 2 and 5, and School Board Position 6, the only other district-specific (West Seattle/South Park) race on this ballot, which is now:
Leslie Harris – 46.74% – 5240 votes
Marty McLaren – 38.69% – 4338 votes
Nick Esparza – 14.09% – 1580 votes
Next results will be out around the same time tomorrow, with daily counts until final certification in two weeks. The general election is Tuesday, November 3rd.
Is there a preschooler or toddler in your family? Has s/he ever seen a firefighter up close, in full gear? Heard the household smoke alarm? Been told what to do in case of fire?
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
While this morning’s Firefighter Storytime at Delridge Library looked and sounded like fun … at the heart of it was a life-and-death lesson: Teaching small children what to do in case of fire. With the help of Junction-based Engine 32’s crew members, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins was the guest reader:
He read the same book that’s usually read at Firefighter Storytimes … “No Dragons for Tea,” Jean E. Pendziwol‘s book about a visit from a friendly dragon who sneezes and accidentally sets a house on fire. What follows in the story helps kids understand what to do and what not to do. After the reading, the kids got to see Firefighter Jeff from Engine 32 suit up into full gear, including the rebreather that, as Chief Scoggins noted, made him sound like Darth Vader. Then he got down on the ground to demonstrate getting below the smoke in a smoke-filled room and crawling to safety:
Chief Scoggins also got down onto the floor for some prizes and high-fives:
The storytime audience got to go outside and see the fire engine:
They also learned that firefighters go to many different types of incidents, including medical calls, so you might see them even if nothing is burning. The hope of course is that they’ll never need to put the lessons into action, nor have to see the firefighters at work, but one boy said he had: “Grandma started a fire,” he said. Uh-oh.
P.S. Chief Scoggins assigned “homework,” including asking the grownups to show the kids what the smoke alarm sounds like, and making a plan about how to get out of the house and where to go. All important stuff you can and should do with your family even if you don’t get the lesson directly from SFD. But if you’d like to check out Firefighter Storytime firsthand – next one isn’t too far away, a week from today (August 12th) at 11:15 am at South Park Library (8th Ave. S./Cloverdale).
Two updates on the upcoming SW Roxbury Safety Project, and one also involves the 35th SW project:
NEW START DATE FOR ROXBURY: The Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council has learned from SDOT that the work will start next month instead of this month. WWRHAH transportation chair Chris Stripinis checked with project manager Jim Curtin, who says the new start date is September 14th, so SDOT can “mobilize for both Roxbury and 35th.” Curtin told WWRHAH that “a new kind of technology to remove the existing pavement markings that is less intrusive and much faster” will be used on both projects, hydro-blasting. He added, “We will also do most of the removal work at night and on the weekends to ensure that we do not disrupt classes at Roxhill and Holy Family.” This method is being used on Rainier Avenue right now. One more update from Curtin, forwarded by WWRHAH: “Also important to note is that the paving work between 17th and 18th on Roxbury will not occur before we restripe the roadway. We need to purchase some land from King County in order for us to construct ADA compliant ramps on the south side of Roxbury at 18th. We are in the process of obtaining the land now and this work will still move forward as soon as possible.”
DNS COMMENT TIME FOR ROXBURY AND 35TH: Getting ready to write about all that, we checked the SDOT project webpage for Roxbury, and discovered that a comment period is under way for part of the preparation process, a Determination of (Environmental) Non-Significance. This covers both the Roxbury and 35th SW projects. You can see the DNS document here; then go here (or scroll through the embedded version, above) to see the SDOT State Environmental Policy Act-mandated checklist used to generate it – that’s a very detailed document with some project information you might not have seen before. While the first document says comments will be taken through August 14th, the Roxbury webpage says August 21st is the deadline, and explains how to comment.
(Last night’s Alki sunset, photographed by Trileigh Tucker)
Quick look at highlights for the rest of today/tonight – full list on our calendar:
FIREFIGHTER STORY TIME: 11:30 am, firefighters and SFD Chief Harold Scoggins are due at Delridge Library to help kids learn about fire prevention and safety. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND: 4-7 pm, buy fresh-picked organic produce at the High Point Market Garden Farmstand and the visiting ROAR Mobile Farmstand. HP SHA residents are eligible for vouchers, available at the farm stand as well as at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center, with half off all produce up to $10. (32nd/Juneau)
DUWAMISH RIVER KAYAK TOUR: Tonight at 6 pm, learn about the river and the Superfund – details here, including how to RSVP ASAP (which will get you the departure location – either West Seattle or South Park).
ADMIRAL WAY PROJECT @ BICYCLE ADVISORY BOARD: The citywide Bicycle Advisory Board meets at City Hall tonight at 6, with three projects on the agenda, one in West Seattle, the Admiral Way Safety Project. Agenda here. (600 4th Ave., Room L280)
CRIME/COMMUNITY POLICING FOCUS GROUP: 6:30 pm tonight, if you live/work on Pigeon Point, you’re invited to come talk with the researcher who’s been convening “focus groups” for communities all around the peninsula, at the Southwest Precinct, 6:30 pm. (2300 SW Webster)
It’s Wednesday and the weekend is in view – so we’re reminding you what’s up next for this season of West Seattle Outdoor Movies on Saturday night (August 8th). After three weeks of classics, the free movie you’ll see on the wall by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) this Saturday night is from last year – “Big Hero 6” (trailer above). Another big feature of this week’s event: The annual free barbecue presented by West Seattle Christian Church, longtime co-sponsor of the series (as is WSB). So come early – another crowd filled the courtyard at 4410 California SW last Saturday night:
Gates open at 6:30 pm – bring a chair, blanket, and if you’re so inclined, a few dollars for nonprofit-benefiting concessions and raffles. The movie’s at dusk, which could be before 9 pm this time around, especially if it’s cloudy. This is the fourth of this year’s six movies (“Guardians of the Galaxy” on August 15th and “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on August 22nd) – so if you’ve been meaning to go, don’t wait much longer. See you there!
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
We start the morning with a new road-work alert:
SW ORCHARD AT DELRIDGE, STARTING TOMORROW: From Seattle Public Utilities:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is continuing sewer improvements near Delridge Way SW and SW Orchard Street. Work hours are 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Between Thursday, August 6 and Tuesday, August 11, SPU crews will grind, pave, and stripe SW Orchard Street. This work will require the closure of the westbound lane on SW Orchard Street (east of Delridge Way SW). The westbound lane will be opened to traffic during non-work hours. During the closure, all westbound traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lane with the assistance of a traffic flagger.
Another ongoing utility-related project:
MURRAY CSO CONTROL PROJECT WORK BY LOWMAN BEACH: If you use Beach Drive in the area, keep this alert in mind.
And scheduled to continue today:
ALKI AVENUE PAVING: Lane closures are expected between 7 am and 7 pm for the SDOT paving project announced for Alki SW between the 1300 and 1700 blocks.
1:37 AM: Several people have asked about a police response in the California/Raymond vicinity. Here’s what we know so far: Police are investigating vandalism that damaged multiple cars. They were dispatched after what one texter described to us (similar to what was mentioned in the dispatching) as “yelling and smashing sounds.” They found multiple vehicles with damage including broken side mirrors, and were questioning one suspect at last report. We will follow up later this morning.
9:14 AM: We went down after it got light this morning to see if any of this damage was visible; above, two photos. We also are obtaining the report narrative from SPD and will add details when we have that.
9:54 AM: We now have that report, which notes at least 10 damaged vehicles, along California SW and in an apartment-building parking lot. The suspect is 31-year-old Yonas Berhane, who was arrested and cited – which means charged, in the Municipal Court system, which is why we are identifying him – with property destruction and harassment. As one commenter reports, the initial call to police said the vandalism was accompanied by yelling and screaming with threats to “murder people.” Police found Berhane walking northbound on California north of Raymond and say he appeared intoxicated. Someone told officers they had asked Berhane if he was OK and that he responded by threatening to shoot them and used both hands to “mimic … shooting guns, all the while shouting ‘blap blap blap’ (as in gunfire).” The King County Jail register shows he is still in custody, with initial bail at $2,000.
2:36 PM: Berhane is currently scheduled for a court appearance at the jail tomorrow morning. His record dating back to age 17 includes mostly misdemeanors, including theft and assault, but also a 2009 case that combined felony charges in multiple cases in South King County, including the theft of a car from a hotel parking lot near Sea-Tac; the car’s owners, according to the charging documents, had been staying at the hotel because their house burned down. He struck a plea bargain and was sentenced to two months.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 8:06 PM: The big race of the night for our area is the first-ever primary for Seattle City Council District 1, West Seattle/South Park, with nine candidates in the running. As soon as tonight’s vote count is in (any minute now), you’ll see the results here (and other races here).
FIRST RESULTS, 8:15 PM: The first and only election-night vote count is in: Shannon Braddock is the top vote-getter with 29 percent, Lisa Herbold next with 27 percent, Phillip Tavel third with 19 percent, Brianna Thomas with 11 percent, Chas Redmond with 7 percent. (added – full first-round results for all 9 District 1 candidates)
Braddock – 28.59% – 3096 votes
Herbold – 27.44% – 2972 votes
Tavel – 19.03% – 2061 votes
Thomas – 10.74% – 1163 votes
Redmond – 7.32% – 793 votes
Rushmer – 2.30% – 249 votes
Robles – 1.65% – 179 votes
Wirsing – 1.42% – 154 votes
Goberman – 1.17% – 127 votes
8:38 PM: Just talked to Braddock at her election-night party at Mission in The Admiral District. Asked “what did you do when you saw the vote count?” she replied, “Started breathing again!” We’ll add a short video interview later. (10 pm: Now added:)
Headed south in hopes of catching Lisa Herbold next.
8:51 PM: Just talked with Herbold outside her party location, Feedback Lounge in Morgan Junction (she was on the back patio, talking to her brother via phone, when we arrived). She said she was surprised by tonight’s results, not expecting a clear top two. We’ll add our quick video interview once we’re back at HQ. (10 pm: Now added:)
Again, this is just the first round of ballot-counting; next round is around 4:30 pm tomorrow. When the vote-counting is done and results are certified in two weeks, the top two advance to the November general election.
P.S. The county says 12,000 ballots from District 1 had been returned by Election Night – 20 percent of the “active voters” in West Seattle/South Park.
| 54 COMMENTS