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Spotlight Stories

West Seattle Outdoor Movies: Here’s the 2015 lineup! Also recruiting opening acts, raffle beneficiaries
June 3, 2015 10:40 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle Outdoor Movies

(WSB photo from past WSOM season)
Thanks to everyone who answered the call for suggestions for this year’s West Seattle Outdoor Movies series, six summer Saturday nights featuring free films at dusk in the courtyard by Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (4410 California SW; WSB sponsor), now just a month and a half away, with co-sponsors including WSB. The lineup is set – and the leader of the movie pack, Hotwire’s Lora Swift, has two requests. But first, the movies!

Sat, July 18th: “Zoolander,” 2001 (trailer above; PG-13)

Sat, July 25th: “Singles,” 1992 (PG-13)

Sat, Aug 1st: “Raising Arizona,” 1987 (PG-13)

Sat, Aug 8th: “Big Hero 6,” 2014 (PG)

Sat, Aug 15th: “Guardians of the Galaxy,” 2014 (PG-13)

Sat, Aug 22nd: “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” 1975 (R)

(“Rocky” ended its monthly Admiral Theater run last fall, so this will be its first screening in West Seattle in almost a year.) Now, the requests:

NONPROFITS WANTED: Every movie night includes a raffle to raise money for local nonprofits. If yours is interested, please apply now! You’ll have to contribute a few items for the raffle and have a rep there on your movie night as well as two volunteers. By the way, sponsors contribute cool raffle items too, all season long, so the raffle items aren’t ONLY from the beneficiaries.

PRE-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT WANTED: Lora is recruiting variety acts to perform in the courtyard before the movie (times TBA, since the movie starts at dusk and that gets earlier as the summer goes on) – go to this link (CL) to find out more.

The e-mail address for charities and pre-show entertainment is the same: westseattlemovies@gmail.com

ALSO: This year’s concessions will benefit, and be run by, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. For more about the series, check out the official website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Parkgoer’s warning; stolen chairs
June 3, 2015 8:55 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Highland Park | West Seattle news

Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes this morning:

PARKGOER’S WARNING: Police were in Highland Park Tuesday afternoon looking for what was dispatched as a man asking women for hugs. Then overnight, a reader e-mailed us to say that the man “groped” her while she was at Westcrest Park playing with her child “and attending to the garden.” She added, “This same man also appeared at the park next to the Highland Park Elementary playground, which I happened to be at after the P Patch. I informed the other parents and then called the Police.” She says he is known to him, is developmentally disabled, and apparently “tends to run away from his foster parents and go to the parks where he asks for hugs from girls. If you ever see him, he is about 6’3″ about late teens with blondish hair, call the police and let them know.”

HAMMOCK CHAIR THEFT: Also in Highland Park, a case of chair theft:

Our hammock chairs were stolen off our front patio Monday morning between 5:30 and 8 am. We live on the corner of 11th and Holden Street. Chairs are rare (made in Hawaii, available only [online]) and we have never seen anything like them. Any and all help relocating them is much appreciated.

Please call police if you’ve seen them.

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West Seattle Wednesday: From the beach to the SSC Arboretum…
June 3, 2015 8:35 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Wednesday: From the beach to the SSC Arboretum…
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(June bug photographed in West Seattle by Janet Pliske)

Midway to the weekend, here’s what’s ahead for the rest of today/tonight. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

LOW TIDE, WITH BEACH NATURALISTS: Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists are out at Lincoln and Constellation Parks again today, 9:45 am-1 pm, with low tide out to -2.2 feet at 12:06 pm.

WEEKLY ENTREPRENEUR/HOME-WORKER MEETUP: At West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor), the area’s only co-working center, it’s the weekly “informal brown bag lunch for freelancers, independent business professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs working from home or coffee shops.” Noon-1:15 pm. (6040 California SW)

LANDMARK STATUS FOR EC HUGHES SCHOOL? 3:30 pm today at the Muni Tower downtown, the city Landmarks Preservation Board considers whether the former EC Hughes Elementary in Sunrise Heights (built in 1926, leased by Westside School [WSB sponsor] until its move to a new campus this fall) merits landmark status. Find background documents here. (700 5th Ave., 40th floor)

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT COUNCIL, LOCATION CHANGE: 6:30 pm, the Southwest District Council meets but not at its usual location. They’ll gather at, and tour, the Arboretum on the north side of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). All welcome – meet at the main entrance; the tour will last about an hour, and then SWDC will move into a classroom for its business meeting. (6000 16th SW)

WEST SEATTLE KIWANIS: 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle, it’s the regular meeting of the Kiwanis, who tonight will be assembling care kits for homeless people. Join them and check out the club! (Oregon/California)

FREE BIKE-COMMUTING WORKSHOP: Thinking about commuting by bike? Get your Q & A on first with this free workshop at Cycle U, 6:30 pm. (3418 Harbor SW)

JIM PAGE AT C & P: Live music at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) with singer/songwriter Jim Page, 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)

MORE NIGHTLIFE … check the listings on our calendar. (And if you see something missing, please let us know! editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you.)

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: June’s first Wednesday
June 3, 2015 7:14 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: June’s first Wednesday
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:14 AM: Good morning! Another routine commute so far. One note for later: It’s an early-dismissal day for Seattle Public Schools – students will be out two hours earlier than usual.

7:41 AM: If you use 4th Avenue to get into downtown – SDOT reports “police activity” has blocked a lane at Main in Pioneer Square.

8:08 AM: SDOT says that’s clear. No other problems between here and downtown right now.

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QUESTION FOR DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES: Annex White Center and the rest of unincorporated North Highline, or not?
June 2, 2015 10:47 pm
|      24 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics | White Center

(Looking southward over the heart of White Center. Photo by Long Bach Nguyen)
Tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, as reported here Monday, the issue of White Center/North Highline annexation comes up for another briefing before the City Council’s Education and Governance Committee. Last December, that committee voted to take a step that it stressed just kept the city’s options open for potentially seeking an annexation vote in time to use a state tax credit considered vital for covering some of the costs. Now, another step has to be taken to keep that option open, councilmembers will be told tomorrow. But another vote would be required to actually pursue a vote by residents of the potential annexation area, and if that vote happens, it might not be until after the November election. As a prelude to tomorrow’s briefing – we asked the nine candidates for City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) whether, and why, they do or do not support annexing WC/NH. We sent the questions to their official e-mail addresses just before noon Monday, with a deadline of midnight. Seven candidates replied; we’ve published their responses in the order received and as received, unedited:

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West Seattle development updates: New projects along California SW and Delridge Way, plus a Design Review doubleheader
June 2, 2015 9:31 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

Eight development notes plus a photo:

EARLY DESIGN GUIDANCE SET FOR REVIVED JUNCTION PROJECT: Three months after we reported that 4532 42nd SW was active again, six years after demolition of the biggest building on the site, its new plan is on the Southwest Design Review Board schedule. As noted here in March, that new plan is for a six-story building with 84 apartments and 70 underground parking spaces, along with 3,350 square feet of commercial space. It’s set to go to the SWDRB at 8 pm July 2nd, Senior Center of West Seattle, right after this next project …

DESIGN REVIEW UPDATE FOR AEGIS LIVING: A week ago, we reported that the online files for Aegis Living‘s 80-unit memory-care/assisted-living center at 4700 SW Admiral Way showed it would go through Administrative Design Review – no public meeting. Since then, a listing showed up for a 6:30 pm July 2nd public meeting with the SW Design Review Board. We sought clarification from the city planner on the project, Holly Godard, who replied that the project WILL go before the board. The error/dual listing is unexplained, though, and even resulted in this apparently erroneous notice in the city Land Use Information Bulletin. The July 2nd public meeting seems to be for real, so if you’re interested in this project, mark your calendar. And send e-mail comments to holly.godard@seattle.gov.

Now, updates from two arterials. First, California SW:

NEW CALIFORNIA SW PROJECT: A mostly empty lot – just a storage building on its alley side – at 5431 California SW is proposed for three live-work units fronting California, with a two-unit townhouse building behind them, and two single-family houses behind that.

THIRD DEMOLITION IN TWO BLOCKS IN TWO WEEKS: The house at 4031 California SW came down last week, less than two blocks south of the 3811 California SW and 3829 California SW teardowns days earlier:

Thanks to Bryce for that photo. A two-unit townhouse and one single-family house are planned on the site.

CALIFORNIA/CHARLESTOWN FOLLOWUP: We reported last Friday night that Intracorp said it was about to get going on the ex-Charlestown Café site. The announcement didn’t have specifics on the exact demolition timetable, though; project spokesperson Dan Swallow has since told WSB that it’s expected one week from today (June 9th). **UPDATE, WEDNESDAY MORNING** As we’re covering in a separate story, the teardown is under way NOW.

Lots of redevelopment along Delridge Way, too. From north to south, three projects to mention:

4107-4111 DELRIDGE WAY SW: These two addresses are proposed for a three-unit rowhouse fronting Delridge and two single-family houses behind. (Side note: Records show that in 2008, this site was proposed for a six-unit “cottage housing” redevelopment.)

5013 DELRIDGE WAY SW: Land-use proposal for a five-townhouse building, with ground-level carports, on a vacant lot; the site plan shows the entrance will be via one curb cut on Delridge.

8139 DELRIDGE WAY SW: This house will be demolished, with four single-family houses scheduled to replace it.

FINALLY – THE WHITTAKER, FROM THE SKY: Local pilot/photographer Long Bach Nguyen, who often generously shares images via WSB, just sent this new aerial looking southward over the construction site at 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW:

We pinged a project spokesperson today to see if there’s anything new on this project (future home of 400 apartments, Whole Foods Market, other TBA retail, and 600 underground parking spaces), but haven’t heard back yet.

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Bike to work? Find out about Ride Around the Sound along the trail this Thursday
June 2, 2015 8:36 pm
|    Comments Off on Bike to work? Find out about Ride Around the Sound along the trail this Thursday
 |   Health | How to help | West Seattle news

If you’ll be bicycling to or from the low bridge on Thursday morning between 6:30 and 9:30 am, set aside a few minutes for a stop along the way. Just out of the WSB inbox:

Two local West Seattle businesses are teaming up to support the American Lung Association. Brad Loetel, owner of West Seattle Cyclery, will be in the West Seattle Cyclery Tent, as usual on Thursday mornings, handing out coffee, refreshments, and mechanical support to bike commuters. Mike Mulligan of AAA Washington will join Brad on this Thursday to help raise awareness of the American Lung Association’s Ride Around the Sound fundraising ride scheduled for September 19, 2015. We hope cyclists will stop and learn about this one-day, fully supported fundraising ride to support the good work of the American Lung Association.

(AAA is a WSB sponsor.)

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Shell @ Terminal 5: Next round of protest events announced, including ‘luminary flotilla’ Friday
June 2, 2015 5:03 pm
|      43 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Seen at sea | West Seattle news

(May 2015 photo of ‘Solar Pioneer,’ with Polar Pioneer in background, by David Hutchinson)
While Shell’s Arctic-offshore-drilling vessels might be leaving as soon as June 10th, opponents have announced another round of protest events in West Seattle. According to an online schedule (found earlier on this webpage, but it’s timing out as we write this), they’re including two “welcoming” events today and Thursday at the park adjacent to Delridge Community Center and a gathering tomorrow night across the street at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, as well as “land blockades” as soon as Friday and a Friday night flotilla near the People’s Platform/Solar Pioneer barge off Don Armeni Boat Ramp.

ADDED 6:25 PM: We went over to the Delridge CC park to check on the “welcoming” event and found two people under a canopy along with this sign near the corner of Delridge and Genesee:

They told us someone had already sent police over to check on them; the officers stopped by, and left.

(back to original report) Meantime, the state Department of Natural Resources confirmed to WSB that Shell has responded to its questions about whether the drilling platform is too big for T-5, but hasn’t made the response public yet, saying DNR staffers are “reviewing” it.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Student robbed in Admiral area
June 2, 2015 2:05 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

2:05 PM: While we haven’t been able to get full details from Seattle Police yet, we wanted to tell you what we do know about this, given where it happened: SPD is investigating a strong-arm street robbery reported just before 10 this morning at California/Hanford [map]. The robber took the victim’s backpack. While the location is just south of West Seattle High School, we do NOT know if the victim was, or was not, a student; because the report isn’t in the system yet, SPD media relations didn’t have access to details such as the victim’s age. The only descriptive information in the system so far regarding the robber is: A Hispanic man in his 30s, 6 feet tall, wearing jeans. When we find out more, we’ll add it here.

4:09 PM: SPD has added one more detail so far – the victim is a 13-year-old girl.

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California/Dakota gets first of 3 ‘rectangular rapid-flash beacons’ set for West Seattle crosswalks; Delridge, Highland Park next
June 2, 2015 1:07 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

Have you seen the new safety lights on the crosswalk signs at California/Dakota, north of The Junction? We noticed them earlier this week, grabbed the quick Instagram clip you see above, and then asked SDOT’s Brian Dougherty if more are on the way for West Seattle. Yes, he replied, two more so far:

The new rectangular rapid flash beacons (RRFB) at California Avenue SW and SW Dakota Street were funded and installed by SDOT’s Safe Routes to School program. This is one of several RRFBs that will be installed at school crosswalks this year; the other two locations in West Seattle include the new Delridge midblock crosswalk that will be installed in front of the Boren building, and SW Holden Street and 11th Avenue SW near Riverview Playfields (funded by Neighborhood Park and Street Fund). Both of those are planned to be installed this summer.

Boren also remains a top candidate for West Seattle’s next school-zone speed camera, Dougherty confirms, but the list of upcoming installations hasn’t been finalized yet.

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TRANSPORTATION LEVY: Proposal for partial ‘alternative funding’ instead of raising all $930 million via property-tax levy
June 2, 2015 12:15 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

Some of the concerns about the city’s proposed $930 million transportation levy – which, as mentioned in our daily preview, is the subject of a public hearing tonight – involve how it would be paid for: A property-tax levy. Councilmember Nick Licata proposes shifting a third of the cost to other sources – making it a $600 million levy, with $330 million to be raised via development-impact fees, commercial-parking taxes, and an employee-hours tax. Read on for the full news release:
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West Seattle Crime Watch: Where car prowlers/burglars hit
June 2, 2015 10:53 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Crime Watch: Where car prowlers/burglars hit
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

One reader report in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning, plus three incidents found on the tweeted police log:

CAR PROWL: Reported via text (206-293-6302 any time) this morning:

Sometime between 10pm and 5am our car was broken into while parked in our driveway. We are on 47th and Myrtle [map]. Everything was rummaged through but it is not clear if anything was actually taken. Fuse box was ripped out.

We checked Tweets by Beat – which shows address, type of incident, and time – and found only one other car-prowl report for the past 24 hours in West Seattle: 2200 block of SW Andover in North Delridge, reported at mid-afternoon Monday.

BURGLARY REPORTS: No reader reports so far today (editor@westseattleblog.com); two are shown on Tweets by Beat from the past 24 hours in West Seattle: One reported last night, 3700 block of SW Trenton [map] in Upper Fauntleroy; one reported Monday afternoon, 9600 block of Fauntleroy Way SW in Brace Point [map].

ONE MORE REMINDER: Crime concerns in Westwood/Roxhill/South Delridge? Be at WWRHAH tonight.

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West Seattle Tuesday: Plan an outdoor gym; explore at low tide; comment on zoning, levy proposals; talk crime @ WWRHAH …
June 2, 2015 9:04 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Thanks to Dina Lydia for sharing her short video of walking/riding passersby on Alki last weekend. Though it’s damp and cool this morning, summery weather is expected this weekend. But first, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, what’s up for the rest of today/tonight:

LOW-LOW TIDE, WITH BEACH NATURALISTS: Out to -1.8 at 11:29 am today, and even lower in the early afternoon for the next three days; here’s the chart. Starting at 9:45 am, you’ll find Seattle Aquarium volunteer Beach Naturalists out at Lincoln and Constellation Parks (look for the signs), until 1 pm.

LOWRISE ZONING HEARING: As previewed here on Monday, the City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability Committee has a public hearing at 2 pm about proposed changes in “low-rise” multi-family zoning; if you’re interested in commenting, just show up, and/or e-mail mike.obrien@seattle.gov. If you can’t be at City Hall, it’ll be live on Seattle Channel, cable and Web.

TRANSPORTATION LEVY HEARING: Another public hearing at City Hall – 5:30 pm, the City Council’s Transportation Committee listens to public comments on the latest version of the proposed transportation levy. (4th/5th/James/Cherry)

MADISON OPEN HOUSE/POTLUCK: 6-8 pm event at Madison Middle School to celebrate the upcoming end of the school year and to welcome incoming 6th-grade families. (45th/Spokane)

‘DRINKING LIBERALLY WEST SEATTLE’: Drop by at or after 6 pm for the confluence of politics and beverages, at Pizzeria 22. (4213 SW College)

TALK CRIME WITH WWRHAH, SPD, AND MORE: City reps including SPD and DPD will be at the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council meeting – as previewed here – for a discussion about ongoing area crime concerns (including nuisance houses). What’s the situation in YOUR neighborhood? Come be part of the conversation (or at least just to listen). 6:15-7:45 pm in the upstairs meeting room at Southwest Branch Library. (35th/Henderson)

HELP PLAN AN OUTDOOR GYM: 6:30 pm, be at Delridge Community Center to help plan the new free-to-use outdoor “fitness zone” that’s due to be installed this year. We asked Seattle Parks where on the grounds it’s likely to go – they told us, that’s up to you to help decide! More info here. (4501 Delridge Way SW)

THAT’S NOT ALL … our calendar pages for today and beyond have even more listed – see for yourself.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch; 47th/Admiral update; transportation-levy hearing downtown tonight
June 2, 2015 7:29 am
|    Comments Off on TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday watch; 47th/Admiral update; transportation-levy hearing downtown tonight
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:29 AM: Good morning! Quiet again so far this morning. We’ll update if that changes. Since our Monday traffic watch, one advance alert has come in:

47th/ADMIRAL SIGNAL UPDATE: After a stopdown while awaiting delivery of the signal equipment, the final phase of work is likely to start next week, SDOT announced:

As soon as Monday, June 8, work will resume at the intersection of 47th Avenue SW and SW Admiral Way. … We anticipate approximately 3-4 more weeks of construction while the signal is installed and configured. After we receive the signal equipment, crews will:
· Install signal equipment including poles and mast arms, signal heads and cabinets
· Stripe the intersection with new crosswalks and a new left-turn pocket on SW Admiral Way
· Remove the existing overhead pedestrian signal
· Complete remaining landscaping

When construction resumes, residents, businesses, and travelers can expect the following impacts:
· Construction activity from 7 AM – 4 PM
· Pedestrian and bicycle detours around the work areas
· Temporary parking and lane restrictions on 47th Avenue SW, SW Admiral Way and SW Waite Street
· Noise and activity from construction equipment and vehicles

ADDED 8:16 AM: Still quiet, per all the sources we monitor (scanner, transportation/public-safety agencies on Twitter, incoming messaging channels). One more reminder: If you want to tell the City Council something about the proposed Transportation Levy as it stands now, a special evening public hearing is set for 5:30 tonight at City Hall downtown – more info here.

8:34 AM: Transit alert – Metro has just sent a text alert that “the last Route 55 trip from 44th SW and SW Atlantic (scheduled for) 8:17 am is delayed about 30-40 minutes.”

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Congratulations! Madison Middle School musicians’ big wins
June 2, 2015 5:04 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS culture/arts

Thanks to Sheryl Guyon for sharing photos and news of Madison Middle School musicians’ success

Madison Middle School has an award-winning Music Department. They competed this weekend at Music in the Parks in Silverwood, Idaho. Under the expert direction of Mr. Clark Bathum, the concert band won 1st place for their division!

The Orchestra and Jazz band were pleased to each win second place, most notably with an excellent rating. The competition was intense this year, with more than 1,800 music students attending from Northwest high schools and middle schools. The school is incredibly proud of Jonah Elbaum, who was awarded Outstanding Jazz Soloist:

As one of the youngest members of the jazz band, his award is exceptional. Perhaps the greatest compliment of all came at the end of the trip. The hotel manager noted that this was the most polite and respectful group of young people they have ever had stay at the hotel. Mr. Bathum expects the very best from his students and this remarkable group of young people never fails to deliver.

According to the Madison home page, you’ll be able to see the award-winning young musicians in concert before the school year ends – the orchestra and jazz concert is listed for this Thursday (June 4th), the band concert for next Monday (June 8th), both at 7 pm.

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FOLLOWUP: Fauntleroy Creek salmon-release season wraps up
June 1, 2015 11:27 pm
|    Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: Fauntleroy Creek salmon-release season wraps up
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Photo by Dennis Hinton – creekside sign created by Taproot School)
One incredibly busy month of visits by salmon-raising schools – starting with Pathfinder K-8 on April 30th (WSB coverage here) – is over at Fauntleroy Creek. Judy Pickens has the wrapup report:

The last of 20 salmon releases in Fauntleroy Creek occurred May 28 when second- and fourth-graders from Concord Elementary brought their coho to Fauntleroy Park.

All told, volunteers with the Fauntleroy Watershed Council hosted 750 students this year and an additional 175 adults and younger siblings. Their participation in the Salmon in the Schools program resulted in the release of nearly 1,700 fry that will spend the next year in the creek.

Also this spring, volunteers documented 31 coho smolts leaving the creek for two years in saltwater, a dozen more than in 2014.

Next big season for volunteers on the creek will be this fall, when they watch for returning spawners – 19 last year.

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UPDATE: Comcast Internet trouble in West Seattle (and beyond)? No, it wasn’t just you
June 1, 2015 7:37 pm
|      62 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle online

7:37 PM: No official word from Comcast yet, but its Internet service seems to be having some trouble, not just in West Seattle but elsewhere in the metro area, and in the Bay Area too. We started hearing about it via Twitter a short time ago and it seemed widespread enough to mention here. Also via Twitter, you can see the Comcast support account responding to messages from users.

10:09 PM: Readers report service returning to normal – see comments – and @ComcastWA on Twitter also reported areas “coming back up.” No explanation from Comcast of what went wrong (aside from acknowledgment of what users had reported, that it was a DNS issue).

11:34 PM: GeekWire quotes Comcast as saying its people are “working through a root cause analysis to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

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West Seattle Crime Watch: 1980s-vintage bicycle stolen
June 1, 2015 7:27 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | Westwood

In a West Seattle Crime Watch report earlier this afternoon, we mentioned that crime will be the focus of tomorrow night’s Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council meeting. Since then, the person who sent the announcement, co-chair Amanda Kay Helmick, has sent a Crime Watch reader report of her own:

I had my 1980s Panasonic ladies bike stolen from my porch last night. 10 speed with Schwinn cruiser handlebars. It has a rear fender and bike rack. A light and bell on the handlebars and a clip for a basket on the front. Lots of star stickers, a Proletariat Pizza sticker and an Amanda4D1.com sticker too. It’s not worth a lot, but it’s My Bike! You know? I reported it to the police, and I’ve been driving around the ‘hood like a stalker…. the picture is from when I first got it almost 5 years ago. So BUMMED!

If you see it … let police know, and then consider commenting here as well.

RECENT BICYCLE CASES: None of these have been resolved so far as we know, so we’re mentioning them again (all three have photos too): 12-year-old boy’s silver Fuji Absolute stolen May 28th, also in Westwood; child- and adult-size bicycles found in Westwood and Highland Park respectively, published here May 20th – we suggested to the finders of the latter two that they be reported to police for pickup.

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West Seattle High School’s annual All-School Reunion next Saturday
June 1, 2015 5:53 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle High School’s annual All-School Reunion next Saturday
 |   West Seattle history | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

As summer approaches, so do reunions – including some that span multiple years, like the annual West Seattle High School All-School Reunion, set for next Saturday. From the WSB inbox:

Calling all WSHS students and faculty, current and former, to join us at the first Saturday in June (6/6/15) annual All-School Reunion. 2-3 pm sign-in, 3-5:30 individual class reunions and program including honoring Hall of Fame inductees, Scholarship recipients and more. Renew your membership and receive a beautiful alumni license plate frame (while supplies last)! Sign up in advance for a group photo of family/friends/classmates by student photographers in their studio, just drop an email to wshsaa.98116@gmail.com for scheduling. AND HELP US SPREAD THE WORD BY SHARING THIS EVENT WITH ALL YOUR ALUMNI CONTACTS!

You can see a photo of the license-plate frame on the All-School Reunion’s Facebook event page.

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VIDEO: Denny IMS Youth Ambassadors ask visiting Seattle Police Chief for more protection
June 1, 2015 3:52 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police | West Seattle schools

Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole spent about an hour with students at Denny International Middle School this afternoon. It ended with that group photo, following a bouquet presentation and an exchange of warm words of thanks, but the message the chief heard before all that was clear and unmistakable: Students want more help staying safe.

That’s just one of the “Youth Ambassadors” who spoke to the chief; others showed her a student-produced video showing some of the area concerns, including Roxhill Park, and recapping some of the incidents targeting students earlier this year. (Added: We captured most of the short film on video, but hope to get/find a direct copy to substitute eventually:)

O’Toole promised to step up patrols, but also spoke of prevention and intervention; she advised the students to stay watchful, telling the story of what she learned, working as a decoy officer, right after mentioning she’d been discussing the area with former Southwest Precinct commander, now Assistant Chief, Steve Wilske:

The Youth Ambassadors told the chief they’re seeking a $2,500 “Small Sparks” grant from the city Department of Neighborhoods for their safety project – that’s related to the Block Watch-style effort the Denny PTA told us about earlier in the year. Their class, as explained by the event announcement from Seattle Public Schools, is facilitated by Lori Markowitz and Denny staffer Matthew Riippa, and “emphasizes peer mentorship, leadership and compassion.” They explored “issues of student safety” as part of their “acts-of-compassion projects”; part of that involved surveying about 150 eighth graders. More photos to come.

One student suggested to Chief O’Toole that schools should be included in the new SPD Safe Place anti-hate crime campaign; the chief mused aloud that Denny might be a good site to try a pilot version of that.

P.S. Lots of citywide media covered this event, so if you’re seeing TV trucks in the Denny/Sealth area (one person has already called us to ask), that’s what it’s about.

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Rule changes for ‘lowrise’ development? Public hearing @ City Hall tomorrow
June 1, 2015 3:04 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Development | West Seattle news

Most of our reports on development are about individual projects – from buildings with hundreds of apartments, to lots where an old house is torn down and replaced with several new places for people to live. The latter type is what comprises much of what’s happening in West Seattle right now – especially in zones known as “low rise,” especially along major streets such as California Avenue SW. (That’s the light-olive-green shading in the map above – see the map full-size here.)

Once in a while, there’s a big-picture issue – like this: Tomorrow, a package of potential rule changes for development in low-rise zones goes before the City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Sustainability (PLUS) Committee for a public hearing, and neighborhood activists around the city want to be sure that you know about this before it’s too late to have a say, whether pro or con.

The changes known together as the Low-Rise Multifamily Code Corrections have been in the works for more than a year, starting as an attempt to fix “unintended consequences” of changes made to low-rise zoning in 2010. Those changes in turn had resulted from concerns tracing back two years further, to 2008, mostly centered on what was then the prevalent design for townhouses.

City Councilmember Mike O’Brien leads the PLUS Committee now. You can read his summary of the current proposed zoning changes by going here. Toward the end, he mentions what didn’t make it into the final revision of the proposal, and one of those points is key for neighborhood leaders who have been working on this issue: An extra 4′ of height for buildings with a floor that’s partly underground. Their concerns about the allowable size of buildings also include wanting those “partially below grade” levels not to be exempt from a project’s “Floor Area Ratio” – explained by the city as “the amount of floor space developed on a parcel compared to the size of the property.” They also want FAR exemptions removed for “unenclosed stairs, hallways, and breezeways.” And they are concerned about how the changes will calculate out to how many units are allowed per lot – again, we’re not talking about single-family zoning here, but about multi-family zoning, so this is already land where townhouses and rowhouses are allowed, so the question is, how many units will be allowed.

One citywide group called Seattle Speaks Up collected signatures in various neighborhoods to help kickstart the revision process but now says in this letter about tomorrow’s hearing that what’s coming up for a hearing tomorrow is “a hollowed-out shell in lieu of genuine substantive legislation,” blaming lobbying by developers. The developer/builder-supported organization Smart Growth Seattle has sent its own letter asking that the entire package be scrapped, calling it “unnecessary from the beginning, born mostly of red herrings from angry neighbors.”

And then all this is also being viewed through a prism that wasn’t much of an issue during the 2010 round of low-rise zoning changes: The city’s shortage of affordable housing. The proposed zoning changes also have been reviewed by a subcommittee of the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) advisory group; HALA was convened by the mayor to come up with recommendations for how to build more affordable housing. Here’s their letter about the code changes, supporting some and opposing others (the attachment it mentions is here).

If you are interested in any aspect of development, growth, and housing, and aren’t already up to speed on all this, take a look – here’s the entire text of the Council bill – and tell the City Council what you think. If you can’t be at tomorrow’s 2 pm public hearing during the PLUS Committee’s meeting (second floor of City Hall downtown), you can e-mail Councilmember O’Brien at mike.obrien@seattle.gov. The committee isn’t expected to vote before its subsequent meeting on June 16th.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: North Admiral car prowl; south WS discussion at WWRHAH
June 1, 2015 1:04 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:

CAR BREAK-IN: From Yvonne:

I just wanted to report a car prowl incident that happened today in the North Admiral district off of SW Waite Street.

Today when I entered my car parked in front of our house on a residential street, I noticed that the contents of my glove box was emptied out onto the floor and my old iPhone was stolen out of my center console.

They also stole a Quickbooks 101 book from my back seat. Nothing of real value was taken and no damage was done to my car but I wanted to alert the WS community in case anyone else experienced a car break in/theft/prowl last night or this morning.

She filed a police report – which SPD urges, even if “nothing of real value” (or nothing at all) was stolen. You can even file online by going here.

CRIME CONCERNS IN SOUTH WEST SEATTLE? Be at the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council meeting tomorrow night. From co-chair Amanda Kay Helmick:

Please join us as we welcome Seattle Police, Department of Planning and Development and the City Attorney’s Office to discuss crime in the Westwood/Roxhill/Delridge Triangle area. We have been working with SPD for over three years on theft, drug use/dealing, prostitution, squatting, assault, and gun violence. Our area needs an update on what is being done to address our challenges. No formal agenda – all are welcome.

WWRHAH’s meeting runs 6:15-7:45 pm Tuesday at Southwest Branch Library (35th/Henderson).

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Should Seattle annex White Center and vicinity? City Council committee to discuss Wednesday; ‘intention’ notice due Friday
June 1, 2015 11:29 am
|      42 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics | White Center

Will the Seattle City Council move ahead with an attempt to annex White Center and the rest of unincorporated North Highline?

(Potential annexation area is in green)
The topic will come back before the council’s Education and Governance Committee, chaired by Councilmember Tim Burgess, this Wednesday morning, largely because time is running out for a specific notice to be filed, if the city wants to keep its options open for accessing a tax credit that would make annexation more financially viable. Details are on our partner site White Center Now; we’re also putting the question “annex, yes or no?” out to all nine City Council District 1 candidates.

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