West Seattle, Washington
27 Wednesday
Story and photos by Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Admiralty House Antiques, the North Admiral shop that’s been open a day here, a day there, for many of its 40-plus years, opens for three final – and consecutive! – days starting tomorrow.
It’s the liquidation sale we first told you about three weeks ago.
Owner Fred Dau (above) says that at 97 years old, “I’ve worked long enough, I thought I didn’t need to go do more work.”
But what really forced the decision was the death of his wife Marjorie, the day after Christmas last year. “That stopped it all, anyhow.”
Admiralty House’s classic brick storefront is still full of what truly qualifies for some of those classic terms – knickknacks, bric-a-brac, trinkets, memorabilia.
Some of it, says Chris Foss, whose Foss Estate Sales is handling the liquidation sale, has likely never been out as inventory before.
Fred told us during a recent interview in the shop that a few special things are not for sale, though.
From West Seattle Soccer Club board member Stefan Persson:
We have partnered with Seattle Futsal to bring an August Futsal Clinic session to West Seattle.
Futsal is a fast paced and fun indoor version of soccer that places an emphasis on skill development and decision-making. It is a great complement to outdoor soccer.
The session will be held at the Madison Middle School Gym on each of the 4 Tuesday evenings in August. Registration is open to kids between U8-U13 (7 to 12 years old). The fee, which includes a Seattle Futsal T-shirt, is $65 and covers an hour-long clinic with professional training/instruction, followed by a short scrimmage. The clinic is open to individuals, so no need to register as a team. Capacity is limited and we recommend registering right away!
The registration link is on the Seattle Futsal web page.
(WSB/The South Park News photo from 2012 Lucha Libre)
August 17th will be another one of those HUGE days. Here in West Seattle, the Delridge Day festival (presented by the North Delridge Neighborhood Council with co-sponsors including WSB) is happening 11 am-4 pm at Delridge Community Center/Park, with this year’s Picnic at the Precinct co-locating there the same day. Meantime, our neighbors in South Park host the Duwamish River Festival noon-4 pm that day, with THIS big just-confirmed fun – a third year of Lucha Libre, Mexican-style masked wrestling following at 6 pm – read on for the official announcement:
Read More
Another view of the shadows the downtown skyline can cast on West Seattle at sunrise this time of year – though we featured a semi-similar photo here recently, we couldn’t resist this view with the setting moon and one of the fog banks that shrouded our peninsula a few mornings recently. Thanks to Flickr member Zargoman for sharing the photo via the West Seattle Blog group on Flickr. No fog today! Actually, we do have fog on the water today – at least on the west side, and we’re adding Greg‘s photo as proof (maybe you’ve heard the ferry horns!):
(added) And from the northeast-facing shore, this photo from Brian Presser:
NOW to the calendar highlights:
‘DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE’ PUPPET SHOW: 11 am, for ages 2 and up, at Southwest Branch Library. Details here. (35th/Henderson)
WEST SEATTLE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN: 11 am meeting at the West Seattle Golf Course with local legislators scheduled to brief them on the sessions just past. Plus, a silent auction of costume jewelry with bidding 11:15-11:45. General info in the calendar listing, and watch the WSDW website for upcoming meetings, since lunch/dinner RSVPs are needed several days in advance. (4470 35th SW)
LOG HOUSE MUSEUM: The home of West Seattle history is open noon-4 pm, Thursdays-Sundays, just a block inland from the heart of Alki. (61st/Stevens)
(added) BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS SOCIAL: Summer Social for the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network replaces their July meeting – join them tonight at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), for complimentary appetizers, no-host bar, and a chance to pick up materials for your Night Out block party. 6-9 pm. (1936 Harbor Ave. SW)
SUMMER CONCERTS AT HIAWATHA BEGIN: The Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented six-concert summertime series, co-sponsored by WSB, kicks off tonight with classic jazz and swing from Glenn Crytzer and His Syncopators. (See a video clip in our Wednesday preview.) Bring your own chair/blanket to the east lawn (along Walnut Avenue) of Hiawatha Community Center; show starts at 6:30. Free.
‘THE WAY OUT’: Last of three extended weekends for the Acrobatic Conundrum‘s presentation at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center; showtime tonight is 7:30 pm. Details in the calendar listing. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
So far, this morning’s commute challenges aren’t on the routes leaving here. But here’s another reminder about the weekend traffic alerts:
*Friday night/early Saturday, midnight to 5 am, I-5 southbound under the Convention Center downtown will be closed for fire-system testing
*Saturday night, the Seafair Torchlight Run will close northbound Highway 99 from approximately 5:45 pm to 7:45 pm. There will also be bus changes downtown because of the run and the Seafair Torchlight Parade that follows.
ADDED 11:51 AM: Details of those bus changes:
Riders should plan ahead and prepare for rerouted bus service and potential delays on Saturday, July 27, from about 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., as Metro Transit shifts 35 bus routes in the Seattle Center, downtown Seattle and Alaskan Way Viaduct areas for the Seafair Torchlight fun runs and parade. Other transit and traffic delays can be expected Saturday as a major event at Key Arena lets out, the Capitol Hill Block Party rocks on and the Mariners are in town.
Ride transit to Torchlight
While most buses that operate on surface streets in the Seattle Center and downtown Seattle areas will be rerouted, riding transit is still the best way to get to these events, as traffic will be congested and parking downtown will be limited. Rerouted buses go to within one or two blocks of the parade route.
Friday-Sunday: Pine Street weekend bus service revisions
Part of the impacts start Friday evening, July 26, when Pine Street bus service is rerouted until midday Sunday due to the grandstand placement at Fourth Avenue.
Saturday evening bus service revisions
While the parade begins at 7:30 p.m., transit service changes begin earlier. From about 6 p.m. Saturday, July 27, until the end of the parade, the entire length of Fourth Avenue in downtown Seattle will be closed, and nearly all east/west streets will also be blocked at Fourth Avenue. Many buses will be rerouted and there will likely be schedule delays. Delays in one area can cause delays at other points along a bus’s routing.Buses with reroutes include RapidRide C and D lines, Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 24, 26, 28, 33, 36, 40, 43, 47, 49, 66, 70, 83, 84, 99, 120, 125, 131, 132, and Sound Transit routes 522, 545 and 554. Refer to the posted information for each route to see what stops might be missed.
During the Seafair Torchlight Run events, starting prior to the parade at about 5:30 p.m., the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed for about one hour until the runners clear that area. Northbound Viaduct buses will operate via I-5 during this time. The southbound Viaduct is not affected and will remain open.
Starting at 6 p.m., while the Seattle Center area is affected by parade activities, Metro will operate a Route 4 shuttle about every 20 minutes to and from Nob Hill Avenue. At Seattle Center board the Route 4 shuttle northbound on First Avenue North, just south of Republican Street. It will serve all regularly posted bus stops along its route.
Also starting at 6 p.m. – and until traffic and crowds clear afterward – Metro bus routes 120, 124, 125, 131 and 132 will serve a temporary bus stop southbound on Third Avenue between Pike and Union streets, instead of their usual stop between Pine and Pike streets. South of Union Street they will serve their regularly posted stops along Third Avenue.
Most transit service will return to its regular routing and stops at 10:30 p.m., except Pine Street service will remain rerouted until about midday Sunday when the parade grandstand is removed.
4:54 PM: Headed outbound? Beware northbound 99, which is down to one lane because of a crash in the Lander vicinity.
(2012 photo of Lowman Beach Park and CSO project site to its east, by Long Bach Nguyen)
Almost a year after King County fenced off the vacant homes/apartments on the Lowman Beach site of the future Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project storage tank, demolition will begin soon. That’s what the Morgan Community Association heard at its July meeting, in an e-mail from county project rep Doug Marsano, read by MoCA president Deb Barker. Since the meeting, we have asked Marsano for more timetable specifics; his reply:
King County’s contractor Tiger Construction & Excavation is finalizing its safety and traffic control plans, so initial work will begin in early August. The contractor will start with hazardous-material abatement inside the buildings, which will last about two and a half weeks. After that, salvageable materials will be removed from the buildings and then demolition will occur. After the buildings are down, the contractor will fill in the foundations with soil to ensure the site remains stable and safe until facility construction begins later this year. The deconstruction work will be complete by the end of September.
The million-gallon tank is to be built on what were six residential lots in the 7000 block of Beach Drive, bought by the county – which had said it would acquire them via the “eminent domain” law if it had to – for a total of more than $4.3 million, according to public records. It is part of a project meant to reduce sewage/stormwater overflows into Puget Sound from the nearby Murray Pump Station. According to Marsano’s letter to MoCA, the facility contractor is Shimmick Construction of Oakland, California.
Ahead, other notes from MoCA’s meeting – including the city Bicycle Master Plan Update and safety/beautification concerns for Morgan Junction Park:
Family and friends have said goodbye to Vicky McKim, and are sharing this remembrance:
Victoria Lynn Kaiser McKim
October 30, 1947 – July 6, 2013Vicky went home into the loving arms of her Savior Jesus after courageously fighting mesothelioma. Her steadfast faith sustained her throughout her treatment and she was a willing witness for Christ.
Vicky was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio, the oldest of five daughters, to Roger and Joan Kaiser. She was active in vocal and dramatic activities, both in and outside of school. She graduated with a BS in Education from Otterbein College and taught elementary school in New Albany and Harrisburg, Ohio, and then regularly substitute-taught in several parochial schools, primarily at Hope Lutheran School in Seattle.
Vicky and Ken, founding owner of Greentree Animal Hospital in West Seattle, began “going steady” in high school, a love affair that continued for more than 50 years.
Our latest West Seattle coyote sighting comes with a photo. David Roth saw this one “at the end of Victoria Avenue SW” on Monday and sent the photo today. That’s along the Duwamish Head Greenbelt, according to Google Maps.
In our most recent coyote coverage (our five-year archive is here), a federal wildlife-control agent had contacted WSB to urge local residents to take precautions to discourage their proximity to neighborhoods, including not letting pets out by themselves, not leaving pet food out (or anything else – like bird feeders – that coyotes might find tasty), and, if you see one, actively scaring it away, by hollering and throwing things, among other tips. More info is in this state publication we often share to close out coyote-sighting reports, which we publish as a public service to remind more people they’re out there, pretty much everywhere, and if you assume they’re not in your neighborhood because you’ve never seen one, you’re probably wrong.
Another road-work project next week in West Seattle. Here’s the announcement from SDOT:
Drivers should expect congestion on Alki Avenue Southwest next Thursday and Friday, August 1-2. Seattle Department of Transportation paving crews will work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the 1200 block of Alki Avenue Southwest removing the old roadway surface and laying new asphalt. One lane of traffic will remain open for each direction of traffic. The Alki Trail, all crosswalks and sidewalks will remain open.
This is in addition to the repaving work first reported here yesterday – California SW between Graham and Fauntleroy, scheduled for next Tuesday-Wednesday, July 30-31, right before the Alki project.
West Seattle’s only city-run indoor pool, Southwest Pool, is closed until tomorrow morning, says Seattle Parks, which just sent this announcement:
Seattle Parks and Recreation has closed Southwest Pool, 2801 SW Thistle St., for the rest of the day because of contamination that could not be contained. In compliance with State of Washington health regulations, Parks is taking these routine steps to ensure the pool water is clean and safe for public use:
· Elevating chlorine levels
· Disinfecting all pool surfaces
· Using the pool’s ultraviolet disinfectant system as a supplemental effortParks and Recreation apologizes for the inconvenience to pool users and will reopen the pool at 7 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, July 25.
We have a few followup questions out to Parks; we also asked about a report that Hiawatha wading pool was closed for a while today, and Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter tells WSB that was because of broken glass (second time in less than three weeks), which has been cleaned up, and Hiawatha’s pool reopened at 2:30 pm.
(Recent photo of Katie)
2:08 PM: A man and dog are both getting medical attention after a reported attack by another dog in North Delridge this morning. Chandra e-mailed us about it: “My elderly father and my small dog, Katie, were attacked around 10 AM this morning by a loose dog in the 5000 block of 26th Avenue SW. Both were injured fairly badly.” Here’s how she was told it happened:
He saw the other dog loose and decided to head home to avoid an encounter. The dog followed them up the stairs to our house. Dad went to pick Katie up, but it was too late. He was bit trying to get the dog off of Katie. Then the dog attacked him. A neighbor came over and helped fight the dog off and called the police. Katie is like our child. My dad made the police take her to the hospital before he would go seek medical attention.
Chandra’s dad went to urgent care for stitches and X-rays and might have to go to the ER; Katie, a Bichon Frise, is undergoing surgery, Chandra says, adding:
I believe the attacking dog was captured. I just want to remind people to always keep their dogs leashed or contained, especially if they do not do well with people or other pets. My family is so upset that this happened. It will cost hundreds of dollars to care for Katie’s injuries, all due to someone’s negligence. Imagine if there had been a small child with them. If anyone knows who the owner of the dog is, please contact Seattle Police. My dad described it as a large, black pit mix.
We are checking with Seattle Animal Shelter to confirm whether the dog was captured and whether its owner has been located, and will add anything more that we find out.
4:56 PM: Shelter spokesperson Ann Graves confirms they have the dog and are still seeking its owner. Meantime, Chandra published a comment with an update on her dad and Katie.
The banner’s now up at Hiawatha, and that means only one thing – it’s almost time for summer outdoor concerts! Tomorrow is the first of six in the 5th annual Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, with co-sponsors including WSB (and other community businesses/organizations listed on the right side of this page). You are hereby invited to bring a chair/blanket – and your family, friends, neighbors … – to the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center (along the 2700 block of Walnut SW) the next six Thursdays at 6:30. First up: Glenn Crytzer and His Syncopators, with jazz/swing music. Here’s a recent clip:
Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy good weather, good times, good music. The full series lineup is listed here.
Today we welcome A Kids Place Dentistry as a new WSB sponsor. Here’s what Dr. Keith McDonald wants you to know about his practice, which has just expanded to the Admiral District:
“Every parent should take their child to see a dentist that fits within the framework of their parental philosophy. The pediatric dentists in the state of Washington are all excellent, but just like parents, dentists also have varying practice philosophies. In my practice, my associates and I utilize what we call the Parent-Directed Approach during patient examinations. This means that we design the child’s dental treatment around specific parental ideologies about topics such as fluoride, white vs. silver fillings, the child’s medical history, specific oral habits of the child, and familial dietary habits. In that respect, parents are welcomed during the examinations and treatments and are always informed and included in the decision-making process.
“At A Kids Place Dentistry, the most common compliment that we continuously hear from clients is that their child can’t wait to go back to see the dentist and how much fun their child had. The second most common question is usually, ‘How did you make my child so motivated to brush their teeth?’ We work very hard to make the environment at A Kids Place Dentistry comfortable, fun and informative for both the child and the parents. On some days one might think that they’ve entered a carnival or circus with balloon animals, magic tricks and bouncy balls! We’ve had the pleasure of serving the Renton Highlands community for over 7 years with excellent success. That office space is solely a pediatric dental office, so the colors are brighter and the design of the office is tailored specifically for kids. In our new West Seattle location, we share the space with our new partners, Sound Orthodontics, so the office design and colors are little more subdued, though still very comfortable and inviting. Our great ‘A Kids Place’ energy, along with the balloons, magic tricks, and bouncy balls are still in full force; however, and it’s a beautiful space for which we are so privileged with this opportunity to serve the West Seattle community.
“What keeps our patients coming back is the caring and honest approach of our staff and doctors. We change the lives of concerned parents and timid children every day, and it’s a joy to see those families return with smiles on their faces and excitement in their eyes!”
Dr. McDonald believes in community involvement: “Besides working with community groups and schools, I am also very involved in organizations that help strengthen the oral-health safety net in our state. I’ve served three years as a Washington State Dental Association (WSDA) state delegate, I am past president of the Seattle Pediatric Dental study club, and I currently sit on two boards – The Washington Oral Health Foundation (the dental foundation of the WSDA) and the Washington State Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Executive Board. I also serve as a Seattle-King County Dental Champion for the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry Program, a state program designed to assist the underserved with accessing dental care.”
A Kids Place Dentistry is at 2617 California SW, 206-933-5437, info@akidsplacetoo.com. You can request an appointment online via the A Kids Place Dentistry website, akidsplacedentistry.com.
We thank A Kids Place Dentistry for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Thanks to Gary Jones for sharing his photo of ospreys at Alki Point; it’s prime time for birdwatching at the beach – we saw an osprey and a bald eagle during a brief walk in east Alki on Tuesday. As for what else is up – from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for today/tonight:
LOW TIDE: Speaking of walking along Alki (or your favorite beach) – the lowest tide of the day is not as low as a few days ago but the -2.1-foot low tide at 12:37 pm will still make for excellent beach exploration.
TOLLING THE HIGHWAY 99 TUNNEL: Just as “Bertha” gets ready to start digging, an advisory committee is still talking about the tolling issue – what amount of tolling would raise enough money to cover its share of the project budget, while not being so high that too many drivers would divert to other routes. Today’s quarterly meeting of the committee, open to the public, is 3-5 pm (info and agenda here) in the Puget Sound Regional Council conference room. (1011 Western Avenue, Suite 500)
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND: 4-7 pm every Wednesday, buy organic produce just steps away from where it was grown. Info in our calendar listing. (32nd/Juneau)
WEST SEATTLE TIMEBANK, 1ST ORIENTATION: Help launch the West Seattle Timebank tonight, by coming to its first orientation meeting, at the Senior Center of West Seattle. Potluck at 6:30, orientation at 7, details and links in our preview from earlier this week. (Oregon/California)
SEAL SITTERS VOLUNTEER TRAINING: Want to join Seal Sitters? The next volunteer orientation is tonight, and it’s the last one for a while. E-mail to see if there’s still room; the address, and more info, is in our recent preview.
SOUTH PARK BRIDGE UPDATE: Want to see how things are going with the new South Park Bridge? The county presents its fourth program with photos and info at 7 pm tonight, South Park Community Center. (8319 8th Avenue S.)
‘CHESS’ AT ARTSWEST: It’s the second and final week for the ArtsWest Summer Apprenticeship Program’s presentation of the musical “Chess,” onstage at 7:30 tonight. (4711 California SW)
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
7:08 AM: Good morning! Just got a text about a problem you might notice if you drive Roxbury to Olson to Highway 509 – a tree in “the uphill lanes.”
Meanwhile, another reminder about two traffic alerts for this weekend:
*Friday night/early Saturday, midnight to 5 am, all southbound lanes of I-5 under the Convention Center downtown will be closed for fire-system testing
*Saturday night, the Seafair Torchlight Run will close northbound Highway 99 from approximately 5:45 pm to 7:45 pm. There will also be bus changes downtown because of the run and the Seafair Torchlight Parade that follows.
8:17 AM UPDATE: The tree on Olson is cleared, according to a FB comment from Donn (thanks!). One more note: If you travel through/work in SODO, note that there’s a day game for the Mariners today.
Five reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight.
First, from Paul in the 4100 block of 48th SW, where his motorcycle was stolen from in front of his home:
It was a (red) 2003 Honda RVT1000R, AKA an RC51. … I’ve spoken with all my neighbors and nobody saw anything.
Paul was awaiting police when he e-mailed us, so a report will be in the system soon.
In Fairmount Springs, a resident who doesn’t want to be identified is the victim of the type of theft we’ve never heard of in our years of West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
I wanted to let you know that we had an unfortunate and bizarre event take place last night (between Mon-Tue). Someone(s) had stolen the whole freakin’ windshield of our old 1989 Suburban truck. I couldn’t believe my eyes but indeed, the whole windshield was gone gone gone!!! We are on the 5900 block of 42nd Avenue, between Raymond and Juneau.
I had just moved the truck yesterday afternoon, so instead of being parked in an open space with great visibility on all sides it was parked under the neighbor’s cherry tree and lots of shrubbery around. We had tools inside the truck but nothing else was taken. Doors were still locked and nothing else had been touched as far as we can tell. Someone obviously needed an old Suburban windshield with a crack in it! Our neighborhood will be on the lookout moving forward, and let’s warn other owners of old Suburbans that someone is prowling for parts!
And Dave reports a case of package theft and vandalism in North Delridge:
We live on the 50xx block of 26th and we had a package stolen off our porch today between 2p and 330p. Adding insult to injury, some inflatable kids toys were popped.
Now two found items that might be stolen property – first, a bicycle found by Vanessa in Highland Park:
It turned up in front of her home overnight earlier this week, near the south side of Henderson/13th SW.
And a backpack, found by Zach, who has been trying to turn it in to police:
I found the Nike backpack on SW Brandon in the grass on the side of the road outside the golf course near the gate for Camp Long. The backpack has some light blue basket shoes, a leopard purse, and some other small items. In the backpack was a student ID; however, the wallet was completely empty when I found it at 6:30 am on the 22nd of July. … I’m going to try and drop it off at the police station again tomorrow morning.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“Good turnout!” exclaimed René Commons as she walked into the lower-level meeting room at the Senior Center of West Seattle tonight, seeing 10 people who had come to help her re-launch the Junction Neighborhood Organization, more than a year after it went dormant.
Some of the meeting was about the business of organizing. Ed Pottharst (center in our top photo) from the city Department of Neighborhoods described how the Southwest District Council, made up of reps from community councils and organizations on the west side of West Seattle, works, and the issues it tackles, including reviewing community applications for certain city grants. The first question for him was, “What about eastern West Seattle?” As he explained, in Seattle’s 13-district system, the city has West Seattle split into two districts, Southwest and the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council. Pottharst and colleagues Yun Pitre and Steve Louie, working out of the Neighborhood Service Center at the Southwest Teen Life Center and Pool, serve as liaisons to the city for not just the district councils but also the individual community groups.
Second topic, raised by Commons: “Do we need more park spaces in the area, with our density?”
6:11 PM TUESDAY: Earlier today, we reported that The Residences at 3295, a 60-apartment mixed-use project completed last year at 35th/Avalon, is up for sale. This afternoon, WSB has learned that another building finished in 2012, Nova Apartments (WSB sponsor) at 4600 36th SW in The Triangle, has a new owner. Nova was the last West Seattle holding for Harbor Urban, which sold Mural in The Junction and Link in The Triangle last year, both built by Harbor Properties before its merger with Urban Partners last year. County records show the $17.5 million purchase closed today for Nova, an all-residential 62-unit, 36-parking-space building that started leasing last September. The new owner is Sea Apartment 1 LLC, which so far traces to a New York City-based LLC listed in state records here as ZREC.
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING, 9:09 AM: The formal announcement of the sale, just received:
(West side of 4755 Fauntleroy, rendering by Fuller Sears Architects)
One week ago today, the 4755 Fauntleroy Way mixed-use project’s path through the approval process hit a sudden pothole when Mayor McGinn sent a letter to SDOT, saying the department should recommend the City Council reject the project’s request for an “alley vacation” to facilitate 370 apartments, 600 underground parking spaces, and retail including Whole Foods Market. The “vacation” would involve the city agreeing to sell a section of alley on the property to the developers. The mayor cited concerns including most notably the proliferation of supermarkets in central West Seattle and the wages and benefits that non-union Whole Foods would offer its staff, points that had been made at prior hearings on the project by members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21, which has recently become involved with an advocacy campaign called “Getting It Right for West Seattle,” focused on this project.
Our initial coverage a week ago, which you can see here, includes the mayor’s letter, Whole Foods’ response, project background (we’ve been covering 4755 Fauntleroy for a year), and 185 reader comments. Then last Wednesday, we published a followup including the developers’ response (see it here) and what happens next – the project’s referral to the City Council Transportation Committee for a public hearing on the alley vacation. (No date yet; SDOT communications director Rick Sheridan tells WSB, “In terms of schedule, the earliest a recommendation could be delivered is the fall.”)
In the past week, all this has circulated into regional media. And now there’s a followup – Getting It Right for West Seattle has sent a letter to the Transportation Committee’s chair, West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, and e-mailed us a copy late today:
"Getting It Right for West Seattle" letter to Councilmember Rasmussen
As you’ll see if you scroll through it, the letter is signed by representatives of more than two dozen local businesses, three unions including UFCW Local 21, 22 people identifying themselves as West Seattleites, four political/advocacy groups, and five clergy/faith-group representatives. If you can’t read the embedded document, the heart of the letter reads:
This project, if approved, would be the largest multi-use development ever built in West Seattle. While acquisition of a public right of way would greatly increase these developers’ profits, the project in its current form will:
• increase West Seattle’s traffic and congestion;
• degrade pedestrian safety;
• create low-wage jobs and housing unaffordable to those workers;
• drive away existing local, small businesses; and
• set a lower standard for future development in West Seattle.We are aware that the Seattle City Council has final authority over alley vacations. We urge you as chair of the Council’s Transportation Committee to let the Executive’s decision stand.
Once that committee has a hearing and takes a vote, the alley-vacation request would then move to the full Council. If it voted to approve the request, the mayor could veto it; if he did, the council could override it, and that would be the final say (pending legal challenges, etc.). Before this letter arrived, we had been working on a separate followup we expect to publish tomorrow, with other updates.
P.S. If you are just coming in on this – this project was first proposed a year ago for a site including the former Huling (and briefly Gee) auto property along Fauntleroy south of Alaska, plus the Shell station north of it, the Howden-Kennedy Funeral Home west of that (they are moving to a new location in Sunrise Heights), and another former auto-sales property at the corner of 40th/Alaska. It would abut the Alki Masonic Temple on two sides; the developers announced during the May Design Commission review that they would pay to improve the Masons’ parking lot.
Once again this month, the Seattle Police crime-prevention coordinator for the Southwest Precinct, Mark Solomon, has sent an alert about registered sex offenders moving into this area. Just out of the inbox:
In an effort to keep you informed, and in our constant attempts to reduce future victimization, we want to let you know about level 3 sex offenders that have recently moved into South(west) Precinct neighborhoods.
· Marcus Bright, 30 year-old African American male, is a level 3 registered sex offender who has recently moved to the 2700 Block of 60 Ave SW. Mr. Bright is no longer under Department of Corrections supervision.
· Charles Landry, 28 year-old African American male, is a level 3 registered sex offender who has recently moved to the 9400 Block of 13th Ave SW. Mr. Landry is currently under Department of Corrections supervision.
Det. Fields from the Seattle Police Department’s Sex Offender Detail is assigned to check on these offenders and verify their information.
To learn more about these offenders and to see their photos, please visit the King County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender website and search by their names. You will also find personal safety tips and resources on this site. http://www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?AgencyID=54473&disc
According to the website, Bright was convicted of first-degree child molestation in 1998, and second-degree assault with sexual motivation in 2003; Landry was convicted of second-degree rape in 2004. If you are concerned about sex offenders living in your area, that same website also will show you who else is in the area. Meantime, Solomon’s e-mail continues with safety information:
Two weeks till Night Out – the annual event bringing neighbors out of their homes and into the streets coast to coast, for block parties to strengthen ties and take a stand for neighborhood safety and solidarity – and to have fun. They’re always the first Tuesday night in August, so that’s August 6th, two weeks from tonight, 6-9 pm. The photo above is one of many we took on Night Out last year, featuring neighbors at 13th and Cambridge in Highland Park. To get permission to close your (non-arterial) street for the night, you need to register your party via the Seattle Police Night Out site – start here. And then, we invite you to let us know about your party, since we’re planning as-it-happens WSB coverage as usual and hoping to drop in on as many parties as we can get to in three hours. Just e-mail the location (cross-streets or block number) to editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!
With at least half a dozen other projects along Avalon Way in varying stages of planning/construction, a recently completed building on Avalon is now up for sale.
Here’s the listing for 3295 SW Avalon Way, also known as The Residences at 3295, a six-story, 60-unit, 100-parking-space building which got its construction permits in 2006-2007, sat partially built for years, then finally was completed last year. Part of the delay was because it was originally in the portfolio of now-fugitive real-estate tycoon Michael Mastro (detained recently in France, which wouldn’t extradite him). Before that, it was supposed to be part of the Seattle Monorail right-of-way. While still unfinished, county records show that it sold for almost $4 million in 2010, and then again for $7.3 million in April of last year. It’s now owned by Randolph Street Realty Capital, headquartered in the same Chicago building as, and led by former executives of, Equity Residential, which owns the not-yet-begun Junction project site at California/Alaska/42nd.
Back to 3295 Avalon (which has a bit of history on its current owners’ website): According to the listing and accompanying documents, there is no set asking price for The Residences at 3295 – they are calling for offers this Thursday (July 25). The extensively detailed flyer for the property mentions that the building’s entire retail space is leased for five years; that would be the new Redline, whose proprietors we’re working to reach for an update on when they plan to open – we last talked with them in March.
P.S. Selling a recently completed project isn’t unheard of; three newer West Seattle projects – Mural in The Junction, Link in The Triangle, and the Admiral Safeway redevelopment – were purchased last year by American Realty Advisors, which is headquartered in Los Angeles.
Datapoint: The flyer for The Residences at 3295 quotes analysts as saying the vacancy rate in the West Seattle apartment “submarket” is currently 2.5 percent.
Lots of discussion of, and deliberation on, policies regarding our state’s legalization of marijuana in recent months – but here’s the first time we’ve seen this come up: An agenda just landed in the inbox for a special meeting of the City Council’s Housing, Human Services, Health, and Culture Committee this Friday at 2 pm. City Attorney Pete Holmes is scheduled to lead a 20-minute briefing titled “City Policies on Public Consumption of Marijuana.” We’re checking with the City Attorney’s Office for a preview; we’re wondering, though – what do YOU think those policies should be?
ADDED 1:19 PM: City Attorney’s Office spokesperson Kimberly Mills says this is related to a request for an ordinance to be drafted, and sends along a statement from Holmes:
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