West Seattle, Washington
22 Monday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
No arrests yet in the West Seattle arsons.
But new information did emerge at tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting.
Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis said that in addition to the two major early-morning arsons Sunday and Monday – the two cars in Sylvan Ridge and the High Point office building – investigators are also looking at three earlier small fires.
Those date back to a trash can fire outside a vacant house on 34th near Morgan (photo above) on October 12th (but the list they’re focusing on does NOT include the “campfire” outside the former Red Star Pizza).
He also said that SPD and other agencies – including ATF investigators – are devoting a major amount of resources to solving this. And he distributed the arson alert that we published here last night after residents reported getting it via door-to-door visits from firefighters.
Aside from the high-profile arson investigation, the major crime categories “have taken a slight dip” lately, he added, particularly robberies, which he noted have dropped almost to zero since the arrest of “an individual who got picked up in one of our other precincts.” And he mentioned again that the precinct has a watch list of more than 80 repeat offenders, about 20 of whom have been arrested. Working with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to be sure they stay in jail once arrested, though, is a challenge, he acknowledged.
The one specific category for which he offered numbers, burglary, is at 387 year-to-date, compared to 418 in the same period last year.
And then – seguing into “neighborhood concerns” – came the case of one specific burglary attempt that had happened just hours before.
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog
There are currently eight active meteor showers over our heads (which is more common than it sounds), from which you can expect to see about 4 meteors per hour, though if you happen to catch the peak you might see as many as 30 per hour.
Around 5 am or earlier on the next three mornings — October 21, 22, and 23 — will be the peak of the Orionids Meteor Shower. Given good viewing conditions, you can expect to see about 10 meteors per hour, up to 20 meteors per hour during the peak times. These meteors will seem to radiate from just above and to the left (east) of the constellation Orion, high in the south:
(Radiant of the Orionid meteor shower. Starfield from Stellarium)
Around 6-6:30 am on October 22nd will be the peak of the Epsilon Geminids. You might see as many as 2-3 meteors per hour. Watch for these radiating from the constellation Gemini, just a little farther east and higher in the sky than the Orionids.
Also, 5:30 am-6:30 am on October 22nd is the peak of the Leonis Minorids, which adds up to another 4-10 meteors we might per hour before dawn on the 22nd. These will be radiating from the constellation Leo, about halfway up the sky in the east (great chance to look at Venus, Mars, and Jupiter as well).
The other five showers are even more minor, each with rates of between 1-3 meteors per hour, though some of those can be fireballs/bolides. The American Meteor Society has a report of a fireball from last night, which could easily be one of these meteors. Those showers are the Southern Taurids, the Gamma Piscids, the Eta Taurids, the October Luncids, and the Tau Cancrids.
To set your expectations for the coming evenings, with these three showers happening at the same time we have a chance at a few very nice shooting stars this week, especially if you’re up early in the morning watching the skies. This isn’t one of the biggest meteoric events of the year, but meteor showers vary.
RESOURCES
Meteors: Meteor Activity Outlook October 17-23 (All dates and times are from this source).
Stellarium: free planetarium software for your home computer, or Android device. Bring up the sky for anywhere in the world, any time and date in history or the future.
Clear Sky Chart: the astronomer’s forecast for the next couple days. Cloud cover, darkness, and “seeing” which is how nice it is to view the stars, all on one handy chart.
WHO IS ALICE?
The suggestions and opinions put forth in this article are Alice’s own and not those of any organizations to which she belongs. You can find more about astronomy from Alice at alicesastroinfo.com or on Twitter as @AlicesAstroInfo and Facebook.
(Added 6:21 pm: WSB photos)
4:50 PM: Police are dealing with a possibly armed person in crisis at a residence in Arbor Heights, and as a result, they’re blocking off traffic, including SW 106th – we’re not sure exactly how far west of 35th, but avoid the general area.
5 PM: Our crew checking on the nearby road closures reports helicopter activity. First it was Guardian One, then a TV helicopter.
5:13 PM: We still have a crew in the area watching for word of a resolution to this. They and others are being kept at a distance. Again, SW 106th is blocked off for several blocks from 35th west.
5:19 PM: The person is reported to have come out of the house and is in custody. An ambulance is going in. That doesn’t mean anyone’s been hurt – usually in situations like this it’s so the person in crisis can be evaluated.
5:30 PM: The person who came out of the house is being placed in the ambulance.
5:40 PM: Our crew at the scene just talked to SW Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, who says they’re still sorting out exactly what started all this, but they hope to have the area opened up again shortly. A relative has been allowed into the house to make sure three dogs in there are safe, and police have been dealing with parents arriving to get their kids at a nearby day care that was being “held in place” until everything was resolved. They also are reported to have retrieved what was described as an inoperable .22 from the house. Again, no injuries reported to anyone in the situation. Police deal with things like this more often than you might realize; we’re reminded of an incident in Gatewood we covered just nine days ago, also resolved without injury.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
What’s the rush?
That was just one of many questions asked in a short but contentious meeting last night at the EC Hughes school building in Sunrise Heights.
The meeting itself was an afterthought for Seattle Public Schools. When SPS went around the city earlier this month for three meetings on a package of relatively small boundary changes for its attendance-area (aka “neighborhood”) school maps, the package didn’t address the fact that SPS was planning to move Roxhill Elementary into the Hughes building, after expansion and renovation.
First official word of that came when we asked the district on September 30th what the plan was for recently vacated-by-former-tenant EC Hughes, resulting in this WSB story.
But in the following week, when the aforementioned three meetings were held, there was nothing in the presentation about Roxhill/Hughes. And though the boundary changes that were discussed at those meetings were in south West Seattle, the local meeting was held in the north, at Schmitz Park Elementary.
Then, after at least one Roxhill parent pushed for more information about the changes that moving the school to Hughes would bring, the boundary-change map changed again, and last night’s meeting was added. The SPS website notes that the information about Roxhill and Hughes was added October 13th – less than a week before that meeting.
But the biggest changes now proposed for the “Growth Boundaries” map – originally approved by the School Board two years ago, and with this and other amendments going to the board tomorrow night – would affect a third school:
Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
CAR-PROWL LOOT TO LOOK FOR: From Janet:
Someone broke into our car in the 6000 block on 42nd between Monday night and Tuesday morning and stole a GPS and 3 big bright blue bags containing ‘Begin with Books’ for kids that we had borrowed from the library. And a French 1 dvd, ‘Little Pim’ Eating and Drinking.
If anyone sees this, could they please return them to the library on our behalf? We were told that the thieves might just throw them in the bushes so we be in the lookout for them once they realize the bags had books in them.
MORE CAR PROWLS: From Barb:
3 of my neighbors have had their cars broken into at overnight in the last 4 weeks. 6900 block of 37th Ave SW. One of the cars was actually unlocked and the registration to the car was stolen. Another neighbor reported he found some of his missing items down the block. Seems like we have some bad mojo in Gatewood happening between the car prowls and the fires. Please let people know to be on the lookout for anything strange.
BREAK-IN: From Patricia:
Just want folks to know that there was a break-in (Monday) in North Admiral – during the day. Perpetrators barged through a chain ‘hold’ device on the door, and then broke the glass of an inside entry door with a hammer. Stole a bike, checkbook (later tried to cash a check at Bank of America in the main Junction), and also jewelry. Reported to police.
Finally, an **update**:
SFD AT TONIGHT’S CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL MEETING: Update from West Seattle Crime Prevention Council president Richard Miller about tonight’s meeting – Seattle Fire Engine 11’s crew has just been confirmed as the guest. Got a question about SFD? Come ask. And bring your neighborhood crime concerns for local SPD. 7 pm, Southwest Precinct, Webster/Delridge.
While artist Jesse Link worked on that West Seattle Junction mural, we published a few in-progress looks (starting October 8th) … and realized we hadn’t been back in a few days to see if it’s finished. It is! (If you haven’t seen it “in person,” it’s on the south side of the almost-done apartment building at 4535 44th SW. It’s his second West Seattle mural in less than two months, after the bear on the north side of Shack Coffee in Luna Park.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
After more reports of yellow or brown water in West Seattle homes in recent days, we have followed up again with Seattle Public Utilities, as promised.
Discolored-water reports are usually specific to one neighborhood and one situation – maybe fire-hydrant use, or a pipe break. This page on the SPU website usually covers those short-lived situations. We first checked with SPU, which provides the city’s water supply, when we started getting reports almost a month ago from neighborhoods scattered around the peninsula. (Our first report from September 25th is here; our second, on September 30th, is here.)
Three weeks later, we’ve continued to get questions – and comments like this one, where a West Seattleite was startled by discolored bath water – so we inquired again. As this comment pointed out at the end of last week, there’s a new bit of information, which we’ve confirmed with SPU:
A memorial service is planned in West Seattle on Saturday for Dean Kermit “Kerm” Franks, 97. Here’s the remembrance his family is sharing:
Dean Kermit “Kerm” Franks, a longtime West Seattle resident and retired vice principal of West Seattle High School, died of natural causes October 16 in West Seattle, supported by his extended family. He was 97, and had been a resident of The Kenney retirement community since 2005.
He was born January 23, 1918 in Coldwater, Kansas, the third of four children born to Willard and Tulu Franks. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1940.
He met his future wife, Esther Faye Anderson, while teaching high school in Eudora, Kansas. They were married in February 1942, ten days before he was drafted into the Army. His service was in Alaska, and when the war ended the couple decided to settle in Seattle. They started a family and Kerm began a 30-year career with Seattle Public Schools. He earned his Masters and Doctor of Education degrees from the University of Washington. He took early retirement in 1975.
From 1961 to 1975, Kerm and Faye co-managed the Seabeck Conference Center on Hood Canal. They are remembered fondly as “Uncle Kerm” and “Auntie Faye” by the many former staff members, who were high-school and college youth at the time. For more than 25 years beginning in 1963, Kerm and Faye hosted a series of exchange students from Europe, Asia and Central America. They also traveled to a number of countries, visiting the families of their student guests.
The couple built a cabin at Lake Cushman, near Hoodsport, Washington, in 1976. They spent summers there, encouraging visits from family and friends. Kerm was physically active until near the end of his life, enjoying hiking, berry picking, swimming, square dancing and handyman projects. He was still chopping wood at the cabin into his 90s.
Kerm was an active member of Tibbetts United Methodist Church in West Seattle, where he served in volunteer administrative positions.
Faye died in 2012, after 70 years of marriage. His son, David, died in 2013. He is survived by daughters Marsha (Mike) and Candace (John); son Dean (Cynthia); 7 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; 4 nephews and 3 nieces.A memorial service to celebrate his long life will be held next Saturday (October 24th) at 10 a.m. at Tibbetts United Methodist Church, 3940 41st Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116. Memorials may be sent to Tibbetts Church, or to Seabeck Conference Center, 13395 Lagoon Drive NW, Seabeck, WA 98380.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
If you usually access the West Seattle Bridge via Fauntleroy Way, and you’re planning on going off-peninsula this weekend, you might consider an alternate route because of these lane closures, just announced:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is conducting roadway panel replacement on the West Seattle Bridge/Fauntleroy Way SW Expressway ramp heading eastbound and westbound. From Friday, October 23 at 7:00 pm to the evening of Sunday, October 25, crews will repair the roadway following an emergency sewer repair project in the same location. The inside eastbound and inside westbound lane will be closed during this time and drivers should allow extra time for their trips due to possible congestion in this area.
This work was originally scheduled for early October, then postponed.
First – thanks to Guy and Joy Smith on Alki Point for the photo from this past weekend, which they ID as Common Mergansers: “We’ve learned from watching and reading that they’re normally in rivers and lakes, but in spring and fall they spend time in salt water if it’s on their migration route. They fly fast and swim fast and have the habit of all swimming in the same direction with their heads under water when looking for fish. When they dive, they dive as a group. They have serrated teeth on their bills for holding the fish. They nest in tree cavities and the chicks jump out when they’re still covered with down.”
Now – swimming into highlights for the rest of your Tuesday, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – where you can look ahead days, weeks, months at a time, any time:
FLU-SHOT CLINIC: Need a flu shot? Everyone (West Seattleites ages 4+) is welcome at the 3-7 pm clinic at Chief Sealth International High School. Details in our preview. (2600 SW Thistle)
DINE OUT FOR ‘HOMES OF HOPE’: 5-10 pm tonight at Pecado Bueno in The Junction, all-you-can-eat taco bar with proceeds going to help All Souls Church (WSB sponsor) build a home for a family in need in Mexico. (4523 California SW)
(added) WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASTICS FUNDRAISER: Dine at Talarico’s in The Junction today/tonight and a percentage of proceeds will be donated to the WSHS Gymnastics program. (4718 California SW)
FAMILY STRATEGIES! Get inspiration and education 6:30-8:30 pm tonight at Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) – community welcome for free presentation “Start with What Works: Executive Skills Strategies for Families“; details in our calendar listing. (10015 28th SW)
WEST SEATTLE SHAMBHALA MEDITATION GROUP: Need a little more serenity in your life? 6:30 pm, you’re welcome to join this weekly group at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Read about the group here. (4408 Delridge Way SW)
NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME CONCERNS? Bring them to Southwest Precinct leadership during the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting tonight, 7 pm, in the precinct’s community meeting room. (2300 SW Webster)
TUESDAY TRIVIA: 9 pm at the new Parliament Tavern – signups start at 8. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
SIXTEEN LISTINGS IN ALL on today’s calendar – see the rest here.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:22 AM: After a quiet night, it’s routine on the traffic front this morning, in this area, so far.
ADDED 7:47 AM – DELRIDGE/HIGHLAND PARK GREENWAY UPDATE: Construction update from SDOT includes these key points:
… on the west side of 21st Ave SW between 22nd Ave SW and SW Dawson St, SDOT will prepare the sidewalk for widening. Temporary lane restrictions will be in effect, and flaggers will be stationed at either end of the work zone to direct traffic during work hours, 7 AM to 7 PM. Bus zones will not be affected.
This work will take 5-7 days to complete. Crews will return in two weeks to pour asphalt. Throughout this period, SDOT crews will also install speed humps on 21st Ave SW between 22nd Ave SW and SW Dawson St.
The installation of a new storm drain just north of where 22nd Ave SW merges with 21st Ave SW is now complete.
Crew will also begin installing curb ramps, curb extensions, a new crosswalk and a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) just south of where 22nd Ave SW merges with 21st Ave SW. An RRFB is a pedestrian – or bicycle – activated crossing signal that uses irregular flashes to alert drivers that a person is entering the crosswalk.
RRFBs are already up in several other West Seattle spots, from California/Dakota to the Boren school zone on Delridge.
8:46 AM: An SFD engine is headed to an aid call (low-level medical response) at 8th and Roxbury. We’re checking on traffic effects. (Update – NOT a traffic situation; somebody is being tended to on a bus bench.)
Whether it’s the arsons or some other concern that you’d like to ask and/or hear about, we’ve just confirmed that the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting IS on for tomorrow night (Tuesday, October 20th) at the Southwest Precinct, 7 pm. This is your one guaranteed chance each month to hear local crime trends firsthand from West Seattle police and to bring up anything that’s been going on in your neighborhood. The meeting room is next to the parking lot, which is off SW Webster just west of Delridge Way SW.
If you live on or near 35th SW, in Gatewood, High Point, and some distance north, you might have received this flyer:
In case you hadn’t seen it, we wanted to show you that flyer, sent to us by multiple readers who have received it from firefighters going door-to-door tonight, in the wake of two arsons – the two cars set on fire in the Sylvan Ridge area early Sunday (WSB coverage here), and the fire set early today at 35th/Holly, the Seattle Housing Authority office building whose other tenants include a mosque (WSB morning coverage here; afternoon coverage of the flareup that further damaged the building is here). As of this afternoon, investigators were saying they had NOT found any evidence to link the two cases, so far; no word of any arrests, or even subject descriptions, yet.
Photogenic sunset tonight! The top photo is by James Bratsanos. Next one is by John Bartell:
Thank you! We’ll likely be adding more.
(Click the image to see the map as a full-size PDF)
That’s the map of the “heavy-haul network” approved by Seattle City Councilmembers today – a year and a half after the idea started circulating in a big way. This city news release explains:
Mayor Ed Murray praised the Seattle City Council for passing legislation establishing a heavy haul network of city streets in Seattle. The network will allow heavier cargo containers to be transported between the Port of Seattle, industrial businesses and rail yards.
“Seattle is an international gateway and trade supports our strong and diverse economy,” said Mayor Murray. “A heavy haul corridor will help freight move more safely and efficiently through our industrial center. I applaud the Council for approving a plan that will support thousands of trade-dependent jobs and businesses in Seattle, around the region, and across the country.”
The measure provides a framework to repair and build roadways within the network, calls for semi-annual safety inspections of heavy haul trucks, and aligns weight regulations with the state and other municipalities across the country. The proposal will also eliminate citations from the State Patrol to truck drivers for carrying overweight loads.
The proposed corridor will allow the Port to be more competitive with other West Coast ports, which have similar heavy haul networks.
“The Northwest Seaport Alliance thanks the Seattle City Council for its approval of a heavy haul network that will make us a more competitive international gateway and improve the livelihood of truck drivers,” said Port of Seattle Commission Co-President Courtney Gregoire. “Seattle’s heavy haul network, like others in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Tacoma, will allow freight to move more safely and efficiently through our North Harbor.”
The Port of Seattle is contributing $250,000 toward start-up and implementation costs for 2016 and 2017. To offset the anticipated impacts of allowing heavier trucks, the Port will contribute between $10 million and $20 million over the next 20 years towards roadway repair and reconstruction within the network.
Commercial drivers will be required to purchase a $200 annual permit for transporting loads up to 98,000 pounds. The fees collected from the permits will be used to administer the program, including a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer.
As the map shows, the new “network” includes the “low bridge” and West Marginal Way SW.
2:12 PM: Fire crews are back at 6558 35th SW. The road is blocked at Holly. More to come.
2:20 PM: More fire crews continue to arrive. Firefighters are focused on the roof. Avoid the area – 35th is blocked south of Morgan and the side streets are jammed.
2:40 PM: Added photos (and Instagram video below). Firefighters are cutting into the building’s mansard-style roof.
The response has brought in multiple ladder trucks, another sign that this fire is centered atop the building, which – if you missed our coverage of this morning’s arson – is home to the Seattle Housing Authority’s High Point rental office as well as other tenants including a mosque.
2:51 PM: While we are still awaiting official information at the scene, a High Point resident says in comments that the homeowners’ association has sent e-mail describing this as a rekindled hot spot from this morning. Via the scanner, we’ve heard SFD make plans to keep “fire watch” on scene – which is typical when there’s concern a fire might re-ignite.
3:04 PM: Seattle Fire spokesperson Lt. Sue Stangl has just spoken to us and the citywide media at the scene but will not confirm that it’s a hotspot – she says their investigator is still on the way, and firefighters are still working on the roof to make sure there’s nothing else smoldering/burning. Via scanner, meantime, we’re hearing that they’re trying to move crews around so 35th SW can be reopened, but in the meantime, we’ll say it again – AVOID THE AREA – 35th is blocked south of Morgan and that’s jammed side streets such as 34th and 36th.
3:35 PM UPDATE: The fire has just been declared “tapped.” Arson investigators are at the scene (photo above). 35th SW has just reopened northbound and should have a southbound lane open soon – though we’d still advise avoiding it, as it’ll be “one lane for a (short distance) right at Holly” for a while.
4:16 PM: Commenter Nora confirms 35th is open again.
Since a citywide round of public meetings that started in West Seattle three weeks ago, Seattle Public Schools‘ list of proposed “bell time” (start and end of the school day) changes has itself changed once again. Here’s the final proposed citywide list, which goes to the School Board when it meets this Wednesday night. Here’s what’s now proposed for West Seattle schools for next year:
Chief Sealth IHS: 8:50 am-3:20 pm
West Seattle HS: 8:50 am-3:20 pmDenny IMS: 8 am-2:30 pm
Madison MS: 8:50 am-3:20 pmLouisa Boren K-8 STEM: 9:40 am-4:10 pm
Pathfinder K-8: 8:50 am-3:20 pmAlki Elementary: 8 am-2:10 pm
Arbor Heights Elementary: 8 am-2:10 pm
Concord International: 8 am-2:10 pm
Fairmount Park Elementary: 8 am-2:10 pm
Gatewood Elementary: 8 am-2:10 pm
Highland Park Elementary: 8 am-2:10 pm
Lafayette Elementary: 9:40 am-3:50 pm
Roxhill Elementary: 8 am-2:10 pm
Sanislo Elementary: 8 am-2:10 pm
Schmitz Park Elementary: 8 am-2:10 pm
West Seattle Elementary: 8 am-2:10 pm
Our coverage of the September 29th public meeting in West Seattle included the list of what was being proposed at that time. What’s changed since then – the two K-8’s are proposed to start 10 minutes later than they do now, and STEM’s end time would be half an hour later. The elementaries would all start significantly earlier than they do now, with the exception of Lafayette, which would start 10 minutes later.
WHAT’S NEXT: This goes to the board on Wednesday night, as an “introduction” item, after 6 pm – see the full agenda item, including the list, here. If the board approves it – or recommends something else – that would come up for a final vote on November 4th. You can send comments to board members via schoolboard@seattleschools.org.
If you need a flu shot, and are over the age of 4, you’re welcome at this immunization clinic tomorrow afternoon/evening. The announcement is shared by Chief Sealth IHS school nurse Alison Enochs:
Tuesday, October 20th
Chief Sealth International High School
3:00 to 7:00 pm in the GalleriaAll West Seattle residents over the age of 4 are welcome. Please bring your insurance card with you.
No student will be turned away for lack of insurance.
CSIHS is at 2600 SW Thistle. The Galleria entrance is at the end of the walkway that leads north from the parking lot, between the main building and the gym.
9:20 AM: We’re at King County Superior Court, where accused toddler killer Alicia Goemaat has just appeared for arraignment. In the brief hearing, she pleaded not guilty, and a date was set for her to return to court in two weeks; nothing else was said. As reported here two weeks ago, she is charged with second-degree murder for kicking her boyfriend’s 17-month-old son Drue Lehto (family photo at left) so hard, he suffered fatal internal injuries. He died at the Morgan Junction apartment where Goemaat had lived for about half a year with Drue’s father and with her own son, a few months older than Drue. 
Goemaat remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail.
ADDED 10:28 AM: At right, we’ve added our courtroom photo of Goemaat, who is 20 years old, from this morning’s hearing. She was arrested at the apartment on October 1st, four days after Drue was found dead in his crib; court documents say she confessed to placing him there after kicking him twice, the first time so hard that he was knocked down, because, she said, she was mad that he and her son were fighting over a toy. Her next court appearance is set for November 3rd. This is the first West Seattle murder case in more than a year and a half.
(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:15 AM: Launching Monday’s traffic watch: So far, the routes through and from West Seattle are incident-free.
7:38 AM: Crash reported at 35th/Willow. No word yet how it’s affecting traffic. Engine 37 is on the scene.
7:44 AM: Reminder that TONIGHT is your chance to come talk about the West Seattle Bridge-Duwamish Waterway Corridor Action Plan, 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building (California/Oregon, best known as the home of the Senior Center of West Seattle). The plan, first reported here one month ago, includes 27 possibilities, big and small, for attempting to ease traffic in the area. Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who announced the meeting three weeks ago, is hosting and says SDOT will review the plan’s recommendations. What do YOU think the bridge and “corridor” need? Come talk about it tonight.
8:34 AM: Now a crash is reported at Delridge and Andover. And three SFD units are responding to a reported natural-gas leak at the Arbor Heights Elementary construction site at 3701 SW 104th.
8:49 AM: The SFD call for Delridge/Andover has closed.
9:53 AM: Just drove back from downtown after covering court hearings. Northbound 99/Viaduct still sluggish.
(SCROLL DOWN for midday updates – SEPARATE COVERAGE OF AFTERNOON FLAREUP IS HERE)
6:12 AM: Another arson in the High Point area this morning – second morning in a row. As you can see in our photo, “arson” is the declaration on the sign that’s up at the Seattle Housing Authority-operated office on the northeast corner of 35th and Holly [map] after someone set a fire outside its basement entrance on the Holly side just after 3 am. No one was hurt. Seattle Police and Fire investigators are looking into this; it happened less than 24 hours after two cars were set ablaze in the Sylvan Ridge area on the southeast edge of High Point, about half a mile away, though there’s no word on whether this is related – we’ll be following up on that later this morning, and also re-inquiring about the 35th/Austin (ex-Red Star Pizza) fire early Thursday. Back to this morning’s fire – staffers are already at the office cleaning up after water damage and boarding a window; they say it will be open for business today.
11:16 AM: The building is also where the High Point Masjid As Sunnah mosque meets. We stopped again at the scene to check on the cleanup, and staff told us the SHA office side is what was damaged, not the mosque’s area.
SPD tells us they’ll have information to release later this hour, so we’ll have another update coming up.
11:39 AM: Here’s what SPD has just released via its “blotter,” saying they’re not seeing a connection so far between what happened this morning and what happened early Sunday:
Seattle police responded with Seattle fire to three intentionally set fires over the weekend in the High Point Neighborhood in West Seattle.
Police and firefighters responded to the 2700 block of SW Sylvan Heights on Sunday around 4:45 AM after receiving a report of two cars on fire.
Both vehicles were parked on the street and suffered significant damage before the flames were extinguished.
In a separate incident about 24 hours later, officers and firefighters responded to a fire in an entryway of a commercial building in the 6500 block of 35 Ave SW around 3:30 AM Monday. The fire caused exterior damage to the lower level of the building as well interior damage as the flames passed through a broken window.
SPD arson detectives are investigating the two incidents, but say they have not found anything connecting the cases. Police do not currently believe Monday’s fire on 35th Ave SW was set with the intent of targeting any of the tenants of three offices on the property.
Detectives are working with the Seattle Fire Department and our federal partners at ATF on these cases. If you have any information about these incidents, please call 911.
11:52 AM: We just called to doublecheck with SPD to be sure that by “three intentionally set fires” they meant the two cars plus this morning’s fire, not something additional, and Officer Lauren Lovanhill says yes, that’s what it means. She also confirms that the ex-Red Star Pizza fire from last week is NOT considered arson nor related in any way. (Later, SFD told us SPD is investigating that fire, though, because of its proximity.)
3:01 PM: If you haven’t seen our later story yet – fire broke out at this building again an hour ago, bringing a huge callout. We are covering this separately – go here.
A decision is in, and the hearing is off.
Checking the city files, we discovered that Hearing Examiner Sue Tanner has dismissed the most-recent 3050 Avalon Way project appeal filed by neighborhood group NERD (Neighbors Encouraging Reasonable Development):
As we reported three weeks ago, this all started when the group requested an interpretation of whether the city was properly treating the microhousing project as 14 “dwelling units” instead of 104 apartments. The latter number is how many “sleeping rooms” the project calls for, but they are clustered with 14 shared kitchens, and under the city rules that were in effect at the time of the application, each cluster with a kitchen constituted one “dwelling unit.” (The rules have since changed.) The number of units makes a big difference in how a development is reviewed – whether it will require Design Review, and what kind of environmental review. One year ago, the project had been under orders to either go through Design Review or make changes, as explained here; the developer opted for the latter.
After the interpretation arrived in August, affirming the “it’s 14 dwelling units, not 104 apartments” decision, NERD filed an appeal (read it here), contending among other things that the project shouldn’t have been considered as “vested” under the old rules. The case was to be argued in the Hearing Examiner’s chambers on November 5th.
Then after a pre-hearing conference in mid-September, both the city and the developer moved to dismiss the appeal. This past Wednesday, Tanner granted those motions (as detailed in the document embedded atop this report), ending the case and cancelling the November hearing. The ruling largely dwells on a technicality – saying that an appeal wasn’t filed against the Determination of (Environmental) Non-Significance for the project, and that because it wasn’t, the examiner did not have jurisdiction to consider an appeal of the interpretation.
A Hearing Examiner ruling is the city’s last word in a case like this, meaning that for a decision to be challenged any further, it would have to be taken to court. We have a message out asking NERD if they’re considering that. Otherwise, the project has its land-use permit, but appears to still be awaiting its construction permit.
Right about now, about a month into fall, for more than 20 years, this happens at Fauntleroy Creek: A ceremony to welcome the coho salmon spawners home – and then the watching and waiting. This afternoon, about 25 people gathered at the creek’s fish-ladder overlook to drum, dance, sing, and chant. Watershed steward Judy Pickens emceed:
Jamie Schilling led the music:
And the children led the way in joyfully participating, as you can see in our video:
Some had been there before, we saw when Judy asked for a show of hands. But no two autumns are alike, even if it is the “circle of life,” as noted on the sign Phil Sweetland hoisted for a call-and-response:
A bit of video:
Three years ago, 274 coho spawners showed up – the most ever. The following year, none. Then last year – 19, a few of which had shown up even before the welcoming ceremony. It’s impossible to predict, so the volunteer watch starts tomorrow; Judy said the tides are looking most promising starting next weekend. The mouth of the creek is near the ferry dock, across Fauntleroy Way from the overlook where the salmon-welcomers gathered late today.
When there are fish to see, by the way, the creek overlook will have a better view than years past, because of some recent trimming.
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