West Seattle, Washington
23 Monday
Thanks to Shelley for the photo and report: “The Chief Sealth girls played another great game, coming off a win against Bainbridge Wednesday night. They traveled to Lakeside to overcome them 46-45.” She adds that the Seahawks, coached by Katie Jo Maris, are on a 5-game winning streak (see the season’s results and schedule here), and that this is their first win over Lakeside in at least 9 years.
That 4-minute video is by the West Seattle High School Diversity Club, “made to address anti-Muslim stereotypes and show support for our Muslim students,” explains the club’s adviser, WSHS teacher Rebecka McKinney. She adds, “I am very proud of the work our students have done and hope it will be shared throughout the district and even beyond. They first held focus sessions where Muslim students were invited to discuss their feelings around the anti-Muslim rhetoric, how they felt, and what they would like to see done to support them. Diversity Club co-president Meron Mulu then created questions and signed students up to be in the video. From there we partnered with sophomore Sam Cleary and his crew to do the filming and editing.” The video was shown to all students during the announcements period at WSHS this morning.
At the Duwamish Longhouse tomorrow (Saturday, January 23), 1-5 pm, join in a conversation about climate:
Continue the dialogue begun at COP21 in Paris!
You are invited to join with participants from the COP21 session at La Galerie des Solutions including local activist Sarra Tekola, members of the Tulalip, Lummi, and Saanich Tribes, and keynote speaker Laurence Brahm.
Laurence Brahm is a US native who has lived in Asia for much of his life. He is a global activist, social entrepreneur, international lawyer, political-economist, crisis mediator, and author of over 20 books on Asia. He has worked on climate change with many heads of state from Bhutan to Iceland and with the Chinese government to create their new green growth national policy. He is the author of Fusion Economics, on his work with the Himalayan Consensus and the African Consensus.
The Green Party of Washington State is sponsoring the event; find the Longhouse in West Seattle, at 4705 W. Marginal Way SW.
We’ve already published our video from the HALA and “backyard cottages” presentations that comprised the second half of Wednesday night’s quarterly Morgan Community Association meeting. Before that, a quick MoCA meeting included these neighborhood updates:
SIDEWALK WORK TO CONTINUE IN SPRING: The grant-funded work to repair/replace the sidewalk on the west side of California SW south of Fauntleroy Way will continue “in late March to April.” The sidewalk in front of the commercial building on the southwest corner of the intersection was completed last fall (our photo is from Thursday).
PARK-EXPANSION UPDATE: The city has owned the commercial building north of Morgan Junction Park for more than a year and a half, and demolition is now “guesstimated” for next July, according to MoCA. The cleaners closed earlier this winter and the convenience store is expected to be out by May. Park design hasn’t begun yet, though.
LINCOLN PARK PLAY AREA MEETING REMINDER: As noted here last week, Seattle Parks has set February 2nd as the next meeting for the renovation of the north play area at Lincoln Park, 6:30 pm at Gatewood Elementary (4320 SW Myrtle).
MORGAN JUNCTION BUSINESS MIXER: Area businesses are invited to network and mingle at the next mixer – 5-7 pm April 28th at Zeeks Pizza (WSB sponsor) on the northwest corner of California/Fauntleroy.
P.S. MoCA (an all-volunteer group) also elected this year’s officers/executive board members: President Deb Barker, Vice President Phillip Tavel, Recording Secretary Jennifer Whip, Treasurer Eldon Olson, Public Information Officer Cindi Barker, Southwest District Council rep Tamsen Spengler.
What will be proposed in the city’s “People, Dogs, and Parks Strategic Plan” – formerly the off-leash plan? We won’t know for another month. That’s the latest word from the city; thanks to Mike Dey from the Fauntleroy Community Association for the alert. When the new project lead, Susan Golub, spoke to the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council in November (WSB coverage here), it looked like the draft plan would be out in early January. Now the city says “tentatively … late February.” You can watch this city webpage for updates – or be at the city Parks Board’s next meeting, as they have a “preliminary discussion” about the forthcoming plan. A briefing paper just posted in connection with that meeting offers these questions for Parks Board members to discuss:
1. Should we allow/encourage sponsorships and advertising? …
2. Should we have unfenced, hours-only off-leash areas? …
3. How should new OLAs be added to the system? …
4. Should there be a restriction on the number of dogs an individual can bring to an off-leash area?
The Parks Board meets 6:30 pm next Thursday (January 28th) at Queen Anne Community Center. No dog-plan-specific meeting dates/times are set yet
(GO HERE for coverage of the first project reviewed Thursday night, 1307 Harbor SW)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
With some reservation, the Southwest Design Review Board voted last night to allow 1250 Alki SW – a ~100-unit apartment building that developer SolTerra has named “Perch” – to advance out of the Early Design Guidance phase on its second try.
Neighbors who have been closely watching and analyzing the process again voiced their concern that the project remains out of scale with the neighborhood. Here’s the “design packet” on which last night’s presentation was based:
Here’s how the review went:
(Photo by Don Brubeck)
Friday and the weekend is almost here! First, from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
WEST SEATTLE GARDEN CLUB: This month’s meeting is under way, but there’s still time to join some of the upcoming sessions. Info in our calendar listing. It’s happening in building 3 at Daystar. (2615 SW Barton)
LEGO EXTRAVAGANZA: 6:30 pm at the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor), come build whatever you can dream up! Prizes in certain age groups. Free. The Y welcomes Lego donations, too, if you have some that are no longer needed. (4515 36th SW)
WANT TO TEACH YOGA? Informal information night at Sound Yoga (WSB sponsor), 7 pm – info in our calendar listing. (5639 California SW)
HIGH-SCHOOL BASKETBALL: The only team home tonight is Seattle Lutheran High School, hosting nearby Shorewood Christian – girls play at 6, boys at 7:30, at the SLHS gym. (4100 SW Genesee)
LIVE MUSIC AT C & P: Singer/songwriter Mitchell Mirande performs at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
CD RELEASE CONCERT: Daisy Day Band‘s CD release, plus Death Muffins, 9 pm at The Skylark. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
10:05 AM: Thanks to Chris for the tip – the West Seattle PCC Natural Markets (WSB sponsor) store is temporarily closed. We called to find out why; a staffer told us they’re fixing a plumbing problem and hope to reopen later this morning, perhaps as soon as 11 am or so. We’ll be checking back, but if you find it open again before we mention it, please consider texting/calling our hotline, 206-293-6302 – thank you.
10:50 AM: Via Twitter, PCC just announced the West Seattle store has reopened.
So many knew her as “Nurse Shirley.” Those who knew her as “an incomparable and beloved mother, auntie, and friend” are sharing this remembrance and invitation to tomorrow’s celebration of her life:
Shirley Ann Thomas, 6/22/32-1/7/16
Shirley Thomas might say her job here on Earth was done. She’d run all the “Erins” and “Jillys” on her list, and it was now time for her next big adventure.
Born June 22, 1932 to Alaric and Ellen, and the baby of six spirited Belanger siblings, she came into this world with determination and a mischievous glint in her eye. Destined to love hard and laugh often, her feisty nature was the product of good family genes and an inherently good and decent soul.
Married in 1961 to Earl William Thomas, her greatest joy was their two daughters, Erin and Jill. Her pride in her girls was unrivaled. Her love for them, boundless. No matter how big or small the accomplishment, those girls knew they’d made mom proud.
Shirley was never stingy with her love. Her bond with son-in-law Tom was unbreakable. Her relationships with her siblings, nieces, nephews, and everyone in-between were equally strong. As the generations of kids who came through the doors of the Children’s Clinic of West Seattle knew all too well, you didn’t have to be blood related to be worthy of Nurse Shirley’s love and attention. If you were in the vicinity of her kind heart, you were considered family.
Miss Shirley enjoyed holding court, waving her hands through the air as though playing an imaginary piano, while regaling us with her dry wit and oftentimes jaw-dropping stories. But more than that, she gleaned great pleasure in sitting back and taking in the family and friends who had surrounded her for the precious decades she’d blessed us all with. She was the grand dame of her neighborhood, and it was a rare occasion to find her home alone. Kelly and Bob, Darlene and Dan, Julie and Terry, she loved you so! Shirley never had a bad day.
Shirley is survived by her two loving daughters, Erin and Jill, her son-in-law Tom, and so many family members, friends, and adoring fans, there isn’t a newspaper or website large enough to name them all. And while she would admonish us with a swipe of those hands for grieving her passing, there are simply no words to describe our loss. Our comfort is knowing we all carry a piece of her joyous spirit inside us. We see it in the mirror every day, and in the mischievous grins of our children, to be passed on for generations to come.
Please join us in celebrating the life of an incomparable and beloved mother, auntie, and friend at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on January 23, 2016 at 1:00 pm – followed by a festival of family, friends, and food at her home. She wouldn’t have had it any other way.
(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)
(WSB photo)
ORIGINAL 8:53 AM REPORT: County crews are working on what they describe as a “small sewer leak” near Alki Point and have posted warning signs in the area. Just in from the Wastewater Treatment Division:
King County utility crews are working quickly this morning to repair a sewer line leak near the 63rd Avenue Pump Station, which is located at 3535 Beach Drive SW.
The small leak was detected last night in a 42-inch pipeline that pumps wastewater from homes and businesses in West Seattle to King County’s West Point Treatment Plant in the Magnolia neighborhood.
An undetermined amount of wastewater overflowed out of the pipe and into Puget Sound. To protect public health and safety, crews quickly initiated cleanup and posted warning signs to keep people away from affected areas.
Construction workers will be on site this morning to repair the pipeline. King County reported the overflow to health and regulatory agencies and will monitor water quality over the next several days.
10:37 AM UPDATE: County staffers are distributing flyers in the area, and spokesperson Annie Kolb-Nelson also tells us they’re now closing the sidewalk, as well as one traffic lane – in an area that’s already relatively narrow. So they’re advising avoiding the area.
5:13 PM UPDATE: Work will continue tonight and tomorrow, the county says:
King County Wastewater Treatment Division crews have begun repairs to a sewer line where a failed seal caused a leak at the 63rd Avenue Pump Station on the evening of Thursday, Jan. 21.
Earlier today, crews excavated the pipeline, identified a repair method, and are now working to contain the leak and complete work as quickly as possible. Work is expected to be completed for the night at 10 p.m., and will resume at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23.
The area is cordoned off, and warning signs are posted to keep people at a safe distance from the work area during repair activities. King County employees are monitoring water quality, and will continue to do so until the problem is resolved and water quality returns to normal condition.
We will continue to provide updates as the work to repair this pipeline continues. Please contact us if you have questions.
What to expect:
· Work will continue until 10 p.m. tonight, and resume at 7 a.m. Saturday.
· Neighbors will experience noise, and construction lights will be on site.
· While repairs are expected to be completed Saturday, some work to restore the area may continue the week of January 25.
· Vactor trucks will be on site beginning Friday, January 22, 2016.
· Drivers should watch for traffic control devices – flaggers, signs and cones – and drive slowly through the area.
· Fencing, warning signs and tape will all be used at the site to keep people safe. Please avoid the area.
6:35 AM: Good morning! No incidents so far in our area but as SDOT points out, congestion is “building.”
WEEKEND REMINDERS: The Highway 99 lane closures north of downtown continue; we’re mentioning them in case you’re heading that way this weekend but hadn’t done so during the week. Also, there’s weekend work on westbound I-90.
7:54 AM: As currently shown in the fourth camera in our view above, a car has spun out in the westbound lanes of the Fauntleroy end of the bridge near Walking on Logs.
8:22 AM: The eastbound bridge was closed briefly for barrier repair related to that crash. SDOT says it’s open again.
This week, students at Sanislo Elementary had a priceless chance to connect with the people at the heart of a true story that has captured hearts and educated millions. “Hana’s Suitcase” is a best-selling book and also the production that just opened at Seattle Children’s Theater. It tells the story of a family caught up in the Holocaust, through a Japanese museum curator’s quest decades later to find out more about them. That curator, Fumiko Ishioka, came to Sanislo on Wednesday along with Hana’s brother George Brady and his daughter Lara Hana Brady:
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With them, at left in the photo above, is Sanislo’s ever-creative librarian Craig Seasholes, who hosted a Google Hangout live connection so other schools could share in the conversation with Fumiko, George, and Lara, visiting Seattle for the production’s opening week. Here’s the video of the event – which also included “Hana’s Suitcase” playwright Emil Sher:
The suitcase itself has been to more than 1,000 schools over the past 16 years as Hana’s story is told and retold and explored.
“Hana’s Suitcase” will be at SCT through February 7th.
Thanks to Kevin Broveleit for the photos – tonight in the gym at Schmitz Park Elementary, sign-making was an all-ages activity looking ahead to the Washington State PTA-organized Focus Day at the State Capitol in Olympia on February 3rd. Clockwise from lower left in the top photo are Josie, Brea, Chris (the grownup), Lilly, Conrad, Dora, Joelle.
Advocacy is also expected to be an all-ages activity that day – at least four of the students Kevin photographed will be going along, he says. At the top of the priority list for the statewide group is getting the Legislature to honor the McCleary decision’s mandate to fully fund public education. Tonight’s signmaking party, by the way, was held concurrently with the Schmitz Park PTA’s meeting, according to an update on the group’s Focus Day plan.
(WSB photo: Architects Tim Rhodes and Brian Court)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Southwest Design Review Board has just given its final blessing to the design of 1307 Harbor SW, the mixed-use project planned for the former Alki Tavern site and neighboring parcels, following a meeting that revealed more about what the building will be used for – residential units are a small part of what it will hold.
The board’s part of the process ended with the minimum amount of meetings – Early Design Guidance approval in April 2014, and a final recommendation tonight. Four of the board’s five members were present for the meeting, the first part of a doubleheader – chair Todd Bronk, T. Frick McNamara, Matt Zinski, and Donald Caffrey.
Here’s how it unfolded:
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The first West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting of the year drew one of its biggest recent turnouts, ~30 people. Here’s how it unfolded, from a briefing and Q/A with West Seattle’s police commander, to an insurance-industry expert’s inside information on car prowl/theft tactics:
CAPTAIN’S BRIEFING: Southwest Precinct Capt. Pierre Davis began Tuesday night’s meeting by thanking citizens for staying alert and calling 911. He mentioned the micro-community policing plans for 12 neighborhoods, while assuring people outside those areas that it doesn’t mean they get less policing resources.
As for the trends:
*Car prowls remain big, as does retail theft (shoplifting).” Also, “We’re still having street robberies,” but often there’s a relationship of some kind between robber and victim, “not so much individuals coming out there just to get (random) individuals.” He pointed out that numbers are available via the SPD Dashboard, saying it’s a “real-time” stat system.
Hot spots right now: High Point and North Delridge – “assaults, lots of gunfire, things of that nature, we’re on that as well … trying to determine what the true issues are, and sometimes they have nothing to do with West Seattle – these guys are migratory, they have cars … only thing we can do is make arrests, identify who we can identify.” He said the precinct is getting more resources, not just in house but from outside including SWAT teams, Gang Unit, etc.
Just in, an update from WSDOT, following up on its order last week telling its contractor to stop Highway 99 tunneling because of recent incidents including a sinkhole and trouble with the barge that was receiving excavated material:
Last week, WSDOT notified Seattle Tunnel Partners that they must “suspend for cause” tunneling operations involving the tunneling machine and the loading of barges. WSDOT took this step to ensure STP’s work can proceed safely following recent incidents on the SR 99 Tunnel Project. Safety remains the top priority for the project and we can’t speculate on when tunneling will resume.
In response to the suspension for cause, STP has informed WSDOT they are analyzing the recent incidents and intend to provide follow-up information this week. WSDOT, in consultation with its tunneling experts, will then review the information and determine the appropriate next steps.
STP has notified WSDOT they plan to sequentially turn off the deep dewatering wells soon. These wells, which have been used to control groundwater, were previously scheduled to be shut off when the tunneling machine reaches the next planned maintenance stop. With tunneling operations currently on hold, STP has determined that there is an opportunity to turn off the wells earlier than planned. We will continue to monitor movement of the ground, structures, utilities and the viaduct. Additional information about our ground monitoring program can be found here.
(UPDATED with meeting video and documents showing what was approved/changed)
(Click above to see Seattle Channel video of this afternoon’s relatively brief meeting)
3:37 PM: Happening now at City Hall – the special meeting of the City Council to consider Mayor Murray‘s emergency order setting up, among other things, two “safe lots” for people living in their RVs and other vehicles – one of them on the paved area adjacent to what for years was an unsanctioned encampment at West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way SW in HP. As District 1 City Councilmember Lisa Herbold told the Delridge District Council last night, she and her colleagues have the opportunity to amend the order as they consider it. We’ll be updating live as we monitor it via Seattle Channel.
They’re beginning with public comment; one of the first speakers is an advocate who says she is concerned about the city’s current schedule of “sweeps” at unauthorized encampments – “there’s real harm done to real people” – and says that the schedule does not reflect what councilmembers heard at their briefing about those sweeps back on Tuesday. Another speaker, an Interbay businessperson, says he’s concerned about the RV lots creating an inhospitable atmosphere both for those living in them or those near them. A third speaker is advocating for the city to “stop the (encampment) sweeps. The fourth and final person who signed up to speak says she’s a Magnolia resident concerned about crime that she and her neighbors believe is related to unauthorized encampments.
3:48 PM: Council President Bruce Harrell is saying the council has four options – do nothing, accept the mayor’s order, reject it, or modify it. After asking city staffers for some background, he also notes the council has the authority to revoke an order like this if they don’t feel it’s accomplishing its goal. Right after that, Councilmember Herbold proposes amendments. “The amendments broadly fall into two categories,” she says, adding that they include “reporting-back requirements” regarding demographics of those served, impacts on nearby communities, and what the city will do after the “safe lots” end – “we’ll still have RV camping, and what will the city do then?” And she’s asking to make sure that the lots are not just for “one particular part of the city” but that outreach is done all over the city. (Much of what she’s listed are points that came up at last night’s meeting in Delridge.) Herbold also says her questions include what she’s heard from “(her) community” about whether the Highland Park lot is truly suitable, particularly because of its lack of nearby services.
4:08 PM: After a lot of trying to straighten out fine print, questions ensue. Councilmember Rob Johnson wonders what kind of a dent these two lots with a combined 50 spaces or so will make, when at least 800 people are believed to be living in their vehicles around the city, and will it affect the ability of religious and other institutions to host “car campers”? He is told it won’t affect that ability. They’ve just passed an amended resolution; we don’t have the documents yet but will add them when we get them. Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, joining the meeting by phone, says it’s about knowing who the people are (in the lots/encampments), knowing that they’re safe, and knowing that neighbors are safe. And at 4:13 pm, the meeting’s adjourned.
4:37 PM: Updated – here’s the amended order – scroll to what’s in blue, to see what was added/changed:
You also can see it here as a PDF.
4:56 PM: Here’s the second document, an amended resolution. As with the one above, scroll through to see (in purple) what was added/changed:
And here it is as a PDF if you’d rather read it that way. Again, the lots are supposed to be operational in about a month, so we’ll have more followups about what’s planned, what’s expected, and other related issues/questions.
ADDED 7:30 PM: A statement received from Councilmember Herbold via e-mail:
“Last year in the One Night Count, volunteers found approximately 760 vehicles with people living inside them. I thank the Mayor for acting on the clear need to assist these people and, in doing so, addressing the impacts on people living without access to water, garbage, and bathroom facilities.
“Today, Council amended the Order before it took practical effect. If we hadn’t acted within 48 hours, it would have gone into effect without our changes. Firstly, it was important to explicitly ensure we are collecting demographics on the people served in the safe parking lots. As outreach workers attempt to find solutions to find permanent housing, it’s essential we track the barriers they face. We must also track perceived and actual impacts on communities and the City’s response to those impacts. Looking forward, we also need to hear from Executive departments how the City intends to address vehicle camping after the terms for these particular safe lots end. This was all addressed in the amendments adopted today.
“Secondly, we memorialized operational commitments that were not included in the original Order relating to site management, sanitation, electricity, and potable water, and defining a length of term for the individual lots (six months, with the option for a one-time six month renewal). In addition there is an expectation that these lots will not be reserved for vehicle residents from one particular set of neighborhoods, rather the City will do outreach to all neighborhoods where people are living in their vehicles. The amendments also require the Executive to justify site suitability and name the factors used to justify that selection.
“Moving forward, it’s important that the Seattle community serves their unhoused neighbors in a way that best meets their needs. Choosing a remote location with little access to grocery stores, transportation, social services, showers and laundry facilities simply because it’s the easiest choice helps no one.
“Further, these lots cannot be opened to simply serve people living in RVs in Magnolia. There are vehicle campers all over the city, including Delridge and South Park. If we are to continue this model I want to see the City use a race and social justice lens to fully analyze the properties available citywide and identify choices that are best for those whom we wish to serve, as well as the surrounding community.
“Lastly, I’d like to thank my fellow Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw, Debora Juarez, and Lorena González for working with me to develop amending language to the Mayor’s Order of Civil Emergency. I’m pleased with our vote today, and we intend to continue our efforts to find housing for people who need it most.”
The mayor also has issued a statement: ““Thanks to the Council for the quick approval of emergency order that will provide a safer, cleaner environment for some of those who are homeless. By organizing better sanitation and centralizing the delivery of human services for those in need, we will work to move them to permanent housing as quickly as possible. While these aren’t long-term solutions, they do allow us to respond to more of the impacts of unpermitted parking and tents in neighborhoods around the city.”
This report is from D in Highland Park, who was only gone for a short time when the burglar(s) hit:
We had a break-in this morning at our home on 18th/Trenton. The thief (or thieves) kicked in our locked back door and stole my iMac, speakers, mouse, keyboard, and a Kindle Fire right off my desk. I was gone from the house for less than 30 minutes picking up my daughter at preschool. The iMac wasn’t worth anything (2009 model) and it contained all our family pictures and videos. A good reminder to back up digital information and pictures to the cloud.
As we were processing this, D e-mailed again to add that the burglar(s) also stole video equipment, a spare set of their house keys, and even roller-derby gear.
If you weren’t able to get to last night’s presentations about the city’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) – organized by the Morgan Community Association with a West Seattle-wide focus – here’s the video we recorded so you can watch/listen. Both presentations were by city staffers – above, Jesseca Brand presented an overview of HALA (57 minutes); below, Nick Welch talked about backyard cottages and mother-in-law apartments (49 minutes), aka Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs) and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
The presentations were preceded by a short MoCA business meeting, with some updates on neighborhood projects/issues – separate story about that later.
(Panorama from Harbor Island, by Jim Edwards)
Interested in development? Two local meetings might interest you. Lots of entertainment tonight too. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
DESIGN REVIEW X 2: Two Alki projects are on the agenda for the Southwest Design Review Board tonight – 6:30 pm, second review for the 1307 Harbor SW mixed-use project that includes the ex-Alki Tavern site, details and project packet linked here; 8 pm, 1250 Alki SW, the ~100-apartment project known as Perch, as previewed here on Wednesday. Both meetings have public-comment opportunities; both are upstairs at the Sisson Building, home of the Senior Center of West Seattle. (California SW/SW Oregon)
ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Earlier meeting time tonight so that members can get to the aforementioned Design Review Board meeting for Perch. ACC starts at 6:30 pm in the parlor at Alki UCC, with topics including Statue of Liberty Plaza maintenance plus a discussion with the VP of real estate for West Coast Self-Storage, regarding a “new development that will involve a street vacation for 29th SW, east of Harbor and north of ActivSpace,” according to ACC president Tony Fragada. (6115 SW Hinds)
WEST SEATTLE TIMEBANK: 6:30 pm potluck, 7 pm meeting at the Senior Center of West Seattle – perfect time to get involved with the West Seattle Timebank – details in our calendar listing. (California/Oregon)
DENNY/SEALTH CONCERT: 7 pm at the Chief Sealth International High School auditorium, free concert featuring the Denny Junior Bands, Denny Junior Orchestra, Beginning Orchestra, Denny Jazz, and Mariachi. (2600 SW Thistle)
OPEN MIC – UNPLUGGED! At C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7 pm. (5612 California SW)
BELLY DANCING: Monthly free, all-ages Alauda showcase at The Skylark, 7:30 pm. (3803 California SW)
OPENING NIGHT FOR ‘REALLY REALLY’: Official opening night at ArtsWest Playhouse for “Really Really” – details in our calendar listing. (4711 California SW)
‘GEEKS WHO DRINK’ TRIVIA NIGHT: 8 pm at Treehouse Lounge in The Admiral District – details in our calendar listing. (2206 California SW)
LOTS MORE ON THE CALENDAR – see it all here.
Thanks to Patricia for the heads-up on this – SFD confirms that an open house 11 am-1 pm on Saturday, January 30th, is planned at Fire Station 29 (2139 Ferry SW), now that firefighters have moved back in after 9 months of seismic and other upgrades. (See before/after views here.) Patricia also reports the temporary structures are now gone from the triangle of city-owned land used as the temporary FS29.
6:21 AM: Good morning! Give yourself extra time today – no incidents so far but the rain’s been heavy at times.
3 ROAD-WORK ALERTS: Here’s new information about the Delridge-Highland Park Greenway work … ongoing nighttime work on SW Alaska west of Fauntleroy … and the lane closures on Highway 99 north of downtown continue.
7:04 AM: Northbound 99 is slowing because of what SDOT says is a stall south of the Seneca exit.
7:14 AM: SDOT says that stall has now cleared, but “residual backups” remain a factor.
7:47 AM: SDOT now reports a crash at W. Marginal and Highland Park Way.
8:10 AM: Now, bridge trouble: SPD has just been dispatched to a stalled vehicle on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge, “at the high rise.”
Stall: Eastbound W Seattle Bridge mid span, center lane blocked. Use caution & expect delays pic.twitter.com/JucgBkGOSL
— seattledot (@seattledot) January 21, 2016
8:29 AM: Mike says via Twitter that things are “backed up to The Junction.” MJR in comments says police are with the stalled vehicle and the bridge is “wide open” once you pass it.
9:31 AM: That stall, by the way, cleared before 9 am, per SDOT. As noted in comments, though, the bridge is still very slow going. And now a commenter reports a new stall.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
For the first time since the mayor’s announcement of a “safe lot” in Highland Park for people living in their RVs and cars, a community organization talked about it tonight with District 1 City Councilmember Lisa Herbold.
She arrived at the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council‘s regularly scheduled meeting just in time for a discussion of the issue – a late add to the DNDC agenda, given that news of the plan for “safe lots” here and in Ballard was just announced Tuesday afternoon.
The City Council meets tomorrow (3:30 pm Thursday) to vote on the mayor’s emergency order paving the way for the lots, as well as three emergency sites (none in West Seattle). Introducing Herbold, DNDC chair Mat McBride said he understood the site would host 20 to 25 RVs. He also noted that Department of Neighborhoods director Kathy Nyland was on hand too. Herbold said she had asked for someone from the city Human Services Department to attend and was disappointed that no one was available.
Herbold said she “(felt) uncomfortable making a presentation on behalf of the executive (mayor)” because there still wasn’t much information on this sudden proposal. She said she didn’t initially realize the mayor’s office was talking about the lot adjacent to the former encampment site in Highland Park (at West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way). She thought the plan sounded at first as if RVs that have been at the heart of an uproar in Magnolia were going to be moved here . “I’m interested in serving the community of folks who are already here” – meaning RV campers around West Seattle and South Park – “and getting THEM services. So that was one of the first things I asked.” She said the mayor’s order is “just a shell” and there’s a lot she wants to see worked out “so the nuts and bolts can be worked out in that 30-day period” (before the lot opens).
Tomorrow’s council vote is not required for the mayor’s order to take effect, she says, but “by voting on it, we have a chance to amend it.” She is hoping to see some language written into it regarding restroom access and other key things the people who use the lot will need.
A representative of Highland Park Improvement Club – directly up the hill from the site – wondered about the location given the unreliability, as she put it, of the Route 131 bus, and how people at the lot would be able to use it to get to water and food. Herbold said she expressed an interest in a route change toward that goal.
McBride said he would like to see from the city, “if we are going to host this – and I’m not saying I’m opposed – I would like the city to double down on the amount of services it’s providing; we’re talking about an area that historically has been underserved, and we need to correct that, particularly if we’re inviting a group of people who themselves are underserved … I would like the city to really acknowledge the fact that yes, yes, we’re doing this, and in doing this, we’re also going to do the following.”
One attendee said she is concerned that this lot will only serve people coming to the area and various unauthorized parking areas will remain around West Seattle.
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