West Seattle, Washington
03 Thursday
(59th/Admiral, December 2017)
Some changes made … some promised … some requested. There’s been a lot of back-and-forth about the intersection of 59th Avenue SW and Admiral Way SW in recent months. So what’s next? An SDOT representative is on the agenda for the Alki Community Council‘s meeting tomorrow night (7 pm Thursday, Alki UCC, 6115 SW Hinds), so if you’re interested, you might want to be there. The scheduling is a followup to discussion at last month’s ACC meeting.
(WSB photo, July 2017)
A reminder from the King County Department of Transportation today – Water Taxi fares are going up March 1st. From the announcement:
For adults paying with ORCA, the one-way fare will be $5 per rider on the West Seattle route and $5.75 per rider on the Vashon Island route.
Adults paying with cash will pay $5.75 for West Seattle and $6.75 for Vashon Island.
Seniors and riders with disabilities will pay $2.50 for West Seattle and $3 for Vashon Island, a 25-cent increase over current fares.
Youth ORCA users and ORCA LIFT riders will now pay $3.75 a ride for West Seattle (25 cents more per ride) and $4.50 (50 cents more per ride) for Vashon Island. Children 5 years old and under can still ride the Water Taxi for free. To view all fare changes scheduled for March 1, visit our website and choose a route.
The fare policy was established when the Water Taxi operated under the King County Ferry District and was then adopted by King County. Fare increases have taken place every two years since 2012. Fare revenue helps King County meet fare box recovery targets and keep pace with rising costs to deliver safe, reliable and efficient Water Taxi service.
The King County Water Taxi continues to grow in popularity, providing riders with a congestion-free commute into downtown Seattle. In 2017, the Water Taxi carried nearly 600,000 riders combined on the West Seattle and Vashon Island routes. These two routes combined for more than 13,300 annual trip segments with over a 99-percent reliability rating.
Two more Water Taxi notes: The 5-day-a-week winter schedule runs through the end of March; and as noted in our morning commute coverage, remember that the Water Taxi will not be in service next Monday (Presidents Day).
ADDED 2:54 PM: We confirmed with KCDOT’s Brent Champaco that the spring/summer Water Taxi schedule really is starting on a Thursday (March 29th), different from years past. He explains that the date was chosen because it’s the Mariners’ home opener.
11:55 AM: Just in from Seattle Police – word of a burglary suspect arrested at a for-sale house, where officers also found items stolen in recent local car prowls:
Shortly before 6:00 pm (Tuesday), officers responded to a reported burglary in the 6300 block of 36th Avenue SW. The homeowner had gone to the house, which was unoccupied but staged for sale, and discovered drug paraphernalia inside. The homeowner immediately left the house and called 911. Officers searched the home and arrested a 36-year-old man inside. The suspect was in possession of a number of identification cards, personal checks, a laptop and other apparent stolen property. Some of the items located inside the house were taken in recent vehicle prowls in West Seattle. Officers were able to return those items to their rightful owners.
The suspect was interviewed by Major Crimes Task Force detectives before he was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of burglary and several counts of possession of stolen property.
ADDED 12:05 PM: Just looked up the suspect on the jail register. It’s the fourth time he’s been in jail since the start of the year – the register shows an arrest earlier this month for investigation of vehicle theft, an arrest in mid-January for investigation of possession of stolen property, and an arrest in early January for investigation of vehicle theft. It does not appear, checking court records, that prosecutors have yet charged him in any of those cases, nor does he appear to have a prior felony record in this state.
Happy Valentine’s Day! And thanks to Mary for the photo of a neighbor’s work at the 17th/Cloverdale traffic circle. Now on to WSB West Seattle Event Calendar highlights for the rest of your Wednesday:
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: Day of Remembrance Presentation by UW professor Dr. Gail Nomura, noon-1 pm at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) in the Olympic Hall Theater on the south end of campus.
This year is the 30th anniversary of the passing of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which provided redress for Japanese Americans forcibly removed and incarcerated in WW II. Dr. Nomura will reflect on the injustices and hardships of the incarceration and discuss how it relates to our society today. She will also highlight individuals who challenged the incarceration—including Gordon Hirabayashi who is featured in “Ancestry Is Not a Crime,” a photo exhibit on display in our library for the month of February. The exhibit is on loan from the Seattle University Law Library.
Admission is free and open to all. (6000 16th SW)
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AT THE MOVIES: 1 pm matinée at the Senior Center of West Seattle. This week, it’s 1945’s “The Southerner.” More info here. (4217 SW Oregon)
TINKERLAB DROP-IN: Robots are starring in this afternoon’s drop-in Tinkerlab session at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, 2:30-4 pm. All ages welcome. (2306 42nd SW)
BASKETBALL: Seattle Lutheran High School‘s girls are in the playoffs and hosting Friday Harbor at the SLHS gym this afternoon, 4:45 pm. (4100 SW Genesee)
FERRY CEREMONY: If you want to get way into the Valentine’s Day mood, be on the 5:10 pm state ferry from Fauntleroy to Vashon and Southworth – we’re told a couple that’s been married five years will be renewing their vows, with the help of a radio DJ, and everyone’s invited to the ceremony. Free treats, too.
34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS: Our area’s largest political organization meets at 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. The agenda – which you can see in full in the latest newsletter (PDF) – includes discussions of the homelessness crisis and “safe injection sites.” (9131 California SW)
POETRYBRIDGE: Get poetic tonight, 7 pm, with the monthly PoetryBridge event at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). Michael Hickey and Michael Butz are this month’s featured readers. (5612 California SW)
MURDER MYSTERY DINNER: 7 pm cocktails, 7:30 pm dinner/performance of “Death at the Disco” – something unusual for your Valentine’s Day dinner. Check to see if any tickets remain. At The Sanctuary at Admiral. (42nd/Lander)
JUST THE START! See more highlights for today, tonight, beyond, by going here.
For the second year, the city invited park/street grant ideas through what it calls “Your Voice, Your Choice” – and citywide, it’s just been announced, 1,000 new ideas came in, in addition to almost 400 ideas getting rolled over from last year. Next up, you’re invited to “project development” meetings to help narrow the list down (which is also being done right now through city staff’s feasibility reviewing). Here’s where and when the meetings are in District 1 (West Seattle/South Park):
February 26, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
South Seattle College, Chan Education Center, Rm 202 – 6000 16th Ave SWFebruary 27, 6 – 8 pm
South Park Community Center – 8319 8th Ave SMarch 12, 10 am – 12 pm
Southwest Youth and Family Services – 4555 Delridge Way SWMarch 14, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
West Seattle Branch Library – 2306 42nd Ave SWMarch 26, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Southwest Branch Library – 9010 35th Ave SW
The “project development” process is explained here. After that, there’ll be a list you can vote on, so stay tuned for that in June-July. The citywide fund this year for all projects totals $3 million.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:50 AM: Good morning! Just checked around – no incidents reported in/from West Seattle.
Note that next Monday (February 19th) is Presidents Day; no Water Taxi, and Metro will be on “reduced weekday” service. It’s also the start of a week off – mid-winter break – for Seattle Public Schools.
7:32 AM: From SDOT: “Stalled vehicle on West Seattle Bridge EB at Delridge Way SW blocking left lane.”
7:55 AM: Cleared.
Closer this time – but not close enough. Tonight at Sammamish High School in Bellevue, the West Seattle High School boys faced Rainier Beach for the second time in less than a week. This time, the Vikings won 76-63 – less than half the margin of last week’s loss, but a loss nonetheless. Tonight’s standout for the Wildcats was #2 Elijah Nnanabu with 26 points (top photo). #5 Abdullahi Mohamed had 11.
Eight points from #24 Simon Harris:
And five from #23 Anthony Giomi had 5.
Next up, head coach Keffrey Fazio‘s Wildcats have a must-win game at 3:30 pm Friday, again at Sammamish HS, playing Bellevue, who lost tonight to O’Dea (a team West Seattle had beaten in the early postseason).
8:11 PM: Thanks for the tips about Guardian One over White Center/South Delridge. We have a crew on the ground talking with deputies. So far, we’re told they are investigating an assault in WC. Will add other details when we get them.
8:28 PM: Just talked with KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West. She says a woman who works for a veterinary clinic in the 9800 block of 15th SW was stabbed and they were looking for her attacker. She apparently was attacked when she went out behind the clinic after thinking she heard someone crying. The attacker is described only as white, female, “skinny,” and possibly a transient. No one in custody so far.
9:25 PM: Sgt. West told us the victim was injured in the abdomen and arm but was in stable condition when taken to the hospital and is expected to fully recover.
6:45 PM: By our rough count, more than 150 people are already at the Sound Transit open house that’s on until 8:30 pm at the Masonic Hall in The Junction (4736 40th SW). What’s billed as a short presentation is about to begin, and then the commenting and one-on-one chats with ST staffers will continue.
ST staff stresses that written comments are what they’re looking for tonight (and in the rest of the “early scoping” period that continues through March 5th) so your comments can be part of the official record. You have several options for doing that here, including sticky notes on maps (photo above).
7:08 PM: The presentation is over, and it’s back to open-house mode. Other commenting options here include simply writing them on paper (photo above). Or, just gather all the info and ask all the questions you need to, and then get your comments in via e-mail or the “online open house” whenever you have time – the deadline in this round is March 5th. And if you didn’t get to this open house – the information (Ballard extension as well as West Seattle extension, since they are being planned concurrently) will also be presented, and comments accepted, at the next two open houses:
Ballard
Thursday, Feb. 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Leif Erikson Lodge, 2245 NW 57th StreetDowntown Seattle
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Union Station, 401 S. Jackson Street
Online ‘open house’: wsblink.participate.online
You can also comment by e-mail – wsblink@soundtransit.org – phone (206-903-7229) – and postal mail, c/o Lauren Swift, Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle 98104
7:50 PM: Still here, just to observe how it’s flowed, and there are at least 40 people still here talking, commenting, etc. Among those we’ve seen here are local neighborhood and transportation advocates, including Deb Barker, who is on the Stakeholder Advisory Group for the project, and City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who is on the Elected Leadership Group – comments like the ones made here tonight will be filtering up through those groups. We also talked briefly with “Avalon Tom,” whose unofficial renderings of the potential elevated track through West Seattle generated a lot of discussion on WSB last month (and beyond, including at the recent Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting, and we’ve seen some printouts being viewed here too). You still have time to get here, ask questions, take a look at maps and boards, and make comments – until 8:30. We’ll have a separate report recapping what happened here and what’s next.
(WSB video: First-half setup resulting in #32 Meghan Fiso basket)
5:11 PM: We’re at Sammamish High School in Bellevue, where the West Seattle High School girls have just advanced in the district playoffs with a victory over Seattle Prep, 72-60. Photos and details to come later tonight. The girls play here again at 3:30 pm Thursday vs. the winner of tonight’s Rainier Beach vs. Bellevue game.
ADDED 11:20 PM: Bellevue won that game, so like the boys, the girls also will face Bellevue next – but in this case, the girls, defending district champs, will be vying for a berth in the finals. Here’s how today’s game went vs. the Panthers:
The Wildcats were already out to a 10-3 lead when we arrived a few minutes into the game. But the Panthers clawed their way back and tied it 10-10 with 3 minutes to go in the first quarter. West Seattle didn’t let them get beyond that, and led 18-14 going into the second quarter.
Their lead didn’t widen much until a three-pointer by #32 Meghan Fiso with two minutes to go. She was the top WSHS scorer with 24:
Those two minutes before halftime did not go Westside’s way. After that Fiso three, the Panthers answered with 2 threes of their own. WSHS #34 Anissa Babitu nailed one too – but with an ensuing basket and foul shot, Prep was just one point behind, headed into the locker room for the mid-game break, 33-32.
They did not start the second half with a good look – Prep had a shot-clock violation. After a Fiso bucket, #20 Grace Sarver was fouled, and coolly sunk both shots. She brought in 11 points:
The pattern continued through much of the second half – neither team dominated; the Wildcats kept a few points ahead most of the way, but had some trouble hanging onto the ball, and briefly lost the lead at 2:20 left in the third quarter, when Prep moved ahead, 43-41. Two Sarver baskets, and scrappy ball-handling by #11 Jasmine Gayles (8-point game), helped take care of that problem:
Shortly thereafter, Fiso sunk two in a row, and the third quarter ended with the Wildcats up 50-43. They kept the lead the rest of the way, with everyone contributing, including #4 Kelsey Lenzie (8-point game):
Prep got within three at 5:40 to go but a huge Sarver three-pointer doubled the WSHS lead at that point and it got wider from there, into double digits in the final two minutes, a 15-point lead just before Prep’s final basket proved to be the game’s final scoring, with head coach Darnell Taylor‘s Wildcats winning 72-60 and heading into the district semifinals.
This afternoon, C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) became the third place that Historic Seattle has “heart-bombed” with Valentines and group photos. Executive director Kji Kelly explained a bit about the organization’s mission as the photo op was organized:
The @HistoricSeattle event at @candpcoffee pic.twitter.com/Xl6BhYN34Q
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) February 13, 2018
The gathering happened one day before proprietors Cameron and Pete Moores celebrate their coffee shop/community venue’s 15th anniversary:
Nothing to announce yet regarding their bid to buy the bungalow and the land it sits on – as we reported last Friday, they told us that the deadline for their counter-offer, after the site’s owner tentatively accepted one from a developer, is on hold.
12:27 PM: Seattle Fire has a big response on the way to the 9100 block of 45th SW in Fauntleroy. More to come.
12:32 PM: We’re just arriving – smoke is visible. It’s a three-story condo building with fire in one unit, per SFD radio, with one firefighter noting they’ve rescued a dog. (Photo added)
And if you’re hearing a helicopter, it’s a TV chopper taking a look.
12:39 PM: SFD tells us this was an electrical problem in a wall and while it generated a lot of smoke, it was confined to the wall. Nobody hurt.
12:44 PM: Note that 45th SW is blocked between Wildwood and Director (just north of the Endolyne mini-business district) until more of the SFD units leave.
4:47 PM: Update from SFD on fire’s cause: “Fire investigators ruled the fire as accidental. Fire was caused by ignition of combustible materials placed too close to an electric wall heater. Estimated loss is $55,000.”
Today we are welcoming a new WSB sponsor, Project 968. Here’s what proprietor Michael Browder wants you to know:
Our mission is to provide every member and client access to researched protocols to increase the effectiveness of their workouts and provide individualized support in a community setting.
The gym name is Project 968, where 968 is the alphanumeric equivalence to YOU. Our approach to fitness is to take the typical gym experience and improve it by adding personal attention and providing instruction in a more intimate setting. The concept of the gym is simple; provide a small functional space for community members to exercise freely and allow members to feel they have a sense of ownership. Couple that with a non-pushy sales approach, free daily workouts that can be done on your own schedule and a weekend boot camp.
In addition to providing a warm and inviting place to work out, Project 968 is about supporting the local community. Although we have been open just a few weeks, we are participating in the West Seattle Art Walk, have donated to three school auctions, and offer our local seniors 50% off their monthly membership with provided exercises to specifically help them as they age.
I have been in the fitness industry for a decade and have had the privilege to work with a wide range of individuals from 8 to 70 years of age differing in physical capabilities and goals. My skillset includes general fitness, athletic performance, weight loss and increasing strength, flexibility and mobility. Every member and client of Project 968 will be provided with up-to-date training protocols to enable them to reach their desired results while staying injury free.
If you want to experience a different approach to gym memberships and personal training, we encourage you to stop by the gym and join our Saturday boot camp or do one of our daily workouts as our gift to you.
I look forward to welcoming you and showing you why we are different.
Michael Browder, West Seattle resident
4617 37th Ave SW | 206-504-7661
www.project968.com | info@project968.com
We thank Project 968 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 Al for the photo – Alki is one of the spots around Seattle where green pigs like those have suddenly popped up. Given the location, we first called Seattle Parks to see if the pigs were some sort of authorized art; nope, no one had asked permission to place them there, and Parks was working to track down who had, before having to spend crew time to take them down. They had heard of sightings elsewhere in the city, so next we went to Reddit‘s SeattleWA subreddit – and indeed, someone elsewhere in Seattle had already solved the puzzle: A real-estate company that has done this elsewhere.
(“The first daffodil is always next to the dryer vent,” observed Lura in the note accompanying her photo)
Just a sampling of what you’ll find on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar for the rest of today/tonight:
ENRICHMENT PROGRAM WITH SEATTLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: 10:30 am at Neighborhood House High Point, for preschoolers – you’re welcome to bring yours. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
HEART-BOMBING C & P: Noon-1 pm today, Historic Seattle will be at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) for what it calls “heart-bombing” – as previewed here, a chance for fans/supporters to bring handmade valentines and pose for a group photo. (5612 California SW)
PAN AFRICAN FESTIVAL: 1-3 pm at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), today’s event is a salsa/Afrobeat dance and music workshop. (6000 16th SW)
BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS: Both West Seattle High School teams have district-playoff games at Sammamish High School – the girls play Seattle Prep at 3:30 pm, the boys play Rainier Beach at 5 pm. (100 140th Ave SE, Bellevue)
VALENTINE COOKIE DECORATING: 4-6 pm at Senior Center of West Seattle – info in our calendar listing, including how to check if there’s any room since the RSVP date has passed. (4217 SW Oregon)
(added) COMMUNITY SAFETY MEETING ON PUGET RIDGE: Just got word of this. 6-7:30 pm at Sanislo Elementary School, in the library: “The Puget Ridge Neighborhood Council and community members have scheduled a last-minute meeting this evening to address some recent concerns in the community, especially with more and more children walking to school.” The concerns involve pedestrian safety and the need for sidewalks. (1812 SW Myrtle)
SOUND TRANSIT LIGHT RAIL OPEN HOUSE: This is it – the first big chance for you to tell Sound Transit what you think about the draft version of its plan for West Seattle light rail, and as noted again in our Monday story, this is the time to get everything out on the table. 6:30-8:30 pm, with a presentation planned at about 6:45 pm, drop-in Q&A afterward. At the Masonic Hall in The Junction. And whether you can or can’t be there, the “online open house” is open for comments too. (4736 40th SW)
SOUTH DELRIDGE COMMUNITY GROUP: 7 pm at 2 Fingers Social, this group of community-minded neighbors resumes its meeting schedule, new day/place – bring the family if you want, since 2 Fingers is all-ages until 8 pm. (9211 Delridge Way SW)
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION: The city’s HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability upzoning proposal and how it would and would not affect Fauntleroy is a major topic of tonight’s 7 pm board meeting – see the agenda here. At Fauntleroy Schoolhouse; all welcome. (9131 California SW)
Got something for the calendar? editor@wsb.blackfin.biz – as far in advance as possible – thank you!
While a vote is months away, the City Council is continuing its series of meetings about the legislation that could eventually upzone much of the city for the Mandatory Housing Affordability component of the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA). The Seattle Channel video above is from Monday, when councilmembers met for the second time (agenda here) as the Select Committee that will decide the plan’s fate.
They were briefed by city staffers, first on what was described as “how the proposal got shaped,” then on specific highlights for Council District 4 in North Seattle, where a public hearing was scheduled hours later. They also took public comment before the meeting ended.
Councilmembers asked questions along the way, on topics from tree protection to encouragement of “flats.” Our area’s City Councilmember Lisa Herbold asked about one of her key ongoing concerns, displacement, saying she’d learned of a development (not in this area) that would replace 66 affordable units and only require the developer to pay for the equivalent of 18 units. (Staffers said they could talk with her about it after the meeting.) She also asked whether the presentation points represented changes since the first round of upzoning proposals; staffers said the legislation, which is what the committee is reviewing, is “the first time we’re laying out all of the detail.” She also asked if some components address geographic specifics; staffers offered an example from Rainier Beach.
The public-comment period at the end of the meeting included two speakers from West Seattle, Cindi Barker from Morgan Junction (who was a member of the original HALA advisory group a few years back) and Christy Tobin-Presser from The Junction. Barker told the council that they’re “not asking for enough in exchange for” the potential upzoning – the MHA fees, she said, should be higher, for example.
WHAT’S NEXT: The council’s Select Committee doesn’t meet again until March 12th. The calendar of district open houses and public hearings is here; the ones for our area are not until May and June.
Thanks to Bruce for the tip via Twitter: Road work has a lane closed on the SB Alaskan Way Viaduct/Highway 99, and that’s backing up traffic, even at this hour. We found the advisory on the right sidebar of this WSDOT page – it says the left lane will be closed between Columbia and Royal Brougham every night through Thursday night/Friday morning, 7 pm-5 am.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Every year, the Chief Sealth International High School PTSA devotes one of its monthly meetings to school safety – talking about procedures, answering questions.
This year, the meeting was held off-campus at Neighborhood House in High Point, where about two dozen people gathered last Wednesday night, including faculty, parents, district managers, and even elected officials with past and future Sealth students in their families.
Teacher Susie Clark organized the meeting and introduced Sealth principal Aida Fraser-Hammer. Safety is about being “prepared to respond to the unthinkable crisis,” the principal said, and about being able to “react to unexpected events in ways that avoid panic and maintain an atmosphere of calmness.”
The countdown continues! The 14th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day is now exactly three months away – Saturday, May 12, 2018 – not one big sale, but instead one big day with sales of all sizes, all over the peninsula. Its founders started WSCGSD in 2005 and turned it over to WSB before the 2008 edition; we’ve been honored to coordinate this big day of in-person community-building every second Saturday in May since then. No, registration isn’t open yet – we usually get that going in early April – watch here on WSB for the announcement, and at westseattlegaragesale.com for updates, as WSCGSD gets closer.
Live/work in South Delridge? You’re invited to check out the South Delridge Community Group at 7 pm tomorrow night at 2 Fingers Social (9211 Delridge Way SW) – a new place, day, and time as the group resumes meetings. All ages are welcome at 2 Fingers until 8 pm, so you can bring your kid(s) to the meeting if you want/need to. Read more about the SDCG by going here.
The latest list of “Only in Seattle” small-business-related grants was announced today by Mayor Durkan, and it includes $10,000 for a West Seattle collaboration. The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and West Seattle Junction Association are working on what WSJA executive director Lora Swift describes as “an outreach piece connecting new residents to small business in West Seattle.” The grants announced total $1.2 million distributed between 23 neighborhood business districts around the city, as listed here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
If you have something to say about West Seattle light rail – ANYTHING to say – say it now.
Or should we say, NOW. In capital letters. Shouted.
With the “online open house” that you can use for feedback starting today, and the in-person open house in West Seattle tomorrow, these next three-plus weeks are when your comments, suggestions and concerns matter most in the year-plus process of getting to a “preferred alignment” for the West Seattle line (and Ballard too).
Sound Transit reps have made that point at various meetings (we’ve covered them all) and made it again this morning with a media briefing at their HQ downtown.
So, we asked ST executive Cathal Ridge – who’s been leading all the briefings lately – this is the time to throw out anything and everything you want them to consider?
Yes, he affirmed. “We’re really trying to encourage people to throw out the ideas now and we will evaluate it now … rather than wait a year to bring them up in the environmental process because then we will have wasted a year .. that’s really why we’re making a superhuman push to get out there (and hear from) the public. People often don’t engage in a process until it’s much closer … (but) the only way to meet the timeline is to start the process now. … We want to have people weigh in on the ‘representative alignment’ and also on the purpose of the project – let us know what concerns them about the project, what excites them about the project.”
The “representative alignment,” if you’re just tuning in, is the draft plan that envisions extending light rail this way from a new second station in SODO, across the Duwamish River on a new elevated bridge, continuing, elevated, to The Junction with three West Seattle stations along the way. Here’s ST’s Chris Rule showing it with a Google Earth map at this morning’s briefing, as he’s done at other recent meetings:
When you provide feedback on that and anything else you want to comment on, Sound Transit stresses that this isn’t just about big-picture ideas/concerns. Even the sort of thing that otherwise might not come up until the environmental studies, such as construction or noise impacts – the more they hear now, the better the chances of speeding this thing up (and 2030 is already sped up from the original timeline).
We also asked about the format for the open houses – tomorrow’s is 6:30-8:30 pm at the Masonic Hall in The Junction (4736 40th SW). If you can, get there toward the start, because there will be a presentation at about 6:45 pm. That’ll last about 15 minutes. They don’t expect to have a group Q&A after that – instead, Ridge said, lots of ST staffers will be there for you to ask questions one on one and to take your feedback.
Wondering what happens then? Good question. Feedback from the in-person and online open houses, plus a round of “neighborhood forums” in March, will be collected for an “early scoping report” that then goes to the Stakeholder Advisory Group – whose first meeting we covered last week. They will be involved in “screening,” and in turn providing their feedback to the Elected Leadership Group (whose first meeting we also covered). Then there’ll be second and third rounds of screening before the “preferred alternative” is settled on in spring 2019. Here’s the slate of how that all goes:
The final decision is in the hands of the Sound Transit board, but that’s after all those multiple rounds of feedback. Again – we have to say it again – NOW is the time to get everything out there on the table that you want to say, ask, etc., in the interest of acceleration. Ridge said that “a lot of the delay we’ve had in the past (on other light-rail projects) is when technical issues and stakeholder issues weren’t identified early on” so they have to retrace and redo some steps – “you think you know what you’re doing, and then you run into some kind of roadblock.”
So as distant as 2030 sounds, there’s a lot of deciding to be done right now, but this is the time to speak up.
HOW TO COMMENT: In-person open houses (you can go to the Ballard and downtown ones too – they’re all for the West Seattle to Ballard extensions, which are being planned in tandem though Ballard opens five years after WS):
West Seattle
Tuesday, Feb. 13, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Alki Masonic Center, 4736 40th Ave. SW StreetBallard
Thursday, Feb. 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Leif Erikson Lodge, 2245 NW 57th StreetDowntown Seattle
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Union Station, 401 S. Jackson Street
Online ‘open house’: wsblink.participate.online
You can also comment by e-mail – wsblink@soundtransit.org – phone (206-903-7229) – and postal mail, c/o Lauren Swift, Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle 98104
BACKGROUND INFO: Here’s how the project was outlined before the Sound Transit 3 vote in 2016, including some cost information; we’re asking for more and will add it when we get it.
1:06 PM: The photo and report are just in via SPD Blotter:
Officers served a search warrant in West Seattle Sunday morning (and) found hundreds of pills and 19 guns.
Southwest Precinct Anti-Crime Team Officers converged on a home in the 7000 block of 18th Avenue SW Sunday at 10 a.m. and arrested a 28-year-old man as he attempted to flee through the back door of the house.
Officers searched the home and found 189 hydrocodone pills, 276 amphetamine pills, 3.5 grams of methamphetamine, 11 handguns, five rifles – one of which was modified with a bump stock – and three shotguns. Officers placed all of the weapons into evidence pending further investigation.
Officers booked the man into King County Jail for narcotics-related charges and will work with the prosecutor’s office on possible weapons charges.
8:40 PM: According to the jail register, the suspect was released this evening.
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