West Seattle, Washington
06 Monday
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
4:24 PM: Seattle Fire has a “full response” headed to the 3400 block of California SW. Updates to come.
4:27 PM: Though there are businesses in that block, this is described by arriving units as a small residential building. They say it was a kitchen fire, already extinguished. The response is being downsized.
In case you didn’t get to watch it live – starting at 3 minutes into the video, that’s the noontime event that announced 3 finalists for each of the six Port of Seattle Duwamish River parks that are up for renaming. After the map of the parks is the official announcement, with the finalists and what you can do next:
The Port of Seattle announced the top three names chosen for each of the six Port-owned parks and shoreline access sites along the Duwamish River to new names that reflect their cultural, historical and environmental significance. The Port partnered with Seattle Parks Foundation, a well-recognized public parks and greenspace non-profit, to design and implement the re-naming campaign with transparency, equity and community involvement. The names were announced on a press conference call joined by dozens of community members.
“Speaking on behalf of the Seattle Port Commission, we are delighted by the strong tribal and community participation in this effort,” said Fred Felleman, Port of Seattle Commission Vice President and tribal liaison. “It’s important these public parks have names that reflect their location and cultural significance.”
The top name nominations for the six parks are:Terminal 105 Park [in West Seattle]
Hermoso Park & Habitat Area
(er-mo-so: Beautiful)
t̓uʔəlaltxʷ Village Park & Habitat Area
(Toolalt[w], t-oo-ah-lal-too-wx: Herring’s House / Name of an old village site on the west bank of the Duwamish River / A description of where herring live/spawn)
t̕uʔəlaltxʷ Memorial Park & Habitat Area
(Toolalt[w], t-oo-ah-lal-too-wx: Herring’s House / Name of an old village site on the west bank of the Duwamish River / A description of where herring live/spawn)Terminal 107 Park [in West Seattle]
Duwamish Bend Park & Habitat Area
həʔapus Village Park & Habitat Area
(haapoos, ha-ah-poos: Name of a small stream draining across a flat on the west side of Duwamish River)
yilə’qʷud Park & Habitat Area
(yillaqwud, yil-a-qwud: Name of an old village site on the west bank of the Duwamish River)Terminal 108 Park
c̓əqas Park & Habitat Area
(tsaqahs, ts-a-kahs: Muddy, a word used to describe a beach/shoreline)
sbəq̓waʔ Park & Habitat Area
(sbaqwah, s-bah-qwah: Great Blue Heron)
čəbčəbid Park & Habitat Area
(chabchabeed, chab-chab-eed: Drybark / Description of location on the east side of the Duwamish River for gathering fir bark for fires)8th Avenue South Street End Park
Gear Park and Habitat Area
t̓ałt̓ałucid Park and Habitat Area
(tathtathootseed, t-ahth-t-ahth-oots-eed: Where there is something overhead, across the path / A description of logs or branches located above a path or trail)
De Colores Park & Habitat Area
(ko-lo-res: Colors)Terminal 117
South Park Shores Park & Habitat Area
Duwamish River People’s Park & Habitat Area
qiyawa’lapsəb Park & Habitat Area
(qeeyahwahlapsub, ki-yah-wa-lap-sab: A descriptive word referencing the Duwamish River route to Elliott Bay / eel’s throat)Turning Basin #3
Restoration Park & Habitat Area
Salmon Cove Park & Habitat Area
t̓at̓łqid Park & Habitat Area
(tatthkid, t-a-t-th-kid: A descriptive word referencing a short cut when traveling upstream during high tide at the mouth of the Duwamish River)“There are great opportunities here for our communities to select names that honor the heritage of the Duwamish River and elevate the indigenous history and culture of the region of the land we occupy,” said Rosario-Maria Medina, a community member involved in the naming process.
Community members submitted more than 3,000 responses during the ‘Incredible Parks Want Incredible Names’ nomination phase. After an eligibility check, park name nominations went through multiple rounds of scoring and evaluation by a review committee.
The shortlisted names announced today represent the diversity of people and their experiences with each park – finalist names range from English, Spanish, and Lushootseed languages. A video of the press conference will be made available, here.
“The Seattle Parks Foundation would like to thank the Port of Seattle and the community members along the Duwamish River who have worked countless hours over the past several months to bring us one step closer to renaming these great public spaces that will provide great use for people to enjoy for generations to come,” said George Lee of the Seattle Parks Foundation.
Choose Your Favorite Park Names Now!
The public has until 11:59 p.m. on September 30 to rank each name nomination, here. After September 30, the review committee will review results and select the final park names. The final park names will be announced on October 27th at the Port’s Commission meeting.
One of the finalists for T-107 – həʔapus Village Park & Habitat Area – is the one the Duwamish Tribe is officially supporting, as we first reported here.
Starting tomorrow, Chief Sealth International High School invites students and families to a weekly drive-thru event to “pick up school supplies, library books you’ve put on hold, pre-purchased yearbooks, and spirit gear.” It’ll be 11 am-3 pm every Wednesday, for students and/or families. It’ll happen at a table along the “bus loop” drive in front of the school – and you can walk up or ride up as well as drive up, car not required. (Yearbook orders and payments for 2020 are still being taken, too – go here.)
(SDOT photo)
Last nonth, we reported on the community coalition West Seattle Bridge NOW sending Mayor Durkan a letter imploring her to proceed with bridge repairs ASAP. No response yet, says the group, so it’s now inviting you to be part of what you might call a video petition:
About three weeks ago, we sent a petition with more than 3,600 signatures on it asking the Mayor for immediate action to repair our Bridge. To date we haven’t heard back, so we wanted to follow up with her, but this time in a personal way.
The West Seattle Bridge NOW citizens coalition has a new ask. Our goal is to highlight everyday West Seattleites in a short video telling their story, in their own words, as to how the closure of the West Seattle Bridge as affected them. We need your smart phone selfie testimonials to make this happen!
To participate, please visit: wsbnpetition.com/share-your-story
Your story will be hosted on the WSBN website and shown to the mayor as part of the group’s commitment to driving urgent action on behalf of our community.
SDOT said again at last week’s West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meeting that it’s expecting to decide in October between “repair now/replace later” and “replace now.” Meantime, stabilization work continues (here’s an update SDOT published Monday).
(Steller’s Jay, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Enough smoke photos. How about bird photos? Anyway, the air’s not clear … but it’s clearer … and that’s a start. Notes for the hours ahead:
PARKS (ETC.) STILL CLOSED: The city announced Monday that it’s continuing the closures through Wednesday.
WYATT’S JEWELERS SALE: As previewed Monday, Wyatt’s Jewelers (central Westwood Village; WSB sponsor) starts a weeklong end-of-summer sale today. Open 10 am-6 pm Tuesdays-Saturdays.
SECOND GEAR SPORTS SALE: The sports-consignment store‘s 7th-anniversary sale (6529 California SW), previewed here, continues until Sunday since they closed for a few days because of the smoke. Open today 10 am-6 pm.
(Gull, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
PORT PARK NAME FINALISTS: At noon, watch live (get connection info here) as the top 3 nominations are announced for each Duwamish River park in the Port of Seattle‘s naming contest.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING: He’ll talk about wildfires, smoke, and COVID-19 at 2:30 pm; watch here.
BLM SIGNWAVING CANCELED: Since air quality is still a concern, Scott has called off the regular Tuesday 4-6 pm 16th/Holden demonstration.
WS CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL CANCELED: As mentioned here over the weekend, this month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting – usually the third Tuesday – is off because the Southwest Precinct‘s commander and operations lieutenant are both unavailable.
Late in the day Friday, we got a couple questions about a sudden closure of the Walgreens store in High Point, which continued Saturday, with the store reopening Sunday. The closure notice posted on the store door did not cite a reason. We asked corporate media relations on Monday via email: “Was this a COVID-related closure?” and corporate spokesperson Erin Loverher responded this morning:
Yes, this location was temporarily closed and is now open. When notified of a confirmed or presumed positive COVID-19 case, we take actions meeting or exceeding recommendations from the CDC, OSHA, public health officials and other credible sources while following federal, state and local health advisories. Our clinical and safety teams work closely with our field and store leadership to respond accordingly, which may include identifying and contacting individuals who may be at risk in order to self-quarantine or self-monitor their health, as well as third-party, industrial cleaning and disinfecting the location or impacted areas of the store. Cleanings may require temporarily closing a store, at which time customers may visit a nearby store location for their prescription needs.
We are actively reviewing our policies and procedures as guidelines evolve, and will continue to adjust our safety protocols accordingly to promote the safety and wellbeing of our team members and customers.
As we reported in this July story, businesses are not required to disclose to customers if one or more staff members tests positive. Some have done so proactively anyway, or in response to inquiries like this.
Family and friends of William G. Urlevich Sr. are sharing this remembrance with his community:
William G. Urlevich Sr. passed away unexpectedly on September 5th, 2020 in Seattle at the age of 77.
William, otherwise known as “Big Bill,” is survived by his wife Lauree Urlevich (nee Riefflin) and his son William G. Urlevich, Jr. He is predeceased by his brother, Mike Urlevich.
Bill was born December 21st, 1942 in West Seattle to Gasper and Julia Urlevich. He graduated from West Seattle High School in 1962 and also attended Olympic Junior College. He and Lauree were married in 1966 at Holy Family Church. He was employed as a Longshoreman with the ILWU for over 40 years until his retirement as a checker in 2008.
He was a longtime coach of West Seattle baseball teams from T-Ball, Pee-wee, and Pony for 18 years and won many championships. Bill enjoyed spending time with friends, playing Yahtzee with his brother-in-law Tom, and occasionally traveling. No family gathering was complete without Big Bill getting kids and neighbors together for a game of street football, basketball, or baseball. He was a keen competitor who played championship cribbage and was patient with teaching kids all sorts of card games.
He was an avid sports fan and had a deep appreciation for everything football, especially the Huskies and Seahawks. He and his son won the Seattle Times Guest Guesser in 1984 and were awarded the grand-prize trip to the Super Bowl.
Bill was also known for some serious dance moves, winning dance contests in high school and wowing friends and family at every occasion. On trips to Reno, he got up on stage and danced with Chubby Checker, The Coasters, The Temptations, and the Four Tops. In a revival of Grease, Big Bill and Lauree were pulled on stage to dance with the cast doing “Willy and the Hand Jive.” He will be remembered for his generous spirit, a larger-than-life personality, and the World’s Best Clam Dip! Those closest to him lovingly referred to him as “Johnny.”
A Celebration of Bill’s Life will be held at a later date.
(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)
6:16 AM: It’s Tuesday, the 176th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
ROAD WORK, ETC.
*Delridge project: Here’s the latest update, with closures the next two weekends.
*1st Avenue S. Bridge: One more NB overnight closure for the deck-panel replacement project is planned Wednesday night (September 16th), WSDOT tells WSB.
*Westwood Village parking lot: We checked on this project Monday. If you have to go to the post office, use the SW Trenton entrance – but don’t use that to try to get anywhere else at WWV.
CHECK THE TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO
Here’s the 5-way intersection camera (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Here’s the restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am) low bridge:
The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here’s that camera:
The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). Here’s that camera:
Going through South Park? Don’t speed.
Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed for info about any of those bridges opening for marine traffic.
You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
TRANSIT
Metro – Today, Routes 125 and 128 resume stopping at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) on Puget Ridge. Otherwise – still reduced service and distancing, with some changes starting this Saturday (September 19th), and the potential return of fares on/around October 1st.
Water Taxi – Still on its “winter” schedule, with the 773 and 775 shuttles running – see the schedule here.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
Rain isn’t always big news, but when it happens after days of sky-shrouding smoke, it is. So in case you can’t believe your ears, we’re verifying – that’s rain. We’re hearing it here over Lincoln Park; Gill in White Center reports it there too. Might not be enough to clear things up – warns the Weather Service – but it’s certainly welcome.
People at West Seattle’s only city-sanctioned tiny-house encampment are doing OK with the two current health crises – air quality and COVID-19 – so far.
So said Camp Second Chance‘s site coordinator during the monthly Community Advisory Committee meeting, held online Sunday afternoon.
Participants included, from the committee, chair Willow Fulton and members Cinda Stenger, Grace Stiller, Aaron Garcia, and Judi Carr. From Camp Second Chance, site coordinator/co-founder Eric Pattin was in attendance. But for at least the third month, no one was there to represent the city.
COMMITTEE MEMBER REPORTS: Fulton, who lives near CSC, said the Seattle Public Utilities temporary worksite just south of the camp on Myers Way (explained in last month’s report) seems to be expanding. “Other things on the street have been fairly quiet,” she added, and noted that dumping issues she reported in the past month were handled promptly. … Stenger noted that Alki UCC continues to organize twice-monthly food/clothing drives so if the camp finds itself with excess donations – as it has in the past – it can repurpose them. … Stiller said the grant-funded weed-removal project she’s organized, with camp residents’ participation, removed 33,000 square feet of invasive weeds and now has a pile of them that can be composted into mulch. She’s pursuing another grant to get the blackberry roots out and replant the area. … Garcia subsequently noted that Stiller won Burien’s “Citizen of the Year” award. He also said the King County Subarea Plan for North Highline is looking for residents’ input on issues that could include more support for affordable housing to help more people out of homelessness. … Carr said Arrowhead Gardens, the senior complex a few blocks north of the camp, has remained virus-free and is loosening its lockdown a little bit, recently bringing in a flu-shot clinic.
CAMP UPDATE: Pattin reported that 53 people are there – 15 women and 38 men. Four people have moved out into permanent housing, while four new people have arrived. “Spring cleaning” is starting, to get out some unneeded items like plywood that are cluttering the camp. Camp operator LIHI has provided a wireless security-camera system but CSC needs to find help installing it, so committee members will put the call out. He also said LIHI is planning to install a washer/dryer at the camp.
DISCUSSION/Q&A: Fulton asked.about COVID-19 testing at the camp, which was a question last month; Pattin said 16 people were tested “about a month ago” but he hasn’t heard anything about the results. No one’s shown any symptoms. The wildfire smoke hasn’t led to any health problems so far, either, he added. (It did lead to some cancellation of tiny-house building at the site, though.) They had one camper a few weeks back with an ongoing respiratory issue and got her an air purifier. … Though the original plan for Fauntleroy UCC to lease the camp site is no longer needed because of the change in city encampment rules, Rev. Leah Atkinson Bilinski said the church is still working on a Memorandum of Understanding with the city regarding ongoing support for the encampment. … Arrowhead Gardens reps say they had some crime problems – a break-in that affected more than a dozen storage units, plus a recent auto theft in the garage, so they wanted to give the camp a heads-up of trouble in the area.
NEXT MEETING: 2 pm Sunday, October 4th.
Our nightly pandemic toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative countywide totals:
*20.931 people have tested positive, 63 more than yesterday’s total
*743 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*2,305 people have been hospitalized, 4 more than yesterday’s total
*401,635 people have been tested, 3,121 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 20.320/734/2,264/385,152.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.
CITY TESTING SITES TO REOPEN TOMORROW: They were closed today because of the air quality, but the sites – including Southwest Athletic Complex in West Seattle – are expected to be open Tuesday.
GROCERY-SHOPPING UPDATE: With one chain store changing its senior/at-risk hours, we checked to see where other stores stand with those.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING TOMORROW: At 2:30 pm Tuesday, Gov. Inslee plans a briefing that is expected to cover the COVID-19 response as well as the ongoing wildfire disaster. You’ll be able to watch here.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
We’re no longer updating the state of West Seattle grocery shopping every week, but the pandemic’s far from over, so major changes remain notable. Tonight, we’re updating the state of “special shopping hours” for seniors and those at higher risk of COVID-19, starting with a change:
TRADER JOE’S: As of this week, senior/at-risk shopping hours are 8 am-9 am Wednesdays and Sundays. (Thanks to the West Seattle crew member who emailed to let us know!)
Checking where the other stand-alone supermarkets stand on special shopping hours:
WEST SEATTLE THRIFTWAY (WSB sponsor): Senior/at-risk hours remain 7 am-9 am Tuesdays and Thursdays.
PCC COMMUNITY MARKETS: 7-8 am Fridays and Saturdays.
QFC: 7-8 am Mondays and Wednesdays.
SAFEWAY: 6-9 am Tuesdays and Thursdays.
WHOLE FOODS: 7-8 am Fridays.
METROPOLITAN MARKET: No special shopping hours.
Just went over to Westwood Village to see how the repaving project – first mentioned here last week – was affecting traffic flow around the center. One big thing: Unless you are going to the Post Office, don’t use the SW Trenton entrance; a fence and ROAD CLOSED sign are blocking the north-south route just south of it. Fencing and signage are also placed across the east-west route at the northeast corner near the Marshalls entrance.
In addition to the lot south of the Post Office that’s blocked off as a result, the lot by DaVita is closed off too. Signage says the work will continue around the center through late October; businesses are all open.
Three notes this afternoon:
TRIANGLE POLICE RESPONSE: Thanks to the reader who sent a tip about that big police response in the alley between Link and Lien Animal Clinic a short time ago. We went over to find out what was going on; police at the scene told us they had detained a suspect they had been seeking in relation to an assault on an officer. No other details so far.
STOLEN ROLLERBLADES: Tracey emailed this report this morning:
Reporting a car prowl at 30th ave SW and Holden evening of 9/13. Hoping readers could keep an eye out for my stolen rollerblades. I imagine they will get dumped. Sunglasses and prescription glasses too.
ABANDONED BICYCLE: From Amy:
I found this ditched bike near my apartment (Alki area) this morning.
Yours? Let us know and we’ll connect you.
Three West Seattle biznotes:
WYATT’S JEWELERS SALE: Tomorrow (Tuesday, September 15th) marks the start of a weeklong end-of-summer sale at longtime WSB sponsor Wyatt’s Jewelers in Westwood Village. 10 percent off everything in the store, and higher discounts on some items.
POKE TODAY AT GRILLBIRD: Matt at Grillbird Teriyaki (35th/Morgan) sent word of a one-day poké pop-up:
Starts at 4 pm and goes until we sell out.
Menu includes: garlic shoyu or spicy ahi poké bowls and Poké nachos! We will also be selling grilled Spam musubi’s and ginger pineapple lemonades.
We will also have a live ukulele player welcoming and entertaining guests in the parking lot!
SAMILA & CO. CONTEST & SALE: Bride-to-be? Know one? If you – or they – are working on the front lines of the pandemic, Samila & Co. (4306 SW Walker) is giving away a wedding dress – and today’s the last day to enter. This page explains how. Separate from that, proprietor Yasmin Shirdel adds:
Separately from the giveaway, we are extending an additional discount of 25% off a brand-new dress (not the traditional sample discount structure) – this is an unprecedented discount for a current-season dress – to all brides.
The sale is Friday-Sunday, September 18-20. Samila’s outlet in North Admiral has been open 2 1/2 years.
(Photo by Tony Welch)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
As noted here last week, the citywide bridge audit – ordered by City Council Transportation Chair Alex Pedersen after the sudden West Seattle Bridge closure – will be presented to councilmembers this week. In advance of that, the audit document is out today, along with SDOT’s response. We’ve just read it. First, so you can read it too, here it is:
(You can also see it on the city website.)
The audit, by the City Auditor’s Office, counts West Seattle’s city bridges as 20 separate structures (see page 31), 8 rated “good” as of last year, the other 12 (including all sections of the high bridge) rated “fair,” the middle of three categories in the federal rating system. “Fair” is how a majority of the city’s bridges are rated:
But the audit does not dive into specific conditions of specific bridges – it is an overview of the program in general, as explained:
We analyzed 77 vehicle traffic bridges that are owned and maintained by SDOT. These bridges have a median age of 70 years.
According to 2019 Federal Highway Administration pavement and bridge condition performance measures, although Seattle has a high number of poor and fair bridges (based on the federal rating system of good, fair, and poor), this is comparable with peer cities around the country. Nevertheless, even bridges in fair condition, like the West Seattle High Bridge, can require major, unexpected closures.
Over the last decade, a larger percentage of Seattle’s bridges have gotten worse compared to those that have gotten better. Over the past 14 years, the average amount SDOT spent on bridge maintenance was $6.6 million annually. 3 However, according to knowledgeable SDOT officials, the City is not spending enough to keep its bridges in good condition and avoid costly future repairs.
… The number of Seattle’s bridges that are in poor or fair condition is concerning for two reasons. First, several of the largest and busiest bridges that connect communities across Seattle are not in good condition, which means they are at an elevated risk of unexpected closures that could affect thousands of people. For example: the University Bridge on average carries 36,000 vehicles daily and is rated poor; the Magnolia Bridge on average carries\ 20,000 vehicles daily and is rated poor; and before it was closed this year, the West Seattle High Bridge on average carried 108,179 vehicles daily and was in fair condition.
Most of SDOT’s bridges are in fair condition but, over time, the condition of the overall bridge portfolio has gotten worse. During this time, the percent of total bridges in good condition has declined from 38 percent to 29 percent (see Exhibit 5). According to federal guidance, SDOT should be working to preserve good bridges in good condition to maintain the structural reliability of bridges and avoid future costly repairs. SDOT is not meeting this goal and only 22 out of its 77 bridges are in good condition.
The audit also notes that while SDOT should have a higher budget for bridge maintenance, it hasn’t spent what it has:
Since 2006, SDOT has spent 93 percent of its budget for bridge maintenance. From 2006 to 2019, Seattle budgeted $98.5 million for bridge maintenance and spent $91.9 million (see Exhibit 7, dollar amounts have been adjusted for inflation). As Exhibit 7 shows, the budget did not always align with actual expenditures on a year-by-year basis. Some of this is to be expected. For example, in 2008 SDOT underspent their bridge maintenance budget because they were saving funds for a large bridge painting project. This large painting project, the University Bridge, was completed in 2009. This use of funds that carryover from one year to the next occurs when the funding for these projects comes from the City’s Capital Improvement Program budget. SDOT officials told us the reason for the underspend between 2016 and 2018 was primarily because they did not have enough staff to perform planned maintenance activities.
SDOT estimates annual maintenance expenditures should be equivalent to one to three percent of the total replacement cost for the fixed assets being maintained, or, for bridges over 60 years old, a minimum of $34 million per year.
In a response letter that’s also included with the audit document, SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe blames the underspending on “that maintenance program delivery fluctuates based on work accrual and staff capacity.”
The audit also contains a critique of “some legacy practices and information gaps [that] hinder its ability to properly keep the bridge portfolio in a state of good repair,” with a declaration that “SDOT lacks critical information for developing a strategic bridge preservation program, including an assessment of the level and mix of staffing resources needed to maintain their bridges.”
One example reveals that SDOT bridge-maintenance staff doesn’t spend all its time on bridge maintenance:
One such practice is using bridge maintenance workers to perform reimbursable work, unrelated to SDOT bridges, for other agencies. SDOT estimates that 20 percent of their bridge maintenance staff capacity is dedicated to performing reimbursable work for other divisions within SDOT, other City departments, or other local governments. This means that two out of every ten hours of SDOT’s bridge inspection and maintenance crew work are not being used on the upkeep of Seattle’s bridges, but to help supplement the department’s budget. SDOT told us they lack the money to fully fund their bridge maintenance staff without the revenue from\ reimbursable work, which means they would need
to make reductions to stay within budget.
Plus, the audit says, “SDOT does not have information on what staffing levels are needed to support essential bridge maintenance, making it difficult to plan for and complete this work.”
The audit also observes that “SDOT does not currently calculate the useful life of its bridges in a precise way, which hinders its ability to efficiently respond to bridge maintenance needs.”
In SDOT’s reply, director Zimbabwe contends that “the issues that led to the closure of (the West Seattle Bridge) do not appear to be the result of any deficiency in our bridge maintenance program.”
Overall, the SDOT response also says it’ll take three years – until the end of 2023 – to make changes/additions responding to all the audit’s 10 recommendations, 9 of which the department says it fully agrees with.
The presentation of the audit is scheduled for Wednesday morning’s meeting of the council’s Transportation and Utilities Committee, 9:30 am; the agenda includes information on watching the meeting and signing up to comment. Meantime, here’s Councilmember Pedersen’s news release responding to the audit, and here’s the SDOT Blog post with how the department summarizes the audit and its own responses.
(Monday morning photo by Stewart L.)
10:12 AM: Monday morning and still smoky. Two notes for starters, and we’ll add anything else of note related to the smoke in the hours ahead:
SEATTLE PARKS: As first reported here last night, parks, playfields, boat ramps, golf courses remain closed today because of the unhealthy air. (Added: The closures have now been extended through Wednesday.)
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY: Curbside service is suspended again today.
(added) CITY-RUN COVID-19 TESTING SITES: Closed today, including the one at Southwest Athletic Complex.
(added) MADISON MS TEXTBOOK/MATERIALS PICKUP: Canceled for today.
Other closures/cancellations? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 – thank you!
ADDED 11:36 AM: Though the air-quality alert has expired for now, an update from AlertSeattle notes, “Wildfire smoke making air quality ‘very unhealthy’ to ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ is expected to remain in the area through the middle of this week.”
1:50 PM: The expiration didn’t last long. There’s a new air-quality alert in effect through noon Thursday.
6:25 AM: It’s Monday, the 175th morning without the West Seattle Bridge.
FERRIES
The Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route is back to 2 boats as of early this morning after repairs to MV Issaquah. (Update: The Issaquah broke down again, but has been replaced by the Sealth.)
ROAD WORK, ETC.
*Delridge project: Here’s the latest update, with word of overnight work the next two nights, and closures the next two weekends.
*1st Avenue S. Bridge: One more NB overnight closure for the deck-panel replacement project is planned this Wednesday night (September 16th), WSDOT tells WSB.
*Westwood Village parking lot: Repaving is expected to start this week. The lot section immediately south of the post office appears to be where work will start; we’ll be checking later this morning.
CHECK THE TRAFFIC BEFORE YOU GO
Here’s the 5-way intersection camera (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
Here’s the restricted-daytime-access (open to all 9 pm-5 am) low bridge:
The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) . Here’s that camera:
The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map). Here’s that camera:
Going through South Park? Don’t speed.
Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed for info about any of those bridges opening for marine traffic.
You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
TRANSIT
Metro – Still reduced service and distancing, with some changes starting this Saturday (September 19th), and the potential return of fares on/around October 1st.
Water Taxi – Still on its “winter” schedule, with the 773 and 775 shuttles running – see the schedule here.
Trouble on the roads/paths/water? Let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
Coming up at online meetings of the Southwest Design Review Board, 2 South Delridge projects less than a block apart:
(Sketch from 9201 Delridge meeting packet by Atelier Drome)
9201 DELRIDGE WAY SW: Four months ago, we reported on the latest changes for this site – a new developer, new architect, and new plan. The current plan, described as “a 5-story, 71-unit apartment building with retail” and no offstreet vehicle parking, will go before the SWDRB at 4 pm Thursday, October 1st. This is the Early Design Guidance phase, so discussion will focus on the “massing” (size/shape) and other basic comments. The meeting packet is already online, here; details on how to attend the meeting (and how to comment) are here.
(Rendering from 9218 18th SW draft meeting packet by Caron Architecture)
9218 18TH SW: Two weeks later – at 4 pm Thursday, October 15th – the board will get its first look at this similar-size project, described as “a 5-story, 59-unit apartment building with [~5.242 square feet of] retail” and 25 offstreet vehicle-parking spaces. We first mentioned the plan for this site six months ago. The draft meeting packet is already online. Connection information for the meeting will appear here within a few weeks.
Heading into mid-September, our nightly virus-crisis update:
KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*20,868 people have tested positive, up 68 from yesterday’s total
*743 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*2,301 people have been hospitalized, up 7 from yesterday’s total
*398,514 people have been tested, up 1,783 from yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 20,264/734/2,260/380.454.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 28.9 million cases and more than 922,000 deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
BACK TO (IN-PERSON) SCHOOL: Seattle Lutheran High School says it’ll start phasing in in-person classes tomorrow.
DONATION DRIVE: Early alert – food and clothing donations will be accepted, drive-up/no-contact style, at Hope Lutheran‘s parking lot next Saturday, 10 am-noon. Full details in our calendar listing.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
(One of the sun’s brief appearances this weekend – photo by Ron Creel)
Two notes as this smoky weekend concludes:
CITY PARK CLOSURES: Seattle Parks announced via Twitter tonight:
Due to ongoing poor air quality, we’re extending closure of beaches, boat ramps, parks, & playfields through end of Mon., 9/14. The City is not issuing citations, but all residents are strongly encouraged to avoid outdoor activities & remain inside if able until quality improves.
SO WHEN WILL IT IMPROVE? Maybe not as soon as originally forecast. From the National Weather Service‘s “forecast discussion” tonight:
Stubborn smoke continues to hang on around most of Western Washington with unhealthy air quality expected to linger into Monday. Surface gradients remain light and this will do little to disperse anything across the lowlands. A broad upper trough offshore will send a weakening frontal system into the region Monday night into Tuesday, but models are backing off considerably with precip chances.
Any other changes/closures for Monday? Let us know so we can include in our updates – thank you!
7:13 PM: If you’re heading off-peninsula and northbound soon, you’ll want to be aware of this: A major emergency response for a 3-car crash just north of the 1st Avenue South Bridge is sending everyone off the northbound bridge at Michigan. Here’s the “live” camera’s latest view from the bridge, looking south over the NB lanes:
Updates as we get them.
7:52 PM: This will likely be closed a while – it’s now a fatality investigation. SFD says a man died at the scene; a woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center, in critical condition.
9:29 PM: East Marginal is still closed both ways at the scene.
10:28 PM: Per scanner, they’re “releasing traffic control” at the scene, so the road should be reopening.
6:57 PM: Just in from Washington State Ferries:
The #2 Issaquah is out of service until further notice due to #1 main engine issues. This cancels the 6:30 p.m., 7:25 p.m., 8:25 p.m. from Vashon to Fauntleroy, the 7:00 p.m., 7:55 p.m., 8:50 p.m. from Fauntleroy to Vashon, the 9:20 p.m. from Vashon to Southworth and the 9:45 p.m. from Southworth to Vashon.
9:34 PM: Still on one boat, and that one’s running behind schedule, WSF says.
12:10 AM: WSF says the Issaquah is fixed, and will be back in service starting at 4:05 am.
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