West Seattle, Washington
16 Monday
(WSB photo: Project site in foreground)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The newest mixed-use proposal for The Junction will have to try again for Early Design Guidance approval.
That’s what the Southwest Design Review Board ordered tonight after its first look at the 96-apartment mixed-use plan for 4448 California SW.
SWDRB chair Scott Rosenstock and members John Cheng, Patrick Cobb, and Alan Grainger were in attendance for the online meeting, along with the project’s assigned city planner Greg Johnson. This phase of Design Review focuses on the building’s size. shape, and placement on the site, and board members generally favored the exterior of the development team’s preferred option, but took issue with mostly interior details.
Here’s how the meeting unfolded:
That under-renovation building at 6419 Fauntleroy Way SW will be the new home of Waterfront Credit Union, which has just announced the date for its move. The credit union serving more than 30 unions/businesses is currently based in the 2414 SW Andover business park (near the Nucor plant). It bought the Morgan Junction building and has been renovating it. Today, Waterfront CU announced the Andover location will be permanently closed as of 5:30 pm Friday, July 23rd, and the new location will open at 9:30 am Tuesday, July 27th. (Thanks to Luke for the tip!)
The new Swedish Primary Care location in The Junction (41st and Alaska) was supposed to open last month, but an “unexpected” delay has it opening next Monday (July 19th) instead. (Thanks to Fred for the tip.) Swedish is closing the previous location – 3400 California SW – which is being taken over by Virginia Mason Franciscan. Swedish has already moved Internal Medicine from there to 4744 41st SW.
If you’re south of Fauntleroy, you might have seen signs like that (thanks to Nathan for the photo). Seattle City Light is finally gearing up for its Brace Point underground upgrades. They’ve set an online community meeting for August 4th, with details in this flyer SCL will be circulating:
The flyer explains that the underground cabling in the area is 50 years old, and had some work done 10 years ago. This project’s been in the works a while; we last checked on it a year ago, following the latest in a series of outages in the area, blamed on an underground failure.
(WSB photo, Tuesday)
Two days after those signs went up along the Beach Drive shore from Cormorant Cove Park to Constellation Park, the warning is still in effect. The Tuesday announcement from Seattle Public Utilities attributed the problem to a side sewer. We checked in with SPU today; spokesperson Sabrina Register replied, “The discharge, which was confined to one unit of a multi-unit complex, has stopped. Repairs are scheduled for early next week. Posted signs prohibiting water activities will remain in place for now. Seattle Public Utilities continues to sample the water and work with Public Health-Seattle & King County to determine when the area can safely reopen.”
(WSB photo, October 2019)
Last weekend’s Summer Fest/Sidewalk Sale was the last hybrid event planned by the West Seattle Junction Association – looking ahead to Halloween season, WSJA tells WSB that the “full Harvest Festival” will be back. That means trick-or-treating, a costume parade, and other activities mingled with the Farmers’ Market in the street in the heart of The Junction (here’s our coverage of the last one in 2019) – and Halloween is on a Sunday this year! That said, the hybrid Summer Fest offered in-person and online fun – WSJA invites you to enjoy this online recap with photos and video, showing how it all unfolded. Between now and Harvest Fest, watch for Night Out on August 3, West Seattle Art Walk on August 12, Fall Clean on a TBA date, and the new Junction gift card – good in multiple businesses – available soon!
Now that the weekend is in view, it’s time for a few previews. On Saturday afternoon, the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center in West Seattle hosts “Art Heals: The Jingle Dress Project,” which has been touring the West. This was born from a dream that came to Navajo photographer Eugene Tapahe, who explains, “Our goal is to take the healing power of the Ojibwe jingle dress to the land, to travel, to dance and capture a series of images to document the spiritual places our ancestors once walked, and to unite and give hope to the world through art, dance and culture to help us heal.” He and the dancers are based in Utah. (You can read about the history of the jingle dress dance here.)
(Caspian Terns, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Highlights for the rest of today/tonight:
(added) WEST SEATTLE TIMEBANK POTLUCK IN THE PARK: You can work in the garden 4-6 pm and/or be part of the West Seattle Timebank‘s potluck meeting, 6:30-8 pm at Puget Ridge Edible Park (5265 18th SW).
DEMONSTRATION: Join Scott‘s twice-weekly sign-waving for racial justice, 4-6 pm at 16th/Holden. Bring your own sign or borrow one.
PEACE PELOTON PARTY: 4-8 pm at West Seattle Brewing‘s beach location (2536 Alki SW), Peace Peloton hosts a bike-friendly party with barbecue and brews.
DESIGN REVIEW FOR 4448 CALIFORNIA SW: 5 pm online, the Southwest Design Review Board gets its first look at the 7-story, 96-apartment mixed-use proposal, as previewed here. Links for attending/commenting is here.
ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: 7 pm online, with an agenda including followup on last month’s shootings and discussion of other Alki issues. Details and attendance info are in our calendar listing.
Ready to run? Next week, West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) welcomes you to an in-person event to find out more about the next free Get Fit West Seattle program:
Join us for this informational meeting to learn more about the free couch-to-half-marathon training program that starts August 7th. We will be giving you a broad overview of the program and answering any questions you have. The plan will train you for a half marathon on November 28th, 2021.
We will provide you with the training schedule. This is a great way to build consistency and reach your goals by being accountable to others. Making running buddies is a worthwhile, life-changing endeavor.
The info meeting is next Wednesday (July 21st) at 7 pm. Questions? Email lori@westseattlerunner.com.
6:04 AM: Good morning, Today’s forecast continues this week’s theme – overcast early, clearing later.
ROAD WORK
Delridge project – Southbound Delridge remains closed between Holden and Trenton. SW Genesee closes again Friday-Sunday. Here’s what else is up this week.
SW Alaska – More street repair planned on the westbound side west of California this weekend.
Roxbury repaving – Today, more tree work is expected in advance of repaving Roxbury between 24th and 25th early next week.
West Marginal/Highland Park Way – As announced Wednesday, weekend work at this intersection starts very early Saturday morning.
TRANSIT
Buses are on their regular schedules – except for the Route 120 reroute because of the Delridge work. Watch @kcmetrobus for word of bus cancellations.
For ferries, the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run was to start this morning down a boat- check Vessel Watch and @wsferries for updates.
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
479th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here are the views of other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: Automated enforcement cameras remain in use; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily – except weekends; the bridge is open to all until 8 am Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Access applications are available for some categories of drivers.)
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
And the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:
Are draw/swing bridges opening for boats or barges? See the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed. (1st Ave. South Bridge openings also are tweeted on @wsdot_traffic.)
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also on this WSB page.
Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
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