West Seattle, Washington
16 Monday
One more summer-event cancellation has been announce: Delridge Day. But the community group that makes it happen has found a way to ensure the festival’s gifts are given anyway. From Pete Spalding:
After much discussion, thought and contemplation of options. Visualizing Increased Engagement in West Seattle (VIEWS) has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 edition of the Delridge Day Festival.
One of the things that VIEWS prides itself on is our commitment to giving back to the community that supports us. As you might be aware. we make donations each year after Delridge Day to help support community organizations. We have made the decision to dip into our reserves this year to continue to support vital community organizations that are on the front lines in helping our neighbors during this crisis. So we are making our own stimulus payments to:
$1,200 West Seattle Food Bank
$1,200 White Center Food Bank
$1,200 Southwest Youth & Family servicesVIEWS plans at this point include a Gathering of Neighbors event during the first quarter of 2021. A part of this event will be a segment where we plan on recognizing the Heroes of Delridge who are making a difference during this crisis situation that we are going through right now.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to the 2021 edition of the Delridge Day Festival on the second Saturday of August.
(WSB photo, last month)
Two weeks ago, we reported on the plan for prepared-food sellers based at KBM Commissary to offer free meals weekly, with a rotating menu. KBM’s Keith Mathewson just sent word of how the first round went, and what’s ahead:
Last week was the first day that the kitchen distributed meals. We produced food for 400 people and ran out. This week Ka Pow Thai and the people in the kitchen are going to produce up to 600 meals. Meals again will be family style and will be distributed this Sunday from 4 PM until 6 PM. The menu will be stirfried chicken with rice and mushrooms. Anyone who is suffering as a result of the shutdown is welcome to come by. We are asking that people remain in their car and meals will be passed through the window on a long pizza board to maintain distance.
KBM is at 5604 Delridge Way SW. Mathewson has been underwriting the project but donations are welcome if you want to help – as mentioned in our first report, there’s a crowdfunding page.
P.S. Some of the KBM-based businesses are also selling from the window, as noted last month, and are part of our ongoing West Seattle list.
This was not discussed in detail during either of tonight’s West Seattle Bridge-focused meetings, but details are in for this weekend’s paving work (first mentioned here last week) on the 5-way intersection east of the low bridge, and it will include some lane reconfiguration too – plus a new bus lane for the north end of Delridge. From SDOT Blog:
… Our traffic engineers are evaluating intersections and arterial roads to determine where improvements are needed to support people and businesses in West Seattle during the bridge closure.
This weekend we will repave and change the lane design at the 5-legged intersection of Delridge Way SW, Chelan Ave SW, and W Marginal Way SW, just west of the Spokane Street/Low Bridge.
Construction and lane design changes are a preemptive step to ensure pavement can withstand increased traffic and to keep transit, freight, and emergency vehicles moving.
The signals at this intersection were upgraded on April 1 to allow us to control the signal remotely from our Traffic Operations Center. We can monitor and make real-time adjustments to the signal operations in response to changing circumstances.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The intersection will remain open during the day on Saturday, however there may be some disruption on Sunday.
We’ll grind the top 2 inches of the existing asphalt, repave, and restripe the intersection. Work is weather dependent. Should construction take longer than anticipated, work will happen on future weekends and notification provided in advance. Our objective is to complete work before Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order is currently scheduled to end, May 5.
Neighbors can expect noise from heavy equipment and activities, including asphalt removal and asphalt placement during the night.
Signed detours and uniformed police officers will be in place to help people navigate the intersection.
If people are biking in the street, they will have to follow vehicles through the detour. If they are on the sidewalk or shared trail, they will be treated like pedestrians at the intersections and crosswalks
WORK SCHEDULE
Intersection construction will occur overnight between the hours of 7 PM, Friday, April 24 and 7 AM, Saturday, April 25 and again from 7 PM, Saturday, April 25 and 7 AM, Sunday, April 26.
The intersection will be open to traffic during the day; however, there may be some disruptions on Sunday, April 26, related to striping and signal outages. If this occurs, signed detours will be in place as well as unformed police officers.
The new Delridge Way SW northbound bus lane will be installed from 9 AM to 5 PM, Saturday, April 25.
The Spokane Low Bridge will be intermittently closed from 8 AM-12 PM on Saturday for all vehicles; and from 12 PM-5 PM for people walking and biking for live load testing. Closures will be approximately 10 minutes in length, about the time for a normal opening.
NEW LANE DESIGN
To support bus service, emergency response, and freight movement over the Spokane Street Low Bridge the following changes are happening:
Delridge Way SW will get a bus-only lane northbound from SW Andover St to Chelan Ave SW.
The east leg of the intersection (westbound W Marginal Way SW) is going from 2 through lanes to 1 through lane and 1 left-turn lane.
The west leg of the intersection (Chelan Ave SW) is being converted from 1 shared left and through lane to 1 through lane 1 left-turn lane.
Here’s the construction info sheet (PDF) for this work.
(WSB photo of Highland Park Way/Holden traffic signal, rush-installed after bridge closure)
The West Seattle Bridge Town Hall is the first of two local online meetings tomorrow night focusing on the bridge closure and how it’s affecting peninsula mobility. At 7 pm Wednesday (April 22nd), the neighborhood group whose area is most affected by the detouring traffic, HPAC, is hosting its monthly meeting online – but please note the important disclaimer:
HPAC virtual meetings are limited to 100 participants (this is due to cost of the software and what HPAC has the budget for) and are intended for residents of Highland Park, South Delridge, and Riverview, if you are not a resident of one of these neighborhoods, we ask you kindly to step back from attending this one.
April Agenda:
7:00: Welcome and overview of attending a virtual meeting
7:10: Q & A with SDOT: Impact of West Seattle Bridge Closure on Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge.
A representative from SDOT will attend to answer questions about the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure and how it impacts our neighborhood, as well as provide an update on the intersection at Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden Street.
7:50: Outstanding Items/Closing
If you are in one of HPAC’s neighborhoods, you can find the meeting-access info here.
(King County Assessor’s Office photo)
That mid-1940s house at 9425 18th SW [map] is proposed for demolition and replacement. An early-stage site plan (PDF) has just been filed to build 5 townhouses with 5 offstreet parking spaces. It’s right next door to the Muslim-American Society religious/community-center complex.
12:10 PM: A three-car crash is reported at Delridge/Orchard, with SPD and SFD responding. Avoid the area.
12:25 PM: We are arriving in the area. Delridge is blocked south of the intersection.
12:33 PM: Photo added. At least one person is being transported by by AMR ambulance.
6:49 PM: Police are searching for two suspects in a reported street robbery near the Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW), and the Guardian One helicopter is on the way to join them. The victim told police his phone was stolen and that the suspects are male – possbly armed – and female. No other details so far.
6:54 PM: The search is ending, per radio exchange, because the person who reported their phone was taken does not want to pursue it as a criminal case after all.
Though one West Seattle road project now literally looms over everything – repairing the high bridge – planning has also continued for a major project long in the works, repaving much of Delridge and more for the conversion of Metro Route 120 into RapidRide H Line. SDOT has finalized the design and provided a summary today – see it here in PDF.
In the non-COVID-19 days, there would have been a big community meeting to unveil this, but instead, we have a summary and website. The latter, by the way, links to detailed documents/maps – go here to find them. We have followup questions out – for starters, how the bridge situation might affect this, and also the timeline, since there’s a mention here of 24 months, though the H Line’s most-recent launch date is supposed to be September 2021, a year and a half from now.
Last night we briefly mentioned a reported stabbing in the 9200 block of 17th SW. No other details were available at the time but today we’ve obtained the police report. According to the report, it started with a 911 call about “people fighting with knives.” Arriving officers found a man with what the report describes as a deep, 3-inch long wound on his upper left rib cage. He told them he was awakened by his roommate reporting someone was “attacking” his car, parked near 17th/Cambridge. The victim said he went out to check and found someone kicking the car, so he grabbed a small rock and confronted the person, who then pulled out a “7- to 8-inch-long knife” and “started swinging it.” The victim ran back to his apartment, where he discovered he was wounded. Before medics took him to Harborview, he told police he recognized the suspect from social media, though that didn’t pan out. Meantime, a witness told officers that the stabbing suspect had been doing driving stunts – speeding and then slamming on the brakes – in a black SUV, before getting out to key and kick the victim’s car. He was described as Hispanic, about 50 years old, wearing a red T-shirt, blue jeans, and a hat.
No word yet on the circumstances, but the big “scenes of violence” response in the 9200 block of 17th SW is for a man described by the dispatcher as having a knife wound. Police are also there investigating.
More at-home time = more repair/improvement/gardening time. You might need a tool you don’t have. Still open and ready to help: The West Seattle Tool Library, which is in North Delridge, on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. It’s a nonprofit that’s been serving the community for more than a decade. WSTL’s Christina Hahs tells WSB, “We are open regular hours and sterilizing all the tools going out and coming in.” Open tomorrow (Sunday) 11 am-4 pm – also 5-8 pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and 11 am-4 pm Saturdays.
Angie‘s car was stolen from Delridge/Henderson around 8:30 Friday night: “2016 dark green/blackish color Nissan Altima. Plate #BIF6114.” If you see it, please call 911.
(King County Assessor’s Office photo)
A new redevelopment proposal in South Delridge for three HALA-upzoned lots centered on 9218 18th SW [map]: It’s described in city files as a 5-story “approximately 76-unit mixed-use apartment building with ground-floor commercial and 1 level of below-grade parking for approximately 36 vehicles.” Though the address is on 18th, part of the site faces Delridge. The early-stage site plan (PDF) is by Caron Architecture.
(WSB photos)
The sun’s out! (For now …) Celebrate with ice cream at the Delridge Grocery Co-op‘s House Party, continuing until 4 pm.
You can see the future store space – where architect Parie Hines of LD Arch Design (WSB sponsor) tells us construction is now 80 percent complete. The “house party” theme today even includes furniture:
Some of the store’s future fixtures are in place – this will be the coffee/water station:
The party’s at 5444 Delridge Way SW. As the store works toward opening, the co-op is continuing to welcome new members – more on that here – and can help you have your own “house party” to get neighbors, family, and friends involved too.
(WSB photos)
Huge event continuing all day at Louisa Boren STEM K-8 – the state championships for VEX IQ Robotics! Hundreds of people are filling the gym for the competition:
More than 30 elementary teams (listed here) and a similar number of middle-school teams (listed here) have students participating.
The winners qualify for the national championships in Louisville!
You’re welcome to stop by the STEM K-8 gym and watch – finals are at 3 pm, awards at 3:45 (here’s the schedule).
The school is at 5950 Delridge Way SW; the gym’s on the south side of the building.
Need tools? Get over to the West Seattle Tool Library‘s big almost-spring garage sale! The WSTL’s Christina sent the photo and tells WSB, “We had a big rush this morning, but there are still so many tools looking for new homes! We’re going till 3 or so.” The nonprofit Tool Library – celebrating its 10th anniversary this year! – is on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW.
Toplines from last night’s meeting of HPAC, the community council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge:
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS OVERVIEW: Osbaldo Hernandez Sahagun is the South Region community-engagement coordinator for this city department (one of 4, where years ago there were 14). He presented overviews of key DoN initiatives such as the department’s funding opportunities – Your Voice, Your Choice (more on that later); the Healthy Food Fund (funded by the Sweetened Beverage Tax), Small Sparks Fund (for small community-building projects up to $5,000), Community Partnership Fund (up to $50,000, three application deadlines a year). Leadership training, too:
The morning swept by without a chance for our usual daily highlights – you can always check the full WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – but we did want to remind you about one major public event, the February meeting of HPAC. This is the community council recently expanded to span South Delridge and Riverview as well as Highland Park. During the 7 pm gathering at Highland Park Improvement Club (1116 SW Holden), as previewed last weekend, the big topics will include what you need to know about the city Department of Neighborhoods, voting for new HPAC leadership, and strategizing what to propose for Your Voice, Your Choice parks/streets grants. Maybe there’s a community concern you’d like to bring up? Be there!
Celebrate Leap Day by seeing what’s up with Delridge Grocery Co-op since the ceremonial groundbreaking back in November (WSB coverage here). You’re invited to an ice-cream party at the store space on Saturday – here’s the announememt:
Delridge Grocery Co-op invites you to a special afternoon House Party this coming Saturday (Leap Day, February 29). Come see how construction is progressing, enjoy some special ice cream, and learn about how you can help spread the word about our growing Co-op (more on that below).
Working with Full Tilt Ice Cream, we’ll be serving a special flavor whipped up just for this occasion — Vegan Marionberry with Chocolate Swirl. Thanks to our social media community for a lot of great ideas, and Carly Glenn (who follows us on Instagram) will be getting a DGC T-shirt for helping us decide to go non-dairy.
Girl Scouts will also be on hand selling cookies in front of the Co-op — perfect for adding to your ice cream.
Our Ice Cream House Party is the kickoff to our new DGC House Party Plan — a return to our roots in how we spread the word about our Co-op and a way that our members can help keep us growing.
To make our store successful and move forward with our goals — healthy food available at affordable prices, investing in our community — we need to grow the number of owners we have (currently standing at 570).
And that’s where our Co-op owners and interested members of the community can help by spreading the word with neighbors and friends in West Seattle at your own house party, dinner soiree, or pub hangout.
If you want an excuse to have a gathering that can help make a difference, a DGC board member can stop by to give a short introduction about the Co-op to your guests. We’ll tell you all about it at our own House Party.
It’s happening 2-4 pm Saturday at the DGC future-store space, 5444 Delridge Way SW.
If you live and/or work, study, shop/dine in Highland Park, South Delridge, and/or Riverview, HPAC‘s for you. Here’s what this month’s gathering has on tap, Wednesday (February 26th) at 7 pm. 3 agenda highlights:
Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods
Osbaldo Sahagun Hernandez, Community Engagement Coordinator, South and West Seattle
Meet the Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods Community Engagement Coordinator for South and West Seattle: Whether you want to connect with your neighborhood, learn more about City Services, or share an idea that will benefit your community, the team of Community Engagement Coordinators is here to help. Come learn about New Seattle Department of Neighborhoods programs coming in 2020.Elections! Come elect the 2020 HPAC Executive Committee
Executive Committee consists of three to seven members elected at the annual meeting with at least one representative from each neighborhood (Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge). We are electing a Chair, Vice Chairs, Secretary, and At-Large members. Nominations are still open!Discussion: Your Voice Your Choice
What should we apply for?
Community members brainstorm and submit potential project ideas to be funded throughout the city. Project ideas will be collected February 18 – March 18, 2020.
HPAC meets at Highland Park Improvement Club (1116 SW Holden).
(King County Assessor’s Office photo)
That 1951-built house at 7726 Delridge Way SW [map] is the latest with an early-stage teardown-to-townhouses plan. City online files show a site plan just filed this week for demolishing the house and replacing it with six townhouse units in two buildings – one with four units facing Delridge, one with two units on the alley behind. The number of planned parking spaces is not yet specified. The 9,500-square-foot site is zoned Lowrise 1 and is across Delridge from the sprawling Lighthouse Apartments complex.
Youngstown Coffee Company proprietor Zoe Kritzer says she’s closing her original shop, the one at 5214 Delridge Way SW, at month’s end. Here’s how she’s announcing it to customers this morning:
It is with a heavy heart and an overwhelming amount of gratitude for your support that I must share this deeply saddening news.
Youngstown Coffee Company on Delridge will officially close on Saturday, February 29th. It has been the greatest privilege to have met so many extraordinary humans and dogs over the last 14 months. I can’t thank you enough for welcoming us into the neighborhood with open arms and daily transformative and inspiring conversations.
If you or anyone you know is interested in making this magical shop yours and continuing the dream of a shop built on community, coffee, and connection, please email: wonderwallseattle@gmail.com
Five months after opening the Delridge shop, Zoe expanded to 6032 California SW in Morgan Junction. That shop, and its “kitchen” next door, will remain open.
12:18 AM: Police checking out 911 calls about suspected gunfire have confirmed it. Officers radioed in that they have found at least one shell casing at Delridge/Trenton. So far, no reports of any injuries.
12:22 AM: Officers have also told dispatch that they’re blocking Delridge for now while they look for more evidence.
12:37 AM: Delridge has reopened.
| Comments Off on CANCELED: 2020 Delridge Day – but organizers keep its giving going