West Seattle, Washington
20 Friday
One week ago, burglars broke into the nonprofit West Seattle Tool Library, which is co-housed with Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge. Christina Hahs hopes you will be on the lookout for what was taken:
Someone broke in to the Tool Library’s Shop last Thursday evening, about midnight, and stole the following items. We’ve fixed the door, so hopefully this doesn’t happen again. We’ve also submitted a police report, and are providing security footage to them, but there may not be much they can do.
If you see any of the following items, with West Seattle Tool Library or WSTL written on them, on Craigslist or at any local pawn shops, please let us know so we can claim them. We’d just like to have our stuff back so it can be available for everyone in the community to use.
Makita Cordless Hex Driver Drill
Makita Reciprocating Saw
Makita Combo Cordless Driver and Drill Set
Makita Cordless Impact Driver
Craftsman 165 Piece Mechanics Tool Set
Custom Electronics Repair Kit – A Husky 22″ Black Tool Box containing soldering and wiring supplies
Cen-Tech Function Digital Multimeter
Master Dual Material Screw Driver Set – 20 piece
6-8 different drill and driver bit sets in Dewalt and Milwaukee boxes
Here are images of similar items.
That’s a new video chronicling what it’s like to learn music with the professional musicians who own and teach at Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) in North Delridge. Mode proprietor Erin Rubin told us about it while sharing word that Mode expanded its summer-camp lineups and now has “availability in the all-day camps as well as private music lessons for summer and fall, enrolling now.” You can explore the camp and lesson info by scrolling through Mode’s website – and see what musicmaking at Mode is like by watching the video.
P.S. Mode is representing at West Seattle Summer Fest (now just a week and a half away) – the music lineup includes Blackie (Erin Rubin’s in the band), Jenn Champion (Mode teacher alum), Nils Petersen with Jeremy Enigk (Mode teacher alum), and the Mode Music Studios Kids!
Any of those items look familiar? From Julie: “Found these in a bag behind a bush near 21st and Delridge. Includes keys and fob. Contact at jules654 (at) gmail (dot) com if it’s yours.”
12:50 AM: SFD has sent one engine to a crash reported at Orchard/Dumar, just off Delridge. According to a tipster and police radio, it involves a flipped car, in the shrubbery by the Shell station. That’s the only vehicle reported involved. One person is reported to be hurt.
2:16 PM: SPD is investigating this as possible DUI. A 24-year-old man was arrested and booked into the King County Jail, according to online records.
2:29 PM: If you’re wondering about the police search in North Delridge, officers are searching after a man reported being robbed while sitting in his car. We haven’t picked up radio communication on exactly where that happened but the robber was reported to have gotten away walking southbound on 26th, and a K-9 team is searching the Delridge Playfield vicinity. The only description we’ve heard for the robber so far is black, male, 17-19 years old, 5’11”, thin build, dark hoodie.
3:14 PM: Still searching.
MONDAY UPDATE: We obtained the report narrative from police. First, the location: It happened in the Delridge Community Center parking lot. The victim told them the robber put a knife to his neck and stole his tablet following what was supposed to be a meetup arranged via Offer Up to buy a speaker. The seller was late. The speaker didn’t work, so the victim refused to buy it. That’s when the seller pulled out a 2.5-inch pocket knife, held it to the victim’s neck, and demanded money. He went through the victim’s pockets, took his phone, then reached into the victim’s car and took the tablet and a speaker, and fled.
(WSB photo, July 2015)
Last November, we reported that 9200 16th SW was listed for sale. It’s the site raided in 2015 because of an illegal marijuana-selling operation; the sale was ordered as part of a settlement. Though no sale is final yet – it’s listed publicly as “pending feasibility” – there’s an early-stage redevelopment proposal in city files. The roughed-out site plan for the 12,900-square-foot parcel proposes a 5-story mixed-use building with an unspecified number of apartments, plus 1,800 square feet of “retail” space and 24 offstreet parking spaces. Again, this is very early-stage, so no reviews or comment periods are scheduled yet.
Though the next big transportation project in West Seattle is headlined as the RapidRide H Line, because of repaving, rechannelization, and other features, it’ll affect people who use Delridge even if they never ride the bus. So SDOT has a survey out as design continues – you can answer it starting here. The work is scheduled to be done in 2020-2021; Route 120 will become the H Line in September 2021; our recent in-depth look at the current stage of planning is here.
Delridge-headquartered Combat Arts Academy (WSB sponsor) is offering two women’s-self-defense seminars this Saturday, particularly timely given some of this week’s news stories. Here’s the announcement:
When you think of self-defense, what’s the first thing you think of?
For us at Combat Arts Academy, it’s about awareness, empowerment, setting boundaries, having confidence. It’s about finding your voice and believing in yourself. Join us on for a two hour clinic, where our goal is to leave you with more knowledge, feeling more empowered, and understanding of what self-defense really means (both mentally and physically).
We’re going to show you a wide range of practical techniques and more importantly, the concepts that are critical to learning how to avoid becoming a victim of violence. We’ll be going over basic, EFFECTIVE, self-defense movements and techniques, capitalizing on leverage and momentum. This event will be specifically teaching techniques when your back is on the ground.
Event: Women’s Self Defense Seminar
Date: 6/22/19
Session 1: 10 am – 12 pm (CAA Burien: 115 SW 153rd St)Session 2: 1 pm – 3 pm (CAA Seattle: 5050 Delridge Way SW)
Who: No experience necessary, open to all, ages 13+
Registration Link: tinyurl.com/5050caa
Cost: Suggested Donation $30 or gift cards for New Beginnings (women’s shelter)
This seminar isn’t your typical self-defense seminar, so make sure to reserve your spot, bring some friends… and get ready to learn.
At Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) until 7 pm, you are invited to come get info and/or ask questions about what promises to be next year’s biggest West Seattle road project – repaving and reconfiguring much of Delridge Way SW to prepare for the Route 120/RapidRide H Line conversion. We’ve been reporting on the project as it evolves – including this in-depth update Wednesday – but if you have questions/comments, this is prime time to come talk directly with SDOT and/or Metro – Sound Transit, too.
The H Line doesn’t debut until September 2021 but work on the Delridge project is expected to begin in early 2020. Design isn’t final yet, so now’s the time to comment and/or ask questions.
12:09 AM: Police have closed a block of Delridge Way SW, near the precinct at Webster, while they investigate a crash. We don’t have details but radio communication describes the crash as at 21st/Delridge and has also resulted in a closure of the switchback hillside road between there and 20th/Holden.
12:59 AM: The closure is going to last a while, as the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad has detectives at the scene.
(WSB photo: SDOT’s C.J. Holt and Dan Anderson during our downtown meeting)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Though its marquee name involves a bus route, the RapidRide H Line conversion starts with a big road project that will affect everyone who uses the street: Repaving and reconfiguration for much of Delridge Way SW.
Tomorrow (Thursday) night you’re invited to see the updates and ask questions during an SDOT/Metro open house (5-7 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW). But rather than try to absorb it all at the drop-in event, you can preview it all right now. We went to SDOT HQ downtown to talk to project leaders, who have also provided the full plans you’ll see rolled out at the open house:
That’s the plan for Delridge reconfiguration, block by block. Below, the plan for paving, so you can see which sections are getting a full rebuild and which are getting a new top layer:
Ahead, what else you should know before the open house – including what community feedback’s been incorporated and what has not:
(Image from community grant application)
The next step in a redesigned future for the Delridge Triangle – at Delridge/Barton – is next Saturday (June 1st). Here’s the invite from Friends of the Delridge Triangle:
Save the Date! June 1st: Delridge Triangle Community Review of Redesign Concepts
The landscape architects have been busy and we’re ready to present the redesign concepts for the Delridge Triangle!
You’re invited to attend the upcoming community to review the four design ideas.
We need your input!
Fun activities to explore and share your vision for the Triangle.
Be counted! Have your voice heard by both SDOT and Seattle Parks.
Learn about the next steps that will make the Delridge Triangle “A Place For Our Community To Play”.
All are welcome!
When: Saturday, June 1st, 9 am-11 am
Where: Highland Park Improvement Club, 1116 SW Holden.
Doors open at 8:45 am. Plenty of parking in the area. Snacks will be provided.
Makers will guide the review as the project landscape architects.
Community work to redesign the triangle goes back more than two years.
7:13 PM: Avoid Delridge near Oregon for a while – a police response involving a Metro bus has much of the road blocked. We are still working to find out what started this.
7:25 PM: Our crew couldn’t get close to police at the scene so went to the precinct to ask. There, police told us there was a report someone had a gun on the bus. No gun found so far.
Playground projects everywhere! Here’s the latest announcement we’ve received – can you help!
STEM is Taking First Steps for New Playground
Louisa Boren is taking the first steps to improve the school playground by applying for several Seattle City Grants. One requirement is that a steering committee is created. The committee should represent school families and community members. We are looking for community members to join the Playground Building Steering Committee.
If you know of somebody, outside of STEM, that wants to help create a fun, safe space for Delridge families to access, please have them call or email Adrienne Ollerenshaw:
louisaborenplaygroundcommittee@gmail.com
The school is at 5950 Delridge Way SW.
This home in North Delridge is one of 40 around the region getting new ramps today in the Master Builders of King and Snohomish Counties’ annual Rampathon. The crew installing the ramp is from Potter Construction (WSB sponsor), which has been participating for more than a decade, with volunteer crews planning and building ramps.
The resident benefiting today, Tammie, uses a wheelchair because of a bilateral amputation, according to the MBAKS, and had to access her home via a temporary ramp until now.
Potter Construction adds, “We are also thankful to Pacific Rim Equipment rental for donating the use of post hole auger and Dunn Lumber for donating the supplies.”
Earlier this month, we reported on a County Council committee considering the final routing/station siting for the RapidRide H Line, which is what Metro Route 120 will become in 2021. Paving and other changes are ahead for much of Delridge before the transition, so SDOT and Metro have two open houses ahead, including one in West Seattle – 5-7 pm Thursday, May 30th, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (the other is the night before in Burien). (They’ll also be taking feedback online starting May 29th.)
The photo is from Mark, who asked us Thursday about the “contaminated water” signage that he spotted along Longfellow Creek at the SW Yancy footbridge near the West Seattle Athletic Club. Researching it today, we first checked with Seattle-King County Public Health, whose logo was on the signage. They said it was related to “a small sewage spill (about 100 gallons) at the West Seattle Golf Course. Our understanding is that the spill had gone into a catch basin and some likely spilled into Longfellow Creek,” and that Seattle Public Utilities had put up the signage. SPU told us, “Approximately 100 gallons were released on Wednesday evening, but it was determined that most of the spill was absorbed into the soil,” so the signage on the creek was removed.
Received today from Seattle Public Utilities, word that work starts next week on a sewer-system project in North Delridge. The notice:
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is making improvements to a sewer-system flow control station located in the Delridge neighborhood. This project will enable SPU to optimize use of the sewer system with the goal of reducing combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the Duwamish River.
LOCATION: Construction will take place in the Delridge neighborhood at the intersection of SW Andover Street and 26th Avenue SW. See map for approximate location of work.
SCHEDULE: Construction is scheduled to begin Monday, May 13, and it will take about 3 to 5 months to complete the work. Typical work hours will be Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., but weekend work may be required. Please note that weather and other factors may impact start date and duration of this project.
ANTICIPATED IMPACTS: During construction, you can expect:
• Construction noise, dust, and vibrations.
• Increased construction traffic and staging of large equipment in the area.
• Slowed vehicle traffic and intermittent lane closures near the construction area.
• Parking in or near the work area may be prohibited. o “No Parking” signs will be posted in advance of work. Please park in an alternative area, if needed.
• Pedestrian traffic on the north side of S.W. Andover Street near the work area will be restricted throughout construction. Pedestrian detours will be in place.
• Restoration of pavement and vegetation will occur following construction.To receive construction updates via email, please sign up for our listserv by emailing SPU_DelridgeGateRetrofit-subscribe-request@talk2.seattle.gov.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Josh Campbell, Project Manager, at (206) 684-5257 or josh.campbell@seattle.gov
James Barnett, Construction Engineer, at (206) 396-5278 or james.barnett@seattle.govFor interpretation services please call (206) 684-5257
如需要口譯服務,請撥電話號碼 (206) 684-5257
통역 서비스를 원하시면 (206) 684-5257
으로 전화하세요 Wixii turjubaan afka ah ku saabsan, Fadlan la soo xariir taleefoonka (206) 684-5257
Para servicios de interpretación por favor llame al (206) 684-5257
Para sa serbisyo ng tagapagpaliwanag, tumawag sa (206) 684-5257
Về dịch vụ phiên dịch xin gọi (206) 684-5257
12:21 PM: Avoid Delridge/Brandon [map] – an emergency response is arriving for a report of a wheelchair-using pedestrian hit by a driver and injured. The intersection is reported to be at least partially closed. Updates to come.
12:34 PM: Our crew reports the person, a man in his 50s, is being taken to Harborview. The truck involved in the collision is marked Seattle Public Utilities. This happened at the SE corner of Delridge/Brandon. SB traffic is getting through.
12:44 PM: Photo added. The victim’s wheelchair is beneath the truck grille. We are waiting to hear from police whether Traffic Collision Investigation detectives are being sent out..
12:52 PM: Police confirm TCI is coming to the scene. For now SB Delridge remains open but that could change depending on what the detectives need to do for their investigation, which is likely to last a few hours.
3:13 PM: Though we heard a while back that SPD was expecting to reopen NB Delridge shortly, we haven’t heard confirmation yet. SFD says the pedestrian, a 52-year-old man, was in serious condition when transported. We have some other followup questions out and will update as replies are received. We should also note that this is the same intersection where a 52-year-old man was hit and killed in November 2014.
4:20 PM: Just confirmed firsthand that the scene is clear.
5:50 PM: From SPD Blotter:
Shortly after noon today, officers responded to 911 calls of a collision at Delridge Way SW and SW Brandon Street. The large utilities truck was stopped for a red light, facing northbound on Delridge. The driver of the truck then began to make a right turn, colliding with the 55-year-old male in the wheelchair, who had entered the crosswalk in front of the truck. The impact from the collision caused significant injuries to the pedestrian.
Seattle Fire responded and transported the male victim to Harborview Medical Center. The driver of the utility truck was evaluated at the scene for any sign of impairment, which is standard protocol in injury collisions. The driver did not exhibit any signs of impairment.
We had also asked SPU for info; their only comment, “Seattle Public Utilities is aware of the incident involving an SPU vehicle and is investigating.”
The conversion of Metro Route 120 into the RapidRide H Line is still two years away – fall 2021 – but the station locations and routing are about to be finalized. The King County Council Mobility and Environment Committee has a vote scheduled at its 1:30 pm Tuesday meeting downtown; agenda information (pages 29-69, PDF) notes, “Approval of the alignment and station locations would allow Metro to complete design of the capital elements of RapidRide and move forward with construction.”
We have reported on the H Line planning at various stages over the past few years. Here’s the overview, again from the agenda document:
The proposed H Line alignment … would mostly adhere to the current Route 120 path. That path, northbound, starts at the Burien Transit Center, traveling along Ambaum Boulevard SW, 16th Avenue SW, 15th Avenue SW, SW Roxbury Street, SW Barton Street, Delridge Way SW, and 3rd Avenue in Downtown Seattle.
One proposed deviation from the Route 120 path is that the H Line would extend the northern terminus of the route from Downtown Seattle to South Lake Union at Harrison Street, via Westlake Avenue North, Lenora Street, and Blanchard Street, serving the same stations as the C Line. Additionally, the H Line is proposed to operate on Southwest 150th Street between Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and the Burien Transit Center, rather than the current Route 120 pathway on Southwest 148th Street.
The H Line is proposed to have thirty-one stations serving both directions of travel located an average of one‐third of a mile apart. Currently Route 120 has 41 bus stops northbound and 39 bus stops southbound, spaced an average of one quarter of a mile apart.
As planners have noted previously, one-third mile is closer together than usual RapidRide spacing. Here is the station list:
Westlake Avenue North and Harrison Street (existing)
• Westlake Avenue North and 9th Avenue (existing)
• Blanchard Street and 6th Avenue (existing, northbound only)
• 3rd Avenue and Virginia Street (existing)
• 3rd Avenue and Pike Street (existing)
• 3rd Avenue and Seneca Street (existing)
• 3rd Avenue and Columbia Street (existing)
• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Andover Street
• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Genesee Street
• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Hudson Street
• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Findlay Street
• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Graham Street
• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Holly Street
• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Myrtle Street
• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Holden Street
• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Thistle Street
• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Henderson Street
• Southwest Barton Street and 26th Avenue Southwest
• Southwest Roxbury Street and 26th Avenue Southwest
• Southwest Roxbury Street and 20th Avenue Southwest
• 15th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Roxbury Street
• 15th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 102nd Street
• 15th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 107th Street
• 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 112th Street
• 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 116th Street
• Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 122nd Street
• Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 128th Street
• Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 136th Street
• Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 142nd Street
• Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 148th Street
• Southwest 150th Street and 6th Avenue Southwest
The briefing document says, “The proposed H Line would have an average travel time reduction of 13 percent compared to the Route 120 today, which equates to a 5-6 minute improvement for a passenger travelling from Westwood Village to Downtown Seattle or an 8-9 minute improvement for a passenger traveling from the Burien Transit Center to Downtown Seattle. Combined with transit signal priority improvements made in the corridor since RapidRide planning began in 2012, the end-to-end run time for the H Line would improve by 21 percent.”
Though the routing/station locations are about to be finalized, community feedback will be sought on another point – lighting – a sore spot when RapidRide C Line turned Roxhill Park into a major transit center, for example: “The need for lighting will also be addressed in final design to address safety at bus shelters. Questions about specific locations where lighting is needed will be asked during the next phase of community engagement.” In the meantime, tomorrow’s vote in council chambers at the County Courthouse downtown is at 1:30 pm and part of a meeting that includes a public-comment period. It would be followed at some point by a full council vote.
Two thefts in West Seattle Crime Watch today:
STOLEN BICYCLE: Kathleen hopes you will watch for this stolen bicycle:
She left the garage open for a little while around noon today in North Delridge – and a thief quickly made off with the bike, a white Univega. We are waiting to hear back on the police-report #, so in the meantime, let us know if you see it and we will connect you.
STOLEN VEHICLE TENT: Nick reports from Seaview, “I had a Cascade Vehicle Tent (CVT) Mt Shasta tent stolen off my truck last night. My truck was parked in front of my house. If anyone sees one for sale, please let me know.” SPD incident # is 19-157402.
(Photo from kingcounty.gov)
A belated Earth Day note from King County today: Its annual Green Globe Awards were presented on Monday, and the winners included Young’s Restaurant in South Delridge, “the first restaurant to participate in the RainWise program, which offers rebates to property owners who install green stormwater infrastructure.” The county announcement continues:
Supported by ECOSS and its language and multicultural environmental outreach expertise, Young’s installed three stormwater cisterns that will keep more than 11,000 gallons of runoff out of the combined sewer system each year. The King County – Seattle Public Utilities RainWise partnership recently established a “big roof” initiative expanding its work beyond residential structures to capture and divert stormwater from larger buildings.
You can see the Young’s cisterns here. Meantime, King County’s full list of winners – also including South Park’s Paulina Lopez, of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition – is here.
Maybe you have the perfect idea for this school project! Sent by Adrienne Ollerenshaw:
The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ Small Sparks Matching Fund awarded Louisa Boren STEM K-8 funding to install a buddy bench and repaint the blacktop games on the school playground. A buddy bench is a bench where a child can sit if they need a friend. Others will see them and invite them to play.
The school is requesting artwork ideas from school and community members for under the buddy bench. Sketches can include up to four colors. If you would like to submit an idea, email drawings with your name and email address, to amollerensha@seattleschools.org or drop them off at the Louisa Boren STEM K-8 (5950 Delridge Way SW) front office before Friday, April 26th. There will be a design selection meeting at Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW), April 27th, from 12:00-12:30, where community members are welcome to come and help select artwork for under the bench.
The art would be a painting on the playground blacktop, 6′ x 6′ maximum, “that promotes friendship, kindness, acceptance, and love.”
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