West Seattle, Washington
20 Tuesday
Live, work, study in Fauntleroy? Here’s your invitation to a big event tomorrow night:
The Fauntleroy Community Association‘s Annual Meeting and Food Fest is back! Tuesday evening, May 3, from 6 to 8 PM in the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse “Emerald Room,” the FCA will once again host its annual meeting. Visit with friends, neighbors, and talk with City and local non-profit organizations involved with our community. Two hours of conversations and food from local eateries. A wonderful opportunity to get out and connect. A short business meeting will take place about 7 PM.
That includes the annual election of board members. The venue is on the south side of the historic schoolhouse, 9131 California SW.
(WSB photo)
Electronics are just part of what they’re taking this time around at Fauntleroy Church‘s Recycle Roundup, continuing until 3 this afternoon. We stopped by in the first hour, and the crews from 1 Green Planet were already busy. Here’s one more reminder of the will/won’t-take list:
It’s a free dropoff service in partnership with 1 Green Planet, but if you can make a monetary donation, the church’s Green Committee will accept it to help cover expenses. Again, this continues at 9140 California SW [map] until 3 pm – lots of time, so unless you truly can’t get there until the last minute, they ask that you go sooner rather than later.
(WSB photo, last April)
One last reminder – tomorrow’s the day to bring recyclables to Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW) for its next Recycle Roundup, a free dropoff event. 1 Green Planet is scheduled to be there 9 am-3 pm Sunday, so no need to get there early, but organizers ask that you not wait until the last minute, either. Here’s the list of what they’re accepting (and NOT accepting) this time.
Towering over those road-closed barricades at Fauntleroy Way and SW Fontanelle is the old chestnut tree we told you about a week ago. The tree is on private property, close to the corner where a curb ramp will be built, and the residents of the house on that property are worried that the construction will lead to the death/removal of the tree. They’ve been asking for an update from the city, and received this from SDOT‘s Ching Chan via an email thread on which we were cc’d:
… we will not move forward with construction work at the northeast corner of Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Fontanelle St until our Arborist has had a chance to inspect the tree root system.
The project team just confirmed that our Urban Forestry Arborist and our contractor will be onsite next Monday morning, 4/25 to remove the sidewalk to inspect the tree roots. Our Arborist will supervise the air spading work (break up and remove compacted soil around tree roots using compressed air) to ensure it is conducted properly and that the tree will not be harmed in the process. Our Arborist will conduct an inspection once the root system is exposed. The assessment will then be shared with our ADA Program Engineers to help them determine whether there are feasible alternative curb ramp designs at this corner that can minimize damage to the tree’s root system. This process may take up to several weeks.
We will notify property owner … and tenants at this property once we’ve come to a decision. We will notify adjacent households once construction is scheduled so they are aware and informed of our work scope and schedule.
The tree trunk is currently adorned with signs of support, and the residents are still gathering online petition signatures in support of preserving it.
(WSB file photo)
As the new week starts, we’re reminding you again that the next dropoff Recycle Roundup at Fauntleroy Church is less than a week away – Sunday, April 24th. Here’s the list of what will be accepted (note that it changes from event to event, so what you see in our photo above may not match with what’s acceptable this time):
(You can also see the list here, including what NOT to bring.) 1 Green Planet is the church’s partner for the 9 am-3 pm event, which is held rain or shine
One more day for the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s egg hunt – hundreds hidden all over the greater Fauntleroy area. We even spotted one in the shrubbery near our HQ:
Volunteers placed the eggs after filling them with non-candy surprises. That was just one topic at the FCA board’s April meeting, held in-person and online this past Tuesday night. Major topic continued to be the Fauntleroy ferry dock/terminal replacement project, now in the planning stage. The FCA is organizing a community meeting for May 24th at The Hall at Fauntleroy (time TBA) to give people from all over West Seattle a primer on the dock and the project, which will be the biggest transportation project in West Seattle post-bridge and pre-light rail. They’ll include Q&A, with Washington State Ferries reps invited to participate in that. They’re hoping to have elected officials present too.
In the meantime, as the dock project goes forward, they’re hoping to get WSF to survey drivers about their final destinations, as they don’t believe WSF has enough current data on that, though it’s critical information for planning.
Current dock-related issues of concern include traffic control; the FCA is still working on bringing together all the involved agencies – SDOT, WSF, WSP, SPD – to talk about traffic and line-cutting. They’re also working on getting collision data both for that meeting and for the upcoming community-wide dock discussion.
Before that meeting happens, the FCA’s annual general meeting will be May 3rd, 6-8 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy, which will include a chance to mingle as well as the annual board election.
Watch fauntleroy.net for updates between meetings, which happen on second Tuesdays most months.
(WSB photo from past Recycle Roundup)
Just a reminder that April 24th is the date for Fauntleroy Church‘s next Recycle Roundup, a free dropoff event, 9 am-3 pm in the church’s parking lot at 9140 California SW. Here’s the list of what will be accepted:
(You can also see the list here, including what NOT to bring.) Fauntleroy Church’s partner is 1 Green Planet, which usually brings multiple trucks, so there’s plenty of capacity.
5:34 PM: Thanks for the tip! Another pole problem on this blustery afternoon – this one is down across the north end of 44th SW where it intersects with Brace Point Drive and SW Wildwood on the east side of the Fauntleroy business district. Not a major blocking problem – just part of 44th at the bottom of the hill. Police had just arrived when we got there.
12:30 AM: Not fixed as of late Monday night – John Skerratt sent this photo of a worker at the scene:
10:33 AM: The week is not off to a good start for Washington State Ferries. The Fauntleroy dock is out of service for repairs. The downtown dock is also down to one slip because a boat from the Bainbridge run made a hard landing, and both the boat – M/V Kaleetan – and dock are being assessed. WSF says Fauntleroy service “will be suspended while maintenance staff assess and repair the issue. The repairs are currently estimated to be completed by mid-afternoon. This means service on the Fauntleroy/Vashon and Fauntleroy/Southworth routes is cancelled until further notice. Service between Southworth and Vashon will continue to run, and the #1 vessel will sail as scheduled, while the #2 vessel will operate unscheduled trips as needed.” We are told at least part of the Fauntleroy problem is related to a worn-out cable. Updates as we get them.
10:44 AM: WSF spokesperson Ian Sterling confirms, “There’s some sort of issue with a cable that is currently being inspected. It’s my understanding the cable is used to help lower and raise the ramp to and from the ferry.”
1:04 PM: WSF says the repairs are complete and the Fauntleroy terminal is back in service with the 1:15 boat to Vashon.
(Stonefly exoskeleton, photographed in 2018 by Dennis Hinton)
By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog
Did aquatic insects living in lower Fauntleroy Creek benefit from the 244 spawner carcasses that have been decaying since November? You bet, according to student researchers from Louisa Boren STEM K-8.
A dozen fourth graders, led by volunteer educator Shannon Ninburg, conducted the Fauntleroy Watershed Council‘s annual early-spring count of stonefly exoskeletons on Sunday, March 27, and found the third-highest number in the study’s 22-year history.
Stoneflies live in freshwater up to three years, then crawl out to shed their exoskeletons, fly, and mate to start the cycle of life over again. Stonefly nymphs are a significant food source for juvenile salmon, plus they are an indicator of water quality as they cannot tolerate high pollution.
(Sunday video by Tom Trulin)
Teams of students counted all the exoskeletons they could find in the study area, looking on trees, bushes, fences, and bridges near the water. One team focused on measuring torsos.
They found 62 exoskeletons – the most in three years. Average size of 10 specimens was 4 cm; one measuring 6 cm was among the largest ever recorded over the years.
After reviewing their data, the students reached conclusions about why the number of exoskeletons was so high this year and why most stoneflies exited the creek where they did. After students approve the final report, the watershed council will share it with regional salmon-habitat specialists and post it at fauntleroywatershed.org.
That’s one of five sets of speed humps now in place on 45th SW in Fauntleroy, between Wildwood and Trenton – thanks for the tip that they’d been installed. Though SDOT has installed dozens of new speed humps in recent months in West Seattle, these took a longer-than-usual road to get to installation on this popular cut-through route that runs parallel to Fauntleroy Way near the ferry dock. Seattle Fire had voiced concerns about whether they’d be an obstacle on an emergency route, but then in February, SDOT said SFD had signed off on them. (At the time, though, SDOT said there would be three sets, and today we counted five.) Speeding on 45th was one of many concerns discussed at a special Fauntleroy Community Association forum about traffic issues last October.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Are members of the Community Advisory Group for the Fauntleroy ferry dock/terminal replacement plan being rushed along to get buy-in on potential locations without enough information for a true comparison?
That’s what some suggested at last night’s meeting, a followup to the one two weeks ago (WSB coverage here) at which Washington State Ferries presented nine “draft alternatives,” including Lowman Beach and Lincoln Park.
Some CAG members also suggested the process is putting too much emphasis on dock location/size when some of the biggest issues, like traffic, could and should be addressed operationally, and long before the replacement is built (currently expected in 2025-2027).
Here’s how the meeting unfolded:
Among the community groups that had monthly meetings this past week was the Fauntleroy Community Association. Here are the toplines:
FERRY ISSUES: While paying close attention to the ongoing planning for the Fauntleroy ferry terminal/dock replacement, FCA is also watchdogging current operational issues. Line-cutting is a major concern. Signage has been added, but FCA doesn’t feel that’s enough. They’re hoping to organize a meeting with WSF, SPD, WSP, and SDOT to discuss what more can be done. Regarding the dock project, FCA’s point person Frank Immel – who’s on the project’s Community Advisory Group – presented updates. The dock rebuild (as reported in our coverage of the most-recent meeting) might expand the its vehicle capacity. FCA is skeptical that would do much for alleviating traffic on Fauntleroy Way. He stressed that at this stage, all possibilities are on the table. The prevailing FCA sentiment so far leans toward support of rebuilding the dock in its current location with the same foot print. Meantime, FCA president Mike Dey is meeting with local elected officials including State Representative Joe Fitzgibbon and City Councilmember Lisa Herbold. FCA’s Bruce Butterfield is facilitating next month’s District 1 Community Network meeting and hopes to have the ferry project on the agenda. Meantime, the CAG meets again this Wednesday.
POLICE UPDATES: Fauntleroy’s crime rate is among the lowest in the city, Southwest Precinct Lt. Dave Terry told the FCA board. He was asked how the “emphasis patrols” at nearby Westwood Village are going. They’ve been working as a deterrent when the officers are there, he said. He also warned that those extra patrols will shift to Alki Beach when warmer weather launches the busy season there. Asked for a status report on the staffing challenges, he talked about the time it takes to train new officers, and said that while new hires are in the pipeline, there’s no guarantee any will be assigned to the precinct here.
ANNUAL MEETING: FCA has set May 3rd as the date for the return of the in-person annual membership meeting, known as the Food Fest because it usually includes samples from neighborhood restaurants, More details soon.
EGG HUNT: FCA also continues planning the community Egg Hunt for the week of April 11th.
The Fauntleroy Community Association board meets second Tuesdays, 7 am – watch for announcements at fauntleroy.net.
(WSB photo, last April)
Another big event is returning this year: Fauntleroy Church‘s Recycle Roundup. We got the announcement today; it’s scheduled for 9 am-3 pm Sunday, April 24th. Here’s what the church’s partner 1 Green Planet will be accepting for free drive-up/ride-up/walk-up recycling:
You can also see the list here. The Recycle Roundup was happening twice a year, spring and fall, until the pandemic; it skipped 2020 and happened just once last year.
P.S. If you have electronic and other non-curbside recyclables you would like to get rid of before then, check out the March 19th Reuse/Recycle event we’ve been previewing, co-presented by the West Seattle Junction Association and Chamber of Commerce.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Fauntleroy ferry dock/terminal must and will be replaced. But might it be moved, too?
At this early stage in the planning process, that’s a possibility, the replacement project’s Community Advisory Group was told tonight. During the group’s first meeting in three months, Washington State Ferries rolled out nine “draft alternatives” – including concepts, however improbable-seeming, for possibly moving the dock to Lincoln Park or Lowman Beach.
More on the nine “draft alternatives” in a moment. First, here’s what the meeting was all about. The replacement isn’t expected to go into construction before 2025, so the process is currently in the stage of developing alternatives and finalizing the criteria for screening them.
Screening is a two-level process, and when they get to stage 1, that’s the “fatal flaw” part of the process; stage 2 is “detailed analysis.” Read More
(WSB file photo)
Somewhere between the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge and the groundbreaking for West Seattle light rail, our peninsula will see another major transportation project – the replacement of the circa-1950s Fauntleroy ferry dock/terminal. Construction is expected around 2025, so planning is reaching a key stages, and Washington State Ferries has convened advisory groups. This week, the Community Advisory Group for the project will meet for the first time since early December, 6 pm Wednesday (March 2nd), online. Though there’s no public-comment period, everyone’s welcome to watch/listen – you can register here to get access. This is the first of two meetings scheduled for this group in March; the second is two weeks later, on March 16th. WSF has yet to make key decisions such as the size, configuration, and even location – on th current footprint, or? – of the new terminal/dock.
Just received from Seattle Public Utilities:
A minor sewer overflow (less than 3,000 gallons) occurred near the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal earlier today (Thursday).
The cause of the overflow can be traced to a blockage in the line. That blockage has been mostly relieved, preventing any additional overflow.
Seattle Public Utilities staff are posting signs at Cove Park this evening that let people know the area is currently closed to water activities.
We’ll be collecting water samples in the morning to determine when the beach can safely reopen to water activities.
ADDED: Register says, “The blockage, which was in the sewer mainline, was caused by a large piece of wood and other debris that got caught around the piece of wood.”
(Video by Tom Trulin)
Three months after a near-record spawning season concluded in Fauntleroy Creek, some of the results are coming into view! Judy Pickens from the Fauntleroy Watershed Council shares the details:
Last Saturday, volunteer Dennis Hinton spotted the first “home hatch” left in November by 244 coho spawners in lower Fauntleroy Creek. About an inch long, they’re now emerging from loose gravel to begin feeding on vegetation and insect larva in the cold water.
With so many spawners leaving fertilized eggs, we are expecting a big crop of fry to be learning to hunt for food. They already know how to avoid predators, such that only experienced monitors have a chance of seeing them.
Starting in mid-March, volunteers will check soft traps daily to count how many smolts survived their year in the upper and lower creek to head for saltwater. Then in May, schoolchildren will be releasing fry in Fauntleroy Park through the Salmon in the Schools program.
The Fauntleroy Watershed Council continues to welcome community involvement and support for this rare resource, a salmon-spawning creek in the city – here’s how you can help.
On this last winter holiday of the year, we’re looking ahead to spring. One local community group is hoping to line up some help with a spring celebration. Here’s the announcement/request:
The Fauntleroy Community Association would like to announce its annual Spring Community Egg Hunt. One person left a note last year saying, “My grandkids and neighborhood kids enjoyed finding all the Easter eggs that were hidden around the area. Hope you do it again next year.”
This is a ‘no-candy’ event using non-perishable eggs, with surprises hidden inside, around the greater Fauntleroy area. This will occur the week of April 11 through April 16. Closer to the event, we will announce the boundaries where the eggs may be found. (Any plastic eggs you can’t reuse may be dropped off in bins that will be located at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, 9131 California SW.)
REQUEST: We would love volunteers to help stuff and/or hide the eggs. We’ll be doing this in a fun atmosphere. If interested, call or email Candace Blue, 209-401-8406, leeblue2 (at) hotmail.com.
We “arrived” late because the Sound Transit Community Advisory Group meeting ran long, but here are three toplines from three-quarters of the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s February meeting on Tuesday night:
TRAFFIC CALMING: They’re still working with SDOT on trouble spots (many of which were spotlighted at last October’s special community meeting). Today, in fact, they got the news that the Seattle Fire Department has signed off on three speed cushions on 45th SW between SW Trenton and SW Director (plus others in other neighborhoods, as reported here).
EGG HUNT: Again this year, the FCA plans to hide non-perishable eggs around the community. This is set for the week of April 11th. Bins will be set up for later dropoff of the eggs so they can be reused/recycled. Other details are still in the works – watch here and fauntleroy.net for the official announcement.
ANNUAL MEETING: FCA is hoping that its annual membership meeting can be held in person this year. March – the usual month pre-pandemic – was deemed too soon, but they’re tentatively looking at setting a date in May.
The Fauntleroy Community Association board meets second Tuesdays, 7 pm, online, always open to community members – info here.
(WSB file photo)
Washington State Ferries continues planning for the Fauntleroy dock/terminal replacement, which could start construction as soon as 2025. WSF hasn’t convened the Community Advisory Group for the project since early December (WSB coverage here), but now two dates are set for presentations and discussions – March 2nd and 16th. The announcement sent to advisory-group members says these meetings will focus on “screening criteria and draft alternatives.” The dock/terminal replacement is intended to address challenges including earthquake safety and sea-level rise. The meetings are online and open to everyone – you can RSVP here to get the attendance links.
ORIGINAL MONDAY REPORT: Two months ago, we reported on the then-pending sale of West Seattle’s last freestanding Christian Science church, at 3601 SW Barton [map]. There was no hint at the time of who was buying it and what the one-acre site’s future would be; it was being marketed with possibilities including eight new homes. The sale still hasn’t shown up in county records but a new filing with the city proposes a use for the site – a preschool. WorldKids School, which already has two locations in West Seattle and others elsewhere, has filed an early-stage site plan that would convert the church building into a preschool. The site plan also shows a playground at the northeast corner of the site. We have an inquiry out to WorldKids seeking more information about their plan. As for the former church, a regional spokesperson for the denomination told us that the small group that had continued to meet at the site was disbanding. This wouldn’t be the first former West Seattle church converted into a preschool – we reported last year on Westside School (WSB sponsor) doing the same thing with the former New Apostolic Church adjacent to its Arbor Heights campus.
ADDED TUESDAY: We heard back today from WorldKids founder Nicole Chaudry:
WorldKids School has been looking for properties that can serve more families in our community for a while now. We currently have a 1-2 year waitlist at all of our current locations and this new space will allow us to serve more families.
We are thrilled that the church group has agreed to sell the building to our organization. Plans are very preliminary at this point but we will be obtaining financing through the SBA. The remodel, permits etc will take 6-12 months. We will remodel the church building in order to bring it up to code and make it suitable for our preschool center. We have no plans to develop the property but might expand our playground at some point.
Here’s what happened at this week’s online meeting of the Fauntleroy Community Association:
TRAFFIC SAFETY: This has been an ongoing focus for FCA, as they continue pressing for progress on issues raised at a special community meeting in October. Two issues they emphasized: Getting enforcement for ferry-line jumpers and people making U-turns near the dock. One challenge – Those are different agencies’ jurisdictions – the State Patrol and Seattle Police. FCA president Mike Dey suggested a separate conversation with SPD and WSP might be in order to talk about a unified response. SDOT has promised signage and an “education campaign” about line-cutting; FCA doesn’t feel that’s enough.
FERRIES: FCA’s point person on Washington State Ferries matters, Frank Immel, recapped recent community meetings and said WSF’s environmental survey of the Fauntleroy dock will likely start in the next few months. He reiterated that it’s too early in the planning process for any decisions on the replacement dock/terminal.
CRIME: The Southwest Precinct was represented by Sgt. Lance Gilmore. Again this month, he said, Fauntleroy has had fewer calls than any other part of West Seattle. He also mentioned another new emphasis program is planned for Westwood Village, starting soon once the plan – and the overtime it would require – gets final approval. (The shopping center was a topic at the previous FCA meeting in November.)
FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: David Haggerty said the festival’s future is clouded by rising costs and a need for volunteers. The cost could double this year, if some of last year’s price hikes on items such as pumpkins and canopies are a preview of what’s to come. Fundraisers are planned as usual but finding volunteer help can be difficult. Festival organizers are working on some questions to take to the community soon as they look ahead.
EASTER EGG HUNT: FCA is tentatively planning on one for April 16th, the day before Easter – details to come. (Last year, FCA hid hundreds of eggs around the community.)
WHAT’S NEXT: FCA’s board meetings, open to the community, are held online at 7 pm the second Tuesday of most months, so the next one is February 8th. Watch fauntleroy.net for updates.
| Comments Off on RETURNING: Fauntleroy Community Association’s annual meeting, aka Food Fest, tomorrow