West Seattle, Washington
12 Thursday
(Colman Pool, photographed in 2017 by Long Bach Nguyen)
Last month, we reported Seattle Parks‘ announcement that Colman Pool – the outdoor saltwater pool on Lincoln Park‘s shore – would reopen this year, after skipping 2020. At the time, the dates weren’t set. Now they are: June 19 through September 6 “at reduced capacity,” says Parks, with “operational changes … to ensure public and staff safety as we recover from the pandemic.” Lap and family swims will be offered, but no group lessons; swim sessions will last an hour, with a half-hour break following “to facilitate cleaning.” Pre-registration will be offered a day in advance, with “limited drop-in admission.” Masks will be required when you’re not in the pool. On-deck seating will be limited, and the slide will be closed. But Parks will offer party rentals for 30 or fewer people, Fridays through Sundays at 7:30 pm. Rental bookings will open at noon May 26th. More details in the full announcement, here.
P.S. No word yet on when/whether indoor Southwest Pool might reopen.
Thanks to Steve for sending the photo and tip! The path atop the new seawall on the south end of Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook [map] is now open – just in time for a view of this week’s low-low tides. The path was completed this month after a few months of delay attributed to ADA compliance. The new 400-foot-long, $3 million seawall was built adjacent to the failing old one after years of planning.
Puget Park got some TLC on this soggy Saturday – and you can help next time. The photos and report are from Matthew J. Clark (thank you!):
Amidst the towering cedars, hemlock, and alder, with a slight drizzle, a small group of volunteers worked in Puget Park today clearing brush and invasive species to make way for a new trail. The Forest Steward for Puget Park, Christine Clark (below right), led the group as they methodically worked through the process of clipping, digging, pulling, and cutting debris.
The goal of today’s work is to reroute the existing trail to avoid a muddy section. Clark was happily surprised by the turnout. “I was worried that the little bit of rain would scare people away from showing up.” But eight volunteers did show up, and the group made quick work of clearing over 140’ of new trail.
The trail improvements in Puget Park have been on going for the last 4-5 years. Through volunteer work, partnerships with Green Seattle and guidance by Seattle Parks, the trail has taken shape to be a draw for the neighborhood and the broader West Seattle Community affording a great path for walking and running.
The Puget Park trail connects with trails between Pathfinder K-8 to the north and Highland Park to the south. You can easily stitch together an 8-mile round-trip walk in the woods and never cross a road.
What are the next steps for the Puget Park trail? Clark says they’ll work on drainage along the new path, then add a top layer of gravel. There will be work parties throughout the summer.
Check with the Green Seattle website for future volunteer opportunities. “You don’t need any experience or tools,” Clark say. “Just show up and we’ll help you learn the ropes. It is so much fun meeting new people from around the neighborhood and from around the community.”
The next event on the schedule for the greater Duwamish Greenbelt, which Puget Park is a part of, will be on Sunday, May 2nd. This will be a fun trail-cleanup work party. The group will meet up at 14th Ave SW and SW Holly.
(Added: WSB photo; trees were removed along the left – north – side)
Katherine emailed to ask what we could find out about “all the tree cutting that happened along Schmitz Park Boulevard between the entrance at Whale Tail Park and the bridge? They cut down about 5 or 6 big trees.” We took the question to Seattle Parks and Recreation, since Schmitz Preserve Park is a city park, 51 forested acres between west Admiral and Alki, donated to the city more than a decade ago.
(Satellite image from Google Maps)
A Parks spokesperson explained that the tree-cutting is part of the Olmsted Parks and Boulevards Restoration Project, one of three sites around the city, the only one in West Seattle. The project overview says the specific goal is “to make permanent an informal pathway up a steep hillside for safety.” Specifically, Parks told us in response to our inquiry, their crews are “in the process of removing eleven Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Sycamore maples’ along Schmitz Boulevard. The trees being removed were assessed as being in poor condition and host to a number of fungal pathogens. These trees are being replaced two for one through a generous donation by the Friends of Olmsted Parks.” The project has its roots in a study and survey we featured two years ago.
(WSB file photo)
West Seattle’s only city-run outdoor swimming facility, Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shore, will open this summer. That’s according to a preliminary Seattle Parks list of “summer fun” plans. No schedule announced yet, neither days nor hours; Colman Pool did not open at all last summer. No word yet on when/whether indoor Southwest Pool will reopen, and Parks is still deciding what to do about wading pools, but it looks like Highland Park Spraypark will reopen – the announcement says Parks is “planning to operate 11 unstaffed sprayparks this summer,” with the same hours as in the past, 11 am-8 pm. More info on summer plans when it’s available!
By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Additions and improvements with an artistic focus and international flair are coming soon to a small park in west Admiral.
At an online “community review” meeting on Tuesday night (as we previewed here), attendees discussed the proposed plans for Nantes Park (5062 SW Admiral Way), which was established in 2006 in honor of Seattle’s “sister city” relationship with Nantes, France. The launch of the Nantes Park Beautification Project this year will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Seattle/Nantes partnership, with a goal as follows: “The project will transform a small, rarely used pocket park… into something that is fun, family-friendly, accessible, and reflective of the sister city relationship with Nantes, France.”
Project organizers want to hear from you: In case you missed the meeting, this online survey is still open, but closing soon.
On Tuesday, the plans for temporary art installations and permanent walkway improvements were presented by Susan Kegel, president of the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association (SNSCA), with assistance from project manager Pam Kliment from Seattle Parks. Go here to see the presentation.
(March photo, sent by James)
Three weeks ago, we reported that the pier at port-owned Jack Block Park in West Seattle [map] – closed for months because of safety concerns – might need to be rebuilt. Our report included the port’s promise that a survey would be launched to get the community’s thoughts about options. Today, that survey is open – starting here. It’s short, asking how often you visit the park, what you do there, and what you would consider important (or not); a potential new pier and/or new boardwalk are on the list. There’s also an open-ended question about what facilities and features you’d like to see. The survey will be open all month, and the port will come up with a proposal after that. Meantime, though the pier at the 15-acre park remains closed, the rest of the park is open, including the overlook with expansive views of Elliott Bay.
10:43 AM: Another “you asked, so we checked” followup: A reader emailed photos from the Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook seawall project site, noting:
For several months, this site has featured an increasingly sagging wood fence (plus a short stretch of chain link fence) blocking access to the apparent gravel base for a paved walk, a few scattered construction materials, and an upended wheelbarrow. There is a small section of cement walkway in the center.
Nothing seems to be being done to complete the walkway and return this public space to the public. Or, at a minimum, whatever is being done is happening at a snail’s pace.
Our last update was in January, when the project appeared close to completion, and at the time on schedule.
Though the waterfront site at 4503 Beach Drive SW belongs to Seattle Parks, the project has been led by the US Army Corps of Engineers, so we asked spokesperson Andrew Muñoz about the situation. His reply:
The US Army Corps of Engineers expects work on the unfinished walkway to begin the week of April 5. Final grading should happen shortly thereafter. Once USACE has completed the seawall project, Seattle Parks and Recreation will work on restoring the park area at the top of the seawall to make park improvements (irrigation, grass, and plantings).
We anticipate this will be complete by early summer.
What his reply didn’t say was – why the long pause in the project? We’re still pursuing that answer. The main part of the work involved building a new section of seawall to replace the old, failing one and protect a major sewer main that runs next to it.
3:09 PM: Here’s Muñoz’s reply to our followup: “In our walkthroughs of the site, we discovered the walkway had slopes steeper than our design called for. As a result it was not fully compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Correcting the issue has taken a little longer than we would have liked, however; that’s caused the delay.”
(September 2020 photo from Shelly)
Also from the “you asked, so we checked” file — we have a status report on the Lincoln Park restroom renovations toward the south end of the beach. Janet emailed this week, wondering how much longer before the comfort station reopened. The work started more than six months ago. We asked Seattle Parks project manager Kelly Goold for an update – here’s his reply:
We are using an epoxy floor for Lincoln Park Comfort Station – similar to what is used in commercial kitchens and many other Parks Comfort Station buildings. The flooring requires that the existing concrete slab meet moisture level requirements before we can install. That is proving to be a challenge given the existing building is built into a hill near water. The contractor thinks with recent good weather we will be able to meet moisture level requirements by next week. Approximately 3 weeks left to install flooring, partitions, and accessories and have final inspection with our maintenance staff. Roughly that would be the week of April 19th when the building could potentially reopen.
JEM Contractors is handling this project and the 57th SW restroom rebuild on Alki Beach.
SIDE NOTE: When we last mentioned this project in September, we also noted the long-awaited South Play Area project was supposed to get going this winter. Checking that project website – now construction isn’t expected before fall.
Seattle Parks and Rec is offering new online dance classes geared toward people 50+, starting April 2nd. (See a video preview here.) The announcement:
Virtual Soul Line Dance
Not just country! Line dance to an assortment of music genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and country. Work out your mind and body. Learn new dance patterns to all kinds of great music. 5 classes. Instructor: S Simmons – #41374 – Apr 1- Apr 29 – 9:30-10:30 am Thursdays. Register HERE!
Virtual Aerobic Dance
If you love listening and dancing to a variety of music, then you will love this class. Instructor leads routines that are fun and easy to learn, yet challenging enough to give you a sense of accomplishment. Class includes a warm-up to music, cardio (aerobic dancing) and a cool down with some stretching and conditioning. 5 classes. Instructor: S Simmons – #41368 – Apr 1- Apr 29 – 11 am-noon Thursdays. Register HERE!
This is part of Lifelong Recreation.
Last month, we reported on the Admiral Neighborhood Association getting a preview of planned additions to Nantes Park (5062 SW Admiral Way). Today, the date was announced for a “community review” of the plans, in the context of an anniversary for the sister-city relationship the park honors. From the city’s announcement:
Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle and Mayor Johanna Rolland of Nantes, France signed a joint proclamation committing to a continued partnership between Seattle and Nantes and celebrating 40 years of the Sister-City relationship: “Our cities are places of experimentation and knowledge, incubators of creativity. They can be a source of proposals in many areas. We, the Mayors of Nantes and Seattle, are committed to sharing our experiences, fostering constructive dialogue, working together within the framework of our public policies, by 2030, and developing partnerships between Nantes and Seattle in all areas that can contribute to the well-being of our communities, and respect and protection of the fundamental values of freedom and equality that inspire us.”
The City of Seattle, through Seattle Parks and Recreation and the community, reaffirms its Sister-City relationship with Nantes, France with the launch of the Nantes Park Beautification Project to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Sister-City relationship.
Nantes Park, located at 5062 SW Admiral Way in West Seattle, will get a facelift that includes a paved loop walkway with embedded French art, temporary French art installations and student-submitted art tiles along the seat wall. The project, led by the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association (SNSCA) in partnership with the Admiral Neighborhood Association and funded by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, the City of Nantes, the West Seattle Garden Tour and volunteers, will transform the park into a fun, family-friendly, and accessible communal area reflective of the sister-city relationship.
The SNSCA is collaborating with Claude Ponti, beloved and prolific French children’s author and illustrator, on art for the park. Ponti’s experience with the Jardin des Plantes and the Parc de la Beaujoire in Nantes will highlight French-influenced art in the Seattle’s Nantes Park, symbolizing the intersection of the two cultures through the Sister-City relationship. Nantes Park will also represent Ponti’s first art installation to be showcased in the United States.
“We are thrilled to work with Monsieur Ponti. He has created more than a dozen whimsical, interactive works of art in the Jardin des Plantes in Nantes that capture the attention of children and adults alike. Interacting with his fantastical creatures sparks imagination and creative play,” explains Susan Kegel, President of the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association.
The park will also feature art-tiles lining the seat wall. The art tiles will showcase art submitted by students in Seattle and Nantes who participate in the Passe Partout high school exchange program between the two cities.
A community review is scheduled for Tuesday, March 30th at 7 pm. This is an opportunity for SNSCA to gather feedback on designs and for the community to provide input on the final art installations that will be featured in the park. Please visit the SNSCA website for more information on participating in the community review. …
The Nantes Park project is part of a year-long celebration on both sides of the Atlantic recognizing the 40th anniversary of Seattle’s sister-city relationship with Nantes. This spring, look for the release of a special Seattle-Nantes Sister City beer created in an international colla-beer-ation between Seattle’s Lantern Brewing and Nantes’ Bubar. This celebratory beverage, brewed and bottled in each city from a common recipe, will be a gose-style beer featuring Washington State cranberries and Guérande salt from the Nantes region. To capstone the year-long program, Seattle will welcome the delegation from Nantes in fall 2021 to celebrate the grand re-opening of Nantes Park and discuss ideas for future partnerships.
The Nantes community will be celebrating with a “Seattle Orchard” in the Jardin du Grand Blottereau, a sound installation at le Muséum by La Maison des Etats Unis, film screenings, lectures and much more. …
The link and phone number for participating in next Tuesday’s meeting can be found here.
(Image by Michael Hubbard, SAS Customer Service Representative)
Now that spring is here, warm weather is on its way, and parks will get busier. For people who bring their pets, Seattle Parks and Recreation has rules – such as, no pets on beaches or in ponds or streams. But what’s the problem? some wonder, insisting their pets are well-behaved. To answer that question, the Seattle Animal Shelter published this post: “Pets Are Not Allowed – But Why?” explaining three major reasons for rules regarding pets at parks, both on the water and inland. WSB reader Tami saw it this past week and emailed us suggesting that we tell you about it; she explained, “As a one-time beach naturalist with the Seattle Aquarium, this is an issue that concerns me, and I think it would be good to remind everyone WHY pets should respect public park spaces.” P.S. If you’re new in West Seattle, we do have one off-leash dog park, at Westcrest Park – it’s on this map with the city’s other off-leash parks.
James sent that photo, wondering about the status of the latest closure of that pier at Jack Block Park. Inquiring with the Port of Seattle (which owns and operates the park), we have learned that it isn’t going to reopen any time soon – and might even have to be rebuilt, according to port spokesperson Peter McGraw:
Deficiencies found in the most recent inspection of Jack Block Park pier in late 2020 led to closing the pier to the public out of an abundance of caution.
The Port’s goal is to address the present conditions of the pier, preserve public shoreline access and the open space public-use areas it provides; while balancing environmental, financial, and community stewardship goals of the Port of Seattle.
The Port is considering several potential park improvement alternatives to address the pier’s closure including its replacement, or shoreline and/or interior enhancements, and will be reaching out to communities and neighbors to gather input. Participation in the Jack Block Park survey will help inform the Port as to what current and potential park features are most important to users of the park.
Following survey analysis, the Port will host a virtual Open House outlining survey results and the proposed modifications for the Park. Stay tuned on further details later this month.
Those details will include how to participate in the survey, which isn’t open yet. The pier was closed in December, at least the third closure in a year and a half. The first of those closures, in 2019, was attributed to damage from an unidentified vessel hitting the pier. The rest of the park (which is at 2130 Harbor SW) remains open.
(WSB file photo)
Last week we published this report about a Longfellow Creek footbridge that was removed and won’t be replaced before next year. Today, word that another bridge across the creek is out for a while – the “Fishbone Bridge” that crosses the creek south of Dragonfly Pavilion at 28th/Dakota. Seattle Parks says the bridge is “temporarily closed while Seattle Public Utilities works on repairing and replacing portions of the bridge deck.” The closure is expected to continue through the end of the month. P.S. The bridge’s official name is Salmon Bone Bridge; it was designed by artist Lorna Jordan.
An update on a West Seattle park project headlined this month’s Admiral Neighborhood Association meeting.
NANTES PARK: Back in 2019, we published word of a survey by the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association, seeking your thoughts on the little west Admiral park that honors the sister-city relationship. The project has proceeded, with a city matching-funds grant announced last November. ANA got an update on where the plan stands.
(Photo by Stewart L.)
5:17 PM: Thanks for the tips and photos! Wildlife advocates and state/local officers teamed up this afternoon to help a possibly injured or ill Bald Eagle at Don Armeni Boat Ramp.
(This photo and next by David Hutchinson)
One neighbor explains that he observed the eagle spending a long time just hanging out on the ground, moving very little even with people nearby – that’s unusual behavior. Wildlife advocate Kersti Muul told us, “It was flying short distances as they were chasing it but it did not want to fly. Its tail looked like it might be a little off.” It was captured for transport to PAWS:
David Hutchinson of Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network says his group got a call about the eagle being on the lawn at the park; “Seal Sitters assisted in taping off the area. A number of calls had been made and Fish & Wildlife Police dispatched two officers. They eventually captured the eagle and provided transport to PAWS for examination and possible rehab. Special thanks to the passersby who took an interest in helping this eagle and to Seattle Parks and the Seattle Police Department, who quickly responded and helped monitor and secure the area.”
11:12 PM: Kersti says she’s been told a vet will examine the eagle tomorrow. Meantime, she sent photos from this afternoon too:
Doug Ollerenshaw sent us the photos and report after looking into a bridge situation in West Seattle that reminds him, though on a much-smaller scale, of the “other” bridge situation that’s now in its 12th month – a maintenance problem and closure that won’t be resolved before next year. Above is his 2020 photo of a bridge across Longfellow Creek, near Greg Davis Park, that he noticed last year was showing signs of deterioration. Last summer, he noticed it had been removed, without public notice. “I figured it was a short-term thing, but finally started trying to figure out what was going on (this week) after seeing no sign of work on a replacement.” This is how the spot looks now:
He was pointed to the Parks Department, and got this explanation:
The bridge was removed in late summer/early fall this past year by our heavy equipment crew … The bridge had previously been compromised structurally for several years and the cracked stringer finally broke completely and was in the creek. We are looking for funding so we can identify a replacement timeframe/schedule. At this point it is uncertain, but hopefully, in 2022.
We’ll be following up on the funding issue, but in the meantime, this is one for the “in case you wondered too” file.
Thanks for the tip. Three weeks after construction started for the Alki Beach restroom rebuild at 57th SW [map], crews have turned the old restroom building into rubble. It will be replaced by summer with a ~$638,000 comfort station that will have three individually accessed all-gender restrooms meeting ADA requirements – a 50% increase in capacity from the old one – plus a new shower. The contractor is Burien-based JEM.
Thanks to James for the tip! The fence is up, heavy equipment has arrived, and that means construction is starting for the Alki Beach restroom rebuild along the Alki Trail at 57th SW [map]. It’s been two years since first word of the project, which will replace the two-restroom building with one that incorporates three individually accessed all-gender restrooms that meet ADA requirements. The ~$638,000 project is happening about a year later than the original (pre-pandemic) schedule. Burien-based JEM Contractors is the construction company, and Seattle Parks project manager Kelly Goold tells WSB they’re aiming to be done by early summer.
If you go to local parks this weekend, you might encounter the aftermath of this past week’s storms. Above and below are photos Mike Munson took at Lincoln Park, where, he explains, he found the above sign “at the bottom of the trail from the cliff to back of the pool at Point Williams, on the old road grade.” He also saw this:
That, Mike said, was “a small slide developing along the beach trail north of the pool. Some brush has been pushed a little way into the trail, and fresh gray goo is visible behind, upslope. It’s probably done sliding, but maybe more to come?” Parks crews also have been busy with downed trees. Today, we saw that this one is still on its side in the big field at Roxhill Park:
No notable rain or wind in the forecast – though note that mention of a possible snowflake or two next Friday.
(WSB file photo)
West Seattle’s only “edible park” invites you to stop by on Thursday night and bid 2020 farewell. Stu Hennessey sent the invitation on behalf of Puget Ridge Edible Park volunteers:
With our sights set on new hope in a new year, many of us feel the need to reflect on the struggles and losses of the past year and the 1.7 million souls we have lost. We also may want to say a swift goodbye to 2020 as well.
Therefore, the volunteers at Puget Ridge Edible Park thought it would be a good idea to invite our friends and neighbors to a Covid Candlelight Vigil and Say Goodbye to 2020 New Year’s Eve at the community garden. We have a luminaria-candlelit pathway to bring up to 5 people at a time to our New Year’s Eve fire to toss out the old year by throwing into the fire a written message or any symbol of bad memories over the last year.
The vigil will take place Thursday, New Year’s Eve, from 6 pm to 8 pm at 5265 18th Ave. SW. Be prepared to wait your turn to enter the park as we are limited to 5 people at a time. Wear warm clothes and bring some warm drinks. Parking will be available along 18th Ave. SW and SW Brandon St. Heavy rain will cancel. The volunteers at Puget Ridge Edible Park would like to offer you a healthy and happy New Year!
We’ve added this to the New Year’s section of the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide.
It’s a day of closure announcements. This one’s from the Port of Seattle, which has closed the pier at West Seattle’s Jack Block Park again:
Out of an abundance of caution, the Port of Seattle is closing the pier at Jack Block Park starting this afternoon. Deficiencies in the pier were noted in a recent engineering assessment, and further evaluation will be made next week for the repairs necessary to reopen the pier as soon as possible. The rest of the park will remain open during this time.
This is at least the third closure in a year and a half for the pier – previous ones were in January and mid-2019.
5:02 PM: The pier at Seacrest reopened this afternoon after replacement of the Water Taxi dock float that holds its passenger ramp. We took the photo just before sunset. On Friday, David Hutchinson caught the old float being lifted out:
Metro explains the work here; the new float will be more weather- and wave-resistant. This should mean the West Seattle Water Taxi service is clear to resume tomorrow, but we’re waiting for an official update on Sunday.
11:48 AM SUNDAY: The official update is in – WT servive WILL resume as normal Monday morning.
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