West Seattle, Washington
22 Sunday
(WSB file photo, Delridge wading pool)
If you and your little one(s) have been enjoying the Seattle Parks wading pools this summer – here’s a reminder: Except for Lincoln Park wading pool, open daily (weather permitting) through Labor Day (September 3rd), this is the last week for the city’s wading pools. In our area:
SOUTH PARK’S LAST DAY: Thursday (August 16th)
EC HUGHES’S LAST DAY: Friday (August 17th)
HIAWATHA’S LAST DAY: Saturday (August 18th)
DELRIDGE’S LAST DAY: Sunday (August 19th)
P.S. West Seattle’s only spraypark, Highland Park, will – like the Lincoln Park wading pool – be open daily, 11 am-8 pm, through Labor Day.
Quick followup on the city’s planned purchase of a parcel expanding the Orchard Street Ravine “passive park” in Gatewood – the $235,000 purchase, to be funded by Park District levy money, just got unanimous final approval from the full Council. The 5600-square-foot parcel at 7137 38th SW, on a slope past a dead end (shown on this map), currently holds a dilapidated house that will be demolished, with an additional ~$125,000 to be spent on that and other costs. Full backstory is in our two previous reports – here and here.
(Slide from presentation to committee)
The vote was 4-0 minutes ago as the City Council’s Civic Development, Public Assets, and Native Communities Committee gave their approval to buying a 5,600-square-foot parcel for expansion of the Orchard Street Ravine. We previewed the proposal in this story; if the full Council gives final approval next Monday, the site at 7137 38th SW (shown on this map)will be bought with $235,000 in Park District levy money. The presentation at today’s meeting was relatively short; earlier, as expected, several neighbors and community advocates spoke in favor of the purchase. (4:59 PM UPDATE: Here’s the Seattle Channel video – this is the last item, 46 minutes in.) The councilmembers present and voting yes today were committee chair Debora Juarez, Lorena González, Sally Bagshaw, and Lisa Herbold, who said as the meeting wrapped up that she’d heard another OSR neighbor is interested in donating/selling land, and Seattle Parks reps confirmed they’re looking into that.
Back in June, we covered Seattle Parks visiting Puget Ridge to show the draft plan for overhauling the neighborhood playground. Now, with the feedback gathered during that meeting and a gathering in April, there’s a “preferred design” – you can see it above (or here). The announcement explains that it is “based on the public input, accessible standards, other park design standards, and budget limitations. The intent of the preferred design is to maintain the bones of the existing park, include new play structures that are accessible to all abilities – focused on young kids, and improve seating and gathering.” Got feedback? Parks will take comments until August 13th – email project planner Libby Hubson at libby.hudson@seattle.gov. The project team told us in June they hope to start work this fall on the overhaul, budgeted at $300,000.
The Gatewood park known as Orchard Street Ravine might soon be a little bigger. Tomorrow, a City Council committee will consider the proposed purchase of a parcel adjacent to OSR, 7137 38th SW, a 5,600-square-foot parcel north of park boundaries (as shown on this map), currently holding the dilapidated century-plus-old house shown in the King County Assessor’s Office photo above. The purchase price would be $235,000, and it would come from Park District levy funds. Documents for tomorrow’s meeting of the Civic Development, Public Assets, and Native Communities Committee show the city expects to spend an additional $25,000 on “staff time, title insurance, and closing cost,” plus “up to $100,000 for demolition of the house.” We’re told that local residents plan to speak in favor of the purchase at tomorrow’s committee meeting, which includes a public-comment period. They will include members of the Friends of Orchard Street Ravine and Morgan Community Association, says MoCA president Deb Barker, who shared a letter that park steward Carol Schultz sent to the committee, saying in part:
We’re excited to hear that the proposal is coming before the committee for review tomorrow. I wanted to contact you and let you know that there are many supporters and users of Orchard Street Ravine. After many years of volunteer work it is now a beautiful green space with a stairway and trails connecting neighborhoods and nature.
With the increasing density of West Seattle the proposed park expansion will be a real benefit to the community and natural habitat. Orchard Street Ravine is an important green spaces connector as well as a beautiful natural area. A stairway built as part of the 2006 bond connects upper and lower parts of the neighborhood. It is a link in the Green Crescent or Morgan Junction Loop trail. The trail connects Morgan Junction, Orchard Street Ravine, Solstice Park, Lincoln Park, and Lowman Beach Park helping to create a total of a 2.5 mile walk. It is listed in the King County West Seattle Trails map.
The 2006 bond also set up a Vegetation Management Plan for reforestation with native plantings that we’ve been following since then. We’ve gradually reforesting what used to be a jungle of blackberries, ivy and clematis vine. We plant hundreds of new native plants every year and it’s now filled with NW native plants and wildlife and birds have returned. … Approving the proposed expansion would be a real benefit to the community and environment.
You can see the slide deck prepared for tomorrow’s meeting (2 pm Wednesday) here. If the committee approves the purchase, it would move on to a final vote by the full City Council.
7:54 PM: As guessed by WSB commenters last month when we published word of a somewhat mysterious private event set for Don Armeni Boat Ramp tonight, it’s indeed Diner en Blanc – Seattle, the latest local event in which hundreds of people pay for the privilege of dressing in white and bringing a picnic to a location that’s kept secret until they’re bused there.
Thanks for the texted video and photo! We expect to add more later. The event is scheduled to continue until about 11 pm.
ADDED 8:24 PM: Another photo we’ve received:
(Thanks to Craig Baerwaldt for that photo and this next one:)
Participants had to bring their own tables and chairs as well as providing their own picnic!
9:52 PM: Another photo from Craig, after sunset:
Side note: We checked yesterday and this morning and noticed there were no “No Parking” signs for this event at or near Don Armeni, just the NP signage for a film shoot tomorrow. Then a reader e-mailed us this afternoon to say they encountered someone amending the signs to kick in at 4 pm today instead, with just hours’ advance. Let us know if you got a ticket as a result.
ADDED EARLY FRIDAY: Thanks to West Seattle videographer Mark Jaroslaw for putting together and sharing this look at the evening’s festivities – including music, dancing, and candlelight:
Mark says 1,200 people were there.
Photos and video by Leda Costa for West Seattle Blog
This year’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha have begun! That’s Ural Thomas and The Pain, up from Portland, shaking the stage tonight for the first of six free Thursday night shows.
The Admiral Neighborhood Association has presented the concert series since 2009, and we’ve been co-sponsoring it since the start. Lots of other community businesses support the series, too, keeping it free.
As usual, the littlest concertgoers were the most prone to getting up and moving to the music. If you missed it, here’s a snippet of sound:
OK, some grownups did dance too:
Next Thursday (July 26th), 6:30 pm on the east lawn at Hiawatha, the concerts continue with Good Quiver – see you there!
7:21 PM: Not on the Hiawatha east lawn yet? You have time to get here and enjoy the West Seattle Big Band‘s only local outdoor concert this summer – the annual Concert in the Park, on until about 8:30 pm, with a special West Seattle Grand Parade-related presentation at intermission around 7:45. The band’s second number was “Warm Breeze,” perfect for this night, as WSBB director Jim Edwards noted.
Bring a chair/blanket and come join the 100+ people already enjoying the music – free!
7:35 PM: Ever seen the legendary CC at Chelan Café on Monday nights (6-9 pm)? She’s a special guest tonight:
And she’ll be back before the show’s over!
8:43 PM: The concert’s wrapping up with “New York, New York.” More to add when we’re back at HQ!
ADDED: More photos! Vocalists Jenaige Lane and Jeff Carter:
The band:
Yes, some people danced!
The program was mostly classics – plus an old rock song, Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4.” CC was back for songs including “All of Me“:
Jenaige sang “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing“:
Watch for the West Seattle Big Band’s performances at a variety of venues around the area – especially school benefits, a special focus of this group that has its roots at West Seattle High School.
(Video courtesy West Seattle Big Band)
Tomorrow (Tuesday) night, the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center is the place to be – you can stay cool(er) in the shade while enjoying a free concert by the West Seattle Big Band! 7 pm Tuesday will be the start time for this year’s WSBB Concert in the Park. It’s co-sponsored by WSB and the West Seattle Grand Parade, with a special tie between the parade and the concert – again this year, the Orville Rummel Trophy for Outstanding Service to the Community will be presented during the concert. As noted here last week, this year’s trophy recipient will be recently retired West Seattle High School baseball and golf coach Velko Vitalich – that means he’ll be riding toward the start of the parade (which begins at 11 am Saturday, southbound on California SW from SW Lander in The Admiral District to SW Edmunds in The Junction). But first, be on the Hiawatha lawn tomorrow night to enjoy great music – with special guest vocalist CC! – and community spirit; bring a chair/blanket to sit on, and look for the stage along Walnut south of Lander.
(July 2017 WSB reader photo from Judy)
Last July, the nationally acclaimed Young Shakespeare Workshop performed twice at Roxhill Park – and they’ll be back this Sunday, so we wanted to provide an early alert in case you hadn’t already seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar. This year, the play is “Hamlet,” and the performance is at 2 pm Sunday (July 22nd) – free! It’s this year’s only West Seattle performance for YSW, which has local ties via its director, Darren Lay of Vashon Island, working with students at local schools including Chief Sealth International High School over the years. Free performance – just bring your own chair/blanket and get ready to be impressed by some hard-working young actors next Sunday.
Thanks to Sean for the photo and tip: The Hiawatha wading pool has closed early for the day. Someone got sick and draining, then refilling, would have taken longer than it was worth, so they just drained it for the day. It should reopen tomorrow at noon as scheduled. EC Hughes (2805 SW Holden) is open until 6:30 pm and Lincoln ParK (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) is open until 8 pm. (By the way, we’re listing wading pools and open/closed status in our daily highlights all summer long.)
Mozart duets at Music Under The Stars. pic.twitter.com/MoAIlSeF6L
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 10, 2018
7:36 PM: A raindrop here and there isn’t getting in the way of the second of four Music Under The Stars events, presented by the Seattle Chamber Music Society at Delridge Community Center Park (Genesee/26th) – live music by a student ensemble until 8, then live audio streamed in from the SCMS Summer Festival concert at Benaroya Hall. (Added – two longer clips from the live-at-Delridge mini-concert:)
Free – and North Delridge’s own Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) is here too with a kids’ activity booth.
7:59 PM: The live concert has ended – but the UW student musicians (who are awesome – we’ll add a clip or two when back at HQ) will be back during intermission, the SCMS rep has announced. Also: A prize drawing for everybody here – concert tickets. We’re headed in but the live audio from downtown is just about to start and there’s a lot of fun to be had at the park. (The drizzle, by the way, has long since stopped.)
As the annual “fireworks are illegal but the law’s not enforced” discussion rages on, the fact of the matter is that fireworks don’t just make noise, they often result in toxic trash left behind by users, especially in public parks. We’ve received photos from one, Solstice Park, same place across from north Lincoln Park where we cover the annual change-of-season gatherings (decidedly non-trash-generating events), and just upslope from a P-Patch.
Lori sent these photos along with an expression of her dismay: “Just walked up to see the mess from last night. UGH. They walked past our house and I’m sure they were all teens. Lots of empty beer cans and bottles and an OJ container that I bet has vodka in it. Illegal fireworks and drinking, with no punishment, so it will certainly happen again next year. Unless we put up lights, have neighbors occupy the park from 8-midnight, or hire a security guard for the night!” (We’re checking with
Music Under the Stars begins at @SeattleParks Delridge CC park! @UW grad students play until 8, then live audio of @SEAChamberMusic Summer Festival concert @benaroyahall pic.twitter.com/S16nIG7Dts
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 3, 2018
7:41 PM: The evening sunshine is gracing the park outside Delridge Community Center as the Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s first of four “Music Under the Stars“ concerts gets under way.
As previewed this morning, University of Washington graduate students are playing until 8 pm, when the event switches to live audio from the society’s Summer Festival concert at Benaroya Hall.
This is free, and kids are welcome – the West Seattle Art Nest is in fact here with activities for any young attendees who are interested. Just bring your own blanket or chair. If you can’t make it to this one – the series continues for each of the next three Monday nights, 7:30 pm at Delridge/26th. More video, plus photos, when we’re back at HQ.
8:07 PM: The broadcast from Benaroya has begun, and we’ve moved on, but a beautiful night full of music continues at the park. And before leaving, we heard something we hadn’t heard before – the live musicians return when the Benaroya broadcast concert goes to intermission, so it’s not too late to head to the park for in-person music as well as the live audio feed.
9:23 PM: Photos added; another clip to come added:
Tonight’s musicians were Caitlin Beare and Brian Schappals on clarinet, Abbey Blackwell on bass, and Emerson Wahl on drums. Their program had a big helping of jazz.
Seattle Parks has announced it’ll turn the lights on Tuesday (July 3rd) and Wednesday (July 4th) at ballfields around the city in hopes of preventing damage from fireworks use. Four West Seattle fields are on the list for having the lights on 8 pm-11 pm both nights:
Delridge Playfield, 4458 Delridge Way SW
Hiawatha Playfield, 2700 California Ave. SW
Walt Hundley Playfield, 6920 34th Avenue SW
West Seattle Stadium, 4432 35th Ave. SW
Parks’ announcement adds that, “The fields will be monitored by security from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.”
So far, the official “event notifications” we’ve published for this summer involve big public events you’ve probably heard about already. This time, though, the notification is for a private event that will take over Don Armeni Boat Ramp the night of July 26th:
WHAT: A Night Out for the Parks (a private event)
WHERE: Don Armeni Park, 1228 Harbor Ave SW
DATE(s): Thursday, July 26, 2018 (load-in and event day)
Friday, July 27, 2017 (cleanup)TIME(s): 8:00 AM Load In
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM Event Hours
11:00 PM – 11:30 PM Thursday, July 26 and 8:00 AM Friday, July 27On Thursday, July 26, our organization, CRG Events, will be producing a special event at Don Armeni Park, called A Night Out for Seattle Parks. We are thrilled to be guests in your neighborhood and it’s important to us that we are communicating clearly with you, the neighbors.
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
-Event hours are from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM on Thursday, July 26, 2018
-We will be loading in beginning at 8:00 AM on Thursday and will load out until approximately 11:30 PM on Thursday, July 26. Remaining load out will occur starting 8:00 AM on Friday, July 27.
-We will leave your neighborhood as we found it: litter and recycling will be handled by Waste Management.
-There will also be private cleaning crews ensuring complete trash removal.
-During the event hours, we expect up to 1000 people onsite.
-We will have amplified sound during the hours of 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM on Thursday, July 26.
-The event will include a stage featuring DJ music.
-See stage location on attached map:
-We will position speakers towards the water to assist with any sound carry.
We are working closely with the City of Seattle Special Events Committee to minimize the impacts of the event. Our goal is to create an enjoyable and positive experience in your neighborhood.
If you or any of the surrounding residents and businesses have questions or comments about impacts of this event, please email us at:
Janna Fain, Event Manager, CRG Events jfain@crgevents.com
Chris Swenson, City of Seattle Special Events Office chris.swenson@seattle.gov
Two short stories about trees and views in Admiral – only related in that both involve Seattle Parks land:
ILLEGAL TREE-CUTTING, AGAIN: A reader tip led us to that freshly cut slope along Ferry SW in North Admiral, uphill from Harbor SW, on Monday. There we found a Parks employee who confirmed that they had filed a police report because it was unauthorized tree-cutting on public land. This morning, we followed up with Parks spokesperson Rachel Schulkin, who says the department knows which tree-cutting company was responsible and that the company told Parks it was hired by homeowners to improve their views. The case, she said, will be referred to the City Attorney’s Office. Schulkin didn’t have specifics on how many trees or how much area was affected.
We had a second reason to talk with her – a late-night discovery related to this:
(WSB photo from last month)
ADMIRAL WAY VIEWPOINT CHANGE OF HEART: Last month, after multiple reader questions, we inquired with Parks about whether there were plans to restore the view at Admiral Way Viewpoint. As reported in this story, we were told at the time that Parks was re-assessing its policies first. Then late last night we noticed “no parking” signs at the viewpoint – technically part of Belvedere Park – and while the signs said only that “construction” would be happening Thursday and Friday, the contact number was for an arborist at Parks. The arborist pointed us to Schulkin, who said that Parks has had a change of heart and will be trimming the viewpoint trees. But first, the work for which the signage is in place – set to start Thursday – will involve mowing the blackberries and other shrubbery so Parks staff can get a closer look and make a trimming plan.
It’s opening week for wading pools – but Seattle Parks says it won’t be warm/sunny enough to open any of them today, so they’re all closed. If not for that, this would have been the third day for Lincoln Park, which is open daily – weather permitting – and the first for Delridge. See the schedule here. (Sprayparks are open regardless of the weather, so if your little one[s] still wants to splash, Highland Park will be open 11 am-8 pm as usual, 1100 SW Cloverdale)
Four years after the city bought it, the Morgan Junction Park addition site is finally closer to its intended use. So Seattle Parks has a few questions for you, such as – how should it be configured? Like Option A above, or Option B below?
As we mentioned in our coverage of last Saturday’s Morgan Junction Community Festival, the city opened the polling there and is continuing it online. You’re also invited to choose 10 elements from this list of 36 – and/or suggest something else you’d like to see:
1. Community Classroom
2. Pavilion/Band Shell
3. Mounded Play
4. Movable Furniture
5. Tree Grove Planting
6. Reading Room
7. Sustainable Streetscape
8. Food Cart/Truck Access
9. Event Venue
10. Natural Play Elements
11. Pollinator Plantings
12. Outdoor Fitness Area
13. Catenary Lighting
14. Woonerf/Festival Street
15. Signature Specimen Tree
16. Table Tennis
17. Group Dining Area
18. Bocce Ball
19. Edible Landscape
20. Swing/Hammock Seating
21. Sculptural Play
22. Shuffleboard
23. Outdoor Cinema
24. Checkers/Chess
25. Craft Fair/Market
26. Rain Garden Planting
27. Buffer Planting
28. Large/Iconic Play
29. Tricycle Track
30. Native/Adaptive Planting
31. Signature Lighting
32. Shade Area
33. Platform Seating
34. Built-In Lounge Seating
35. Pet Relief Area
36. West Seattle Trail Map/Communication Kiosk
You can see images of the potential elements on the survey page – go here to let Parks know your choices. The addition is expected to be built in 2020; the city demolished the commercial building on the site in 2016.
(WSB photo)
That’s the wading pool at EC Hughes Playground, which will soon be full of water and happily splashing kids. Not soon enough for the extra-warm weather we’re having early this week, but soon! Here’s where the pools are and when they open:
Lincoln Park North Play Area (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), first day June 23rd, open daily 11 am-8 pm
Delridge Community Center Park (4501 Delridge Way SW), first day June 25th, open Mondays, Tuesdays, Sundays 12 pm-6:30 pm
EC Hughes Playground (2805 SW Holden), first day June 27th, open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 12 pm-7 pm
Hiawatha Playfield (2700 California SW), first day June 27th, open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays 12 pm-6:30 pm
Until then (and beyond), Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) continues to be open daily, 11 am-8 pm. You can see the citywide Seattle Parks schedule for wading pools and sprayparks here.
Voting has begun for this year’s Your Voice, Your Choice park and street projects. Voting is broken up by City Council districts, so you’ll be choosing between 11 community-proposed projects in District 1 (West Seattle/South Park). Asterisks, as assigned by the city, denote “projects that are in Equity and Environment Initiative Focus Areas and eligible for an additional $1 million in citywide funding”:
1A. Project # 18-161: Pedestrian Lighting Improvements at SW Morgan St bus stop near South Seattle College
1B. Project # 17-014: Intersection Improvements at Dallas Ave S, 12th Ave S, and Thistle St*
1C. Project # 18-149: Walkway Improvements on S Cloverdale St under SR-99 overpass*
1D. Project # 17-187: Signage Improvements at S Henderson St & 12th Ave S*
1E. Project # 17-125: Improvements between 21st Ave SW and 23rd Ave SW at SW Brandon St
1F. Project # 17-174: Crossing Improvements on California Ave SW and SW College St
1G. Project # 18-167: Improvements on Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Findlay St/SW Brandon St
1H. Project # 17-177: Improvements to basketball courts at Delridge Community Center
1I. Project # 18-1045: Equipment Refurbishment at Puget Boulevard Commons
1J. Project # 18-1043: Benches in Lincoln Park
1K. Project # 17-006: Trail Improvements at Roxhill Park*
(Find the projects on a map here.) To vote online, go here. You’ll be asked for a cell-phone number for a verification code (there are alternate ways to vote if you don’t have one or don’t want to give yours – you can go to a Seattle Public Library branch, for example), and then your name and e-mail address. Voting is open through July 16th.
The photo and report are from Mara:
Today my husband and I went into Fauntleroy Park and were enjoying our packed lunch along one of the trails and sat on one of the park-made platforms. There is a breeze going thru the trees and didn’t seem like much wind really. Then we heard cracking start, and lo and behold, a tree top was heading our way! We jumped up and it didn’t get near us thankfully. But the entire top of a tree came down! Be careful – the trees are dry and we saw bigger branches on the trails as we headed back that were not there beforehand.
It indeed doesn’t take a windstorm to bring down a tree limb – hot, dry weather (today got into the upper 80s) can do it too, according to a variety of references we found like this one.
Just in from Seattle Parks:
Alki Community Center will be closed Monday, June 18 through Friday, June 22 for major maintenance. During this closure we will also be starting construction of accessibility improvements that will last through the end of the year. Alki Community Center is located at 5817 SW Stevens St.
Seattle Parks and Recreation is partnering with Department of Education and Early Learning to make required improvements for expanded licensed preschool at our community centers by providing ADA compliant preschool classrooms and access.
This project will address 79 documented barriers to accessibility (areas that do not meet the Americans with Disability standards), including accessible parking, accessible routes, accessible kitchen upgrades, door opening forces and closing speeds, addition of automatic door actuator, tactile signs, toilet and shower room upgrades, counter heights and elements not within reach ranges.
Seattle Parks and Recreation will work with the contractor to minimize the construction impacts. The work will require us create some site entrance detours and to close the single user bathroom, kitchen and other parts of the center and parking areas for short periods.
During the closure, the summer child-care program will continue and operate out of the Community Center’s Multipurpose room and gymnasium.
For information on the project, please visit seattle.gov/parks/find/centers/alki-community-center. If you have questions about the accessibility improvements please contact Mike Schwindeller, Project Manager, at mike.schwindeller@seattle.gov or 206-615-1165.
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