West Seattle, Washington
11 Thursday
3:24 PM: Just in from the King County Department of Transportation’s Marine Division: The West Seattle Water Taxi‘s runs are now canceled for the rest of today, because repair of what was described as a “defective weld” in the hull of the Rachel Marie is taking longer. The county is expecting to resume West Seattle Water Taxi service tomorrow morning.
5 PM UPDATE: The county confirms service will resume tomorrow.
Another road-work announcement from SDOT:
Seattle Department of Transportation paving crews tentatively plan to spot-repair the pavement at three locations on Delridge Way SW next week, weather permitting. One lane of traffic will be open for each direction of traffic. Some on-street parking will be restricted in front of locations being paved.
As for which three locations – we are working to find out SDOT’s Marybeth Turner says it’s an area between Holly and Willow; an area between Oregon and Alaska; and an area 300 feet north of SW Genesee.
In the meantime, the paving crew has finished its work on Sylvan Way and has moved on today to grinding the potholed surface off SW Orchard between Delridge and Dumar (map), with new asphalt scheduled to follow on Friday (as always, provided the weather isn’t too bad). At this spot, traffic is going one way at a time, with police and flagger assistance
(Recent screengrab from the “incident response” map [incidents are NOT “real-time”])
From last night’s West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network meeting at the Southwest Precinct: A city delegation spoke to the group to provide a full list of online resources available from Seattle Police. Amy Hirotaka from the city’s Community Technology program, Sol Villareal from the mayor’s office, and Shanna Christie, who runs SPD’s online operations, were on hand. From the list she distributed:
SPD website: seattle.gov
SPD Blotter (summaries of some incidents): spdblotter.seattle.gov
SPD on Twitter: twitter.com/SeattlePD
SPD on Facebook: facebook.com/SeattlePolice
Download police reports online: seattle.gov/police/records/online.htm
Map of recent police reports: web5.seattle.gov/mnm/policereports.aspx
Map of recent 911 responses: web5.seattle.gov/mnm/incidentresponse.aspx
File a crime report online: seattle.gov/police/report
Crime statistics: seattle.gov/police/crime/stats.htm
Crime-prevention info: seattle.gov/police/prevention
Block Watch info: seattle.gov/police/programs/blockwatch
Night Out info: seattle.gov/police/nightout
Open city datasets (not just police/crime-related): data.seattle.gov
They also discussed what additional resources might be helpful; WSBWCN’s Deb Greer suggested a video explaining how to start a Block Watch. Christie says the SPD site is going “through a revamp process,” so comments are welcome: shanna.christie@seattle.gov.
WSBWCN also has links on its website from last night’s presentation – so far, two handouts with more context for city resources, current and future, and more may be added – here’s that link.
Aside from the presentation, one topic of discussion, brought up by attendees: Whether medical-marijuana businesses attract crime. The City Attorney’s precinct liaison, Henry Chae, said there aren’t many stats to point to yet. He reiterated that the city is continuing to wait to see what the state will do, as SB 5073 – which would license and regulate medical-marijuana enterprises – is still awaiting Governor Gregoire‘s action (she has hinted she might veto parts of it).
The West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network meets on fourth Tuesdays at the SW Precinct, 6:30 pm. They’re online at wsblockwatchnet.wordpress.com and on Facebook here.
Today’s the day Schmitz Park Elementary and Concord International were scheduled to receive their Washington Achievement Awards – two of 13 Seattle Public Schools honored in the statewide awards. Both were honored for “overall excellence,” and Schmitz Park received additional honors for math achievement. The awards, based on assessment data from the past 3 years, were announced in February and to be presented this morning in Tacoma.
(Photo from Alki last week, by Kenna Klosterman)
WATER TAXI OUT OF SERVICE THIS MORNING … and maybe longer; the county will provide updates. As announced yesterday afternoon, the West Seattle Water Taxi will NOT run this morning because it’s getting a “defective weld” repaired. Keep an eye here and on the WSB Facebook page and Twitter feed for the latest.
UP EARLY? And, in the construction trades? Westside Professionals would love to meet you this morning, 8 am, The Kenney. Here’s the Facebook invite explaining what it’s all about.
WALT HUNDLEY PLAYFIELD TURF: 6:30 pm tonight, be at Southwest Library for a meeting about the Parks and Green Spaces Levy $1 million renovation project that’ll bring new synthetic turf to the playfield next to High Point Community Center.
HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: Help shape goals by joining in discussion at tonight’s meeting of the Highland Park Action Committee meets, 7 pm, Highland Park Improvement Club (12th/Holden).
OPENING NIGHT! “Shipwrecked! An Entertainment...” opens at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor), 7:30 tonight, running through May 21st.
PLAYGROUND UPDATE: The Lafayette Playground Committee is holding its monthly meeting to update the community on its playground effort. It will be held this Wednesday, April 27 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. In Lafayette Elementary‘s library. Come and hear an update and see how you can help in the final fundraising stages!!!!!
SCIENCE! Denny International Middle School science fair, 6-8 pm
DUWAMISH CLEANUP PUBLIC MEETING: EPA Public Meeting: Boeing Plant 2. 6 pm at South Park Community Center, 8319 8th Avenue South. Food and Spanish interpretation will be available.
6 pm: Open House
7 pm: Presentations by Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition and EPA
8 pm: Public testimony: Your comments are needed!!
POETRY AND STORYTELLING: Free, all ages, monthly series with a featured reader followed by open mike for stories and tales (short and tall) from 7 pm – 9 pm. Via poetrybridge.net at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 5612 California SW.
RESUME WORKSHOP: Free workshop “Effective Resumes” at SSCC WorkSource – see full story here
Even more on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar!
Two West Seattle Crime Watch updates tonight:
HIGHLAND PARK ARREST TONIGHT: Via Twitter and e-mail, we received several reports of police, guns drawn, at a home in Highland Park a few hours ago, in the 10th/Thistle vicinity (map). Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams explains that officers surrounded the house in hopes of carrying out an arrest warrant – and they were successful. Aside from the alarming-to-neighbors sight, Lt. Williams says the arrest was made “without incident” and the suspect is in jail.
JOEL LUND UPDATE: We’ve been following this 28-year-old suspect’s case, particularly since a judge allowed him out of jail and into the Community Center for Alternative Programs – requiring daily check-ins and classes, among other things – after his arrest in connection with a catalytic-converter theft involving an elderly victim south of The Junction. He subsequently was arrested last Thursday night and charged with assault. His bail was upped to $20,000, but tonight it is double that, now that a judge has canceled his alternative-program participation in connection with the previous charge. As court documents note, one of the conditions of participating in the alternative program was “You shall commit no (new) crimes.”
As the weather warms up, you’re likely to get more activity on your doorstep. First – be aware that commercial solicitors are required to have licenses/IDs, and you don’t have to be shy about asking to see them, if you choose to answer the door. Second, if you put up a “No Solicitors” sign, solicitors who ignore it are breaking the law. (City rules on “residential sales” are here.) 2 door-to-door reports from the WSB inbox, ahead, plus a phone-scam alert, received via e-mail:Read More
One day left to sign up for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – 26 hours, to be precise – and the sellers who already have registered have set a record! The unofficial number at this hour is 210. Since more are likely to come in, that means this is going to be one amazing buying-and-selling-and-mingling spree, 9 am-3 pm on Saturday, May 14th.
Registration closes at 11:59 pm tomorrow (Wednesday) night, which gives us the lead time to get going on the maps (online-only Google version, and “fixed” printable version) so they will be available no later than one week before sale day. The links will be here, on the Garage Sale Day website and WSCGSD Facebook page, and on the semi-new – have YOU “liked” it yet? – WSB FB page. And we encourage you to invite all your non-West Seattle friends and relatives to come on over, wander the peninsula, shop like mad, enjoy coffee/lunch somewhere here too, then happily head back to their own neighborhoods with fond memories of a great day.
If you’ve been procrastinating and are ready to sign up YOUR sale – from a table in front of your house, to your entire block/business/school – find the link on this page. (Be sure you receive TWO confirmations – one from us, one from PayPal after you’ve paid the registration fee. If you have any problems, call us at 206-293-6302. And if you’ve signed up but you do NOT have the PayPal confirmation, please e-mail garagesale@westseattleblog.com, to make sure your sale gets on the list!)
Whether you’re planning to sell or shop, thanks in advance for being part of the 7th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (the fourth year WSB has presented/coordinated it)!
Just in from King County’s Marine Division:
All West Seattle Water Taxi trips for Wednesday, April 27 are cancelled through at least the morning so that warranty repairs can be made to a small defective weld in the vessel hull. Tomorrow’s cancellation will allow the King County Marine Division to take advantage of available dry dock space.
While the Marine Division hopes repairs can be made in time to resume service for the Wednesday afternoon commute, passengers are advised to monitor e-mail/text service alerts, visit the Water Taxi website at www.kingcounty.gov/watertaxi, or call 206-684-1551.
Story and photos by Stephanie Chacharon
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
We swung by the future site of Pizzeria 22 today to catch up with Cary Kemp — owner/operator of West Seattle’s one and only, soon-to-open wood-fired pizza joint.
We broke the news about the future pizzeria in December, when Cary signed the lease on the location at 4213 SW College, then published an update in January. Since a few months have passed, it was time to check back to get a feel for the space and an update on opening plans.
Cary, a laid-back entrepreneur who’s passionate about all things Italian, walked us through the site, sidestepping busy electricians and building materials. He pointed out the vaulted ceilings — a formerly enclosed treasure he discovered while previewing the space — restored vintage windows (shown above – Cary says they’re 103 years old and believes they’ll create a dark, comfortable vibe), the planned home of an oversized painting of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius, and the work-in-progress bar that spans that length of the restaurant.
Another of West Seattle’s new wayfinding kiosks – each sporting the West Seattle Trails walking map as well as art – is in place, this time in Fauntleroy. You’ll find it on the northwest corner of 45th/Wildwood in the Endolyne business district, just a few blocks uphill/southeast from the Fauntleroy ferry dock. Here’s the other side:
Earlier this month, the first kiosk was installed, at Junction Plaza Park (Alaska/42nd), with artists Paul Sorey and Mike Raney on hand.
(WSB photo from May 2010 Westwood Village Street Fair)
Outdoor-festival season in West Seattle is less than 3 weeks away! Even though Westwood Village is changing owners (the deal was made public a month ago), the Street Fair is still on. As announced online, the Westwood Village Street Fair is planned for 11 am-7 pm Saturday, May 21st, and promising “dog show, fashion show, live music, magician, and those fun inflatable rides.” Free. More details to come – but in past years, it’s been centered in the parking lot between Bed Bath Beyond and Pier 1 Imports.
(Added 12:20 pm: Seattle Channel video of today’s meeting; Conner item begins 7 minutes in)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
After more than three years and 10 public meetings, the 200-apartment Conner Homes mixed-use project in the heart of The Junction has cleared one of its last remaining hurdles: After an hour and a half, the City Council’s Transportation Committee – represented by its chair, West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – has just decided to recommend approval of the “alley vacation” required for the project to go forward.
But not before a formidable voice of concern spoke out – Dave Montoure of Junction restaurant/bar West 5 (who also chairs the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce board but was not speaking on its behalf), one of four people to speak during the public-comment portion of the hearing.
(Image from Seattle Channel feed of today’s hearing)
Montoure (above) said he wasn’t there to oppose the alley vacation, which only involves an underground area, or to send the project back into Design Review, but was there to strongly oppose two aspects of the project that had been longstanding points of concern- its residential lobby on California SW (“Retail frontage off California Avenue is the best retail frontage in West Seattle,” Montoure argued) and its garage entrance from 42nd SW rather than the alley (“Do you want to hear, ‘caution, vehicle approaching’ over and over” each day? he asked.)
“I’m tired of going to meetings about (this project) – but let’s not let this fatigue excuse us from our duty to our community,” he summarized.
Rasmussen said Harbor Properties, developer of Mural (WSB sponsor) to the south, also had sent a letter of concern about the 42nd SW entrance. He agreed that the vehicle crossings on the sidewalk should be “minimized”; architects said they had “pulled back” the building facade to create better sight angles, in hopes of enhancing safety. Harbor’s Emi McKittrick stepped to the podium as Rasmussen mulled their letter, which requested that the entrance be further north than currently planned; she pointed out there is no crosswalk in that immediate area. But Rasmussen ultimately said he believes 42nd would provide a “better entrance” than the alley.
(Sketch of California-facing view from presentation for Conner project in The Junction)
Rasmussen also described the 13-foot residential entrance on California as a “relatively small” area that he didn’t believe would significantly reduce the area’s retail frontage, so he did not ask for any changes in that.
The lengthy briefing and hearing underscored the fact that this is a “very important project,” as Rasmussen had described it toward the hearing’s start.
The presentation “packet” of graphics/information is now available online for this Thursday’s Southwest Design Review Board meeting on the 7100 Delridge (map) mixed-use project. You can see it here. The proposal (official permit page here) includes a 4-story building fronting on Delridge (north of the Delridge/Orchard Shell station), with 58 apartments and 1,300+ square feet of retail, and three 2-story single-family homes behind it. As part of the proposal, developers are proposing three “departures” (exceptions) from code requirements, all of which require board approval – one involves “setback” on the east side of the project; the other involves the Delridge-facing facade:
We propose modulating the street level facade on the compass orthagonal to visually break up the street facade and create small plaza spaces for retail and landscape to spill out onto the sidewalk.
And the third involves their proposal to remove two trees meeting the city standard for “exceptional”; the developer contends the trees are diseased – their location is shown in this sketch from the packet:
Thursday night’s SWDRB meeting is at 6:30 pm, Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon). There will be a time for public comment, as is always the case at design-review meetings.
(Photo by Michael Brunk; courtesy ArtsWest)
Big week for ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery (WSB sponsor) in The Junction. Tomorrow night, the next theater production opens: “Shipwrecked! An Entertainment…,” which ArtsWest describes as a “raucous fantasy”; it’s written by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies and directed by AW’s Christopher Zinovitch. Read more about “Shipwrecked!” here. It’ll run through May 21st. And ArtsWest has just announced perhaps its biggest production of the year – the annual gala fundraiser dinner and auction, this year themed “Come Fly With Us” since it’ll be staged at the Museum of Flight, on Saturday, June 11th. Ticket information – and a preview of auction items including luxury getaways – is also on the ArtsWest website.
We were just wondering if pig roasts were last year’s fad (2 restaurants, 1 neighborhood) or returning this year – and suddenly, an announcement landed in the inbox. Looks like another season of pig roasts ahead for at least one restaurant: Fresh Bistro just announced that starting on May 5th, it’ll have a series of pig roasts on its porch (lower level of Mural [WSB sponsor]) on 42nd SW, across from Jefferson Square. They will be “culturally themed,” according to today’s announcement, and after Cinco de Mayo, they’ll be on the second and last Tuesday of each month through July, with two more in August.
(Photo taken near Luna/Anchor Park during last week’s low tides, shared by Neal Chism)
From the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:
JUNCTION PROJECT @ CITY HALL: As previewed last night, the official public hearing for the Conner Homes Junction project’s “alley vacation” is at 9:30 am at City Hall before the City Council Transportation Committee; it’ll be live on Seattle Channel, cable 21 or seattlechannel.org.
ONLINE CRIMEFIGHTING/PREVENTION: What can you really find out from police online? That’s what’ll be revealed in a briefing tonight at the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network meeting, Southwest Precinct, 6:30 pm – full details here.
WRITING AND HOMEWORK HELP: Today, tomorrow, and every Tuesday/Wednesday through mid-June, there’s help for kids ages 8-18 at Neighborhood House‘s High Point Center (6400 SW Sylvan Way), 3 – 5 pm. Hosted by 826 Seattle/Greenwood Space Travel Supply Company staff and volunteers. Details here.
PAVING CONTINUES: If the weather holds, SDOT paving crews plan to lay a new surface of asphalt in the eastbound lane in the 2400 block of Sylvan Way SW (at the curve by Home Depot), after removing the old surface yesterday.
BE INSTRUMENTAL: West Seattle Community Orchestras welcome new members to their practice sessions at Chief Sealth International High School – details here
TRIVIA AT THE FEEDBACK: Rock music trivia every Tuesday night at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm (wish them a happy early birthday – their party is just four days away).
From page 19 of a 25-page PowerPoint scheduled to be shown to the City Council’s Transportation Committee tomorrow, those are some of the “streetscape amenities” promised as part of the 2-building Conner Homes development planned along SW Alaska, between 42nd and California, in the heart of The Junction. Tomorrow morning at 9:30 at City Hall downtown, the committee holds the official public hearing on the “alley vacation” that requires city approval to proceed with the development’s current plan; the actual section of public right-of-way to be “vacated,” if the full council approves, is actually underground, facilitating one large parking garage beneath the two 7-story buildings – the alley will remain an alley at the surface.
As we reported here three weeks ago, Conner negotiated changes to the project with a group of concerned citizens that met with him for more than a year before signing an agreement eventually not to oppose the “alley vacation.” Our earlier story featured highlights of their agreement, which can be read in full on the last page of the presentation to be shown tomorrow; SDOT recommends approval – you can read the department’s official memo here. If the committee approves the proposal tomorrow, it will go next to the full council for a vote. As for the project timetable – Conner told us earlier this month that construction wouldn’t start any sooner than year’s end (existing businesses on the site have leases running till then).
In West Seattle’s Westwood neighborhood, the Parks and Green Spaces Levy is already paying for a new P-Patch – but there’s also the potential for a new park somewhere in the area. This Saturday at 1 pm, the Westwood Neighborhood Council invites you to Southwest Community Center to talk about that possibility. The levy passed by voters in 2008 includes money for acquiring new park land in “underserved neighborhoods” – and Westwood is one of the neighborhoods identified as “underserved.” Parks’ Chip Nevins will be there – not just to talk, but to listen – so if you have an idea about what might make a good park, and/or where, be there on Saturday.
Another day, another Aggressive Drivers Response Team report on SPD Blotter. This one was an “early morning” patrol (borne out by a tweet we received very early this morning). Beyond what our headline mentions – read the details here.
Need someplace to get online with a publicly accessible computer, besides library branches? Here’s a new option – Southwest Community Center (2801 SW Thistle) has just announced classes as well as a couple hours a day of “open” use time. Read on for the announcement, with details:Read More
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
With the auction coming up Friday for what’s left inside the Charlestown Street Café, less than a month after it closed, we have new information about the future of its site.
In our first report on its then-imminent closure, we mentioned spotting a “mixed-use” development proposal in the city files. And now we’ve finally spoken to the developer who is working on it.
His name is Lobsang Dargey. His firm, Dargey Enterprises, is based in Everett, where they built Potala Village – not unlike, he told WSB, what’s envisioned for the California/Charlestown site (if you check their website, you will see this project identified as Potala Village-West Seattle).
But before the project ramps up – a change, he says, is needed:
Thanks to Lynda B for the photo, verifying that the asphalt-removing Phase 1 of Sylvan Way “spot paving” is under way, despite the rain. As SDOT had promised, the road isn’t completely closed, but it is making things tough around the Vietnamese Cultural Center, El Rey de Taco, and the north side of The Home Depot‘s lot. Phase 2 – new asphalt – is planned tomorrow, if the weather cooperates.
| 5 COMMENTS