January 2017

The process of getting a building built, especially in an environmentally sensitive area can take a long time and the site of the former Alki Tavern, at 1307 Harbor Ave SW is no exception. Now, after nearly two years a decision (with conditions) has been issued by the Seattle Department of Planning and Development for Project #3015628.
See our previous coverage here, and here.

The project is unique in several ways, containing a breezeway and a mix of retail, restaurant, and a design center for Youngone Corp., a manufacturer of Korean sports gear and outdoor apparel.

Along the way the building changed from seven stories to six and made other changes.

From the decision:

SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL

In a move that was not expected, Rick Jump long time Director of the White Center Food Bank has retired. Citing health issued Jump shared the news via a letter to the media and the public. Here is the letter:

To the clients, donors, volunteers, and staff of the White Center Food Bank and to the greater White Center Community:

I have lived in White Center for 35 years; raised my children here, forged lifelong friendships, built partnerships, and helped to grow the White Center Food Bank for the past twelve years. It has been both my professional and personal passion to help support the most vulnerable in our community. It is a unique place – one built on community, diversity, and resiliency despite the many challenges we have faced.
I am proud to call White Center my home.

This is why my decision to retire as the Executive Director of the White Center Food Bank is made with a heavy heart. I arrived at this decision after both I and my wife, Judy, have struggled with health issues in recent months. As much as I love this community, after 12 years of dedicating my life to helping others, it is time that Judy and I take care of ourselves.

The Admiral Neighborhood Association (ANA) meeting on Jan. 10 will feature Deb Barker who will help educate and lead a discussion about HALA (Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda) as it affects the Admiral Residential Urban Village. This meeting will come as a preview of sorts for the Feb. 11 meeting at West Seattle High School from 9:30 to 12:30pm on The Urban Village Community Design Workshop for the neighborhood.

The ANA meeting will take place at 7pm at The Sanctuary at Admiral 2656 42nd Ave. SW.

Also on the agenda is an opportunity to meet the new owners of Arthur's, a new restaurant coming to the space once occupied by Angelina's.

information from Swedish Ballard

Swedish Ballard said in a press release that it has received a prestigious international recognition as a Baby-Friendly Designated birth facility.

"There are more than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers worldwide. Swedish Ballard is one of the 403 active Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers in the United States. The Baby-Friendly designation is given after a rigorous onsite survey is completed.

Baby-Friendly USA, Inc is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (“BFHI”), a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies."

By Gwen Davis

On Thursday evening, the Southwest Design Review Board held two meetings — one about the structure at 3039 SW Avalon Way, the other about a development at 4220 SW 100th. See our previous coverage here.

Here is what you need to know about 3039 SW Avalon Way:

This was the second and final time this project went before the board. The architects, Steve Fischer and Karen Kiest from Nicholson Kovalchich Architects gave a 20-minute presentation to the board about their improved plans.

“It’s a six-story building, with 71 units on 18,000 square feet,” Fischer began. “We have shown that we are in the urban village [and have tweaked the plan.”

information from the City of Seattle

Mayor Ed Murray and Council President Bruce Harrell issued the following statement on the deployment of body-worn video equipment on West Precinct bike officers this past weekend. The deployment marks a milestone in the City’s ongoing effort to equip police officers with body cameras and to bring the Seattle Police Department (SPD) closer to compliance with the 2012 Consent Decree.

“We know that body cameras lead to increased civility on both sides of the camera,” said Mayor Murray. “With the deployment of body cameras on West Precinct bike officers this past weekend, these cameras are now in action and SPD is moving toward increased transparency and accountability that has been years in the making. I appreciate Council President Harrell’s work in securing Council support for this program and I look forward to working with the community to refine this program and policy as we continue to increase the use of body cameras city-wide.”

West Seattle's first charter school, Summit Atlas will open, starting with sixth- and ninth-grade classes in August 2017 at 9601 35th Ave SW. The groundbreaking for expansion of the existing building is coming up Thursday, February 2 at 5:30-6:30 pm.

Speakers at the event include:
A Summit Sierra student talking about why they are excited for the students of West Seattle, White Center and surrounding communities to have this public school choice.

A community member on how they are helping shape the culture of Summit Atlas.

Katie Bubalo, Founding Principal of Summit Atlas

The school has filed a land use application for a two story, 23,881 sq. ft. addition to the existing 23,772 sq. ft. building. Parking for 116 spaces will be re-configured to provide 63 parking spaces. The building was once a Safeway store and most recently was home to The Jesus Center Home of Freedom Church of Seattle.

Summit is part of a chain of free public charter schools with nine now open in Calfornia, and two others in Washington, one, Summit Olympus in Tacoma and the other Summit Sierra in Seattle's International District.

One person has died in an early morning fire that consumed an RV parked under the West Seattle Bridge near 1st Ave South.

First noticed by Port of Seattle Police, the call to 911 came in at 3:17am.

Seattle Fire crews responded but were unable to save the life of the victim inside. The unidentifiable person was so badly burned the gender has not yet been determined. No cause for the fire has been deternined as yet but the incident is under investigation.

By Gwen Davis

The city aims to plow ahead with its new Housing and Livability Agenda (HALA) which will primarily require all multifamily and commercial development to contribute to affordable housing. New residential properties will need to accommodate more people, and apartment buildings must have subsidized units for those who fall below a certain income bracket. Over the next 10 years, city officials expect tens of thousands of new families to relocate to the region, and HALA was designed to ensure that all people can afford to live in Seattle. Read our previous coverage of HALA.

However, the plan has been criticized. Some residents fear that upping residential density would drastically change the character of neighborhoods.

On Jan. 4, Rene Commons, the director of the West Seattle Junction Neighborhood Organization: JuNO, wrote a letter to Mayor Ed Murray, asking for a six-month delay for HALA's first environmental impact study (EIS). Typically, large projects such as HALA need an EIS completed before the project begins, in order to make sure the project won't harm the environment.

information from SDOT

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Seattle City Light will be working on the Fauntleroy Expressway (West Seattle Freeway) over two nights next week to make repairs to the street lights.

Sunday night, January 8, the curb lane for eastbound traffic will be closed from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. Monday morning, January 9. The lane closure will extend eastbound from approximately where the roadway turns in and out of West Seattle to the Delridge Way onramp. The other eastbound travel lane will remain open; motorists are not likely to experience any delay.

On Monday night, January 9, the westbound exit at Admiral Way will be closed from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, January 10. Motorists who would use this exit are asked to instead consider taking the Harbor Avenue SW/Avalon Way SW exit.