This month HPAC welcomes back SDOT staff with updates on Home Zone and Greenways work that has been progressing throughout the neighborhood. If you have followup questions regarding projects, or ideas for new protections needed to buffer any changes you have noted in the West Seattle Bridge Detour Route traffic, agency representatives will be on hand to speak with.
In progress installation of curbs, soil and planting along the Webster Street Greenway.
We also welcome back CM Lisa Herbold and team for further updates on planning for the proposed low income housing at 16th SW and SW Holden, site of a former Seattle City Light substation. They have been working on clarifying concerns expressed by the community at their last visit such as:
You can link to a full discussion of the project background as described by Council Person Herbold here.
We continue to meet via Zoom during the planning and rebuilding of the HPIC hall, join us virtually on Mar 23, 2022 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
It may be a cold week, but spring is in the air in Highland Park. Stay warm and join us for our monthly meeting via Zoom.
Signs of spring come to Highland Park
We will be hearing from representative of the King County Wastewater Treatment Division to learn more about the upcoming West Duwamish CSO Control project set to begin soon. If you are unfamiliar with these projects have a look at the construction at 4th South and South Michigan Street, where they are almost done with a huge holding facility. The West Michigan side will be much smaller, but serve a similar purpose, capturing and holding excess rain runoff from Highland Park, preventing contamination of the Duwamish River during big storms.
If you attended last month’s meeting, SPD mentioned their annual report on crime trends, you can read it here. They will be at our meeting too for any questions or concerns, Westwood Village area ranked 4th in volume citywide in Community generated 911 calls.
Also up in the HPAC business category:
Planning for Spring Cleanup events – sites you think need to be addressed, dates, etc.
Helping with a Flip your Trip outreach event? – mask mandates are lifting and traffic will be ramping up, can we help try and get more folks out of their Single Occupancy Vehicles?
A look back at our area’s five years of hosting Camp Second Chance – what’s working? Any outstanding concerns? Do we have any guidance or response to State Sen. Joe Nguyen’s bill now in the State Senate regarding lifting SEPA requirements for new camps?
Inviting any interested parties to help out on eBoard positions – we are an all volunteer advocacy group and rely on community energy!
See you on-screen soon at:
HPAC February Meeting
Time: Feb 23, 2022 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Happy New Year – hope everyone is staying safe and warm! Welcome all to 2022, with just 6 months to go (fingers crossed) of hosting the West Seattle Bridge detour traffic, it feels like things may be looking up!
Scene at the HPIC Not So Silent Night Parade Dec. 31, 2021
We just need to get through the landslides, volcanoes and Omicron wave. HP Stronger Together we can do it!
Highland Park Way Hillside on the move in 2022 and in 2017.
Our first HPAC meeting for the year will include guests from SPD to talk about crime trends, and from SDOT to explain their concept, “Flip Your Trip”. Since we are lucky to live at the south end of the West Seattle peninsula we have less commute time invested than some of our northerly neighbors. None-the-less, SDOT expects traffic volumes to only pick up from here with T-5 now open to larger cargo ships and more folks heading back to in person work. So anyone who can take advantage of transit, bike or carpooling is being offered $25 in free transit tickets to do so.
We plan to also have some open time to chat with fellow attendees about ongoing general concerns or issues in our area, as well as meet and greet. BYO supper or snack to a virtual potluck!
HPAC is an all volunteer community effort, if you have an interest in being more involved in the community eBoard or committee positions are open and volunteers welcome.
Zoom link to meeting:
HPAC Monthly Meeting Time: Jan 26, 2022 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Learn about Redlining in Seattle at this powerful site created by the UW, Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project and research your area. Tools include maps through the decades, video, and the history of Racial Restrictive Covenants:
For those Interested in details on our built/building environment check out these maps of Building Permits, Rental Housing, and Property & Building Complaints:
Happy Halloween and Dia de los Muertos to all. Please drive slowly and carefully as you enjoy the decorations and trick or treating this year.
Highland Park Scenes
This month we’ll be hearing briefly from SDOT Reconnect West Seattle and Home Zone planners on what is proposed to slow traffic on 16th Ave SW now that extra speed cushions have been cancelled, plus updates on other neighborhood work such as work on SW Webster and the pedestrian signal planned for 12th Ave SW at SW Holden. If you have noticed traffic counter tapes laid around the area, come find out what the numbers are telling planners. We are always interested in hearing about any new detour route incursions of vehicles, or other traffic pattern changes you have noticed. Your voice is needed!
For those who may not recall an effort by Seattle City Light a few years ago to de-accession some surplus properties city-wide, we are excited to report some movement on the Dumar Substation property at 16th SW & SW Holden. When the City came out to various neighborhoods about these properties, HPAC was part of proposing this property be targeted as affordable housing with street level commercial rather than sold to the private development market. We will be hearing from the Seattle Office of Housing and Enterprise Community Partners about potential plans for this lot.
Finally, we will be hearing from SDOT regarding making the Stay Healthy Street program streets permanent. They are looking for comments on the whole route, including SW Trenton, 21st SW, & 17th SW running through Highland Park, Riverview, South Delridge neighborhoods. Besides hearing from you at this meeting, they have been surveying folks online here, and also are planning to do some in-person outreach events in the area. Speak up now to let SDOT know if you have found these street closures to be a benefit or hindrance. This discussion will be focused on our area streets, not Stay Healthy Streets in other parts of Seattle.
The acting eBoard members invite you to attend and continue to participate in setting our agendas for 2022. Please take our short survey if you haven’t already, to let us know what type of meetings are most interesting and helpful. The survey will remain open until October 31st. This will be our final live meeting of 2021 – we take time off to observe holidays during November & December unless time sensitive issues arise.
Meeting ID: 869 6158 2929 Passcode: 057816 One tap mobile +12532158782,,86961582929# US (Tacoma) Dial by your location +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) Meeting ID: 869 6158 2929 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kIUXSM0L8
Fall is in the air, kids are slowly heading back to schools, and traffic is definitely ramping up throughout Riverview, Highland Park and South Delridge. The acting eBoard members invite you to attend and participate in setting our agendas for the year. Take our short survey to let us know what type of meetings are most interesting and helpful to you.
We welcome all back for our first meeting of the 2021-22 season. This month we’ll be hearing from Seattle Police Department with neighborhood crime trends, plus the Port of Seattle sharing impacts we can expect to neighborhood traffic as Terminal-5 reopens in January 2022.
Finally, we will be hosting Home Zone and Reconnect West Seattle team members from SDOT for a report out on the projects they are working on. There have been some changes in direction, particularly for residents on 16th Avenue SW, we’ll have them explained at the meeting with opportunities for suggestions and comments.
If you are noticing new detour route incursions of vehicles, or other traffic pattern changes to report your voice is needed!
See you at 7PM on Sept. 22 – virtually on Zoom during the HPIC rebuilding process.
Your HPAC leadership team has decided to start HPAC’s annual summer break a little earlier this year and will not be hosting a June HPAC meeting next week. We will return as usual in September, or perhaps for special topics meetings should need arise.
Please stay safe: Happy Juneteenth, Fourth of July and joy to all celebrating the easing of our COVID lockdown!
We’ve been coping with a pandemic, and a major bridge closure, but are you ready for our next big seismic event?
Be Prepared!
If we had a major earthquake tomorrow that left us without water for several weeks would you know how to harvest water from your hot water tank or make a makeshift toilet?
New HPIC Emergency HUB
Both before and after a disaster, reliable information about services and supplies is just as important as preparedness for keeping people safe. The Highland Park Improvement Club is a member of the Seattle Emergency Hub Network, whose goal is to train Hub Captains and community volunteers to help provide important information both before and after a disaster strikes. Erika, one of the HPIC Hub Captains will join us to give an overview of the Emergency Hub network, HPIC’s role, and give a preview of the types of events we have planned with the HUB in the coming months.
Other neighborhood concerns welcome, public safety, traffic, fireworks planning etc.
Join us Wednesday, May 23 at our monthly meeting, still via Zoom. 7-8:30pm:
Time: May 26, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
There’s still time to support the HPIC May fundraiser – help us finish off our huge remodel projects so we can reopen the building to the public soon. More info and Donate link here.
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To dive deeper into understanding Seattle planning for our next big earthquake, take a look at this very interesting series of webinars OEM is making available for the first time to public participation:
The Office of Emergency Management, in coordination with representatives from multiple City departments, has organized a series of webinars focused on the City’s earthquake response plans. The first webinar will be held on May 27th and will be a high level overview of how the City prioritizes and coordinates during response to a major earthquake. The four subsequent webinars will occur during June through September and will dive deeper into individual areas of the response including firefighting, mass care, and utility and transportation restoration. Each webinar will also highlight how individual and neighborhood preparedness efforts tie into the overall response.
All webinars are open to the public and will include captioning in Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. All sessions will include a Q&A session at the end, and will be recorded and posted to the Seattle OEM YouTube channel. Registration is not required, but participants can register to receive a confirmation email, calendar appointment, and event reminders. View the full schedule on OEM’s events calendar or see session information below.
Description: Seattle Office of Emergency Management staff will provide an overview of our region’s earthquake risk, likely earthquake impacts, and describe what a local government response to a catastrophic earthquake looks like. This will include an overview of citywide response priorities and coordination, how the city communicates emergency information to the public, and key preparedness actions the public can take before an earthquake happens.
Future webinars in this series will provide more detail on specific areas of response, including firefighting, search and rescue, utility restoration, transportation restoration, and emergency shelter and feeding
Description: Staff from the Seattle Fire Department will provide an overview of how the City directs life safety response operations after a major earthquake This will include information on how they prioritize their response efforts with limited resources, how they begin requesting outside assistance, and what the public can do to prepare.
Description: Staff from the Seattle Human Services will provide an overview of how the City will coordinate with regional partners to stand up shelter and feeding operations after a major earthquake, and the implications for personal preparedness.
Description: Staff from Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities will provide an overview of plans for restoring utility service after a major earthquake. This will include information on how damage to utilities is assessed, how restoration is prioritized, where your personal preparedness fits with utility response, and how utility providers coordinate with other City departments and with regional partners.
Description: Staff from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will provide an overview of plans for restoring transportation after a major earthquake. This will include information on how the restoration of roadways and bridges is prioritized, and how SDOT coordinates with other City departments and with regional transportation agencies.
Seeing these new SDOT signs around the neighborhood? Drop in to our Monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28 for updates from SDOT regarding work on the Home Zone projects and reporting on Reconnect West Seattle efforts rolling out in 2021 that need our input. Bring any new concerns or traffic impacts you are noticing!
We’ll also reserve some time to generate neighborhood specific concerns and questions for upcoming Mayoral candidate forums. Plus – save the date: Saturday May 1 Work party opportunity at Highland Park Improvement Club – help trusty trustees pull down the 100 year old chimney and do general garden/lot maintenance – social distancing + masking observed! Drop in any time 8am-4pm.
Meetings are still happening on Zoom, here’s the link for this month: Time: Apr 28, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Flyers by David Boyer at Westcrest ParkSPD Mounted Patrol at Morgan Junction Community Festival in 2017, photo credit: West Seattle Blog
March 24, 7-8:30pm HPAC monthly meeting via Zoom.
Agenda:
Guest Kristen Ramirez from the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs will talk about public art being planned in conjunction with the Highland/Holden intersection improvements.
Guest District 1 Council Representative Lisa Herbold will discuss City Council thinking on Public Safety budgeting and alternative programs being developed to support police work in the community.
Help keep our elders safe – we are working with the West Seattle City Vaccine site to get folks access to vaccinations – particularly those without internet or search skills that may need a phone call or a personal outreach – contact Nickie at HPIC1919@gmail.com if you know anyone in the neighborhood over 65 that needs a shot.
Consider signing this petition in support of the Duwamish Tribal ongoing recognition efforts:
The March 8 meeting with SDOT on the Highland Park/Riverview/South Delridge Home Zone Plan was a great success. Thanks to all who turned out for that, and for all your help planning and making needed suggestions to keep our neighborhood safe during the bridge detours. The good news is that SDOT is now targeting June of 2022 for completion of the High Bridge repair! The eBoard will be joining other West Seattle groups in sending a letter of support to federal government funders as the City seeks to raise the needed monies for the work.
Information on the Compost Giveaway is found in your HPAC/HPIC Newsletters.
Announcements -learn about upcoming free compost giveaway events!
Report from Waste Management on best compost practices
Presentation & Discussion:
Your Pandemic Garden 2.0: “You started it last year, now what?”
Led by neighbor gardener and Seattle Tilth Alliance Community Education Manager Chris Hoffer. Learn more about starting and maintaining a garden to grow food in the city. Meet other neighborhood gardeners and share ideas and inspiration!
Chris will take us through:
Getting Started: Beds, Boxes and Containers
Plants for Success
Tips for Long-term Success
Resource sharing + Q&A
Zoom meeting info:
Time: Feb 24, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Seeing these new SDOT signs around the neighborhood? Drop in to our Monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28 for updates from SDOT regarding work on the Home Zone projects and reporting on Reconnect West Seattle efforts rolling out in 2021 that need our input. Bring any new concerns or traffic impacts you are noticing!
HPAC 