White Center Now: The blog about White Center

School-shopping for next year? Holy Family Bilingual Catholic School invites you to its open house on Sunday (January 27th), 10:30 am-2 pm, at 9615 20th SW. Their announcement:

Looking for an affordable, safe, academics- and language-focused school?

Come see what we are all about, learn about our programs and enjoy food, raffles, and fun activities with your family.

New information tonight about the Department of Local Services, county government’s new way of serving areas like this one. The announcement:

>The King County Executive’s Cabinet on Tuesday approved four partnership agreements between the new King County Department of Local Services and the county departments that provide the following services to unincorporated areas:

· Department of Natural Resources and Parks – Parks Division

· Department of Natural Resources and Parks – Surface Water Management Program, Stormwater Services

· Regional Animal Services of King County

· Public Health – Seattle & King County – Environmental Health Services Division, On-site Sewage Systems Permitting, On-site Sewage Operations and Maintenance, and Plumbing and Gas Piping Inspection.

These four service partnership agreements mark a significant milestone in the new model for delivery of services to the 250,000 residents and the businesses in unincorporated King County.

These agreements will enable the new department and its partners to improve the coordination of services and data sharing. This will allow the county to report back to the residents we serve in a more meaningful way and provide a better understanding of how effectively our services are being delivered.

These new agreements position King County Local Services to provide timely responses to issues that affect area residents and businesses and improve transparency and accountability by more accurately measuring how county service providers are performing in the unincorporated areas.

“Through these agreements, Local Services can respond more quickly and be more accountable on issues affecting residents and businesses outside city limits,” said Local Services Director John Taylor. “The agreements put us on the same page with data sharing, creating policy improvements, and aligning services. This will allow us to better coordinate our resources and work more effectively with the communities we serve.”

Local Services will spend the next year working to create similar agreements with other service providers. We’ll also continually improve our existing agreements as needed. And we’ll work with other non-King County service providers to create similar partnerships that could benefit residents and businesses.

“These new agreements between the Department of Local Services and other county departments are a great step towards providing exceptional services to the residents of unincorporated King County,” said King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert.

“When working to serve 250,000 unincorporated residents, coordination, teamwork and communication are vital. The newly formed Department of Local Services is already making substantial changes to the way these residents access their local government, and I’m excited to continue working with them to better serve the residents of unincorporated King County,” Lambert said.

The Service Partnership Agreements are available on the Department of Local Services website.

Here’s the direct link.

Announced tonight by the King County Sheriff’s Office:

On 01/16/19, Martin Burton was killed at the 10400 block of 15 Avenue SW in White Center.

Today, 01/24/2019, King County Major Crimes Detectives arrested a 24 year old male who was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of murder. Detectives continue to investigate the motive for the murder of Burton. Detectives are also seeking any witnesses who saw or have information about the murder of Burton to call the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206/296-3311.

We’re researching the suspect and will add anything more we find out.

ORIGINAL 6:27 PM REPORT: A reader asked us about all the sirens they could hear from White Center and we subsequently found out a 2-alarm apartment fire is burning in North Burien, at Ambaum and 122nd. Even Seattle Fire has sent units for “mutual aid.” No other info so far but avoid the area!

ADDED LATE TUESDAY NIGHT: Regional media report one death in the fire. It was started by “smoking material” and considered accidental, according to investigators. 25 survivors are getting help from the Red Cross.

(Photos by Patrick Sand for White Center Now and West Seattle Blog)

Fixing up gently used car seats to help keep kids safe is part of what dozens of volunteers did at WestSide Baby in White Center today, for an MLK Day of Service project organized by United Way of King County. WS Baby has a mountain of car seats to move:

Volunteers were from businesses and organizations including Starbucks and Nordstrom.

They also helped process and package donated clothes and diapers for some of the thousands of families WS Baby serves in a growing area of King County.

Many brought their own kids to help out. WS Baby’s executive director Nancy Woodland reminds us volunteer help is needed and welcome year-round.

Here’s how you can help!

From the White Center Kiwanis:

Join us for our Eighth Annual Taco Bar and Baked Potato Dinner
supporting the New Start High School Kiwanis Key Club

Thursday, January 24, 2019 6:30 pm-8:00 pm
Cost = $20 each or Family: $50
Kids under 12: $10, under 5: Free

@ New Start High School, 614 SW 120th St, Burien

Come enjoy a taco and baked potato bar, chili, salad, rolls, dessert and beverages….

A student talent show and musical entertainment will be provided.

5:56 AM: Early this morning, the King County Sheriff’s Office reports, “Deputies responded to an anonymous call of a male shot (in the 10400 block of 15th Avenue SW), White Center. 51-year-old male located with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was pronounced dead at the scene.” The Major Crimes Unit was investigating. We are following up with KCSO.

7:35 AM: We checked in with KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott. He says the victim was found on the street but they “have no suspect info at all at this time.”

6:01 PM: The King County Medical Examiner’s Office identifies the victim as 53-year-old Martin A. Burton and says he died of a “gunshot wound to the lower extremities.” (Added: KCSO provided this photo of the victim.)

No other new info in the case so far.

From the scanner: Someone was held up moments ago at the Chase Bank ATM on SW 100th in White Center. Description: Black man in his 20s, black scarf around his face, black hoodie, dark pants, 5’9″, 150 pounds, armed, riding a BMX bicycle. Any info, call 911.

This morning in West Seattle, the 34th District’s legislators – Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon, and about-to-be-sworn-in Sen. Joe Nguyen – held a “town hall”-style meeting. Above is video, unedited (but starting a few minutes into the introductions as we adjusted our camera). If you don’t have time to watch, stand by for a link to the West Seattle Blog version, which we expect to publish Sunday morning with toplines. The three will start work in Olympia this coming week.

The heart of White Center was spared again, but points east and south were hit by power outages as the expected wind moved through early this morning. Above is a screengrab from the Seattle City Light outage map. Though the map shows potential restoration times, remember that those are only guesses/estimates, so if you’re out, you might get yours back sooner than projected – or later.

As of minutes ago, the National Weather Service’s High Wind Warning for our area is in effect – until 10 am Sunday. In the early morning hours, the NWS says, gusts could be as high as 60 mph. We’ll be tracking the storm as it passes through – if your power goes out or other types of storm damage (downed trees, etc) hit, once you’ve contacted authorities, please let us know too – our 24/7 text/voice hotline is 206-293-6302.

One year after it was proposed, the King County Department of Local Services is now serving White Center and other incorporated areas. Here’s what the county wants to be sure you know about it:

The second we rang in 2019, the Department of Local Services officially became a standalone department. It comes after nearly a year’s worth of planning and following the Metropolitan King County Council unanimously approving Executive Dow Constantine’s proposal to establish the department.

While King County has always delivered critical services to residents and businesses of the unincorporated areas – who combined would account for the second-largest city in Washington – Local Services now serves as a “virtual city hall” that helps better coordinate and deliver those services.

The department consists of three divisions/programs that are familiar to the unincorporated areas:

· Permitting Division for development permit reviews, code enforcement and subarea planning

· Road Services Division responsible for 1,500 miles of County road and 182 bridges

· Community Service Area program

Contact us

There are several ways for residents and business to connect with Local Services:

· It has created an easy-to-remember email address for anyone with questions or comments: ASKLocalServices@kingcounty.gov

· You can visit the new Local Services webpage: https://kingcounty.gov/local-services

· Follow Local Services on Instagram: @kingcountylocalservices

The divisions will continue to operate out of their existing locations (Permitting is located at 35030 SE Douglas Street, Suite 210 in Snoqualmie; Road Services and the Community Service Area program are located at 201 S. Jackson St. in Seattle).

Residents with Permitting or Roads-specific questions can contact them directly:

· Permitting: 206-296-6600; DPERWebinquiries@kingcounty.gov

· Road Services: : 24/7 Road Helpline: 206-477-8100 or 800-527-6237 (800-KCROADS); maint.roads@kingcounty.gov

Leadership

Led by Director John Taylor, the 500-employee department will now focus solely on serving and communicating with the unincorporated areas.

Taylor previously served as an assistant division director at the King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks. He was instrumental in coordinating a landmark agreement signed last year by Executive Constantine that will simultaneously restore salmon habitat, strengthen the region’s agricultural economy, and reduce flood risks in the Snoqualmie Valley.

“King County has dedicated, hard-working employees who deliver high-quality service to the people of King County every day,” Taylor said. “The Department of Local Services will help better coordinate those services within the unincorporated part of King County, giving residents in those areas a way to see service delivery levels in their community and influence how services are delivered.”

Following his appointment, Taylor announced his leadership team:

· Danielle de Clercq, Deputy Director. Danielle is new to King County but brings with her a 30-year career in operations, management, business development, and consulting in the private and nonprofit sectors.

· Cheryl Binetti, Chief of Staff in the DLS Director’s Office. Over the past 12 years, Cheryl has served a variety of roles in the King County Department of Transportation, and most recently served as the Local Services Initiative Project Manager, playing a key role in the development of the new department. As Chief of Staff, she will ensure that DLS employees have the support and clarity for timely and accurate delivery of services, projects, and programs, and to grow and develop in their careers.

· Jim Chan, Director of the Permitting Division. Jim has served as the Interim Director of the Department of Planning and Environmental Review (DPER) since November 2017. He began his career with King County as a summer intern in 1989. After graduating from the University of Washington, he was hired on as a staff engineer in 1991 and progressed through the ranks to his current appointment as Interim Director of DPER.

· Rick Brater, Director of the Road Services Division. Rick has served in his current position on an interim basis since October. Prior to that he served as the King County Road Engineer and as the Engineering Services Section Manager. During this time, he has managed nearly $900 million worth of road infrastructure projects, including the South Park bridge project.

· Bill Greene, Chief Financial Officer. Bill served as the King County Department of Transportation Chief Financial Officer from 2007-2010, and then returned in the role in 2013 after serving with the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Phone number 206-477-3820.

· Mary Louis, Human Resource Manager. Mary has been on loan to the Department of Transportation as an HR Projects Manager since August 2018, and before that she served as the HR Manager for the Department of Public Defense since January 2017.

Got a little one? This announcement is for you:

White Center Co-op Preschool Open House and Dinosaur play date

Saturday, January 12th from 10 am-12 pm at the White Center Cooperative Preschool inside Mount View Presbyterian Church
10806 12th Ave SW

Looking for a high-quality preschool? Have a little one aged 2-5?

Come dig deep into our curriculum with lots of STEAM-based activities for your preschool-aged children!
Brush off your play skills with our experienced team of educators.

Discover how our unique programs benefits your whole family!

UPDATE: Ahsan has been found.

EARLIER:

Read the rest of this entry »

(King County Assessor website photo)

Our periodic check of commercial real-estate listings revealed a White Center listing of note: The site of Bartell Drugs at 15th/Roxbury. The company doesn’t own the site, and has a lease that currently runs through 2026. And Bartell spokesperson Hannah Kubiak told WCN, “Our landlord is selling but that does not change anything for Bartell’s. We’ll still be here to serve our neighbors in White Center!”

Nonetheless, the owner is selling the site, asking $5.1 million. The online brochure both touts its proximity to Seattle and its exemption from city policies. Excerpts:

Pro-Business Policies in White Center, Just Outside of Seattle Jurisdiction and Taxation

Bartell Drugs – White Center is located on the south side of Roxbury Street, just outside of Seattle city limits in Unincorporated King County. This location offers several unique economic and legal attributes. Specifically, the property IS NOT subject to Seattle’s $15.45/hour minimum wage requirement, and Seattle’s much publicized “Soda Tax” which imposes a 1.75 cent/ounce tax on sugar-heavy drinks, including soda. These initiatives increase operating costs, and thereby increase prices to customers. Bartell Drugs – White Center has directly benefitted relative to the nearby competitors, including the Walgreens located across the street in Seattle, with lower prices and more favorable operating costs. As Seattle continues to levy additional requirements on business and real estate, Bartell Drugs – White Center will to hold a competitive advantage in the market.

And:

Infill Long-Term Redevelopment Site with Flexible Zoning and Unlimited Height Requirements

As an infill location with desirable proximity to downtown Seattle, investors should consider the long-term redevelopment potential for the site. The ‘Community Business’ zone allows for a wide variety of commercial, residential, and mixed-uses. The ‘Special District Overlay’ allows for unlimited height limits at the southerly portion of the site and 30’ foot height limits at the northerly portion of the property. As the property is located outside of Seattle jurisdiction, the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) requirements will not apply, and developers can circumvent affordable units and avoid the mandatory contributions to the housing fund. Given the high traffic counts along Roxbury Street and the rapidly expanding popularity of the area, the subject would be an excellent candidate for future mixed-use development.

The brochure notes that the store was built in 1980. County records show that the site changed hands last year, in a $4.1 million transaction, and is currently owned by an Edmonds-based investor.

From King County to us and other media around the county:

King County asks that you let your readers, viewers, and listeners know that the 9-1-1 system in Washington State is down at this time. No calls are getting through to the 9-1-1 centers, either on landlines or cell phones.

People who are having an emergency in King County can call the ten-digit emergency number for the police or fire agency in their area on a landline or cell phone, or they can use Text-to-911 on their cell phone.

There is no estimate for restoration of 9-1-1 service. No additional details are available at this time.

You can reach emergency services at 206-296-3311 in the meantime.

Though not mentioned in the alert, there’s been a major CenturyLink outage that some agencies cited for 911 troubles earlier. CenturyLink says it hopes to resolve that by early morning.

2 AM: Another opening – thanks to the tipster who let us know that Macadons opens its storefront today. This is the macaron maker at what for a brief and bright moment was Mardi Gras Donuts, at 9828 16th SW. It’s been in operation a while without retail, and today that changes, 10 am-9 pm, with a free macaron promised to everyone who shows up!

8:48 PM: Thanks to Gill for the photos added above and below:

He adds a rave review: “The two we tried – Durian & Lychee -were as the old saying goes ‘to die for”. Absolutely amazing.”

Almost two years after Big Al Brewing closed at 9832 14th SW, the site is dormant no longer … Future Primitive Brewing Company opened there today. Our friends at Washington Beer Blog have details. The new enterprise originally was to be called Unified Brewing, as reported here last year, but plans changed along the way. P.S. Hours for the new establishment are at the bottom of this page.

Just announced by the county:

For the second year, King County Metro will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve. Rides will be free from 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, to 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 1, including DART and Access service. In addition, Metro will add buses to its night routes. The Seattle Streetcar also will be free on New Year’s Eve, and Sound Transit will extend the operating hours of Link light rail service between Angle Lake and the University of Washington.

“As we ring in another new year together, we are glad to again offer free rides on Metro to help keep the celebration safe for everyone,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “We appreciate all our customers, and hope folks who give transit a try during the holiday season will join the half-million daily Metro riders who depend on our safe, friendly, and reliable service all year ’round.”

“Access to safe and reliable transportation is a cornerstone of Metro’s mission and New Years Eve is no exception. We hope existing and future riders will utilize Metro to help them celebrate the New Year this year,” said King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, who proposed the idea in 2017.

King County Metro will operate reduced weekday schedules on New Year’s Eve on some routes, with extra buses on several routes serving destinations such as Seattle Center, Capitol Hill and downtown. New Year’s revelers can take advantage of Metro’s recently expanded Night Owl network, with added service on major routes between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Sound Transit will operate extended Link light rail service with trains running until 2 a.m. pm New Year’s Eve. The last trains to leave Westlake Station depart at 2 a.m.

The Seattle Streetcar will operate until 1 a.m.

Metro routes with added trips as needed will include 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 14, 24, 32, 36, 40, 41, 62, 65, 70, 101, 106, 120, 124, 150, 255, RapidRide A, B, C, D and E lines, and ST 550 and ST 554. The fareboxes and ORCA card readers on Metro buses will be covered to remind customers not to pay. A regular valid fare will be required on Sound Transit Express buses.

12:21 PM: The wind’s here and so is the first major power outage in our area – screengrab above is from the Seattle City Light outage map. The High Wind Warning remains in effect until 7 pm.

3:34 PM: This outage is down to 1,700+ customers. And the weather is “settling down,” as the National Weather Service puts it.