North Highline Unincorporated Area Council’s last meeting of 2017 next Thursday

December 2nd, 2017 Tracy Posted in North Highline UAC, White Center news Comments Off on North Highline Unincorporated Area Council’s last meeting of 2017 next Thursday

From the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council – news of its next meeting:

When: Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 7 pm
Where: North Highline Fire Station at 1243 SW 112th Street in White Center
(Parking and Entrance are in the Back of the Station)

The Opportunity to Be Informed, Be Involved and Be Heard!

November’s NHUAC meeting confirmed that North Highline has more than its fair share of retail cannabis businesses. This month, we will learn more about the Coalition for Drug-Free Youth and what it is doing to help create a safe and healthy environment for our young people and community. Our guests will be the coalition’s Coordinator, Rudy Garza, and Sheshana Mahmood, Prevention and Intervention Specialist at Cascade Middle School and Evergreen High School. We will also learn about new challenges facing the coalition. This is our chance to support an organization that supports our community!

Have you taken a bus lately? As more people are moving to our area, public transit is becoming more important and crowded. Alex Kiheri, RapidRide Program Manager, and Jenna Franklin of King County’s Department of Transportation’s Community Relations and Public Engagement, will share information about the future of transit in White Center, including: the proposed Route 120 upgrade, potential benefits of the project, and opportunities to improve access to transit. Could more sidewalks be in our future?

We’ll also be welcoming back KCSO Deputy Bill Kennamer who will share crime updates, answer our questions, and increase our awareness of what is happening on the streets of North Highline.

Then, the floor will be yours! Do you have an announcement or something of community import on your mind? Join us and share at NHUAC’s last meeting of 2017!

See you Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 7 pm

Because Knowledge and Community Are Power!

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New King County Library System director announced

November 30th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Libraries, White Center news Comments Off on New King County Library System director announced

Speaking of libraries (remember that the White Center branch is closed today and tomorrow), the King County Library System has just announced its new leader:

The King County Library System (KCLS) Board of Trustees has selected Lisa G. Rosenblum as the KCLS Library Director following a comprehensive nationwide search.

The Board made its decision at its regular monthly meeting on November 29 and extended an offer, which Ms. Rosenblum has accepted. Rosenblum will begin her leadership role at the King County Library System’s Service Center in Issaquah on January 16, 2018.

“Our search firm delivered a choice of several qualified candidates. During the interview process, Lisa Rosenblum rose to the top of the list as the person best suited to lead KCLS as we implement our new Strategic Focus,” said KCLS Board Trustee Robin McClelland who chaired the search committee.

“Lisa is undaunted by challenges, our geographic reach, and our mission to serve our diverse population of patrons. We believe she will strengthen relationships with communities and seek partnerships that share our commitment to innovation,” McClelland added.

A distinguished librarian, Rosenblum has spent her career in culturally diverse and metropolitan library settings on the East and West coasts. She joins KCLS from the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), the fifth-largest library system in the country, which includes the historic Central Library. There, Rosenblum served as Director and Chief Librarian, and oversaw the planning, developing and leading of BPL’s operations and its $120 million budget.

Prior to her position at BPL, Rosenblum served as Director of Library and Community Services for the City of Sunnyvale in California, where she implemented the use of innovative technology to enhance library services, increased the circulation of materials and augmented eBook collections. Prior to her role in Sunnyvale, Rosenblum served as Director of Library and Neighborhood Services for the City of Hayward in California, where she led the planning and modernization of library services and developed integrated neighborhood programs. Rosenblum began her library career as a librarian, and later training manager, then division manager, of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in the City of San Jose.

Since 2008, Rosenblum has shared her strategic leadership, organizational theory and management concept knowledge as a visiting professor and lecturer, respectively, at Pratt Institute School of Information and San Jose State University’s School of Library and Information Science.

“Lisa’s proven leadership abilities and extensive background in library programs, services, technology and innovation will be an immense asset to the King County Library System,” said Stephen A. Smith, KCLS Interim Library Director. “She has worked for years with people from all walks of life, which is a great match for our increasingly diverse county. We are very fortunate that she is joining us, and sincerely look forward to her arrival in the Pacific Northwest.”
A dynamic leader, Rosenblum will be responsible for advancing KCLS’ strategic focus initiatives, including collaborating with civic and business leaders, advancing the library’s literary and technology programs, continuing its excellence in customer service, building a diverse staff and supporting the KCLS Foundation’s fundraising efforts.

“The King County Library System is nationally known as a leader among public libraries. It is an honor to have been selected as the next director,” said Rosenblum. “Many of the innovative programs at KCLS are implemented similarly at BPL, so I already feel an alignment with the direction of KCLS and its strategic focus. I would like to continue the direction and help it grow as both an institution and a community asset,” she said.

Rosenblum earned her Master’s Degree in Library Science from San Jose State University and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. John’s College.

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White Center Library closing Thursday, Friday for window repair

November 29th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Libraries, White Center Library, White Center news 3 Comments »

If you’ve been to the White Center Library in recent weeks, you’ve probably noticed some damage to its distinctive glass facade. KCLS is about to fix the windows, but it needs to close the library to get that done, so it will be closed tomorrow and Friday (November 30th and December 1st), reopening Saturday, December 2nd.

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MUSIC: New Thunderpussy video ‘Speed Queen’ shot in White Center

November 28th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Music, White Center news 1 Comment »

The Seattle band Thunderpussy is out with the video for their new single “Speed Queen” – shot in White Center – Drunky’s Two Shoes BBQ, to be precise.

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PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH: Highline College to hold ‘listening session’ in White Center

November 27th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Schools, White Center news Comments Off on PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH: Highline College to hold ‘listening session’ in White Center

Want to help Highline College pick its next president? You don’t have to go far. This announcement includes word of a “listening session” coming up in White Center:

As part of its presidential search process, Highline College trustees will hold several listening sessions to learn what community members are looking for in the college’s next leader.

Sessions are scheduled in several locations throughout South King County and are open to all:

— Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m.: Wiley Center Neighborhood House at Greenbridge

— Dec. 6, daytime sessions: Highline College main campus, Building 2 (times will be posted at highline.edu/presidential-search-listening-sessions once they are available)

— Dec. 11, 6:30 p.m.: Federal Way Library, Meeting Room 2

Trustees will use what they learn at the sessions to help create the presidential profile. Profiles often outline general duties and desired qualities or characteristics.

Highline’s board is responsible for selecting and employing the college president. It is composed of community members from Highline’s service area of South King County: Dan Altmayer and Bob Roegner, both of Federal Way; Debrena Jackson Gandy, Des Moines; Fred Mendoza, Normandy Park; and Sili Savusa, White Center.

To learn what has happened to date in the search for Highline’s next leader, visit the Presidential Search news page.

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Checking in with The Lumber Yard Bar’s proprietors as they prepare to open in downtown White Center

November 27th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Beverages, White Center news 10 Comments »

(L-R, Michale Farrar and Nathan Adams, in front of the bar mural)

By Linda Ball
Reporting for White Center Now

Nathan Adams and Michale Farrar love to host parties and to entertain. It’s not unusual for them to have 100 to 150 friends over to their home for events such as their annual chicken and brisket feed in the summer. So, their friends suggested, why not make some money out of all this great talent?

The wheels started turning for the partners when Adams left his “day” job a year and one-half ago. Now, they are close to opening The Lumber Yard Bar in downtown White Center.

Though The Lumber Yard is intended to be an LGBTQ bar, Adams and Farrar plan to welcome everyone. They live just nine blocks away, but had looked everywhere for a place to build out their vision. They realized their own neighborhood was just the place, as more of the gay community is moving south due to high housing prices in Capitol Hill and elsewhere in the city.

It’s been in the works a while. “It took six months to get our building permit,” Farrar said. He said they’ve had the lease for 9616 16th Ave. SW since last December. The Lumber Yard Bar will have a full
liquor license in addition to beer and wine, plus upscale bar food created in the downstairs kitchen, by Adams and Farrar and one other cook. The menu will include Cuban pulled-pork sliders, brisket sliders, brisket chili, pork-belly mac-and-cheese, baked olive bites, and a mashed-potato bar, to name a few items. They plan to have better-than-typical bar wine, with bottle service to drink at The Lumber Yard or take home.

Adams and Farrar have done much of the interior buildout themselves, along with a small crew from Treiber Building.

The interior plays up on the name with attractive wood-looking flooring (that’s really luxury vinyl), a 24-foot-long wooden bar, old cedar fencing (above) on some of the interior walls which they’ve painted, reclaimed wood, some of the old chairs from the Fremont Theatre, and a large mirror framed in timbers. Farrar said working with the old building has been challenging.

Local artist David Johansson created a forest mural, which hangs behind the bar (top photo). A long communal table will seat 12 to 14 people in the upstairs area, with more seating in half-booths and ottomans downstairs. The downstairs area will be what the partners call more of a “speakeasy” with an edgy feel, harkening back to the days when gay bars had to “hide out.”

Total capacity inside is 96, but in the summer they will be able to seat 40 to 50 more in a fenced outdoor patio. Plans are to have “Yappy Hours” when you can bring your best four-legged friend – only on the patio. There are restrooms on both levels, and a changing room for entertainers. Upstairs there is a small area for live entertainment and the sound system. With four big-screen televisions upstairs and two downstairs, they will screen Seahawks and Sounders games, playing music videos on non-game days.

Once open, they will have a total of 12 staff – Farrar still works as a systems analyst for Starbucks, a career he’s had for 18 years, but both he and Adams will be very involved day by day. Hours will be 4 p.m. to midnight Monday – Thursday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, noon to 2 a.m. Saturday and noon to midnight on Sunday unless there is a game, when they will open earlier and serve brunch. They also will have a teachers’ happy hour from 2-6 p.m. on Friday.

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STOLEN & DUMPED? Seen at North Shorewood Park

November 24th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Crime, Parks, White Center news Comments Off on STOLEN & DUMPED? Seen at North Shorewood Park

Two items spotted at North Shorewood Park this afternoon by Gill:

The first item is a stolen bike which is located just off the North/South trail on its west side about halfway.

This trail is the one that can be accessed from either above the basketball hoop or from the other end by the fenced Corral. I would have tried to move it onto the trail but my hands were already full of other trash.

The second item was found about 100′ SE of the upper picnic table.

Two phones were in the pile along with items that someone might juse riding to and from work including water bottles. The whole pile now resides in the waste container down by the 24th Ave. SW entrance. Likely KC Parks will empty it Sat. morning.

So if any of that looks familiar to you – check it out on Saturday, sooner rather than later.

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SEEN THIS VAN? King County Sheriff’s Office puts out countywide call for help finding stolen van full of musical equipment

November 18th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news Comments Off on SEEN THIS VAN? King County Sheriff’s Office puts out countywide call for help finding stolen van full of musical equipment

From the King County Sheriff’s Office:

King County Sheriff’s detectives are asking for the public’s help locating a U-Haul van that was stolen from a hotel parking lot in SeaTac containing over $1 million in musical equipment.

The van was parked in the Double Tree Hotel parking lot in the 18700 block of International Blvd Thursday night. Surveillance photos show the van was taken from the parking lot Friday around 4:10 am. A dark colored pickup truck was seen in the area at the time of the crime and may be associated with the crime.

The U-Haul is described at a Ford F450, orange and white with a large picture of a Zebra on the side and license plates AG29943. The dark-colored pickup is described as a 2 door with 2 white stripes on the top of the cab.

If you have information about this crime please call the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206-296-3311. Or you may remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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GIVING BEFORE THANKSGIVING: Donate turkeys to White Center Food Bank

November 17th, 2017 Tracy Posted in How to Help, White Center Food Bank, White Center news Comments Off on GIVING BEFORE THANKSGIVING: Donate turkeys to White Center Food Bank

You can help fight holiday hunger by donating turkeys to the White Center Food Bank – and someone will be there almost every day before Thanksgiving to accept whatever you can give. WCFB is on the southwest corner of 8th SW and SW 108th, and promises someone will be there 10 am-4 pm Saturday and 9 am-5 pm each day Monday-Wednesday.

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White Center Library Guild Bazaar and Book Sale 2017: Saturday too!

November 17th, 2017 Tracy Posted in How to Help, Libraries, White Center news 1 Comment »

Did you miss day 1 of the White Center Library Guild Holiday Bazaar and Book Sale? No problem – go tomorrow!

10 am-2 pm Saturday, the bazaar continues for its second and final day. You’ll find books, gifts, decorations, and more – once you walk into the library’s main door on the parking-lot side, turn left.

It’s a fundraiser for library programs, and you’ll meet some cool volunteers too.

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FOLLOWUP: Court documents say 16-year-old suspect confessed to deadly shooting in White Center, throwing gun into Puget Sound

November 15th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news 2 Comments »

The suspect arrested in last Friday night’s shooting death by White Center Plaza had a hearing today. Documents from that hearing reveal that he is a 16-year-old from Olympia. We’re not identifying him until and unless he is charged; the deadline for that is Thursday afternoon. Today’s hearing resulted in a judge finding that there’s probable cause to keep him in detention until the charging decision is made. The documents say he was arrested at Capitol High School in Olympia and that he is a student there, and that he confessed to shooting 27-year-old Kenny T. Su at least four times with a .40-caliber handgun which he then threw into Puget Sound.

King County Sheriff’s Deputies searched off Don Armeni Boat Ramp in West Seattle today; a reader sent the photo above, and KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West confirmed that divers found a gun in the water. The suspect is reported to have told investigators that he shot the victim because the man had stabbed him minutes earlier at the 15th/Roxbury Texaco station, after allegedly demanding the suspect’s shoes. According to police, they identified the suspect with the help of security video and a tipster; the suspect told them he was in the area because he had taken a bus from Olympia to visit relatives in Delridge.

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FOLLOWUP: Suspect arrested in White Center shooting death

November 13th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news 1 Comment »

(WCN photo, Friday night)

The King County Sheriff’s Office just announced that a suspect is in custody in last Friday night’s shooting death in White Center. KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Jason Houck says the suspect is “a juvenile male” who has been booked into the King County Youth Detention Center, adding, “At this point, there is no new information about what led to the fight that occurred just prior to the shooting. Detectives are still actively investigating this incident.” The victim was a 27-year-old man from Burien, found by the White Center Plaza building late Friday night, along 15th SW just north of SW 98th – here’s our coverage from that night.

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THURSDAY: Boulevard Park Library project meeting

November 12th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Boulevard Park, Libraries, White Center news 1 Comment »

Reminder, if you missed this mention in our coverage of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council‘s November meeting: If you use the Boulevard Park Library (12015 Roseberg Ave. S.), you will want to be there this Thursday (November 16th), 6:30-8 pm, for an open house where you can find out the latest about the upcoming interior-remodeling project. KCLS says the team from BuildingWork Architecture will be there.

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UPDATE: Man shot and killed in White Center

November 10th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news 2 Comments »

(WCN photos)
11:49 PM: King County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a deadly shooting in White Center. They were searching on the ground and in the air after the shooting by the White Center Plaza building on 15th SW north of SW 98th.

KCSO says the victim is male but that’s about all we know right now – no word yet on the circumstances, and no word of any arrests. We’ll update when there’s more info to report. Deputies are also busy with a deadly shooting less than three miles south at 1st Avenue S. and S. 120th – early reports are that two men shot at each other; one was killed, one wounded in the leg.

7:17 AM: No additional information so far this morning. But we did verify that investigators cleared the scene overnight and 15th SW is open again.

8:45 AM: New information just in from King County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Cindi West: The victim was a 27-year-old man from Burien: “Witnesses told police that a group of men was talking with the victim prior to the shooting. The suspect who was with the group of men fought with the victim. When the fight was over, the suspect pulled out a gun and shot the victim. The men fled the scene on foot. King County Guardian One and K-9 responded but were unable to locate the suspect or the men he was with. The only description obtained was that the suspect was wearing a red hoodie.” They’re asking for tips – 206-296-3311 (or 911).

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WHITE CENTER HOLIDAYS: Library Guild Bazaar coming up November 17-18

November 9th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Holidays, Libraries, White Center news Comments Off on WHITE CENTER HOLIDAYS: Library Guild Bazaar coming up November 17-18

A little over a week until your chance to do holiday shopping and support a good cause – the White Center Library Guild‘s Holiday Bazaar and Book Sale is coming up Friday, November 17th, 10 am-3 pm, and Saturday, November 18th, 10 am-2 pm. The library is at 1409 SW 107th.

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ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS: After the first vote count, here are the toplines

November 7th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Election, White Center news Comments Off on ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS: After the first vote count, here are the toplines

King County released its Election Night vote tally just after 8 pm. Here are notes of local interest:

KING COUNTY SHERIFF: Johanknecht 52 percent, Urquhart 48 percent

KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Constantine 75 percent, Hirt 24 percent

KING COUNTY PROPOSITION 1: Yes 66 percent, No 34 percent

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 1: Creighton 51 percent, Calkins 49 percent

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 3: Bowman 67 percent, Abdi 33 percent

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 4: Steinbrueck 63 percent, Shridhar 37 percent

NORTH HIGHLINE FIRE DISTRICT COMMISSION POSITION 1: Giba 56 percent, Maples 44 percent

Full countywide results here.

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LAST HOUR TO VOTE: Get to the dropbox by 8 pm

November 7th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Election, White Center news Comments Off on LAST HOUR TO VOTE: Get to the dropbox by 8 pm

Patti, Liz, and their canine companions posted for us at the White Center Library ballot dropbox late this afternoon. Also there, volunteers from the White Center Community Development Association, cheering for everyone who brought in their ballot. The dropbox at 1409 SW 107th is open until 8 pm – so if you are voting at the last minute, get there as soon as you can. First results are due by about 8:15 pm.

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WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Recognize these robbers?

November 7th, 2017 Tracy Posted in White Center news 3 Comments »

Just in from the King County Sheriff’s Office:

King County Sheriff’s detectives are asking for the public’s help identifying three men who robbed a man at gunpoint last month. Shortly after the robbery, two of the suspects went to a Wells Fargo ATM and withdrew money using the victim’s credit card.

On Friday, October 20th, around 1:30 am, deputies responded to a report of a robbery that occurred near SW 100th St and 26 Ave SW in White Center.

The victim, a 20-year-old Seattle man, told police he was walking home from the Safeway on SW Roxbury when he was attacked by three men and robbed of his wallet, keys, and cell phone. One of the men struck the victim in the back of his head with a gun during the robbery.

A short time after the robbery, two of the suspects were seen on camera taking money from the victim’s account at the Wells Fargo ATM on SW Roxbury. Both of the suspects had their faces covered but one of the men was wearing a sweatshirt with an “Angry Birds” logo on the front.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about this crime to call the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206-296-3311. You may also remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477)

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Camp Second Chance: Will it get a second year?

November 6th, 2017 Tracy Posted in Myers Way, White Center news Comments Off on Camp Second Chance: Will it get a second year?

This past Sunday, the afternoon snow didn’t get in the way of the Community Advisory Committee meeting for Camp Second Chance, the Seattle-sanctioned encampment on Myers Way. The wide-ranging discussion included updates on the camp’s status, two months after it changed operators – including a drop in its population – as well as much talk about whether it would be renewed for a second year. You can read the full story on our partner site West Seattle Blog.

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Marijuana-business Q&A and more at North Highline Unincorporated Area Council’s November meeting

November 3rd, 2017 Tracy Posted in North Highline UAC, White Center news 2 Comments »

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

What’s been a concern for a long time – the concentration of marijuana stores in North Highline – was aired Thursday night at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, with a panel of state and county reps answering questions.

MARIJUANA DISCUSSION: Panelists were State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, regulations analyst Frank O’Dell, enforcement Capt. Tim Thompson, and licensing supervisor Mistie Jones from the state Liquor and Cannabis Board; Karen Freeman from the King County Executive’s office; associate planner Jake Tracy and planner Kevin LeClair from the county planning department.

“You’re saturated with the retail stores,” O’Dell acknowledged in response to the opening question by NHUAC president Liz Giba about how this area compares to others in terms of the presence of marijuana businesses. Nine of the 17 unincorporated-area licensees are in North Highline, O’Dell said. “What sticks out like a sore thumb is that you have more than 50 percent of the retail stores in unincorporated King County in this community.”

Why is that?

“Because the license applicants chose this community,” O’Dell said.

Tracy explained that retail businesses are allowed in two zones. Over the years, King County has lost some of those zones as unincorporated areas have become parts of cities. So this area is the largest remaining in that zoning class. Also, landlords’ willingness to rent to these types of businesses can be a factor, he said.

Next question – how does the density of those businesses compare to nearby areas such as Burien and West Seattle? (We know the latter has two. Burien has two, someone from the audience said.) O’Dell said the state originally planned to allocate 334 licenses for stores. Then a bill passed asking LCB to look into more licenses, so “the board decided to add 222 additional, for 556 total.” Some cities were “allocated specific numbers,” he said, “so they won’t all congregate in one specific area.”

Cities and counties can impose their own limits on how many stores, O’Dell said after a back-and-forth about allotment of licenses per specific areas.

“So shouldn’t someone who wants to open a store get a license from the state before applying to the county?” asked Giba.

O’Dell said you would think – but there’s no state law that says they have to get the state license first. Tracy said that multiple jurisdictions are often involved in situations where someone is pursuing a new enterprise – like a development project, for example. He also said that the county does include “community business zones” that could be eligible for marijuana stores, in Fall City, for example.

The possibility of expanding the areas is under study by the County Council, an attendee pointed out.

Freeman explained, “When the county took a look at where they wanted to make this use available, the zones they chose were community business and regional. Then we heard from the community a concern about the number of stores, so we put in a new buffer. The council said, let’s take a look at other zones and have a study. That study is under way.” Yes, but that study was due last December, per an attendee. Freeman said the delay was because it was under the purview of a fee-funded department.

Another attendee said he’s visited local marijuana stores and is “pretty impressed by how they work,” but the concentration bothers him because it’s potentially affecting property values and the crime rate. “You can’t have it all in one concentration area, which isn’t good for the community.”

Freeman said that’s what the “buffer” was about. LeClair elaborated on it, saying that after the businesses clustered in North Highline and Skyway/West Hill, the council said that no two businesses can open within 1,000 feet of each other (though the existing ones are grandfathered – “we can’t put legitimate legal businesses out of business (because of this) unintended consequence”).

Can marijuana excise tax be used for more research or something else to alleviate the situation? an attendee asked. Freeman said that the money received from that tax goes to the King County Sheriff’s Office, as it has to be used for enforcement-related activities. How much money does it generate? asked Giba. “$1.1 million to unincorporated King County in the most recent fiscal year,” said O’Dell.

NHUAC vice president Barbara Dobkin said she had heard the Sheriff’s Office say the money went to cover part of its budget gap, not to fund anything new. Freeman used that opportunity to mention the archaic system of how the county is funded.

If money is supposed to be generated by permit fees from projects, another attendee said, why are some projects being built without permits, according to online records (or lack of them)?

LeClair said, “The state of things with code enforcement, which is what you are talking about … The great majority … do the right thing and get permits when it’s required. There’s going to be people who don’t. We don’t have enforcement officers rolling around the streets looking at projects saying, did they get a permit or not?” If you know of something without a permit, tell the county, he urged. Freeman echoed that the county expects residents to be their partners in flagging things like this.

Dobkin then brought up a past meeting at which they were told that White Center wasn’t going to have any marijuana stores, and then something changed and the community wasn’t told, before all the stores started popping up.

Couldn’t the stores be taxed to help pay for enforcement and other needs? someone asked. That wasn’t directly answered.

Next question was for Rep. Fitzgibbon. Could he introduce legislation that could affect “this particular situation where King County says our hands are tied… and yet we have these very disproportionate uses … going on?”

Fitzgibbon said theoretically a state law could be passed to close some of those businesses but he thinks it would be very difficult if they are up and running and following the law. He said he thinks it likely that some of them will eventually go out of business, and because of the buffer law, they won’t be replaced. (It was pointed out later that a store can change hands, and if it’s not closed for more than six months in the meantime, it can reopen.) Fitzgibbon also wondered if the state could set aside the money generated by White Center to be used for the needs of White Center – instead of having KCSO use it to cover a budget gap, he said he thinks it would have been great for it to have been used to hire extra deputies for the area. But “my preferred option would be just to get them more money,” and there could be multiple ways to do that.

Tracy added that if a store closes for at least 6 months, it will no longer be “vested” and can’t reopen in that location. He too agreed “the number probably will go down over the years.”

The robberies at the local shops and the “cost to the community” was brought up; nobody on the panel had stats on that, though Giba recounted the robberies that had been reported in recent months. “But to be fair, 7-11 in Top Hat has been robbed,” pointed out an attendee.

LeClair asked O’Dell if there’s a differentiation between stores with and without medical endorsements. Short answer, no.

Another attendee wondered about the local stores’ security.

Capt. Thompson said every retail licensee has requirements for alarms and surveillance cameras, as well as “quarantine areas” with 24/7 surveillance. “When you hear about robberies, first thing the Sheriff’s Office does is pull that video – that’s helped catch a lot of (suspects) … but a lot of these are smash and grab type things,” he said. O’Dell said that the stores are required to keep their security video for at least 45 days. And if you have suggestions for more security rules, you can send those comments to the state.

Were liquor stores ever this concentrated? someone asked. Rep. Fitzgibbon said, not the state-run stores, but cannabis stores are privately operated and so go into competition with each other. He said in retrospect, the buffer would have been good to have from the start.

The discussion also veered back into history – including the unregulated medical-marijuana “dispensary” days. Now, as Fitzgibbon explained, there’s just one category of store, but it can get a “medical endorsement”; there are tougher rules for people’s eligibility for medical-grade products. The bill was passed just two years ago so Fitzgibbon says it would be good to get feedback on how the prescribing process is going.

So if marijuana is legal in general, why do you need a medical-marijuana card? For one, patients don’t pay the taxes for their medicine, “but we weren’t just going to grant that tax break for everybody,” Rep. Fitzgibbon explained. Also, patients are allowed to grow some at home.

What happens to the marijuana stores open now, if North Highline is annexed? Freeman explained that Seattle is the only entity that is currently eligible to annex the area, since Burien removed it from their potential annexation area. She said Seattle continues to “work on an annexation proposal.” But now Seattle is on the brink of another mayoral change, and, she said that city staffer Kenny Pittman continues working on a proposal that would be up to voters to decide the fate of.

Giba brought up the case of the marijuana-production/processing facility that for a while was proposed for the lower level of the building where Beer Star, Li’l Woody’s, and CTO are now open. LeClair said that they had to seek a “conditional use permit” because of the size of the area of the building they were proposing using for marijuana drying. Giba said they only found out because of a mailing to “property owners within 500 feet.” She notes that most property owners in the area are not community members, so “much of the community was not notified.” Wouldn’t 1,000-foot notification be better? LeClair said he thought that’s a good suggestion, but “it just wasn’t something we thought to do at the time. … (but) as evidenced by the amount of feedback we got, people heard about it.” Dobkin said, “People heard about it because we spread the word.” The county published official notice in two “newspapers,” said LeClair, and they have notices online. (Still not high visibility, it was noted.)

The project eventually couldn’t go forward because it was too close to a school, Giba noted – the nearby businesses that cater to families, such as Full Tilt Ice Cream and Southgate Roller Rink, didn’t factor into it, but, she thinks, should have. Rep. Fitzgibbon says there certainly could be legislative discussion of changes to the buffer zone. The LCB’s O’Dell said that Full Tilt didn’t qualify as an “arcade,” though it has games, so didn’t fall under rules relating to distance between marijuana businesses and those types of facilities.

But Fitzgibbon pointed out that the buffers already existing mean that marijuana businesses are only allowed in certain areas, which has led to concentrations such as SODO.

An attendee asked about the huge mixed-use project being built in Top Hat on the former supermarket site. LeClair talked about how long that site had remained empty and how much the county wanted to see it be redeveloped. And, he told someone else who asked, its retail can’t have marijuana stores because that would be within the 1,000-foot buffer of the existing stores.

Toward the end of the discussion, there was more talk about the distribution of stores around King County. Freeman pointed out that some cities banned them altogether – and can’t be forced to accept them. And again, she noted that urban, unincorporated King County is now a relatively small area, “and that’s part of the issue.” Giba wondered if King County could have appealed the state’s designated allocation of stores. “No,” said O’Dell. She also said it was a lot of time and trouble to pursue an appeal in the case of the marijuana-processing facility without knowing that it didn’t have a state license anyway – a license without which it couldn’t operate, but there was no requirement that it get the license. It was a lot of wasted time and trouble for the applicant, too, said LeClair: “We had (staffers) processing plans that were never going to come to fruition,” since the applicant said they were willing to take the risk. “I’m sorry the community had to go through the trouble … but from our standards we felt they met the criteria.”

“But they didn’t tell us until the late afternoon before the pre-hearing conference with the hearing examiner,” protested Giba.

“Same here,” said LeClair. (Apparently the applicant thought they would have been getting a license transferred from Enumclaw.)

Freeman promised to take the concerns back regarding possible changes to the process.

Dobkin asked her about the county continuing to allow densification despite saying it doesn’t have the services to support density in unincorporated urban areas like this.

“We don’t build,” said Freeman.

“But you permit,” said Dobkin.

“But you are an urban area,” retorted Freeman. “… the county’s zoning and our processes and administrative rules are designed at rural levels, that’s what we do. I hear you. (But) until urban unincorporated areas get to 50 + 1” (in favor of annexing to a city) “we are stuck in this very uncomfortable situation.”

The question came back around again, what exactly does marijuana tax money pay for, and do tax dollars generated in North Highline, for example, get spent specifically in North Highline? Enforcement is the stipulation for what the money goes toward, but exactly what “enforcement” means, is up to the local recipient – the King County Sheriff’s Office, in this case, and they decide “where to put those dollars,” Freeman said, as well as what the money goes toward.

Also at Thursday night’s meeting:

COALITION FOR DRUG-FREE YOUTH: The coalition’s Maddison Story explained the group‘s work to NHUAC – it works under Navos, with prevention teams at Cascade Middle School and Evergreen High Schol, life-skills training at Cascade, a parenting-skills program for Latino and Somali families, countywide “multilingual media campaigns,” and community surveys “to assess awareness levels and attitudes of community on drug/alcohol use” – among other work. In some of the survey results from last year, their results showed:

Community perceptions include that more than two-thirds of people surveyed believe that alcohol and marijuana use are problems in the community, and that both are easy for youth to access. Right now, this year’s survey is under way (we’ll add the link when we have it); the coalition also invites you to its monthly meetings – next one is 12-1:30 pm at Seola Gardens Community Room, 11215 5th SW.

OTHER BUSINESS: An open house is planned for the Boulevard Park Library project, 6:30-8 pm Thursday, November 16th (12015 Roseberg Avenue S.): “Learn about the upcoming interior remodel. Meet the team from Building Work Architecture,” invites the flyer.

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meets first Thursdays most months, 7 pm, at North Highline Fire District HQ. Between meetings, watch for updates at northhighlineuac.org.

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