White Center Now: The blog about White Center

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.

Remember the windstorm that cut power to thousands in our area last Friday? Tomorrow we might see even-stronger winds. The National Weather Service has a High Wind Warning in effect for 7 am to 7 pm Thursday. Charge everything!

That’s the tribute to poet Richard Hugo, installed last year at Mac’s Triangle Pub (Delridge/Roxbury) during the first annual official celebration of his birthday. The second one is set for the same spot, this Friday at 7 pm, and you’re invited to come honor him by reading one of his poems .. or maybe one of your own. The announcement:

Poet Richard Hugo (1923-1982), has another birthday coming up. It’s December 21st. Born in White Center, Hugo was a poet and teacher whose books included White Center, The Triggering Town, Death of the Kapowsin Tavern, amongst other works. Seattle’s Hugo House is named for him. Celebrate his life and work and lift a pint on his birthday at Mac’s Triangle Pub in White Center.

Here’s our coverage of last year’s celebration.

That phone video captures King County Sheriff’s Deputy Randy Shute calling in to dispatch one last time before his recent retirement. We happened to hear the call as it happened – including the dispatcher revealing that she’s the deputy’s daughter. We asked KCSO public-information officer Sgt. Ryan Abbott about it; today, KCSO posted the video, on the same day as a party celebrating Deputy Shute’s retirement. He served for more than 36 years, including the White Center ara.

New information about the shooting death in east White Center three weeks ago – and a suspect that KCSO is seeking. Here’s the announcement we received:

KCSO Major Crimes Unit has identified the suspect in the homicide from 11/19/2018 at the 10000 BLK 1 AVE SW as 24-year-old Mical D. Roberts; he is described as 6’5, 250 pounds, and is considered *Armed and Dangerous*. Detectives have probable cause to arrest Roberts for Murder. If you know the whereabouts of Roberts, call 911, do not attempt to contact him. You can also leave an anonymous tip with Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or through the free P3 tips app. Crimestoppers offers a $1000 reward for the tip that leads to the arrest of Roberts. See attached photos of Roberts.

(Backstory) On 11/19/2018 at 7:39 PM a female called 911 from a bedroom closet stating that a shooting was occurring at the residence located at the 10000 BLK 1 AVE SW. Deputies arrived on-scene a short time later and located the 26-year-old victim in the house with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim died at the scene from his injuries. The suspect fled in an unknown vehicle prior to the Police arriving.

Detectives continue to interview witnesses and follow up on leads. They ask that if anyone has any information regarding this shooting to call the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206/296-3311 or 911.

We still don’t know the victim’s name.

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

Issues old and new were in the spotlight as December’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting put a trio of longtime local elected officials in the hot seat(s).

But first – NHUAC got a primer on a vote coming up in February.

WATER DISTRICT MERGER VOTE: Loretta Brittingham was here to talk about the merger that will go up for voter approval February 12th. Though she is a commissioner for Water District 45, which is proposed – in a February 12th vote – to merge with Water District 20, she made it clear she was there with an FYI, not an official presentation. We recorded what she had to say:

As you’ll hear in the discussion, this has been primarily publicized via water-bill inserts and public notices. There’s a bit more information on the District 45 website; here’s a map of the district’s coverage area.

ELECTED OFFICIALS: 34th District State Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon opened this segment of the meeting. President Liz Giba asked them first to share a bit of personal background. Fitzgibbon is a West Seattle resident and former Burien resident, and he spoke first. Cody, also a West Seattle resident, followed. We recorded it all:

Cody announced she’s retiring from her work as a nurse on January 9th. The reps answered questions starting with reports that the Legislature might revisit the Growth Management Act. Fitzgibbon said a “very conservative Eastern Washington” legislator is behind one idea to roll back certain parts of it, while another is from an Eastside Democrat who wants to “require minimum density.” Giba also brought up the recently opened development in Top Hat (1st/112th) and conflicting numbers regarding its potential maximum occupancy. Discussion ensued regarding notification requirements and potential ramifications of a higher resident count, such as an increased number of students at nearby schools.

A question from the gallery: What about health insurance? Cody chairs the House Health Care Committee, and noted that affordability “continues to be a big issue” so they’re trying to develop “a public option,” especially to help people with non-poverty “but not Bill Gates” income levels who don’t get tax credits. She also mentioned behavioral-health-care access and Western State’s difficulties. They’re working to find facilities around the state that can help handle some of the patient load. Cody mentioned substance abuse, too – “the opioid crisis is where we’re losing the most lives,” prescription recipients as well as heroin users, but, she said, meth is on the rise again, too.

That segued into a discussion of what your tax dollars are going for. Fitzgibbon noted that property tax bills will go down next year.

County Council Chair Joe McDermott arrived a little over an hour into the meeting. He’s finishing his third year as chair, eight years on the council, after 10 years in the Legislature. He too is a West Seattle resident.

NHUAC board member Barbara Dobkin asked about development regulation, or more like, the lack of it, especially multiple adjacent “small” redevelopments that together would have faced more scrutiny. McDermott, in his reply, noted that neighborhood planning will be happening in North Highline next year. Specifically – the county permitting department will be accountable for a Sub-Area Plan. And he reminded everyone that the new Department of Local Services is about to get going, as a “one-stop resource” to help people “better interact with the county.” That department will include “an economic development staffer that we have not had before” and McDermott says he will encourage that person to make White Center their first stop. McDermott also noted that the Local Services director nominee is up for confirmation shortly. “There are challenges in bringing urban-level services (here) but if we are your local government, we need to do a better job” in meeting those challenges, he said. Will the area’s unincorporated status change? McDermott said he’s not aware of any active conversations. That topic came up a second time, with an attendee asking if the county can get the conversation going (again). McDermott promised to at least ask; he also noted that he’ll be seeing Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan for a breakfast discussion about the county’s legislative agenda next week.

Other topics included marijuana and the North Highline concentration of stores. McDermott urged attendees to make this concern “very clear in the Sub-Area planning process” that’s coming up. Later, he was asked whether the North Highline planning process will dovetail with the city’s Highland Park-area process; McDermott said he’ll make sure they do, though he hadn’t previously heard of the latter. Tax reform came up too, with Fitzgibbon mentioning that passing a capital-gains tax is a priority for the coming session. “Do you really think (that) has a chance?” asked Giba. Fitzgibbon and Cody said yes.

Before their appearance wrapped up, they were asked what else will be going on. Fitzgibbon mentioned the Metro Route 120-to-RapidRide conversion planning; Cody mentioned several other health-care-related topics. McDermott mentioned that five gun-safety proposals he first brought up last summer have now all been passed: “That has been significant for me and included some significant accomplishments in the budget” to make them reality. He also brought up Evergreen Pool and some new county funding for it to help cover its ongoing operation-funding deficit, plus he had kudos for the nonprofit that’s managed to keep it open for almost a decade, after the county gave up operating it.

State Sen.-elect Joe Nguyen had also RSVP’d for the meeting, Giba said, but did not show up.

Also speaking at Thursday night’s meeting:

WHITE CENTER KIWANIS: Scott Davis began with a primer on Kiwanis – more than a century old – and what it does, including raising money for children’s health. In White Center, the club started as a spinoff from the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle in 2001. The club meets twice a month, first and third Wednesdays. “We’d love to have more members so we can do more things.” They sponsor Key Clubs to help local high school students (at Evergreen and New Start) develop their leadership skills – Key stands for “Kiwanis Educating Youth.” The Baked Potato and Taco Dinner is coming up on January 24th, 6:30 pm at New Start HS (ticket prices TBA); their fundraisers also include a midsummer Pancake Breakfast that coincides with Jubilee Days, and an annual nut sale that’s under way now. They support local charities including the White Center Food Bank and WestSide Baby. They also support local youth cleaning up local parks, and advocacy for drug- and alcohol-free youth campaigns.

REMEMBERING DEPUTY STEVE COX: President Giba took a moment at the start of the meeting to remember Deputy Steve Cox, who was a NHUAC president as well as law enforcer. As noted in our coverage of the tribute at last weekend’s Christmas tree lighting, he was killed in the line of duty 12 years ago.

NEXT NHUAC MEETING: They’re skipping January since it’s so close to New Year’s Day – next meeting February 7, 2019, 7 pm at NH Fire District HQ (1243 SW 112th)