White Center Now: The blog about White Center

(WCN/WSB photo)

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

At least 100 people are sleeping outside in White Center on any given night, it’s estimated.

But there’s no official shelter anywhere nearby.

King County hopes to change that before winter, by converting the former Public Health building at 8th SW/SW 108th into a shelter for 70 people.

We first reported this after finding out about it while covering the September 1st North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, where president Liz Giba mentioned an upcoming community meeting to discuss it. We subsequently obtained and published notice of the meeting, which is set for this Thursday night (September 15th).

When we contacted the King County division in charge of the project, Housing and Community Development, we were offered the chance to talk with its manager Mark Ellerbrook about the project.

Here’s what we learned in a conversation with him on Monday:

Ellerbrook reiterated that County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Ed Murray declared homelessness to be “an emergency” as of last November. The annual countywide One Night Count two months later found more than 300 people sleeping outside in Southwest King County alone, the “highest number of unsheltered homeless people outside Seattle,” according to Ellerbrook, with at least 100 of them estimated to be in White Center. The three zip codes that include parts of White Center, meantime, had 1,300 calls last year for homelessness-related assistance.

That indicates a high “level of need,” Ellerbrook observed, not that the county needed the numbers to be aware, since they’ve long been hearing at community meetings about people camping and/or sleeping in doorways and along streets.

But the White Center area has had no shelter to address the need – nothing between an 8-person shelter for women at a West Seattle church and a 9-person shelter for women in Burien. “A pretty high level of need, with almost no shelter services.”

So as the county assessed its resources, with the mission of deploying them toward helping with the homelessness emergency, this building came up. It also was transferred between county departments, making it more easily available for this new use.

It will operate as an “enhanced shelter,” Ellerbrook said, noting that this type of shelter was recommended by some of the reports released last week focusing on the regional crisis, one that operates without some of the restrictions that “are often barriers to people seeking shelter.”

He confirmed that the Salvation Army will operate the shelter, as part of an existing contract with the county, offering case management and other services. We asked about the cost, and he said that hadn’t been finalized yet. (We will check back.) The SA already operates some shelters in county buildings, according to Ellerbrook, and does “a really good job of managing a challenging population”; in addition, it already is involved in the area, with a facility in South Delridge.

The shelter will accept single adults and couples, 18 and over – no children.

The hours will be longer than many “overnight” shelters – opening at 5 pm, offering dinner and breakfast, and closing at 8 am, “so that folks will have more time indoors, with case management connecting in the evening and the morning.” Extra “transportation services” will be offered too, Ellerbrook said; while the location is close to three bus routes serving downtown, “the Salvation Army is going to work to provide van transportation services” so that shelter users can get to appointments, interviews, doctors, something “not typically offered.”

One question asked at this month’s NHUAC meeting – will the shelter be serving just people found to be unsheltered in this area? Ellerbrook says “all of our shelters operate regionally” – so that, for example, someone can show up at a shelter in Bellevue and say they’re from Seattle, and they will still be allowed in.

But, he added, “we’re going to actively do outreach with the Salvation Army and Sound Mental Health to the folks who are homeless in White Center, to make sure they are aware of the shelter, that they can bring their belongings and leave them (at the shelter) even when it’s closed during the day, that it’s OK for couples and pets.” The county already has outreach “in this community,” he said, including at the White Center Food Bank next to the planned shelter site, and at areas where people experiencing homelessness are known to be camping, such as along Myers Way.

Shelter users will not be screened for criminal backgrounds. “These are people who are in the community now – whether they are a felon, or someone just down on their luck, they’re camping in green spaces … our hope is to bring them into a known location like (this) so we can get them connected to services and housing and make them more of a known quantity to all the service providers.”

Also: Alcohol and drug use will not be allowed in the shelter, but if people are under the influence when they arrive, that will not keep them out. “What we find is that most folks who come in are quite tired,” Ellerbrook said.

There will be no limit on nights that people can stay in this shelter. “We often find people might come in for a short period of time, some for a long time … we really hope to move people through the system” and get them into housing, says Ellerbrook.

We asked if the building will be undergoing any major alterations to transform it into a shelter. No, said Ellerbrook, but after the community meeting, they will be applying for a permit that he says is required for “change of building use.” They hope to be able to open by November 1st, while realizing that’s a “tight timeline.”

The meeting notice also promises a discussion of the site’s future, potentially a mixed-use project with affordable housing and offices for service providers. Steve Daschle of West Seattle-based Southwest Youth and Family Services talked about this at last xx’s NHUAC meeting, and he and White Center Community Development Association executive director Sili Savusa will be at this Thursday’s meeting to discuss it.

In the meantime, Ellerbrook says the shelter could be in operation for three years.

Is the county looking at any additional potential shelter sites in White Center?

“We’re not planning anything beyond this right now,” Ellerbrook replied. “Our hope is that we will be able to get people connected and move them out” into real housing. “We hope we can move the needle on homelessness in this particular region.”

And if they can … “we might be able to re-evaluate the need for this facility.”

The community meeting on Thursday (September 15th) is at the Bethaday Community Learning Space in Dick Thurnau Memorial Park (635 SW 108th), 6:30 pm.

(King County Assessor’s photo)

In our coverage of this month’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, we mentioned NHUAC president Liz Giba‘s announcement of a King County meeting next Thursday regarding a “temporary emergency shelter” planned for the old Public Health building at 10821 8th SW.

We’ve since obtained the county’s official notice. See it here, as a PDF; below is its text:

Community Services Division
Housing and Community Development
Department of Community and Human Services

Proposed Project: Temporary White Center Emergency Overnight Shelter

Meeting Date and Time: September 15, 2016, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Meeting Location: TAF Bethaday Community Learning Space, 605 SW 108th St

King County Department of Community and Human Services invites the public to attend a meeting to learn about a proposed temporary, emergency overnight shelter at the former White Center Public Health building located at 10821 8th Ave. SW, Seattle` 98146 (Parcel No. 062304-9405). In addition to providing emergency overnight shelter to approximately 70 people, the operator will also provide outreach to people who are homeless in White Center, assistance in finding permanent housing, and other services. There will also be an opportunity to learn about long-term planning for the site.

Alternative sites for emergency shelter in the area may be proposed by the public. People may monitor the progress of the permitting process by contacting the Department of Permitting and Environmental Review or by viewing the department’s website.

For more information contact Valerie Kendall by phone at 206-263-9076 or email at valerie.kendall@kingcounty.gov.

As previously reported here on WCN, long-term planning for the site includes a potential development to house nonprofit service providers and to provide affordable housing units – no specifics, though, to this point.

(WCN photo from mid-August)

7:05 PM: You might already have figured this out from the Airstream trailer that’s been on the site a while, but we hadn’t had official confirmation until a liquor-license application showed up online today: Drunky’s Two Shoe BBQ is indeed what’s taking over the old DK Café site at 16th SW and SW 98th. Its first location is in the Fremont-to-Ballard area known as Frelard. We’ve put in another request for comment to see how soon they’re hoping to open and will update whenever we hear back.

8:01 PM: Just got a reply from Nate Rezac:

We’re very happy and excited to open up in White Center soon! We’re shooting for the first week in November. We’re bringing our same specialty smoked meats, sauces, and rubs from our Ballard location.

The new location will have a grill and fryer, so we have some surprise menu items in mind. The space will have the same type of authentic barn wood walls and shack-like feel. We’re building two large booths, “Jesus” and “Elvis” — themed for large group reservations — a wraparound outdoor patio, and a second edition of our crazy clown bathroom. On the south side of the building we’re constructing an outdoor event space with a stage and outdoor bar built into our Airstream trailer. We’re planning on live music a few nights a week, but that’s still in the works.

Ultimately we want the place to be family-friendly but stocked with a full bar and adult slushies.

In our video, you’ll find this month’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting from Thursday, September 1st, led by president Liz Giba. Pull the cursor ahead to just past two minutes in, to get past the roll call and to the start of discussion.

Before the first scheduled guest, there were community announcements, followed by Giba’s announcement of a meeting scheduled at 6:30 pm Thursday, September 15th, about a “temporary homeless shelter” proposed for the old Public Health building next to the White Center Food Bank.

The proposal, according to the announcement that was read, is to provide emergency overnight shelter for 70 people experiencing homelessness in the White Center area. The Salvation Army would operate the shelter from 5 pm to 8 am; evening and morning meals would be provided, and the people in the shelter would be offered assistance in finding permanent housing and other services.

As we have reported previously, the building is proposed for future redevelopment as a mixed-use building with space for nonprofits and low-income housing.

Concerns expressed at the meeting included questions about where the shelter users would be going during the day, and whether White Center truly had 70 people experiencing homelessness and unable to find shelter.

The September 15th meeting is set for the Bethaday Community Learning Space at Dick Thurnau Memorial Park. We are working to find out more about the proposal and the meeting, since it doesn’t appear an announcement was sent to media.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: At 19 minutes into our video, the first scheduled guest was brought up, Christine Jensen, invited to talk about the process of updating the King County Comprehensive Plan for the first time since 2012. Proposed changes have been under review since March, she said; just last week, Councilmember Rob Dembowski proposed a “striking amendment” with changes and additions suggested for what King County Executive Dow Constantine has proposed. She said some of the key proposed changes involve toughening policies related to equity and climate change. And she highlighted a change related to the Community Service Areas – such as North Highline – that could enable a return to “sub-area planning.” North Highline would be scheduled to start a “sub-area planning process” next year, which would include “significant outreach with the community.”

How would potential Seattle annexation – which might even come to a vote next year – affect that? asked NHUAC board member Elizabeth Gordon. Jensen replied that it would go forward either way – “it would probably just have a different focus if annexation gets approved.”

If projects on the drawing board now turned out to be dissonant with equity changes in the Comp Plan once it’s passed – likely by year’s end – would they be stopped? Jensen said she couldn’t speak to that.

Next step in the process of reviewing the plan was a King County Council committee meeting set for earlier today (Tuesday, September 6th) and one of the last steps will be a public hearing tentatively set for November 28th, Jensen said. Find out more – including how to comment, in the meantime – on this page of the county website.

ANNEXATION: A spirited discussion with board members and attendees followed the Comp Plan agenda item. The board discussed coming up with “minimum requirements” for Seattle to meet, even before it would consider whether to support potential annexation.

(By the way, we checked with Seattle’s point person on the issue, Kenny Pittman, recently. One point: No one filed an appeal of the King County Boundary Review Board‘s approval of potential Seattle annexation by the deadline in mid-August; another, Pittman told us there is no date set yet for potential next steps by Seattle’s mayor and council to consider sending annexation to North Highline voters.)

TOP HAT PROJECT: A fair amount of discussion was also devoted to the plan for a multi-family-housing development on the old Bernie and Boys market site in Top Hat (11225 1st Avenue South). Giba noted that the project had recently gone before the Washington State Housing Finance Commission for funding. On its website, we found notice of a July 28th public hearing, describing the project, Vintage at Southside, as “a 298-unit multifamily housing facility … (with a) percentage of the total units … set aside for persons or households with low incomes.” Its estimated cost: $71 million. Minutes of the public hearing say no one from the public testified but the commission heard from Vintage Housing president Ryan Patterson, who said the project will include “an onsite business center, bicycle storage, and a playground.” Further elaborating on the low-income aspect of the project, he is quoted as saying that 100 percent of the development will be “at 60 percent of the area median income and will set aside 20 percent of the units for households with disabilities and will include 18 live/work units and set aside 20 percent of the units for large households.” A document on the King County website (which has a different address, 11241 1st Ave. S.) says four buildings are planned.

The company’s closest complex appears to be Vintage at Burien, described online as a seniors-only community, 55+.

NO CRIME REPORT: The King County Sheriff’s Office was unable to send a representative. It was mentioned that the newest date for their storefront move to Steve Cox Memorial Park is October 1st.

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meets first Thursdays, 7 pm, at the North Highline FD HQ; watch northhighlineuac.org for updates between meetings.

7:42 PM: Thanks for the tips and photos, starting with this one from Pam via Twitter:

From Jill, another view:

And here’s a look at the authorities on scene, who, Jill says, have to strategize how the vehicle will be towed:

Noble Barton next door is OK, we’re told, but you might recall a similar crash into its door last January.

8:43 PM: Another photo from Jill, showing the damage to The Locker Room’s facade after the car was pulled away:

White Center’s second recreational-marijuana store is open. It’s a franchised location of Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop, whose original location is in Seattle’s Central District. Proprietor Daniela Bernhard says the store soft-opened last week at 9822 15th SW “with little fanfare – we’ll plan on a grand opening of sorts at a later date.” They’re open noon-8 pm for starters, and Bernhard says the store “does have a medical marijuana endorsement and we will be serving patients as soon as there are medical products available on the market, and the kinks in the medical system have been worked out sufficiently. We do of course carry a number of recreational products that many patients are find helpful for their wellness needs. The shop has a great deal of parking, with exceptional ADA accessibility.” Her background includes four years of operating the dispensary Northwest Patient Resource Center at 35th/Roxbury.

The first recreational-marijuana store in White Center is Bud Nation at 9640 16th SW; to the east, the neighborhood of Top Hat has three, and to the north, West Seattle’s first licensed store, Origins, is at 15th/Roxbury, though it’s filed with the state to seek a move a few miles north into the West Seattle Junction area.

(Map of outage area, from Seattle City Light website)

12:56 AM: More than 3,500 homes/businesses are without power in parts of White Center and southeast West Seattle, according to Seattle City Light‘s outage map. No word yet on the cause.

1:33 AM UPDATE: 90 percent of those who lost power got it back around 1:15 am, after about 45 minutes. City Light’s map still shows almost 300 homes/businesses in White Center still without power:

Commenters here and on our partner site West Seattle Blog have mentioned the utility/emergency response centered at 8th/Roxbury; here’s what SCl just tweeted about the cause:

6:30 AM: Power has since been fully restored to the entire affected area.

Just out of the WCN inbox – the lineup for this year’s Rat City Recon, a music-and-more festival planned for September 17th at Southgate Roller Rink:

If you wanna rock, you gotta roll down to White Center for the 4th Edition of RAT CITY RECON! All the Recon action will be happening at Southgate Roller Rink. Eleven bands on three stages.

Rat City Recon and Monumental Undertaking present

RAT CITY RECON 2016

Saturday, September 17, 2016 – 6 pm-2am

Southgate Roller Rink, 9646 17th Ave SW

$10 at the door, or advance will call tickets available (here)

21+, valid I.D. required

THE BANDS:

Pink Parts
ex-Licks
Githyanki
Tough Times
Slow Elk
The Grindylow
Rat City Ruckus
Glose
Wild Powwers
Stallion
Heiress

Beer & cider available in beer garden outside and indoors at the bar; event is 21+, VALID I.D. REQUIRED!

Food vendors – Sweet Lou’s Wings, more TBA

If you want to roller skate: $4 skate rental fee or bring your own; everyone skates at their own risk

Public transportation/ride share: Metro buses 60, 120, and 128; Car2Go home area ends one block north of Southgate Roller Rink at SW Roxbury Street, so you can park and walk easily to the venue

Recon 2016 is sponsored by: Full Tilt Ice Cream, Mac’s Triangle Pub, Match+Gasoline LLC, Noble Barton, Proletariat Pizza, Rat City Bikes, Rat City Records, Southgate Roller Rink, Zippy’s Giant Burgers

Summer’s ending and community-meeting season is restarting. First up: The community council for White Center and vicinity invites you to its first post-summer meeting, 7 pm Thursday (September 1st). From the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council:

Mark your calendars and plan on joining NHUAC, North Highline’s volunteer community council, at the September 1st meeting. Through its “All Are Welcome!” community meetings, the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (NHUAC) aims to add opportunity to our community’s equation:

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

The “Comp Plan” is King County’s vision for where and how growth should be located in unincorporated areas, including North Highline. The plan includes policies relating to land use, economic development, housing, parks, other services, facilities, and transportation.

This month’s meeting is an important one if you want to know what King County is planning for North Highline. We will be joined by Christine Jensen. Christine is a land use and regional planning policy analyst for the King County Council. She is the lead staff for the Council’s review of the 2016 Comprehensive Plan.

Christine will provide information and updates on the Council’s review of the Executive’s proposed 2016 Comprehensive Plan. Her presentation will include a summary of key policy issues that the Council is evaluating, an update on the review and adoption schedule, and provide opportunities for comments.

If you have felt a little out of touch over the last 2 months, this is your opportunity to reconnect with the community. Storefront Deputy Bill Kennamer will be back as usual. We are Deputy Bill’s first and main responsibility with the Sheriff’s Office. In addition to updating us on what has been happening in North Highline, he is sure to be listening to comments and concerns made by our community members, and offering his perspective about how we can work together to make North Highline a safer and healthier place.

This will be our first community meeting after our summer break so please take this opportunity to reconnect, learn and share what is happening in North Highline. Hope to see you on September 1st at 7 pm!

NHUAC meets at the North Highline Fire Station,1243 SW 112th Street in White Center; parking and entrance are in the back of the building.

Just in case you were wondering:

It’s back to school this week for most students in the Highline Public Schools district. First- through twelfth-graders resume classes this Thursday; kindergarteners don’t go back until September 7th.

With a two-phase announcement this week, Caffé Delia in downtown White Center is changing hands after 5 years. First its owners Delia and Matt announced that they had sold the shop – then a few days later, Burien Press announced itself as the new owner, saying a new name and other details are forthcoming. The shop will close for at least some part of September, the new owners say, as they create its future, adding in their announcement: “Our intention is to create something that is both honoring to the people and history of White Center and part of wherever White Center chooses to go in the future.” If you want to wish Delia and Matt well before they move on, they say this Monday (August 29th) will be the shop’s final day as Caffé Delia.

Be on the lookout!

Percussionists and string players are being sought by The Orchestra of Flight. Here’s the announcement:

The Orchestra of Flight, a community orchestra based in White Center, invites string players and percussionists to join us for our new season, beginning September 12, 2016. We rehearse Monday nights from 7:30 to 9:30 PM at Mt. View Presbyterian Church in White Center. No auditions are required. We are a noncompetitive, friendly organization. Our mission is to bring live orchestral music to communities whose members may have difficulty attending concerts in traditional venues. Come and have fun while improving your musical skills and sharing the gift of music with others. For more information, please visit our website, www.orchestraofflight.org, or contact us at info@orchestraofflight.org.

(WCN reader video)

ORIGINAL REPORT, 5:42 PM: Maybe you saw the smoke – that RV caught fire on SW 100th by 14th SW in downtown White Center this afternoon.

(WCN photo by Patrick Sand)

North Highline Fire responded, and Seattle Fire sent an engine to help. Our crew at the scene was told nobody was hurt, and the cause is under investigation. You’ll want to avoid the intersection a while longer as they work to get the damaged RV in a position where it can be towed.

ADDED 7:06 PM: Thanks to the reader who sent the video we’ve added atop this story. You can see why the side of White Center Square (which opened six years ago) was scorched; at least one window shattered from the heat, at Aaron’s Bicycle Repair, reader Gill tells us – you can see it behind the RV in Gill’s aftermath photo:

Cory sent this photo from the other side of the burned RV:

Gill reports Fire District 2 (Burien) was on scene too and investigating.

Just announced by the county:

The King County Fire Marshal today issued a burn ban in unincorporated areas of the county to prevent wildfires during the hot, dry conditions. In addition, the National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for this weekend.

This is a Stage 1 burn ban and applies to all outdoor burning except for small recreational fires in established fire pits at approved campgrounds or private property with the owner’s permission. Recreational fires can pose a hazard so please use extra caution and consideration this weekend.

Recreational fires must:

-Be built in a metal or concrete fire pit, such as those typically found in designated campgrounds; and not be used as debris disposal

-Grow no larger than three feet in diameter

-Be located in a clear spot free from any vegetation for at least 10 feet in a horizontal direction, including at least 25 feet away from any structure and allow 20-foot vertical clearance from overhanging branches

-Be attended at all times by an alert individual and equipment capable of extinguishing the fire.

For properties located within cities, contact your local jurisdiction for requirements. This ban remains in effect until further notice.

The King County Fire Marshal will post updates on the burn ban on the Department of Permitting and Environmental Review website.

Looking for acupuncture treatment? A new community clinic is open in White Center – Sloth Around Community Acupuncture. Proprietor Lynn Bondi says, “Sloth Around Community Acupuncture exists to provide high quality, affordable, and accessible acupuncture to as many people as possible, and as often as necessary. It’s easy for friends and family to heal together in our comforting, calm, and relaxing community space. Our sliding scale fee of $20-$50 allows you to choose a fee that best fits into your budget.” You can make appointments online at slotharoundtogether.com, where you’ll also find the days/hours; the clinic is at 10223 17th Ave SW.

Happening tomorrow!

This Saturday, August 13th, 11 am to 3 pm, our White Center Library Guild will have its 1st Sidewalk Sale at our NEW Library, 1409 SW 107th St. The Guild sponsors extra programs for the Library that would not happen otherwise. There will be lots of books, plus many other donated treasures. We need your support, hope to see you there !!!

Hard to believe the library’s been open almost three months now – after so many years of waiting and anticipation.

Give a little time, make a lot of difference, this Saturday (August 13th)! From Lina Rose:

Join King County Parks staff and community members in improving the health and safety of North Shorewood Park.

We will be working together to remove some of the plants causing damage to the health of the forest and blocking some of the side trails in the park. We will also do lots of plant identification and learn about the wild plants and animals of the park.

Over the years, community members have made a huge positive impact on this park – join us! Event is from 9 am-1 pm; please contact Volunteer Coordinator Lina Rose at 206.491.5014 or lina.rose@kingcounty.gov before Saturday if you are interested in attending.

Here’s where to find North Shorewood Park.

It’s been more than a month since we first told you about this – and tonight’s the night!

King County Parks and the White Center Community Development Association invite you to Steve Cox Memorial Park tonight to see “El Gallo Con Muchos Huevos,” free!

More info here; the movie starts at dusk at the park (1321 SW 102nd), but you can arrive as early as 6:30 pm for games, music, food, and fun.

Happening right now at Greenbridge Plaza (9800 8th SW), hundreds of people are at the annual White Center Promise Celebration, which includes an early-back-to-school backpack giveaway.

Fun activities too:

This is all happening until 7 pm.