Next HPAC Meeting postponed- no Meeting for Wed. Oct. 22nd

We hope everyone has been making the most of this beautiful autumn season. HPAC’s October gathering won’t be taking place as originally scheduled. However, we’re hoping to reconvene in November or December for a special session where we’ll dive into the revised design for the Highland Park Way SW hill project with SDOT. Watch for details on the exact timing. 

With rains returning and trees shedding their leaves for the fall, a quick reminder that you can help keep streets clear of standing water by clearing leaves and debris from storm drains near your residence.

Note that City interim budget process is moving quickly ahead, with the next Public Hearing to be held on November 6 (1 p.m. session for remote testimony, 5 p.m. session for in-person). Learn about commenting here.

Voting for open City, County and School District seats ends November 4th. Make your voice heard.

Other Area Happenings:

The Duwamish River Community Coalition needs folks to submit comments on a proposal to increase the amount of tires that Ash Grove Cement would be allowed to burn in their production factory. Some may recall past community struggles to get the LaFarge Factory below Riverview to cease this practice which produced notable air particulate material and black dust on cars and surfaces in the area. Find a direct link to their petition here!

E Marginal Way S Paving & Safety Project Design Input 

There’s one final chance to weigh in on early design feedback: The project will be featured prominently at the Georgetown Community Council meeting on October 20 at 7 PM. 

Community input highlighted a strong desire for more detailed information about critical design components. In response, the project website has been enhanced with explanations about the southbound lane reduction and frequently asked questions. Questions or comments? Reach out to the project team at emarginalpavingandsafety@seattle.gov.

East Marginal Way Corridor Project Completion Celebration

On October 25 from 10a-12:30p the completion of major work on the East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project will be commemorated! This initiative has been underway and transforming the area since 2015.

The community celebration features a ribbon cutting ceremony, information booths from local organizations, and complimentary refreshments. This event marks the final destination for Hot Bike Summer – bring your completed passport to claim your reward!

This will be at E Marginal Way S and S Hanford St, you can also join a group ride to the celebration alongside Cascade Bicycle Club, West Seattle Bike Connections, and Best Side Cycling.

Annual Seattle University Public Safety Survey Now Open

Seattle University is conducting the citywide public safety assessment through publicsafetysurvey.org, available from October 15th until November 30th. This assessment gathers perspectives on safety and security matters from Seattle residents and workers, findings will be delivered to the Seattle Police Department to enhance their understanding of neighborhood-specific safety priorities with community dialogue sessions scheduled for May-August 2026 to facilitate discussion around the results. Additional details about the survey are available on the SPD MCPP website.

And finally with more to celebrate- Check out these upcoming HPIC events with friends and neighbors!

Join our next HPAC Meeting Sept. 24th, 6:30pm in-person at the Delridge Library

Hoping folks have been enjoying the terrific Seattle fall weather. We look forward to seeing you for our first in person meeting of the season this Wednesday.

We will have a brief update from SPD on any local public safety issues and work being done by the Unified Care Team.

Folks from the Ridge to River Coalition (R2R) will attend for a conversation about the 2025 West Duwamish Greenbelt Public Survey. The West Duwamish Greenbelt is an amazing natural area in the city. It stretches from the West Seattle Bridge to White Center. The forest is a vital habitat for birds and animals. It offers opportunities for recreation, walking on trails to destinations, or simply enjoying the outdoors close to home.

All community members are invited to share experiences, connections, and ideas for Seattle’s largest remaining forest. You can also take the online survey, visit the R2R website r2rduwamish.org and click the “Share Your Ideas” button. How can we intentionally continue to improve connections and strengthen our communities?

Also talking about connections we will have guests from Reconnect South Park, they ask “Is an Alternate Future possible!?” for bringing together parts of the South Park Community.

The portion of SR-99 running through the neighborhood presents an opportunity for modernization of 1950’s era planning with future-forward reinvestment increasing public safety, mobility, and environmental health.

Other Area Happenings:

The West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails organization reminds all that there are still two more opportunities this season to take a guided hike on some of the fantastic trails already completed. You can find route and schedule information here.

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The Highland Park Improvement Club (HPIC) announces their 2025 Membership Drive. Click here for more information on how to join the organization and support the ongoing efforts to bolster community connections and rebuild the HPIC building.

Remember, “Think Globally and Act Locally!”

Next HPAC Meeting June 25 CANCELLED due to Summer!

The HPAC eBoard officially announces that our June meeting will be cancelled!

Best wishes to all for Juneteenth, and a long relaxing summer ahead.

For anyone who hasn’t yet, we recommend you head over to this SDOT page to comment on Sidewalk additions to our area. You can read more about this Levy funded project there and via this West Seattle Blog article. This input opportunity ends June 21.

From the Highland Park Improvement Club, check here for some fun upcoming social gatherings in their First Friday series.

And be sure to get your block out for the annual Night Out event – Tuesday, August 5th – register your event here.

Stay safe, stay active and see you on September 24th for our first meeting of the fall season.

Join our next HPAC Meeting May 28, 6:30p at the Delridge Library

First ~ a unique opportunity on May 21st (this week) to meet & talk in person with SDOT about your desired Sidewalk improvements in Highland Park! Up to 15 blocks of the area can be identified for sidewalk improvements. Meet at the north side of Highland Park Elementary School at 5PM to walk the area.

Streets noted in purple are just some of those currently lacking sidewalks and curbs that safeguard walkers from drivers. Again – not all eligible streets are marked on the map, so if you have other priorities or suggestions, please come this Wednesday.

At our meeting on the following Wednesday, May 28 we will get updates from Seattle Police Department community officers in our ongoing open discussion of public safety issues.

We will also have staff from Seattle Public Utilities with their final design for the Holden Natural Drainage Systems Project. This project should go to bid shortly and will be under construction soon. If you will miss the meeting, SPU will be also be hosting a Holden NDS project design drop-in session at BedHead Coffee 1513 SW Holden St. (SE corner of SW Holden/ 16th Ave SW) on May 31st between 11am to 1pm.

As part of our continuing conversations on the RV Camping happening in the area, we also expect guest Mary Sweeney from St Vincent de Paul to speak about their RV outreach & support program in partnership with SPU. Since our previous meetings, various City reps and departments have been working on interventions. D1 Council rep Rob Saka convened a fact finding visit with multiple City Departments working on this issue and heard from impacted residents. We know this complex problem has no simple solutions – we need many voices and hands to make change happen.

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And from around the area- join friends and neighbors for a community gathering at the HPIC building construction site Friday June 6th:

First Fridays Are Here!

HPAC Meeting April 23, 6:30p at Delridge Library

We are excited to share that HPAC’s website has changed! You can now find us at https://HPACtion.org

We hope you’re enjoying the first signs of spring! There’s so much happening in and around Highland Park this month. 

For this month’s meeting we are meeting in person, on Wednesday April 23, at the Delridge Branch Library from 6:30-7:45p. At the meeting we will be hearing from The Ridge to River Coalition (R2R) about the community vision and concept plan. 

We will be joined by Caroline Borsenik and Paul West from the Ridge to River Coalition (R2R). They’ll share an exciting overview of the community-led vision and concept plan for the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle’s largest contiguous forest! R2R is focused on identifying trail connections and related needs to better serve our neighborhoods. Come with your questions and ideas! More info: https://r2rduwamish.org

Upcoming Events Around Highland Park…. 

There’s a lot going on in Highland Park and nearby this weekend and beyond. On Saturday, April 19, from noon to 2 p.m., West Seattle Indivisible is organizing a local “Hands Off!” nonviolent demonstration at 16th Ave SW and Holden. It’s part of a broader effort to stand up for justice and show support for vulnerable neighbors. The first event earlier this month drew a solid crowd, and they’re hoping to grow the momentum.

Also on Saturday (4/19), Duwamish Alive! is holding its annual Earth Month event at the Duwamish Longhouse from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a great chance to support restoration work and honor Duwamish sacred spaces.

That same morning (4/19) kicks off the 2025 season of guided hikes through the West Duwamish Greenbelt. These free hikes happen every third Saturday from April through November and rotate starting points. The first one starts at Pigeon Point Park, right at the south corner of the Pathfinder K-8 parking lot, and begins at 9:30 a.m. The full schedule is available at https://wdgtrails.org/trails.

Looking ahead, the city is planning new sidewalks in South Delridge and wants your input. A community walk is happening on Wednesday, April 23, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., starting at Westwood Village near the former Lauren’s Jewelry storefront. This is your chance to point out where walkways are needed most.

Another event to keep on your radar is the Duwamish Art Market at the Longhouse, taking place April 26 and 27. They’re looking for volunteers if you’d like to get involved and help out. 

HPIC’s First Fridays are back starting Friday, May 2, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the HPIC site (1116 SW Holden St.). Enjoy music, games, local art, and food and drinks for purchase. All ages welcome—rain or shine. These monthly gatherings are a great way to connect with neighbors and experience the spirit of the community.

Seattle Public Utilities has reached a final design for the Holden Natural Drainage Systems Project as of March 2025. Construction is expected to begin this winter, with preliminary work by PSE already underway. A drop-in info session is coming this spring. It’ll be a great chance to learn about the final design, construction timelines, and share your thoughts with the project team.

See you around the neighborhood!

Next HPAC Meeting, Wed. March 26 at the Delridge Branch Library 6:30-7:45PM

Greetings neighbors and finally Happy Spring!

We are meeting in person again at the Delridge Library meeting room this month. Hope to see you there. Please note the earlier start time of 6:30 due to library operating hours.

We expect to have folks from SPD, the CARE team, and a discussion with a representative from the Unified Care Team. For those not familiar, they are tasked with doing direct outreach and intervention with our houseless and RV residents. We hope to learn more about their work, their workflow and response times and start a dialog about more robust ways to bring help getting folks housed in the South Delridge area. While we know this is a citywide, even nationwide issue, we want to lean in as to why we have concentrations of illegal campers here and how we can work together to improve the situation.

The Citywide dashboard from 2024 Quarter 4 notes 2 tent and 3 verified RV sites contacted by UCT in Highland Park. It also gives a relational snapshot of where we are in a list of neighborhoods with unhoused residents. The numbers unfortunately do not reflect the reality what we see around us now.

If you are interested in taking action right away, an current opportunity to help out folks in need is via donation to the Westside Neighbors Shelter.

Also around the area:

Tickets are still available for the Princess Angeline “Kikisoblu” Tea, to be held at the Duwamish Longhouse, April 5.

Highland Park Improvement Club will be holding a Plant Swap & Free Compost event April 12, find more information on their website soon.

February HPAC Meeting Canceled

HPAC leadership team announces we are cancelling the regularly scheduled February Meeting, due to have been Wednesday, Feb. 26. We will resume our regular meeting schedule on Wednesday March 26.

Things we are tracking this month:

The One Seattle Plan moves into City Council consideration and released their Final EIS. HPAC leadership have provided comments on perceived impacts to Highland Park, Riverview & South Delridge area.

As required by new Washington State law, look for housing density to increase in the neighborhood.

The SW Police Precinct announced they will be re-establishing the SW Precinct Advisory Council (SWPAC) in March. HPAC will try to have a voice at the table, if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity please email us. To remind all, their Draft Mission Statement is: The SW Precinct Advisory Council (SWPAC) promotes collaboration between community members, Seattle City Agencies, and the Seattle Police Department to increase public safety in the SW Precinct.

Good news from the CARE Department.
On March 10, 2025, Seattle CARE Department Community Crisis Responders (CCR) will begin providing services in both South Precinct and Southwest Precinct, where they will assist Seattle Police Department (SPD) patrol officers on 9-1-1 crisis calls that are non-violent and non-life-threatening.

Until our next meeting, stay healthy & dry and get ready for the Spring planting season!

Join us for our first HPAC Meeting of 2025!

We will be meeting in person at the Delridge Branch Library Meeting Room, Wed. 1/22 at 6:30PM*

While Highland Park, Riverview and South Delridge sit along a ridge, we have huge environmental impacts on the watersheds to our east and west. This month our meeting will hear reports from both sides, Longfellow Creek along Delridge and the Duwamish Waterway.

We are super excited to have guest Pamela Adams from BeaverInsights coming to discuss her research and observations of the beaver families living in Longfellow Creek.

It’s easy to pass over or near this urban creek daily without noticing it’s presence, but up and down the creekbed, from Nucor Steel to the Roxhill Bog, several families of beavers, plus other wild critters, have taken up residence and are busily going about their lives. Find out more about them and learn about the benefits they bring to water quality and salmon habitat. You can also follow Pamela on Facebook here!

On the Duwamish Waterway side, we will be hearing about progress in the plans for the new West Duwamish Wet Water Treatment Facility, soon to be built near the base of the Highland Park Way hill. King County Wastewater staff will update us on the design and upcoming construction milestones.

As usual, we will have a chance to speak with representatives from the Seattle Police Department about any public safety concerns. The Southwest Precinct building sits directly atop Longfellow Creek, as it runs through an underground culvert below the Home Depot parking lot.

Our meetings are free and open to the public, please join us!

*Note the early start time of the January meeting due to Library hours.

HPAC Meeting Oct. 23, 7-8:30 via Zoom

Hope all are enjoying this brisk weather and spooky time of year. HPAC will be gathering online this meeting for our monthly discussion.

We will have a change to chat with public safety folks, and hear more from King County Metro regarding planning for changes on the 125/128 bus routes through Westwood, Highland Park and Riverview.

As you may recall, riders were taken unaware and alarmed by notices Metro put up at various stops on these services last February.

As promised here, Metro staff are returning to HPAC on Wednesday as part of a second round of engagement regarding proposed bus stop changes on 16th Ave SW between SW Holden Street and SW Henderson St. The updated proposal has been substantially revised in response to community feedback received in early 2024. Metro staff want to share details on the new proposal and to hear feedback from the HPAC meeting attendees. All users of these routes are invited to attend.

Time permitting, we will take a quick dive into Mayor Harrell’s One Seattle Plan, the update to the Seattle Comprehensive Plan long in the works. There are some modest changes in Westwood Highland Park and South Delridge areas. Comment online here.

See you online Wednesday (link below), or join us Saturday Oct. 26 for the 4th annual Trick or Trees celebration at the Highland Park Corner Store. Great food and tunes, treats for kids, a pet costume contest and free trees!

Topic: HPAC Monthly Meeting
Time: Oct 23, 2024 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86144319930?pwd=wtma2Qalzay8JpPnik9pqvTpWLF6su.1

Meeting ID: 861 4431 9930
Passcode: 710898

One tap mobile
+12532050468,,86144319930# US
+12532158782,,86144319930# US (Tacoma)

Meeting ID: 861 4431 9930

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbBA5XSZaJ

Announcing: HPAC Sept. 25 meeting CANCELLED this month – due to numerous conflicting events!

Greetings to all! With signs of fall in the air and back to school traffic on the streets please be aware of buses and youth during your driving! Speaking of schools, after consideration, HPAC leadership has decided to cancel this month’s meeting due to recently announced meetings covering quickly developing local issues that need your attention that are in direct conflict with our usual time/date.

For those not aware, Seattle Public School Board has announced their plans around efforts to narrow their current budget shortfall. They plan to close and consolidate schools around the city, with two of the changes directly impacting students and families in our area. Both options currently on the table identify Sanislo and Louisa Boren STEM K-8 for closure as well as reallocating students to other locations, well covered by the West Seattle Blog here.

There will be two public meetings with School Board West Seattle/South Park director Gina Topp regarding this on Wednesday the 25th:

5-6 pm Admiral (West Seattle) Library, 2306 42nd SW

6:30 p.m. Genesee Hill Elementary, 5013 SW Dakota St.

Online comments may also be submitted here.

In addition, there will be a public drop in to view/review the final EIS documents for the ST Link Light Rail service to West Seattle, which goes public Sept. 20.

When: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Where: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW, West Seattle

Spanish, Vietnamese, and Somali interpretation will be provided.

Show up and make your voice heard! On other fronts-

HPAC leadership team remains in contact with SDOT regarding the Highland Park Way Connection project and will bring back information as it develops.

Also regarding the new MetroFlex service for our area, SDOT is now offering free rides to try the service. Here are a few more details about this program.

  • The sponsored ride code must be added to the user’s account by OCTOBER 15, 2024. Rides must be used by DECEMBER 31, 2024.
  • Each person can use up to four sponsored rides.
  • Instructions on how to add the code to the Metro Flex app are on page 2 of this attachment. The sponsored ride code can also be used with a call center agent if the user does not want to use the phone app.
  • Rides are only valid in the Delridge/South Park service area. There is no refundable value to the rides.
  • Sponsored rides are provided by the Seattle Department of Transportation through the voter-approved Seattle Transit Measure.

Plus SAVE the DATE for Trees– join us on October 26 12-4pm for the 2024 Trick or Trees event-

Free tree giveaway and pet costume contest held in partnership with Highland Park Corner Store and the Highland Park Improvement Club! Details to follow on social media.

Be safe, stay involved, and see you in October!