Community-group meetings are starting to resume after summer hiatus. Last night, the Fauntleroy Community Association board met, online only in a last-minute change after learning their usual venue, the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse conference room, was unavailable. Here are our topline notes:
CRIME STATS: First guest was Jennifer Satterwhite, longtime crime-prevention coordinator from the Southwest Precinct (a civilian position). She summarized the latest precinct-wide crime stats, saying reported crime overall is down 15 percent – that’s 530 fewer incidents than by this time last year. The precinct has had 75 confirmed gunfire incidents this year, eight fewer than a year earlier, with six resulting in injuries, zero deaths. She also said robbery is down 25 percent, burglary down 30 percent, and motor-vehicle theft is down 35 percent. On the subject of burglary, she said this summer has been devoid of burglaries along the lines of “broke in through an open-because-it’s-summer” window or door, but she continues to urge people to assess their own homes with a critical eye: “If you were a burglar, where would YOU break into your home?” She added that alarm systems aren’t fail-safes, because so many alarms are false that SPD only responds to the ones where an intruder is confirmed. She offers free home assessments; email her at jennifer.satterwhite@seattle.gov if interested. (Side note – the next community meeting to talk about crime and safety, the Southwest Precinct Advisory Council, is set for 6:30 pm October 7 at Alki Masonic Center in The Junction.)
FALL EVENTS: We’ve previewed these already – the FCA Pumpkin Search is October 4, the Fauntleroy Fall Festival is October 19. (The latter is supported, but not presented, by FCA, and there was a lengthy discussion of how much the association is able to give to the donation-and-volunteer-powered festival this year and how its support could or should be integrated into festival operations.)
REZONING: The City Council‘s public hearing this Friday on the Comprehensive Plan and accompanying rezoning was discussed. FCA leadership had worked with District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka on revising the boundaries for the proposed Endolyne/Fauntleroy “Neighborhood Center,” primarily to remove the schoolhouse – a nonprofit-owned community center – as well as some Fauntleroy Way frontage. Whatever you think about it, president Frank Immel said, it’s important to let the councilmembers know. Chris, a community member in attendance, asked how the FCA had arrived at the position that the Neighborhood Center boundaries should be reduced. He’s been in attendance at the board meetings and didn’t recall a vote or other way of determining that was the consensus. FCA board members explained community members had sent 600 letters expressing opposition to the rezoning as proposed, though they also said, “We don’t oppose the upzone – we are accepting change.” There was an extensive discussion of how/whether issues like this could/should be taken to the community before taking it up with the city. It was also noted that unlike other neighborhood groups, the FCA does a community survey every two years to ask what issues are of most interest and where residents stand on them; here are the 2023 results. (More info about Friday’s City Council hearing, including amendment links, are in today’s newsletter sent by Councilmember Saka.)
FERRY MATTERS: No new date for the final Community Advisory Group meeting on the terminal rebuild. In day-to-day matters, it was noted that Vashon Island schools – like others – are back in session, and while island-bound students usually head out on the 7 am boat, on Fridays the Vashon schools start two hours late, so they’re headed out at 9 am.
OTHER PROJECTS: Also mentioned fairly briefly, the Fauntleroy/Rose pedestrian improvements (as discussed at the previous Morgan Community Association meeting), the Fauntleroy Creek culvert emergency repairs (which are supposed to be complete before the Fall Festival, otherwise parking-lot activities will be moved to the schoolhouse grounds), and the Brace Point power-cable-replacement project.
The Fauntleroy Community Association board meets second Tuesdays, 6 pm, usually in person and online – go here for info.
