Retaining wall construction underway along 6000 block of Beach Drive

The long awaited construction project is finally underway along one of the the most historically unstable sections of Beach Drive SW. This notorious slide area has been riddled with controversy before finally being approved for city permitting. Two 12 foot retaining walls with a drainage plan will most likely take several weeks to complete.

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An on-looking neighbor commented that this plucked tree was “mainly responsible for holding up the hillside”

The good news is that this potholed and sloped section of Beach Drive will eventually get re-paved! Also appears that an owner located directly below the construction project now has the confidence to plan a new 8071 square foot home

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Question is, will this modern answer to holding back the hillside actually stand the test of time? Here’s some historic photos to contend with…

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Photo takenOctober 21st 1933 (courtesy of city of Seattle archived photos)

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Atlas slide photo taken 1/24/1934 (courtesy of City of Seattle Archives)

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Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog

 

100 years old & looking maaarvalous!

Two Beach Drive beauties are turning over the century this year. According to King County Records, this gal was born in 1913…

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Sweetheart, you haven’t changed a bit!

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Not sure of the year but check out the ride out front!

 

The next centurion is actually a remodel that was finished up in 1913 replacing a lens-lantern atop a wooden post. This is an excerpt from Lighthouse Friends .Com

After the government purchased an octagonal parcel at the tip of the point from Edmund Hansen for a sum of $9,999. the present concrete fog signal building with attached, thirty-seven foot octagonal tower was completed on April 29th, 1913, and the station was activated a few weeks later on June 1.

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 Photo courtesy of University of Washington archives

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Circa 1959 from Washington State Digital Archives

Here’s a few pics of the beacon taken earlier today from the S.S. Scupper. Notice the blue tent out front of the Coast Guard residence. They’re preparing for grand birthday party tomorrow to commemorate the 100 year anniversary. The Log House Museum is also hosting a shin-dig from noon to 4!

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Weather is predicted for the high 60’s tomorrow.

 Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog

Beach Drive Arial Photos from 1937!

Was your home still a vacant lot in 1937? You can search King County Map Vault by Section Township Range to see how your lot appeared “back in the day”. Use this reference photo to locate your particular map section…

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Jacobson Rd is located in Section 22. Lowman Cove is shared in both 27 & 26

Here’s an example of how present day Mee-Kwa-Mooks Park appeared back when it was occupied by West Seattle pioneers Ferdinand & Emma Schmitz…

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Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vehicle wipes out sign and hits Beach Drive home

 At around 4:00 am this morning, a vehicle wiped out a sign and struck a home around the 4000 block of Beach Drive.

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The home that was hit has damage to the garage door, landscaping and garbage cans.

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A couple neighbors from the condos across the street were awoken from the noise. One neighbor said it was so loud, they thought it was in their building.

No swimming or wading allowed at Cormorant Cove Park

 Yesterday the Seattle Public Utilities posted a sign by Cormorant Cove Park off of Beach Drive warning the public to not swim nor wade in the Puget Sound waters.

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This happens to be near where the trimaran and power boat wrecked by the Harbor West Condominiums. However it is our understanding that the officials were originally called out for a possible sewage leakage from the condominiums and not for the situation with the boats.

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Stay tuned.

Another one bites the dust…

 The newest victim falling to a wrecking ball (back hoe) is 5037 Beach Drive SW. Per King County Assessor, this 2,680 sf  home was built in 1954…

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After

I don’t see any loss of historic value here on this one but I’d love to see it’s “beachy” neighbors hang in there for at least another 100 years!  

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“Beachy neighbor”

Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog

Thank You for a great season, Seahawks!

September is less than 9 months away!

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Scupper’s chase of sirens leads to Ducks

After a day of historic flooding on Beach Drive SW, this was a small fire that the waves didn’t put out tonight…

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5200 Block of Beach Drive

One of the three fire truck responders told us that a small fire broke out in a planter on the upper deck of this home. Damage was thankfully minimal. Wazzu by-stander had no comment.

Scupper, reporting for beach Drive Blog

Beach Drive Holly Jolly Homes

A couple more homes decked out for the holidays to share with you. If we’re missing your Beach Drive home, pet dressed up as on of Santa’s helpers or you have a favorite holiday recipe you’d like to share with your Beach Drive neighbors, please let us know!

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This weekend’s King Tides become a Royal Pain?

West Seattle Herald recently wrote about the King Tides that will be topping out at 13 feet along our shoreline this weekend… 

So called King Tides (a non-scientific term) simply refers to the very highest tides. They occur when the earth, moon and sun are aligned at perigee (when the moon is closest to earth) and perihelion (when the earth is closest to the sun), resulting in the largest tidal range seen during a year since the gravitational effects are magnified.

While NOAA does not expect additional tidal height due to coastal flooding, the Marine Forecast has issued southerly winds between 15/ 25 knots with 2-4 foot waves to boot during Saturday’s extreme high tide… 

PZZ135-122315-
PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL-
900 AM PST WED DEC 12 2012

THU…S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. CHANCE OF RAIN.

THU NIGHT…S WIND 10 TO 20 KT…RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT.

FRI…S WIND 15 TO 25 KT…EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT…SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS.

FRI NIGHT…N WIND 5 TO 15 KT…BECOMING S TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.

SAT…S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT.

SUN…SW WIND TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.

Upcoming high tides:

Thursday +12.5 ft at 5:15AM also +12.1 at 3:30PM

Friday +12.8 ft at 6:30AM also +11.8 at 4:30PM

Saturday +13 ft at 7:00AM also +11.2 at 5:30PM

Sunday +13 ft at 8:00AM

Monday +12.9 ft at 8:30AM

Tuesday +12.7 ft at 9:00AM

Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog