California Place Park proposed “design options” to debut Saturday

| California Place Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

This Saturday, 10:30-noon, is the second of two “design workshops” for potential changes at California Place Park in North Admiral. After the contentious first workshop (WSB coverage here), the landscape architect whose services are funded by a $15,000 Neighborhood Matching Fund grant has come up with proposals to display, according to a new post on the project website that’s maintained by Friends and Neighbors of North Admiral, the group that procured the grant:

Karen Kiest has done a wonderful job representing the feedback from the community and has created several beautiful options that contain ideas for the neighborhood to review and provide input. We are very excited about what she has to share. There are no plastic playstructures, no climbing walls on the church, no holes or giant sand pits and the trees are all intact! The design options are natural, open, welcoming and timeless – a perfect compliment to the Admiral neighborhood.

If you are closely interested in this project, check back here at WSB ~~tonight~~ Friday, when we will be publishing a longer story including the claims that have been made by park-change opponents and responses from FANNA. In the meantime, we wanted to get out this reminder, since the project has been so closely watched, and the workshop is day after tomorrow (Alki Community Center, 10:30 am-noon Saturday; past coverage is archived here). ADDED THURSDAY NIGHT: We asked FANNA’s Ann Limbaugh about the format planned for the workshop; she says it will be similar to the last one – landscape architect Kiest will make a presentation, people will discuss in small groups at tables.

Forest March 5, 2009 (2:16 pm)

Probably I’m being overly sensitive to the wording, but describing either side’s views as “claims that have been made” does not bode well for objective reporting.

WSB March 5, 2009 (2:23 pm)

Well, you’ll see it in everybody’s own words. I started with allegations but thought that sounded a little harsh so changed it to claims – TR

Lance March 5, 2009 (4:36 pm)

I thought you were going to do a non biased report of facts and what’s true and not true. Hope that is still the case. “Responses from fanna” Isn’t what I was expecting. When they do fact checking after debates they don’t get responses from the different parties. Facts are facts.

Hope that’s what’s giong to be posted. I’m still not sure who to believe in this whole thing. Still think it’s a horrible waste of money but my opinion only.

WSB March 5, 2009 (4:48 pm)

Having covered this from the first time it surfaced publicly, I have those points too. But responses are also important – that’s part of fact-finding. Check in later (I’ll send you the URL, in fact, because I don’t know how many more hours this is going to take), see what you think … TR

acemotel March 5, 2009 (6:11 pm)

here we go again….

Tuc Ulo March 5, 2009 (6:45 pm)

Acemotel: ditto
TR: How did you manage to take a picture of the park sans the elderly woman and her sandwich board? AWESOME!
lol

WSB March 5, 2009 (6:58 pm)

Actually I went by thinking she might be there – took that photo just yesterday. Nobody at all in sight. To be fair, though, it was the middle of the afternoon. My office is mobile – laptop and aircard on the passenger seat – but most other park users, I imagine, were in their offices right about then.

WSB March 5, 2009 (9:28 pm)

Still working on next report, for anyone wondering. Gonna be a marathon.

Jo March 5, 2009 (9:31 pm)

When the original architectural concept of the Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza was presented to the Design commission, Karen Kiest was chairman of that commission.
Her comments about changes to the original design presented by the architects and fully supported by the fundraisers (Seattle Statue of Liberty Plaza Project) were very on point – stressing that “The design options ….natural, open, welcoming and timeless.” The same as the vision she sees for the California Place Park.
Most of her suggestions for the Statue of Liberty project were incorporated into the final design of the Statue of Liberty plaza- making it a much more people friendly, safe and beautiful park.
I, for one, was totally impressed with her vision of the Alki project, so am pleased she’s working on this new West Seattle project. She’s one talented lady.

Living in West Seattle since 1985 March 6, 2009 (1:30 am)

Everyone is way too sensitive about this itty-bitty little park! Its a wonderful resource for our community and a beautiful green space, but its not the only park in the area. Would it be so bad to have a little change? On the other hand, would it be such a shame to leave it as it is? People need to take a step back, take a deep breath and think about what is truly worrying them. Is it REALLY this park that has everyone up in arms?

dwar March 6, 2009 (10:19 am)

Regarding a little change, — Give FANNA an inch and they will take a mile.

acemotel March 6, 2009 (12:36 pm)

that’s an inflammatory comment dwar, totally inappropriate. one wonders what’s behind this type of hatred.

Keith March 6, 2009 (2:30 pm)

In a beer-enhanced debate at Prost last night, the opinions that may or not be implied when using the word “claims” happened to come up. I whipped out my trusty iPhone and fired up this thread!

In the end, we agreed that while the phrase “claims to be” is often taken as sarcasm/skepticism, it’s not always the case and is very open to misinterpretation. It *can* be used to imply or infer some sort of judgement, but it isn’t always intended as such. (FWIW, I took WSB’s useage as totally objective.

Sorry, comment time is over.