What the Denny site might look like, post-Denny

| Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | Westwood

In the months preceding the Seattle School Board vote to tear down Denny Middle School and build its replacement on the Chief Sealth High School campus (archived coverage here), one big question was, “what would happen to the Denny site?” The Westwood Neighborhood Council is watching that especially closely, and the sketch you see above is courtesy of WNC president Steve Fischer; he got it from Robert Evans, who’s working with Seattle Public Schools on the Denny/Sealth project. Fischer explains: “The graphic, as it was described to me by Mr. Evans, shows a ‘tennis center,’ parking lot, and softball field where the current Denny Middle School is situated. Mr. Evans informed me that this was the graphic that was to be sent out with the SEPA determination for the project and only shows the worst case scenario in terms of impervious surface area. Mr. Evans informed me that they intend to still work with the neighborhood on the development of this site.” Reminder, the city Landmarks Preservation Board considers the landmark nominations for Denny and Sealth — submitted as part of the required process in this project — this Wednesday afternoon, 3:30 pm, 40th floor, Municipal Tower downtown. (More details here.)

Paul April 14, 2008 (10:49 am)

Not exactly on topic, but does anyone know if there are any plans for the high school that closed on mid-Delridge Way (I’m not sure what the name was).

Indaknow April 14, 2008 (11:19 am)

Hi Paul! I’m assuming you’re asking about Louisa Boren, where Cleveland HS was last year? That is where Chief Sealth HS will located for ’08-’09 and ’09-’10 school years during the remodeling process. They have been working to prepare Boren for Sealth to move in June. It will remain a temporary school site (at least) through then.

chas redmond April 14, 2008 (11:19 am)

It’s the Louisa Boren school and they’re going to use that for Sealth students. DNDA has been working to acquire that property but Seattle Schools hasn’t placed it on the excess list – since Sealth students will be using it next. I believe it was last used by Cleveland High students while their school got updated.
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Re the drawing for the Denny site – not exactly neighborhood-friendly, is it. Impervious surfaces – WTF with that? Huge playfield lights? I’d be really surprised if this survives this piece of paper – not to mention that there’s no funds in Parks & Rec for anything at all to do with the Denny site.
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Classic Seattle School District – blowing smoke and using mirrors and basically lying to everyone. And where is Steve our erstwhile local board member while all this happens? Oh, he’s counting the money that we’re saving, that’s right.

Bob April 14, 2008 (1:43 pm)

This would add another baseball field and half a dozen tennis courts, making three baseball fields, a football stadium, half a dozen tennis courts and one soccer field. The new baseball field would break up what was a large flat parking lot for the community center. Instead, why not use a lot more of that big flat area for a second soccer field instead of yet another baseball field, and use more of the steep Denny hillside site for parking? There’s only so much flat expanse available, and to waste a lot of it on parking seems much less than ideal.

Bob April 14, 2008 (1:59 pm)

Also, with deforestation supposedly creeping up on the city, this does nothing to add trees. It lets some existing trees stay, but there are no new trees planted in this plan.
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I should have said “four baseball fields,” as the existing soccer field is also part of a baseball field.

toomanyratsinacageakaWS April 14, 2008 (2:19 pm)

People seem to think we don’t need parking anymore .. like the car has not been that popular lately .. been popular and necessary, in cities like Seattle with sucky public transportaion, since the early 1900’s. This going green thing is cool and everything but cutting parking or criticizing those who still drive is not reasonable atleast not yet. People love their cars, always have .. Even the condo dwellers. Where there used to one house with 2 cars now there are 3 or 4 units with 2 cars each. What also bugs me about most of the condo developments on CA Ave is taht they have those tiny less than one way size drive ways and impossible turns needed to enter what is a “garage” so more cars take up parking on the street infront of businesses or park in alleys or infront of the homes people own. I know no one owns the street spot but you should park where you live and if your condo/town home/apartment whatever you call it has parking, park there instead of incoveniencing others or having the city come in and create resident parking zones / pay to park zones as they are looking at doing now. Developers should have never been allowed to pass off these garages as reasonable .. I can barely see how a Yugo could make it in there. Much less more than one car trying to come and go at the same time. WS didn’t used to be this much fun thanks to zoning from the mid 90’s .. if it was so great that it was decided upon back then, why wait until 10 years later to start building everything!? Zoning/development is ok, I mean to an extent. It’s probably why a lot fo us chose to live here. But it is out of control now, we are painting ourselves into a square.

SLK April 14, 2008 (3:19 pm)

I’ve taken some classes at the Amy Yee Tennis Center on MLK Way (operated by Seattle Parks & Rec.) It is very popular & fairly competitive to get into the classes. I would love to see a similar facility in West Seattle. For it to be successful, I think at least three of the courts, and possibly all six, would have to be indoors. (Amy Yee has 10 indoor courts).

flipjack April 14, 2008 (6:01 pm)

We need a table tennis (ping pong) facility SOMEwhere!!! This would be a great spot. See ya at the next meeting.

GenHillOne April 14, 2008 (8:07 pm)

Oh, SLK, an indoor tennis facility would be ah-mazing. Even under cover would be decent. Build it and they will come – AYTC is always busy. In deference to the neighbors though, yes on parking spaces and yes on additional trees!

denny April 14, 2008 (8:20 pm)

I just hope they keep all of the fences up, add more and require a Parks staff to open it and stay present for the full use so that those of us who live close by can never use any of the fields recreationally without paying unbelievable rates (beyond the taxes I have already paid to have it built).

westello April 14, 2008 (9:23 pm)

Keep in mind; you are paying for them to rebuild – at Denny – what they just built within the last 5 years at Sealth that they are now tearing down. Your tax dollars at work.

Bob April 15, 2008 (11:55 am)

So what happens to all of the dumptruck loads of kids who drop out of Sealth every year? Is there someplace around here like that South HS near Rainier Beach that helps some of them to still get an education? Why wouldn’t the school dist. keep one of the old Denny buildings to use for that? Say the one furthest from the community center. In terms of park space, it would cost three tennis courts to do that. The rest of the site can be a park.

Bill R April 23, 2008 (10:45 pm)

Wow…. that’s a whole lotta parking to build for a state who’s goal is to cut GHG’s by 50% in the next 4 decades… Not to mention oil is starting to run out. Planners seem to have blind faith that the future will look like the present. This is alot of Pavement; and I LIKE Tennis.

How about 6 courts, a youth center, a pea patch, and a skateboard park. Something people can use.

I know this is supposed to be the worst case scenario… it is.

Sorry, comment time is over.