We reported last week that, after asking the Parks Department for comment from superintendent Tim Gallagher on why a skate feature was suddenly on the back burner for the Myrtle Reservoir park as of the public meeting three weeks ago, we finally got a sort of form letter back, and were continuing to pursue comment. A short time ago, we finally talked with Gallagher by phone — he says there’s a meeting next week involving the “skate community” and if they are enthusiastic about the prospects of a High Point skatepark — the other West Seattle site (besides Myrtle) mentioned in the citywide Skatepark Plan as a possible location (they’re just a block apart, as shown in the photo above) — that could move forward relatively quickly. Here’s what else he had to say:
First, he insisted that however it was presented or perceived at the May 1st public meeting, “nothing has changed” regarding the status of a possible skate feature at the Myrtle Reservoir park. He says the plan still has a site for a future one, but “there was no funding before the meeting and there is no funding after the meeting.”
But, he said, “we are hoping to do a skatepark somewhere in West Seattle” — and various sites will be “looked at” at the meeting next week — but High Point is the one, he indicated, that could be launched relatively quickly. He says “There’s a section of that park which would give us more room …” and described it as the southwest corner of the park, which is now a picnic area:
He says that if the skate community is potentially enthusiastic about that spot, the parks department has money now that could facilitate the hiring of someone “to start doing design … on a larger skate facility that woulid be at least 10,000 to 15,000 square feet in size.”
More money would be requested in the budget cycle for the ’09-’10 biennium, Gallagher said, adding that the skate community would not be expected to assist with fundraising for this particular site.
If design work is launched soon and a budget request is successful, he said, construction of a High Point skatepark could start next year. “Which is far different than waiting for some future phase of a reservoir park,” he added.
Speaking of reservoirs, we asked if the West Seattle Reservoir lidding project at Westcrest would be a skatepark candidate; he indicated it’s too far in the future to be part of this current discussion: “We haven’t even started the process of asking the people out there what they want to see … we will probably start that process sometime next year.”
We’ll be checking next week regarding the meeting at which the High Point skatepark idea might move forward.
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