
There’s word of a breakthrough in West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s work on the issue of what to do about a city-owned parcel at SW Manning/Admiral Way near The Bridge that’s best known for its sequoia tree, which has a 4-foot-diameter trunk:

The 14,000-square-foot site was originally purchased in 1961 as part of the West Seattle Bridge right-of-way; several years ago, it was targeted for potential sale as surplus property, but neighbors and community activists expressed concern, saying it still had potential for public use. Now, there’s a plan in the works to not only keep it off the market, but to have it transferred to the Parks Department, which wasn’t interested in the site in years past, but is now. That “public involvement plan” is on the agenda next Tuesday morning for the council’s Parks Committee, which Rasmussen chairs; here’s what will be proposed as a next step:
A) A public meeting should be scheduled in the vicinity of the property. Notice of the meeting will be provided to all citizens who have previously submitted comments, as well as property owners and residents living within a 1200-foot radius of PMA No. 4273, community organizations, and others who might be interested.
B) The meeting will consider uses put forward by the community, including but not limited to the following: green space, park area, sculpture garden, off-leash area, mini skate park, flower garden, or P-patch. The proposed transfer of the property to the Department of Parks and Recreation will also be discussed. Other issues may include concerns about the tall Sequoia tree located in the northeast section of the property, the sloping nature of the parcel, and the pace of residential development in the neighborhood.
Rasmussen’s committee meets at 9:30 am Tuesday at City Hall downtown; if you can’t be there in person, you can watch live on cable channel 21 or online via Seattle Channel.
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