(Photo from reservoir-covering project site tour last week – looking from the site toward existing park)
The first of four planned public meetings on designing the new park land atop and around West Seattle Reservoir, adjacent to the existing Westcrest Park, is set for December 3rd at High Point Community Center. That’s the biggest news Parks Department manager Susanne Friedman brought to the Highland Park Action Committee on Wednesday night. She answered questions about the status of and timeline for the $3 million (from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy) project to create 20 new acres of parkland once the reservoir-covering work is done. She fielded repeated questions about the extent of the fencing that will remain once the site is done – only around a couple Seattle Public Utilities “outbuildings,” she promised. What will be on the lid itself? She noted some “limitations,” like a load limit, no tree roots that might break through the “lid,” no plants that would require herbicide or pesticide. But the rest of the 20 acres, she said, should have a “fabulous design” that will integrate well with the existing park and off-leash area. And she promised that the many comments already received from Highland Park – particularly during HPAC’s June “mini-summit” on the park – will be considered. What’s next? Read on:

Next step is for a committee to help choose the design consultant for the site – HPAC chair Dan Mullins says he’s a citizen rep on the committee – the call for applications just closed; Friedman says most of the applicants are from the general Seattle area. Whoever is hired, she says, the first meeting will focus on “site analysis” and ideas for park design; before the second meeting, the consultants will develop schematics, to bring to that meeting, likely in January, and say “is this what you were thinking?” Then the subsequent meetings, March and beyond, would “refine” the design and work out the costs. One meeting attendee suggested it would be nice to have a list of prices for certain park features, but Friedman said that wouldn’t be possible or feasible. She also said no decision’s been made whether an art project will be part of the park – like all Seattle “capital” projects, one percent of the budget goes toward art, but that is a general art fund for projects around the city, not necessarily to be spent on the project from which the money comes. “It has not been decided for this levy which sites are recipients (of art).” For those who want to campaign to make sure the reservoir park project gets art, Friedman said the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs “manages that pot of money.”

(This is our 2nd report from last night’s HPAC meeting – 1st one, on New Year’s Eve plans, is here; next up, the semi-surprise Fire Station 11 crew visit, and their candid stories about their work.)