Dakota Place notes: Tuesday meeting on Seattle Parks’ future; rental-venue specials

Two notes today about the newly renovated city-landmark building at Dakota Place Park, at California/Dakota just north of The Junction:

TUESDAY MEETING ABOUT PARK SYSTEM’S FUTURE: Tuesday night at 7 pm, you’re invited to Dakota Place to share your thoughts about the future of Seattle Parks – priorities, funding, more, as explained here. Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams talked about it at Celebrate Lincoln Park last month (here’s our story, including video), and you can see the draft Parks Legacy Plan here – but Parks would like to hear directly from as many people as possible, and with all the land and facilities it has here in West Seattle, plus more in the works, now’s the time.

DAKOTA RENTALS: While you’re at Dakota Place for the meeting, take a look around – they’re offering rental specials through the end of the year, since the facility is not completely booked with classes or other Parks events. From Tiffani Melake at Hiawatha Community Center, which runs the Dakota Place building too:

3-hour special, including booking fee, staffing, patio and exclusive use of facility! – $225

5-hour special, including booking fee, staffing, patio and exclusive use of facility! – $400

Weekday inquiries go through Hiawatha, 206-684-7441; weekend inquiries go through Parks’ event-scheduling department, 206-684-7254.

Michelle May 16, 2013 (1:53 pm)

Dakota is still too expensive. I called to have a child’s bday party there and it was over $600 to rent!!!

This place is a public space, renovated with public dollars and community sweat. Make it much more affordable!

Trying! May 16, 2013 (2:45 pm)

Michelle, we had the same problem. The Genesee Schmitz Neighborhood Council had hoped to hold meetings in the Dakota building. We are representing the neighborhood and we are nonprofit, working to improve and help the neighborhood where Dakota Place is located. They would not give us a break in price and acted as though we were just a nuisance?!

WSB May 16, 2013 (2:50 pm)

Did you guys talk to Tiffani directly? Or just somebody at Parks downtown?

Trying! May 16, 2013 (2:55 pm)

Tiffani directly many times. We had a one time meeting as an introduction and they were firm on the higher rate for any other meetings.

WSB May 16, 2013 (3:21 pm)

Here’s how she just explained it in response to my question (conducted via e-mail – I’m covering a meeting downtown right now):

For meeting rental rates at Dakota, it is the same for every group.. public or community councils. This is a specialty building without PUBLIC funded hours of operation and staffing, and it is not run the same as community center that has specific hours of operation and staff on site. We let the Genesee Schmitz group know that they could look into a community center, but no reduced meeting rate is being offered for Dakota.

For a community center there are two classifications of use.

CLASS A: Non-Commerical Use, for general public, scheduled during operating hours. No admission fee, vendor fee and/or donation is requested of received.

CLASS A use: is reserved and advertised, non-commercial, public events/meeting that are for the general public and are scheduled during hours of operation. ( if scheduled outside normal facility operating hours, see CLASS C use.)

CLASS C Use: all other rentals and CLASS A rentals scheduled outside of regular operating hours.

McBride May 16, 2013 (5:34 pm)

Michelle, you can also rent the main lodge at Camp Long. Much cheaper and, in my opinion, much cooler. More amenities also, like a brand new industrial kitchen downstairs, and an unbelievable challenge course in part of the 68 acres of forest outside.
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Trying, are you working with your Dept of Neighborhoods District Coordinator, Ed Pottharst? Ed is great, and his job is, in part, facilitating for neighborhood councils. Things like securing meeting space are in his wheelhouse. Reach him at ed.pottharst@seattle.gov.
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I agree with both of you though. That pricing model at Dakota is insulting, all things considered.

McBride May 16, 2013 (5:35 pm)

Michelle, you can also rent the main lodge at Camp Long. Much cheaper and, in my opinion, much cooler. More amenities also, like a brand new industrial kitchen downstairs, and an unbelievable challenge course in part of the 68 acres of forest outside.
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Trying, are you working with your Dept. of Neighborhoods District Coordinator, Ed Pottharst? Ed is great, and his job is, in part, facilitating for neighborhood councils. Things like securing meeting space are in his wheelhouse. Reach him at ed.pottharst@seattle.gov.
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I agree with both of you though. That pricing model at Dakota is insulting, all things considered.

Trying! May 16, 2013 (6:21 pm)

McBride, Thank You! I will contact Ed Pottharst. We have no community center near our location. We have checked out Hiawatha but every time we have asked they are completely booked. Tiffani, what community center are you referring to in your reply?

Trileigh May 16, 2013 (9:06 pm)

On the Parks hearing: please consider coming to the Tues 5/21 meeting if you can. Given the energetic response of our community to last summer’s zipline proposal for Lincoln Park, we have a well-deserved reputation of being a community that cares and should be listened to. Take a look at the Legacy Plan on the Parks website – or just skim through if you have limited time – then come share your comments. Or if you can’t come to the meeing, you can submit written comments to parkslegacy@seattle.gov. Our West Seattle parks deserve your help!

sam-c May 17, 2013 (8:10 am)

Michelle- to add to what McBride said, the downstairs “Wonder Lab” at Camp long is good for a party too. had a party there with 16 kids and parents. that room was a good size. it is only $35 an hour, with a (I think $25) processing fee. (we had to include a cleaning deposit but I expect to get that back since she inspected it when we were done and said it looked good)

the Wonder Lab has 2 sinks, and good and easy access to the field below too.

Sorry, comment time is over.