Thanks to Desiree for sending the photo and tip that work is happening at the long-“landbanked” West Seattle Junction park site on 40th SW between SW Alaska and SW Edmunds. No, this isn’t actual park development, according to Seattle Parks’ Kelly Goold, who we contacted to ask about the work. Goold explains that what’s happening is “installation of a temporary irrigation system and a temporary lawn – something to make it usable and accessible to the neighborhood.” This work should be done in about a week. So when will the site then be unfenced and “usable”? Goold told us, “When we can pull the fence down depends on how fast the grass establishes. Generally after 3 mowing cycles grass is established enough for use. So hopefully sometime mid-July.” Goold says the “long-term” plan for the site remains park development, but that was paused two years ago (along with the other two West Seattle “landbanked” park sites, 48th/Charleston and the Morgan Junction expansion) when the pandemic put city finances into question. The city bought the site nine years ago for $1.4 million; at the time of the last public design meetings in 2018, cost of developing it into a park was estimated at almost $2 million.
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