FOLLOWUP: What’s happening (and not) with Morgan Junction’s ‘landbanked’ park site

Earlier this week, at the on-site meeting about the West Seattle Junction “landbanked” park site, we asked about its counterpart in Morgan Junction – the future “addition” site to expand the existing park north of Beveridge Place Pub. Parks’ Kelly Goold, who was at the Tuesday Junction pop-up, also happens to be point person on the Morgan project. He said the next step at that site remains the soil remediation (cleanup) required because a dry cleaner used to be on the site. Newest timeline for that, possibly next spring – he says they’re still struggling through the permit process. The design for that park, unlike the one in The Junction, is expected to evolve beyond its original plan, because of the community interest in adding a skateable area, sparked when community members turned the long-idle site into an unofficial skatepark next year. For a more-detailed update on where the site stands, attend this Wednesday’s Morgan Community Association meeting, 7 pm October 18, online – this is part of what’s on the agenda.

Brian October 15, 2023 (4:35 pm)

Just so I’m following the logic here: Parks is saying that the reason for the further delays is because adding a skate park to the design makes it more complicated, but the only reason for the interest in the skate park is due to Seattle Parks Department’s inability to do anything with the space in a decade’s worth of time?

WSB October 15, 2023 (5:45 pm)

No, that is not what I wrote, nor is it what Parks has ever said. The park was funded, and then during the pandemic Parks yanked the funding from landbanked parks like this one and the one in The Junction. I noted that the design for this one has a community-driven addition as a distinction from the Junction one, which does not. The one factor that has been long-delayed is the soil remediation. That funding has remained allocated all along. The current reason blamed for it not happening is a permit hangup. – TR

GHO October 15, 2023 (7:22 pm)

This would be a great place for pickle ball (instead of Lincoln Park). Food & beverage nearby, wildlife not…

Alki resident October 15, 2023 (8:49 pm)

There’s food and beverage and parking at Lincoln Park vicinity. It’ll be completed sooner than later. Kids want that space to be a skate park. It’ll be ten more years before anything is done.
shotinthefoot October 16, 2023 (8:17 am)

But there are people who live in those apartments right next door who don’t want to hear the incessant noise of pickleball. They also raised opposition to the skate park based on the noise. But no one cares about apartment dwellers, so one or the other will happen despite the additional noise and garbage that will bring to their lives.
- Jarsh October 18, 2023 (6:52 am)
  
  Hey shotinthefoot… you’ll find that the new design moves skatable features to the south end, away from the apartments… so not really an issue as much, especially since parks, and everyone else involved, understands the concern and is working to abate noise through elevation or materials during the process. Join the call, get informed!

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