You might call this a followup to a followup:
(Parks graphic from June announcement of sites under consideration as off-leash areas)
During Monday night’s Seattle Parks online briefing about various West Seattle projects, there was a major update to the process of planning a second WS off-leash area – Parks said that one of the two sites between which they’re deciding, south of West Seattle Stadium, might no longer be “viable” because of the city’s push toward “electrification.” For our followup on that – published Wednesday – we learned that the city Finance and Administrative Services department is eyeing the site for charging city vehicles, including electric golf carts for the adjacent golf course. But that information came from Parks, so today we asked FAS for more details on the project. FAS spokesperson Melissa Mixon first gave us this overview, “FAS approached Parks about the location and shared it could be an ideal site for a charging site, so long as it’s not needed or used by Parks for purposes of a dog park since that project pre-dates this one. FAS is currently awaiting direction from Parks on how they would like to proceed and whether we should explore the feasibility of the West Seattle Stadium/Golf location or pursue other potential sites for a charging station.”
The backstory: “FAS is building EV charging hubs throughout the City to support the City’s rapid transition to electric vehicles in the City’s fleet. These locations will be regional so City fleet can re-fuel (electricity) when needed. The West Seattle area became the first priority region and the West Seattle Stadium/Golf could serve as an ideal location. FAS and Parks are in early conversation about this site.” Right now, Mixon said, it’s “the only West Seattle location under consideration but that could change based on Parks’ feedback regarding this site. … This site is under consideration due to its location, ease of access for City electric vehicles to enter and exit, and because it would have minimal impact on the public.”
We asked for more specifics regarding the potential facility’s scope. Mixon said it is envisioned for “6-8, Level 3 (150 KwH+) fast chargers that need approximately 10,000 square feet to accommodate ingress/egress and parking. … There are 17 fleet-using departments in the City. All departments would have access to this EV fueling station as they conduct business in the area. Seattle Parks Department would be a heavy user as they have the fourth largest fleet in the City.”
If Parks gave FAS the green light to pursue this site, “FAS would need to conduct a feasibility study and estimate costs. This process can typically take two months and a decision would not be made until both are complete.” Parks, meantime, is supposed to have a recommendation on the dog-park site within weeks; the other site that’s been under consideration for West Seattle’s second off-leash area is in Lincoln Park.
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