All-Wheels Area for skating and more when Morgan Junction Park expands? 2 dates to know, plus a survey

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(Clarification: ‘All-wheels area’ is proposed for south part of the park, as shown at last MoCA meeting)

As we’ve reported previously, an all-wheels area is now on the drawing board for skating and more at expanding Morgan Junction Park, and you have two upcoming chances to get involved – first, a community meeting and survey just announced by the Morgan Junction All-Wheels Association:

Join us for a Community Meeting at By and By Skate Shop – 4502 California Ave SW, April 27th at 10:00 AM.

The Morgan Junction All Wheels Association has invited Grindline Skateparks to design a brand-new All-Wheels Area in Morgan Junction, West Seattle. To make sure the design is the best it can be, we want to hear from our local community. (Click here) to take our online survey for the skate dot. Survey closes on April 26th.

The All-Wheels Association also will be represented at this Wednesday’s quarterly meeting of the Morgan Community Association – 7 pm at Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation‘s lower-level community room (7141 California SW) and online (attendance link is in the agenda). MoCA also is scheduled to get a status report from Seattle Parks, whose next action at the site is to clean up the soil (contamination is left over from the dry cleaner that used to be there).

justind April 15, 2024 (4:23 pm)

This feels like the desire of a vocal minority. Personally, I would prefer more green space in Morgan junction that everyone can enjoy.

hj April 15, 2024 (5:52 pm)

There was a public survey with hundreds of responses. If there truly is a silent majority, then they should actually participate instead of complaining when things don’t go their way.
- Kyle April 16, 2024 (7:01 am)
  
  The Parks survey had ~550 responses. 350 of those wanted to prioritize an all wheels area. Given West Seattle’s population is 80,000 vocal minority sounds right (0.05% total population). However the rest of West Seattle didn’t seem to care to fill it out so bravo to the vocal minority for organizing and caring.
  - hj April 16, 2024 (9:48 pm)
    
    Well, as a noted philosopher once observed, life happens to those who answer the phone. And I’m not sure why the entire population of West Seattle is the ideal n, given how hyperlocal this issue is, at least according to the complaints here.

Rolled Over April 15, 2024 (4:46 pm)

Just wow. Nothing like rewarding bad (illegal trespassing) behavior. So we went from having a nice, quiet park for all ages to this “all wheels” eyesore skate park? I recall surveys asking how the neighborhood felt about it, but missed the memo that it was a done deal. Must have skated right past me, as it were. Happy for the kids I guess, but sad for the people in the apartments facing this park–the constant noise and irritation. Not saying a skate park like this isn’t needed, but it’s absolutely the wrong location for it. There is zero consideration for the renters and home owners in the immediate area. This whole process (how many designs did we look and fund before this was pirated by the scofflaws?) has been an embarrassment. Typical for our parks department. Roll on.

Reed April 15, 2024 (6:35 pm)

Right, because the sounds of skateboards and children having fun is louder and more annoying than the constant vehicle traffic on California Ave. or Fauntleroy.
Jradz April 15, 2024 (7:26 pm)

The newly proposed design actually limits the space to 1500 sqft and shifts it to the existing pocket park, activating that space… the hill that’s proposed would mitigate ALLLLL sound to the condos/apartments. Win-win. The designs look community minded, and the all-wheels area becomes an accent to a great overall design. I can’t wait for parks to release the full images I saw at the parks board meeting! I think EVERYONE will be impressed with what they’ve negotiated cross agency to make this thing happen correctly for MJ. Hats off to BV and Kelly + team for all they’ve done this past year! 🤘
- WSB April 15, 2024 (8:20 pm)
  
  The concept of building the all-wheels area in the south part of the park – when the expansion is built – was discussed at the last MoCA meeting in January.
  https://westseattleblog.com/2024/01/new-crosswalk-park-all-wheels-plan-ev-charging-lot-update-more-morgan-community-associations-first-2024-meeting/
  I will amend above to clarify. – TR
Jeff April 16, 2024 (10:24 am)

Absurd take. I LOVE the skate park idea and it’s a perfect spot for it. This is not a “minority” either! I am an old man and I say let the kids skate! It will be quieter than all the amazon trucks roaring by on California!
Orb April 16, 2024 (12:13 pm)

Isnt there a green space right across the way from this proposed skate park? The space next to the bar?

Kravitz April 15, 2024 (5:10 pm)

If I lived in the apartments or condos in the area next to this, I would be hightailing it out of there. While I think skaters deserve a place to skate and practice, I can’t even fathom the noise this may generate for the people that live there. And for the Nurture Wellbeing studio where they offer massage and reiki? No thank you – massage and therapeutic services served with a side of boards and wheels grinding on the pavement and ramps is the furthest thing from relaxing.

TheArroyos April 15, 2024 (5:39 pm)

Wise advice ~ if only all had capacity to move. Sadly not the case.
Jradz April 15, 2024 (7:29 pm)

I know it’s scary, but once you see the design, you’ll see exactly how far from actuality that statement stands.

Sara April 15, 2024 (6:10 pm)

So excited for this! Will be a great addition to West Seattle.

Seaview Parent April 15, 2024 (6:53 pm)

I’m a parent who lives in the Seaview neighborhood and I’m excited for this. My kids don’t really skate or bike anymore because we always had to take them somewhere to do it. Having the ability to have a neighborhood location is great, it gives them another opportunity to be outside and active. I would say given where Seaview and related neighborhoods are, where should it go? Put it in Lincoln Park? I don’t want them caught up in the crossfire between the Pro and Anti Pickleball factions. Plus, there’s probably someone who thinks the sounds of skateboarding is just as loud as a gunshot and will chain themselves to construction equipment to prevent it from being put there anyway.This land is on a busy thoroughfare that is already noisy, won’t be taking away from existing green spaces. As for the apartments, they are already bookended by bars with outdoor seating, a busy bus stop, and near a major intersection. Map of existing skate parks relative to Seaview and pending location for reference.

Gillbo April 15, 2024 (7:05 pm)

Finally, some life may come to this sad little park. Kind of sad it looks as though a couple of these comments don’t have all the information they might need for a more educated decision to just dismiss it entirely. The skate “dot” is much smaller than most people would think, plus it won’t even be under the apartments on that old laundromat foundation like the DIY spot was. This could really set the Morgan Junction apart from the busier Alaska and Admiral Junctions. Live music in the Summer evenings, art shows whenever the weather is good, families bring in their kids to hang out, actually being able eat Zeke’s pizza in the park on a physical table, quick drinks at Beveridge Place for those of legal age…and so much more. Sounds way better than the empty and forgotten park it has been. I live only a couple of blocks away and have help cleanup the space a few times. With more to do there, I can almost bet there will be less sharps, broken alcohol bottles, soiled clothing, abandoned campsites, and sketchy transactions happening. And I applaud the “cavalier” folks going from the DIY skate spot and into the official and LEGAL channels to get a small active, all ages friendly space in a corner added to the much, much larger footprint of the park. I imagine it would pretty easy to just grumble under your breath and mind your business while you enjoy the other area of the proposed park that completely dwarfs this skate dot some seem so afraid of. Plenty of space to complain of what West Seattle *used* to be. Again, l don’t ever see anyone there using the park currently or in the last several years anyway…plenty of other empty, uninviting, and sketchy after dark green space parks for us all to enjoy around here. Taking one of the list sounds good to me….

Nature April 15, 2024 (7:35 pm)

This is going to be rad! Glad the city’s putting the space to good use.

westseattlebob April 15, 2024 (7:51 pm)

For those complaining of noise… have you ever been near a skate park? It’s palpable to that of the constant buzz of the traffic rolling by, maybe even less than. Until you get a proper idea of what is in store for the site i would wait on crying foul about the noise. Maybe go and check one out and see how it positively affects a community by providing outlets for kids to play in. Clearly there is a need as it was made into a make shift skate park before. Stoked for the kids!!

Another Seaview Parent April 15, 2024 (8:43 pm)

Super excited for this! Looks like the small 1500 sq ft addition (on the other side of the park from the apartments) will inject life into the existing designs (passive green spaces without an active draw).

Watching middle school kids sweep the rubble/trash from the destroyed ramps on the land-banked site definitely showed the opportunity for the community.

I’m glad they’re moving the site away from the apartments, and I can’t wait for Morgan Junction to become even more of a draw across all of West Seattle for kids and parents that want to learn to skate.

fam in the neighborhood April 15, 2024 (9:28 pm)

This is great news. I’m sure the park expansion will be well loved and used. Having a revitalized park adjacent to so many local businesses seems like a great mutual benefit, with more foot traffic and community gathering. A new place to skate is the cherry on top. Delridge and Roxbury get busy in the summer, a new official skate location creates more opportunity for folks to join the fun. Gratitude to everyone that stepped up and made it happen.

Long Time Seaview Dad April 15, 2024 (9:57 pm)

Yes in my back yard and thank you City of Seattle (for once). I personally prefer something like this that energizes the new park with
positive energy to what’s going on in the existing park. I don’t feel
that safe (sometimes) in the current park as it’s hard to see who is in
there and it feels like dark a cul de sac. While it’s nicely landscaped it has room to grow and change for the better. As far as I can tell this will be the first purposeful inclusion of all wheels recreation in west seattle parks, targeted to beginners, which is great. I am not getting the impression that the city is blessing the unsanctioned skate park / “DIY” that was creating issues for neighbors and thankfully was shut down. That said, all the kids I saw walking/biking/skating to in the direction of the DIY in the short time that it lasted highlighted to me how underserved the Seaview/Morgan/Alaska Junction is for walkable/busable active use opportunities. IMO parks was far-sighted enough to listen to the vast majority of the community that showed up at their Morgan Fest event last spring when they solicited input about the redevelopment, which is a nice change, and something that should give the community comfort. If I was a business owner I would be excited about the new influx of parents and kids that will result from both the park expansion and the relatively tiny skate dot (looking at you Paper Boat, Thunder road, Bev Place, Starbucks, Zeeks, Ezells, Thriftway, etc). One commenter mentioned the new landscaping (earth mounds and vegetation) and setback from the apartments to abate noise, that makes a lot of sense to me. I love to go to Beveridge place, both of my kids skate and I would love the opportunity to do both walking distance from my house. I hope we can agree that the world needs more people trying to make their world a better place and fewer that scream and shout on the internet. There is a public process the City and MJAWA team (your neighbors) and their literally world-renowned west seattle design contractors Grindline are using to get
community input. This is the beginning of a multi step process. Even I plan to get my lazy butt off the internet for 15 minutes and attend the public meetings and learn more and share my thoughts. I encourage my neighbors to do the same.

SpencerGT April 16, 2024 (2:35 am)

I think that this is a good idea, provided that controls are put in place to make sure that people don’t skate too late (say, after 10pm).

Alki resident April 16, 2024 (8:25 am)

It’s about time this happens. I hope the kids that started this are still in our area and will see this dream become a reality. I’m very happy to finally see this become something children and adults can enjoy for years to come. Congratulations to the kids, they deserve this great news!

Lincoln Park Mom April 16, 2024 (10:03 am)

I am so excited for our youth! (and adult wheelers) This is wonderful for them. Keep them together, meet other like wheelers and have a ball! We have an amazing green space right down the road called Lincoln Park. This will help keep the wheels from using stair wells and heavily populated areas of pedestrian traffic by giving them their own space to show off their talent. Love it!

By and By April 16, 2024 (10:04 am)

For everyone saying there is no noise, or the noise is going to be less annoying than traffic – I live across the street, and my porch overlooks California. I have lived here for 8 years and last summer was by far the worst noise I have ever experienced. The constant sound of skateboards hitting the cement made it impossible to enjoy afternoons on my porch, and is far beyond any noise created by traffic or night life. Please note – this is not me saying I’m against the park. I am against people assuming there will be no impact on the neighbors.

Additionally, I’m all for realigning unused space for public use; however, it is really hard to support a bunch of adult men trespassing because they didn’t want to share the other 2 existing skate parks in West Seattle. Not only did I watch them build it, I watched the city lock up the lot and put up “No Trespassing” signs that these adult men took down almost weekly to continue their venture. Then the city brought out jackhammers and destroyed the whole area. But that didn’t stop these guys! No, they will trespass until the city gives in and builds their skate park. Wonder what else we could make a reality with this model!

Nature April 16, 2024 (10:55 am)

Neither of those skate parks are within walking distance for the kids that live in Morgan Junction. The fact that a skatepark popped up here proves that there is a massive need. If you want peace and quiet maybe living in a shared apartment building on a busy road isn’t for you.
- By and By April 16, 2024 (2:57 pm)
  
  Lol what a garbage reply. I blatantly said I was NOT against the skate park being built. Also your privilege is showing with the “living in a shared apartment building” comment. Maybe all these families with skating kids should have moved closer to the 2 existing skate parks. (See how dumb it sounds to tell someone to move?)
  
  Anyway, I’ve lived here for almost a decade just fine with the noise of living in my shared apartment building on a busy road. My comment was to say that the noise generated by the skate park is much different than noise generated by car traffic and passersby. A lot of people are assuming there will be no noise impact to the neighbors, so I’m setting the record straight as someone whose porch literally looks right over the lot.
  
  You are more than welcome to come have a drink this summer to hear the difference for yourself. We can cheer on the folks doing tricks, it is quite fun to watch!

AK April 16, 2024 (10:37 am)

Exciting! This will give the youths an activity to do! My kid is grown but I support this in our community!

Strata April 16, 2024 (5:47 pm)

Count me as someone who is very excited for the skate park and also I live across the street and can attest to the fact that it was beyond audible that people were skateboarding out there all last summer. Nothin like the crack of a skate deck on a rail. If I wasn’t a fan, it would probably annoy me too. The survey questions make me think this will probably have a cool design so I can’t wait til its finished!