FOLLOWUP: Work continues at Lincoln Park South Play Area

Thanks to Mike Munson for the photos. In case you’ve been wondering, work continues on the Lincoln Park South Play Area project, almost seven years after the previous play structure was closed for safety concerns. Contractor L.W. Sundstrom recently concluded work on the Westcrest Park Play Area – bundled with this one for bidding – and Seattle Parks said they would then move on to focus on this.

When last we asked Parks about Lincoln Park South, spokesperson Karen O’Connor said, “We anticipate Lincoln will be completed in June.” The new play area is supposed to have a marine theme, as chosen in community meetings six years ago.

Zipline April 29, 2024 (8:26 pm)

Are they bringing back the zip line?

Mommaseattle May 1, 2024 (12:07 pm)

Not sure if they’re putting another zip line in that area but there is a zip line in the north play lot

Colby April 29, 2024 (10:13 pm)

I’m concerned this play area will disrupt the wildlife in the park — children are very loud and disruptive.

Chrissy D April 29, 2024 (10:24 pm)

Colby, that’s the best post evah.
Scott April 30, 2024 (12:25 pm)

LOL
Alki resident April 30, 2024 (1:45 pm)

They’ll be allowed to play there between 1-3 pm and not at all on weekends to give birds a break.
Denise April 30, 2024 (7:18 pm)

We who opposed the pickleball courts love having the kids play areas. There is no comparison of the impact of kids playing to pickleball whatsoever. Really sick of hearing this stuff from you all.
- Colby April 30, 2024 (10:11 pm)
  
  What if the children wanted the play pickleball?Fun fact: In the survey for this play area, responders said they’d like to use the play area for “musical play.” That seems rather disruptive. Not to mention the screaming, human food, and garbage that can come with children. Also, I found out Coleman pool allows private rentals where outdoor music is allowed — into the evening. We should probably close the park to humans and let nature take over.
- Tiredofallof it May 1, 2024 (8:52 am)
  
  Unfortunately you can’t be against one form of noise and not another…as others have cited, humans bring with them exponentially more noise, particularly humans that are not yet in control of their voices and enjoying themselves, trash from snacks and inherently damage to the surrounding grassy areas. So if you are against pickleball noise you should be also be against other forms of it in the park, otherwise the protest holds ZERO water.
  - lalala May 1, 2024 (10:36 pm)
    
    Hi ‘tiredofallofit’. It sounds like maybe you have not been reading about the protests against pickleball across the nation. I encourage you to Google it. Pickleball (especially 6 side by side courts with 4 people on each of them – for 24 people playing at once – which is what SPR proposed) has a very irritating sound. It’s not like kids or music – sounds people love to hear in parks. It’s a really incessant loud noise that literally drives people batty. Imagine being an animal with more sensitive hearing and being exposed to that. Would you hang around?
Flaunt-Leroy May 1, 2024 (11:43 am)

This guy gets it

Harborislandworker April 30, 2024 (8:14 am)

According to OSHA… those guys standing on that platform should technically have fall protection 🤷‍♂️

Chuck April 30, 2024 (1:47 pm)

Let the children play

SRHNA April 30, 2024 (8:44 pm)

Let the children play pickleball too!
- iplaypickleball May 1, 2024 (10:37 pm)
  
  They do play, SRHNA. There are no dearth of courts in West Seattle. We are not pickleball-court-starved around here. Kids are starved for nature and quiet though.

heartless April 30, 2024 (6:28 pm)

In all seriousness, the lack of ‘protest’ (for lack of a better word) comments does seem strange. Studies have shown that human noises (e.g., speech/screams/yelling) are more disturbing to wildlife than artificial noises (e.g., a paddle hitting a ball), and yet nary a complaint from the bird crowd. Curious.

whatintheworld May 1, 2024 (10:38 pm)

Please share the scientific studies for this spew of nonsense.

Jason May 1, 2024 (7:42 am)

Agree with the above comments. Children are louder than Pickleball…. which is FINE. Birds have been fine with the ferry noise, planes landing in seatac, screaming kids, tennis, softball, you name it at Lincoln Park for decades. Bring on pickleball!!!!

Reed May 1, 2024 (9:41 am)

Serious question for the anti-pickleball in Lincoln Park crowd. What would you do if a group showed up with popup nets and started playing pickleball on the concrete slab or in the parking lot of Lincoln Park?

Denise May 1, 2024 (7:13 pm)

The attitudes of you pickleballers commenting here is staggering. I can only conclude that you love pickleball so much you’ve lost all regard for other living creatures, whether they’re birds, kids, or other people. The truth is, Lincoln Park is for all of us. You should enjoy it for what it is, because it’s really special. If we ruin it, we never get it back. Live with that.

heartless May 1, 2024 (8:35 pm)

“The truth is, Lincoln Park is for all of us.”

I mean, haven’t you repeatedly said it’s not for pickleball players?

Look, I don’t play pickleball, it sounds (no pun intended) utterly exhausting, but your position makes very little sense.
- Denise May 1, 2024 (9:56 pm)
  
  Pickleball is a use, not a person. Lincoln is for all people, not all uses. Pickleball players can use the park the same way the rest of us do,
  - heartless May 2, 2024 (7:13 am)
    
    Um, but a playground is not a person either? Children can just use the park the same way the rest of us do.
    
    I still do not understand why so many people who adamantly oppose pickleball are ok with this playground (or, I suppose, maybe they secretly don’t want it, but are afraid of the backlash if they come out against it? I could understand that position, I guess).
    
    Anyway, we’re not getting anywhere so I’m out.
    - Denise May 2, 2024 (6:26 pm)
      
      You are appropriately named, Heartless. You can’t deal with a kid’s playground? Wow.
Colby May 1, 2024 (9:41 pm)

Same for me, I’ve never played pickleball before — I do not even know the rules. What I do know is this is a multi-use recreational public park, not a nature preserve. I also know that children can be very loud, I can often hear them at my house from the school 4 blocks away during recess. What I don’t hear? The tennis matches from the tennis courts equal distance away. What I also know is the proposed site for the pickleball courts were once tennis courts. Meaning, there were similar disruptions in that area in the past. What I’d like to know is, what’s different with the pickleball courts compared to any of the other recreational activities that are permitted at the park?If you say anything about lighting, then you should also petition for the lights at Colman pool, the parking lot lights, and the trail street lights to all be removed
- Denise May 1, 2024 (9:58 pm)
  
  This stuff has been explained in exhaustive detail for the last 9 months.
  - Colby May 1, 2024 (10:52 pm)
    
    To be honest, I don’t really care either way.
    
    Just thinking if you are going to cry foul about one thing, you should probably not turn a blind eye to something just as disruptive.
    - Denise May 2, 2024 (12:39 pm)
      
      Again, this has been explained to you people for nine months. No one has taken a blind eye. There are good reasons why we don’t oppose the existing activities in the park. But you already know that. You just want to gripe.
- gaaahhhh May 1, 2024 (10:43 pm)
  
  Colby, can you just search the internet so we don’t have educate you over and over again. The noise produced by pickleball can reach up to 70 decibels, while tennis typically produces around 40 decibels of noise.SPR proposes 6 side by side courts or 24 people whacking that ball incessantly for hours.70 DB nonstop. People are literally moving from homes because pickleball courts are nearby. JUST READ ABOUT IT PLEASE. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/30/sports/pickleball-noise-complaints-lawsuits.html
  - heartless May 2, 2024 (7:08 am)
    
    Wow, it can reach up to 70 decibels?
    
    Let’s compare that to playground noise levels, shall we?
    
    “The National Hearing Conservation Association reported that in a survey of 110 children, ages six to 14, the average noise level during the day was 90 decibels, about the level of city traffic. On the playground, these levels reached 115 decibels, similar to that of a noisy subway or rock music.”
    
    https://tinyurl.com/2s3s6vw6
    - Colby May 2, 2024 (10:27 am)
      
      Great point, Heartless!
      
      Also, looking at the three ball fields in the park (2 near the pickleball site). It appears studies put the sound of those around 50-75 decibels.

WS Troll May 2, 2024 (12:20 pm)

Denise and her friends are inconsistently applying their fear of noise to possible uses of the park. There is no reasonable excuse for the anti-pickleballers to NOT be up in arms by the rebuilding of the playground, unless they just have an unfounded hatred or fear of pickleball. Kids are louder than pickleballs. If Denise and friends don’t protest the rebuilding of the playground they have absolutely zero legs to stand upon when whining about the pickleball courts.

Denise May 2, 2024 (3:10 pm)

We’re done explaining it to you. Parks understands—they readily admit pickleball has a noise problem unlike any other current or past park activity. Maybe you should ask them to explain it to you.

Atheist May 2, 2024 (2:06 pm)

Nope, WS Troll. Many of the individuals protesting pickleball in Lincoln Park are pickleball players themselves. While they enjoy the sport, they recognize this is an inappropriate venue for a high impact sport. The sound of children’s voices is not commensurate to the obnoxious pock pock of a pickleball and paddle.

Colby May 2, 2024 (8:01 pm)

I did some testing this evening on my walk, as I remembered my watch can read decibels.

While walking down an arterial road similar to Fauntleroy, my watch read a stayed on the 60-70dB range. As soon as I spoke to my wife, it jumped up to 80dB.

She asked me what I was doing, after I told her, she mentioned, her watch is always telling her that her environment is too loud (over 90dB), and she should wear ear protection.

Where does she work? An elementary school. When does it warn her? While the kids are on the playground.

Sorry, comment time is over.