VOTE: West Seattle/South Park proposals up for a share of CommUNITY Fund

Thanks to Sharon Leishman with the Duwamish Alive! Coalition for calling our attention to your chance to vote right now on how the city should spend $5 million set aside for community-proposed projects. It’s called the CommUNITY fund. Projects are proposed in regions of the city, and you can cast one ballot per region, with up to three projects on your ballot, signifying that’s where you’d like to see the money go. Projects from West Seattle and South Park are in the West Region, with five up for a share of funding in this regional vote:

*Lights at Delridge Skatepark

*Duwamish art and signage at Herring’s House Park

*Covered shelter at Roxhill Park

*Accessible playground surfacing at Southwest Teen Life Center

*Outdoor exercise equipment in South Park

The West Region page also includes three citywide proposals. You can vote in the other regions too, regardless of where you live – voting for all four regions starts here. Read more about the CommUNITY Fund voting here; voting continues through the end of this month. Then Parks staff will assess the results and make announcements this fall.

WS Taxpayer August 16, 2024 (10:53 am)

*Lights at Delridge Skatepark – so there can be late night gatherings of folks? How many in the community does this service? *Duwamish art and signage at Herring’s House Park – great cultural opportunity for a park with minor usage, at best. *Covered shelter at Roxhill Park – the potential negative implications of this outweigh the positive benefits. *Accessible playground surfacing at Southwest Teen Life Center – don’t know how many folks are excluded from the playground at SWTLC, but paving the parking lot in general would be a benefit to the community. *Outdoor exercise equipment in South Park – my perspective – outdoor exercise equipment is theoretically beneficial but practically (usage statistics, demographics, equipment choice) marginal at best. Bureaucracy is wonderful when we get to choose the least-worst idea to spend our own money on…

WSB August 16, 2024 (1:10 pm)

These ideas were community-proposed, not bureaucrat-proposed.
YT August 16, 2024 (2:40 pm)

Living nearby the Delridge skatepark, I can tell you that it gets a ton of use, and is busy every night right up until dark. It’s probably one of the busiest park amenities in West Seattle. The nimby in me says no lights so I can enjoy my peace and quiet in the evenings, but adding them would truly serve a large number of people.
Bbron August 16, 2024 (7:21 pm)

In what way could there be any negatives to a covered shelter at Roxhill? love that the only positive thing you could come up with was bettering the parking lot 😂
- Hoom August 17, 2024 (10:29 am)
  
  They’re implying that homeless people might use those covered areas. Nevermind that covered areas benefitting all park users, whether on a sunny day or during the long rainy season, if a homeless person might use it then it’s bad. Same reason you can’t find a public bathroom when you need one.

Mary K Fleck August 16, 2024 (11:46 am)

Thank you Sharon Leishman and WSB for telling us about this. I voted! Mary

Steph August 17, 2024 (2:48 pm)

Ok, this is Parks department only. Where did this money come from? I’ve been extremely upset about the mismanagement of our Parks for decades. Disproportionate spending for Eastside wealthy areas, abuse and neglect of exceptional trees that can’t be replaced in our lifetimes, slides, etc.Did they get the millions by cutting back on the essential maintenance? It appears so.Is it too late to propose significant projects?

Sharon August 26, 2024 (4:17 pm)

Seattle Parks is directing this funding to parks which will :Close gaps in access to quality parks and park facilities that disproportionately affect frontline communities.Expand inclusive access to clean and safe parks that foster healthy people, thriving environments, and vibrant communities.All of these projects have come from proposals from local, West Seattle communities and have been selected by committees of local community members, making it a very community driven project .

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