West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
(Photos from Parks slide deck, Westcrest Park before/after ‘maintenance surge’)
We’ve talked before about Seattle Parks‘ recent maintenance woes – including this report from the Alki Community Council‘s June meeting.This afternoon, Parks managers told the City Council’s Public Assets and Homelessness Committee that they’ve been catching up via what they call a “maintenance surge.” That was the first of two Parks presentations to the committee, and you can watch starting at 48 minutes into the video recording of the meeting:
Their priorities so far have been mowing, comfort-station (standalone restroom building) maintenance, graffiti removal, and trash pickup. Staffing was a major reason they got behind, Parks reps told councilmembers, but other challenges hindered their work too – like 21 rainy days in May and 19 rainy days in June. They couldn’t do anything about the weather but they have been working on hiring, starting the year with 80+ job openings in the division responsible for maintenance, filling 50 of those positions by July, and expecting to fill another 10 this month. In the first month of the “surge,” for example, they spent 688 hours on graffiti removal, almost 50 percent more than the same month last year. In the same month, they picked up 330 tons of trash in parks, up from 270 tons a year earlier. As they catch up in these areas, the next tier of priorities includes cleaning up sport courts. Here’s the slide deck with all the numbers they shared.
After that, Parks managers segued into their second presentation, about the 129 “comfort stations” around the system. Unlike the maintenance presentation, this one had a bottom line – the department is looking for more Parks District funding to accelerate replacements and cover repairs required by damage. Right now, comfort stations get replaced in an average of every 42 years; if the current $1.6 million annual budget is increased to $2.8 million, that could drop to every 34 years. The added funding recommendation also includes half a million dollars to cover arson and vandalism. Between that and maintenance/repair needs, they respond to about 1,400 work orders a year, councilmembers were told. The average comfort-station rebuild costs $540,000, Parks said. (The one that opened late last year at 57th/Alki cost $638,000 to build.) Asked how many of the others are due for replacement, interim Superintendent Christopher Williams replied, “Most.” A list of “prioritized” projects shown during the meeting (here’s the full slide deck) included two in West Seattle – Lincoln Park by the wading pool/north play area and Westcrest Park‘s south side, Parks also says it’s working on a system to remotely lock and unlock comfort stations to improve efficiency.
(WSB file photo)
As noted here last weekend, this is the final week of operations this year for three of our area’s city-run wading pools – South Park closes after tomorrow, Delridge after Friday, E.C. Hughes after Sunday. Lincoln Park will be open through Labor Day. That was supposed to be the last day for Highland Park Spraypark – but in an aquatics update today, Seattle Parks announced two extra weeks for West Seattle’s only spraypark, which will now be open through Sunday, September 18th. (Never been? It’s at 1100 SW Cloverdale.) The announcement also says, “Next summer, Seattle Parks and Recreation hopes to resume summer aquatics at our pre-pandemic schedules” and says they’re hiring for indoor-pool jobs – go here to find out more.
(WSB file photo, E.C. Hughes wading pool)
The short season for most city-run wading pools is close to ending. The Delridge (4501 Delridge Way SW), E.C. Hughes (2805 SW Holden), and South Park wading pools have three more days to go – or put another way, one week, as each of those pools operates three days a week.
South Park – open Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday, last day August 17th
Delridge – open noon-5:30 pm Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, last day August 19th
E.C. Hughes – open noon-7 pm Monday/Tuesday/Sunday, last day August 21st
The Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) wading pool will continue daily operations through Labor Day (noon-7 pm), as will the Highland Park (1100 SW Cloverdale) spraypark (11 am-8 pm). If you’re new in the area and wondering why the wading-pool schedule is so constrained, it dates back to city budget cuts more than a decade ago (they even solicited sponsors for adding days at one point, and got some for a while).
(WSB photos)
To the untrained eye, this tree might look like just another one of the many towering evergreens in Lincoln Park. It’s not.
It’s a Giant Sequoia (redwood), officially declared a Seattle Heritage Tree, thanks to the efforts of Al Rouyer:
Rouyer is a retired college educator. He specialized in political science, particularly Middle Eastern affairs – and took an interest in trees after retiring. Studying the trees in Lincoln Park is what led him to seek the designation for this one, estimated at 100 years old and more than 150 feet tall. He said most people walk through the park and have no idea that there’s so many kinds of trees and that some are worthy of special recognition, like this one in the north end of the park. Instead of getting a big fancy plaque, he opted for this simple tag:
Friends joined him today for a small gathering to commemorate the designation and celebrate the tree:
As explained by Plant Amnesty, the Heritage Tree designation does not confer any legal protection – but the organization hopes it will encourage tree preservation (which happens to be back in the news this week – we hope to write more about that this weekend).
(Texted photo)
Last week, signage and caution tape went up around a play structure at Alki Playground, one day after readers told us the structure had been fenced off without explanation. When we inquired with Seattle Parks , they said only that the closure followed a “recent play-area safety check.” On followup, they’ve offered a bit more of an explanation:
The safety inspection revealed a major structural issue with the wood decking. This play structure is long overdue for replacement. We plan to remove the wooden structure prior to this school year. We are working with Seattle Public Schools on a replacement plan.
The playground is a Seattle Parks facility but used by students at adjacent Alki Elementary, which is scheduled close in one year for a reconstruction project.
Love wildlife? Plants? Parks? Here’s a volunteer opportunity we’ve been asked to let you know about:
Become a SUNGuide!
Seattle Urban Nature Guides enhance, promote and foster appreciation of nature by connecting families, students and the community with their Seattle parklands, and provide educational opportunities for all.
As a SUNGuide, you will:
● Develop Job Skills such as public speaking, education techniques and group engagement
● Enjoy a community of fellow volunteers and city staff
● Receive FREE Training on Pacific Northwest flora and fauna, habitats, environmental-education techniques to connect with a wide variety of audiences, and equity concepts
● Lead hands-on learning experiences in a variety of settings from playgrounds to beaches
● Familiarize yourself with Seattle’s diverse parklands while helping others do the sameApplication deadline is Saturday, August 20th; training begins Saturday, August 27th. To apply please visit our website:
Environmental Education Volunteering – Parks | seattle.govQuestions? Contact Penny Rose at penny.rose@seattle.gov
(Photo sent by Ashley)
Thanks to everyone who emailed after discovering fencing had gone up around the southwest part of the Alki playground on the north side of Alki Elementary. It’s a Seattle Parks site, so we inquired this morning and just got replies saying this sign would be posted this afternoon, explaining the play area was closed “after a recent play area safety check” and adding, “We are working with Seattle Public Schools to address the future of this site.” However, the replies we received did not elaborate on what safety issue was discovered, so we’re asking that on followup. Seattle Parks has closed several play structures in recent years because of various safety concerns; one of them, Lincoln Park’s south play area, is still closed after five years.
P.S. One issue in the play area’s future obviously will be the Alki Elementary rebuild, scheduled to start construction in about a year.
Last weekend, the West Seattle Outdoor Movies series re-launched at Camp Long. Starting this weekend, the series moves to Hotwire Coffee, but Camp Long has other events coming up – and a way to get involved beyond events. From Seattle Parks’ Matt Kostle:
Free Rock Climbing Nights:
We are opening our Rock Climbing program to the public a couple of times this summer for families to take advantage of. The dates are:
August 9
August 16Sign up for slots will start at 4:30 pm and climbing slots will run from 5 pm-6 pm and 6:30 pm-7:30 pm. Folks are welcome to sign up whenever they arrive, but we will be limited to 10 slots each hours on a first come/first served basis. Each participant can expect to climb 1 or 2 times depending on attendance. Youth under 18 will need to have a parent or guardian present to sign their waiver. This is family friendly and even youth as young as toddlers can climb!
Mountain Fest:
Seattle Parks and Recreation invite you and your family to celebrate Camp Long Mountain Fest from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday September 10th. Camp Long Mountain Fest, an annual celebration of Seattle’s climbing and outdoor recreation history and community, was first held in 2014, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the completion of Schurman Rock, constructed between 1938 and 1939 by the Work Progress Administration, and believed to be the first human constructed climbing structure in the country. There is much more than just climbing though. Visitors can challenge themselves on the high ropes course; try climbing Schurman Rock and rappelling on the Glacier Wall; try their hand at a Camp Long Scavenger Hunt and participate in many other activities and events. All events are free.
Advisory Council
We are also still looking for more Advisory Council members.
-Represent and engage the community
-Advocate on behalf of the community
-Advise on programs and activities that meet community needs
-Assist with fundraising and promotions
-Event planning and volunteer participationInquire at camp.long@seattle.gov or call 206-684-7434 for more information if you are interested and have questions.
The park is at 5200 35th SW (35th/Dawson, where there’s now a signal if you’re crossing from west of 35th).
The public phase of the Fauntleroy ferry terminal replacement project is in a summer lull – next milestone, Washington State Ferries spokesperson Hadley Rodero tells WSB, is that in “September, we will share the results of the next round of screening for the remaining project alternatives. Community advocacy efforts are active, however, including a new group focused on saving Cove Park to the north of the existing dock. The group has launched a website spelling out its concerns. First, some background on Cove Park:
(WSB photo, July 18, 2015)
Exactly seven years ago – on July 18, 2015 – the small beachfront park reopened to the public after a three-year closure for a pump-station upgrade. It’s officially a city street-end, not a Seattle Parks property, transformed by community members in the ’90s. The new group is worried about possible options for the ferry terminal/dock rebuild that could expand its footprint. One of the volunteers involved in the Save Cove Park effort, Diana Spence, explains, “We are trying to bring awareness to the community that they can get involved to protect Fauntleroy Cove. We don’t support any option that would include expanding the ferry terminal footprint to the north.” Spence says they’re awaiting more public involvement before taking a position on any particular alternative that’s currently into play. Right now, they’re working on awareness and are distributing yard signs – more than 50 so far – as well as supporting a letter-writing campaign – more info is on the group’s website.
One-fifth of Seattle Parks‘ funding comes from a supplementary source – the property-tax-levy-funded Seattle Park District, created with voter approval in 2014. Tomorrow at 5:30 pm (Thursday, July 14th), the City Council, meeting as the Park District Board, will have a public hearing on a spending proposal for the district’s next six-year funding cycle. With so much park space in West Seattle, you might consider commenting, so we want to be sure you’ve heard about it. The proposal includes “pre-committed” spending for so-called landbanked parks including the three in West Seattle (The Junction, Morgan Junction, 48th/Charlestown) – here’s the high-level breakdown; the proposal results from work by the Board of Park Commissioners, as detailed here. Tomorrow’s public hearing comes before elected officials propose potential changes, as outlined in this post by Councilmember Lisa Herbold last month. It’s a hybrid meeting, at City Hall and online, and you can comment either way – the agenda explains how.
(WSB photo: Roxhill Park, this morning)
Seven events have been announced for Roxhill Park (29th SW and SW Barton) over the next month – starting this Saturday. They’re all in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, too, but here’s a quick FYI: The first event is for bird fans – this Saturday (and two weeks later, on July 30th), be at the park at 9 am to meet two Seattle Audubon Master Birders for a walk to learn about local birds and how/where to see them. Details are here. If you’re interested in the longer walk on July 30th, preregistration is requested – go here.
Then starting a week from today, at 10 am July 20th and for each Wednesday thereafter through August 10th, the park will be the site of watercolor-painting sessions geared toward people 50 and up. And on July 30th, you’re invited to an afternoon-long dance festival, both as a spectator and a participant, 1-5 pm – the “Dare to Dance” festival will feature performances and workshops by dance groups and choreographers.
All of these events are free.
(Photo by Vlad Oustimovitch, who explains that ‘butterfly stroke practice’ was happening there today)
ORIGINAL TUESDAY REPORT: West Seattle is home to the city’s only beachfront public saltwater swimming pool, Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shore. Seattle Parks has announced that renovation work is planned, and it’s hosting an info session at the pool this Sunday:
Seattle Parks and Recreation invites the community to Colman Pool on Sunday, July 17 from noon to 2 p.m. to learn about and provide input on an upcoming maintenance and improvement project at the pool. Colman Pool is in Lincoln Park at 8603 Fauntleroy Way SW in West Seattle.
Colman Pool, originally constructed in 1941, is one of only two public outdoor pools in Seattle and the only public salt-water pool in King County. Its scenic location on the beach of Lincoln Park offers a unique experience that boasts 50-meter swim lanes and occasional orca sightings. The pool is regularly used for practice by swim teams as well as by recreational lap swimmers.
The current locker rooms remain largely unchanged since their original construction and numerous accessibility barriers have been documented, which prevent potential users of all abilities from easily accessing the pool. Many of the cast-iron pipes and components of the sand filter system that draws water from Puget Sound for swimming are also original, and the main bathhouse building is unreinforced masonry (URM).
The goal of the upcoming maintenance project is to renovate the locker rooms to increase access for people of all abilities, provide family and non-gender-specific restrooms and changing areas (none currently exist), improve the caretaker residence, and provide several other improvements throughout the bathhouse and on the pool deck that will increase access to all users. This project will also provide general much-needed updates to the unique operation-critical filter equipment essential for drawing and filtering water from Puget Sound, and reinforcement to the walls to ensure that building occupants can safely withstand an earthquake. These improvements will allow Colman Pool to continue to serve new generations of users into the future.
We have followup questions out about when this work would start, how long it would take, and what’s budgeted for it; we’ll add answers when we get them. It’s been a decade since the pool’s last major renovations.
ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: Parks spokesperson Karen O’Connor answered our followup questions:
If the proposals for the new Park District are approved, we plan to have Park District funding of $3 million or more for this project to begin planning and design in 2023. We have been awarded a grant from King County for an additional $1.8 million and are working to secure additional funding through Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office grant. Projects that show community involvement are rated higher from the RCO office and generally give projects a better chance of receiving funding. This is primarily a major maintenance project. The scope will include accessibility improvements, renovation of the locker rooms and restrooms, reinforcement of the unreinforced masonry, renovation of the caretaker’s quarters, and replacement and update of some of the mechanical equipment. Additional funding through grants and other sources would allow us to accomplish more. Our goal would be to do the work in the off season and be open for the summer. We anticipate work occurring in 2024 or 2025.
A public hearing on the Park District spending plan is set for tomorrow night – we have a separate story coming up on that later this afternoon.
The heart of summer is the time to be outdoors as much as possible – and that’s why the West Seattle Community Orchestras are bringing back Play-Along in the Park, starting tomorrow (Tuesday, July 12th)! Here’s the announcement:
West Seattle Community Orchestras’ second annual Play-Along in the Park is here! Dust off your instruments and join us this summer for a series of FREE music-playing sessions!
Sessions run every Tuesday, July 12-August 2 at Lincoln Park, 6:00-8:00 PM.
You do not have to be able to attend every week to join. This series is designed for you to join when you are able and experience the joy of playing in an ensemble!
You will be expected to bring your own music stand and chair.
Each week there will be two different groups.
6:00 PM – 6:45 PM is for musicians looking to play an easier repertoire of music. Has it been years since you’ve picked up that violin but you’re interested in reliving the magic of playing in an ensemble? This time slot is for you! This music is classified at a beginner level.
But if you’re looking for more of a challenge, or play regularly and just want to enjoy playing in the summer evening with a group, join us from 7:00-7:45 PM for a slightly more difficult repertoire, at an intermediate level.
Please feel free to join us for one OR both time slots!
If you have any questions, please reach out to info@wscorchestras.org
Registration is open now! form.jotform.com/211898433133154
If you’re wondering “where in Lincoln Park?” – the meadow near the north (largest) parking lot.
We’ve been talking about all kinds of outdoor summer fun returning this year – festivals, concerts, parades, movies – and there’s more: Outdoor theater! GreenStage is back with free Shakespeare in the Park – including 11 performances in 3 West Seattle parks, starting this Friday! First, the general announcement!
FREE Shakespeare in the Park!
Get ready for a summer full of family fun and FREE theater in the great outdoors all across Seattle-area parks. GreenStage, Seattle’s longest-operating Shakespeare company, celebrates its 34th season of Shakespeare in the Park with mainstage shows “Pericles, Prince of Tyre” and “Henry V,” and our scaled-down Backyard Bard shows “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Macbeth.”
The season runs July 8 –August 6. Visit greenstage.org for our full calendar and where we’ll be. Go see a play!
As shown on the GreenStage calendar, the West Seattle performances are:
7 pm Friday, July 8th – “Much Ado About Nothing” (Backyard Bard) at High Point Commons Park (3201 SW Graham)
7 pm Saturday, July 9th – “Macbeth” (Backyard Bard) at High Point Commons Park
7 pm Friday, July 15 – “Henry V” at Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
3 pm Saturday, July 16 – “Henry V” at Lincoln Park
7 pm Saturday, July 16 – “Pericles” at Lincoln Park
3 pm Sunday, July 17 – “Pericles” at Lincoln Park
7 pm Sunday, July 17 – “Henry V” at Lincoln Park
7 pm Friday, July 22 – “Pericles” at Camp Long (5200 35th SW)
7 pm Friday, July 29 – “Henry V” at Camp Long
3 pm Sunday, July 31 – “Henry V” at Lincoln Park
7 pm Sunday, July 31 – “Pericles” at Lincoln Park
(WSB photo, this morning)
2:29 PM: If you’re looking forward to full access at Lowman Beach Park now that the seawall-removal/habitat-restoration project is over, you don’t have long to wait. More of the fencing has been removed – the south section that had temporarily displayed art by Gatewood Elementary fourth-graders – and the rest, which is mostly near the park’s big trees, will be down soon, confirms Seattle Parks spokesperson Karen O’Connor: “The fencing on Lowman Beach should all be down this week and the district crew will finish mowing around the trees to make the area more accessible to the public. The grass did get long during the construction.” The construction lasted about eight months, which was the duration estimated when work on the $1.2 million project began last fall.
7:50 PM: Just went by again – the rest of the fencing is now gone.
Just in time for what’s expected to be the finale of this mini-heat wave, two more local wading pools open tomorrow: EC Hughes (above) at 2805 SW Holden will be open noon-7 pm Mondays, Tuesdays, and Sundays through August 21st, and South Park at 8319 8th Ave. S. will be open noon-7 pm Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, Lincoln Park at 8011 Fauntleroy Way SW is already open daily (except for cool weather) noon-7 pm daily through Labor Day, and Delridge at 4501 Delridge Way SW will be the last to open, noon-5:30 pm Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays starting this week. One more option for little ones to stay cool: Highland Park Spraypark at 1100 SW Cloverdale, open daily through Labor Day, 11 am-8 pm. See the citywide schedule here.
(WSB photo)
The closure of Hiawatha Community Center has ripple effects this summer – including these two: When wading-pool season starts tomorrow, Hiawatha won’t be opening because of the center closure; also, the Admiral Neighborhood Association can’t resume its summer-concert series because Hiawatha’s unavailable as a venue. A few readers asked us recently for a status report on the community center, so here’s what we have found out from Seattle Parks. They’ve been waiting for approval of a half-million-dollar federal grant (via the Federal Emergency Management Agency), according to Parks’ Kelly Goold, who says that’s about a quarter of the funding for the work to be done at Hiawatha. Rules of the grant, Parks says, prohibited work from starting before the funding was received. Goold says they “believe we will have approval shortly.” Then they can put the project out to bid. If they don’t get the grant? “We will proceed with the project but will complete less project work.” A bit of preparation has been done, Goold says – primarily “hazmat removal.” Once construction starts, it’s expected to take about nine months – so if all goes well from here, Hiawatha might be ready to reopen next summer. The project as described by Parks will include “electrical repairs, water and sewer pipe replacements, furnace and water heater repairs, roof replacement, and more.”
Seattle Parks‘ new regional crew chief and the Southwest Precinct‘s day-shift commander were guests at the Alki Community Council‘s June meeting, held in-person and online last night.
SEATTLE PARKS’ CREW CHIEF: Insights beyond Alki were shared by Kristy Darcy, recently promoted to crew chief for Seattle Parks’ southwest area, a position left open when Carol Baker retired from a 40+-year career. First – for everyone wondering about the tall grass at local parks – for one thing, it’s growing faster than usual everywhere because of the wet, cool weather. For two, even though they’ve just done a lot of hiring, they still don’t have all the staff they need to keep up with the 85 parks and 13 athletic fields for which they’re responsible. They’re trying their best to catch up, though.
They’re also catching up with gardening – two gardener positions have been filled and they have someone working in that role full-time for the first time in two years. This past week, the newly hired gardeners were working to get the grounds of Colman Pool ready for its opening tomorrow (Saturday, June 18th). Next week, they take on the flower beds near the Alki Bathhouse – Darcy, who used to be a Parks gardener, ordered 1,400 annuals, and they’re hoping for volunteers to show up and help plant them next Friday – just show up, noon-4 pm June 24th.
Darcy shared one odd anecdote from Alki (we also heard a bit about this from a reader) – that someone tried to pry the plaque off the Denny Party monument at 63rd/Alki early Thursday. A person driving by apparently scared off the would-be plaque thieves.
In all, the staff has gone from 14 to 30 people, Darcy said, and they have two extra people to help at closing time, particularly helpful now that the early closing time for summer (10 pm) is in effect.
SOUTHWEST PRECINCT: Lt. Michael Watson, second-watch (day shift) commander, was there to answer questions about Alki. He noted that the summertime “emphasis patrol” is back, and also that the 10 pm closure doesn’t just apply to the beach – Don Armeni Boat Ramp is also being closed at 10 pm too, to try to cut down on the racing and other vehicle-related problems. The motorcycle crash earlier in the week near Don Armeni was brought up, but no new information emerged. Lt. Watson did mention something that’s come up at other community meetings – if your security camera captures “criminal activity” and a suspect can be identified from it, that could be enough for “probable cause” for an arrest.
The Alki Community Council meets on third Thursdays at 7 pm most months – watch alkicommunitycouncil.org for updates.
(WSB photo from Morgan Junction Community Festival 2019)
for the return of its volunteer-powered Morgan Junction Community Festival tomorrow (Saturday, June 18th), the Morgan Community Association decided to keep things short and sweet. So it’s a two-hour event, 11 am to 1 pm, at Morgan Junction Park (6413 California SW), starting with the ever-effervescent Bubbleman at 11 am, followed by acoustic music by Gary Benson, with community tabling throughout. So far seven organizations are tabling – including us – so you’ll have a chance to talk with:
The Whale Trail
Southwest Seattle Historical Society
CleanupSEA/Poogooder
34th District Democrats
Westside HEY (Healthy Empowered Youth)
Board & Vellum (designers of the future Morgan Junction Park Addition, so you can learn about what’s up with that)
No shopping/food booths this year, but Morgan Junction has plenty of cool places to explore within a few blocks – come to the festival and then go have lunch and/or a beverage! See you there, rain or shine.
Thanks to Desiree for sending the photo and tip that work is happening at the long-“landbanked” West Seattle Junction park site on 40th SW between SW Alaska and SW Edmunds. No, this isn’t actual park development, according to Seattle Parks’ Kelly Goold, who we contacted to ask about the work. Goold explains that what’s happening is “installation of a temporary irrigation system and a temporary lawn – something to make it usable and accessible to the neighborhood.” This work should be done in about a week. So when will the site then be unfenced and “usable”? Goold told us, “When we can pull the fence down depends on how fast the grass establishes. Generally after 3 mowing cycles grass is established enough for use. So hopefully sometime mid-July.” Goold says the “long-term” plan for the site remains park development, but that was paused two years ago (along with the other two West Seattle “landbanked” park sites, 48th/Charleston and the Morgan Junction expansion) when the pandemic put city finances into question. The city bought the site nine years ago for $1.4 million; at the time of the last public design meetings in 2018, cost of developing it into a park was estimated at almost $2 million.
(WSB file photo, Delridge wading pool)
The city is finally out with this year’s schedule for wading pools. The list indicates four wading pools in West Seattle and South Park will be open:
JUNE 25-SEPTEMBER 5
Lincoln Park wading pool (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)
7 days a week, 12 pm-7 pm
JUNE 27-AUGUST 21
EC Hughes Playground wading pool (2805 SW Holden)
Mondays, Tuesdays, Sundays, 12 pm-7 pm
JUNE 27-AUGUST 17
South Park Community Center wading pool (8319 8th Ave. S.)
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 12 pm-7 pm
JUNE 29-AUGUST 19
Delridge Community Center wading pool (4501 Delridge Way SW)
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Friday, 12 pm-5:30 pm
The Highland Park spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) is already open, 11 am-8 pm daily through September 5th.
You’ll notice that the Hiawatha wading pool is not on the list, likely because of work at the center and upcoming work at the play area, but its absence is not explained in the city announcement, so we’re following up. It hasn’t been open since 2019.
P.S. Take note, especially in this cooler-than-usual-so-far season, that the city generally opens pools on days when sunny/70-degrees-or-more weather is expected.
Thanks for the tips. One of West Seattle’s most visible tent-encampment sites, at Rotary Viewpoint Park (35th/Alaska), has been swept, the city confirms, saying campsites at nearby West Seattle Stadium were swept too. This notice was still up on a pole by Rotary Viewpoint Park when we went over Wednesday for a look:
Several tents had been in view around the park’s totem-pole plaza for at least the past several months, but as of yesterday, they were all gone:
The grassy area around the plaza had a few obviously cleared spots in view:
The question is, what kind of notice did people living at the park get? Keith Hughes, who runs West Seattle’s only severe-weather shelter barely a block away, says the park’s residents did not get notice: “No prior notice posted. No warning on the day of. No first thing in the morning while the residents are there to gather their personal belongings. Middle of the day. More police on site than residents – suddenly the police have nothing to do?? – No offers of alternative shelters/living spaces for their stuff to be moved to. Just everything confiscated and thrown into compacting type garbage trucks and hauled away, and huge red ‘Park Closed’ signs put up.”
The city says it did give notice. We sought comment yesterday and received this statement from Seattle Parks and Recreation this morning (published below exactly as received – we are asking for clarification on the notice date, as Monday was June 6th, not 3rd; 6/3 is the date on the notice we showed above, but we have no independent verification of when it was actually posted):
On Monday, June 3, 2022, the City posted a notice at West Seattle Stadium (4 tents) and Rotary Viewpoint (1 tent) that all personal items must be removed by June 7, 2022, when tent obstructions were removed.
The HOPE Team, a City of Seattle program within the Human Services Department that coordinates homelessness outreach and referrals to shelter, and outreach providers intensified outreach to these two locations to connect those residing onsite with offers of shelter and services. They began visiting these sites on May 26 and visited several other times leading up to the removal.
On the day of the removal, the HOPE Team identified four people experiencing homelessness onsite, all were offered shelter, and resulting in three referrals to 24/7 enhanced shelter options.
Any personal items remaining on June 7, 2022, were stored per City policy. People can retrieve their items by calling 206-459-9949, and we will work with individuals to make arrangements for delivery.
Though the city statement says one tent was at the viewpoint, we’ve consistently noted a higher number when driving by in recent months. Meantime, this sweep came exactly one week after Mayor Bruce Harrell went public with a new “dashboard” for data including “verified” and “closed” RV and tent encampments; it’s clearly missing some West Seattle sites but lists a “tent encampment” at Roxhill Park as having been swept last month.
(Texted photo peeking at Colman Pool seasonal preps, last month)
Seattle Parks and Recreation‘s latest announcement about summer swimming focused on how the ongoing lifeguard shortage will affect the city’s swimming beaches. West Seattle doesn’t have any of those beaches, but city-run aquatic facilities will be affected. We’ve already reported that our area’s only city-run outdoor pool, Colman Pool on the shore at Lincoln Park, will open this year – for the weekend of June 18-19, and then seven days a week from June 25th through Labor Day (except for July 7-9 and 15-16 swim-meet closures). Aquatic-center coordinator Matt Richardson explains that much of this area’s public summer programming will happen at Colman; there’ll be a limited schedule at Southwest Pool (2801 SW Thistle), focused on those who might be “limited in their ability to access Colman” – seniors, day camps, and lessons for infants/young children. At Colman Pool, which is much larger than Southwest, they’ll focus on “swim lessons for school-age youth, lap swimming, and open format public swimming. The lesson-schedule brochure for both pools is available online (and, we’re told, in print soon).
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