West Seattle, Washington
27 Wednesday
(Christopher Boffoli‘s video tour of the park-construction site, from our update last month)
Since the most recent online update regarding Myrtle Reservoir Park had mentioned a scheduled construction-completion date this week, we checked again with project manager Virginia Hassinger. She has just shared an update that will be published on the Parks website and also posted as a sign at the park site:
We are making steady progress toward completion of the new park at Myrtle Reservoir in fall of 2010. We are eager to open this site to the public as soon as possible.
The final concrete pour was completed on Sept 30. The critical work for the next two weeks will be completion of the irrigation system, followed by importing and spreading of topsoil, and finally hydro-seeding. Other remaining work includes installation of landscape plantings, handrails, installation of bike racks, a variety of finish detailing, and site cleanup.
The Myrtle site has presented us with a variety of challenges in the last two months. We encountered differences in the grade between our plan and the final reservoir site. We also found existing underground utilities at elevations or locations that conflicted with our planned improvements. The designer (Nakano and Associates) and construction team (Ohno Construction) have been able to make field adjustments without compromising the design intent. We have added time to the contract to allow for these changes; our current contract completion date is November 12, 2010.
Parks is planning on a “soft opening” soon after the work is substantially complete. We want to get the lawn areas seeded as soon as possible. Actual germination and growth will be somewhat weather dependent. Protection of the new lawn is a concern and we are working on a plan that will allow us to protect the lawn while opening the play area and viewpoint to the public. An official public opening celebration, yet to be scheduled, will follow the “soft opening.”
After another question about how much longer work will continue at Fairmount Playground – “we’re anxious to get our playground back,” as the asker explained – we checked today with project manager Kelly Davidson. She tells WSB the work should be done in about a week and half, because she is “expecting the site to open on the 15th.” (Two public meetings were held last winter; we covered them here and here, and you can see the final Parks and Green Spaces Levy-funded design here.)
As reported here yesterday, the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee has drafted a list of final contenders for the first round of the levy’s Opportunity Fund money, after a months-long process reviewing the 95 community-generated projects that sought a share. One of West Seattle’s reps on the committee, Pete Spalding, had told us that the draft list included 2 peninsula projects, Puget Ridge Edible Park and an expansion of the planned Highland Park wading-pool-to-spray-feature conversion. The full citywide list wasn’t available till today – but now you can get it (PDF) from the Parks website. As Pete also mentioned in a followup conversation today, the location of the October 25th public hearing has changed – it’ll be at Miller Community Center on Capitol Hill, signups at 6 pm, hearing at 7. The full timeline for decisions on which projects get funded can be found here.
Two West Seattle projects are moving ahead in the quest for the first round of money in the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund – created in the voter-approved 2008 levy so that community groups/members could propose projects, separate from city-initiated projects funded by the levy. Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding, who is on the Levy Oversight Committee, tells WSB, “We met until about 10:30 pm (last night) 
putting together the draft list of projects that will move forward in the first round of the Opportunity Fund. Two projects from the SW sector made the list. The two projects from the SW are (1) Puget Ridge Edible Park and (2) Highland Park Spray Park.” Here’s a little more info about the Edible Park; the spray park (converting the wading pool at right) already is set for bare-bones city funding, but the Opportunity Fund proposal (as explained here) seeks money to upgrade the plan. Citywide, 95 Opportunity Fund applications were received; they are listed here. We are checking with Parks staff today to see if last night’s full citywide draft list is available for publication yet. This Parks webpage lists the next steps to determine which projects get funded (including a public hearing in about a month).
9:52 AM: A source in one of the Seattle Parks budget briefings – as noted in our previous report, employees are being told whether their jobs will be affected by the budget Mayor McGinn will officially announce at noon – says $10.2 million in cuts are being proposed for Parks. That includes 192 people whose jobs will be affected by proposed reduction of 103.3 “full time equivalents” – apparently many jobs are being proposed for reduced hours rather than outright layoffs. Our source also says that next year, if you are found to get four parking tickets, you’ll get The Boot (immobilizing device) – unpaid parking tickets represent $15 million in uncollected revenue (not sure why this came up in the Parks meeting, but it did). Again, this is all reported to be in the mayor’s proposal – nothing is final until the next few months of meetings, hearings, and votes are over. More as we get it.
10:20 AM: Latest update from our source: The community centers that are reportedly to be proposed for closure include Alki Community Center in West Seattle. Also reportedly proposed for closure: Ballard, Green Lake, Laurelhurst, and Rainier Beach (a new building is in the works at RB anyway).
11:01 AM: More from our source: Child care/preschool could remain at Alki (among others) under a partnership model. Also, NO pool closures are proposed, we are told – and beaches with lifeguards will keep them. Again, the mayor’s official announcement is due at noon – Seattle Channel is offering a live online feed and we will post that in a separate story.
12:59 PM NOTE: See our separate, ongoing story about the budget address, and the online documents with details. The mayor described the Alki CC changes as “limited-use status.” Still sorting out full details.
Both Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and King County Executive Dow Constantine are scheduled to announce their proposed budgets today, and neither is expected to make anybody happy. Constantine’s budget address is scheduled for 10:30 am (KCTV will run it live); McGinn’s is set for noon at the Rainier Beach Community Center, and it’ll be streamed by Seattle Channel (link to come). Their respective proposals won’t be the final word – hearings, discussions, proposals and counterproposals will ensue, but we know that at least one group of employees will get the word in advance about whether their jobs are likely to stay or go: Seattle Parks staffers have meetings set this morning with Acting Superintendent Christopher Williams, starting at 9 am, according to a memo shared with us by a source. (Acting Deputy Superintendent Eric Friedli had told the Parks Board earlier this month that managers planned to brief workers on potential budget impacts before the news went public.)
As the saying goes, “try before you buy.” In that spirit, Seattle Parks is in another round of “Try It for $2” (as advertised on WSB) – and that goes for certain programs and classes at the Parks facilities around West Seattle. Matt Richardson from Southwest Pool has some suggestions on what you can get for your two bucks:
The Seattle Parks Department is repeating its popular “Try It for $2” promotion through October 9th. All Community Center and Pool sites are offering selected classes at a reduced promotional rate. The first class of a course for a trial $2.00 fee. If you enjoy your first visit, you are invited to sign up for the remainder of the session.
At Southwest Pool, we would like to invite everyone to try our Fitness Classes at the $2.00 promo rate for their first visit. This includes Water Aerobics (both deep and shallow water) and Masters Workouts. It is a great way to get out of the house, have some fun, and do something good for your body.
Our regular attendees can get an even better deal. If you have taken Water Aerobics classes or Masters Workouts and would like to get back into it, your visit will be free if you bring in a brand-new participant to try a class.
The eligible classes are listed below.
Another milestone bringing the Delridge Skatepark closer to reality: Bids for the project were opened today, according to Seattle Parks‘ Kelly Davidson, who’s leading the project. She notes that nothing is final immediately – so this doesn’t necessarily mean the low bidder gets the contract: “We have a lot of paperwork to complete before this contract can be awarded. The process to review and approve all necessary paperwork usually takes at minimum two weeks. This contract will not be considered awarded until all documentation has been approved by the City.” That said – TF Sahli Construction – which built the two-year-old Lower Woodland skatepark – appears to be the low bidder, at $413,000; second lowest was Grindline Skateparks, the West Seattle firm that designed the Delridge project (subcontracting for Abbotswood, Davidson clarifies; final design shown above) – $502,000; A-1 Landscaping and Construction came in third at $576,000; Construct Company, LLC, was the high bid at $589,000. Construction is expected to start next month. THURSDAY MORNING NOTE: Matthew Lee Johnston, a West Seattleite who’s on the Skatepark Advisory Committee and runs seattleskateparks.org, has published his thoughts on this there.
Today’s semi-surprise sunshine ended right before the speeches concluded at this afternoon’s Seattle Parks celebration in honor of the newly named Walt Hundley Playfield by High Point Community Center. But the event continued with the cheery atmosphere of a family-and-friends reunion – which it was, with dozens of people on hand in addition to the official participants shown above – from left, Mr. Hundley’s son Evan, former mayors Wes Uhlman (1969-78) and Charley Royer (1978-90), former Parks superintendent Ken Bounds, Mr. Hundley’s son David, acting Parks superintendent Christopher Williams, and former Parks finance director Curt Green. Mr. Hundley had held other city roles, including budget director, and Uhlman recalled appointing him to the job in which he made history, serving 1977-88 as the city’s first African-American parks superintendent:
Everyone who spoke remembered Mr. Hundley’s mentorship skills – Williams, too, cited him as an inspiration:
Walt Hundley died in 2002; here’s his biography on HistoryLink. Members of the Hundley family noted sadly that they had hoped to have Walt’s widow Felisa Hundley would there to share in the tributes. She, however, died just weeks ago, two days before what would have been her 79th birthday (here’s her obituary). (added Sunday morning) Evan Hundley – who heads Explorer West Middle School – read a Maya Angelou poem that, he explained, his mother originally was planning to read at the event:
From a distance, the PARK(ing) Day (explained here) “park” set up on the street outside Easy Street Records fits right in, with foliage echoing nearby street trees … but if you look closely, it’s more than greenery:
As you might surmise from the display, this is the “Free Speech Garden” that newly transplanted arborist/advocate Michael Oxman told us about in a PARK(ing) Day preview three weeks ago (read about it here) – there’s a citywide design contest for the one-day “parks.” You should be able to see this one in person for another hour or so. Oxman noted in that August preview that the PARK(ing) Day concept explores what might be done “when we run out of oil” – that happens to be the topic at next Monday night’s Sustainable West Seattle Community Forum, 7 pm (September 20) at the Senior Center of West Seattle.
This Saturday, the Parks Department will pay tribute to a Seattleite who made history, while renaming High Point Playfield in his honor. Read on for the official announcement of the naming celebration for Walt Hundley Playfield:Read More
That’s Jennifer Cargal at the dedication of Dakota Place Park one year ago, an exciting occasion for Cargal and other neighborhood advocates who worked hard to get the old substation site (map) turned into a park. Last night, she was at the Junction Neighborhood Organization‘s meeting, requesting support for a possible expansion of the year-old park. She says there’s a chance that money from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Acquisition Fund could be used to buy a parcel just north of the park, once planned for residential development. According to Cargal, this idea is in a very preliminary stage – negotiations aren’t even under way – but Parks is doing some appraisal work “and trying to get a measure of community support.” One key point, though: Levy money would just cover the costs through purchase of the land and clearing it – actual park development would then require a community campaign (which is what it took to finalize Dakota Place, and other neighborhood park projects such as Junction Plaza Park and Ercolini Park). One park neighbor who came to the JuNO meeting says she’s “amazed” at how many people use Dakota Place Park as it is now; Cargal also mentioned the students at nearby Tilden School, who (as reported here last spring) have “adopted” the park and do regular cleanups there during the school year. “I think there’s a really powerful argument for adding open space while we have this opportunity,” she said. What do YOU think? Comments, she said, can be sent to Chip Nevins, in the Parks Department’s real-estate division (here’s his contact info); Cargal’s making the rounds of community groups asking for their support, and JuNO pledged theirs. One more report from last night’s JuNO meeting – a followup on the Junction Parking Program – coming up later.
On the heels of our Myrtle Reservoir Park update (miss that story? see it here), we have two more quick updates on Seattle Parks projects in West Seattle: First, Delridge Skatepark (above: Grindline‘s final design) is going out to bid on September 15th (here’s the bid advertisement, courtesy of SeattleSkateparks.org) and should break ground in October, according to project manager Kelly Davidson. She also shares the news that the new play equipment for Fairmount Playground is scheduled to be installed next Tuesday. (The “old” merry-go-round is scheduled to be re-installed, according to our last update from when work began two months ago.)
(Story and Photos by Christopher Boffoli)
If you’ve driven past 35th Ave & SW Myrtle lately, you may have noticed a burst of activity at the new Myrtle Reservoir Park. Virginia Hassinger, Project Planner at Seattle Parks & Recreation, says that the project is nearing completion and should be finished by late September or early October.
However, you still may see some construction equipment at the park as crews continue to finish pouring concrete, installing benches and handrails as well as grading, before landscaping and planting can begin. They still also need to complete the irrigation system.
Despite challenges presented by the topography of the site, Hassinger says they were successful in keeping pathway grades at or below 5%, which is in line with their goal of making the park wheelchair accessible.
Playground equipment is now in place and just yesterday workers were installing a fabric underlay which Ohno Construction site supervisor Lee Falk says will soon be covered with a wood-based, environmentally friendly mulch.
Situated near the top of the park, at the edge of the reservoir cap, is a new sundial area which offers arresting views of downtown Seattle and the Cascades beyond. When complete, the sundial will feature concrete markers that will be arranged in line with various hills around Seattle, visible from that point. The names of the hills and their respective elevations are inlaid into the top of each marker.
The Myrtle Reservoir Park project is one of dozens of park projects funded by the City of Seattle’s Pro Parks Levy. Construction began in June.
(Photos, Story and Video by Christopher Boffoli)
Tonight’s Alki Community Picnic had to move off the playfield and into the Alki Community Center due to the weather. But the gray skies, drizzle and blustery winds certainly didn’t diminish the energy of the crowd of children who danced to the music provided by The Board of Education.
Here’s guitarist Jon Goff inspiring a new generation of musicians by handing out guitar
picks at the end of the show.
And here’s a short video clip with some musical highlights:
Almost three weeks have passed since the first design meeting for the new West Seattle Golf Course driving range (WSB coverage here), so we just checked in with Seattle Parks‘ Garrett Farrell, who’s leading the project. He tells WSB the date has been set for the second public meeting: Wednesday, September 15th, 7 to 8:30 pm, at the golf course. According to Farrell, “Meeting #2 will answer questions from meeting #1 and put some of the design team’s ideas in front of the public.” As you might have read in our story from the August 4th meeting, some big issues were raised – not just for golfers, but also for those who will see the driving range’s tall nets from 35th SW, Rotary Viewpoint Park, and/or nearby neighborhoods – so they’re hoping for a big turnout at the Sept. 15 meeting.
Two years ago, The Junction was home to that PARK(ing) Day setup, calling attention to the final push to get nearby Junction Plaza Park completed. Now it’s done – but another PARK(ing) Day (explained here) is rolling around – September 17 – and the deadline to apply for your own temporary park is almost here. Friday’s the deadline to apply – this item on the Sustainable West Seattle website explains how. And we’ve already gotten word of one PARK(ing) Day “park” planned for West Seattle – arborist and tree-protection activist Michael Oxman shares the following rendering, followed by an explanation of what it will feature – and how you can be part of it:
Now that I’m located out here in West Seattle, it’s time to give back a little to my new community. Some decoration and greenery in a vast sea of asphalt is in order. This is a demonstration project of what to do when we run out of oil, and have fewer cars. We certainly won’t need as many parking spaces. Parking Day shows what to do with them, by setting out plants, trees and oxygen-producing greenery to soak up some of that excess CO2.
West Seattle interpretive designer Pat Whempner and experience designer Sam Stubblefield are creating the design concept for the “Park.” Our Park will be a Free Speech Platform with a Free Speech Garden in the Junction neighborhood. Anyone can get up there on the podium and say anything they want for 15 minutes. No restrictions. The platform will provide space for speakers or musicians, and the garden will create a journey through a maze of plants telling the story of important historic free speech moments or asking important free speech questions.
Since the timing of the Sept 17th event is right for politicians, we usually have candidates sign up to reserve a time slot in advance to give their pitch. We’d love to have musicians serenade the strollers. If anybody wants to help with the construction, some carpentry, set up assistance, & plant loans would be appreciated. Other spaces can also be created by people that submit the $10 application for the street use permit through the sponsor, Feet First. It would be really cool to have a few spaces scattered around West Seattle.
A design competition among the expected 100 Parking Day spaces across the city will result in prizes being awarded to the most innovative projects. The Seattle Department of Transportation will be issuing one day permits to occupy the street. Did you know the street right of way footprint covers almost a quarter of the total land area in Seattle? We can certainly spare a few spots for a day.
They’ve done it again – the wants-to-remain-anonymous West Seattle dad who went on an anti-graffiti tear with his daughter in summer 2009 – here’s the resulting story – found himself back for round 2. The vandals have been busy again lately – so, he wrote:
(Thursday) we had a father/daughter outing planned for a day of swimming and enjoying the summer day. Unfortunately, the weather did not quite cooperate but we still wanted to get outside. On a recent walk through Schmitz Park, we noticed the beautiful log benches in the center of the park were once again covered with graffiti. So we decided to spend our day cleaning up the benches and other graffiti around our neighborhood. We had a wonderful time together, cleaned up a lot of graffiti, and ended the day with a great sense of accomplishment as well as a great feeling of West Seattle community pride.
He shared numerous before/after photos; we’re putting up a couple here – though, as is our policy, we’ve blurred the tags in the “before” photos.
We asked what they use to remove tags. Answer: “We use ‘Goof Off’ and some scouring pads. They make a great product, and one specialized for graffiti. As for the log benches, the only way to get it off is with a hand-held wood planer.” If you’re not up for removal but want to be sure it at least gets reported – which police stress is important – here’s how to report tagging/graffiti vandalism on public property.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A team of Seattle Parks managers and design consultants made it clear last night: They’re just beginning to dig into the details of one potential layout for the West Seattle Golf Course‘s future $3.4 million driving range.
Here’s what else they made clear: Whether you’re a golfer, a neighbor, or an occasional visitor to the vicinity, they want to hear from you about what they’re looking at – right now, and down the line as the design proceeds.
The 50-stall driving range has to go somewhere between the golf course’s 9th hole and 35th SW. The very-tentatively-sketched-out location (photo above shows roughed-out art displayed at the meeting) would require a whole lot of earth-moving and tree-removal – and would dramatically change the experience at West Seattle Rotary Viewpoint Park immediately west of the driving range (see the “dash” type marker on the left side of the drawing): What’s now a greenery-framed view to downtown would wind up on the other side of the net setup meant to keep golf balls from flying onto 35th – a net that would rise 50 to 90 feet above the street level at the viewpoint site.
He’s scheduled to ride in the Seafair Torchlight Parade downtown in about two hours, but right now, Mayor Mike McGinn is in West Seattle, at the Camp Long Lodge reopening party. It continues till 7 tonight, with tours of the million-dollar renovation work (including the expanded kitchen), cake, and other festivities, and at 7, you’re invited to stay in the park for GreenStage‘s free Shakespeare performance. More photos later; the mayor’s Twitter account just posted a photo of West Seattle-residing Councilmember Tom Rasmussen speaking (video added later):
Rasmussen was chair of the council’s Parks Committee when voters passed the Parks and Green Spaces Levy, which paid for this project – plus this pic of the grand-reopening cake, attributed to Fauntleroy’s own Original Bakery:
(video substituted for photo, 7:48 pm) And of course, it can’t be a grand opening without a ribboncutting:
While, as Parks project manager Kelly Goold told us during our sneak-peek tour last week, this renovation is meant to help extend the lodge’s life into the future, its past is also something to honor, as Camp Long’s Sheila Brown noted at the party:
Find out more about Camp Long and its programs and features by going here.
Remember Melanie‘s amazing photos of a great blue heron, published here two weeks ago? (Follow that link if you didn’t see them the first time!) This time, she shares a photo of baby seagulls, photographed at Jack Block Park. Sorry we can’t crop it any closer, but even this size yields something we didn’t know – that baby gulls are speckled.
It’s the little things that matter. You’ll find paperless hand dryers in two new restrooms on the lower level of Camp Long Lodge when you visit this Saturday, during the party to celebrate its grand reopening after 7 months of renovation work – a million-dollar project funded by the Parks and Green Spaces Levy that Seattle voters passed two years ago. We asked for a sneak preview, and toured on Tuesday. Both workers and volunteers were busy with finishing touches – we found Mary Quackenbush from the Camp Long Advisory Board bringing back some of Camp Long’s historic artwork, like this self-portrait of Clark Schurman:
That’s Schurman as in Schurman Rock, which itself got some sprucing-up a few years back. More than a dozen of his paintings were rediscovered at Camp Long several years ago and were being brought back to the park on Tuesday. But the renovation project is all about the beautiful old lodge. Click ahead for photos and video taking you inside to see what you’re getting for your money:Read More
As previously reported here, a meeting is set for next Wednesday (August 4th) for everyone interested in the driving range that’s in the works for the West Seattle Golf Course. We’re mentioning it again because the city just sent an official reminder this afternoon – read on:Read More
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