West Seattle, Washington
06 Monday
(Parks Department photo of cracked pavement @ Don Armeni)
As first reported here Friday night, Seattle Parks plans to repave Don Armeni Boat Ramp for the first time in a quarter-century, and that means a temporary closure is ahead. Just got a Parks news release with an update – prep work is now scheduled to start tomorrow, though that will not require lot shutdown – read on for the latest:Read More
Just got word tonight from Seattle Parks and Recreation that West Seattle’s Don Armeni Boat Ramp is going to close for several days for lot repaving, possibly as soon as next week. Parks’ Jason Frisk sent the above photo to show how badly the current asphalt has deteriorated; while Don Armeni is the city’s most-used boat ramp, Frisk says it hasn’t been paved in a quarter-century – since 1984. Parks will be working with Statewide Parking Lot Services to “apply an overlay over the entire asphalt area.” They expect the ramp will be off-limits for 3 to 5 business days, but they have to wait for good weather; optimally, Frisk says, they might be able to close on Wednesday and reopen on Friday. But right now, they just want to get the word out that the lot will close for this work on short notice – signs will be up at Don Armeni on Monday. According to Parks, alternate city-run salt-water boat-ramp access during the closure is at Eddie Vine Boat Ramp, 8001 Seaview Avenue NW (Golden Gardens; here’s a map).
Next step for the Delridge Skatepark project, scheduled to start construction this summer now that funding’s been finalized – the Seattle Design Commission will take a look at the plan next Thursday, according to the agenda just published. SDC meetings are in the Boards and Commissions Room at City Hall downtown and are open to the public; Delridge Skatepark is on the agenda at 1 pm Thursday.
Good crowds for the first two public meetings to help plan the new park at West Seattle (Westcrest) Reservoir; today’s there’s word from the city that the date’s been set for the next meeting, 10 am Saturday, April 24, again at Southwest Community Center. (Our reports on the first two: December meeting here; Feb. 6 meeting here.)
Thanks to WSB’er “westseattledood” for the Friday afternoon photo and report on West Seattle’s only off-leash area.
Cyndi, dog wrangler and owner of Petite Posse dog walking service, shared the shade with her exclusive pack of small dogs at Westcrest Dog Park. This bucolic patch of wood chips, about 50 yards in length, now includes two benches providing observation points toward the sloped embankment adjacent to the West Seattle Reservoir Park project. Hand removal, without any machinery, of yards of dense invasives revealed a prime location for sighting rabbits scurrying from burrows in the remaining berry brush on the slope. Sounds of chatty wrens co-exist with barking dogs, neighbors’ roosters, Boeing planes and the earth movers still grading the reservoir project. What was once an overgrown, impassable thatch of blackberries and invasives has been transformed by dedicated volunteers with a vision and time to give.
Haven’t been to Westcrest before? Here’s a map.
(7:44 pm – updated with Parks Board chair’s reaction in appearance before Alki Community Council)
ORIGINAL 5:44 PM REPORT: Just in from the Parks Department:
Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tim Gallagher today decided to relax the rule that would have banned smoking in parks effective April 1, 2010, and to approve the recommendation of the Board of Park Commissioners.
The Board recommended this language in the Code of Conduct: “Smoking, chewing, or other tobacco use is banned within 25 feet of other park patrons and in play areas, beaches, or playgrounds.”
“Based on the input from the public that followed my initial decision,” Gallagher said, I have decided that a gradual approach to a smoking ban is reasonable.”
We were first to report yesterday that Gallagher had decided not to accept the Parks Board’s recommendation and instead was going to put a total tobacco ban in place; strong reaction ensued, including (so far) 90+ comments on our Wednesday afternoon story. We’ll hear from Parks Board chair Jackie Ramels in about an hour, as she is scheduled to guest at the 7 pm meeting of the Alki Community Council at Alki UCC.
7:44 PM UPDATE: We’re at the Alki CC meeting now, where Ramels says she was asked by a reporter earlier if the turnabout represented a waste of time – first the superintendent decides to overrule the board, then changes his mind – but her reaction was instead: “I think it illustrates that the Parks Department is responsive to public comment.” In response to questions, she acknowledged the board had concerns that a total tobacco ban would be part of what some had seen as a pattern in the proposed code changes of grounds for targeting homeless people for park removal. She also said she expected enforcement of the new code would be focused more on downtown, since “that’s where the park rangers are.”
We’ve just confirmed with Seattle Parks that Superintendent Tim Gallagher has decided NOT to go with the Parks Board‘s recommendation regarding tobacco use in parks – and will instead put a full tobacco-use ban into place. It’s part of Gallagher’s final decision on the “Code of Conduct” that the board reviewed over the past month. He issued a memo today including this:
The Board (by a vote of 3-2) recommended limiting the ban on tobacco products (Section 3.2.10) to select areas within parks. The inclusion of a ban on tobacco products is in response to the recommendation from Public Health: Seattle King County (Attachment 1) and Seattle City Council members. It is also a stated goal in the Departments 2008 Strategic Action Plan (2.A.3) which was developed through extensive community input. The majority of the comments received by the Board on the Code of Conduct supported the prohibition as well. The negative health effects of tobacco are well documented. As an agency that has as a fundamental mission to support the health and wellbeing of Seattle residents, it is appropriate and beneficial to prohibit the use of tobacco products at parks and park facilities. I have decided to retain the language proposed by staff prohibiting smoking, chewing or other tobacco use anywhere on Parks and Recreation property.
Here’s the full, final Code of Conduct. Side note: Parks Board chair Jackie Ramels is scheduled to talk about this and other parks issues at tomorrow night’s meeting of the Alki Community Council (of which she’s a former president), 7 pm Thursday, Alki UCC.
Compared to the semi-uproar that erupted when a new draft Code of Conduct for Seattle Parks was presented to the Parks Board a month ago, there wasn’t much attention when the board voted on a revised code this past Thursday night. We couldn’t make the meeting but checked in with Alki-residing board chair Jackie Ramels on Friday to ask what happened. First, she points out, 80% of the code – “25 existing rules and regulations pertaining to parks” – is from the Seattle Municipal Code, Revised Code of Washington, or current Parks Policy and Procedures. Six new rules/regulations were added. And there were some changes from the last revision of the draft code. Ramels says:
The proposed Code of Conduct passed, with some changes; these are pertaining to new rules:
1. we re-worded and shortened the bathroom one (improper use of restrooms)
2. smoking and use of tobacco products we recommended for playgrounds, playfields and beaches within 25 ft. of another person, rather than ALL parks
3. the other new proposed rules, we passed
She adds, “We made some additional recommendations pertaining to existing rules” – including expanding the language about dog owners cleaning up after their pets, “owner carry scoop equipment AND USE IT,” and recommending that Parks “coordinate with other city departments to address homelessness — a topic that came up several times during the public hearing two weeks earlier, which also saw passionate testimony for and against a total smoking ban. Final say on the Code of Conduct rests with the City Council; it’ll show up first in the Parks Committee, which has its next meeting Thursday, 9:30 am (though its agenda for that meeting isn’t online yet). The committee’s chair, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, was at the Thursday night Parks Board meeting. Parks Board side note from Ramels: “Last week the board had a nice breakfast with most of the living former board chairs (there are seven total). Of the five who attended, two are from West Seattle: Bruce Bentley and Margaret Ceis.”
Editor’s note postscript – As pointed out later in comments, this does NOT go to the City Council – it’s an administrative rule.
KING5.com reports that the gun ban in certain Seattle Parks facilities has been overturned by a local judge. The case in which the ruling was made is NOT the one filed by the Kent man who invited media to come see him walk into Southwest Community Center with a concealed weapon last November (here’s our coverage), but that man – Bob Warden – has sent out a news release pointing out this afternoon’s ruling. We asked the City Attorney’s Office for its reaction; spokesperson Kathy Mulady has just sent this short statement – “”We will comply with the court order and we are weighing with our clients the options for an appeal.” (By “clients,” she says, they mean the mayor and City Council.) The park gun ban was ordered by former Mayor Greg Nickels last October; one of the first signs seen around the city was the one in the photo at left, shared with us by Hillary and shown here 10/21/09. 7:43 PM UPDATE: We’ve been away from the desk for a little while, and more reaction’s come in, in the meantime. From Mayor Mike McGinn:
“I am disappointed in today’s ruling. Cities should have the right to restrict guns in playgrounds, pools and community centers where children are present. The court’s ruling was based on a state law, RCW 9.41.290, which preempts Seattle from regulating the possession of firearms. It’s time for the state Legislature to change that law.”
8:12 PM: We also have a copy of the judge’s order, courtesy of the City Attorney’s Office. You can see the three-page order here. We are reminded, looking at the plaintiffs’ names, that two of them – Winnie Chan and Ray Carter – were described last fall as West Seattle residents.
As mentioned on Wednesday – this is an unpaid-furlough day for some city Parks workers, and that means some facilities are closed, including community centers (except for child-care and late-night programs) and Southwest Pool. Here’s the full list. And everything’s closed next Monday for Presidents Day.
Seattle Parks (which just joined Twitter – @seattleparks) is out with a heads-up notice about what will be closed this Friday because of budget-related furloughs. Among the closures – Southwest Pool. The list also includes the reminder of closures for next Monday’s holiday. See the full list here. P.S. Parks’ Joelle Hammerstad tells us the Friday furlough/Monday holiday situation, akin to what happened in mid-January, should NOT result in a rerun of this – she says their new security vendor “didn’t get our message to leave the parking lots unlocked last time. That shouldn’t happen again.”
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“Vibrant!” is the word Highland Park resident Kay Kirkpatrick offered to describe both the turnout and the discussion during Saturday’s second public design meeting for her neighborhood’s future park atop the under-construction West Seattle Reservoir lid.
Turnout for the first meeting at High Point Community Center two months ago was certainly good (here’s our story) – but this one was even better, despite the tantalizing sunshine outside. A long line stretched through the lower lobby at Southwest Community Center, even as the scheduled starting time came and went; the meeting didn’t start until about 10:20, when most finally were seated and signed in.
(All photos in this story courtesy Dina Johnson)
Parks Department project manager Susanne Friedman started by asking for a show of hands regarding attendees’ specific interests. One such show explained some of the turnout:
BIG crowd at Southwest Community Center right now for the second meeting to help figure out what the future park atop West Seattle Reservoir (adjacent to Westcrest Park in Highland Park) will look like. At least 100 people here; meeting leaders asked for a show of hands to help classify who’s here and why – dozens raised their hands when asked who’s here to advocate for Frisbee golf at the future park, 
which is being created because the reservoir’s being covered. At least a third of the people here also raised their hands when asked who lives in walking distance of the park; we see Highland Park community advocates here as well as leaders from other eastern West Seattle neighborhoods including Westwood and Pigeon Point. The meeting continues till noon; participants are currently discussing, at tables with maps and Sharpies, what they’d sketch out for the park. Project manager Susanne Friedman from the Parks Department says the final two design meetings are likely to be scheduled for late April and late June. 12:31 PM: Meeting has wrapped up. Crowd voted for the next meeting to be on a Saturday morning again – Parks says the date will be the last or second-to-last Saturday in April. As for all the ideas offered – separate story to come later.
(Sketch showing the “hill” and “valley” topography of the added future parkland)
It’s on the Events page and will be in the forthcoming West Seattle Weekend Lineup BUT since it’s a rare weekend public meeting, wanted to send out one more standalone reminder – the second public meeting about the West Seattle Reservoir/Westcrest Park expansion is TOMORROW (Saturday 2/6), 10 am-noon at Southwest Community Center. Here’s our story about what happened at the first meeting; it’s another chance to have a say about what’s done with the extra park space when the Highland Park reservoir cover is done.
Just in from the city – a call for artists for two city park projects – including the expansion of Westcrest Park that is planned for the top of the “lid” that’s going in atop adjacent West Seattle Reservoir. (The next public meeting to talk about park design is THIS SATURDAY, 10 am-noon at Southwest Community Center.) Read on for the details of both projects – each with a $150,000 budget:Read More
That’s a bit of iPhone video from a stroll along Longfellow Creek, south of the West Seattle Golf Course, one recent sunny day. It works nicely to illustrate a few notes we hadn’t shared yet from last Thursday’s Parks Board meeting in the City Council chambers downtown. There was some expectation of an overflow crowd, because of the controversy over the original draft of the proposed code, but in the end, the crowd maxed out around 50, with speakers focused on two issues: the code’s smoking ban (supporters and opponents spoke) and feared persecution of homeless park users. Next step: A vote when the board meets Feb. 11 (here’s the latest on that from the Parkways website). Alki-residing Parks Board Jackie Ramels (from Alki) said they’d received 135+ e-mails/letters about the code as of the meeting. And she asked that people understand the board isn’t proposing the rules – department staff proposes them, the board reviews them.
Specific notes of West Seattle interest: Longfellow Creek was mentioned when board members talked about the naming process for park land along Thornton Creek – to use a protocol such as “(name) Access to Thornton Creek Natural Area” – and said it would be used for other creeks in the city, most likely coming next to Longfellow. (Here’s the briefing paper on the Thornton process plan.) Also: Deputy Superintendent Christopher Williams said Superintendent Tim Gallagher plans a series of meetings at Parks facilities around the city this year, and two were listed in West Seattle – mark your calendars – April 28 at Delridge Community Center, October 7th at Hiawatha Community Center. Williams noted Parks is “developing guidelines” for use of Facebook and Twitter – “looking to have a policy that’s more liberal than a government organization might provide.”
At the city Parks Board meeting on Thursday night, there was a quick update about Camp Long‘s lodge renovations – with department management saying the lodge is still on target to reopen “by June.” In the meantime, though, the park itself remains open, with lots of programs on tap – like the ones on this list Sheila Brown sent around tonight for February – read on:Read More
Now that the $750,000 needed for Delridge Skatepark is a done deal after Monday’s City Council vote, some are wondering – how soon will construction crews dig in? We checked with Parks Department project manager Kelly Davidson after Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding, one of the West Seattle reps on the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee, shared word that the department’s internal review was about to hit a major milepost. Davidson confirmed late yesterday that the project has just had its “65 percent construction document review” – dealing with a whole lot of technical comments, “water lines and all that,” as she put it. Consultants now have to address the technical comments offered at the review, which Davidson says should take a few weeks; none of this is expected to change the final design, though – “The pictures on the web page ARE our design,” she says. But they also have to go through the city Department of Planning and Development for permits, like any other construction project, and that’s the wild card – so she’s thinking groundbreaking isn’t likely till July. “But we know Delridge Day is June 5th, so if there’s any way we can do it sooner …” Whenever they start, the project should take about four months, so it could be done by Halloween.
By Scott Eisen
UW News Lab
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
A unique public-private partnership between Seattle Parks and Recreation and West Seattle Little League was on display during tonight’s public meeting at Alki Community Center discussing plans for building new concession stands, a restaurant and storage facilities at Bar-S Playfield.
Using funding from a $100,000 Mariners/Boeing grant announced in 2007, the new facilities will require no government funding and will be maintained by West Seattle Little League. In the works for decades, the Bar-S improvements are still awaiting final approval from several government agencies, but the hope is to finish the project by the start of Little League season.
“Baseball season for us starts in a couple months,” said Mark Terao, WSLL president. “My goal was to have it done by the opening jamboree, but it’s not realistic as to if that is going to happen.”
The designs for the new facilities were created by Rich Murakami, an architect who lives right next to the fields and donated his services.
That’s the wading pool in Highland Park, which didn’t open last summer because the city hadn’t done federally mandated safety upgrades. They’d been shelved because it’s slated to be converted to a spray park (as first reported here six months ago). Right now, the city’s Parks and Green Spaces Levy has allocated $100,000 for the conversion, but by all accounts, that’s not much — even a top Parks manager told the Levy Oversight Committee it’s “horribly underfunded.”. So community member Carolyn Stauffer is putting together an application to seek supplemental money from the levy’s Opportunity Fund, which is accepting applications soon, with the first step – letters of interest – due in just about a week. She’s asking for more support to show that West Seattle backs the concept of a really nice spray park. As she’s written in the letter she shared with us, “We fear a minimally funded or basically designed spray park for the next 20 years- or a dilapidated wading pool that is no longer filled with water in the summer. The possibility to apply for extra resources through the Opportunity Fund has given us hope that we could have an exemplary play experience right in the heart of our community.” HOW YOU CAN HELP: Carolyn’s looking for groups to voice support (individuals welcome too); e-mail her at carolynstauffer@gmail.com. Read on for the full outline of the letter she’s drafted to start the Opportunity Fund application:Read More
You probably remember the mini-uproar that ensued after we previewed the Code of Conduct proposal to be presented at the last Seattle Parks Board meeting, including prohibitions on smoking and spitting. The board itself (WSB coverage here) subsequently voiced support for the smoking ban but not so much for the spitting ban. Now the revised Code of Conduct proposal is up on the board’s website, and spitting’s out, smoking’s still in; this briefing paper for the board’s Thursday meeting outlines what’s changed – including a few other tweaks, such as a new section involving plants. The revised draft code can be seen in full here. Thursday night is the official public hearing on the plan, so if you have something to say, be at City Hall downtown, council chambers, 7 pm. Written comments will be accepted through Feb. 10 (here’s how). P.S. Want to be on the Parks Board? There’s an opening, and you have till Feb. 5 to apply.
From Nancy Folsom – The City Council gave final approval today to allocating $750,000 for Delridge Skatepark funding. As reported here last week, the Parks Committee gave its blessing ($250,000 is moved from the Myrtle project that is no longer on the drawing board, $500,000 is moved from other projects that came in with bids lower than expected). The city has said it hopes to break ground in late spring.
Think your neighborhood needs a park? There’s more than one way to get it. That’s what the Morgan Community Association heard from a Parks Department manager during its quarterly meeting Wednesday night. Read on for the toplines on that, and other updates including plans for this year’s Morgan Junction Community Festival:Read More
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