West Seattle, Washington
08 Saturday
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
(Design rendering from last November – note that the design is still being finalized)
The Parks Department says it’s hoping to break ground for the Delridge Skatepark in late spring – and the latest move to enable that, happened minutes ago – the City Council’s Parks Committee (with only its new chair, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, in attendance) just gave its approval to the $750,000 funding plan for the project. That sets up a vote, likely next week, before the full council. Before voting, Bagshaw heard from supporters including North Delridge resident Nancy Folsom and West Seattle-residing Skatepark Advisory Committee member Matthew Lee Johnston. Both talked about the Delridge community’s strong support for the project, which accelerated after a proposal for a smaller skateboarding facility at the future Myrtle Reservoir Park drew opposition from neighbors. The funding for Delridge is coming from what was earmarked for Myrtle and from money saved on other Parks projects with bids that came in under budget. The site is the northeastern corner of the parkland adjacent to Delridge Community Center.
Unrelated to the downed tree along the Lincoln Park waterfront path, two people e-mailed us about LP parking being off-limits today; our photo above shows the gated-and-empty central parking lot along Fauntleroy north of Rose. This posted note on the park’s kiosks seems to explain:
The fine print: Last Friday and tomorrow are the first of this year’s unpaid-furlough days for Seattle Parks staff, and of course those are bookending today’s holiday. This post from Parkways explains how the department’s splitting up those days – but it doesn’t include specific impacts such as gated parking lots; the notice does say that some gates may not be open as a result of furloughs, but “the park is open.” Today, that meant a lot of street parking usage, though after 3 pm the west side of Fauntleroy is off-limits because of ferry traffic.
Blustery night in West Seattle – no power outages reported here but Kimberley spotted this downed tree across the main Lincoln Park waterfront path early today. For more perspective on the location, here’s a wider shot – showing the picnic shelters on either side of the tree.
Per the latest forecast, the wind advisory’s still in effect a while longer this morning – though it’s certainly a lot calmer out there right now than it was around, oh, say, 3 am, when official hourly observations recorded 45 mph gusts at Alki Point. 12:33 PM UPDATE: Krista sends an even-more-recent photo of the tree:
City offices are closed today but we will check tomorrow on whether they’re coping with any other damage after this morning’s wind.
Story and photo by Johnathon Fitzpatrick
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Last night the Seattle Parks Board took its first official look at a compiled list of potential rules designed to regulate the public’s behavior in parks.
The proposed Code of Conduct (see it here) includes explicit bans on smoking, spitting, cursing, and entering restrooms that are for the opposite sex, as well as more ambiguous language banning any “conduct that unreasonably deprives others of their use or enjoyment of the park or park facilities.”
“We’ve had to deal with these situations one by one and we thought we’d gather it all together in one place,” explained Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter. “We’re trying to suggest good behaviors that make the parks more enjoyable for everybody by putting one little extra piece of trash in the can or by refraining from swearing in front of a 2-year-old.”
But the proposals weren’t all a hit with board members.
SMOKE-FREE CITY PARKS? Smoking is one of the “behaviors” that would be banned in Seattle city parks under a new proposed Code of Conduct that’ll be discussed at tonight’s Parks Board meeting, 7 pm, Parks HQ downtown; a public hearing is scheduled for two weeks from tonight. Smoking is one of the “newly prohibited behaviors” proposed for the code; also “newly prohibited” would be (from the briefing paper):
• Conduct that deprives others of their use or enjoyment of a park or facility or disrupts parks business
• Possession of glass containers at athletic fields, beaches and children’s playgrounds
• Improper use of restrooms
• [as noted] Smoking
• Spitting
• Leaving packages, backpacks, luggage, or other personal items unattended
• Blocking entrances, exits, walkways, etc. that interferes with provision of services or use of park property
• Conduct that creates an unreasonable and substantial risk of harm to a person or property
• Entering restrooms designated for people of the opposite sex
• Use of flammable liquids
• Abusive or harassing behavior, including obscene language or gestures; assault or fighting
• Possession of fireworks, firecrackers, explosives, acid, or other articles or materials capable of causing serious harm to others
• Sexual misconduct
Again, the Parks Board is getting briefed on this tonight (full docs here); a public hearing comes Jan. 28, a vote later. Meantime, it’s Art Walk night all over our peninsula:
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WEST SEATTLE ART WALK: That’s the Barbie-inspired art of Wyn Bielaska, the Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) featured artist during tonight’s West Seattle Art Walk, 6-9 pm at dozens of venues all over WS (see the list, and learn about the artists, here). Other events happening during the Art Walk – C and P Coffee‘s Wine Club, and M3 Bodyworks (WSB sponsor; 5410 California SW) is having a Holiday Open House featuring photographer Wayne Burger‘s underwater work. (added 2;04 pm – more info on this:)
M3 Bodyworks’ holiday opening will be catered by Chef Kate Thomson of Seasonal Palate (www.seasonalpalate.com) with island themed food and specialty drink. M3 will also be giving away door prizes tonight including a 90 Minute Package of 5 massages. More can be found at www.m3bodyworks.com/events.html
HEALTHY HIGH POINT: Healthier living – including your chance to take a survey about food – is the focus of tonight’s High Point Neighborhood Association quarterly meeting, 6 pm, High Point Neighborhood Center. The featured speaker is Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association executive director Derek Birnie.
THINKING ABOUT REMODELING – OR BUILDING FROM SCRATCH: Tonight is another one of the free workshops presented by longtime WSB sponsor Ventana Construction. Free! It’s not too late to RSVP – 206-932-3009 – 6 pm, 5458 California SW.
See what else is up today/tonight (and beyond) by checking the WSB West Seattle Events calendar.
For those who have asked about the woman hurt when a car hit her as she walked across California SW at SW Dakota yesterday morning, friend Bob Carroll e-mailed this information:
As of this morning, her injuries include 2 broken legs (both may require surgery), fractures of the 4th and 5 th vertebrates, a broken clavicle, and a head injury. She had orthopedic surgery this morning, but I haven’t heard the outcome yet. She has been alert and talkative, and the informal feedback from nursing staff is that this is good sign.
This corresponds with information we obtained through the Fire Department, which transported the 53-year-old crash victim to the hospital. As we reported yesterday, it may be months before there is a decision on whether the 81-year-old driver will be cited.
From tonight’s citywide Skatepark Advisory Committee meeting at Parks Department HQ downtown, a suggestion that if you support the Delridge Skatepark 
and want to be sure it clears the final turns on the way to hitting the home stretch toward construction, you might want to be at the City Council Parks Committee meeting, 9:30 am January 21 (one week from Thursday). West Seattle-residing committee member Matthew Lee Johnston says city staff is recommending the committee give thumbs-up to the final funding plan, but it was pointed out that the Parks Committee is now chaired by new Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, so supporters want to be sure she knows the Delridge Skatepark plan has garnered lots of love along the way. If you missed previous reports on the skatepark, it’s been in the works a year and a half for the northeastern section of the playfield on the north side of Delridge Community Center; the plan rose from the near-ashes of previous proposals including a smaller skateboarding facility at the future Myrtle Reservoir Park. Johnston noted that there would be an opportunity for public comment, too, though instead of having 50 people take the mike, he and chair Ryan Barth suggested, “if we all just stood up and said, hey, we support it,” that would work too. Letters of support also were encouraged (you can e-mail councilmembers through the addresses you’ll find here). Once the money’s finalized, and a few drainage and engineering issues worked out, construction is still expected to start this spring, it was reiterated tonight. One committee member’s comment on that? “Been a long time coming.” For updates on this and other Seattle skateboarding issues, follow Johnston’s website, seattleskateparks.org.
This announcement’s just out of the postal mailbox (transcribed):
Seattle Parks and Recreation and West Seattle Little League have been working together to improve Bar-S Playfield, located at 6464 SW Admiral Way [map]. They are hosting a meeting to discuss these improvements and encourage you and your family to attend.
Please come and learn about the planned addition of restrooms, the upgrades to the snack shack, and the replacement of the temporary storage sheds.
The meeting is set for 7 pm January 27 at Alki Community Center; Parks contact if you’re looking for more info before then is Raft Hollingsworth, 206-615-1401, raft.hollingsworth@seattle.gov. (P.S. As noted here last week, WS Little League registration starts tomorrow night.)
One major meeting on the calendar tonight: When voters approved the Parks and Green Spaces Levy more than a year ago, that included not only a list of proposed projects to be funded – it also included creation of a $15 million Opportunity Fund, for parks proposals citizens could envision/pursue later. Decisions about almost half the fund money will be made later this year, and applications will be accepted this spring; the first West Seattle meeting to help guide people through the process — starting with the proposal letters due Feb. 2 — is tonight, 6:30 pm, High Point Community Center (map).
Story and photo by Jonathan Stumpf
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Two design options for the Fairmount Playfield playground were revealed tonight at the second public meeting about the project.
A small group convened at the High Point Library, where Parks Department employees Pamela Alspaugh and Kelly Davidson unveiled two design plans for the playground. The finalized plans are the result of the December meeting that we covered here, with suggestions made about the feel of the playground and what features were important to residents.
Davidson, the project manager, briefly discussed the two designs, emphasizing the important takeaways from the December meeting, specifically that the playground should have a “natural feel,” “allow for imaginary play” and something “iconic should be included that will bring people to the park.”
Alspaugh revealed the two plans:
Jeremy – whose sign rallied “Team Elmo” – was one of the many KaBOOM! team members who came to Delridge last July to help hundreds of community volunteers build the playfield’s new playground – seen here at the end of that amazing day:
Want to see this happen in YOUR neighborhood? Betsy Hoffmeister from Delridge (who catalyzed the Delridge Playfield-playground process after months of working on a proposal for a different site) and Ann Limbaugh from Admiral have both forwarded word that KaBOOM! is coming back to Seattle in 2010 to build another playground and looking for potential places to do it. They’re not just looking at West Seattle – they’re casting the net citywide – but Ann and Betsy both wanted to make sure the word got out as many places as possible, especially since the application deadline is less than two weeks away – read on for more specifics:Read More
Happy New Year’s Eve-Eve! The West Seattle Holidays page is keeper of our New Year’s Eve list – more than 20 options, and another event’s been added – 9:30-11 pm tomorrow, you can join a Camp Long-sponsored Low Tide Beach Walk across from Me-Kwa-Mooks along Beach Drive. If you’re interested, you need to call to preregister today – 206-684-7434 – or preregister online by going here. Meantime, Camp Long has gone public with its full list of January/February highlights – read on to see it – we’ll be adding them to the WSB Events calendar too:Read More
As first reported in April, Camp Long‘s historic lodge is getting some long-needed renovations in the first wave of Parks and Green Spaces Levy spending. The Parks Department issued a reminder this week that the lodge is about to close for that $1 million project – see the reminder here. We clarified the dates with Parks spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad, who says that January 1 is the first official day of the shutdown, and the closure is scheduled to last into June. The rest of the park, she stresses, remains open, and the announcement on the city website includes info on how to start making 2010 reservations for Camp Long facilities (beginning January 12) – registration is already under way for winter programs at Camp Long and the city’s other Environmental Learning Centers (more on that here).
Long list of awesome holiday events for The Weekend Before Christmas – and here’s one where you can combine giving and receiving: The Holiday Giving Tree and Feast event 6-8 pm tomorrow (Friday) at Hiawatha Community Center (2700 California SW; map). Bring a toy to donate, and you get dinner for free. Rebecca from sister community center High Point CC found out the Hiawatha menu for us – she says it’s the work of a professional chef:
Roasted Turkey
Gourmet Macaroni & Cheese w/6 different cheeses
Sweet Potato and Red Potato Rosemary Olive Oil Dish
Corn
Rolls
Green Salad
Various Pies for Dessert
Hot Apple Cider & Cran-Raspberry Juice
Satsumas
Fruit Cocktail
That’s at Hiawatha, 6-8 pm tomorrow. Meantime Rebecca’s checking on progress for the HP toy drive we told you about yesterday. She also says ALL community centers have been collecting toys – the next few days are the time to make sure all toy bins and giving trees are taken care of!
Another followup in the story of the man who filed a lawsuit challenging the city ban on guns at certain Parks Department facilities by taking a concealed weapon into Southwest Community Center a month ago (and alerting the city in advance, which meant a security guard was there to meet him, as seen in our 11/14 photo at left): Bob Warden sent the media the documents that he’s filed seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the city from enforcing the law. Here’s the court document; we asked Warden if he has a court date set yet – he said no. The request for an injunction says in part, “If plaintiff went to the Southwest Community Center with his pistol tomorrow, there is no reason to suspect that the rule would not be enforced” and goes on to state as part of its argument, “banning armed good guys likely makes a place less safe from bad guys …” (Our partners at the Seattle Times are covering this story too – here’s the link.)
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