West Seattle, Washington
05 Friday
This is the kind of event we would have covered in person if we hadn’t been Snowbound Atop Our Hill — we but thank heavens, Mike Dady of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council sent photos of the Labyrinth Walk at Cottage Grove Park last night (we originally told you about it here) — along with some notes on how it went:
All things considered, a good number of folks turned out for last evening’s North Delridge/Cottage Grove Park Labyrinth Winter Solstice Event. Michal-Ann McElhany was the person who made the event happen:-) She cleared the labyrinth of snow, spread some rock salt and provided candles and hot cider prepped on a campstove. Three young children arrived with a tin full of homemade cookies. Very thoughtful and sweet.
Michal-Ann herself (she’s also with NDNC – one of the many great West Seattle neighborhood groups we regularly report on for ongoing WSB news coverage) added:
Considering nearly every other activity in the city was canceled due to weather conditions, I am very pleased with the success of last night’s Solstice event at Cottage Grove Park. I was expecting literally a few North Delridge-ites to show up as a result of cabin fever. So, needless to say the event was scaled way back to simply a candlelit labyrinth walk with hot cider and no music. The snow extinguished the candle flames, but was so reflective it alone illuminated the event! Surprisingly, thirty people showed up, coming from as far as Bothell, and other areas of West Seattle such as Fauntleroy and Westwood Village. As it turns out, people participated for many different reasons– from romantic dates to having just moved into the neighborhood and wanting to meet some neighbors …
Michal-Ann’s looking forward to an even bigger one next year. One more photo from Mike:
**We told you last summer about the pilot recycling project in city parks. Now the Parks Department hopes you’ll take a moment to answer a survey about it. Here’s the link.
**Reminder that tonight, in addition to the Alaskan Way Viaduct public forum tonight at Town Hall (5-7:30 pm), there are two big public hearings tonight at City Hall – the new tree regulations at 5:30 (more info on the City Council home page), proposed rules about guns in parks at 6:30 (more info here, including a link for online comment).
**Two weeks after Prost West Seattle opened its doors, there’s word West Seattle’s next drink-and-food — plus music — place is getting close. Feedback Lounge (between new Beveridge Place Pub and future Zeeks Pizza/ex-Corner Inn in Morgan Junction) has posted new pix and info on its MySpace site, and a hoped-for January opening is mentioned; its liquor-license application also has shown up on the state’s website.
**Also just got word that Spring Hill in The Junction has launched a blog-format site (an increasingly popular thing for businesses to do). See it here.
One year ago tomorrow, we covered a public meeting about Hiawatha Playfield improvements, at the adjacent community center. In the report we subsequently published, we noted that the city expected construction to be complete this fall. This past June, Parks sent an update saying work would be done by March 2009. But late today, we got an update from the Parks Department, which is now talking about construction completion by September of next year, almost 7 years after the first public meeting on the project:Read More
The school-closure-related meetings already reported here weren’t the only newsworthy, West Seattle-related events happening last night; we had a reporter at the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s monthly meeting too, and she’s sent in an update including the latest on California Place Park — read on:Read More
New on the Friends and Neighbors of North Admiral website 
for the proposal to add a “natural playscape” to California Place Park: A report that eight firms have responded to the “Request For Qualifications” to design it (the part of the potential project for which the group received a city $15,000 matching-funds grant). The eight are listed here; next step, the group reviews their applications, schedules interviews, and chooses a landscape architect by mid-month – the RFQ says that architect will facilitate the next public meeting on the project, second week of January. FANNA, by the way, is sponsoring a family event at Hiawatha Community Center/Park on December 13th (details here).
Remember the brief battle over beach fires earlier this year? To recap: Parks Department staff prepared a briefing document in June suggesting a ban (WSB coverage here), public outcry ensued, the Parks Board turned a hose on it? The agenda for next week’s Parks Board meeting is out, and the “written status report” requested by the board will be part of the meeting. The agenda also includes (as we mentioned yesterday) the park-naming policy review, an update on fees, and the latest on reservoir-lidding (WS has two such projects — Myrtle, which is done except for the park component, and West Seattle next to Westcrest, which is well under way). The Parks Board meets at 7 pm Thursday 12/11, parks HQ at Denny Park downtown.
As we reported two weeks ago, money to build the Delridge Skatepark — announced last summer to a chorus of cheers, after controversy over a skatepark proposal at Myrtle Reservoir — was cut out of next year’s city budget. (At left, summertime photo of its future site.) Local skatepark advocates have been pursuing further clarification from the city Parks Department as to what happens now — and they have shared a reply just received from Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher. Read on for details – and information on a skatepark celebration event planned this Friday night during the Cooper Artist Housing open house at Youngstown Arts Center:Read More
Thanks to Brian for the tip on this: He spotted a crew and equipment (photo added 12:25 pm) from Archer Construction at the Morgan Junction park site (former monorail land immediately north of Beveridge Place Pub); we just confirmed with Parks Department project manager Virginia Hassinger that this is indeed the official start of construction – she says work should be done by mid-March. Here’s the official project page; this is the final design for the park:
As we reported earlier this fall, a sidewalk-art project also is slated to go in as part of walkway work next to the park site (that work is under SDOT‘s jurisdiction). Work was also supposed to begin today on Dakota Place Park north of The Junction – we’ll be checking on that shortly. 12:51 PM UPDATE: Went by Dakota Place – as of about an hour ago, no sign of activity yet. Meantime, we also checked with the Parks Department re: one lingering Morgan Junction park issue – its namelessness. Read on to see what we found out:Read More
Bradley5 sent photos of an upside-down dead seagull in a Lincoln Park tree, noting he debated whether to share it, but is curious about what happened earlier – did anyone see it, tangled, before it died? What would you do in a case like this? Click ahead to see his photo (not particularly gross but we don’t want to put it right on the main page) and read what he has to say:Read More
West Seattle has one official off-leash area for dogs. Go off-leash at any other park, and you’re running a costly risk. When WSB Forum members noticed a city crackdown at Lincoln Park (photo above from park’s southeast entrance), University of Washington News Lab reporter Monique Vague saw the opportunity for a news story. Not only did she find out more about the LP crackdown, but she also discovered the city’s future enforcement-expansion plans:Read More
The city Parks Department says a bid’s been awarded for Dakota Place Park construction (we published an update just before bids were due last month), and that the work will start December 1st and continue till February. WS Contractor Inc. is to deliver an “exterior package” including “a plaza with integrated artwork, ADA access, site lighting, multiple seating elements,
refurbishing existing historic elements, automated irrigation, and extensive community-provided landscaping.” From the official city webpage for the site (a former substation), here’s the schematic design for the park:
HIGH POINT COMMUNITY CENTER: (map) Free (early) Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night – turkey, veggies, rolls, door prizes! 6 to 8 pm.
SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER: (map) They’re still accepting vendors for the Holiday Bazaar coming up 9 am-5 pm December 6th. Call 684-7438.
ALKI COMMUNITY CENTER: (map) Free spaghetti dinner 6-9 pm December 11th, a chance to “come see what programs we have to offer and fill out a questionnaire for future programs” according to a flyer we picked up while speaking to a group there today.
Just posted on the website for the group that obtained a $15,000 Neighborhood Matching Fund grant to explore options for California Place Park (map) in North Admiral (Google Street View above – pan around to the area behind the bus stop): The “request for qualifications” for a landscape architect who will help with that exploration. More city-facilitated meetings are planned as part of the process (WSB coverage of the first meeting, with 104 comments, is here); no dates announced yet.
We mentioned here yesterday that a big cut in city “skatepark implementation” money was among the latest City Council budget actions — and that we would seek more specifics on what that meant for the Delridge Skatepark project, which blossomed to life last summer (WSB coverage here), after months of controversy about the possibility of locating a skatepark by Myrtle Reservoir. Here’s what we have learned today, after Brian Hawksford from the office of City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen (who chairs the Parks Committee) helped us seek out clarification – and the news isn’t good for skatepark supporters: The official word is that Delridge Skatepark construction “has been postponed/deferred” because of the budget cut (which involves the city’s reduced receipts of “real estate excise tax,” aka REET). The final budget vote is next Monday; West Seattle-based skating advocate Matt Johnston has posted about this at SeattleSkateparks.org and is urging messages of support (his post has e-mail address links).
The Parks Department has announced its annual volunteer awards. Among the winners: Libby Carr of the Seattle (Alki) Statue of Liberty Plaza Project and Ken Shaw for his Schmitz Preserve work. Among the runner-up nominees, Westcrest Park Off-Leash Area steward Steve McElhenney (of “Bassets for Obama” fame).
Following up on the Parks Department rule proposal – which didn’t make it out of last night’s Board of Park Commissioners meeting (WSB coverage here) – SPD Blotter has posted a letter from Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske addressing the question “Is nudity illegal?” Bottom line: no easy answer.
Two quick toplines from tonight’s city Board of Park Commissioners meeting: The nudity rules we covered yesterday are mostly toast. The board, led by vice chair Jackie Ramels of Alki, asked for more information on what complaints really had resulted from events for which permits had been issued (such as the World Naked Bike Ride, September photo at left shared by Mac), and suggested revisiting that in a few months; separately, they also asked staff to take a closer look at a possible clothing-optional beach. Dozens of people concerned about the proposed nudity rules showed up, but didn’t testify because this was a briefing, not a public hearing. Meantime, the plan to seek proposals for private operation of West Seattle Stadium moved forward. Read on for those details:Read More
Tomorrow night’s meeting of the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners is on our radar because of the proposal to seek a private operator for West Seattle Stadium — but it turns out that’s not the only item of interest on the agenda. The Parks Board will be briefed about a new proposed policy on nudity, and details have just been released. The topline goes like this:
The proposed rule of conduct would prohibit nudity in any public park or park facility open to the public. Violation of the rule may lead to the withdrawal of permission to remain in the park or park facility for a period of twenty-four hours or exclusion from parks, depending on the circumstances. There would be exceptions for children under the age of five, nursing mothers, and in restrooms, locker rooms and indoor showers.
But reading further into the briefing paper – which you can see in its entirety here – the proposal also would end the reported use of some public beaches as “informal clothing-optional beaches” and also would end the practice of granting permits for events such as the World Naked Bike Ride (which stopped by several West Seattle parks this past summer):
Event permits – The two most frequent requests for event permits are related to the beginning and stopover locations for the World Naked Bike Ride and for picnics at Magnuson Park. Recent World Naked Bike Ride events have resulted in complaints from citizens to the Seattle Police Department. These permits have been issued as the Superintendent does not now have a basis in law or regulation for denying an event permit as long as the permittee agrees to abide by applicable laws, rules and regulations, as is currently required by the permit. The proposed Rule will prohibit nude, or clothing optional events even under special permit. The Superintendent will no longer authorize permits for events where it is clear public nudity is planned.
After the briefing at tomorrow night’s park board meeting – 7 pm Thursday, Parks HQ in Denny Park downtown – a public hearing is planned for the Jan. 8 meeting, and a final vote on Jan. 22. Meantime, we’re reviewing the board agenda documents for tomorrow night’s West Seattle Stadium item and will post about that separately later. We’ll also be seeking comment on the nudity policy from the local WNBR organizer who participated extensively in the comments on our September report (and had in the past requested to rent Colman Pool for a nude swimming event).
Among the joys of attending neighborhood-group meetings for WSB news reports: Learning more about cherished features of each neighborhood — some of which we’ve managed to miss even though we’ve lived in West Seattle for 17 years. Above, one such feature – the labyrinth in the “recovery garden” at the southwest corner of Cottage Grove Park in North Delridge (map). We checked it out because of an announcement at last week’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting: A candlelight winter-solstice event is being planned at the labyrinth, 6-8 pm December 21st – “candles, cider, music,” promised Michal-Ann McElhany, who ran the NDNC meeting this time. She also has gotten the labyrinth listed on the worldwide Labyrinth Locator; see it on this page with Seattle’s nine other listed labyrinths. (The solstice walk is now on our Holiday Happenings page.) Meantime, not too far north of there, a random blog post that came up in one of our routine searches called our attention to this public artwork on the west side of the park area at Delridge Community Center/Playfield (here’s a map):
The blog post (see it here) expressed delight in discovering that the third, darker boulder in the group (our photo doesn’t show part of the westernmost boulder because of tagger vandalism) isn’t a boulder at all, but a bronze sculpture. Subsequently searching for more information, we found this bit of the 1994 installation’s history – and thought we’d share for anyone else who’d never noticed before. P.S. Speaking of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council — congrats on another successful Adopt-a-Street cleanup yesterday — eight volunteers spent several hours brightening the neighborhood, and the rain stopped just in time. NDNC also has entered a new phase in the Cottage Grove Park tot-lot project; more on that to come.
By the time the first official city-organized meeting — not the first public meeting — about possible changes to California Place Park had ended, one Friends and Neighbors of North Admiral co-chair was fiercely defending the process she and other group members had gone through to get their idea to what amounts to the official starting line. And park-change opponents were just as fierce in their opposition. The person who’s accountable for the final decision on what, if anything, will happen at the park, Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher, opened the meeting — what he said, and what else was said, declared, argued, proclaimed — plus what’s next — just ahead:Read More
We’re at Hiawatha Community Center for the first city-organized meeting on the proposal to add a “playscape” to California Place Park. About 100 people here – biggest turnout we’ve seen at a public meeting in a while. The “no change” crowd seems to have the most vocal representation so far. City Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher (at left in the photo above) addressed the crowd at the start of the meeting. Full report later. 7:48 PM NOTE: It’s been contentious at times – emotional at times – this is the first of four meetings – no dates for the future meetings are set yet. We will let you know the moment they are. Full details to come.
You’d probably have to be a real Southwest Pool devotee to notice what is NOT in that picture 
we took this afternoon, during a tour of the work that’s been done since the pool closed — thanks to project manager Garrett Farrell, who gave us a guided preview tour just before the mid-June shutdown (see it here), then sent word today that he could squeeze in a pre-reopening tour if we were interested. That, despite his work zone still being a hive of activity, with contractors, pool staffers, painters, and inspectors – note all the permit paperwork on the front window, shown at left. (Give up on the top photo guess yet? The pool’s old, stained waterslide is no more.) But there’s a lot more you won’t see which constitutes the infrastructure improvements and upgrades that the project was really all about. For example, take a look at the blue structure that’s been added on to the northeast side of the pool building:
Unless you are a staffer or contractor, you’ll never see the air-circulation equipment that’s inside – but we got to climb a ladder for a sneak peek (that’s Farrell, surveying the work):
We’re processing video and pix to add to this report, along with more information on the power, energy-saving, and water-treatment features that have been added (plus one effect poolgoers will notice from the new air-circulation system). But we wanted to get this first part out fast enough to let you know, it’s confirmed — after a couple delays along the way, and what turned out to be almost five months of work, Southwest Pool — West Seattle’s only city-run indoor pool — WILL reopen at noon tomorrow. ADDED THURSDAY EVENING: More on the improvements resulting from the months of work and installation of new equipment, including the energy-efficiency specifics:Read More
From the WSB Events calendar, a busy night: The first official Parks Department-organized meeting on the proposal for a “play area” at the California Place mini-park in North Admiral is at Hiawatha Community Center, 6 pm; Fairmount Community Association gets an update on the nearest Triangle developments and more, 6:30 pm at the chapel at The Mount; several fun events too including the Get Yr Fash On runway show at Mission (doors open 6 pm).
| 2 COMMENTS