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Seattle Parks and Recreation Opens Baker Park Addition

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is happy to announce the opening of the addition to Baker Park in Seattle’s Crown Hill neighborhood. SPR purchased the .23-acre site directly adjacent and south of Baker Park, 8341 14th Ave NW, in 2013 to provide additional open space for this growing urban neighborhood.

The expanded park offers so many features, including a new play structure, swings, large open lawn, a picnic area with bbq, fitness equipment, and a totem pole plaza. All improvements were made to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Through the public process, the community stressed the importance of retaining some of the features from the original design, which included native plantings and replacing the totem that had been removed years earlier because of safety concerns. The community rallied and applied for Neighborhood Matching Funds from the Department of Neighborhoods to replace the totem. They received the funding and commissioned renowned Haida carver, Fred Lauth. The new totem pole features three “watchmen” at the top, seen as symbolic eyes on Baker Park, playing a role similar to that of watchmen on other Haida poles. SPR’s Metal Shop worked closely with Mr. Lauth to fabricate the custom base for mounting the totem. A community celebration with Haida traditions will be planned when the community can safely gather.

While the new play area and fitness equipment are closed during the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order, the walking paths and additional park space is open. When you visit the new park area, please respect the minimum of 6 feet of separation between people, do not congregate in the park, and please stay home if you are feeling sick.

Funding for this park project is provided by the Seattle Park District. Approved by voters in 2014, the Seattle Park District provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding to tackle the $267-million major maintenance backlog for Seattle Parks and Recreation as well as other facilities including the Aquarium and Zoo. In addition, it provides funding to improve and rehabilitate community centers, preserve the urban forest, perform day-to-day maintenance of parks and facilities, provide more recreation opportunities for people from underserved communities, provide programs for people of all ages and abilities, and acquire and develop new park land.

For more information on the project please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/baker-park-addition or contact Shannon Glass, Seattle Parks and Recreation, at 206-733-9319 or shannon.glass@seattle.gov.