Parkways Seattle Parks and Recreation

Washington State becomes latest partner in long-anticipated project

A new community boathouse that will make Green Lake more accessible to people of any background or ability level will open in 2021. Community volunteers, in partnership with Green Lake Rowing Advisory Council, Associated Recreation Council, and Seattle Canoe and Kayak Club, have raised a total of $5.4 million from public and private sources towards the $6.5 million goal. This includes $951,000 awarded by Washington State Recreation and Conservation office on June 27 and $3 million from the Seattle Park District Major Projects Challenge Fund.

“Our city is surrounded by water, but not everyone can safely or affordably enjoy it, including Green Lake, the most widely used park in our state” said Mike Stanley, president of Green Lake Rowing Advisory Council. “The new community boathouse will be a permanent public gateway to access Green Lake for generations to come.”

The current Green Lake Small Craft Center (GLSCC) houses the 70-year-old Green Lake Crew. Started by storied UW rowing coach Al Ulbrickson in 1948, it is believed to be oldest public junior rowing program in the nation. In 1963, long before Title IX, the crew added a girl’s program, another first for the region. In its seven decades, the crew has introduced thousands of Seattle youth to rowing, opening doors to a diverse community, and even launching some to success on the national and international stage.

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The 10,600 square-foot facility will increase capacity for programs through a combination of expanded and more efficient boat storage and additional instructional space. It will be fully accessible, which makes possible the launch of Seattle’s first public adaptive rowing program and expansion of a parapaddling program. Specialized programs of Seattle Parks and Recreation will also be able to expand their work with individuals of differing physical and cognitive abilities.

User safety will be improved through restrooms, locker facilities, and areas for off-water instruction and community meeting space. In addition, the new boathouse will better engage with Green Lake Park and the heavily used adjacent walking trail. 

“Engagement with the park is a core goal of the project.  We want the public to see all that we do and the building, by its design, will feel much more inclusive,” said Mike Stanley.

“This project will transform lives, from youth to seniors,” said Bob Ratliffe, chair of the Green Lake Community Boathouse Campaign. “Through my children’s rowing, I have witnessed how time in a boat on Green Lake builds confidence and lifelong friendships. This will be a real community treasure.”

The Seattle Park District Major Project Challenge Fund(MPCF) provided seed funding for a pre-design/feasibility study in 2016/2017 and in the 2018 MPCF awarded $2.92 million. The project also has support from both the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and King County Parks in the form of early grants. “Now with the strong support from the State and the City, we are excited to launch the final phase of the private fundraising campaign,” said Mike Stanley. “We clearly have momentum on our side.”

To stay up to date on the progress of the Green Lake Small Craft Center visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/green-lake-small-craft-center-redevelopment

In partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, the public watersport programs at Green Lake are driven and sustained by three nonprofit organizations:

About Associated Recreation Council (ARC)
Seattle Parks and Recreation created this nonprofit partner in 1975 to support and enhance their work. ARC makes equitable, dynamic, culturally relevant, and responsive recreation and lifelong learning programs possible for every Seattle resident. ARC fulfills this mission with the help and support of 36 volunteer-led Advisory Councils around Seattle.

About Green Lake Rowing Advisory Council (RAC)
RAC is one of the 36 volunteer ARC Advisory Councils and guides the activities of Green Lake Crew, the first public youth rowing program in the nation at its founding in 1948. RAC supports opportunities for lifetime enjoyment of watersports on Green Lake. Contact Jill MacCorkle at 206-902-6463 or development@greenlakecrew.org

About Seattle Canoe and Kayak Club (SCKC) Founded in 1969, SCKC is the only public club in Seattle promoting competitive and recreational paddling opportunities for all ages and ability levels. 

Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Army Corps of Engineers invite the community to an Open House on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Alki Community Center, 5817 SW Stevens St. This Open House is an opportunity for the community to learn about the Emma Schmitz Seawall Replacement project located at 4503 Beach Dr. SW in West Seattle.

The project will replace the existing 500-foot-long seawall constructed in the 1920s that has experienced significant erosion and damage from storm events. Please join us for a short presentation followed by an Open House.

The new seawall will be a “soldier pile” (system of vertical piles spaced at a regular interval with material in between to create a wall) design, built a few feet seaward and a few feet higher than the existing seawall, and equipped with safety handrails that the current seawall lacks.  This design will minimize the impact on the beach, address rising seawater concerns and create better contours for the restoration landscaping on the landward portion of the overlook area.  We anticipate construction in mid-2020.

For more information or please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/emma-schmitz-memorial-overlook. For questions about the project or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Garrett Farrell at garrett.farrell@seattle.gov or 206-233-7921.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is partnering with the Little Saigon community to host a BBQ and design review for the new park in the Little Saigon neighborhood. Please join us on Sunday, July 14, 2019 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Pho Bac Súp Shop, 1240 S Jackson St.

This is an opportunity to review the park design, provide final input on the project and learn about the construction timeline. The new park will be located across from Lam’s Seafood Market at 1224 S King St. in the Little Saigon neighborhood. The proposed design by Murase Associates includes an informal open lawn event/ performance space, play area, a ramp with seating opportunities, and a plaza on the Jackson St. side. The meeting will feature play area options for public input. 

 After working closely with the community to identify possible new park locations, SPR purchased the .27-acre site in 2013 to provide the neighborhood access to more open space in this urban area. The design will provide a connection between King and Jackson streets and will incorporate accessibility features in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. SPR will work with the community on the design and encourages community participation.

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.

Thank you to Friends of Little Saigon, SCIDpda, the Friends of Little Saigon Advisory Committee, Pho Bac Súp Shop and Lam’s Seafood!

For more information or for meeting notification translations please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/little-saigon-park-development

For questions about the project or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Katie Bang at 206-684-9286 or katie.bang@seattle.gov.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to an Open House to learn about the site restoration and slide removal at 12th West & West Howe Park on west side of Queen Anne. Please join us on Tuesday, July 9, 2019 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Queen Anne Community Center, 1901 1st Ave. W.

SPR is working to restore this park to a natural area by decommissioning the slide and remaining concrete structures. The restoration project returns the site to a natural area as part of the contiguous greenbelt that supports wildlife habitat. Public access through the greenbelt on Seattle Department of Transportation right-of-way will remain.

The restoration project includes site grading, revegetation and wildlife habitat improvements, removing the slide, and demolition of the remaining site structures.

For more information about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/12th-west-and-west-howe-park. For additional questions or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Libby Hudson at libby.hudson@seattle.gov or 206-256-5988.  For additional questions or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Libby Hudson at libby.hudson@seattle.gov or 206-256-5988.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to a fun evening at 48th Ave SW and SW Charlestown St. on Tuesday, July 9, 2019 from 5 to 7 p.m. Please join us for ice cream and an opportunity to review the preferred design for the new park at 48th Ave. SW and SW Charlestown St. in West Seattle.

Community involvement has been essential in developing the new open space. SPR and the design consultant have been hard at work incorporating your input from the open house, community meeting, and on-line survey to create a preferred design for the site. We are excited to share the design with the community at this last public meeting. Please stop by to take a look and provide final design input.

SPR purchased the .33-acre site at 48th Ave. SW and SW Charlestown St. in 2014 to provide the community more open space. The design of the park will incorporate accessibility features in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and low-impact, passive recreation features with impervious surface of the park site limited to 15% or less to minimize the effect of water run-off. We anticipate park construction in 2020.

This park project is made possible by the voter-approved Seattle Park District, which provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding for SPR, including maintenance of parklands and facilities, operation of community centers and recreation programs, and development of new neighborhood parks on previously acquired sites.

For more information please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/48th-and-charlestown-landbanked-site-park-development. For questions about the project please contact Ed Pottharst at 206-386-4232 or Ed.pottharst@seattle.gov.

For questions about the project please contact Ed Pottharst at 206-386-4232 or Ed.pottharst@seattle.gov.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the Wedgwood community to review the schematic design and provide input for a new park located at 8605 35th Ave. NE. in northeast Seattle. Please join SPR staff and the design consultant, Studio 41, on Saturday, June 29, 2019 from 10 a.m. to noon at the park site, 8605 35th Ave. NE. This Open House is an opportunity for the community to review the design and learn about the construction timeline. Additionally, this Open House will serve as the kick-off for the naming process for the site.

After working closely with the community to identify possible new park locations in the Wedgwood neighborhood, SPR purchased the .33-acre site at 8605 35th Ave. NE in 2014 to provide the neighborhood access to more open space in this urban area. SPR has hosted two community meetings and input received from the meetings has been incorporated into the schematic design. Funding for this park project is provided by the Seattle Park District.

Please submit suggestions for park names in writing by Thursday, September 12, 2019, and include an explanation of how your suggestion matches the naming criteria. The Park Naming Policy, clarifying the criteria applied when naming a park, can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/parks/Publications/namingPolicy.htm. Please send name suggestions to Seattle Parks and Recreation, Parks Naming Committee, 100 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109, or by e-mail to paula.hoff@seattle.gov.The Parks Naming Committee will consider all suggestions and make a recommendation to Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Jesús Aguirre, who will make the final decision.

For more information about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/wedgwood-landbanked-site-park-development. For additional questions about the project or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Colin Campbell, colin.campbell@seattle.gov or 206-256-5604. Thank you Café Javasti for their support of this Open House and to the Wedgwood Community Council for their partnership with outreach for the project.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to Dragon Fest 2019 at Hing Hay Park on Saturday, June 29, 2019. Please visit our current concierge booth between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. to learn about the future Hing Hay Park Concierge Station and Single Use Restroom project. Hing Hay Park is located at 423 Maynard Ave. S, in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District.

SPR is moving forward with the planning, design and construction of this project that will be an added public benefit to the newly expanded Hing Hay Park in Seattle’s Chinatown International District. The new restroom will be located in the northeast area of the park in the basement of the Bush Hotel.

The SPR restroom will be designed with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles and constructed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. The project will utilize SPR’s standard fixtures and finishes. The single use restroom will be available to the public when a concierge is present at the park and SPR will be responsible for the maintenance and cleaning of the facility.

For more information about Dragon Fest visit http://cidbia.org/events/dragonfest/.

For more information about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/hing-hay-park For additional questions or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact CJ de Leon at CJ.deLeon@seattle.gov or 206-684-8568.

On May 29, 2019, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) finalized the acquisition of Lake Washington waterfront property, 13000 Riviera Place NE, in northeast Seattle. This site had been a public small street-end beach property used by the community as a public park and access to Lake Washington since the early 1900’s.

In 2013 in became clear that the land was not in fact publicly owned. 

Neighboring community members rallied the City to help restore public access to this waterfront property. In 2015, the City Council authorized the acquisition. The City initiated a condemnation process in 2016, and a settlement was reached. SPR finalized the purchase of this property last month. The property totals 13,736 sq. ft, mostly water, with a small shoreline area of 3,653 sq. ft. 

“Our City’s waterfront parks are the gems of the Seattle park system. This acquisition will produce many benefits for the surrounding neighborhood and every District 5 resident who enjoys recreation on Lake Washington. I am grateful to both Seattle Parks and Recreation and the City Attorney’s office for all the hard work that went into restoring public access to this space,” said Councilmember Debora Juarez.

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said, “As the weather heats up, the North Seattle public will have new access to the cool waters of Lake Washington. I’m proud of the dogged work of Assistant City Attorney Charles Gussow on my team and our Parks and Recreation Department to secure an agreement to further open our shorelines to the community.”

“We are thrilled to add this small beach into our city’s park system. Access to the natural environment and waterfront provides incredible health, mental health, and community benefits to our residents,” said Jesús Aguirre, Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent. 

This small beach is accessible by foot or by bike, and is most easily reached by the Burke Gilman Trail.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to participate in the design of the Morgan Junction Park expansion. Please join us at the Morgan Junction Community Festival on Saturday, June 22, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Community involvement is essential in developing the new open space at 6311 California Ave. SW, adjacent to Morgan Junction Park. SPR purchased this .28-acre space in 2014 to provide the community access to open space within this high-density urban area. Please stop by our booth and provide feedback.

The design firm, Board & Vellum, has been hard at work incorporating your input from the first open house and online survey into the development of three concept designs. We will present the three design options at the festival. The design of the park will incorporate accessibility features in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and low-impact, passive recreation features with impervious surface of the park site limited to 15% or less to minimize the effect of water run-off.

Following community input from this open house and another survey, we will develop and present a preliminary preferred design at a third community meeting which is yet to be scheduled.

This park project is made possible by the voter-approved Seattle Park District, which provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding for SPR, including maintenance of parklands and facilities, operation of community centers and recreation programs, and development of new neighborhood parks on previously acquired sites.

For more information please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/morgan-junction-park-addition. For questions about the project please contact Ed Pottharst at 206-386-4232 or Ed.pottharst@seattle.gov.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) invite the Maple Leaf community to an Open House at Maple Leaf Reservoir Park, 1020 NE 82nd St., Seattle, WA 98115 on Wednesday, June 19, 2019 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. We will have a tent and table near the north entrance of the park, just south of the intersection of NE 88th St. and 12th Ave. NE. Please join us to discuss what you value in terms of the north park entrance and what enhancements could be made to improve the connection between the Neighborhood Greenway and the park. 

SDOT Neighborhood Greenways program creates corridors through residential streets with traffic calming measures designed to give bicycle and pedestrian travel priority. Neighborhood Greenways provide people of all ages and abilities with comfortable and attractive places to walk and ride.  

With funding from the Seattle Park District, SPR is collaborating with SDOT to connect, enhance and activate links from SDOT Neighborhood Greenways to parks by improving access and amenities for pedestrians and bicycles. For more information about the event please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/greenways-initiative or contact Mike Schwindeller at mike.schwindeller@seattle.gov or 206-615-1165.                

During SDOT’s public process for this new Neighborhood Greenway, which is scheduled for construction in 2020, the community identified a critical connection between Maple Leaf Reservoir Park and the future SDOT Neighborhood Greenway at NE 88th St. and 12th Ave. NE. (See the selected route map below). We are collaborating across the city to improve connections to parks and look forward to working with the community and SDOT to enhance the connection between Maple Leaf Reservoir Park and the Northgate Neighborhood Greenway.   

For more information about the event please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/greenways-initiative or contact Mike Schwindeller at mike.schwindeller@seattle.gov or 206-615-1165.