Parkways Seattle Parks and Recreation

Seattle Parks and Recreation(SPR) is happy to announce we are working in the East Duwamish Greenspace and have hired Garden Cycles as the contractor to continue weed removal, regulated noxious weed control prior to planting this fall 2021.

Work is ongoing with professional crews and volunteers. SPR and Garden Cycles will be focused in the vicinity of over the next several months.

• Beacon Ave. S between Holgate overpass and 13^th Ave. S

• Western terminus of S Cloverdale St. and Cecil Ave. S
• Carkeek Dr. S
• S Fletcher St. & Beacon Ave. S above Martin Luther King Blvd. S

The East Duwamish Greenbelt is a series of SPR greenspaces that form part of the forested areas on the western edge of Beacon Hill. In Lushootseed, Duwamish call the hill qWátSéécH or “greenish-yellow spine”, referring to the color of the bigleaf maple, alder and willow trees that grow on the hill. The forested parkland stretches the length of Beacon Hill from Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge all the way to Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. It buffers Beacon Hill neighborhoods from heat and pollution from nearby Interstate 5 while also preserving habitat for local and migrating wildlife species.

For more than ten years, SPR has emphasized restoration of these natural areas as part of Green Seattle Partnership efforts. Principle activities include weed removal of plants such as ivy and blackberry, stabilizing soils from erosion and replanting longer-lived evergreen trees and shrubs. This restoration work is being funded in part with Real Estate Excise Tax and Seattle Park District funding.

For more information, please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/volunteer/urban-forest-restoration. If you have questions about this project or restoration in other parts of the city please contact plant ecologist, Michael Yadrick at michael.yadrick@seattle.gov. Please visit Friends of East Duwamish Greenbelt Facebook page to learn more about monthly work parties at S Trenton St. and 39th Ave S.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) awarded the construction contract for the Lowman Beach Park Seawall and Beach Restoration project to Mike McClung Construction. The contractor is anticipated to mobilize on site in early September and this project will require partial closure of the park. Closure includes beach access, tennis court and trail access. Public access to a portion of the lawn and playground area will be maintained. 

Lowman Beach Park is a neighborhood park on the water located north of Lincoln Park at 7017 Beach Dr. SW. The Lowman Beach Park seawall is failing and will be removed as part of this project. As visitors to the park have seen, the existing seawall is slowly falling over and sliding towards the water. The goal of this project is to remove the remaining seawall and continue the shoreline restoration work that began when the south half of the seawall failed in the mid-1990s. Construction is being funded in part with grants from the State of Washington through the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) and the King County Flood Control District through the Cooperative Watershed Management (CWM) fund.

SPR hired Environmental Science Associates (ESA) as the consultant to continue the design process that began with the feasibility study. The design takes into consideration both the habitat benefits of the seawall removal and the coastal engineering ramifications of that seawall removal. Given the design constraints for the project, the existing tennis court will be removed.  A remnant of Pelly Creek that currently flows under the seawall will be daylighted as part of the project.

For more information, please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/lowman-beach-park. If you have questions about the project please contact the project manager, Janice Liang, at Janice.Liang@seattle.gov.

Please Participate!

Seattle Parks and Recreation(SPR) encourages the community to participate in designing the new play area for Bitter Lake. SPR posted the recording of the Bitter Lake Play Area and Comfort Station Renovation Online Open House from July 15 on the project website along with a short survey.  We invite all to participate in the survey and help shape the future play area. Bitter Lake Playfield is located at 13035 Linden Ave. N.

The design team from Hoshide Wanzer Architects and Berger Partnership incorporated community input into two conceptual designs for the play area and the comfort station. These concept designs were shared during the Online Open House and the team gathered community feedback for the final design. We are excited to share this presentation and play area equipment options with other community members who were unable to participate on July 15.

The project will provide a modern, all-gender comfort station/restroom facility, new play equipment that provides play opportunities for all abilities. In addition, the project will make safety and accessibility improvements that meet the standards from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

For more information please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/bitter-lake-playfield-play-area-and-comfort-station-renovation

or contact Kevin Bergsrud at kevin.bergsrud@seattle.gov or 206-684-5831.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the Ballard neighborhood to participate in the future of the Salmon Park play area.  Please join us at the park on Saturday July 24, 2021, from 10 a.m. to noon to review the schematic design and provide input on three play area equipment proposals. Please join us!  Salmon Bay Park is a neighborhood park in Ballard at 2001 NW Canoe Pl, Seattle WA 98117.

Another way to participate is to watch the schematic design concept and play equipment options presentation on the project website then provide feedback through the online survey – https://seattle.surveymonkey.com/r/SalmonBayDesign. We want to thank everyone who has participated in this play area renovation planning to date and encourage all to participate in these input opportunities.

Three play area equipment options will be presented (the newly replaced zipline will be retained), along with the design concept that provides access improvements, and replaces site furnishings. All renovated elements will meet current safety and accessibility standards.

For more information please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/salmon-bay-park-play-area-renovation or contact Jessica Michalak at Jessica.Michalak@seattle.gov or 206-470-9147.

Seattle Parks and Recreation invites the community to participate in an Online Open House on Thursday, July 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. for the Bitter Lake Play Area and Comfort Station Renovation.

Please register in advance for this event at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Y09CPAIrS5C1rA8uc6EycA (Please note this weblink is a corrected updated link).

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information and directions on how to participate in the webinar. Please visit the park, 13035 Linden Ave. N, and join us online to meet the design team and provide input on two options for playground equipment. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in the public process for this project. The design from Hoshide Wanzer Architects and Berger Partnership incorporated your input into two conceptual designs for the play area and the comfort station. The design team is eager to share these concept designs with the community and gather feedback for the final design.

The project will provide a modern, all-gender comfort station/restroom facility, new play equipment that provides play opportunities for all abilities. In addition, the project will make safety and accessibility improvements that meet the standards from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

For more information please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/bitter-lake-playfield-play-area-and-comfort-station-renovation or contact Kevin Bergsrud at kevin.bergsrud@seattle.gov or 206-684-5831.

Seattle Park and Recreation (SPR) and the United Indians of All Tribes (UIATF) are happy to announce the design of the Canoe Carving House, as part of the Northwest Native Canoe Center, is moving forward with the goal of being under construction in 2022. The community-initiated project will celebrate the canoe culture that is dominant among the Pacific Northwest coastal tribes and will be located on the west shore of Lake Union in Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Ave. N. The facility will have a green-roof and will provide space for an ongoing Native American canoe carving program, and storage for canoes that will be hand-launched into the lake during operating hours. Docents will also explain the Northwest Native American skills and beliefs used over generations in building canoes.

“This first phase of the Northwest Native Canoe Center (the Canoe Carving House) has been a dream of ours for many years,” said Mike Tulee, Executive Director of UIATF. “The facility fits directly into our mission and will provide educational and cultural opportunities that reconnect Indigenous people to their heritage and will strengthen their sense of belonging.”

The Northwest Native Canoe Center is part of the Lake Union Park Master Plan. SPR contributed funding for the project through the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund and hired Jones & Jones Architects to design the project. UIATF secured the additional funding for the Carving Canoe House.

“First, I would like to acknowledge that this project is going to be built on the shore of Lake Union, the traditional lands and waters of the Duwamish people. The building will be a celebration of the Coast Salish canoe culture and remind people of our indigenous communities, past, present and future,” said Jesús Aguirre, Superintendent at Seattle Parks and Recreation.  “I want to thank United Indians of All Tribes for their great partnership and for creating an educational opportunity for all that reinforces the connection to the original inhabitants of this land. The Northwest Native Canoe Center incorporates Seattle Parks and Recreation’s values of equity, opportunity, access and sustainability. We are excited to be moving into the construction phase of this project.”

The entire center will comprise of the Canoe Carving House and the Welcome House. The Welcome House will provide educational interactive displays, a gift shop, a catering kitchen and a multi-use space for cultural events.  UIATF is launching fundraising efforts for the Welcome House portion of the project. Please visit United Indians of All Tribes Foundation’s website to contribute-Unitedindians.org. Once funding is secured SPR and UIATF will move forward with the second phase of the Center. 

For more information, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/northwest-native-canoe-center or contact David Graves at David.Graves@seattle.gov.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR), Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, and Seattle Sports Complex Foundation invite the community to participate in an online meeting on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. to learn about the project to date, review the consultant work and community input, and discuss the feedback and recommended direction from SPR. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/Lowman-Mtg3  Password: a6MWeF3Aff8. Or, join by phone at 206-207-1700 Code: 1872 55 9987.

At Lowman Beach Park, 7017 Beach Dr. S W., the existing tennis court will be removed as part of the Shoreline Restoration and Seawall Replacement project. The Seattle Sports Complex Foundation applied for Neighborhood Matching Funds and hired HBB Landscape Architects to prepare a study and lead the public engagement to discover if a tennis court (or other racket sports) could be added to the park.  

Two public meetings have been held and three concepts were reviewed. After reviewing the work from the community and the design team, SPR recommends either adding a pickleball court (and saving the swings) or allowing for no additional change than the beach restoration project. SPR does not support the tennis court concept. 

SPR’s recommendation takes into account the park location, its unique characteristics, proximity to other tennis courts, and future maintenance impacts. In addition, SPR reviewed the images from the public meetings, phone calls, emails, and the extensive community outreach to inform this decision. The decision also supports SPR’s Strategic Plan as the Healthy Environment section calls out preserving a healthy ocean and marine environment that contribute to the health of the Seattle and Pacific ecosystem and a balance between active and passive recreation.  

SPR did hear from the community about the importance of racket courts and has worked out an agreement with Seattle Public Schools to open the six courts at the Southwest Athletic Complex. The courts are free for drop-in unless reserved at the Amy Yee Tennis Complex. Information about court reservations can be found here: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/reserve/tennis-court-reservations#City%20Parks%20Courts.

For more information, please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/lowman-beach-racket-court-design or contact Pam Kliment at pamela.kliment@seattle.gov or 206-684-7556.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to visit the South Lake Union Community Center Online Open House at slucc.infocommunity.org. The future center will be located at the corner of Mercer Street and Dexter Ave. SPR and the design team from NBBJ have collected community feedback and are excited to share how the input has helped shape the schematic design, floor plan and programming spaces.

The new center will be a welcoming space for all and visible from the street with easy access for pedestrians, cyclists and people traveling by mass transit. Key features of the center include a full-size basketball court, fitness area, and childcare. The project is a private-public partnership that will develop a Lake Union neighborhood community center operated by SPR and located on the ground floor of a private development.

For more information, please visit www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/south-lake-union-community-center  or contact David Graves at david.graves@seattle.gov or 206-684-7048.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is moving forward with a three-part planning process at Magnuson Park that will:

• develop a Circulation Plan and identify future improvements for all modes of transportation to, from and through the park
• identify the preferred location and layout for a future comfort station (a.k.a. restrooms)
• recommend updates to the existing wayfinding system within the park and historic district

SPR encourages the community to participate in the second online meeting for the Magnuson Park Circulation Plan and Comfort Station Feasibility Study on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 from 6 to 7 p.m. Please join us online! To register for this meeting: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwtc-irqjkpEt2r8DiGtCcl-pAwk-a4lO1w

During the online presentation by SPR and our consultants, Heffron Transportation and MIG, the community can learn about and provide input on:

• preliminary recommendations for high-priority circulation improvements throughout Magnuson Park and the Sand Point Historic District
• recommended improvements to existing signage
• recommended placement and estimated costs for a new comfort station

If community members are unable to participate online SPR the meeting will be recorded and posted on the project website. Additionally, SPR  will host a pop-up event in the park.  Please join us Monday, June 21, from 5 – 7 p.m. on the south side Building 30 Hangar (6310 NE 74th Street). If you attend this event in the park please observe all Covid protocol. Social distance and if you are not vaccinated, wear a mask.

Magnuson Park is located in the Sand Point neighborhood at 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115.

To learn more about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/magnuson-park-circulation The online event offers interpretation and for in person interpretation in the park please contact: Kevin.Bergsrud@seattle.gov 48 hours or more in advance of the event in order to secure supporting services.