Parkways Seattle Parks and Recreation

The September 26, 2019 Board of Park Commissioners meeting is canceled for the Board to convene a retreat to discuss Board business at the Japanese Garden from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Board will hold their next regular Park Board meeting on October 10.

The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners is a nine-member citizen board created by the City Charter. Four members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council; four members are appointed by the City Council; and one member is a young adult appointed by the YMCA Get Engaged program.

The Board generally meets twice a month, normally on the second and fourth Thursday, to advise the Parks and Recreation Superintendent, the Mayor, and the City Council on parks and recreation matters.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the Rainier community to learn about and provide input on a new park on S Charlestown St. between 34^th and 35^th Ave. S, just north of Safeway. Join SPR’s staff and designers this Saturday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to noon in front of the Safeway at Rainier Square Plaza, 3820 Rainier Ave. S, or from 1 to 3 p.m. in the courtyard between Columbia Gardens and the Dakota at Rainier Court, 3610 33^rd Ave. S. Both locations offer an opportunity for the community to help shape their future park. Neighbors of all ages are encouraged to attend and let us know what amenities and park elements are preferred for the neighborhood. Light refreshments will be served.

Although SPR conducted outreach to the community in 2017, the park has gotten bigger with the 2019 acquisition of the 6,617 square-foot parcel on the southwest corner of the park. The new park is now about an acre, creating a significant new neighborhood park consistent with the community’s expressed interests. The park will provide multi-generational activities and incorporate universal accessibility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A Fitness Zone with exercise equipment for teens and adults is made possible by Kaiser Permanente Washington in collaboration with the Trust for Public Land.

Funding for this park is provided by the Seattle Park District. 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. The Seattle Park District helps improve and rehabilitate community centers, preserves the urban forest, performs day-to-day maintenance of parks and facilities, provides more recreation opportunities for people from underserved communities, supports programs for people of all ages and abilities, and acquires and develops new park land.

For more information or for meeting notification translations, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/north-rainier-landbanked-site-park-development.

For questions about the project or if you need an interpreter or accommodations, please contact Ed Pottharst at Ed.pottharst@seattle.gov or 206-386-4232.

Dear community member,

Today, Mayor Jenny Durkan is releasing her 2020 Proposed Budget. In the second year of the two-year budget biennium, this budget maintains core services while at the same time increasing investments in priorities like public safety, affordable housing, homelessness, transit and transportation safety, and opportunity and jobs for Seattle’s young people.

The following is a summary of Seattle Parks and Recreation’s key changes in the 2020 Proposed Budget.

The 2020 Proposed Budget maintains resources to Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and identifies efficiencies to implement budget-neutral staffing changes across the department. In addition, the proposed budget allocates funding to cover increasing costs associated with utility expenses and other citywide adjustments, adds funds to expand existing operations and recreation programming, and updates the Capital Improvement Program to reflect planned spending in 2020.

Improve Service Levels

The 2020 Proposed Budget implements a number of changes to improve service levels and help the department keep up with increasing demands at its recreation facilities and maintenance needs. These changes are budget neutral and include:

• repurposing excess summer aquatic funds to eliminate a gap in access to swimming in low-income communities, making swim free to this population;
• adding permanent staffing at the Arboretum Loop Trail, Japanese Garden, and the SPR 24-Hour maintenance request call center;
• formalizing a commitment to the Teen Summer Musical and other performing arts programs by establishing dedicated funding for this work; and
• expanding SPR’s administrative capacity and ongoing efforts to measure performance quality across the organization.

Expanding and Enhancing Operations

The 2019-2020 budget added $150,000 of Sweetened Beverage Tax funding to SPR for youth recreation scholarships. In 2020, SPR will receive additional funding to expand the number of Destination Summer Camp locations and to add hours for Summer of Safety programming at existing sites.

The 2020 Proposed Budget provides funding for additional Recreation Assistant Coordinators funded by ARC. The proposed budget also adds ongoing funding to expand the RV Remediation Program to cover the SPR staffing program costs that support this City-wide program.

Capital Improvement Program

In 2019, Outdoors for All was selected following the department’s issuance of a Request for Proposal process to renovate Building 18 at Magnuson Park to serve as the organization’s future headquarters. Outdoors for All enriches the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities through outdoor recreation. The Mayor’s 2020 Proposed Budget includes $1,000,000 of one-time funding in SPR’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to assist Outdoors for All with capital renovations at the facility.

The 2020 Proposed CIP also includes an additional $700,000 of one-time Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for accessibility compliance; this will supplement existing funding for this work in 2020 and further advance SPR’s efforts to make parks and recreation facilities more accessible to all.

NEXT STEPS AND COMMUNICATION ABOUT BUDGET

Over the next two months, the City Council will review the Mayor’s proposed budget. Final adoption of the budget is expected on Monday, November 25. More information about details in the budget can be found at www.seattle.gov/budget, and you can also direct any questions to jenny.durkan@seattle.gov.

Sincerely, 

Jesús Aguirre

Superintendent, Seattle Parks and Recreation 

In an effort to allow staff and community to mourn the passing of a team member, Rainier Beach Pool (8825 Rainier Ave. S) will be closed on Sunday, Sept. 29 for all programs and activities, except for rentals. We apologize for the inconvenience. For a list of alternative pools to use, please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/pools/pools-a-z

The Rainier Beach Community Center will operate as normal on Sunday, Sept. 29 (only the pool is closing).

Questions? Please call the pool at 206-386-1925.

Seattle Parks and Recreation and Volunteer Park Trust invite the community to view the final design for the future Volunteer Park Amphitheater on Sunday, September 22, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the Fall Restoration Day event in Volunteer Park. Please join us at the Open House tent on the west edge of the park at E. Highland Drive. Come meet the design team, view the design and learn about the next steps for the project. Volunteer Park is located at 1245 15^th Ave. E.  

The amphitheater replacement design is based on outreach with the community, and input form the Friends of Seattle Olmsted Parks and the Landmarks Preservation Board. The new amphitheater will be fully accessible, have overhead weather protection for the performers and include public restrooms.

The Seattle Park District Major Projects Challenge Fund provided $900,000 in funding to move the community-initiated Volunteer Park Amphitheater Replacement project forward through the final design phase and construction. Volunteer Park Trust will match the Seattle Park District Major Projects Challenge Fund award. They are currently fundraising and have been awarded grants for the project from King County’s Culture and the Washington State Department of Commerce. To learn more about the project or to donate, visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/volunteer-park-amphitheater-replacement.

For additional questions please contact David Graves, Strategic Advisor, at 206-684-7048 or David.Graves@seattle.gov.

To learn more about the Fall Restoration Day in Volunteer Park visit  https://volunteerparktrust.org/event/fall-restoration-day-2019/.

Help us create a healthier, happier, and greener Seattle by coming out to our biggest planting event of the year – Green Seattle Day! On November 2nd we will be planting the city’s future forest at 17 neighborhood parks. From creating wildlife habitat, to combating climate change, and providing a place for residents to recreate, having a hand in Green Seattle Day is one of the best ways to give back to your neighbors, parks, and your local forest.

All community members are welcome, and no experience is necessary! The event is family friendly and open to all ages. Hundreds of volunteers will plant native trees, shrubs, and groundcovers that will become the future forest of Seattle. We will provide all of the necessary tools and training for the day, along with light refreshments.

We hope that you will lend a hand in the neighborhoods you live in, and volunteer at the park closest to you. Spots do fill up quickly, so please sign up in advance to help us plan a great event. Information and registration links can be found at: https://www.greenseattle.org/get-involved/green-seattle-day/ 

Questions? Please contact the Green Seattle Partnership by email at info@greenseattle.org, and by phone at (206) 905-6924.

The Discovery Park Advisory Council is looking for new members to join their team.  The council meets once a month with Seattle Parks and Recreation staff to offer community perspective, advice and consultation on environmental education programs, visitor services and interpretation within Discovery Park.

Meetings are held at the Discovery Park Visitor Center and are scheduled for the fourth Wednesday of every month, September – June.

If you are interested in joining the council or would like to learn more about this opportunity, please come to our next meeting on September 25, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Volunteers with a background in environmental education, grant writing and/or event planning are especially welcome, but there are no special skills necessary: just a love for the park and a desire to see it thrive and serve the needs of all Seattle’s citizens. 

Please Join us!

Seattle Parks and Recreation is working with Harkness Construction to make accessibility improvements to the Alki Beach bathhouse building, the 63^rd St. comfort station, and surrounding park paths and paved areas including a new ramp near the statue of liberty plaza. This work at Alki Beach Park addresses 30 U.S. Department of Justice Americans with Disabilities Act citations as well as other barriers to accessibility.

Harkness Construction will begin work the week of September 16, 2019 and construction will be complete in January 2020. Portions of the park, bathhouse and paths will be temporarily closed, however, the contractor will work to minimize the impacts to the park. During construction the restrooms will be closed temporarily and portable toilets will be provided for park visitors.

For questions about the project please contact Mike Schwindeller at 206-615-1165 or mike.schwindeller@seattle.gov or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/alki-beach-park.