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Seattle Parks and Recreation news and events

Planning and funding assistance for Cal Anderson Park events and activities

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Do you have an idea for a fun event or activity at Cal Anderson Park this summer? Get help planning or funding your idea! Seattle Parks and Recreation is waiving many of the permit fees for new events in Cal Anderson Park this year, and staff is available to discuss event planning and related issues, along with answering questions about what kinds of activities are allowed under the Governor’s current COVID Guidelines.

Please reach out to us via email: 2020CalAnderson@seattle.gov

Helpful resources:

General Park Reservation information:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/reserve

Park Use Permit information:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/reserve/park-use-permits

A Guide to Planning an Event in a City Park:
http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/ParksAndRecreation/Reserve/EventPlanningCityParksGuide_Jan2018.pdf

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Meadows Management in Seattle’s Parks

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By Todd Burley, Brian Gay, Patti Bakker, and Craig Chatburn

Ecologically, Seattle is known as a place of towering trees and majestic waterways. Also hidden within many parks are meandering meadows that provide areas of respite and critical habitat for many species. In fact, some places such as the current site of Seattle Center were likely maintained as meadows by the Duwamish People. Between the Salish Sea and Lake Union, this area was known by early settlers as “the meadow.” Today, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) maintains parts of many parks as meadows and is looking to expand the reaches of this ecosystem within our park system.

A small meadow at a smaller Seattle park hosts white daisies and dandelions amongst a public art installation in the meadow. The art is a egg shaped dome protruding from the ground with a black marble top. Etched words read, Sea Fog, Drizzle and Rain.

Meadows are important for many species because their diverse habitat includes many flowers and grasses helpful to pollinators such as butterflies and native bees. While wandering through or near these areas, you might notice a wide range of insects and birds visiting flowers and taking advantage of seeds and nesting structures found in meadow habitats. Familiar pollinating insects such as bumble bees, mason bees, hover flies, and hopefully the endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly, will also be frequenting these meadows, spreading pollen, and helping to maintain these ecosystems. As a “Bee City,” Seattle has made a commitment to support bees, which are in serious decline around our country, and managing an increasing array of meadow habitat is one way to help.

A dusk photo at a seattle park meadow, with tall grass gleaming yellow and gold in the soft evening sunlight. The sun is setting on the horizon.

The many meadows SPR maintains can be found at Genesee Park, Carkeek Park, Magnuson Park and Discovery Park, among others. Management plans at these parks identify areas to be maintained as natural meadows. This means mowing only happens every one to three years as a means of keeping woody invasive plants in check, such as Scotch Broom and Himalayan Blackberry. In all, SPR intentionally maintains over a dozen meadows in our system.

Many bird species also benefit from meadow habitats, as they nest in these grasslands and feed off the various insects that thrive there. SPR ensures that any mowing or other management in these areas is done between August and January, outside of ground nesting bird season. As Seattle is also an Urban Bird Treaty City, this is one way SPR contributes to that commitment and supports these visitors to our urban ecosystems.

A seattle parks meadow overlooking Lake Washington on a warm summer day with no clouds in the sky. A person relaxes on their back enjoying the view with the bike next to them.

During 2020, SPR realized an opportunity to expand our meadow network to more “passive turf” areas, which grew taller when mowing resources were redirected to other priorities in the city. We are now mapping areas where grass can be more intentionally left to grow naturally and add to our network of grassland meadow habitat. An update to our Turf Best Management Practices will include maintenance guidelines on how to manage these areas, similar to our meadow management standards.

A checkerspot butterfly rests an a leaf. It's wings showcase the signature orange and cream colored spots on black wings.

SPR is also thinking about connectivity of meadow habitat through the development of a Pollinator Corridor Project. We know that having healthy habitat patches within 750 feet (2.5 football fields) of each other allows for insects and birds to move between these meadows, ensuring adequate space to prosper. Imagine a pollinator corridor from Magnuson Park down the Burke-Gilman Trail, past the Washington Park Arboretum, and down to Rainier Beach Farm and Urban Wetland. Or fly on butterfly wings from Discovery Park along the coast to Smith Cove Park, Myrtle Edwards Park, and along the soon to be developed new Waterfront Park. Like a web spanning the city, we seek to make a robust pollinator habitat network.

So, don’t be surprised if the grass looks a bit taller than usual in certain areas. Seattle Parks and Recreation is creating the space for native species to thrive, even in the midst of a rapidly urbanizing community. Grab a picnic blanket and settle in to enjoy the flowing meadows, fragrant flowers, and quietly hardworking insects.

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Seattle Parks and Recreation opening both outdoor pools this summer

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Colman and “Pop” Mounger pools, the two outdoor swimming pools in the Seattle Parks and Recreation system, will open this summer from June 19 through September 6 at reduced capacity. For both, operational changes will be in place to ensure public and staff safety as we recover from the pandemic.

The saltwater Colman Pool, at 8603 Fauntleroy Way SW in Lincoln Park, will offer lap and family swimming. Mounger Pool, at 2535 32nd Ave W in the Magnolia neighborhood, will offer water fitness, lap and family swimming.

Swim sessions will be one hour long, with a 30-minute break between sessions to facilitate cleaning. Sessions will be available for pre-registration on the prior day and there will be limited drop-in admission as well. Everyone entering the facility will undergo a health screening and agree to a waiver. All youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Masks must be worn when not swimming.

Seating on deck each session will be limited. The slide will be closed at Colman, but at Mounger the slide will open for a small portion of each family swim.

Group lessons will not be available this year. Party rentals for groups of 30 or fewer guests will be available Fridays-Sundays at 7:30pm. We will begin booking rentals on May 26th at noon. Please call (206) 684-4708, leave your name, phone number, requested rental date and an alternative date.  

We encourage everyone who plans to swim regularly to update their Seattle Parks account and purchase a 10-swim pass prior to the start of the season. This will simplify the pre-registration process and save you money! If you have ever purchased a swim pass, signed up for lessons or rented one of the pools, you already have an account. You can log in with your email here. If you don’t have a password, enter your email and click “forgot password.” 

PLEASE NOTE: We are NOT offering the FAST Pass this year, as in past seasons.  As we recover as a community from the Covid-19 pandemic, we strive to support numerous patrons enjoying our facilities as opposed to just a few patrons staying for longer periods of time.  We will resume FAST Pass usage at a safe time in the future.  

If you have questions about either pool, please leave a voice mail at Colman Pool at (206) 684-7494 or Mounger Pool at (206) 684-4708 and your call will be returned. For questions about creating or accessing your Seattle Parks account, please contact the Business Service Center at 206-684-5177.

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Seattle Parks and Recreation Invites South Park Community to Review Schematic Design and Participate in Survey for South Park Plaza

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While we cannot meet in person right now, your input is important to us! Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to participate in the future of South Park Plaza site by reviewing the schematic design and taking this short survey https://seattle.surveymonkey.com/r/SouthParkPlaza2021.

The oxbow/round design for the plaza site, 8456 Dallas Ave. S, offers a play area, plantings, gathering area for community events, seating terraces, picnic area and open lawn.

The success of this community park is dependent on community input and participation. If you would like to participate in planning for future activation and incorporating cultural elements in the design we encourage you to participate in the survey and sign up for a focus group.

In 2014, as part of a community-initiated acquisition, SPR purchased the .83-acre site at 8456 Dallas Ave. S, just west of the South Park Bridge to provide the community more open space. SPR is ready to move this new park and plaza project forward and we are excited to work with the South Park neighborhood to develop a design for the community gathering space.

This project was 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 about the project or translated version of the press release please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/south-park-plaza-landbanked-site-park-development.

For additional questions or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Jay Rood at Jay.rood@seattle.gov. 

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Now hiring for summer jobs at Seattle Parks and Recreation

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Are you looking for a fun and meaningful summer job? As we gear up for summer, we’re planning to open some outdoor programs at beaches, sprayparks, wading pools, and day camps. We need lifeguards, camp counselors, recreation attendants and leaders, parks maintenance laborers and more. One of the biggest barriers to opening sites, however, is insufficient staffing – so please consider applying, and pass this information to family and friends too. See you in the parks for the best season in Seattle!

Click the graphic below for a larger view with working links to the job listings and application website.

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Climate Justice in Seattle’s Parks

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By Belinda Chin and Todd Burley with contributions from B Hill

Climate change has impacted people in many ways – from more extreme heat events and increased air pollution with wildfire smoke to rising sea levels and king tide events in vulnerable areas (see Google Earth Time-lapse for 40 years of development impacts captured in images). Yet these impacts are felt disproportionately be lower-income households and people of color. At Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR), we are seeking ways to mitigate the impacts of climate change, and in doing this we must consider the intersection of social justice and environmental degradation. Climate Justice must embody our work.

In that spirit, SPR acknowledges that the city of Seattle and its greenspaces are on stolen Coast Salish land, specifically the ancestral land of the tribes and bands of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Stillaguamish, and Muckleshoot nations. We recognize the stewardship of Seattle’s greenspaces by the Coast Salish people since time immemorial, the disruption of their relationship to the land by colonization, and their resilience in continuing their endeavors from generation to generation in unbroken cycles of lived experience. We make this acknowledgment to remind ourselves that, by being here today, we strive to remedy this injustice through our beliefs and actions in helping to steward our green spaces and communities in Seattle

Climate justice seeks to transition our entire economy from one that is extractive to one that is relational and sustainable. Four areas of climate justice rise to the top of SPR’s considerations: ecological restoration, racial justice and social equity, localization of production and consumption, and retaining, restoring and celebrating cultures and traditions.

Five Green Seattle Partnership participants pose with shovels in hand, on a typical Seattle overcast day. They are performing greenspace restoration work.

SPR has a long history of ecological restoration. As manager of nearly 12% of the city’s property, we take our role in this seriously and use environmentally-responsible management practices for all our parks – from neighborhood parks to natural areas. Our Green Seattle Partnership has 1,845 acres of urban forest in some stage of restoration and has planted over 30,000 trees. This habitat restoration is a critical part of our urban ecosystem, and even extends to our developed parks where we are expanding our pollinator pathways. It also extends to our creeks and shorelines where we work to restore those riparian ecosystems.

Equity is also a core of our work. Currently 94% of households live within a half-mile of one of our parks, which is great, but our acquisition strategy is not focused on getting to 100%, rather it seeks to focus our open space program in areas most in needs of the benefits they provide.

Four participants in the Seattle Conservation Corps work in a plant bed on a Seattle right of way, replacing shrubbery and soil. They are all wearing orange and yellow vests.

We also seek to create programming for people in identified equity areas in Seattle, such as expanding our environmental education programs out of our Environmental Learning Centers and into underserved neighborhoods. Finally, we also host green job pathways programs like the Youth Green Corps and Seattle Conservation Corps that provide experience, skills, and opportunities to enter green jobs in our field.

Three youth are harvesting corn at one of Seattle's community gardens.

Through the Urban Food Systems Program, SPR also supports local production and consumption as ways to mitigate food insecurity. We manage over 700 fruit trees, many community gardens, and P-Patches to offer a chance for people who may not have yards to grow local, healthy, and organic food. This food is often then donated to food banks or communities in need to help mitigate food insecurities present in our community.

The picture frames the sign at the newly renovated Alice Ball Park. The sun is out and the sign lists the parks features with the signature rainbow sign: Community Plaza, Reading Nook, Nature Trail.

And we strive to reflect the diverse histories, cultures, and traditions of people who have made this city their home. Many parks are named after prominent BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) leaders in our community and include interpretation about their lives and contributions (check out this blog post for Black History Month). We are also working to undo the historical attempted erasure of Coast Salish peoples by restoring Indigenous place names in our parks as well as referencing traditional ecological knowledge. Finally, parks and community centers are affordable spaces to meet and gather in for many in our community. Historically, our parks are seen as one of the greatest democratizing forces in our city.

Addressing the impacts of climate change is a mammoth task, yet by directing our response first to those most impacted, Seattle Parks and Recreation is seeking to embody the relational solutions of climate justice.

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Register Yourself and Your Community for a Vaccine Appointment

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Our region and state continue to make incredible progress on vaccinations. As of April 23, an estimated 61.5 percent of Seattle residents have begun the vaccination process, and 34.7 percent are fully vaccinated. This week, the City received 52,000 vaccinations from the county, state, and federal level, which is our largest allocation to-date. If this level of supply and demand continues in Seattle, we could vaccinate 70 percent of our workers and residents by the end of May.

Even with supply breaking loose, the City can’t end this pandemic alone – we need your help. If you haven’t already been vaccinated, sign up for a vaccination appointment today at any of the four City-affiliated sites at Lumen Field, North Seattle, Rainier Beach, and West Seattle.

Details are below:

If you have already been vaccinated, be a good neighbor and help your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers get vaccinated by sharing this link throughout your communities. To end this pandemic – and soon – we need to share registration opportunities far and wide: To our workforce, our neighborhood, and our friends and families. If you have any questions, the City encourages you to review our “What to Expect” website.

And if you know someone 60 or older who hasn’t been vaccinated, take them to our hubs in Rainier Beach and West Seattle, and you’ll both get vaccinated without an appointment. You can find more information on our new Good Neighbor walk-in program here.  

Vaccines save lives. With more variants in our community, you can protect your health and the health of your family by getting vaccinated.

If you’re unable to book an appointment this week, they can sign up for the City’s notification list and get notified via email as soon as appointments are available at any of the four City-affiliated sites.

For more information, including the notification list, visit the City’s vaccination website at www.seattle.gov/vaccine. The site contains vaccination information in seven languages, and in-language assistance is also available over the phone. Even as more residents get vaccinated, public health measures like social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing your hands remain critical. Please continue to follow all public health guidance, and visit this website from Public Health – Seattle & King County for more information.

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The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway Begins Installation In Cal Anderson Park

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The Seattle public art installation is scheduled for completion this summer in Cal Anderson Park and adjacent plaza

The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway, a Seattle-based public arts installation designed to take visitors through an emotional and historic journey related to the AIDS epidemic in Washington state from the early 1980s to today, announced today the scheduled installation of artworks We’re Already Here and Ribbon of Light in Cal Anderson Park from April 26 to May 31. The installations will be at the north edge of Cal Anderson Park. Construction fencing will temporarily surround two areas in the park to allow for the permanent installation of the art.

“It’s exciting that the years of planning and design by the artists are finally nearing completion, with the guidance of the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture,” said Jason Plourde, project manager for The AMP. “The artworks, and the themes of The AMP will bring even more meaning and community connections to this special public park.”

The final sculptures that are part of We’re Already Here by Civilization will be placed in the northeast corner of the park near the Chinese Scholar tree. The pieces will be similar to the protest sign groupings already installed in the adjacent plaza.  The larger area in the northeast edge of the park is where  Ribbon of Light by Horatio Hung-Yan Law will be installed. This work includes a series of three illuminated, laminated glass sculptures that will be placed along a landscaped pathway adjacent to the main trail of the park. The artwork is inspired by the words of poets impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and represent pieces of the sky that have fallen to the ground. They will create a quiet space for communal mourning and personal contemplation.

“We’re excited for the completion of The AMP and the recognition it brings to the heritage of this public convergence space,” says Don Blakeney and Taha Ebrahimi, co-chairs of the Cal Anderson Park Alliance (CAPA). “As we work with community stakeholders to ensure a vibrant, activated and welcoming Cal Anderson Park for all, this memorial will be a big part of that.”

Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 , is named for the first openly gay Washington State elected official. A decorated US army veteran, Cal was a passionate advocate for social justice. He led the fight for laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation while serving in our State House of Representatives and Senate. He died of AIDS in 1995.

The contractors working on the site for both artworks are Green Tech Excavation Company and Ashford Electric & Construction Co. The AMP is funded by community partners, public funds and private donations including the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle Parks & Recreation, and Seattle Public Utilities. The outdoor artworks of The AMP will be incorporated into The City of Seattle’s Civic Art Collection.

More information on each of the artists can be found at theamp.org.

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City of Seattle proposal to remove recreational covenants from city-owned property

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Notice of Public Hearing on May 4, 2021

Seattle Parks and Recreation is proposing to remove restrictive covenants from City-owned property known as the Red Barn Ranch, located at 17601 SE Lake Moneysmith Rd., Washington 98092, King County Parcel Number 242105-9004, and legally described as follows (the “Property”):

The southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 24, Township 21 North, Range 5 east, W.M., in King County, Washington;

Except County Road No. 212;

Also except the north 30 feet for road as conveyed to King County, a political subdivision of the State of Washington by deed recorded under Recording 20050218001287.

The City purchased the approximately 39-acre Property in 1970 for use as a recreational youth camp.  To pay for the acquisition, the City accepted funds from state and federal open space programs administered by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) granted to the City on condition that the Property be used permanently for public outdoor recreation.  This condition was formalized by recording restrictive covenants against the Property, namely a Deed of Right to Use Land for Public Recreation Purposes as to the state funding program and an additional deed as to the federal program (together, the “Recreational Deeds”).  Over the years since the Property was acquired, it has served both as a recreational camp and other functions, including a farm and farm education facility.  The RCO has authorized removing the Recreation Deeds because the City is providing a replacement property for outdoor recreational purposes.

As required by RCW 35.21.960, the Seattle City Council is holding a public hearing, as described below, regarding the City’s proposal to remove the Recreational Deeds from the Property so that the Property can be used for other purposes.  Any member of the public, directly or by counsel, may submit testimony at the public hearing using the instructions described below.

PUBLIC HEARING

The City Council’s Public Assets and Native Communities Committee will hold a public hearing on the ordinance on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 2:00 PM.

The hearing will be held in the:

City Council Chambers

2nd Floor, Seattle City Hall

600 Fourth Avenue

Due to the COVID-19 civil emergency declared by the City and the State of Washington, persons who wish to participate in or attend the hearing may be required to do so remotely.  The City will provide instructions in the meeting agenda on how to participate remotely.  Please check the Committee agenda a few days prior to the meeting at http://www.seattle.gov/council/committees. 

Print and communications access is provided on prior request.  Please contact Negheen Kamkar at (206) 684-8805 or via email at Negheen.kamkar@seattle.gov as soon as possible to request accommodations for a disability.

Questions concerning the public hearing may be directed to Negheen Kamkar in Councilmember Debora Juarez’s office, by calling (206) 684-8805 or via e-mail at Debora.juarez@seattle.gov, or by mail to:

Councilmember Debora Juarez

Seattle City Council

600 4th Avenue, 2nd Floor

PO Box 34025

Seattle, WA 98124-4025

INFORMATION AVAILABLE

Information regarding the legislation is available at:  http://seattle.legistar.com/legislation.aspx by searching for Council Bill No. 120048. 

Questions regarding the legislation may be directed to Traci Ratzliff of the City Council Central Staff at (206) 684-8153, traci.ratzliff@seattle.gov.

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Drop-in table tennis pilot program at International District Community Center

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In an effort to test the waters in hopes of offering a few indoor programs this year, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) will begin with Drop-in Table Tennis on a trial basis at the International District/Chinatown Community Center starting Tuesday, April 27, 2021.

Tables must be reserved in advance by signing up at our registration portal. (You must create an account if you don’t already have one.) Registration starts on Tuesday, April 20 at noon.

To comply with public health guidance, participants should expect health screening checks upon entering the community center. Along with staff, players must wear a mask while in the building. A number of other protocols must be followed; please see the Health and Safety rules below.

Drop-in table tennis slots can be reserved at the Center on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at the following times:

Tues/Thurs: 12:30p-7:30p
Sat: 10:30a-5:30p

For questions regarding the registration process, please contact the SPR Business Service Center at (206) 684-5177.

Health and Safety Rules 

  1. Pre-registered program participants will be required to participate in the Covid-19 screening protocol when entering the IDCCC. (COVID-19 related symptoms and screening questions will be asked and a thermometer will be used to check the participant’s body temperature when checking in). 
  2. A maximum of 16 people will be allowed inside the center gym.
  3. There is a two-hour play limit.  
  4. All program participants will be required to wear a mask at all times while moving throughout the building. Players will be allowed to remove their mask during competitions (during game play only). Players are also allowed to remove their face mask temporally to drink water).  
  5. Fountains are still off limits.
  6. Tables will be cleaned before any new player uses a table. 
  7. No doubles play allowed. 
  8. No side changes allowed between games. 
  9. No multi-ball play allowed. 
  10. No wiping of hands allowed on tables during matches. 
  11. No cleaning of paddles by breathing on them allowed.
  12. The center will not be providing drinking water. Please bring your own. 
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