Construction begins in early September

Seattle Parks and Recreation and partners are excited to announce a new play area will be built in Occidental Square,117 S. Washington St. The play area will provide climbing equipment, safety surfacing, and an attractive steel and timber bench that surrounds the play area. 

Starting in late August, Venture General Contractors will be marking the layout on the ground and prepping the area at the north end of Occidental Square for the new play area. Construction will follow and the play area will open by the end of October 2019. Park programming and operations will continue during construction, with temporary fencing around the site to keep it secure and to keep park visitors safe.

Under the management of the Downtown Seattle Association, Occidental Square has been transformed into the lively heart of the Pioneer Square neighborhood, with colorful café seating, new planters, artwork, ping-pong tables, musical performances and a gathering space for all. The park’s newfound popularity and high attendance at regular free events has inspired donors to invest in this play area project, as well as in a new wood and steel kiosk and glass pavilion at the south end of the square. Both projects are fully privately funded.

Downtown Seattle Association, Seattle Parks Foundation, Alliance for Pioneer Square and Seattle Parks and Recreation are the partners in these improvements.

For more information or to see renderings of the play area and pavilion please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/occidental-square-park-projects or for more information please contact Garrett Farrell at garrett.farrell@seattle.gov.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) manages parts of seven multi-use trails in Seattle – paved trails that are at least five feet wide and allow multiple types of users. Some of the most well-known are the Burke-Gilman and Elliott Bay Trails. These popular recreational trails not only act as linear parks, but also routes for people travelling around the city; routes that are away from cars.

In early 2018, Washington State passed a law that allowed some electric-assisted bicycles (e-bikes) on these trails unless there was an existing local regulation against motorized vehicles; in Seattle that was only true with SPR. Multi-use trails in Seattle are owned and managed by a cornucopia of entities, including the Seattle Department of Transportation, Port of Seattle, Washington State, University of Washington, and others. So, to create consistency in the user experience and gather data to inform future policy decisions, SPR conducted a year-long Multi-Use Trail Pilot (Pilot) starting August 1, 2018.

The Pilot had three main elements: Allow Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, set a 15-mph speed limit, and educate users on proper trail etiquette.

• E-Bikes: Before the Pilot, no motorized vehicles were allowed on any trail managed by SPR. The permission of Class 1 and 2 e-bikes (see sidebar) aligned with the state law and all other multi-use trail owners in Seattle. No other motorized personal vehicles were allowed.
• Speed: In reviewing our policies we also realized that no speed limits were ever placed on these trails in Seattle. For the Pilot, SPR set a 15-mph speed limit for all users, consistent with King County, who owns some of these trails beyond the City of Seattle boundaries.
• Education: To increase safety and enjoyment on these trails, we recognized that education was key. SPR partnered with SDOT to install signs on trail etiquette and worked with community partners to get the word out about how to be a respectful trail user.

What we learned

To understand what is happening on the trail and how people feel about their experience, we conducted research on 9,500 trail users and gathered 1,400 responses to public surveys both online and on the trail. We also reached out to 40 organizations and made 15 presentations to various stakeholder groups.

Here is what we learned about trail users on the Burke-Gilman, Elliott Bay, and Alki Trails during the pilot.

• Pedal bikes are the greatest users of these trails overall, but each trail is unique. Trails such as the Alki Trail are mostly used by pedestrians while trails like the Burke-Gilman are mostly used by bikes.
• On average e-bikes and pedal bikes go similar speeds (14.8 & 14.9 mph), although private e-bikes generally go a bit faster than private pedal bikes (16.8 versus 15.0 mph).
• Bike shares go slow compared to other wheeled users.
• Personal mobility devices like e-scooters and e-skateboards are still small in number but increasing.

Here is what we learned from the surveys, which were voluntary and came primarily from cyclists. 1,200 surveys were conducted online and 200 were gathered in person on the trails.

• These truly are multi-use trails.
• Respondents support the 15-mph speed limit and e-bikes being allowed on the trails.
• Users generally feel safe on the trails and believe others follow the rules.
• But the greatest concerns are with other people and at road crossings.
• The greatest concerns came from conflicts on the Burke-Gilman Trail.

Beyond our own research, we also continue to collaborate with other jurisdictions who manage multi-use trails and are grappling with emerging technologies and the increasing use of these recreational assets. Other cities in the region and around the country are also updating their policies, and we are working with the Regional Trails Coalition to create some degree of consistency in our regulations.

What’s Next?

Seattle Parks and Recreation has extended the Multi-Use Pilot to the end of 2019 as we create a policy update using the information that was gathered over the last year. Our intent is to provide a policy proposal in October to the Board of Park Commissioners. For questions, contact Todd Burley at todd.burley@seattle.gov.

Many Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities will be closed for Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 2, 2019.

These facilities and services will be CLOSED:

• Community centers
• Environmental learning centers
• Indoor swimming pools
• Green Lake Small Craft Center
• Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing Center
• Amy Yee Tennis Center
• Teen Life Centers (please note: Meadowbrook Teen Life Center and Southwest Teen Life Center are normally closed on Mondays and will therefore be closed on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Garfield Teen Life Center will be open on Tuesday, Sept. 3).

These facilities are OPEN:

• Golf courses
• Boat ramps
• Beaches (Matthews, Madison, Mt. Baker, Seward, West Green Lake)
• Lowery C. “Pop” Mounger Pool
• Colman Pool
• Certain wading pools and spray parks. See schedules here: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/sprayparks-and-wading-pools

The next United States Census will happen on April 1, 2020. There’s a lot at stake for Seattle in the 2020 U.S. Census. We’re combating a chaotic federal administration by working with community partners to ensure historically undercounted residents receive accurate Census information and know their rights.

The federal government uses U.S. Census data to help decide where money should go. The more accurate the Census count is in our community, the more likely our community will receive the resources that we need for important federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid, Head Start, and SNAP. The Census also determines how communities are represented in state and federal legislatures. We need an accurate count in order to have more equitable representation.

At the City, we know that many communities, especially immigrant and refugee residents, do not trust our chaotic federal government and are worried that information they include on their Census form will not be protected. Importantly, federal law prohibits the Census Bureau from publishing or sharing identifying information, and as of July 2019 there will not be a citizenship question on the 2020 Census form.

Visit www.seattlecensus.org, the City of Seattle’s comprehensive resource for regular updates on the 2020 Census, including information on privacy and data protection, Census trainings, and opportunities for grant funding.

At the City, we will continue to work with our communities to ensure everyone knows their rights and can be counted in the 2020 Census.

City Will Review Pesticides as Part of Update to the Integrated Pest Management Program 

Seattle (August 23, 2019) – To help protect residents and City employees from toxic chemicals, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced today that she has signed Executive Order 2019-05 restricting the use of pesticides containing glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp, by City departments.  

Effective immediately, City of Seattle departments who engage in pest management – including Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Center, Seattle Finance and Administrative Services, and the Seattle Department of Transportation – have been directed to avoid the use of glyphosate. In addition, an interdepartmental team will update the City’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan, including the list of approved pesticides, using a risk-reduction model. 

Glyphosate is considered a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization, but still approved for use by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Out of an abundance of caution, the City has joined cities like San Francisco and decided to highly restrict the usage of glyphosate and look for alternative solutions to controlling non-native and invasive weeds.  

“As a City, we are committed to developing better approaches to maintaining our public land without the use of dangerous pesticides. We will continue to lead the nation in reducing the use of toxic chemicals,” said Mayor Durkan. “The health and safety our neighbors and the City’s public servants comes first. We are immediately moving forward with a severely restricting the use of glyphosate to ensure that our public spaces are safe both for the community and for the public servants who maintain them.” 

This restriction on glyphosate builds on the City of Seattle’s work to significantly reduce its use of pesticides since the 1970s, including adopting a ban 10 years ago on the use of pesticides at over 250 playfields, picnic areas, community gardens, and play areas. In addition, Seattle currently has 22 pesticide-free parks. 

“Seattle has been a leader in reducing the use of pesticides and finding alternatives to managing public lands in a way that preserves our environment and protects the health of our community,” stated Megan Dunn, People and Communities Program Director at Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides. “We are glad to see this glyphosate restriction, which illustrates the thoughtful and precautionary approach Seattle is known for.” 

“Restricting glyphosate is the right thing to do,” said Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Superintendent Jesús Aguirre. “We continue to adapt our landscape management practices to the best available science, always seeking to support our vision of Healthy People, a Healthy Environment, and a Strong Community.” 

“We are proud to support this executive order, which prioritizes the health and safety of Seattle’s community members and our employees,” said Calvin W. Goings, Director of the Department of Finance and Administrative Services, which manages many of the City’s buildings and facilities. “We are committed to this effort to improve the City’s pesticide practices.” 

The IPM interdepartmental team will focus their efforts on identifying promising practices to control noxious weeds in spaces where glyphosate had been used for this purpose, such as forest restoration projects, hardscapes, and shrub beds. An updated Integrated Pest Management Plan, approved pesticide list, and public online portal will be completed by the end of 2019.   

For residents wishing to help maintain parks and open spaces through manual practices as part of Seattle’s Integrated Pest Management process, volunteer work parties are listed on the City’s calendar, available at http://www.seattle.gov/event-calendar.  

Learn more: Integrated Pest Management at Seattle Parks and Recreation

After the closure of other roller derby facilities in King County, Seattle Parks and Recreation heard from several roller derby teams and programs that were seeking space to hold games and practices.

After reviewing the various sizes of our gyms, gathering input from the roller derby community, we are proposing the painting of permanent roller derby lines at up to 17 sites across Seattle Parks & Recreation Community Centers over the next two years as floors are refinished on our typical cycle.  Furthermore, we are allowing the use of tape to continue at Magnuson Park Community Center until permanent lines can be painted on the gym floor after the remodel of the Community Center which is planned to commence in the later part of 2020. 

Thanks to all those who reached out to us, and for you patience as we figured out a way to make it work!

The following list contains major events taking place in parks across the city that will impact park use. Be safe, have fun, and plan your park visits accordingly.

October 18 deadline for submitting names

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the public to submit potential names for two new parks in the Wedgwood and Genesee-Schmitz neighborhoods. The deadline for submitting names to the Parks Naming Committee is Friday, October 18, 2019.

Wedgwood

To support the Wedgwood neighborhood with more open space, SPR purchased the .33-acre future park site at 8605 35^th Ave. NE in 2014. SPR and the design consultant, Studio 41 have worked closely with the community over the last year on the design. The design is a multi-use space that includes an open central lawn with curved seat walls, natural log and boulder nodes organized throughout the park and a concrete pedestal for a potential future art installation. The Wedgwood neighborhood has a strong sense of community with a history rooted in farming, gardening, bird watching, art and the natural landscape. Mature, heritage trees and natural rock outcroppings have long been signature elements attracting people to the nature of the area. The neighborhood was developed by Edith and Albert Balch in the 1940’s. Its namesake was given by Edith to commemorate her favorite brand of China. The project will be constructed in summer 2020 we anticipate completion by the end of 2020. To learn more about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/wedgwood-landbanked-site-park-development.

48^th & Charlestown

SPR purchased .33 acres at 4801 SW Charlestown St. in 2014 for the future development of a park. The corner property had been a small community garden and prior to that a neighborhood grocery store. It has a history as a community gathering space. Osborn Consulting and SPR worked with the community on the design for the new park, which will provide a “neighborhood green” for the people of all ages to meet, eat, play, and celebrate. The design includes an oval lawn surrounded by a loop path with arching seat walls, imaginative and active play for young children, picnic areas, and a small stage. Native and drought-tolerant plants will express the natural history of this area, and trees will frame the park and provide shade. The new park will be completed in 2021. More information on the project can be found. At http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/48th-and-charlestown-landbanked-site-park-development.

About the Parks Naming Committee and how to submit suggestions

The Parks Naming Committee is comprised of one representative designated by the Board of Park Commissioners; one by the Chair of the City Council Civic Development, Public Assets and Native Communities Committee; and one by the Parks Superintendent. Criteria the committee considers in naming parks include: geographical location, historical or cultural significance, and natural or geological features. The Park Naming Policy, clarifying the criteria applied when naming a park, can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/parks/Publications/namingPolicy.htm.

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.

Please submit suggestions for park names in writing by Friday, October 18, 2019 and include an explanation of how your suggestion matches the naming criteria. Send to Seattle Parks and Recreation, Parks Naming Committee, 100 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109, or by e-mail to paula.hoff@seattle.gov.

Come join the Citywide Youth Athletics family and support young sports enthusiasts while having fun! We are currently looking for volunteer coaches and paid referees for our upcoming Fall season. Pay for referees is $17-20 per hour, based on experience.

Practices begin in mid August; games start in mid September.

For flag football, games will be held at the Meadowbrook Playfield behind the Meadowbrook Community Center but one or two other locations may host the flag football games throughout the season.

For girls volleyball, games will be held during weekday evenings at various community centers throughout Seattle.

If you are interested in coaching or being a ref for either flag football or girls volleyball, please contact Billy.Nong@Seattle.gov.